[7ABC 483.2]         "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." "He hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man." In His superadded humanity consists the reason of Christ's appointment. God has committed all judgment unto the Son, for without controversy He is God manifest in the flesh.  {7ABC 483.2}
[7ABC 483.3]         God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; He whom men despised, rejected, and upon whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings, inspired by Satan, are capable; He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of the cross,--He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. He who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowledged by all the heavenly universe as the King of saints. He has undertaken the work of salvation, and shown before unfallen worlds and the heavenly family that the work He has begun He is able to complete. It is Christ who gives men the grace of repentance; His merits are accepted by the Father in behalf of every soul that will help to compose the family of God.  {7ABC 483.3}
[7ABC 483.4]         In that day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living.--The Review and Herald, Nov. 22, 1898.     (484)  {7ABC 483.4}
[7ABC 484.1]        VII. Wondrous Results of Christ's Priestly Mediation            The intercession of Christ is as a golden chain fastened to the throne of God. He has turned the merit of His sacrifice into prayer. Jesus prays, and by prayer succeeds.--Manuscript 8, 1892.  {7ABC 484.1}
[7ABC 484.2]         As our Mediator, Christ works incessantly. Whether men receive or reject Him, He works earnestly for them. He grants them life and light, striving by His Spirit to win them from Satan's service. And while the Saviour works, Satan also works, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, and with unflagging energy.--The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901.  {7ABC 484.2}
[7ABC 484.3]         This Saviour was to be a mediator, to stand between the Most High and His people. Through this provision, a way was opened whereby the guilty sinner might find access to God through the mediation of another. The sinner could not come in his own person, with his guilt upon him, and with no greater merit then he possessed in himself. Christ alone could open the way, by making an offering equal to the demands of the divine law. He was perfect, and undefiled by sin. He was without spot or blemish. --The Review and Herald, Dec. 17, 1872.  {7ABC 484.3}
[7ABC 484.4]         Christ is the Minister of the true tabernacle, the High Priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Saviour; and His office no other can take. He is the High Priest of the church, and He has a work to do which no other can perform. By His grace He is able to keep every man from transgression.--The Signs of the Times, Feb. 14, 1900.  {7ABC 484.4}
[7ABC 484.5]         Faith in the atonement and intercession of Christ will keep us steadfast and immovable amid the temptations that press upon us in the church militant.--The Review and Herald, June 9, 1896.  {7ABC 484.5}
[7ABC 484.6]         The great plan of redemption, as revealed in the closing work for these last days, should receive close examination. The scenes connected with the sanctuary above should make such an impression upon the minds and hearts of all that they may be able to impress others. All need to become more intelligent in regard to the work of the atonement, which is going on in the sanctuary above. When this grand truth is seen and understood, those who hold it will work in harmony with Christ to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and their efforts will be successful. --Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 575.  {7ABC 484.6}
[7ABC 484.7]         Christ's priestly intercession is now going on in our behalf in                                                                 (485)     the sanctuary above. But how few have a real understanding that our great High Priest presents before the Father His own blood, claiming for the sinner who receives Him as his personal Saviour all the graces which His covenant embraces as the reward of His sacrifice. This sacrifice made Him abundantly able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, seeing He liveth to make intercession for them.--Manuscript 92, 1899.  {7ABC 484.7}
[7ABC 485.1]         Christ as High Priest within the veil so immortalized Calvary, that though He liveth unto God, He dies continually to sin and thus if any man sin, he has an Advocate with the Father. He arose from the tomb enshrouded with a cloud of angels in wondrous power and glory,--the Deity and humanity combined. He took in His grasp the world over which Satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by His wonderful work in giving His life, He restored the whole race of men to favor with God. The songs of triumph echoed and re-echoed through the worlds. Angel and archangel, cherubim and seraphim, sang the triumphant song at the amazing achievement.--Manuscript 50, 1900.  {7ABC 485.1}
[7ABC 485.2]         This is the great day of atonement, and our Advocate is standing before the Father, pleading as our Intercessor. In place of wrapping about us the garments of self-righteousness, we should be found daily humbling ourselves before God, confessing our own individual sins, seeking the pardon of our transgressions, and cooperating with Christ in the work of preparing our souls to reflect the divine image.--Manuscript 168, 1898 (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, Ellen G. White Comments, on Hebrews 10:19-21).  {7ABC 485.2}
[7ABC 485.3]         As our Mediator, Jesus was fully able to accomplish this work of redemption; but O, at what a price! The sinless Son of God was condemned for the sin in which He had no part, in order that the sinner, through repentance and faith, might be justified by the righteousness of Christ, in which he had no personal merit. The sins of every one who has lived upon the earth were laid upon Christ, testifying to the fact that no one need be a loser in the conflict with Satan. Provision has been made that all may lay hold of the strength of Him who will save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.  {7ABC 485.3}
[7ABC 485.4]         Christ receives upon Him the guilt of man's transgression, while He lays upon all who receive Him by faith, who return to their allegiance to God, His own spotless righteousness.--The Review and Herald, May 23, 1899.  {7ABC 485.4}
[7ABC 485.5]         He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in     (486)     which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned. . . . The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat.--Manuscript 50, 1900 (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, on Romans 8:26, 34).  {7ABC 485.5}
[7ABC 486.1]                 VIII. Christ Is Our Friend at Court          Our great High Priest is pleading before the mercy-seat in behalf of His ransomed people. . . . Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us, and our advocate stands at God's right hand to plead for us. He has never lost a case that has been committed to Him. We may trust in our advocate; for He pleads His own merits in our behalf.--The Review and Herald, Aug. 15, 1893.  {7ABC 486.1}
[7ABC 486.2]         Christ glorified not Himself in being made High Priest. God gave Him His appointment to the priesthood. He was to be an example to all the human family. He qualified Himself to be, not only the representative of the race, but their Advocate, so that every soul if he will may say, I have a Friend at court. He is a High Priest that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.--Manuscript 101, 1897.  {7ABC 486.2}
[7ABC 486.3]         Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. Jesus presents the oblation offered for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner.  {7ABC 486.3}
[7ABC 486.4]         Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man's behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving.--Manuscript 50, 1900 (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, on Romans 8:26, 34).  {7ABC 486.4}
[7ABC 486.5]         When Christ ascended to heaven, He ascended as our advocate. We always have a friend at court. And from on high Christ sends His representative to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Holy Spirit gives the divine anointing to all who receive Christ.--The Christian Educator, August, 1897, p. 22.  {7ABC 486.5}
[7ABC 486.6]         He has paid the ransom money for the whole world. All may be saved through Him. He will present those who believe on Him to God as loyal subjects of His kingdom. He will be their Mediator as well as their Redeemer.--Manuscript 41, 1896.                                                                    (487)  {7ABC 486.6}
[7ABC 487.1]         When Christ died upon the cross of Calvary, a new and living way was opened to both Jew and Gentile. The Saviour was henceforth to officiate as priest and advocate in the heaven of heavens. Henceforth the blood of beasts offered for sins was valueless, for the Lamb of God had died for the sins of the world.--Und. Manuscript 127.  {7ABC 487.1}
[7ABC 487.2]         The arm that raised the human family from the ruin which Satan has brought upon the race through his temptations, is the arm which has preserved the inhabitants of other worlds from sin. Every world throughout immensity engages the care and support of the Father and the Son; and this care is constantly exercised for fallen humanity. Christ is mediating in behalf of man, and the order of unseen worlds also is preserved by His mediatorial work. Are not these themes of sufficient magnitude and importance to engage our thoughts, and call forth our gratitude and adoration to God?--The Review and Herald, Jan. 11, 1881; Messages to Young People, p. 254.  {7ABC 487.2}
[7ABC 487.3]           IX. Became Man That He Might Become Mediator          Jesus became a man that He might mediate between man and God. He clothed His divinity with humanity, He associated with the human race, that with His long human arm He might encircle humanity, and with His divine arm grasp the throne of Divinity. And this, that He might restore to man the original mind which he lost in Eden through Satan's alluring temptation; that man might realize that it is for his present and eternal good to obey the requirements of God. Disobedience is not in accordance with the nature which God gave to man in Eden.--Letter 121, 1897.  {7ABC 487.3}
[7ABC 487.4]         The completeness of His humanity, the perfection of His divinity, form for us a strong ground upon which we may be brought into reconciliation with God. It was when we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. We have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. His nail-pierced hands are outreached toward heaven and earth. With one hand He lays hold of sinners upon earth, and with the other He grasps the throne of the Infinite, and thus He makes reconciliation for us. Christ is today standing as our Advocate before the Father. He is the one Mediator between God and man. Bearing the marks of His crucifixion, He pleads the causes of our souls.--Letter 35, 1894.     (488)  {7ABC 487.4}
[7ABC 488.1]         X. Heavenly Advocate Retains Human Nature Forever          Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God.--The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.  {7ABC 488.1}
[7ABC 488.2]         By His appointment He ［the Father］ has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature. As our Intercessor, His office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. Christ intercedes in behalf of those who have received Him. To them He gives power, by virtue of His own merits, to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King.-- Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 363, 364.  {7ABC 488.2}
[7ABC 488.3]         It is our privilege to contemplate Jesus by faith, and see Him standing between humanity and the eternal throne. He is our Advocate, presenting our prayers and offerings as spiritual sacrifices to God. Jesus is the great, sinless propitiation, and through His merit, God and man may hold converse together. Christ has carried His humanity into eternity. He stands before God as the representative of our race.--The Youth's Instructor, Oct. 28, 1897.  {7ABC 488.3}
[7ABC 488.4]         Jesus could give alone security to God; for He was equal with God. He alone could be a mediator between God and man; for He possessed divinity and humanity. Jesus could thus give security to both parties for the fulfillment of the prescribed conditions. As the Son of God He gives security to God in our behalf, and as the eternal Word, as one equal with the Father, He assures us of the Father's love to usward who believe His pledged word. When God would assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, He gives His only begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature as a pledge that God will fulfil His word.--The Review and Herald, April 3, 1894.  {7ABC 488.4}
[7ABC 488.5]         The reconciliation of man to God could be accomplished only through a mediator who was equal with God, possessed of attributes that would dignify, and declare Him worthy to treat with the Infinite God in man's behalf, and also represent God to a fallen world. Man's substitute and surety must have man's nature, a connection with the human family whom He was to represent, and, as God's ambassador, He must partake of the divine nature, have a connection with the Infinite, in order to manifest God to the world, and be a mediator between God and man.-- The Review and Herald, Dec. 22, 1891.  {7ABC 488.5}
[Con 5.1]          Con - Confrontation (1971)      FOREWORD         ELLEN G. WHITE AT DIFFERENT TIMES WROTE OF THE TEMPTATION AND FALL OF MAN, THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION, AND OF THE VICTORY OF CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS OF TEMPTATION. IN 1874 AND 1875 IN A SERIES OF 13 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE REVIEW AND HERALD SHE TREATED THESE TOPICS IN DEPTH. IN THESE SHE DEVOTED MORE ATTENTION TO LESSONS DRAWN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF MAN AND JESUS CHRIST IN MEETING TEMPTATION THAN TO THE SEQUENCE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS. THE SERIES CLOSES WITH PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS TO PRESENT-DAY SITUATIONS. {Con 5.1}
[Con 5.2]          THESE ARTICLES, WITH SOME PARAGRAPHS ADDED BY THE AUTHOR, WERE LATER REPUBLISHED IN A 96-PAGE PAMPHLET AND BECAME THE SECOND OF EIGHT PAMPHLETS TO MAKE UP THE REDEMPTION SERIES PUBLISHED IN 1878. THE OTHER SEVEN PRESENT MATERIALS PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SPIRIT OF PROPHECY VOLUMES TWO AND THREE, LATER REPLACED BY ELLEN WHITE'S MASTERPIECE THE DESIRE OF AGES. {Con 5.2}
[Con 5.3]          NUMBER TWO OF THE REDEMPTION SERIES, WRITTEN QUITE APART FROM THE OTHERS, IN ITS FULLNESS IN THE TREATMENT OF TEMPTATION MAKES A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO ELLEN G. WHITE MATERIALS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. {Con 5.3}
[Con 5.4]          IN THE FIRST PRINTING SOME ARTICLES CARRIED SUBHEADINGS; MANY DID NOT. A UNIFORM PLAN IS FOLLOWED IN THIS REPRINT. CAPITALIZATION AND SPELLING HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO KEEPING WITH PRESENT USAGE, AND SOME VERY LONG PARAGRAPHS HAVE BEEN DIVIDED FOR THE SAKE OF READABILITY. THE TEXT IS ACCURATELY REPRODUCED. {Con 5.4}
[Con 5.5]          IN THIS ATTRACTIVE REPRINT THE READER WILL FIND ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRACTICAL LESSONS APPROPRIATE FOR THESE TIMES. {Con 5.5}
[Con 5.5]    BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE {Con 5.5}
[Con 0.1]       Table of Contents    Confrontation in the Desert ........................................ 9   Adam and Eve and Their Eden Home .................................. 10   The Test of Probation ............................................. 12   Paradise Lost ..................................................... 15   Plan of Redemption ................................................ 16   Sacrificial Offerings ............................................. 21   Appetite and Passion .............................................. 24   A Threat to Satan's Kingdom ....................................... 27   The Temptation .................................................... 31   Christ as a Second Adam ........................................... 32   Terrible Effects of Sin Upon Man .................................. 34   The First Temptation of Christ .................................... 36   Significance of the Test .......................................... 37   Christ Did No Miracle for Himself ................................. 40   He Parleyed Not With Temptation ................................... 41   Victory Through Christ ............................................ 45   The Second Temptation ............................................. 47   The Sin of Presumption ............................................ 48   Christ Our Hope and Example ....................................... 50   The Third Temptation .............................................. 51   Christ's Temptation Ended ......................................... 55   Christian Temperance .............................................. 57   Self-indulgence in Religion's Garb ................................ 64   More Than One Fall ................................................ 73   Health and Happiness .............................................. 76   Strange Fire ...................................................... 80   Presumptuous Rashness and Intelligent Faith ....................... 84   Spiritism ......................................................... 86   Character Development ............................................. 93  {Con 0.1}
[Con 9.1]     Confrontation in the Desert            After the baptism of Jesus in Jordan He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. When He had come up out of the water, He bowed upon Jordan's banks and pleaded with the great Eternal for strength to endure the conflict with the fallen foe. The opening of the heavens and the descent of the excellent glory attested His divine character. The voice from the Father declared the close relation of Christ to His Infinite Majesty: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The mission of Christ was soon to begin. But He must first withdraw from the busy scenes of life to a desolate wilderness for the express purpose of bearing the threefold test of temptation in behalf of those He had come to redeem. {Con 9.1}
[Con 9.2]           Satan, who was once an honored angel in heaven, had been ambitious for the more exalted honors which God had bestowed upon His Son. He became envious of Christ, and represented to the angels, who honored him as covering cherub, that he had not the honor conferred upon him which his position demanded. He asserted that he should be exalted equal in honor with Christ. Satan obtained sympathizers. Angels in heaven joined him in his rebellion, and fell with their leader from their high and holy estate, and were therefore expelled from heaven with him. {Con 9.2}
[Con 10.1]     9       10          Adam and Eve and their Eden home            God, in counsel with His Son, formed the plan of creating man in His own image. Man was to be placed upon probation. He was to be tested and proved; if he should bear the test of God, and remain loyal and true through the first trial, he was not to be beset with continual temptations, but was to be exalted equal with the angels and made, thenceforth, immortal. {Con 10.1}
[Con 10.2]           Adam and Eve came forth from the hand of their Creator in the perfection of every physical, mental, and spiritual endowment. God planted for them a garden, and surrounded them with everything that was lovely and attractive to the eye, which their physical necessities required. This holy pair looked upon a world of unsurpassed loveliness and glory. A benevolent Creator had given them evidences of His goodness and love in providing them with fruits, vegetables, and grains, and in causing to grow out of the ground every variety of tree for usefulness and beauty. {Con 10.2}
[Con 10.3]           The holy pair looked upon nature as a picture of unsurpassed loveliness. The brown earth was clothed with a carpet of living green, diversified with an endless variety of self-perpetuating flowers. Shrubs, flowers, and trailing vines regaled the senses with their beauty and fragrance. The many varieties of lofty trees were laden with delicious fruit of every kind, adapted to please the taste and meet the wants of the happy Adam and Eve. This Eden home God provided for our first parents, giving them unmistakable evidences of His great love and care for them. {Con 10.3}
[Con 10.4]           Adam was crowned king in Eden. To him was given dominion over every living thing that God had created. The Lord blessed Adam and Eve with intelligence such  11  as He had not given to any other creature. He made Adam the rightful sovereign over all the works of His hands. Man, made in the divine image, could contemplate and appreciate the glorious works of God in nature. {Con 10.4}
[Con 11.1]           Adam and Eve could trace the skill and glory of God in every spire of grass, and in every shrub and flower. The natural loveliness which surrounded them reflected like a mirror the wisdom, excellence, and love of their heavenly Father. And their songs of affection and praise rose sweetly and reverentially to heaven, harmonizing with the songs of the exalted angels, and with the happy birds who were caroling forth their music without a care. There was no disease, decay, nor death. Life was in everything the eye rested upon. The atmosphere was filled with life. Life was in every leaf, in every flower, and in every tree. {Con 11.1}
[Con 11.2]           The Lord knew that Adam could not be happy without labor; therefore, He gave him the pleasant employment of dressing the garden. And, as he tended the things of beauty and usefulness around him, he could behold the goodness and glory of God in His created works. Adam had themes for contemplation in the works of God in Eden, which was heaven in miniature. God did not form man merely to contemplate His glorious works; therefore, He gave him hands for labor, as well as a mind and heart for contemplation. {Con 11.2}
[Con 11.3]           If the happiness of man consisted in doing nothing, the Creator would not have given Adam his appointed work. Man was to find happiness in labor, as well as in meditation. Adam could take in the grand idea that he was created in the image of God, to be like Him in righteousness and holiness. His mind was capable of continual cultivation, expansion, refinement, and noble elevation; for God was his teacher, and angels were his companions. {Con 11.3}
[Con 12.1]     12          The Test of Probation            The Lord placed man upon probation, that he might form a character of steadfast integrity for his own happiness and for the glory of his Creator. He had endowed Adam with powers of mind superior to any other creature that He had made. His mental powers were but little lower than those of the angels. He could become familiar with the sublimity and glory of nature, and understand the character of his heavenly Father in His created works. Amid the glories of Eden, everything that his eye rested upon testified of his Father's love and infinite power. {Con 12.1}
[Con 12.2]           The first moral lesson given to Adam was that of self-denial. The reins of self-government were placed in his hands. Judgment, reason, and conscience were to bear sway. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." {Con 12.2}
[Con 12.3]           Adam and Eve were permitted to partake of every tree in the garden save one. There was a single prohibition. The forbidden tree was as attractive and lovely as any of the trees in the garden. It was called the tree of knowledge because in partaking of that tree of which God had said, "Thou shalt not eat of it," they would have a knowledge of sin, an experience in disobedience. {Con 12.3}
[Con 12.4]           Eve went from the side of her husband, viewing the beautiful things of nature, delighting her senses with the colors and fragrance of the flowers, and admiring the beauty of the trees and shrubs. She was thinking of the restrictions which God had laid upon them in regard to  13  the tree of knowledge. She was pleased with the beauties and bounties which the Lord had furnished for the gratification of every want. All these, said she, God has given us to enjoy. They are all ours; for God has said, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it." {Con 12.4}
[Con 13.1]           Eve had wandered near the forbidden tree, and her curiosity was aroused to know how death could be concealed in the fruit of this fair tree. She was surprised to hear her queries taken up and repeated by a strange voice. "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Eve was not aware that she had revealed her thoughts in audibly conversing with herself; therefore, she was greatly astonished to hear her queries repeated by a serpent. She really thought that the serpent had a knowledge of her thoughts, and that he must be very wise. {Con 13.1}
[Con 13.2]           She answered him, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." {Con 13.2}
[Con 13.3]           Here the father of lies made his assertion in direct contradiction to the expressed word of God. Satan assured Eve that she was created immortal, and that there was no possibility of her dying. He told her that God knew that if she and her husband should eat of the tree of knowledge, their understanding would be enlightened, expanded, and ennobled, making them equal with Himself. And the serpent answered Eve that the command of God,  14  forbidding them to eat of the tree of knowledge, was given to keep them in such a state of subordination that they should not obtain knowledge, which was power. He assured her that the fruit of this tree was desirable above every other tree in the garden to make them wise, and to exalt them equal with God. He has, said the serpent, refused you the fruit of that tree which, of all the trees, is the most desirable for its delicious flavor and exhilarating influence. {Con 13.3}
[Con 14.1]           Eve thought that the serpent's discourse was very wise, and that the prohibition of God was unjust. She looked with longing desire upon the tree laden with fruit which appeared very delicious. The serpent was eating it with apparent delight. She longed for this fruit above every other variety which God had given her a perfect right to use. {Con 14.1}
[Con 14.2]           Eve had overstated the words of God's command. He had said to Adam and Eve, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." In Eve's controversy with the serpent, she added "Neither shall ye touch it." Here the subtlety of the serpent appeared. This statement of Eve gave him advantage; he plucked the fruit and placed it in her hand, using her own words, He hath said, If ye touch it, ye shall die. You see no harm comes to you from touching the fruit, neither will you receive any harm by eating it. {Con 14.2}
[Con 14.3]           Eve yielded to the lying sophistry of the devil in the form of a serpent. She ate the fruit, and realized no immediate harm. She then plucked the fruit for herself and for her husband. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit  15  thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." {Con 14.3}
[Con 15.1]           Adam and Eve should have been perfectly satisfied with their knowledge of God derived from His created works and received by the instruction of the holy angels. But their curiosity was aroused to become acquainted with that of which God designed they should have no knowledge. It was for their happiness to be ignorant of sin. The high state of knowledge to which they thought to attain by eating of the forbidden fruit, plunged them into the degradation of sin and guilt. {Con 15.1}
[Con 15.2]        Paradise Lost            Adam was driven from Eden, and the angels who, before his transgression, had been appointed to guard him in his Eden home, were now appointed to guard the gates of paradise and the way of the tree of life, lest he should return, gain access to the tree of life, and sin be immortalized. {Con 15.2}
[Con 15.3]           Sin drove man from paradise; and sin was the cause of the removal of paradise from the earth. In consequence of transgression of God's law, Adam lost paradise. In obedience to the Father's law, and through faith in the atoning blood of His Son, paradise may be regained. "Repentance toward God," because His law has been transgressed, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, as man's only Redeemer, will be acceptable with God. Notwithstanding man's sinfulness, the merits of God's dear Son in his behalf will avail with the Father. {Con 15.3}
[Con 15.4]           Satan was determined to succeed in his temptation of the sinless Adam and Eve. And he could reach even this holy pair more successfully through the medium of appetite  16  than in any other way. The fruit of the forbidden tree seemed pleasant to the eye and desirable to the taste. They ate and fell. They transgressed God's just command and became sinners. Satan's triumph was complete. He then had the vantage ground over the race. He flattered himself that, through his subtlety, he had thwarted the purpose of God in the creation of man. {Con 15.4}
[Con 16.1]           Satan made his exulting boasts to Christ and to loyal angels that he had succeeded in gaining a portion of the angels in heaven to unite with him in his daring rebellion; and now that he had succeeded in overcoming Adam and Eve, he claimed that their Eden home was his. He proudly boasted that the world which God had made was his dominion; that having conquered Adam, the monarch of the world, he had gained the race as his subjects, and should now possess Eden, making that his headquarters, and would there establish his throne and be monarch of the world. {Con 16.1}
[Con 16.2]           But measures were immediately taken in heaven to defeat Satan in his plans. Strong angels, with beams of light like flaming swords turning in every direction, were placed as sentinels to guard the way of the tree of life from the approach of Satan and the guilty pair. Adam and Eve had forfeited all right to their beautiful Eden home, and were now expelled from it. The earth was cursed because of Adam's sin, and was ever after to bring forth briers and thorns. While he lived, Adam was to be exposed to the temptations of Satan and was finally to pass through death to dust again. {Con 16.2}
[Con 16.3]        Plan of Redemption            A council was held in heaven, the result of which was that God's dear Son undertook to redeem man from the  17  curse and the disgrace of Adam's failure, and to conquer Satan. Oh, wonderful condescension! The Majesty of heaven, through love and pity for fallen man, proposed to become his substitute and surety. He would bear man's guilt. He would take the wrath of His Father upon Himself, which otherwise would have fallen upon man because of his disobedience. {Con 16.3}
[Con 17.1]           The law of God was unalterable. It could not be abolished, nor yield the smallest part of its claim, to meet man in his fallen state. Man was separated from God by transgression of His expressed command, notwithstanding He had made known to Adam the consequences of such transgression. The sin of Adam caused a deplorable state of things. Satan would now have unlimited control over the race unless a mightier being than was Satan before his fall, should take the field, conquer him, and ransom man. {Con 17.1}
[Con 17.2]           Christ's divine soul was exercised with infinite pity for the fallen pair. As their wretched, helpless condition came up before Him, and as He saw that by transgression of God's law they had fallen under the power and control of the prince of darkness, He proposed the only means that could be acceptable with God, that would give them another trial, and place them again on probation. Christ consented to leave His honor, His kingly authority, His glory with the Father, and humble Himself to humanity, and engage in contest with the mighty prince of darkness, in order to redeem man. Through His humiliation and poverty Christ would identify Himself with the weaknesses of the fallen race, and by firm obedience show that man might redeem Adam's disgraceful failure, and by humble obedience regain lost Eden. {Con 17.2}
[Con 17.3]           The great work of redemption could be carried out only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam.  18  With the sins of the world laid upon Him, He would go over the ground where Adam stumbled. He would bear a test infinitely more severe than that which Adam failed to endure. He would overcome on man's account, and conquer the tempter, that, through His obedience, His purity of character and steadfast integrity, His righteousness might be imputed to man, that, through His name, man might overcome the foe on his own account. {Con 17.3}
[Con 18.1]           What love! What amazing condescension! The King of glory proposed to humble Himself to fallen humanity! He would place His feet in Adam's steps. He would take man's fallen nature, and engage to cope with the strong foe who triumphed over Adam. He would overcome Satan, and in thus doing He would open the way for the redemption from the disgrace of Adam's failure and fall, of all those who would believe on Him. {Con 18.1}
[Con 18.2]           Angels on probation had been deceived by Satan, and had been led on by him in the great rebellion in heaven against Christ. They failed to endure the test brought to bear upon them, and they fell. Adam was then created in the image of God and placed upon probation. He had a perfectly developed organism. All his faculties were harmonious. In all his emotions, words, and actions, there was a perfect conformity to the will of his Maker. After God had made every provision for the happiness of man, and had supplied his every want, He tested his loyalty. If the holy pair should be obedient, the race would, after a time, be made equal to the angels. As Adam and Eve failed to bear this test, Christ proposed to become a voluntary offering for man. {Con 18.2}
[Con 18.3]           Satan knew that if Christ was indeed the Son of God, the world's Redeemer, it was for no good to himself that the Lord had left the royal courts of heaven to come to a  19  fallen world. He feared that his own power was thenceforth to be limited, and that his deceptive wiles would be discerned and exposed, and his influence over man would be weakened. He feared that his dominion and control of the kingdoms of the world were to be contested. He remembered the words which Jehovah addressed to him when he was summoned into His presence with Adam and Eve, whom he had ruined by his lying deceptions, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This declaration contained the first gospel promise to man. {Con 18.3}
[Con 19.1]           But these words, at the time they were spoken, were not fully understood by Satan. He knew that they contained a curse for him, because he had seduced the holy pair. And when Christ was manifested on the earth, Satan feared that He was indeed the One promised who should limit his power and finally destroy him. {Con 19.1}
[Con 19.2]           Satan had peculiar interest in watching the development of events immediately after the fall of Adam, to learn how his work had affected the kingdom of God, and what the Lord would do with Adam because of his disobedience. {Con 19.2}
[Con 19.3]           The Son of God, undertaking to become the Redeemer of the race, placed Adam in a new relation to his Creator. He was still fallen; but a door of hope was opened to him. The wrath of God still hung over Adam, but the execution of the sentence of death was delayed, and the indignation of God was restrained, because Christ had entered upon the work of becoming man's Redeemer. Christ was to take the wrath of God, which in justice should fall upon man. He became a refuge for man, and, although man was indeed a criminal, deserving the wrath of God,  20  yet he could, by faith in Christ, run into the refuge provided and be safe. In the midst of death there was life if man chose to accept it. The holy and infinite God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, could no longer talk with man. No communication could now exist directly between man and his Maker. {Con 19.3}
[Con 20.1]           God forbears, for a time, the full execution of the sentence of death pronounced upon man. Satan flattered himself that he had forever broken the link between heaven and earth. But in this he was greatly mistaken and disappointed. The Father had given the world into the hands of His Son for Him to redeem from the curse and the disgrace of Adam's failure and fall. Through Christ alone can man now find access to God. And through Christ alone will the Lord hold communication with man. {Con 20.1}
[Con 20.2]           Christ volunteered to maintain and vindicate the holiness of the divine law. He was not to do away the smallest part of its claims in the work of redemption for man, but, in order to save man and maintain the sacred claims and justice of His Father's law, He gave Himself a sacrifice for the guilt of man. Christ's life did not, in a single instance, detract from the claims of His Father's law, but, through firm obedience to all its precepts and by dying for the sins of those who had transgressed it, He established its immutability. {Con 20.2}
[Con 20.3]           After the transgression of Adam, Satan saw that the ruin was complete. The human race was brought into a deplorable condition. Man was cut off from intercourse with God. It was Satan's design that the state of man should be the same as that of the fallen angels, in rebellion against God, uncheered by a gleam of hope. He reasoned that if God pardoned sinful man whom He had created, He would also pardon him and his angels and receive  21  them into His favor. But he was disappointed. {Con 20.3}
[Con 21.1]           The divine Son of God saw that no arm but His own could save fallen man, and He determined to help man. He left the fallen angels to perish in their rebellion, but stretched forth His hand to rescue perishing man. The angels who were rebellious were dealt with according to the light and experience they had abundantly enjoyed in heaven. Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, once had an exalted position in heaven. He was next in honor to Christ. The knowledge which he, as well as the angels who fell with him, had of the character of God, of His goodness, His mercy, wisdom, and excellent glory, made their guilt unpardonable. {Con 21.1}
[Con 21.2]           There was no possible hope for the redemption of those who had witnessed and enjoyed the inexpressible glory of heaven, and had seen the terrible majesty of God, and, in presence of all this glory, had rebelled against Him. There were no new and wonderful exhibitions of God's exalted power that could impress them so deeply as those they had already experienced. If they could rebel in the very presence of glory inexpressible, they could not be placed in a more favorable condition to be proved. There was no reserve force of power, nor were there any greater heights and depths of infinite glory to overpower their jealous doubts and rebellious murmuring. Their guilt and their punishment must be in proportion to their exalted privileges in the heavenly courts. {Con 21.2}
[Con 21.3]        Sacrificial Offerings            Fallen man, because of his guilt, could no longer come directly before God with his supplications; for his transgression of the divine law had placed an impassable barrier between the holy God and the transgressor. But a  22  plan was devised that the sentence of death should rest upon a Substitute. In the plan of redemption there must be the shedding of blood, for death must come in consequence of man's sin. The beasts for sacrificial offerings were to prefigure Christ. In the slain victim, man was to see the fulfillment for the time being of God's word, "Thou shalt surely die." And the flowing of the blood from the victim would also signify an atonement. There was no virtue in the blood of animals; but the shedding of the blood of beasts was to point forward to a Redeemer who would one day come to the world and die for the sins of men. And thus Christ would fully vindicate His Father's law. {Con 21.3}
[Con 22.1]           Satan watched every event in regard to the sacrificial offerings with intense interest. The devotion and solemnity connected with the shedding of the blood of the victim caused him great uneasiness. To him, this ceremony was clothed with mystery; but he was not a dull scholar, and he soon learned that the sacrificial offerings typified some future atonement for man. He saw that these offerings signified repentance for sin. This did not agree with his purposes, and he at once commenced to work upon the heart of Cain, to lead him to rebellion against the sacrificial offering which prefigured a Redeemer to come. {Con 22.1}
[Con 22.2]           Adam's repentance, evidenced by his sorrow for his transgression and his hope of salvation through Christ, shown by his works in the sacrifices offered, were a disappointment to Satan. He hoped forever to gain Adam to unite with him in murmuring against God and in rebelling against His authority. Cain and Abel were representatives of the two great classes. Abel, as priest, in solemn faith offered his sacrifice. Cain was willing to offer the fruit of his ground, but refused to connect with his offering  23  the blood of beasts. His heart refused to show his repentance for sin, and his faith in a Saviour, by offering the blood of beasts. He refused to acknowledge his need of a Redeemer. This, to his proud heart, was dependence and humiliation. {Con 22.2}
[Con 23.1]           But Abel, by faith in a future Redeemer, offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. His offering the blood of beasts signified that he was a sinner and had sins to put away, and that he was penitent and believed in the efficacy of the blood of the future great offering. Satan is the parent of unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion. He filled Cain with doubt and with madness against his innocent brother, and against God because his sacrifice was refused and Abel's was accepted. And he slew his brother in his insane madness. {Con 23.1}
[Con 23.2]           The sacrificial offerings were instituted to be a standing pledge to man of God's pardon through the great offering to be made, typified by the blood of beasts. Through this ceremony man signified repentance, obedience, and faith in a Redeemer to come. That which made Cain's offering offensive to God was his lack of submission and obedience to the ordinance of His appointment. He thought that his own plan, in offering to God merely the fruit of the ground, was nobler, and not as humiliating as the offering of the blood of beasts, which showed dependence upon another, thus expressing his own weakness and sinfulness. Cain slighted the blood of the atonement. {Con 23.2}
[Con 23.3]           Adam, in transgressing the law of Jehovah, had opened the door for Satan, who had planted his banner in the midst of the first family. He was made to feel, indeed, that the wages of sin was death. Satan designed to gain Eden by deceiving our first parents; but in this he was disappointed.  24  Instead of securing to himself Eden, he now feared that he would lose all he had claimed out of Eden. His sagacity could trace the signification of these offerings, that they pointed man forward to a Redeemer and, for the time being, were a typical atonement for the sin of fallen man, opening a door of hope to the race. {Con 23.3}
[Con 24.1]           The rebellion of Satan against God was most determined. He worked, in warring against the kingdom of God, with perseverance and fortitude worthy of a better cause. {Con 24.1}
[Con 24.2]        Appetite and Passion            The world had become so corrupt through indulgence of appetite and debased passion in the days of Noah that God destroyed its inhabitants by the waters of the Flood. And as men again multiplied upon the earth the indulgence in wine to intoxication perverted the senses and prepared the way for excessive meat eating and the strengthening of the animal passions. Men lifted themselves up against the God of heaven; and their faculties and opportunities were devoted to glorifying themselves rather than honoring their Creator. Satan found easy access to the hearts of men. He is a diligent student of the Bible and is much better acquainted with the prophecies than many religious teachers. He knows that it is for his interest to keep well informed in the revealed purposes of God, that he may defeat the plans of the Infinite. {Con 24.2}
[Con 24.3]           So infidels frequently study the Scriptures more diligently than some who profess to be guided by them. Some of the ungodly search the Scriptures that they may become familiar with Bible truth and furnish themselves with arguments to make it appear that the Bible contradicts itself. And many professed Christians are so ignorant  25  of the Word of God, through neglect of its study, that they are blinded by the deceptive reasoning of those who pervert sacred truth that they may turn souls away from the counsel of God in His Word. {Con 24.3}
[Con 25.1]           Satan saw in the typical offerings an expected Redeemer who was to ransom man from his control. He laid his plans deep, to rule the hearts of men from generation to generation and to blind their understanding of the prophecies, that when Jesus should come, the people would refuse to accept Him as their Saviour. {Con 25.1}
[Con 25.2]           God appointed Moses to lead out His people from their bondage in the land of Egypt, that they might consecrate themselves to serve Him with perfect hearts and be to Him a peculiar treasure. Moses was their visible leader, while Christ stood at the head of the armies of Israel, their invisible Leader. If they could have always realized this they would not have rebelled and provoked God in the wilderness by their unreasonable murmurings. God said to Moses, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him." {Con 25.2}
[Con 25.3]           When Christ, as the guiding, guarding angel, condescended to lead the armies of Israel through the wilderness to Canaan, Satan was provoked, for he felt that his power could not so well control them. But as he saw that the armies of Israel were easily influenced and incited to rebellion by his suggestions, he hoped to lead them to murmuring and sin which would bring upon them the wrath of God. And as he saw that his power was submitted to by men, he became bold in his temptations, inciting them to crime and violence. Through Satan's  26  devices, each generation was becoming more feeble in physical, mental, and moral power. This gave him courage to think that he might succeed in his warfare against Christ in person when He should be manifested. {Con 25.3}
[Con 26.1]           A few in every generation from Adam resisted his every artifice and stood forth as noble representatives of what it was in the power of man to do and to be, while Christ should co-operate with human efforts, to help man in overcoming the power of Satan. Enoch and Elijah are the correct representatives of what the race might be through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan was greatly disturbed because these noble, holy men were untainted amid the moral pollution surrounding them, perfecting righteous characters, and accounted worthy for translation to heaven. As they had stood forth in moral power, in noble uprightness, overcoming Satan's temptations, he could not bring them under the dominion of death. He triumphed that he had power to overcome Moses with his temptations, and that he could mar his illustrious character and lead him to the sin of taking to himself glory before the people which belonged to God. {Con 26.1}
[Con 26.2]           Christ resurrected Moses, and took him to heaven. This enraged Satan, and he accused the Son of God of invading his dominion by robbing the grave of his lawful prey. Jude says of the resurrection of Moses, "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." {Con 26.2}
[Con 26.3]           When Satan succeeds in tempting men whom God has especially honored to commit grievous sins, he triumphs; for he has gained to himself a great victory and has done harm to the kingdom of Christ. {Con 26.3}
[Con 27.1]     27          A Threat to Satan's Kingdom            At the birth of Christ, Satan saw the plains of Bethlehem illuminated with the brilliant glory of a multitude of heavenly angels. He heard their song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The prince of darkness saw the amazed shepherds filled with fear as they beheld the illuminated plains. They trembled before the exhibitions of bewildering glory which seemed to entrance their senses. The rebel chief himself trembled at the proclamation of the angel to the shepherds, "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." He had met with good success in devising a plan to ruin men, and he had become bold and powerful. He had controlled the minds and bodies of men from Adam down to the first appearing of Christ. But now Satan was troubled and alarmed for his kingdom and his life. {Con 27.1}
[Con 27.2]           The song of the heavenly messengers proclaiming the advent of the Saviour to a fallen world, and the joy expressed at this great event, Satan knew boded no good to himself. Dark forebodings were awakened in his mind as to the influence this advent to the world would have upon his kingdom. He queried if this was not the coming One who would contest his power and overthrow his kingdom. He looked upon Christ from His birth as his rival. He stirred the envy and jealousy of Herod to destroy Christ by insinuating to him that his power and his kingdom were to be given to this new King. Satan imbued Herod with the very feelings and fears that disturbed his own mind. He inspired the corrupt mind of Herod to slay all the children in Bethlehem who were two years old  28  and under, which plan he thought would succeed in ridding the earth of the infant King. {Con 27.2}
[Con 28.1]           But against his plans, Satan sees a higher power at work. Angels of God protected the life of the infant Redeemer. Joseph was warned in a dream to flee into Egypt, that in a heathen land he might find an asylum for the world's Redeemer. Satan followed Him from infancy to childhood and from childhood to manhood, inventing means and ways to allure Him from His allegiance to God, and overcome Him with his subtle temptations. The unsullied purity of the childhood, youth, and manhood of Christ, which Satan could not taint, annoyed him exceedingly. All his darts and arrows of temptation fell harmless before the Son of God. And when he found that all his temptations prevailed nothing in moving Christ from the steadfast integrity, or in marring the spotless purity of the youthful Galilean, he was perplexed and enraged. He looked upon this youth as an enemy that he must dread and fear. {Con 28.1}
[Con 28.2]           That there should be one who walked the earth with moral power to withstand all his temptations, who resisted all his attractive bribes to allure Him to sin, and over whom he could obtain no advantage to separate from God, chafed and enraged his satanic majesty. {Con 28.2}
[Con 28.3]           The childhood, youth, and manhood of John, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to do a special work in preparing the way for the world's Redeemer, were marked with firmness and moral power. Satan could not move his integrity. When the voice of this prophet was heard in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight," Satan was afraid for his kingdom. He felt that the voice, sounding forth in trumpet tones in the wilderness, caused sinners under his control  29  to tremble. He saw that his power over many was broken. The sinfulness of sin was revealed in such a manner that men became alarmed; and some, by repentance of their sins, found the favor of God and gained moral power to resist his temptations. {Con 28.3}
[Con 29.1]           He was on the ground at the time when Christ presented Himself to John for baptism. He heard the majestic voice resounding through heaven and echoing through the earth like peals of thunder. He saw the lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens, and heard the fearful words from Jehovah, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He saw the brightness of the Father's glory overshadowing the form of Jesus, thus pointing out in that crowd the One whom He acknowledged as His Son with unmistakable assurance. The circumstances connected with this baptismal scene had aroused the most intense hatred in the breast of Satan. He knew then for a certainty that unless he could overcome Christ, from thenceforth there would be a limitation of his power. He understood that the communication from the throne of God signified that heaven was more directly accessible to man. {Con 29.1}
[Con 29.2]           As Satan had led man to sin, he had hoped that God's abhorrence of sin would forever separate Him from man, and break the connecting link between heaven and earth. The opening heavens, in connection with the voice of God addressing His Son, was like a death knell to Satan. He feared that God was now to unite man more fully to Himself, and give power to overcome his devices. And for this purpose Christ had come from the royal courts to the earth. Satan was well acquainted with the position of honor Christ had held in heaven as the Son of God, the beloved of the Father. And that He should leave heaven,  30  and come to this world as a man, filled him with apprehension for his safety. He could not comprehend the mystery of this great sacrifice for the benefit of fallen man. He knew that the value of heaven far exceeded the anticipation and appreciation of fallen man. The most costly treasures of the world, he knew, would not compare with its worth. As he had lost through his rebellion all the riches and pure glories of heaven, he was determined to be revenged by causing as many as he could to undervalue heaven and to place their affections upon earthly treasures. {Con 29.2}
[Con 30.1]           It was incomprehensible to the selfish soul of Satan that there could exist benevolence and love for the deceived race so great as to induce the Prince of heaven to leave His home and come to a world marred with sin and seared with the curse. He had knowledge of the inestimable value of eternal riches that man had not. He had experienced the pure contentment, the peace, exalted holiness, and unalloyed joys of the heavenly abode. He had realized, before his rebellion, the satisfaction of the full approval of God. He had once a full appreciation of the glory that enshrouded the Father, and knew that there was no limit to His power. {Con 30.1}
[Con 30.2]           Satan knew what he had lost. He now feared that his empire over the world was to be contested, his right disputed, and his power broken. He knew, through prophecy, that a Saviour was predicted and that His kingdom would not be established in earthly triumph and with worldly honor and display. He knew that ancient prophecies foretold a kingdom to be established by the Prince of heaven upon the earth, which he claimed as his dominion. This kingdom would embrace all the kingdoms of the world, and then his power and his glory would cease  31  and he would receive his retribution for the sins he had introduced into the world, and for the misery he had brought upon man. He knew that everything which concerned his prosperity was pending upon his success or failure in overcoming Christ with his temptations in the wilderness. He brought to bear upon Christ every artifice and force of his powerful temptations to allure Him from His allegiance. {Con 30.2}
[Con 31.1]           It is impossible for man to know the strength of Satan's temptations to the Son of God. Every temptation that seems so afflicting to man in his daily life, so difficult to resist and overcome, was brought to bear upon the Son of God in as much greater degree as his excellence of character was superior to that of fallen man. {Con 31.1}
[Con 31.2]           Christ was tempted in all points like as we are. As man's representative He stood the closest test and proving of God. He met the strongest force of Satan. His most wily temptations Christ has tested and conquered in behalf of man. It is impossible for man to be tempted above what he is able to bear while he relies upon Jesus, the infinite Conqueror. {Con 31.2}
[Con 31.3]        The Temptation            In the desolate wilderness, Christ was not in so favorable a position to endure the temptations of Satan as was Adam when he was tempted in Eden. The Son of God humbled Himself and took man's nature after the race had wandered four thousand years from Eden, and from their original state of purity and uprightness. Sin had been making its terrible marks upon the race for ages; and physical, mental, and moral degeneracy prevailed throughout the human family. {Con 31.3}
[Con 31.4]           When Adam was assailed by the tempter in Eden, he  32  was without the taint of sin. He stood before God in the strength of perfect manhood. All the organs and faculties of his being were equally developed, and harmoniously balanced. {Con 31.4}
[Con 32.1]           Christ, in the wilderness of temptation, stood in Adam's place to bear the test he failed to endure. Here Christ overcame in the sinner's behalf, four thousand years after Adam turned his back upon the light of his home. Separated from the presence of God, the human family had been departing, each successive generation, farther from the original purity, wisdom, and knowledge which Adam possessed in Eden. Christ bore the sins and the infirmities of the race as they existed when He came to the earth to help man. In behalf of the race, with the weaknesses of fallen man upon Him, He was to stand the temptations of Satan upon all points on which man could be assailed. {Con 32.1}
[Con 32.2]           Adam was surrounded with everything his heart could wish. Every want was supplied. There was no sin, and no signs of decay in glorious Eden. Angels of God conversed freely and lovingly with the holy pair. The happy songsters carolled forth their free, joyous songs of praise to their Creator. The peaceful beasts in happy innocence played around Adam and Eve, obedient to their word. Adam was in the perfection of manhood, the noblest of the Creator's works. He was in the image of God, but a little lower than the angels. {Con 32.2}
[Con 32.3]        Christ as a Second Adam            What a contrast the second Adam presented as He entered the gloomy wilderness to cope with Satan single-handed. Since the fall, the race had been decreasing in size and physical strength, and sinking lower in the scale  33  of moral worth, up to the period of Christ's advent to the earth. In order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he was. He took human nature, and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He humiliated Himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that He might be qualified to reach man and bring him up from the degradation in which sin had plunged him. {Con 32.3}
[Con 33.1]           "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." {Con 33.1}
[Con 33.2]           "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." {Con 33.2}
[Con 33.3]           "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." {Con 33.3}
[Con 33.4]           "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." {Con 33.4}
[Con 33.5]           Satan had been at war with the government of God since he first rebelled. His success in tempting Adam and Eve in Eden and introducing sin into the world had emboldened this arch foe; and he had proudly boasted to the heavenly angels that when Christ should appear, taking man's nature, He would be weaker than himself, and that he would overcome Him by his power. {Con 33.5}
[Con 33.6]           He exulted that Adam and Eve in Eden could not resist his insinuations when he appealed to their appetite. The inhabitants of the old world he overcame in the same  34  manner, through the indulgence of lustful appetite and corrupt passions. Through the gratification of appetite he had overthrown the Israelites. He boasted that the Son of God Himself, who was with Moses and Joshua, was not able to resist his power, and lead the favored people of His choice to Canaan; for nearly all who left Egypt died in the wilderness; also, that he had tempted the meek man Moses to take to himself glory which God claimed. David and Solomon, who had been especially favored of God, he had induced through the indulgence of appetite and passion to incur God's displeasure. And he boasted that he could yet succeed in thwarting the purpose of God in the salvation of man through Jesus Christ. {Con 33.6}
[Con 34.1]           In the wilderness of temptation, Christ was without food forty days. Moses had on especial occasions been thus long without food. But he felt not the pangs of hunger. He was not tempted and harassed by a vile and powerful foe as was the Son of God. He was elevated above the human, and especially sustained by the glory of God which enshrouded him. {Con 34.1}
[Con 34.2]        Terrible Effects of Sin upon Man            Satan had succeeded so well in deceiving the angels of God and in ruining noble Adam that he thought he should be successful in overcoming Christ in His humiliation. He looked with pleased exultation upon the result of his temptations, and the increase of sin in the continued transgression of God's law for more than four thousand years. He had worked the ruin of our first parents, and brought sin and death into the world, and led to ruin multitudes of all ages, countries, and classes. By his power he had controlled cities and nations until their sin provoked the wrath of God to destroy them by fire, water, earthquakes,  35  sword, famine, and pestilence. By his subtility and untiring efforts he had controlled the appetite and excited and strengthened the passions to so fearful a degree that he had defaced and almost obliterated the image of God in man. His physical and moral dignity were in so great a degree destroyed that he bore but a faint resemblance in character and noble perfection of form to the dignified Adam in Eden. {Con 34.2}
[Con 35.1]           At the first advent of Christ, Satan had brought man down from his original exalted purity and had dimmed that golden character with sin. The man whom God had created a sovereign in Eden, he had transformed into a slave in the earth groaning under the curse of sin. The halo of glory, which God had given holy Adam to cover him as a garment, departed from him after his transgression. The light of God's glory could not cover disobedience and sin. In the place of health and plenitude of blessings, poverty, sickness, and suffering of every type were to be the portion of the children of Adam. {Con 35.1}
[Con 35.2]           Satan had through his seductive power led men to vain philosophy, to question and finally disbelieve the divine revelation and the existence of God. He looked abroad upon a world of moral wretchedness and a race exposed to the wrath of a sin-avenging God with fiendish triumph that he had been so successful in darkening the pathway of so many, and had led them to transgress the law of God. He clothed sin with pleasing attractions to secure the ruin of many. {Con 35.2}
[Con 35.3]           But his most successful scheme in deceiving man has been to conceal his real purposes and his true character by representing himself to be man's friend--a benefactor of the race. He flatters men with the pleasing fable that there is no rebellious foe, no deadly enemy that they need  36  to guard against, and that the existence of a personal devil is all a fiction; and while he thus hides his existence, he is gathering thousands under his control. He is deceiving many as he tried to deceive Christ, telling them that he is an angel from heaven, doing a good work for humanity. And the masses are so blinded by sin that they cannot discern the devices of Satan, and they honor him as they would a heavenly angel while he is working their eternal ruin. {Con 35.3}
[Con 36.1]        The First Temptation of Christ            Christ had entered the world as Satan's destroyer and the Redeemer of the captives bound by his power. He would leave an example in His own victorious life for man to follow, and thus overcome the temptations of Satan. {Con 36.1}
[Con 36.2]          As soon as Christ entered the wilderness of temptation His visage changed. The glory and splendor which were reflected from the throne of God and His countenance when the heavens opened before Him, and the Father's voice acknowledged Him as His Son in whom He was well pleased, were now gone. The weight of the sins of the world was pressing His soul, and His countenance expressed unutterable sorrow, a depth of anguish that fallen man had never realized. He felt the overwhelming tide of woe that deluged the world. He realized the strength of indulged appetite and unholy passion which controlled the world and had brought upon man inexpressible suffering. {Con 36.2}
[Con 36.3]           The indulgence of appetite had been increasing and strengthening with every successive generation since Adam's transgression, until the race was so feeble in moral power that they could not overcome in their own  37  strength. Christ, in behalf of the race, was to overcome appetite by standing the most powerful test upon this point. He was to tread the path of temptation alone, and there must be none to help Him, none to comfort or uphold Him. Alone He was to wrestle with the powers of darkness. {Con 36.3}
[Con 37.1]           As in his human strength man could not resist the power of Satan's temptations, Jesus volunteered to undertake the work and to bear the burden for man, and overcome the power of appetite in his behalf. In man's behalf He must show self-denial, perseverance, and firmness of principle paramount to the gnawing pangs of hunger. He must show a power of control stronger than hunger and even death. {Con 37.1}
[Con 37.2]        Significance of the Test            When Christ bore the test of temptation upon the point of appetite He did not stand in beautiful Eden, as did Adam, with the light and love of God seen in everything His eye rested upon; but He was in a barren, desolate wilderness, surrounded with wild beasts. Everything around Him was repulsive. With these surroundings, He fasted forty days and forty nights, "and in those days he did eat nothing." He was emaciated through long fasting and felt the keenest sense of hunger. His visage was indeed marred more than the sons of men. {Con 37.2}
[Con 37.3]           Christ thus entered upon His life of conflict to overcome the mighty foe, in bearing the very test which Adam failed to endure, that through successful conflict He might break the power of Satan and redeem the race from the disgrace of the fall. {Con 37.3}
[Con 37.4]           All was lost when Adam yielded to the power of appetite. The Redeemer, in whom both the human and the  38  divine were united, stood in Adam's place and endured a terrible fast of nearly six weeks. The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the great sinfulness of debased appetite and the power it has upon the human family. {Con 37.4}
[Con 38.1]           The humanity of Christ reached to the very depths of human wretchedness and identified itself with the weaknesses and necessities of fallen man, while His divine nature grasped the Eternal. His work in bearing the guilt of man's transgression was not to give him license to continue to violate the law of God; for transgression made man a debtor to the law, and Christ Himself was paying this debt by His own suffering. The trials and sufferings of Christ were to impress man with a sense of his great sin in breaking the law of God, and to bring him to repentance and obedience to that law, and through obedience to acceptance with God. He would impute His righteousness to man and so raise him in moral value with God that his efforts to keep the divine law would be acceptable. Christ's work was to reconcile man to God through His human nature, and God to man through His divine nature. {Con 38.1}
[Con 38.2]           As soon as the long fast of Christ commenced, Satan was at hand with his temptations. He came to Christ enshrouded in light, claiming to be one of the angels from the throne of God, sent upon an errand of mercy to sympathize with Him and to relieve Him of His suffering condition. He tried to make Christ believe that God did not require Him to pass through the self-denial and sufferings He anticipated; that he had been sent from heaven to bear to Him the message that God only designed to prove His willingness to endure. {Con 38.2}
[Con 38.3]           Satan told Christ that He was to set his feet in the blood-stained path but not to travel it, that like Abraham  39  He was tested to show His perfect obedience. He also stated that he was the angel that stayed the hand of Abraham as the knife was raised to slay Isaac, and he had now come to save His life; that it was not necessary for Him to endure this painful hunger and death from starvation; and that he would help Him bear the work in the plan of salvation. {Con 38.3}
[Con 39.1]           The Son of God turned from all these artful temptations and was steadfast in His purpose to carry out in every particular, in the spirit and in the very letter, the plan which had been devised for the redemption of the fallen race. But Satan had manifold temptations prepared to ensnare Christ and obtain advantage of Him; if he failed in one temptation, he would try another. He thought he would succeed, because Christ had humbled Himself as a man. He flattered himself that his assumed character as one of the heavenly angels could not be discerned. He feigned to doubt the divinity of Christ because of His emaciated appearance and unpleasant surroundings. {Con 39.1}
[Con 39.2]           Christ knew that in taking the nature of man He would not be equal in appearance to the angels of heaven. Satan urged that if He was indeed the Son of God He should give him evidence of His exalted character. He approached Christ with temptations upon appetite. He had overcome Adam upon this point, and he had controlled his descendants, and through indulgence of appetite, had led them to provoke God by iniquity until their crimes were so great that the Lord destroyed them from off the earth by the waters of the Flood. {Con 39.2}
[Con 39.3]           Under Satan's direct temptations the children of Israel suffered appetite to control reason, and they were, through indulgence, led to commit grievous sins which awakened the wrath of God against them, and they fell  40  in the wilderness. He thought that he should be successful in overcoming Christ with the same temptation. Satan told Christ that one of the exalted angels had been exiled to the earth, that His appearance indicated that, instead of His being the king of heaven, He was the angel fallen, and that this explained His emaciated and distressed appearance. {Con 39.3}
[Con 40.1]        Christ did no Miracle for Himself            He then called the attention of Christ to his own attractive appearance, clothed with light and strong in power. He claimed to be a messenger direct from the throne of heaven, and asserted that he had a right to demand of Christ evidences of His being the Son of God. Satan would fain disbelieve, if he could, the words that came from heaven to the Son of God at His baptism. He determined to overcome Christ and if possible make his own kingdom and life secure. His first temptation to Christ was upon appetite. He had, upon this point, almost entire control of the world, and his temptations were so adapted to the circumstances and surroundings of Christ that his temptations upon appetite were almost overpowering. {Con 40.1}
[Con 40.2]           Christ could have worked a miracle in His own behalf; but this would not have been in accordance with the plan of salvation. The many miracles in the life of Christ show His power to work miracles for the benefit of suffering humanity. By a miracle of mercy He fed five thousand at once with five loaves and two small fishes. Therefore He had the power to work a miracle and satisfy His own hunger. Satan flattered himself that he could lead Christ to doubt the words spoken from heaven at His baptism. If he could tempt Him to question His sonship,  41  and doubt the truth of the word spoken by His Father, he would gain a great victory. {Con 40.2}
[Con 41.1]           He found Christ in the desolate wilderness without companions, without food, and in actual suffering. His surroundings were most melancholy and repulsive. Satan suggested to Christ that God would not leave His Son in this condition of want and suffering. He hoped to shake the confidence of Christ in His Father, who had permitted Him to be brought into this condition of extreme suffering in the desert, where the feet of man had never trod. Satan hoped that he could insinuate doubts as to His Father's love, which would find a lodgment in the mind of Christ, and that under the force of despondency and extreme hunger He would exert His miraculous power in His own behalf and take Himself out of the hands of His heavenly Father. This was indeed a temptation to Christ. But He cherished it not for a moment. He did not for a single moment doubt His heavenly Father's love, although He was bowed down with inexpressible anguish. Satan's temptations, though skillfully devised, did not move the integrity of God's dear Son. His abiding confidence in His Father could not be shaken. {Con 41.1}
[Con 41.2]        He Parleyed not with Temptation            Jesus did not condescend to explain to His enemy how He was the Son of God, and in what manner as such He was to act. In an insulting, taunting manner Satan referred to the present weakness and the distressed appearance of Christ in contrast with his own strength and glory. He taunted Christ with being a poor representative of the angels, much less of their exalted Commander, the acknowledged King in the royal courts, and that His present appearance indicated that He was forsaken of  42  God and man. He said that if Christ was indeed the Son of God, the monarch of heaven, He had power equal with God, and He could give him evidence of this and relieve His hunger by working a miracle, by changing the stone just at His feet into bread. Satan promised that if Christ would do this he would at once yield his claims of superiority, and that the contest between himself and Christ should there be forever ended. {Con 41.2}
[Con 42.1]           Christ did not appear to notice the reviling taunts of Satan. He was not provoked to give him proofs of His power, but meekly bore his insults without retaliation. The words spoken from heaven at His baptism were precious evidence to Him that His Father approved the steps He was taking in the plan of salvation, as man's substitute and surety. The opening heavens and descent of the heavenly dove were assurances that His Father would unite His power in heaven with that of His Son upon the earth to rescue man from the control of Satan, and that God accepted the effort of Christ to link earth to heaven, and finite man to the infinite God. {Con 42.1}
[Con 42.2]           The tokens received from His Father were inexpressibly precious to the Son of God through all His severe sufferings and the terrible conflict with the rebel chief. And while enduring the test of God in the wilderness, and through His entire ministry, He had nothing to do in convincing Satan of His power and that He was the Saviour of the world. Satan had sufficient evidence of His exalted station. His unwillingness to ascribe to Jesus the honor due to Him, and to manifest submission as a subordinate, ripened into rebellion against God and shut him out of heaven. {Con 42.2}
[Con 42.3]           It was not part of the mission of Christ to exercise His divine power for His own benefit, to relieve Himself of  43  suffering. This He had volunteered to take upon Himself. He had condescended to take man's nature, and He was to suffer the inconveniences, ills, and afflictions of the human family. He was not to perform miracles on His own account; He came to save others. The object of His mission was to bring blessings, hope, and life to the afflicted and oppressed. He was to bear the burdens and griefs of suffering humanity. {Con 42.3}
[Con 43.1]           Although Christ was suffering the keenest pangs of hunger, He withstood the temptation. He repulsed Satan with the same scripture He had given Moses to repeat to rebellious Israel when their diet was restricted and they were clamoring for flesh meats in the wilderness, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In this declaration, and also by His example, Christ would show man that hunger for temporal food was not the greatest calamity that could befall him. Satan flattered our first parents that eating the fruit which God had forbidden them would bring to them great good, and would insure them against death, the very opposite of the truth which God had declared to them. "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." If Adam had been obedient he would have known neither want, sorrow, nor death. {Con 43.1}
[Con 43.2]           If the people who lived before the Flood had been obedient to the word of God they would not have perished by the waters of the Flood. If the Israelites had been obedient to the words of God, He would have bestowed upon them special blessings. But they fell in consequence of the indulgence of appetite and passion. They would not be obedient to the words of God. Indulgence of perverted appetite led them into numerous and grievous sins. If  44  they had made the requirements of God their first consideration, and their physical wants secondary, in submission to God's choice of proper food for them, not one of them would have fallen in the wilderness. They would have been established in the goodly land of Canaan, a holy, happy people with not a feeble one in all their tribes. {Con 43.2}
[Con 44.1]           The Saviour of the world became sin for the race. In becoming man's substitute Christ did not manifest His power as the Son of God, but ranked Himself among the sons of men. He was to bear the trial of temptation as a man, in man's behalf, under the most trying circumstances, and leave an example of faith and perfect trust in His heavenly Father. Christ knew that His Father would supply Him food when it would be for His glory. He would not in this severe ordeal, when hunger pressed Him beyond measure, prematurely diminish one particle of the trial allotted to Him by exercising His divine power. {Con 44.1}
[Con 44.2]           Fallen man when brought into straightened places could not have the power to work miracles on his own behalf, to save himself from pain or anguish, or to give himself victory over his enemies. It was the purpose of God to test and prove the race, and give them an opportunity to develop character by bringing them frequently into trying positions to test their faith and confidence in His love and power. The life of Christ was a perfect pattern. He was ever, by His example and teachings, teaching man that God was his dependence, and that in Him should be his faith and firm trust. {Con 44.2}
[Con 44.3]           Christ knew that Satan was a liar from the beginning, and it required strong self-control to listen to the propositions of this insulting deceiver and not instantly rebuke his bold assumptions. Satan was expecting that  45  the Son of God would in His extreme weakness and agony of spirit give him an opportunity to obtain advantage over Him by provoking Him to engage in controversy with him. He designed to pervert the words of Christ and claim advantage, and call to his aid his fallen angels to use their utmost power to prevail against and overcome Him. {Con 44.3}
[Con 45.1]           The Saviour of the world had no controversy with Satan, who was expelled from heaven because he was no longer worthy of a place there. He who could influence the angels of God against their Supreme Ruler, and against His Son, their loved Commander, and enlist their sympathy for himself, was capable of any deception. Four thousand years he had been warring against the government of God and had lost none of his skill or power to tempt and deceive. {Con 45.1}
[Con 45.2]        Victory through Christ            Because man fallen could not overcome Satan with his human strength, Christ came from the royal courts of heaven to help him with His human and divine strength combined. Christ knew that Adam in Eden with his superior advantages might have withstood the temptations of Satan and conquered him. He also knew that it was not possible for man out of Eden, separated from the light and love of God since the fall, to resist the temptations of Satan in his own strength. In order to bring hope to man, and save him from complete ruin, He humbled Himself to take man's nature, that with His divine power combined with the human He might reach man where he is. He obtained for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that strength which it is impossible for them to gain for themselves, that in His name they might overcome the temptations of Satan. {Con 45.2}
[Con 46.1]     46             The exalted Son of God in assuming humanity draws Himself near to man by standing as the sinner's substitute. He identifies Himself with the sufferings and afflictions of men. He was tempted in all points as man is tempted, that He might know how to succor those who should be tempted. Christ overcame on the sinner's behalf. {Con 46.1}
[Con 46.2]           Jacob in the night vision saw earth connected with heaven by a ladder reaching to the throne of God. He saw the angels of God, clothed with garments of heavenly brightness, passing down from heaven and up to heaven upon this shining ladder. The bottom of this ladder rested upon the earth, while the top of it reached to the highest heavens and rested upon the throne of Jehovah. The brightness from the throne of God beamed down upon this ladder and reflected a light of inexpressible glory upon the earth. This ladder represented Christ, who had opened the communication between earth and heaven. {Con 46.2}
[Con 46.3]           In Christ's humiliation He descended to the very depths of human woe in sympathy and pity for fallen man, which was represented to Jacob by one end of the ladder resting upon the earth, while the top of the ladder, reaching unto heaven, represents the divine power of Christ grasping the Infinite and thus linking earth to heaven and finite man to the infinite God. Through Christ the communication is opened between God and man. Angels may pass to and fro from heaven to earth with messages of love to fallen man, and to minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation. It is through Christ alone that the heavenly messengers minister to men. {Con 46.3}
[Con 46.4]           Adam and Eve in Eden were placed under most favorable circumstances. It was their privilege to hold communion with God and angels. They were without the condemnation of sin. The light of God and angels was  47  with them and around about them. The Author of their existence was their teacher. But they fell beneath the power and temptations of the artful foe. Four thousand years had Satan been at work against the government of God, and he had obtained strength and experience from determined practice. {Con 46.4}
[Con 47.1]           Fallen men had not the advantages of Adam in Eden. They had been separating from God for four thousand years. The wisdom to understand, and power to resist, the temptations of Satan had become less and less, until Satan seemed to reign triumphant in the earth. Appetite and passion, the love of the world, and presumptuous sins were the great branches of evil out of which every species of crime, violence, and corruption grew. Satan was defeated in his object to overcome Christ upon the point of appetite. And here in the wilderness Christ achieved a victory in behalf of the race upon the point of appetite, making it possible for man, in all future time in His name to overcome the strength of appetite on his own behalf. {Con 47.1}
[Con 47.2]        The Second Temptation            But Satan was not willing to cease his efforts until he had tried every means to obtain victory over the world's Redeemer. He knew that with himself all was at stake, whether he or Christ should be victor in the contest. And in order to awe Christ with his superior strength he carried Him to Jerusalem and set Him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and continued to beset Him with temptations. He again demanded of Christ that, if He was indeed the Son of God, to give him evidence by casting Himself from the dizzy height upon which he had placed Him. He urged Christ to show His confidence in the preserving  48  care of His Father by casting Himself down from the Temple. {Con 47.2}
[Con 48.1]           In Satan's first temptation upon the point of appetite he had tried to insinuate doubts in regard to God's love and care for Christ as His Son, by presenting His surroundings and His hunger as an evidence that He was not in favor with God. He was unsuccessful in this. He next tried to take advantage of the faith and perfect trust Christ had shown in His heavenly Father, to urge Him to presumption. "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Jesus promptly answered, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." {Con 48.1}
[Con 48.2]        The Sin of Presumption            The sin of presumption lies close beside the virtue of perfect faith and confidence in God. Satan flattered himself that he could take advantage of the humanity of Christ to urge Him over the line of trust to presumption. Upon this point many souls are wrecked. Satan tried to deceive Christ through flattery. He admitted that He was right in the wilderness in His faith and confidence that God was His Father under the most trying circumstances. He then urged Christ to give him one more proof of His entire dependence upon God, one more evidence of His faith that He was the Son of God, by casting Himself from the Temple. He told Christ that if He was indeed the Son of God He had nothing to fear, for angels were at hand to uphold Him. Satan gave evidence that he understood the Scriptures by the use he made of them. {Con 48.2}
[Con 48.3]           The Redeemer of the world wavered not from His integrity,  49  and showed that He had perfect faith in His Father's promised care. He would not put the faithfulness and love of His Father to a needless trial, although He was in the hands of an enemy and placed in a position of extreme difficulty and peril. He would not at Satan's suggestion tempt God by presumptuously experimenting on His providence. Satan had brought in Scripture which seemed appropriate for the occasion, hoping to accomplish his designs by making the application to our Saviour at this special time. {Con 48.3}
[Con 49.1]           Christ knew that God could indeed bear Him up if He had required Him to throw Himself from the Temple. But to do this unbidden, and to experiment upon His Father's protecting care and love because dared by Satan to do so would not show His strength of faith. Satan was well aware that if Christ could be prevailed upon, unbidden by His Father, to fling Himself from the Temple to prove His claim to His heavenly Father's protecting care, He would in the very act show the weakness of His human nature. {Con 49.1}
[Con 49.2]           Christ came off victor in the second temptation. He manifested perfect confidence and trust in His Father during His severe conflict with the powerful foe. Our Redeemer, in the victory here gained, has left man a perfect pattern, showing him that his only safety is in firm trust and unwavering confidence in God in all trials and perils. He refused to presume upon the mercy of His Father by placing Himself in peril that would make it necessary for His heavenly Father to display His power to save Him from danger. This would be forcing providence on His own account, and He would not then leave for His people a perfect example of faith and firm trust in God. {Con 49.2}
[Con 49.3]           Satan's object in tempting Christ was to lead Him to  50  daring presumption, and to show human weakness that would not make Him a perfect pattern for His people. He thought that should Christ fail to bear the test of his temptations there could be no redemption for the race, and his power over them would be complete. {Con 49.3}
[Con 50.1]        Christ our Hope and Example            The humiliation and agonizing sufferings of Christ in the wilderness of temptation were for the race. In Adam all was lost by transgression. Through Christ was man's only hope of restoration to the favor of God. Man had separated himself at such distance from God by transgression of His law that he could not humiliate himself before God in any degree proportionate to the magnitude of his sin. The Son of God could fully understand the aggravating sins of the transgressor, and in His sinless character He alone could make an acceptable atonement for man in suffering the agonizing sense of His Father's displeasure. The sorrow and anguish of the Son of God for the sins of the world were proportionate to His divine excellence and purity, as well as to the magnitude of the offense. {Con 50.1}
[Con 50.2]           Christ was our example in all things. As we see His humiliation in the long trial and fast to overcome the temptation of appetite in our behalf, we are to learn how to overcome when we are tempted. If the power of appetite is so strong upon the human family and its indulgence so fearful that the Son of God subjected Himself to such a test, how important that we feel the necessity of having appetite under the control of reason. Our Saviour fasted nearly six weeks that He might gain for man the victory upon the point of appetite. How can professed Christians with enlightened consciences, and with Christ before them as their pattern, yield to the indulgence of those  51  appetites which have an enervating influence upon the mind and body? It is a painful fact that habits of self-gratification at the expense of health and moral power are at the present time holding a large share of the Christian world in the bonds of slavery. {Con 50.2}
[Con 51.1]           Many who profess godliness do not inquire into the reason of Christ's long period of fasting and suffering in the wilderness. His anguish was not so much from the pangs of hunger as from His sense of the fearful result of the indulgence of appetite and passion upon the race. He knew that appetite would be man's idol and would lead him to forget God and would stand directly in the way of his salvation. {Con 51.1}
[Con 51.2]           Our Saviour showed perfect confidence that His heavenly Father would not suffer Him to be tempted above what He should give Him strength to endure, but would bring Him off conqueror if He patiently bore the test to which He was subjected. Christ had not of His own will placed Himself in danger. God had suffered Satan for the time being to have this power over His Son. Jesus knew that if He preserved His integrity in this extremely trying position an angel of God would be sent to relieve Him if there was no other way. He had taken humanity and was the representative of the race. {Con 51.2}
[Con 51.3]        The Third Temptation            Satan saw that he prevailed nothing with Christ in his second great temptation. "And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever  52  I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." {Con 51.3}
[Con 52.1]           In the first two great temptations Satan had not revealed his true purposes or his character; he claimed to be an exalted messenger from the courts of heaven, but he now throws off his disguise. In a panoramic view he presented before Christ all the kingdoms of the world in the most attractive light, while he claimed to be the prince of the world. {Con 52.1}
[Con 52.2]           This last temptation was the most alluring of the three. Satan knew that Christ's life must be one of sorrow, hardship, and conflict. And he thought he could take advantage of this fact to bribe Christ to yield His integrity. Satan brought all his strength to bear upon this last temptation; for this last effort was to decide his destiny as to who should be victor. He claimed the world as his dominion, and that he was the prince of the power of the air. {Con 52.2}
[Con 52.3]           He bore Jesus to the top of an exceeding high mountain, and then in a panoramic view presented before Him all the kingdoms of the world that had been so long under his dominion, and offered them to Him in one great gift. He told Christ that He could come into possession of all these kingdoms without suffering or peril. Satan promises to yield his scepter and dominion, and to make Christ the rightful Ruler, for one favor from Him. All he requires in return for making over to Him the kingdoms of the world that day presented before Him, is that Christ shall do him homage as to a superior. {Con 52.3}
[Con 52.4]           The eye of Jesus for a moment rested upon the glory presented before Him; but He turned away and refused to look upon the entrancing spectacle. He would not endanger His steadfast integrity by dallying with the tempter. When Satan solicited homage Christ's divine  53  indignation was aroused, and He could no longer tolerate his blasphemous assumption or even permit him to remain in His presence. Here Christ exercised His divine authority and commanded Satan to desist. "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." {Con 52.4}
[Con 53.1]           Satan, in his pride and arrogance, had declared himself to be the rightful and permanent ruler of the world, the possessor of all its riches and glory, claiming homage of all who lived in it, as if he had created the world and all things that were therein. Said he to Christ, "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." He endeavored to make a special contract with Christ, to make over to Him at once the whole of his claim, if He would worship him. {Con 53.1}
[Con 53.2]           This insult to the Creator moved the indignation of the Son of God to rebuke and dismiss him. Satan had flattered himself in his first temptation that he had so well concealed his true character and purposes that Christ did not recognize him as the fallen rebel chief whom He had conquered and expelled from heaven. The words of dismissal from Christ, "Get thee hence, Satan," evidenced that he was known from the first, and that all his deceptive arts had been unsuccessful upon the Son of God. Satan knew that if Jesus should die to redeem man, his power would end after a season and he would be destroyed. Therefore it was his studied plan to prevent, if possible, the completion of the great work which had been commenced by the Son of God. If the plan of man's redemption should fail he would retain the kingdom which he then claimed, and if he should succeed he flattered himself that he would reign in opposition to the God of heaven. {Con 53.2}
[Con 54.1]     54             When Jesus left heaven, and there left His power and glory, Satan exulted. He thought that the Son of God was placed in his power. The temptation took so easily with the holy pair in Eden that he hoped, with his satanic cunning and power, to overthrow even the Son of God, and thereby save his life and kingdom. If he could tempt Jesus to depart from the will of God, as he had done in his temptation with Adam and Eve, then his object would be gained. {Con 54.1}
[Con 54.2]           The time was to come when Jesus should redeem the possession of Satan by giving His own life, and after a season all in heaven and earth should submit to Him. He was steadfast. He chose this life of suffering, this ignominious death, and, in the way appointed by His Father, to become a lawful ruler of the kingdoms of the earth and have them given into His hands as an everlasting possession. Satan also will be given into His hands to be destroyed by death, never more to annoy Jesus or the saints in glory. {Con 54.2}
[Con 54.3]           Jesus said to this wily foe, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Satan had asked Christ to give him evidence that He was the Son of God, and he had in this instance the proof he had asked. At the divine command of Christ, he was compelled to obey. He was repulsed and silenced. He had no power to withstand the peremptory dismissal. He was compelled without another word instantly to desist and leave the world's Redeemer. {Con 54.3}
[Con 54.4]           The hateful presence of Satan was withdrawn. The contest was ended. With inestimable suffering, Christ's victory in the wilderness was as complete as was the failure of Adam. And for a season He stood freed from the presence of His powerful adversary and his legions of angels. {Con 54.4}
[Con 55.1]     55          Christ's Temptation Ended            After Satan had ended his temptations, he departed from Jesus for a little season. The foe was conquered, but the conflict had been long and exceedingly trying, and Christ was exhausted and fainting. He fell upon the ground as though dying. Heavenly angels who had bowed before Him in the royal courts, and who had been with intense and painful interest watching their loved Commander, and with amazement had witnessed the terrible contest He had endured with Satan, now came and ministered unto Him. They prepared Him food and strengthened Him, for He lay as one dead. {Con 55.1}
[Con 55.2]           Angels were filled with amazement and awe, as they knew the world's Redeemer was passing through inexpressible suffering to achieve the redemption of man. He who was equal with God in the royal courts, was before them emaciated from nearly six weeks of fasting. Solitary and alone He had been pursued by the rebel chief, who had been expelled from heaven. He had endured a more close and severe test than would ever be brought to bear upon man. The warfare with the power of darkness had been long and intensely trying to Christ's human nature in His weak and suffering condition. The angels brought messages of love and comfort from the Father and the assurance that all heaven triumphed in the full and entire victory He had gained in behalf of man. {Con 55.2}
[Con 55.3]           The cost of the redemption of the race can never be fully realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer, by the throne of God. And as they have capacity to appreciate the value of immortal life, and the eternal reward, they will swell the song of victory and immortal triumph, "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the  56  Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature," says John, "which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." {Con 55.3}
[Con 56.1]           Although Satan had failed in his strongest efforts and most powerful temptations, yet he had not given up all hope that he might at some future time be successful in his efforts. He looked forward to the period of Christ's ministry, when he should have opportunities to try his artifices against Him. Satan laid his plans to blind the understanding of the Jews, God's chosen people, that they should not discern in Christ the world's Redeemer. He thought he could fill their hearts with envy, jealousy, and hatred against the Son of God, so that they would not receive Him, but would make His life upon earth as bitter as possible. {Con 56.1}
[Con 56.2]           Satan held a council with his angels, as to the course they should pursue to prevent the people from having faith in Christ as the Messiah whom the Jews had so long been anxiously expecting. He was disappointed and enraged that he had prevailed nothing against Jesus in the manifold temptations in the wilderness. He thought if he could inspire in the hearts of Christ's own people, unbelief as to His being the promised One, he might discourage Jesus in His mission and secure the Jews as his agents to carry out his purposes. {Con 56.2}
[Con 56.3]           Satan comes to man with his temptations as an angel of light, as he came to Christ. He has been working to bring man into a condition of physical and moral weakness, that he may easily overcome him and then triumph  57  over his ruin. And he has been successful in tempting man to indulge appetite, regardless of the result. He well knows that it is impossible for man to discharge his obligations to God and to his fellowmen while he impairs the faculties which God has given him. The brain is the capital of the body. If the perceptive faculties become benumbed through intemperance of any kind, eternal things are not discerned. {Con 56.3}
[Con 57.1]        Christian Temperance            God gives man no permission to violate the laws of his being. But man, through yielding to Satan's temptations to indulge intemperance, brings the higher faculties in subjection to the animal appetites and passions, and when these gain the ascendancy, man, who was created a little lower than the angels--with faculties susceptible of the highest cultivation--surrenders to the control of Satan. And he gains easy access to those who are in bondage to appetite. Through intemperance, some sacrifice one half, and others two thirds, of their physical, mental, and moral powers, and become playthings for the enemy. {Con 57.1}
[Con 57.2]           Those who would have clear minds to discern Satan's devices must have their physical appetites under the control of reason and conscience. The moral and vigorous action of the higher powers of the mind are essential to the perfection of Christian character, and the strength or the weakness of the mind has very much to do with our usefulness in this world and with our final salvation. The ignorance that has prevailed in regard to God's law in our physical nature is deplorable. Intemperance of any kind is a violation of the laws of our being. Imbecility is prevailing to a fearful extent. Sin is made attractive by the covering of light which Satan throws over it, and he is  58  well pleased when he can hold the Christian world in their daily habits under the tyranny of custom, like the heathen, and allow appetite to govern them. {Con 57.2}
[Con 58.1]           If men and women of intelligence have their moral powers benumbed through intemperance of any kind, they are in many of their habits elevated but little above the heathen. Satan is constantly drawing the people from saving light, to custom and fashion, irrespective of physical, mental, and moral health. The great enemy knows that if appetite and passion predominate, the health of body and strength of intellect are sacrificed upon the altar of self-gratification, and man is brought to speedy ruin. If enlightened intellect holds the reins, controlling the animal propensities and keeping them in subjection to the moral powers, Satan well knows that his power to overcome with his temptations is very small. {Con 58.1}
[Con 58.2]           In our day, people talk of the dark ages and boast of progress. But with this progress wickedness and crime do not decrease. We deplore the absence of natural simplicity and the increase of artificial display. Health, strength, beauty, and long life, which were common in the so-called "dark ages," are rare now. Nearly everything desirable is sacrificed to meet the demands of fashionable life. {Con 58.2}
[Con 58.3]           A large share of the Christian world have no right to call themselves Christians. Their habits, their extravagance, and general treatment of their own bodies are violations of physical law and contrary to the Bible. They are working out for themselves, in their course of life, physical suffering and mental and moral feebleness. {Con 58.3}
[Con 58.4]           Through his devices, Satan, in many respects, has made the domestic life one of care and complicated burdens in order to meet the demands of fashion. His purpose  59  in doing this is to keep minds occupied so fully with the things of this life that they can give but little attention to their highest interest. Intemperance in eating and in dressing has so engrossed the minds of the Christian world that they do not take time to become intelligent in regard to the laws of their being, that they may obey them. To profess the name of Christ is of but little account if the life does not correspond with the will of God revealed in His word. {Con 58.4}
[Con 59.1]           In the wilderness of temptation Christ overcame appetite. His example of self-denial and self-control, when suffering the gnawing pangs of hunger, is a rebuke to the Christian world for their dissipation and gluttony. There is at this time nine times as much money expended for the gratification of appetite and the indulgence of foolish and hurtful lusts as there is given to advance the gospel of Christ. {Con 59.1}
[Con 59.2]           Were Peter upon the earth now he would exhort the professed followers of Christ to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. And Paul would call upon the churches in general, to cleanse themselves from "all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." And Christ would drive from the temple those who are defiled by the use of tobacco, polluting the sanctuary of God by their tobacconized breaths. He would say to these worshipers, as He did to the Jews, "My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." We would say to such, your unholy offerings of ejected quids of tobacco defile the temple and are abhorred of God. Your worship is not acceptable, for your bodies, which should be the temple for the Holy Ghost, are defiled. You also rob the treasury of God of thousands of dollars through  60  the indulgence of unnatural appetite. {Con 59.2}
[Con 60.1]           If we would see the standard of virtue and godliness exalted, as Christians we have a work devolving upon us individually to control appetite, the indulgence of which counteracts the force of truth, and weakens moral power to resist and overcome temptation. As Christ's followers, we should in eating and drinking act from principle. When we obey the injunction of the apostle, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God," thousands of dollars which are now sacrificed upon the altar of hurtful lust will flow into the Lord's treasury, multiplying publications in different languages to be scattered like the leaves of autumn. Missions will be established in other nations, and then will the followers of Christ be indeed the light of the world. {Con 60.1}
[Con 60.2]           The adversary of souls is working in these last days with greater power than ever before, to accomplish the ruin of man through the indulgence of appetite and passions. And many who are held by Satan under the power of slavish appetite are the professed followers of Christ. They profess to worship God, while appetite is their god. Their unnatural desires for these indulgences are not controlled by reason or judgment. Those who are slaves to tobacco will see their families suffering for the conveniences of life and for necessary food, yet they have not the power of will to forgo their tobacco. The clamors of appetite prevail over natural affection, and this brute passion controls them. The cause of Christianity, and even humanity, would not in any case be sustained if dependent upon those in the habitual use of tobacco and liquor. If they had means to use only in one direction the treasury of God would not be replenished, but they would have their tobacco and liquor, for the tobacco idolater will not  61  deny his appetite for the cause of God. {Con 60.2}
[Con 61.1]           It is impossible for such men to realize the binding claims and holiness of the law of God, for their brain and nerves are deadened by the use of this narcotic. They cannot value the atonement or appreciate the worth of immortal life. The indulgence of fleshly lusts wars against the soul. The apostle in the most impressive language addresses Christians, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." If the body is saturated with liquor and defiled by tobacco it is not holy and acceptable to God. Satan knows that it cannot be, and for this reason he brings his temptations to bear upon the point of appetite, that he may bring us into bondage to this propensity and thus work our ruin. {Con 61.1}
[Con 61.2]           The Jewish sacrifices were all examined with careful scrutiny to see if any blemish was upon them or if they were tainted with disease, and the least defect or impurity was a sufficient reason for the priests to reject them. The offering must be sound and valuable. The apostle has in view the requirements of God upon the Jews in their offerings when he in the most earnest manner appeals to his brethren to present their bodies a living sacrifice. Not a diseased, decaying offering, but a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. {Con 61.2}
[Con 61.3]           How many come to the house of God in feebleness, and how many come defiled by the indulgence of their own appetite! Those who have degraded themselves by wrong habits, when they assemble for the worship of God, give forth such emanations from their diseased bodies as to be disgusting to those around them. And how offensive must this be to a pure and holy God. {Con 61.3}
[Con 61.4]           A large proportion of all the infirmities that afflict the  62  human family are the results of their own wrong habits, because of their willing ignorance or of their disregard of the light which God has given in relation to the laws of their being. It is not possible for us to glorify God while living in violation of the laws of life. The heart cannot possibly maintain consecration to God while the lustful appetite is indulged. A diseased body and disordered intellect, because of continual indulgence in hurtful lust, make sanctification of the body and spirit impossible. The apostle understood the importance of the healthful conditions of the body for the successful perfection of Christian character. He says, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." He mentions the fruit of the Spirit, among which is temperance. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." {Con 61.4}
[Con 62.1]           Men and women indulge appetite at the expense of health and their powers of intellect, so that they cannot appreciate the plan of salvation. What appreciation can such have of the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and of the victory He gained upon the point of appetite. It is impossible for them to have exalted views of God, and to realize the claims of His law. The proposed followers of Christ are forgetful of the great sacrifice made by Him on their account. The Majesty of heaven, in order to bring salvation within their reach, was smitten, bruised, and afflicted. He became a Man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. In the wilderness of temptation He resisted Satan, although the tempter was clothed with the livery of heaven. Christ, although brought to great physical suffering, refused to yield a single point, notwithstanding the most flattering inducements were presented to bribe  63  and influence Him to yield His integrity. All this honor, all this riches and glory, said the deceiver, will I give Thee if Thou wilt only acknowledge my claims. {Con 62.1}
[Con 63.1]           Christ was firm. Oh! where would now be the salvation of the race if Christ had been as weak in moral power as man? No wonder that joy filled heaven as the fallen chief left the wilderness of temptation, a conquered foe. Christ has power from His Father to give His divine grace and strength to man--making it possible for us through His name to overcome. There are but few professed followers of Christ who choose to engage with Him in the work of resisting Satan's temptation as He resisted and overcame. {Con 63.1}
[Con 63.2]           Professed Christians who enjoy gatherings of gaiety, pleasure, and feasting cannot appreciate the conflict of Christ in the wilderness. This example of their Lord in overcoming Satan is lost to them. This infinite victory, which Christ achieved for them in the plan of salvation, is meaningless. They have no special interest in the wonderful humiliation of our Saviour, and the anguish and sufferings He endured for sinful man while Satan was pressing Him with his manifold temptations. The scene of trial with Christ in the wilderness was the foundation of the plan of salvation, and gives to fallen man the key whereby he, in Christ's name, may overcome. {Con 63.2}
[Con 63.3]           Many professed Christians look upon this portion of the life of Christ as they would upon a common warfare between two kings, and as having no special bearing upon their own life and character. Therefore, the manner of warfare and the wonderful victory gained have but little interest for them. Their perceptive powers are blunted by Satan's artifices, so that they cannot discern that he who afflicted Christ in the wilderness, determined to rob Him  64  of His integrity as the Son of the Infinite, is to be their adversary to the end of time. Although he failed to overcome Christ, his power is not weakened over man. All are personally exposed to the temptations that Christ overcame, but strength is provided for them in the all-powerful name of the great Conqueror. And all must, for themselves, individually overcome. Many fall under the very same temptations wherewith Satan assailed Christ. {Con 63.3}
[Con 64.1]           Although Christ gained a priceless victory in behalf of man in overcoming the temptations of Satan in the wilderness, this victory will not benefit him unless he also gains the victory on his own account. {Con 64.1}
[Con 64.2]           Man now has the advantage over Adam in his warfare with Satan; for he has Adam's experience in disobedience and his consequent fall to warn him to shun his example. Man also has Christ's example in overcoming appetite and the manifold temptations of Satan, and in vanquishing the mighty foe upon every point and coming off victor in every contest. If man stumbles and falls under the temptations of Satan, he is without excuse; for he has the disobedience of Adam as a warning, and the life of the world's Redeemer as an example of obedience and self-denial, and the promise of Christ that "to him that over-cometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." {Con 64.2}
[Con 64.3]        Self-indulgence in Religion's Garb            Professed Christians engage in feastings and in scenes of amusement which degrade the religion of Jesus Christ. It is impossible for those who find pleasure in church socials, festivals, and numerous gatherings for pleasure, to have ardent love and sacred reverence for Jesus. His  65  words of warning and instruction have no weight upon their minds. Should Christ come into the assembly of those who were absorbed in their plays and frivolous amusements, would the solemn melody of His voice be heard in benediction, saying, "Peace be to this house"? How would the Saviour of the world enjoy these scenes of gaiety and folly? {Con 64.3}
[Con 65.1]           Christians and the world unite, one in heart and one in spirit, in these festal occasions. The Man of sorrows, who was acquainted with grief, would find no welcome in these places of amusement. The lovers of pleasure and luxury, the thoughtless and the gay, are collected in these rooms, and the glitter and tinsel of fashion are seen everywhere. The ornament of crosses of gold and pearl, which represent a Redeemer crucified, adorn their persons. But the One whom these highly prized jewels represent finds no welcome, no room. His presence would be a restraint upon their mirth and their sensual amusements, and would remind them of neglected duty, and bring to their remembrance hidden sins which caused that sorrowful countenance and made those eyes so sad and tearful. {Con 65.1}
[Con 65.2]           The presence of Christ would be positively painful in these gatherings for pleasure. Surely, none could invite Him there, for His countenance is marred with sorrows more than the sons of men, because of these very amusements which put God out of mind and make the broad road attractive to the sinner. The enchantments of these exciting scenes pervert reason and destroy reverence for sacred things. Ministers who profess to be Christ's representatives frequently take the lead in these frivolous amusements. "Ye are," says Christ, "the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they  66  may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven." {Con 65.2}
[Con 66.1]           In what manner is the light of truth shining from that thoughtless, pleasure-seeking company? Professed followers of Jesus Christ who indulge in gaiety and feasting cannot be partakers with Christ in His sufferings. They have no sense of His sufferings. They do not care to meditate upon self-denial and sacrifice. They find but little interest in studying the marked points in the history of the life of Christ upon which the plan of salvation rests, but imitate ancient Israel who ate and drank and rose up to play. In order to copy a pattern correctly we must carefully study its design. If we are indeed to overcome as Christ overcame, that we may mingle with the blood-washed, glorified company before the throne of God, it is of the highest importance that we become acquainted with the life of our Redeemer and deny self as did Christ. We must meet temptations and overcome obstacles, and through toil and suffering, in the name of Jesus, overcome as He overcame. {Con 66.1}
[Con 66.2]           The great trial of Christ in the wilderness on the point of appetite was to leave man an example of self-denial. This long fast was to convict men of the sinfulness of the things in which professed Christians indulge. The victory which Christ gained in the wilderness was to show man the sinfulness of the very things in which he takes such pleasure. The salvation of man was in the balance, and to be decided by the trial of Christ in the wilderness. If Christ was a victor on the point of appetite, then there was a chance for man to overcome. If Satan gained the victory through his subtlety, man was bound by the power of appetite in chains of indulgence which he could not have moral power to break. Christ's humanity alone  67  could never have endured this test, but His divine power combined with humanity gained in behalf of man an infinite victory. Our representative in this victory raised humanity in the scale of moral value with God. {Con 66.2}
[Con 67.1]           Christians who understand the mystery of godliness, who have a high and sacred sense of the atonement, who realize in the sufferings of Christ in the wilderness a victory gained for them, would see such marked contrast between these things and the church gatherings for pleasure and the indulgence of appetite, as would turn them in disgust from these scenes of revelry. Christians would be greatly strengthened by earnestly and frequently comparing their lives with the true standard, the life of Christ. The numerous socials, festivals, and picnics, ［NOTE: A TERM AT TIMES USED BY MRS. WHITE TO REFER TO FASHIONABLE AND OFTEN PUBLIC SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS IN WHICH EACH PERSON CONTRIBUTED FOOD TO A COMMON TABLE. FOURTH OF JULY PICNICS SOMETIMES TOOK ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CIRCUS OR FAIR. THE WORD AS USED TODAY USUALLY REFERS TO OUTDOOR RECREATION OF A CHARACTER COMMENDED BY ELLEN G. WHITE, IN WHICH ONE OR MORE FAMILIES PARTICIPATE.--WHITE TRUSTEES.］ to tempt the appetite to overindulgence, and the amusements which lead to levity and forgetfulness of God, can find no sanction in the example of Christ, the world's Redeemer, the only safe pattern for man to copy if he would overcome as Christ overcame. {Con 67.1}
[Con 67.2]          We present the faultless Pattern to all Christians. Says Christ, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." {Con 67.2}
[Con 67.3]           The light of heaven is to be reflected through Christ's  68  followers to the world. This is the Christian's lifework to direct the minds of sinners to God. The Christian's life should awaken in the hearts of worldlings high and elevated views of the purity of the Christian religion. This will make believers the salt of the earth, the saving power in our world; for a well-developed Christian character is harmonious in all its parts. {Con 67.3}
[Con 68.1]           We tremble for the youth of our day because of the example that is given them by those who profess to be Christians. We cannot close the door of temptation to the youth, but we can educate them that their words and their actions may have a direct bearing upon their future happiness or misery. They will be exposed to temptation. They will meet foes without and foes within, but they can be instructed to stand firm in their integrity, having moral principle to resist temptation. The lessons given our youth by world-loving professors are doing great harm. The festal gatherings, the gluttonous feasts, the lotteries, tableau and theatrical performances, are doing a work that will bear a record with its burden of results to the judgment. {Con 68.1}
[Con 68.2]           All these inconsistencies, sanctioned by professed Christians under a garb of Christian beneficence, to collect means to pay church expenses, have their influence with the youth to make them lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. They think if Christians can encourage and engage in these lotteries and scenes of festivities, and connect them with sacred things, why may not they be safe in taking an interest in lotteries and in engaging in gambling to win money for special objects. {Con 68.2}
[Con 68.3]           It is Satan's studied plan to clothe sin with garments of light to hide its deformity and make it attractive. And ministers and people professing righteousness unite with  69  the adversary of souls to help him in his plans. Never was there a time when every member of the church should feel his responsibility to walk humbly and circumspectly before God as at the present. Vain philosophy, false creeds, and infidelity are on the increase. And many who bear the name of Christ's followers are, through pride of heart, seeking popularity, and are drifting away from the established landmarks. The plain commands of God in His Word are discarded because they are so plain and old-fashioned, while vain and vague theories attract the mind and please the fancy. In these scenes of church festivities there is a union with the world that the Word of God does not justify. Christians and worldlings are united in them. {Con 68.3}
[Con 69.1]           But the apostle inquires:-- {Con 69.1}
[Con 69.2]           "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." {Con 69.2}
[Con 69.3]           When we are able to comprehend the temptations and victories of the Son of God while in severe conflict with Satan, we shall have a more correct idea of the greatness of the work before us in overcoming. Satan knew that if he failed his case was hopeless. If he succeeded he had gained a victory over the entire race, and his life and kingdom he thought would be established. {Con 69.3}
[Con 70.1]     70             In professedly Christian gatherings Satan throws a religious garment over delusive pleasures and unholy revelings to give them the appearance of sanctity, and the consciences of many are quieted because means are raised by these to defray church expenses. Men refuse to give for the love of Christ; but for the love of pleasure, and the indulgence of appetite for selfish considerations, they will part with their money. {Con 70.1}
[Con 70.2]           Is it because there is not power in the lessons of Christ upon benevolence, and in His example, and the grace of God upon the heart, to lead men to glorify God with their substance, that such a course must be resorted to in order to sustain the church? The injury sustained to the physical, mental, and moral health in these scenes of amusement and gluttony is not small. And the day of final reckoning will show souls lost through the influence of these scenes of gaiety and folly. {Con 70.2}
[Con 70.3]           It is a deplorable fact that sacred and eternal considerations do not have power to open the hearts of the professed followers of Christ to make freewill offerings to sustain the gospel as the temptation of feasting and general merriment. It is a sad reality that these inducements will prevail when sacred and eternal things will have no force to influence the heart to engage in works of benevolence. {Con 70.3}
[Con 70.4]           The plan of Moses in the wilderness to raise means was highly successful. There was no compulsion necessary. Moses made no grand feast, and he did not invite the people to scenes of gaiety, dancing, and general amusement. Neither did he institute lotteries or anything of this profane order to obtain means to erect the tabernacle of God in the wilderness. God commanded Moses to invite the children of Israel to bring their offerings. Moses was to accept gifts of every man that gave willingly from his  71  heart. But the freewill offerings came in so great abundance that Moses proclaimed it was enough. They must cease their presents; for they had given abundantly, more than they could use. {Con 70.4}
[Con 71.1]           Satan's temptations succeed with the professed followers of Christ on the point of indulgence of pleasure and appetite. Clothed as an angel of light he will quote Scripture to justify the temptations he places before men to indulge the appetite and in worldly pleasures which suit the carnal heart. The professed followers of Christ are weak in moral power and are fascinated with the bribe which Satan has presented before them, and he gains the victory. How does God look upon churches that are sustained by such means? Christ cannot accept these offerings, because they were not given through their love and devotion to Him, but through their idolatry of self. But what many would not do for the love of Christ, they will do for the love of delicate luxuries to gratify the appetite, and for love of worldly amusements to please the carnal heart. {Con 71.1}
[Con 71.2]           The conflict of Christ with Satan in the wilderness will be regarded with sacred interest by every true follower of Christ. We should have feelings of the deepest gratitude to our Redeemer for teaching us by His own example how to resist and overcome Satan. Jesus did not visit scenes of gaiety and feasting to attain the victory so essential to our salvation; but He went into a desolate wilderness. Many do not even contemplate this scene of Christ in conflict with the fallen chief. They do not enter into sympathy with their Redeemer. Some even doubt whether Christ really felt the pangs of hunger in His abstinence from food during the period of forty days and forty nights. {Con 71.2}
[Con 71.3]           He who suffered death for us on Calvary's cross, just  72  as surely suffered the keenest pangs of hunger as that He died for us. And no sooner did this suffering commence than Satan was at hand with his temptations. We have a foe no less vigilant to contend with. Satan adapts his temptations to our circumstances. In every temptation he will present some bribe, some apparent good to be gained. But in the name of Christ we may have complete victory in resisting his devices. {Con 71.3}
[Con 72.1]           It is more than eighteen hundred years since Christ walked upon the earth as a Man among men. He found suffering and wretchedness abounding everywhere. What humiliation on the part of Christ! For, though He was in the form of God, He took upon Himself the form of a servant. He was rich in heaven, crowned with glory and honor, and for our sakes He became poor. What an act of condescension of the Lord of life and glory, that He might lift up fallen man. {Con 72.1}
[Con 72.2]           Jesus did not come to men with commands and threatenings, but with love that is without a parallel. Love begets love; and thus the love of Christ displayed upon the cross woos and wins the sinner, and binds him repenting to the cross, believing and adoring the matchless depths of a Saviour's love. Christ came to the world to perfect a righteous character for many and to elevate the fallen race. But only a few of the millions in our world will accept the righteousness and excellency of His character and fulfill the requirements given to secure their happiness. {Con 72.2}
[Con 72.3]           His lessons of instruction and His holy life, if followed, would stay the tide of physical and moral wretchedness that has so defiled the moral image of God in man that he bears scarcely a resemblance to the noble Adam as he stood in Eden in his holy innocency. Every prohibition of God is for the health and eternal well-being of  73  man. In obedience to all the requirements of God there will be peace and happiness unaccompanied with shame or reproaches of conscience. {Con 72.3}
[Con 73.1]           But very few of the Christian world are following their Master in a course of humble obedience, progressing in holiness and perfection of Christian character. Intemperance and licentiousness are greatly increasing, and are practiced to a large extent under the cloak of Christianity. This deplorable state of things is not because men are obedient to God's law, but because their hearts rise in rebellion to His holy precepts. {Con 73.1}
[Con 73.2]           Repentance toward God, because His law has been transgressed, and faith in Jesus Christ are the only means whereby we may be elevated to purity of life and reconciliation with God. Were all the sins, which have brought the wrath of God upon cities and nations, fully understood, their woes and calamities would be found to be the results of uncontrolled appetites and passions. {Con 73.2}
[Con 73.3]        More Than One Fall            If the race had ceased to fall when Adam was driven from Eden, we should now be in a far more elevated condition physically, mentally, and morally. But while men deplore the fall of Adam, which has resulted in such unutterable woe, they disobey the express injunctions of God, as did Adam, although they have his example to warn them from doing as he did in violating the law of Jehovah. Would that man had stopped falling with Adam. But there has been a succession of falls. Men will not take warning from Adam's experience. They will indulge appetite and passion in direct violation of the law of God, and at the same time continue to mourn Adam's transgression, which brought sin into the world. {Con 73.3}
[Con 74.1]     74             From Adam's day to ours there has been a succession of falls, each greater than the last, in every species of crime. God did not create a race of beings so devoid of health, beauty, and moral power as now exists in the world. Disease of every kind has been fearfully increasing upon the race. This has not been by God's especial providence, but directly contrary to His will. It has come by man's disregard of the very means which God has ordained to shield him from the terrible evils existing. Obedience to God's law in every respect would save men from intemperance, licentiousness, and disease of every type. No one can violate natural law without suffering the penalty. {Con 74.1}
[Con 74.2]           What man would, for any sum of money, deliberately sell his mental capabilities? Should one offer him money if he would part with his intellect he would turn with disgust from the insane suggestion. Yet thousands are parting with health of body, vigor of intellect, and elevation of soul, for the sake of gratifying appetite. Instead of gain, they experience only loss. This they do not realize because of their benumbed sensibilities. They have bartered away their God-given faculties. And for what? Answer. Groveling sensualities and degrading vices. The gratification of taste is indulged at the cost of health and intellect. {Con 74.2}
[Con 74.3]           Christ commenced the work of redemption just where the ruin began. He made provision to reinstate man in his Godlike purity, if he accepted the help brought him. Through faith in His all-powerful name--the only name given under heaven whereby we may be saved--man could overcome appetite and passion, and through his obedience to the law of God, health would take the place of infirmities and corrupting diseases. Those who overcome will follow the example of Christ by bringing  75  bodily appetites and passions under the control of enlightened conscience and reason. {Con 74.3}
[Con 75.1]           If ministers who preach the gospel would do their duty, and would also be ensamples to the flock of God, their voices would be lifted up like a trumpet to show the people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins. Ministers who exhort sinners to be converted should distinctly define what sin is and what conversion from sin is. Sin is the transgression of the law. The convicted sinner must exercise repentance toward God for the transgression of His law, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. {Con 75.1}
[Con 75.2]           The apostle gives us the true definition of sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law." The largest class of Christ's professed ambassadors are blind guides. They lead the people away from the path of safety by representing the requirements and prohibitions of the ancient law of Jehovah as arbitrary and severe. They give the sinner license to overstep the limits of God's law. In this they are like the great adversary of souls, opening before them a life of freedom in violation of God's commandments. With this lawless freedom the basis of moral responsibility is gone. {Con 75.2}
[Con 75.3]           Those who follow these blind leaders close the avenues of their souls to the reception of truth. They will not allow the truth with its practical bearings to affect their hearts. The largest number brace their souls with prejudice against new truths, and also against the clearest light which shows the correct application of an old truth, the law of God, which is as old as the world. The intemperate and licentious delight in the oft-repeated assertion that the law of the ten commandments is not binding in this dispensation. Avarice, thefts, perjuries, and crimes of  76  every description are carried on under the cloak of Christianity. {Con 75.3}
[Con 76.1]        Health and Happiness            And why should not men do these things if the law forbidding them is abolished? No message from earth or heaven can forcibly impress the intemperate and the licentious who are deluded with the theory that the law of ten commandments is abolished. Many professed ministers of Christ exhort the people to holiness of life while they themselves yield to the power of appetite and the defilement of tobacco. These teachers, who are leading the people to despise physical and moral law, will have a fearful record to meet by and by. {Con 76.1}
[Con 76.2]           Health, truth, and happiness can never be advanced without an intelligent knowledge of, and full obedience to, the law of God and perfect faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord uses no other medium through which to reach the human heart. Many professed Christians acknowledge that in the use of tobacco they are indulging a filthy, expensive, and hurtful practice. But they excuse themselves by saying that the habit is formed and they cannot overcome it. In this acknowledgment they yield homage to Satan, saying by their actions, if not in words, that, although God is powerful, Satan has greater power. By profession they say, We are the servants of Jesus Christ, while their works say that they yield subjection to Satan's sway because it costs them the least inconvenience. Is this overcoming as Christ overcame? Or is it being overcome by temptation? And the above apology is urged by men in the ministry, who profess to be Christ's ambassadors. {Con 76.2}
[Con 76.3]           Many are the temptations and besetments on every side to ruin the prospects of young men, both for this  77  world and the next. But the only path of safety is for young and old to live in strict conformity to the principles of physical and moral law. The path of obedience is the only path that leads to heaven. Alcohol and tobacco inebriates would, at times, give any amount of money if they could by so doing overcome their appetite for these body-and-soul-destroying indulgences. And they who will not subject the appetites and passions to the control of reason will indulge them at the expense of physical and moral obligations. {Con 76.3}
[Con 77.1]           The victims of a depraved appetite, goaded on by Satan's continual temptations, will seek indulgence at the expense of health and even life, and will go to the bar of God as self-murderers. Many have so long allowed habit to master them that they have become slaves to appetite. They have not the moral courage to persevere in self-denial, and to endure suffering for a time through restraint and denial of the taste, in order to master the vice. This class refuse to overcome as did their Redeemer. Did not Christ endure physical suffering and mental anguish on man's account in the wilderness? {Con 77.1}
[Con 77.2]           Many have so long allowed appetite and taste to control reason that they have not moral power to persevere in self-denial and endure suffering for a time, until abused nature can take up her work and healthy action be established in the system. Very many with perverted tastes shrink at the thought of restricting their diet, and they continue their unhealthful indulgences. They are not willing to overcome as did their Redeemer. {Con 77.2}
[Con 77.3]           What a scene of unexampled suffering was that fast of nearly six weeks, while Jesus was assailed with the fiercest temptations! How few can understand the love of God for the fallen race in that He withheld not His divine  78  Son from taking upon Him the humiliation of humanity. He gave up His dearly beloved to shame and agony, that He might bring many sons and daughters to glory. {Con 77.3}
[Con 78.1]           When sinful man can discern the inexpressible love of God in giving His Son to die upon the cross, we shall better understand that it is infinite gain to overcome as Christ overcame. And we shall understand that it is eternal loss if we gain the whole world, with all its pleasure and glory, and yet lose the soul. Heaven is cheap enough at any cost. {Con 78.1}
[Con 78.2]           On Jordan's banks the voice from heaven, attended by the manifestation from the excellent glory, proclaimed Christ to be the Son of the Eternal. Satan was to personally encounter the Head of the kingdom which he came to overthrow. If he failed he knew that he was lost. Therefore the power of his temptations was in accordance with the greatness of the object which he would lose or gain. For four thousand years, ever since the declaration was made to Adam that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, he had been planning his manner of attack. {Con 78.2}
[Con 78.3]           He put forth his strongest efforts to overcome Christ on the point of appetite, who endured the keenest pangs of hunger. The victory gained was designed, not only to set an example to those who have fallen under the power of appetite but to qualify the Redeemer for His special work of reaching to the very depths of human woe. By experiencing in Himself the strength of Satan's temptation, and of human sufferings and infirmities, He would know how to succor those who should put forth efforts to help themselves. {Con 78.3}
[Con 78.4]           No amount of money can buy a single victory over the temptations of Satan. But that which money is valueless to obtain, which is integrity, determined effort, and moral  79  power, will, through the name of Christ, obtain noble victories upon the point of appetite. What if the conflict should cost man even his life? What if the slaves to these vices do really die in the struggle to free themselves from the controlling power of appetite? They die in a good cause. And if the victory be gained at the cost of human life, it is not too dearly earned if the victor can come up in the first resurrection, and have the overcomer's reward. {Con 78.4}
[Con 79.1]           Everything, then, is gained. But life will not be sacrificed in the struggle to overcome depraved appetites. And it is a certainty that unless we do overcome as Christ overcame we cannot have a seat with Him upon His throne. Those who in the face of light and truth destroy mental, moral, and physical health by indulgence of any kind will lose heaven. They sacrifice their God-given powers to idols. God deserves and claims our first and loftiest thoughts, and our holiest affections. {Con 79.1}
[Con 79.2]           At an infinite cost Christ our Redeemer has purchased every faculty and our very existence, and all our blessings in life have been purchased for us with the price of His blood. Shall we accept the blessings, and forget the claims of the Giver? Can any of us consent to follow our inclination, indulge appetites and passions, and live without God? Shall we eat and drink like the beast, and no more associate the thought of God with every good we enjoy than the dumb animals? {Con 79.2}
[Con 79.3]           Those who make determined efforts in the name of the Conqueror to overcome every unnatural craving of appetite will not die in the conflict. In their efforts to control appetite they are placing themselves in right relation to life, so that they may enjoy health and the favor of God and have a right hold on the immortal life. {Con 79.3}
[Con 79.4]           Thousands are continually selling physical, mental,  80  and moral vigor for the pleasure of taste. Each of the faculties has its distinctive office, and yet they all have a mutual dependence upon each other. And if the balance is carefully preserved they will be kept in harmonious action. Not one of these faculties can be valued by dollars and cents. And yet, for a good dinner, for alcohol, or tobacco, they are sold. And while paralyzed by the indulgence of appetite, Satan controls the mind and leads to every species of crime and wickedness. God has enjoined upon us to preserve every faculty in healthful vigor, that we may have a clear sense of His requirements, and that we may perfect holiness in His fear. {Con 79.4}
[Con 80.1]        Strange Fire            Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, who ministered in the holy office of priesthood, partook freely of wine and, as was their usual custom, went in to minister before the Lord. The priests who burned incense before the Lord were required to use the fire of God's kindling, which burned day and night and was never extinguished. God gave explicit directions how every part of His service should be conducted, that all connected with His sacred worship might be in accordance with His holy character. And any deviation from the express directions of God in connection with His holy service was punishable with death. {Con 80.1}
[Con 80.2]           No sacrifice would be acceptable to God which was not salted or seasoned with divine fire, which represented the communication between God and man that was opened through Jesus Christ alone. The holy fire which was to be put upon the censer was kept burning perpetually. And while the people of God were without, earnestly praying, the incense kindled by the holy fire was to  81  arise before God mingled with their prayers. This incense was an emblem of the mediation of Christ. {Con 80.2}
[Con 81.1]           Aaron's sons took the common fire, which God did not accept, and they offered insult to the infinite God by presenting this strange fire before Him. God consumed them by fire for their positive disregard of His express directions. All their works were as the offering of Cain. There was no divine Saviour represented. Had these sons of Aaron been in full command of their reasoning faculties they would have discerned the difference between the common and sacred fire. The gratification of appetite debased their faculties and so beclouded their intellect that their power of discernment was gone. They fully understood the holy character of the typical service, and the awful solemnity and responsibility assumed of presenting themselves before God to minister in sacred service. {Con 81.1}
[Con 81.2]           Some may inquire, How could the sons of Aaron have been accountable when their intellects were so far paralyzed by intoxication that they were not able to discern the difference between sacred and common fire? It was when they put the cup to their lips that they made themselves responsible for all their acts committed while under the influence of wine. The indulgence of appetite cost those priests their lives. God expressly forbade the use of wine that would have an influence to becloud the intellect. {Con 81.2}
[Con 81.3]           "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may  82  teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses." {Con 81.3}
[Con 82.1]           The special injunction of God to the Hebrews in reference to the use of intoxicating liquors should be regarded in this dispensation. But many who are holding the highest responsibilities in our country are, in too many cases, liquor-and-tobacco slaves. {Con 82.1}
[Con 82.2]           Jurors in our courts, by whose verdict the innocence or guilt of their fellow men is decided, are many of them liquor-drinkers and tobacco-inebriates. And, while under the influence of these, which becloud the intellect and debase the soul, judgment is given upon the liberty and life of their fellow men. {Con 82.2}
[Con 82.3]           Perverted judgment in many cases clears from all punishment the greatest criminals, when the safety of society demands they should receive the full penalty of the law which they have violated. {Con 82.3}
[Con 82.4]           The men who are legislating, and those who are executing the laws of our government, while they are violating the laws of their being in debasing appetites, which stupefy and paralyze the intellect, are not fitted to decide the destiny of their fellow men. Those only who feel the necessity of keeping soul, body, and spirit in conformity to natural law, to the end that they may preserve the right balance of their mental powers, are fitted to decide important questions in reference to the execution of the law of our land. This was the mind of God by decrees to the Hebrews that wine should not be used by those who ministered in holy office. {Con 82.4}
[Con 82.5]           Here we have the most plain directions of God, and His reasons for prohibiting the use of wine; that their power of discrimination and discernment might be clear, and in no way confused; that their judgment might be  83  correct, and they be ever able to discern between the clean and unclean. Another reason of weighty importance why they should abstain from anything which would intoxicate is also given. It would require the full use of unclouded reason to present to the children of Israel all the statutes which God had spoken to them. {Con 82.5}
[Con 83.1]           Anything in eating and drinking which disqualifies the mental powers for healthful and active exercise is an aggravating sin in the sight of God. Especially is this the case with those who minister in holy things, who should at all times be examples to the people and be in a condition to properly instruct them. {Con 83.1}
[Con 83.2]           Notwithstanding they have this striking example before them, some professed Christians will desecrate the house of God with breaths polluted with the fumes of liquor and tobacco. And the spittoons are sometimes filled with the ejected spittle and quids of tobacco. The effluvia is constantly arising from these receptacles, polluting the atmosphere. Men professing to be Christians bow to worship God, and dare to pray to Him, with their lips stained by tobacco, while their half-paralyzed nerves tremble from the exhausting use of this powerful narcotic. And this is the devotion they offer to a holy and sin-hating God. Ministers in the sacred desk, with mouth and lips defiled, dare to take the sacred word of God in their polluted lips. They think God does not notice their sinful indulgence. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." God will no more receive a sacrifice from the hands of those who thus pollute themselves, and offer with their service the incense of tobacco and liquor, than He would receive the offering of the sons of Aaron, who offered incense with strange fire. {Con 83.2}
[Con 84.1]     84             God has not changed. He is as particular and exact in His requirements now as He was in the days of Moses. But in the sanctuaries of worship in our day, with the songs of praise, the prayers, and the teaching from the pulpit, there is not merely strange fire but positive defilement. Instead of truth being preached with holy unction from God, it is sometimes spoken under the influence of tobacco and brandy. Strange fire indeed! Bible truth and Bible holiness are presented to the people, and prayers are offered to God, mingled with the stench of tobacco! Such incense is most acceptable to Satan! A terrible deception is this! What an offense in the sight of God! What an insult to Him who is holy, dwelling in light unapproachable! {Con 84.1}
[Con 84.2]           If the faculties of the mind were in healthful vigor professed Christians would discern the inconsistency of such worship. Like Nadab and Abihu, their sensibilities are so blunted that they make no difference between the sacred and common. Holy and sacred things are brought down upon a level with their tobacconized breaths, benumbed brains, and their polluted souls, defiled through indulgence of appetite and passion. Professed Christians eat and drink, smoke and chew tobacco, and become gluttons and drunkards, to gratify appetite, and still talk of overcoming as Christ overcame! {Con 84.2}
[Con 84.3]        Presumptuous Rashness and Intelligent Faith            There are many who fail to distinguish between the rashness of presumption and the intelligent confidence of faith. Satan thought that by his temptations he could delude the world's Redeemer to make one bold move in manifesting His divine power, to create a sensation, and  85  to surprise all by the wonderful display of the power of His Father in preserving Him from injury. He suggested that Christ should appear in His real character, and by this masterpiece of power, establish His right to the confidence and faith of the people, that He was indeed the Saviour of the world. If Christ had been deceived by Satan's temptations, and had exercised His miraculous power to relieve Himself from difficulty, He would have broken the contract made with His Father, to be a probationer in behalf of the race. {Con 84.3}
[Con 85.1]           It was a difficult task for the Prince of Life to carry out the plan which He had undertaken for the salvation of man, in clothing His divinity with humanity. He had received honor in the heavenly courts and was familiar with absolute power. It was as difficult for Him to keep the level of humanity as for men to rise above the low level of their depraved natures and be partakers of the divine nature. {Con 85.1}
[Con 85.2]           Christ was put to the closest test, requiring the strength of all His faculties to resist the inclination, when in danger, to use His power to deliver Himself from peril and triumph over the power of the prince of darkness. Satan showed his knowledge of the weak points of the human heart, and put forth his utmost power to take advantage of the weakness of the humanity, which Christ had assumed in order to overcome his temptations on man's account. {Con 85.2}
[Con 85.3]           God has given man precious promises upon conditions of faith and obedience; but they are not to sustain him in any rash act. If men needlessly place themselves in peril, and go where God does not require them to go, and self-confidently expose themselves to danger, disregarding the dictates of reason, God will not work a miracle to relieve  86  them. He will not send His angels to preserve any from being burned if they choose to place themselves in the fire. {Con 85.3}
[Con 86.1]           Adam was not deceived by the serpent, as was Eve, and it was inexcusable in Adam to rashly transgress God's positive command. Adam was presumptuous because his wife had sinned. He could not see what would become of Eve. He was sad, troubled, and tempted. He listened to Eve's recital of the words of the serpent, and his constancy and integrity began to waver. Doubts arose in his mind in regard to whether God did mean just as He said. He rashly ate the tempting fruit. {Con 86.1}
[Con 86.2]        Spiritism            Spiritualists make the path to hell most attractive. Spirits of darkness are clothed by these deceptive teachers in pure robes of heaven, and they have power to deceive those not fortified with Bible truth. {Con 86.2}
[Con 86.3]           Vain philosophy is employed in representing the path to hell as a path of safety. With the imagination highly wrought, and voices musically tuned, they picture the broad road as one of happiness and glory. Ambition holds before deluded souls, as Satan presented to Eve, a freedom and bliss for them to enjoy which they never conceived was possible. Men are praised who have traveled the broad path to hell, and after they die are exalted to the highest positions in the eternal world. {Con 86.3}
[Con 86.4]           Satan, clothed in robes of brightness, appearing like an exalted angel, tempted the world's Redeemer without success. But as he comes to man robed as an angel of light he has better success. He covers his hideous purposes, and succeeds too well in deluding the unwary who are not firmly anchored upon eternal truth. {Con 86.4}
[Con 87.1]     87             Riches, power, genius, eloquence, pride, perverted reason, and passion are enlisted as Satan's agents in doing his work in making the broad road attractive, strewing it with tempting flowers. But every word they have spoken against the world's Redeemer will be reflected back upon them, and will one day burn into their guilty souls like molten lead. They will be overwhelmed with terror and shame as they behold the exalted One coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Then shall the bold defier, who lifted himself up against the Son of God, see himself in the true blackness of his character. The sight of the inexpressible glory of the Son of God will be intensely painful to those whose characters are stained with sin. The pure light and glory emanating from Christ will awaken remorse, shame, and terror. They will send forth wails of anguish to the rocks and mountains, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" {Con 87.1}
[Con 87.2]           Spiritualists claim superior light and power. They have opened the door and invited the prince of darkness in, and have made him their honored guest. They have allied themselves to the powers of darkness which are developing in these last days in signs and wonders, that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect. Spiritualists claim that they can do greater miracles than Christ did. Satan made the same boasts to Christ. Because the Son of God had linked Himself to the weakness of humanity, to be tempted in all points like as man should be tempted, Satan triumphed over Him, and taunted Him. He boasted of his superior strength, and dared Him to open a controversy with him. {Con 87.2}
[Con 88.1]     88             Spiritualists are increasing in numbers. They will come to men who have the truth as Satan came to Christ, tempting them to manifest their power and work miracles and give evidence of their being favored of God and of their being the people who have the truth. Satan said to Christ, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Herod and Pilate asked Christ to work miracles when He was on trial for His life. Their curiosity was aroused, but Christ did not work a miracle to gratify them. {Con 88.1}
[Con 88.2]           Spiritualists will press the matter to engage in controversy with ministers who teach the truth. If they decline, they will dare them. They will quote Scripture, as did Satan to Christ. "Prove all things," say they. But their idea of proving is to listen to their deceptive reasonings, and in attending their circles. But in their gatherings the angels of darkness assume the forms of dead friends and communicate with them as angels of light. {Con 88.2}
[Con 88.3]           Their loved ones will appear in robes of light, as familiar to the sight as when they were upon the earth. They will teach them and converse with them. And many will be deceived by this wonderful display of Satan's power. The only safety for the people of God is to be thoroughly conversant with their Bibles, and be intelligent upon the reasons of our faith in regard to the sleep of the dead. {Con 88.3}
[Con 88.4]           Satan is a cunning foe. And it is not difficult for the evil angels to represent both saints and sinners who have died, and make these representations visible to human eyes. These manifestations will be more frequent, and developments of a more startling character will appear as we near the close of time. We need not be astonished at anything in the line of deceptions to allure the unwary and deceive, if possible, the very elect. Spiritualists quote,  89  "Prove all things." But God has, for the benefit of His people who live amid the perils of the last days, proved this class, and given the result of His proving. {Con 88.4}
[Con 89.1]           "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. {Con 89.1}
[Con 89.2]           John, upon the Isle of Patmos, saw the things which should come upon the earth in the last days. Revelation 13:13; 16:14: "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." {Con 89.2}
[Con 89.3]          The apostle Peter distinctly points out the class which will be manifested in these last days. {Con 89.3}
[Con 89.4]           "But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; having  90  eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children." 2 Peter 2:10-14. {Con 89.4}
[Con 90.1]           God, in His Word, has placed His stamp ［of condemnation］ upon the heresies of spiritualism as He placed His mark upon Cain. The godly need not be deceived if they are students of the Scriptures and obedient to follow the plain path marked out for them in the Word of God. {Con 90.1}
[Con 90.2]           The boastful spiritualist claims great freedom, and in smooth, flowery language seeks to fascinate and delude unwary souls to choose the broad path of pleasure and sinful indulgence, rather than the narrow path and the straight way. Spiritualists call the requirements of God's law bondage, and say those who obey them live a life of slavish fear. With smooth words and fair speeches they boast of their freedom and seek to cover their dangerous heresies with the garments of righteousness. They would make the most revolting crimes be considered as blessings to the race. {Con 90.2}
[Con 90.3]           They open before the sinner a wide door to follow the promptings of the carnal heart, and violate the law of God--especially the seventh commandment. Those who speak these great swelling words of vanity, and who triumph in their freedom in sin, promise those whom they deceive the enjoyment of freedom in a course of rebellion against the revealed will of God. These deluded souls are themselves in the veriest bondage to Satan and are controlled by his power, and yet promising liberty to those who will dare to follow the same course of sin that they themselves have chosen. {Con 90.3}
[Con 90.4]           The Scriptures are indeed fulfilled in this, that the blind are leading the blind. For by whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. These deluded  91  souls are under the most abject slavery to the will of demons. They have allied themselves to the powers of darkness and have no strength to go contrary to the will of demons. This is their boasted liberty. By Satan are they overcome and brought into bondage, and the great liberty promised to those they deceive is helpless slavery to sin and Satan. {Con 90.4}
[Con 91.1]           We are not to attend their circles, neither are our ministers to engage in controversy with them. They are of that class specified whom we should not invite into our houses or bid them Godspeed. We have to compare their teachings with the revealed will of God. We are not to engage in an investigation of spiritualism. God has investigated this for us, and told us definitely that a class would arise in the last days who would deny Christ who has purchased them with His own blood. The character of spiritualists is so plainly described that we need not be deceived by them. If we obey the divine injunction we shall have no sympathy with spiritualists, however smooth and fair may be their words. {Con 91.1}
[Con 91.2]           The beloved John continues his warning against seducers: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: ［but］ he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." {Con 91.2}
[Con 91.3]           In Paul's second Epistle to the Thessalonians, he exhorts to be on guard and not depart from the faith. He speaks of Christ's coming as an event to immediately follow the work of Satan in spiritualism in these words: "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;  92  because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." {Con 91.3}
[Con 92.1]           In the Epistle of Paul to Timothy, he foretells what will be manifested in the latter days. And this warning was for the benefit of those who should live when these things should take place. God revealed to His servant the perils of the church in the last days. He writes, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." {Con 92.1}
[Con 92.2]           The faithful Peter speaks of the dangers to which the Christian church would be exposed in the last days, and more fully describes the heresies which would arise and the blaspheming seducers who would seek to draw away souls after them. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." {Con 92.2}
[Con 92.3]           Here God has worked out for us the proof of the class mentioned. They have refused to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God, and they have no more reverence for the eternal Father than for His Son, Jesus Christ. They have neither the Son nor the Father. And like their great leader, the rebel chief, they are in rebellion against the law of God, and they despise the blood of Christ. {Con 92.3}
[Con 92.4]           We may rejoice in every condition of life, and triumph  93  under all circumstances, because the Son of God came down from heaven and submitted to bear our infirmities, and to endure sacrifice and death in order to give to us immortal life. He will ever bear the marks of His earthly humiliation in man's behalf. While the redeemed host and the pure angelic throng shall do Him honor and worship Him, He will carry the marks of one that has been slain. The more fully we appreciate the infinite sacrifice made in our behalf by a sin-atoning Saviour, the more closely do we come into harmony with heaven. {Con 92.4}
[Con 93.1]        Character Development            We have characters to form here. God will test us and prove us by placing us in positions to develop the most enduring strength, purity, and nobility of soul, with perfect patience on our part, and entire trust in a crucified Saviour. We shall meet with reverses, affliction, and severe trials, for these are God's tests. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and purge His people as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. {Con 93.1}
[Con 93.2]           The cross of Christ is all covered with reproach and stigma, yet it is the hope of life and exaltation to man. No one can comprehend the mystery of godliness so long as he is ashamed to bear the cross of Christ. None will be able to discern and appreciate the blessings which Christ has purchased for man at infinite cost to Himself, unless they are willing to joyfully sacrifice earthly treasures that they may become His followers. Every self-denial and sacrifice made for Christ enriches the giver, and every suffering and reproach endured for His dear name increases the final joy and immortal reward in the kingdom of glory. {Con 93.2}
[NL 0.1]         NL - A New Life ［Revival and Beyond］ (1972)      Table of Contents    First, Read This ............................................. 3      1. Conversions--Fake or Real ................................. 7      2. How to Be a Born-Again Christian ......................... 20      3. God Has Rules Too ........................................ 30      4. The Balance in Faith and Works ........................... 34      5. Saved Only "in Christ" ................................... 40      6. Beware the Counterfeits .................................. 47      7. It's Still a Fight ....................................... 59    {NL 0.1}
[NL 3.1]      READ THIS FIRST          THE NAME OF JESUS HAS TODAY BECOME A PART OF THE WITNESSING VOCABULARY OF MANY THOUSANDS OF YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, BEING BORN AGAIN, WHAT JESUS MEANS TO US HERE AND NOW, HAVE BECOME TOPICS FOR EVERYDAY CONVERSATION. SONGS OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE ARE COMPETING WITH THOSE ABOUT ROMANCE. REVIVAL HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, AND HAS ACCOMPLISHED STARTLING RESULTS. BUT TODAY, AS NEVER BEFORE, IT'S HAPPENING AMONG YOUTH. {NL 3.1}
[NL 3.2]          ON MANY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES--EVEN THOSE NOT PARTICULARLY NOTED FOR RELIGIOUS CONNECTIONS--THE NAME OF JESUS IS OPENLY DISCUSSED IN A NEW, POSITIVE WAY. YOUTH FROM COMFORTABLE HOMES, FROM THE POOR, THE DRUG SCENE, FROM THE WELL EDUCATED, HAVE BEEN MOVED TO ACCEPT CHRIST IN LARGE NUMBERS. THOUSANDS HAVE SENSED THE MIRACULOUS EXPERIENCE OF BEING CONVERTED. AND SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST YOUTH ARE EXPERIENCING REVIVAL TOO. BUT NOW WHAT? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? {NL 3.2}
[NL 3.3]          BEING BORN AGAIN, JUSTIFIED, CONVERTED--WHATEVER WE CHOOSE TO CALL IT--IS THE BEGINNING. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DAYS AND WEEKS AND MONTHS OF GROWING UP INTO CHRIST? WHAT ABOUT THAT LIFETIME EXPERIENCE WE SOMETIMES CALL SANCTIFICATION? {NL 3.3}
[NL 3.4]          THE WORD OF GOD AND THE COUNSELS OF ELLEN WHITE LEAD US TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH AND ACCEPTING CHRIST, BUT WE ARE SANCTIFIED BY FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. THE TRULY BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN NOT ONLY TALKS ABOUT, BUT LIVES A LIFE THAT TESTIFIES THAT HE IS, IN FACT, A FOLLOWER OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. {NL 3.4}
[NL 4.1]    3       THE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT EASY. AFTER ALL, IT IS CALLED "STRAIT" IN THE BIBLE. WE BATTLE ENEMIES OUTSIDE OURSELVES AS WELL AS SINFUL TENDENCIES AND WEAKNESSES WITHIN. THERE ARE PLENTY OF DETOURS TOO. AND OF COURSE THERE IS ALWAYS THE BROAD WAY, WITH ITS LURID APPEAL. COUNTERFEITS ARE INTRODUCED BY SATAN TO CONFUSE AND DISCOURAGE US. BUT, THANK GOD, THERE ARE CLEAR DIRECTIONS TO SHOW US THE WAY TO LIFE ETERNAL. {NL 4.1}
[NL 4.2]          THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE TYPICAL OF THOSE BEING ASKED TODAY. HOW CAN WE EXPLAIN THE POWER ATTENDING POPULAR REVIVAL MOVEMENTS IN WHICH NO ATTEMPT IS MADE TO HONOR GOD'S LAW? WHAT ABOUT THE TONGUES MOVEMENT IN SOME PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES? ARE HEALING MIRACLES, WHICH ACCENT SOME OF THE REVIVALS OF OUR TIME, REAL? CAN GOD WORK MIRACLES THROUGH THOSE WHO PROCLAIM JESUS' PARDON FOR SINS AND YET TEACH OTHERS TO IGNORE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AS UNNECESSARY OR IMPOSSIBLE? {NL 4.2}
[NL 4.3]          IT IS OBVIOUS FROM A STUDY OF HISTORY THAT NOT ALL REVIVALS ARE GOD-INSPIRED. COUNTERFEITS HAVE APPEARED EVERY TIME THERE HAS BEEN THE GENUINE. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT SATAN CAN AND DOES PERFORM MIRACLES. HE WOULD, IF POSSIBLE, DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT. WE WILL NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO TRUST WHAT WE SEE AND HEAR AND FEEL. {NL 4.3}
[NL 4.4]          IT IS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK TO PASS JUDGMENT ON THE POPULAR REVIVALS OF TODAY. WHO CAN DOUBT THAT THERE ARE GENUINE CONVERSIONS AT SOME OF THESE MEETINGS? IN FACT, WE WILL GO A STEP FURTHER AND SUGGEST THAT GENUINE HEALING MAY RESULT FROM THE EXERCISE OF FAITH IN GOD'S WORD. IN SOME CASES THIS MAY BE IN SPITE OF THE EVANGELIST, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF HIM. IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK, RATHER, TO CONSIDER CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT HELP ONE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TRUE AND THE FALSE. {NL 4.4}
[NL 4.5]          IN ONE OF HER EARLIEST VISIONS, SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD  4  ELLEN HARMON (WHITE) WAS GIVEN AN UNUSUAL MESSAGE. IT WAS FEBRUARY, 1845. WHEN CHRIST HAD NOT RETURNED TO THIS EARTH AS EXPECTED A FEW MONTHS EARLIER, THE DISAPPOINTED ADVENTISTS WERE DIVIDED AND CONFUSED. THROUGH BIBLE STUDY SOME OF THEM FOUND AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS DISAPPOINTMENT. VISIONS GIVEN TO ELLEN HARMON HELPED TO CONFIRM THEIR CONCLUSIONS. THEY DISCOVERED BIBLE TRUTHS THAT HAD LARGELY BEEN IGNORED WHILE THEIR ATTENTION HAD BEEN FOCUSED ON PREPARATION FOR CHRIST'S RETURN. BUT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF ADVENTISTS REJECTED ALL SUCH STUDY OR EXPLANATION. {NL 4.5}
[NL 5.1]          IN THIS VISION OF 1845 ELLEN SAW THE LITTLE LOYAL GROUP KNEELING BEFORE GOD'S THRONE IN PRAYER. MOST OF THEM AROSE AND FOLLOWED JESUS BY FAITH AS HIS WORK MOVED INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE. THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THERE "WAS LIGHT, POWER, AND MUCH LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE."--EARLY WRITINGS, P. 55. {NL 5.1}
[NL 5.2]          BUT THE GROUP WHICH REMAINED BOWED BEFORE THE THRONE CONTINUED TO PRAY THERE, EVEN THOUGH CHRIST HAD LEFT. SATAN APPEARED TO TAKE CHRIST'S PLACE AT THE THRONE, ANSWERING THEIR PRAYERS. ELLEN SAW THIS GROUP LOOK UP, NOT KNOWING TO WHOM THEY PRAYED, ASKING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT. SHE DESCRIBED WHAT SHE SAW IN VISION THIS WAY: "SATAN WOULD THEN BREATHE UPON THEM AN UNHOLY INFLUENCE; IN IT THERE WAS LIGHT AND MUCH POWER, BUT NO SWEET LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE. SATAN'S OBJECT WAS TO KEEP THEM DECEIVED AND TO DRAW BACK AND DECEIVE GOD'S CHILDREN." (SEE EARLY WRITINGS, PAGES 54-56, FOR THE BRIEF ACCOUNT.) {NL 5.2}
[NL 5.3]          THE EXPERIENCE OF THESE TWO GROUPS OF ADVENTISTS IN 1845 REMINDS US THAT THERE CAN BE A GENUINE AND A COUNTERFEIT EXPERIENCE--EVEN AMONG THOSE WHO PROFESS TO BE SINCERE. ALTHOUGH GOD DESIRES THAT EACH OF US SHOULD HAVE A GENUINE BORN-AGAIN EXPERIENCE FOLLOWED BY A LIFE OF HAPPY  5  CHRISTIAN FULFILLMENT, SATAN ENDEAVORS TO CONVINCE US THAT THERE ARE SHORT CUTS--EASIER WAYS TO GET IT. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT BOTH CAN'T BE RIGHT. {NL 5.3}
[NL 6.1]          THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH WAS BORN IN DIFFICULT AND EXCITING TIMES. MOST OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN ITS BEGINNINGS WERE YOUNG YET DEEPLY DEDICATED TO A STUDY OF THE WORD AND EAGER TO WITNESS FOR THEIR FAITH. IN THOSE FORMATIVE YEARS OF THE CHURCH OFTEN THERE WERE DEEPLY SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL GATHERINGS OF ADVENTISTS. SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THESE MEMBERS HAD GAVE EVIDENCE OF THE LEADING OF GOD'S SPIRIT, WHEREAS OTHERS WERE OBVIOUSLY OF ANOTHER SPIRIT. {NL 6.1}
[NL 6.2]          IN THIS SETTING IT WAS CLEAR THAT THEY NEEDED TO "TRY THE SPIRITS" TO SEE WHETHER THEY WERE FROM GOD. ELLEN WHITE ALSO GAVE CLEAR AND POSITIVE COUNSEL. FROM THIS COUNSEL ARTICLES WERE SELECTED THAT FORM THIS SMALL BOOK. A CAREFUL STUDY OF ITS PAGES WILL PROVIDE THE READER WITH TIMELESS PRINCIPLES ON THE GENUINE AND THE COUNTERFEIT IN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. {NL 6.2}
[NL 6.3]          FOR MORE THAN EIGHTY YEARS ELLEN WHITE'S MUCH-LOVED BOOK STEPS TO CHRIST HAS BEEN A BEST SELLER, WITH AN ESTIMATED 16 MILLION COPIES DISTRIBUTED IN A HUNDRED LANGUAGES. ITS APPEAL FOR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY YOUNG AND OLD. A NEW LIFE JOINS IT AS A COMPANION BOOK OFFERING FURTHER GUIDANCE TOWARD A LIFE OF GENUINE REVIVAL AND REFORMATION. {NL 6.3}
[NL 6.4]          IN THESE LAST MOMENTS OF EARTH'S SINFUL HISTORY, TIMES ARE DIFFICULT AGAIN--AND ALSO EXCITING. SURELY GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT IS READY TO GIVE US THE POWER TO FINISH OUR WORK FOR OTHERS AND THE WORK NECESSARY FOR OURSELVES. CAN IT BE THAT YOU WILL BE ONE THROUGH WHOM GOD WILL DO SOMETHING SPECIAL? MAY YOUR CAREFUL STUDY HELP YOU TO BE BOTH EAGER AND READY TO MEET YOUR LORD WHEN HE RETURNS. {NL 6.4}
[NL 6]    TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE       6  {NL 6}
[NL 7.1]         1: conversions--fake or real       power of the word            Wherever the word of God has been faithfully preached, results have followed that attested its divine origin. The Spirit of God accompanied the message of His servants, and the word was with power. Sinners felt their consciences quickened. The "light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" illumined the secret chambers of their souls, and the hidden things of darkness were made manifest. Deep conviction took hold upon their minds and hearts. They were convinced of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come. They had a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah and felt the terror of appearing, in their guilt and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. In anguish they cried out: "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" As the cross of Calvary, with its infinite sacrifice for the sins of men, was revealed, they saw that nothing but the merits of Christ could suffice to atone for their transgressions; this alone could reconcile man to God. With faith and humility they accepted the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Through the blood of Jesus they had "remission of sins that are past." {NL 7.1}
[NL 7.2]      a new life-style            These souls brought forth fruit meet for repentance. They believed and were baptized, and rose to walk in newness of life--new creatures in Christ Jesus; not to fashion  7  themselves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God to follow in His steps, to reflect His character, and to purify themselves even as He is pure. The things they once hated they now loved, and the things they once loved they hated. The proud and self-assertive became meek and lowly of heart. The vain and supercilious became serious and unobtrusive. The profane became reverent, the drunken sober, and the profligate pure. The vain fashions of the world were laid aside. Christians sought not the "outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but . . . the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:3, 4). {NL 7.2}
[NL 8.1]           Revivals brought deep heart searching and humility. They were characterized by solemn, earnest appeals to the sinner, by yearning compassion for the purchase of the blood of Christ. Men and women prayed and wrestled with God for the salvation of souls. The fruits of such revivals were seen in souls who shrank not at self-denial and sacrifice, but rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer reproach and trial for the sake of Christ. Men beheld a transformation in the lives of those who had professed the name of Jesus. The community was benefited by their influence. . . . {NL 8.1}
[NL 8.2]           This is the result of the work of the Spirit of God. There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has found peace with God. Such were the effects that in former years followed seasons of religious awakening. Judged by their fruits, they were known to be blessed of God in the salvation of men and the uplifting of humanity. {NL 8.2}
[NL 9.1]     8        counterfeit revivals--what's the difference?            But many of the revivals of modern times have presented a marked contrast to those manifestations of divine grace which in earlier days followed the labors of God's servants. It is true that a widespread interest is kindled, many profess conversion, and there are large accessions to the churches; nevertheless the results are not such as to warrant the belief that there has been a corresponding increase of real spiritual life. The light which flames up for a time soon dies out, leaving the darkness more dense than before. {NL 9.1}
[NL 9.2]           Popular revivals are too often carried by appeals to the imagination, by exciting the emotions, by gratifying the love for what is new and startling. Converts thus gained have little desire to listen to Bible truth, little interest in the testimony of prophets and apostles. Unless a religious service has something of a sensational character, it has no attractions for them. A message which appeals to unimpassioned reason awakens no response. The plain warnings of God's word, relating directly to their eternal interests, are unheeded. {NL 9.2}
[NL 9.3]           With every truly converted soul the relation to God and to eternal things will be the great topic of life. . . . Before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His Word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed  9  at this time to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. {NL 9.3}
[NL 10.1]           The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God's special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world. {NL 10.1}
[NL 10.2]      why be deceived?            In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God's word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God's blessing is not bestowed. And by the rule which Christ Himself has given, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16), it is evident that these movements are not the work of the Spirit of God. {NL 10.2}
[NL 10.3]           In the truths of His word, God has given to men a revelation of Himself; and to all who accept them they are a shield against the deceptions of Satan. It is a neglect of these truths that has opened the door to the evils which are now becoming so widespread in the religious world. The  10  nature and the importance of the law of God have been, to a great extent, lost sight of. A wrong conception of the character, the perpetuity, and the obligation of the divine law has led to errors in relation to conversion and sanctification, and has resulted in lowering the standard of piety in the church. Here is to be found the secret of the lack of the Spirit and power of God in the revivals of our time. . . . {NL 10.3}
[NL 11.1]       can God's law be changed?            Many religious teachers assert that Christ by His death abolished the law, and men are henceforth free from its requirements. There are some who represent it as a grievous yoke, and in contrast to the bondage of the law they present the liberty to be enjoyed under the gospel. {NL 11.1}
[NL 11.2]           But not so did prophets and apostles regard the holy law of God. Said David: "I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:45). The apostle James, who wrote after the death of Christ, refers to the Decalogue as "the royal law" and "the perfect law of liberty" (James 2:8; 1:25). And the revelator, half a century after the crucifixion, pronounces a blessing upon them "that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14). The claim that Christ by His death abolished His Father's law is without foundation. Had it been possible for the law to be changed or set aside, then Christ need not have died to save man from the penalty of sin. . . . {NL 11.2}
[NL 11.3]     alienated and reconciled--how does it happen?            It is the work of conversion and sanctification to reconcile men to God by bringing them into accord with the principles of His law. In the beginning, man was created in the image of God. He was in perfect harmony with the  11  nature and the law of God; the principles of righteousness were written upon his heart. But sin alienated him from his Maker. He no longer reflected the divine image. His heart was at war with the principles of God's law. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7). But "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son," that man might be reconciled to God. Through the merits of Christ he can be restored to harmony with his Maker. His heart must be renewed by divine grace; he must have a new life from above. This change is the new birth, without which, says Jesus, "he cannot see the kingdom of God." {NL 11.3}
[NL 12.1]           The first step in reconciliation to God is the conviction of sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law." "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:20). In order to see his guilt, the sinner must test his character by God's great standard of righteousness. It is a mirror which shows the perfection of a righteous character and enables him to discern the defects in his own. {NL 12.1}
[NL 12.2]           The law reveals to man his sins, but it provides no remedy. While it promises life to the obedient, it declares that death is the portion of the transgressor. The gospel of Christ alone can free him from the condemnation or the defilement of sin. He must exercise repentance toward God, whose law has been transgressed; and faith in Christ, his atoning sacrifice. Thus he obtains "remission of sins that are past" and becomes a partaker of the divine nature. . . . {NL 12.2}
[NL 12.3]           Is he now free to transgress God's law? Says Paul: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" And John declares: "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous" (Romans 3:31; 6:2; John  12  5:3). In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty. . . . {NL 12.3}
[NL 13.1]     sanctification--who does the work?            Erroneous theories of sanctification, . . . springing from neglect or rejection of the divine law, have a prominent place in the religious movements of the day. These theories are both false in doctrine and dangerous in practical results; and the fact that they are so generally finding favor, renders it doubly essential that all have a clear understanding of what the Scriptures teach upon this point. {NL 13.1}
[NL 13.2]           True sanctification is a Bible doctrine. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonian church, declares: "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." And he prays: "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23). The Bible clearly teaches what sanctification is and how it is to be attained. The Saviour prayed for His disciples: "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth" (John 17:17, 19). And Paul teaches that believers are to be "sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:16). What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told His disciples: "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). And the psalmist says: "Thy law is the truth." By the word and the Spirit of God are opened to men the great principles of righteousness embodied in His law. And since the law of God is "holy, and just, and good," a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is a perfect example of such a character. He says: "I have kept My Father's commandments." "I do always those things that please Him" (John  13  15:10; 8:29). The followers of Christ are to become like Him--by the grace of God to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law. This is Bible sanctification. {NL 13.2}
[NL 14.1]          This work can be accomplished only through faith in Christ, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Paul admonishes believers: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12, 13). The Christian will feel the promptings of sin, but he will maintain a constant warfare against it. Here is where Christ's help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine strength, and faith exclaims: "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). {NL 14.1}
[NL 14.2]           The Scriptures plainly show that the work of sanctification is progressive. When in conversion the sinner finds peace with God through the blood of the atonement, the Christian life has but just begun. Now he is to "go on unto perfection;" to grow up "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." . . . ［Philippians 3:13, 14 and 2 Peter 1:5-10 quoted.］ {NL 14.2}
[NL 14.3]      no room for boasting            Those who experience the sanctification of the Bible will manifest a spirit of humility. Like Moses, they have had a view of the awful majesty of holiness, and they see their own unworthiness in contrast with the purity and exalted perfection of the Infinite One. {NL 14.3}
[NL 14.4]           The prophet Daniel was an example of true sanctification. His long life was filled up with noble service for his Master. He was a man "greatly beloved" (Daniel 10:11) of Heaven. Yet instead of claiming to be pure and holy, this honored prophet identified himself with the really sinful  14  of Israel as he pleaded before God in behalf of his people: "We do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies." "We have sinned, we have done wickedly." He declares: "I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people. . . ." (Daniel 9:18, 15, 20). {NL 14.4}
[NL 15.1]           When Job heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind, he exclaimed: "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). It was when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, and heard the cherubim crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts," that he cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone" (Isaiah 6:3, 5). Paul, after he was caught up into the third heaven and heard things which it was not possible for a man to utter, speaks of himself as "less than the least of all saints" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4, margin; Ephesians 3:8). It was the beloved John, who leaned on Jesus' breast and beheld His glory, that fell as one dead before the feet of the angel (Revelation 1:17). {NL 15.1}
[NL 15.2]           There can be no self-exaltation, no boastful claim to freedom from sin, on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary's cross. They feel that it was their sin which caused the agony that broke the heart of the Son of God, and this thought will lead them to self-abasement. Those who live nearest to Jesus discern most clearly the frailty and sinfulness of humanity, and their only hope is in the merit of a crucified and risen Saviour. {NL 15.2}
[NL 15.3]      counterfeit sanctification--is it "only believe"?            The sanctification now gaining prominence in the religious world carries with it a spirit of self-exaltation and a disregard for the law of God that mark it as foreign to the religion of the Bible. Its advocates teach that sanctification  15  is an instantaneous work, by which, through faith alone, they attain to perfect holiness. "Only believe," say they, "and the blessing is yours." No further effort on the part of the receiver is supposed to be required. At the same time they deny the authority of the law of God, urging that they are released from obligation to keep the commandments. But is it possible for men to be holy, in accord with the will and character of God, without coming into harmony with the principles which are an expression of His nature and will, and which show what is well pleasing to Him? {NL 15.3}
[NL 16.1]           The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine; but what saith the word of God? Says the apostle James: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? . . . Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? . . . Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:14-24). {NL 16.1}
[NL 16.2]           The testimony of the word of God is against this ensnaring doctrine of faith without works. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions upon which mercy is to be granted, it is presumption; for genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {NL 16.2}
[NL 16.3]           Let none deceive themselves with the belief that they can become holy while willfully violating one of God's requirements. The commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God. . . . Though John in his epistles dwells so fully upon  16  love, yet he does not hesitate to reveal the true character of that class who claim to be sanctified while living in transgression of the law of God. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected" (1 John 2:4, 5). Here is the test of every man's profession. We cannot accord holiness to any man without bringing him to the measurement of God's only standard of holiness in heaven and in earth. . . . {NL 16.3}
[NL 17.1]           The claim to be without sin is, in itself, evidence that he who makes this claim is far from holy. It is because he has no true conception of the infinite purity and holiness of God or of what they must become who shall be in harmony with His character; because he has no true conception of the purity and exalted loveliness of Jesus, and the malignity and evil of sin, that man can regard himself as holy. The greater the distance between himself and Christ, and the more inadequate his conceptions of the divine character and requirements, the more righteous he appears in his own eyes. {NL 17.1}
[NL 17.2]      sanctification--total commitment            The sanctification set forth in the Scriptures embraces the entire being--spirit, soul, and body. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that their "whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Again he writes to believers: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1). In the time of ancient Israel every offering brought as a sacrifice to God was carefully examined. If any defect was discovered in the animal presented, it was refused; for God had commanded  17  that the offering be "without blemish." So Christians are bidden to present their bodies, "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." In order to do this, all their powers must be preserved in the best possible condition. Every practice that weakens physical or mental strength unfits man for the service of his Creator. {NL 17.2}
[NL 18.1]           And will God be pleased with anything less than the best we can offer? Said Christ: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." Those who do love God with all the heart will desire to give Him the best service of their life, and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power of their being into harmony with the laws that will promote their ability to do His will. . . . {NL 18.1}
[NL 18.2]      a changed life            The world is given up to self-indulgence. "The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" control the masses of the people. But Christ's followers have a holier calling. . . . {NL 18.2}
[NL 18.3]           To those who comply with the conditions, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, . . . and touch not the unclean," God's promise is, "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). It is the privilege and the duty of every Christian to have a rich and abundant experience in the things of God. . . . The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shine upon the servants of God, and they are to reflect His rays. As the stars tell us that there is a great light in heaven with whose glory they are made bright, so Christians are to make it manifest that there is a God on the throne of the universe whose character is worthy of praise and imitation. The graces of His Spirit, the purity and holiness of His character, will be manifest in His witnesses. . . . {NL 18.3}
[NL 19.1]    18        no longer condemned            While the Christian's life will be characterized by humility, it should not be marked with sadness and self-depreciation. It is the privilege of everyone so to live that God will approve and bless him. It is not the will of our heavenly Father that we should be ever under condemnation and darkness. There is no evidence of true humility in going with the head bowed down and the heart filled with thoughts of self. We may go to Jesus and be cleansed, and stand before the law without shame and remorse. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). {NL 19.1}
[NL 19.2]           Through Jesus the fallen sons of Adam become "sons of God." "Both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2:11). The Christian's life should be one of faith, of victory, and joy in God. "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). Truly spoke God's servant Nehemiah: "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). And Paul says: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). {NL 19.2}
[NL 19.3]           Such are the fruits of Bible conversion and sanctification. ［THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, PP. 461-478. (CHAPTER TITLED "MODERN REVIVALS.")］ {NL 19.3}
[NL 20.1]      19          2: how to be a born-again Christian       faith--belief and trust            When God pardons the sinner, remits the punishment he deserves, and treats him as though he had not sinned, He receives him into divine favor, and justifies him through the merits of Christ's righteousness. The sinner can be justified only through faith in the atonement made through God's dear Son, who became a sacrifice for the sins of the guilty world. No one can be justified by any works of his own. He can be delivered from the guilt of sin, from the condemnation of the law, from the penalty of transgression, only by virtue of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Faith is the only condition upon which justification can be obtained, and faith includes not only belief but trust. . . . {NL 20.1}
[NL 20.2]           Many concede that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, but at the same time they hold themselves away from Him, and fail to repent of their sins, fail to accept of Jesus as their personal Saviour. Their faith is simply the assent of the mind and judgment to the truth; but the truth is not brought into the heart, that it might sanctify the soul and transform the character. . . . {NL 20.2}
[NL 20.3]      can i repent without help?            Many are confused as to what constitutes the first steps in the work of salvation. Repentance is thought to be a work the sinner must do for himself in order that he may come to Christ. They think that the sinner must procure for himself a fitness in order to obtain the blessing  20  of God's grace. But while it is true that repentance must precede forgiveness, for it is only the broken and contrite heart that is acceptable to God, yet the sinner cannot bring himself to repentance, or prepare himself to come to Christ. Except the sinner repent, he cannot be forgiven; but the question to be decided is as to whether repentance is the work of the sinner or the gift of Christ. Must the sinner wait until he is filled with remorse for his sin before he can come to Christ? The very first step to Christ is taken through the drawing of the Spirit of God; as man responds to this drawing, he advances toward Christ in order that he may repent. {NL 20.3}
[NL 21.1]           The sinner is represented as a lost sheep, and a lost sheep never returns to the fold unless he is sought after and brought back to the fold by the shepherd. No man of himself can repent, and make himself worthy of the blessing of justification. The Lord Jesus is constantly seeking to impress the sinner's mind and attract him to behold Himself, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. We cannot take a step toward spiritual life save as Jesus draws and strengthens the soul, and leads us to experience that repentance which needeth not to be repented of. . . . {NL 21.1}
[NL 21.2]           When before the high priests and Sadducees, Peter clearly presented the fact that repentance is the gift of God. Speaking of Christ, he said, "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). Repentance is no less the gift of God than are pardon and justification, and it cannot be experienced except as it is given to the soul by Christ. If we are drawn to Christ, it is through His power and virtue. The grace of contrition comes through Him, and from Him comes justification. . . . {NL 21.2}
[NL 22.1]     21        faith is more than talk            The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith, it is not the mere consent of the intellect, it is belief rooted in the heart, that embraces Christ as a personal Saviour, assured that He can save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. To believe that He will save others, but will not save you is not genuine faith; but when the soul lays hold upon Christ as the only hope of salvation, then genuine faith is manifested. This faith leads its possessor to place all the affections of the soul upon Christ; his understanding is under the control of the Holy Spirit, and his character is molded after the divine likeness. His faith is not a dead faith, but a faith that works by love, and leads him to behold the beauty of Christ, and to become assimilated to the divine character. . . . {NL 22.1}
[NL 22.2]           The whole work is the Lord's from the beginning to the end. The perishing sinner may say: "I am a lost sinner; but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He says, 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance' (Mark 2:17). I am a sinner, and He died upon Calvary's cross to save me. I need not remain a moment longer unsaved. He died and rose again for my justification, and He will save me now. I accept the forgiveness He has promised." {NL 22.2}
[NL 22.3]       righteous in Him            Christ is a risen Saviour; for, though He was dead, He has risen again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us. We are to believe with the heart unto righteousness, and with the mouth make confession unto salvation. Those who are justified by faith will make confession of Christ. "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into  22  condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). The great work that is wrought for the sinner who is spotted and stained by evil is the work of justification. By Him who speaketh truth he is declared righteous. The Lord imputes unto the believer the righteousness of Christ and pronounces him righteous before the universe. He transfers his sins to Jesus, the sinner's representative, substitute, and surety. Upon Christ He lays the iniquity of every soul that believeth. "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). {NL 22.3}
[NL 23.1]           Christ made satisfaction for the guilt of the whole world, and all who will come to God in faith, will receive the righteousness of Christ, "who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). Our sin has been expiated, put away, cast into the depths of the sea. Through repentance and faith we are rid of sin, and look unto the Lord our righteousness. Jesus suffered, the just for the unjust. {NL 23.1}
[NL 23.2]      what repentance is            Although as sinners we are under the condemnation of the law, yet Christ by His obedience rendered to the law, claims for the repentant soul the merit of His own righteousness. In order to obtain the righteousness of Christ, it is necessary for the sinner to know what that repentance is which works a radical change of mind and spirit and action. The work of transformation must begin in the heart, and manifest its power through every faculty of the being; but man is not capable of originating such a repentance as this, and can experience it alone through Christ, who ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. {NL 23.2}
[NL 24.1]     23        who wants to repent?            Who is desirous of becoming truly repentant? What must he do? He must come to Jesus, just as he is, without delay. He must believe that the word of Christ is true, and, believing the promise, ask, that he may receive. When sincere desire prompts men to pray, they will not pray in vain. The Lord will fulfill His word, and will give the Holy Spirit to lead to repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. He will pray and watch, and put away his sins, making manifest his sincerity by the vigor of his endeavor to obey the commandments of God. With prayer he will mingle faith, and not only believe in but obey the precepts of the law. He will announce himself as on Christ's side of the question. He will renounce all habits and associations that tend to draw the heart from God. {NL 24.1}
[NL 24.2]           He who would become a child of God must receive the truth that repentance and forgiveness are to be obtained through nothing less than the atonement of Christ. Assured of this the sinner must put forth an effort in harmony with the work done for him, and with unwearied entreaty he must supplicate the throne of grace, that the renovating power of God may come into his soul. Christ pardons none but the penitent, but whom He pardons He first makes penitent. The provision made is complete, and the eternal righteousness of Christ is placed to the account of every believing soul. The costly, spotless robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has been provided for the repenting, believing sinner, and he may say: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10). {NL 24.2}
[NL 25.1]     24        amazing grace            Abundant grace has been provided that the believing soul may be kept free from sin; for all heaven, with its limitless resources, has been placed at our command. We are to draw from the well of salvation. Christ is the end of law for righteousness to everyone who believeth. In ourselves we are sinners; but in Christ we are righteous. Having made us righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ, God pronounces us just, and treats us as just. He looks upon us as His dear children. Christ works against the power of sin, and where sin abounded, grace much more abounds. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1, 2). {NL 25.1}
[NL 25.2]           "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). ［John 1:14-16 quoted.］ {NL 25.2}
[NL 25.3]      fit to be saved            The Lord would have His people sound in the faith--not ignorant of the great salvation so abundantly provided for them. They are not to look forward, thinking that at some future time a great work is to be done for them; for the work is now complete. The believer is not  25  called upon to make his peace with God; he never has nor ever can do this. He is to accept Christ as his peace, for with Christ is God and peace. Christ made an end of sin, bearing its heavy curse in His own body on the tree, and He hath taken away the curse from all those who believe in Him as a personal Saviour. He makes an end of the controlling power of sin in the heart, and the life and character of the believer testify to the genuine character of the grace of Christ. {NL 25.3}
[NL 26.1]           To those that ask Him, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit; for it is necessary that every believer should be delivered from pollution, as well as from the curse and condemnation of the law. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the truth, the believer becomes fitted for the courts of heaven; for Christ works within us, and His righteousness is upon us. Without this no soul will be entitled to heaven. We would not enjoy heaven unless qualified for its holy atmosphere by the influence of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ. {NL 26.1}
[NL 26.2]            In order to be candidates for heaven we must meet the requirement of the law: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself" (Luke 10:27). We can do this only as we grasp by faith the righteousness of Christ. By beholding Jesus we receive a living, expanding principle in the heart, and the Holy Spirit carries on the work, and the believer advances from grace to grace, from strength to strength, from character to character. He conforms to the image of Christ, until in spiritual growth he attains unto the measure of the full stature in Christ Jesus. Thus Christ makes an end of the curse of sin, and sets the believing soul free from its action and effect. {NL 26.2}
[NL 27.1]     26        is there anything between me and God?            Christ alone is able to do this, for "in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:17, 18). Reconciliation means that every barrier between the soul and God is removed, and that the sinner realizes what the pardoning love of God means. By reason of the sacrifice made by Christ for fallen men, God can justly pardon the transgressor who accepts the merits of Christ. Christ was the channel through which the mercy, love, and righteousness might flow from the heart of God to the heart of the sinner. "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). . . . {NL 27.1}
[NL 27.2]           Every soul may say: "By His perfect obedience He has satisfied the claims of the law, and my only hope is found in looking to Him as my substitute and surety, who obeyed the law perfectly for me. By faith in His merits I am free from the condemnation of the law. He clothes me with His righteousness, which answers all the demands of the law. I am complete in Him who brings in everlasting righteousness. He presents me to God in the spotless garment of which no thread was woven by any human agent. All is of Christ, and all the glory, honor, and majesty are to be given to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." {NL 27.2}
[NL 27.3]           Many think that they must wait for a special impulse in order that they may come to Christ; but it is necessary only to come in sincerity of purpose, deciding to accept  27  the offers of mercy and grace that have been extended to us. We are to say: "Christ died to save me. The Lord's desire is that I should be saved, and I will come to Jesus just as I am without delay. I will venture upon the promise. As Christ draws me, I will respond." The apostle says, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10). No one can believe with the heart unto righteousness, and obtain justification by faith, while continuing the practice of those things which the Word of God forbids, or while neglecting any known duty. {NL 27.3}
[NL 28.1]      good works the fruit of faith            Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and cooperates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practice of the life. Every sin must be renounced as the hateful thing that crucified the Lord of life and glory, and the believer must have a progressive experience by continually doing the works of Christ. It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained. {NL 28.1}
[NL 28.2]           Those who are justified by faith must have a heart to keep the way of the Lord. It is an evidence that a man is not justified by faith when his works do not correspond to his profession. James says, "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was his faith made perfect?" (James 2:22). {NL 28.2}
[NL 28.3]           The faith that does not produce good works does not justify the soul. "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). . . . {NL 28.3}
[NL 29.1]     28        in His steps            Where faith is, good works appear. The sick are visited, the poor are cared for, the fatherless and the widows are not neglected, the naked are clothed, the destitute are fed. Christ went about doing good, and when men are united with Him, they love the children of God, and meekness and truth guide their footsteps. The expression of the countenance reveals their experience, and men take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Christ and the believer become one, and His beauty of character is revealed in those who are vitally connected with the Source of power and love. Christ is the great depositary of justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace. {NL 29.1}
[NL 29.2]           All may come to Him, and receive of His fullness. He says, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Then why not cast aside all unbelief and heed the words of Jesus? You want rest; you long for peace. Then say from the heart, "Lord Jesus, I come, because Thou hast given me this invitation." Believe in Him with steadfast faith, and He will save you. Have you been looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of your faith? Have you been beholding Him who is full of truth and grace? Have you accepted the peace which Christ alone can give? If you have not, then yield to Him, and through His grace seek for a character that will be noble and elevated. Seek for a constant, resolute, cheerful spirit. Feed on Christ, who is the bread of life, and you will manifest His loveliness of character and spirit. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 1, PP. 389-398.］ {NL 29.2}
[NL 30.1]       29       3: God has rules too       our unique responsibility            As the Supreme Ruler of the universe, God has ordained laws for the government not only of all living beings, but of all the operations of nature. Everything, whether great or small, animate or inanimate, is under fixed laws which cannot be disregarded. There are no exceptions to this rule; for nothing that the divine hand has made has been forgotten by the divine mind. But while everything in nature is governed by natural law, man alone, as an intelligent being, capable of understanding its requirements, is amenable to moral law. To man alone, the crowning work of His creation, God has given a conscience to realize the sacred claims of the divine law, and a heart capable of loving it as holy, just, and good; and of man prompt and perfect obedience is required. Yet God does not compel him to obey; he is left a free moral agent. {NL 30.1}
[NL 30.2]           The subject of man's personal responsibility is understood by but few; and yet it is a matter of the greatest importance. We may each obey and live, or we may transgress God's law, defy His authority, and receive the punishment that is meet. Then to every soul the question comes home with force, Shall I obey the voice from heaven, the ten words spoken from Sinai, or shall I go with the multitude who trample on that fiery law? To those who love God it will be the highest delight to keep His commandments, and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. But the natural heart hates the law of God, and wars against its holy claims. Men shut their  30  souls from the divine light, refusing to walk in it as it shines upon them. They sacrifice purity of heart, the favor of God, and their hope of heaven, for selfish gratification or worldly gain. {NL 30.2}
[NL 31.1]           Says the psalmist, "The law of the Lord is perfect" (Psalm 19:7). How wonderful in its simplicity, its comprehensiveness and perfection, is the law of Jehovah! It is so brief that we can easily commit every precept to memory, and yet so far-reaching as to express the whole will of God, and to take cognizance, not only of the outward actions, but of the thoughts and intents, the desires and emotions, of the heart. Human laws cannot do this. They can deal with the outward actions only. A man may be a transgressor, and yet conceal his misdeeds from human eyes; he may be a criminal--a thief, a murderer, or an adulterer--but so long as he is not discovered, the law cannot condemn him as guilty. The law of God takes note of the jealousy, envy, hatred, malignity, revenge, lust, and ambition that surge through the soul, but have not found expression in outward action, because the opportunity, not the will, has been wanting. And these sinful emotions will be brought into the account in the day when "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). {NL 31.1}
[NL 31.2]     obeying brings happiness            The law of God is simple, and easily understood. There are men who proudly boast that they believe only what they can understand, forgetting that there are mysteries in human life and in the manifestation of God's power in the works of nature--mysteries which the deepest philosophy, the most extensive research, is powerless to explain. But there is no mystery in the law of God. All can comprehend the great truths which it embodies. The feeblest intellect  31  can grasp these rules; the most ignorant can regulate the life, and form the character after the divine standard. If the children of men would, to the best of their ability, obey this law, they would gain strength of mind and power of discernment to comprehend still more of God's purposes and plans. And this advancement would be continued, not only during the present life, but during eternal ages; for however far we may advance in the knowledge of God's wisdom and power, there is always an infinity beyond. {NL 31.2}
[NL 32.1]           The divine law requires us to love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. Without the exercise of this love, the highest profession of faith is mere hypocrisy. . . . {NL 32.1}
[NL 32.2]           Obedience to the law is essential, not only to our salvation, but to our own happiness and the happiness of all with whom we are connected. "Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165), says the Inspired Word. Yet finite man will present to the people this holy, just, and good law, this law of liberty, which the Creator Himself has adapted to the wants of man, as a yoke of bondage, a yoke which no man can bear. But it is the sinner who regards the law as a grievous yoke; it is the transgressor that can see no beauty in its precepts. For the carnal mind "is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7). . . . {NL 32.2}
[NL 32.3]     beyond "thou shalt nots"            We are living in an age of great wickedness. Multitudes are enslaved by sinful customs and evil habits, and the fetters that bind them are difficult to break. Iniquity, like a flood, is deluding the earth. Crimes almost too fearful to be mentioned, are of daily occurrence. And yet men professing to be watchmen on the walls of Zion will teach that the law was designed for the Jews only, and passed  32  away with the glorious privileges that ushered in the gospel age. Is there not a relation between the prevailing lawlessness and crime, and the fact that ministers and people hold and teach that the law is no longer of binding force? {NL 32.3}
[NL 33.1]           The condemning power of the law of God extends, not only to the things we do, but to the things we do not do. We are not to justify ourselves in omitting to do the things that God requires. We must not only cease to do evil, but we must learn to do well. God has given us powers to be exercised in good works; and if these powers are not put to use, we shall certainly be set down as wicked and slothful servants. We may not have committed grievous sins; such offenses may not stand registered against us in the book of God; but the fact that our deeds are not recorded as pure, good, elevated, and noble, showing that we have not improved our entrusted talents, places us under condemnation. {NL 33.1}
[NL 33.2]           The law of God existed before man was created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were governed by it. After the Fall, the principles of righteousness were unchanged. Nothing was taken from the law; not one of its holy precepts could be improved. And as it has existed from the beginning, so will it continue to exist throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. "Concerning Thy testimonies," says the psalmist, "I have known of old that Thou hast founded them for ever" (Psalm 119:152). ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 1, PP. 216-220.］ {NL 33.2}
[NL 34.1]      33          4: the balance in faith and works       a living testimony            "Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." There are many in the Christian world who claim that all that is necessary to salvation is to have faith; works are nothing, faith is the only essential. But God's word tells us that faith without works is dead, being alone. {NL 34.1}
[NL 34.2]           Many refuse to obey God's commandments, yet they make a great deal of faith. But faith must have a foundation. God's promises are all made upon conditions. If we do His will, if we walk in truth, then we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us. While we earnestly endeavor to be obedient, God will hear our petitions; but He will not bless us in disobedience. If we choose to disobey His commandments, we may cry, "Faith, faith, only have faith," and the response will come back from the sure word of God, "Faith without works is dead." Such faith will only be as sounding brass and as a tinkling cymbal. {NL 34.2}
[NL 34.3]           In order to have the benefits of God's grace, we must do our part; we must faithfully work, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. We are workers together with God. You are not to sit in indolence, waiting for some great occasion, in order to do a great work for the Master. You are not to neglect the duty that lies directly in your pathway; but you are to improve the little opportunities that open around you. You must go on doing your very  34  best in the smaller works of life, taking up heartily and faithfully the work God's providence has assigned you. However small, you should do it with all the thoroughness with which you would do a larger work. Your fidelity will be approved in the records of heaven. {NL 34.3}
[NL 35.1]           You need not wait for your way to be made smooth before you; go to work to improve your entrusted talents. You have nothing to do with what the world will think of you. Let your words, your spirit, your actions, be a living testimony to Jesus, and the Lord will take care that the testimony for His glory, furnished in a well-ordered life and a godly conversation, shall deepen and intensify in power. Its results may never be seen on earth, but they will be made manifest before God and angels. {NL 35.1}
[NL 35.2]      what is my part?            We are to do all that we can do on our part to fight the good fight of faith. We are to wrestle, to labor, to strive, to agonize to enter in at the strait gate. We are to set the Lord ever before us. With clean hands, with pure hearts, we are to seek to honor God in all our ways. Help has been provided for us in Him who is mighty to save. The spirit of truth and light will quicken and renew us by its mysterious workings; for all our spiritual improvement comes from God, not from ourselves. The true worker will have divine power to aid him, but the idler will not be sustained by the Spirit of God. {NL 35.2}
[NL 35.3]           In one way we are thrown upon our own energies; we are to strive earnestly to be zealous and to repent, to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts from every defilement; we are to reach the highest standard, believing that God will help us in our efforts. We must seek if we would find, and seek in faith; we must knock, that the door may be opened unto us. The Bible teaches that everything  35  regarding our salvation depends upon our own course of action. If we perish, the responsibility will rest wholly upon ourselves. If provision has been made, and if we accept God's terms, we may lay hold on eternal life. We must come to Christ in faith, we must be diligent to make our calling and election sure. {NL 35.3}
[NL 36.1]      a do-nothing faith?            The forgiveness of sin is promised to him who repents and believes; the crown of life will be the reward of him who is faithful to the end. We may grow in grace by improving through the grace we already have. We are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, if we would be found blameless in the day of God. Faith and works go hand in hand, they act harmoniously in the work of overcoming. Works without faith are dead, and faith without works is dead. Works will never save us; it is the merit of Christ that will avail in our behalf. Through faith in Him, Christ will make all our imperfect efforts acceptable to God. The faith we are required to have is not a do-nothing faith; saving faith is that which works by love, and purifies the soul. He who will lift up holy hands to God without wrath and doubting, will walk intelligently in the way of God's commandments. {NL 36.1}
[NL 36.2]           If we are to have pardon for our sins, we must first have a realization of what sin is, that we may repent, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. We must have a solid foundation for our faith; it must be founded on the Word of God, and its results will be seen in obedience to God's expressed will. Says the apostle, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." {NL 36.2}
[NL 36.3]      evenly balanced            Faith and works will keep us evenly balanced, and  36  make us successful in the work of perfecting Christian character. Jesus says, "Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." Speaking of temporal food, the apostle said, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." The same rule applies to our spiritual nourishment; if any would have the bread of eternal life, let him make efforts to obtain it. {NL 36.3}
[NL 37.1]           We are living in an important and interesting period of this earth's history. We need more faith than we have yet had; we need a firmer hold from above. Satan is working with all power to obtain the victory over us, for he knows that he has but a short time in which to work. Paul had fear and trembling in working out his salvation; and should not we fear lest a promise being left us, we should any of us seem to come short of it, and prove ourselves unworthy of eternal life? We should watch unto prayer, strive with agonizing effort to enter in at the strait gate. {NL 37.1}
[NL 37.2]           There is no excuse for sin, or for indolence. Jesus has led the way, and He wishes us to follow in His steps. He has suffered, He has sacrificed as none of us can, that He might bring salvation within our reach. We need not be discouraged. Jesus came to our world to bring divine power to man, that through His grace, we might be transformed into His likeness. {NL 37.2}
[NL 37.3]      after my best--what?            When it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort as man's best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine merit. But He will not accept those who claim to have faith in Him, and yet are disloyal  37  to His Father's commandment. {NL 37.3}
[NL 38.1]           We hear a great deal about faith, but we need to hear a great deal more about works. Many are deceiving their own souls by living an easy-going, accommodating, crossless religion. But Jesus says, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." ［THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, JUNE 16, 1890. (MORNING TALK AT BASEL, SWITZERLAND, SEPT. 17, 1885.)］ {NL 38.1}
[NL 38.2]       like two oars            If we are faithful in doing our part, in cooperating with Him, God will work through us ［to do］ the good pleasure of His will. But God cannot work through us if we make no effort. If we gain eternal life, we must work, and work earnestly. . . . Let us not be deceived by the oft-repeated assertion, "All you have to do is to believe." Faith and works are two oars which we must use equally if we ［would］ press our way up the stream against the current of unbelief. "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." The Christian is a man of thought and practice. His faith fixes its roots firmly in Christ. By faith and good works he keeps his spirituality strong and healthy, and his spiritual strength increases as he strives to work the works of God. ［REVIEW AND HERALD, JUNE 11, 1901.］ {NL 38.2}
[NL 38.3]       present a balanced message            Let my brethren be very careful how they present the subject of faith and works before the people, lest minds become confused. . . . {NL 38.3}
[NL 38.4]           Let no man present the idea that man has little or nothing to do in the great work of overcoming; for God does nothing for man without his cooperation. Neither say that after you have done all you can on your part, Jesus will help you. Christ has said, "Without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). From first to last man is to be a laborer  38  together with God. Unless the Holy Spirit works upon the human heart, at every step we shall stumble and fall. Man's efforts alone are nothing but worthlessness; but cooperation with Christ means a victory. . . . {NL 38.4}
[NL 39.1]           Never leave the impression on the mind that there is little or nothing to do on the part of man; but rather teach man to cooperate with God, that he may be successful in overcoming. {NL 39.1}
[NL 39.2]           Let no one say that your works have nothing to do with your rank and position before God. In the judgment the sentence pronounced is according to what has been done or to what has been left undone (Matthew 25:34-40). {NL 39.2}
[NL 39.3]           Effort and labor are required on the part of the receiver of God's grace; for it is the fruit that makes manifest what is the character of the tree. Although the good works of man are of no more value without faith in Jesus than was the offering of Cain, yet covered with the merit of Christ, they testify ［to］ the worthiness of the doer to inherit eternal life. That which is considered morality in the world does not reach the divine standard and has no more merit before Heaven than had the offering of Cain. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 1, PP. 379-382. FOR A LETTER TO A PREACHER WARNING AGAINST A ONE-SIDED PRESENTATION SEE PAGES 377-379.］ {NL 39.3}
[NL 40.1]      39          5: saved only "in Christ"       "He will save me now"            The perishing sinner may say: "I am a lost sinner; but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He says, 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance' (Mark 2:17). I am a sinner, and He died upon Calvary's cross to save me. I need not remain a moment longer unsaved. He died and rose again for my justification, and He will save me now. I accept the forgiveness He has promised." ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 1, P. 392.］ {NL 40.1}
[NL 40.2]          He who repents of his sin and accepts the gift of the life of the Son of God, cannot be overcome. Laying hold by faith of the divine nature, he becomes a child of God. He prays, he believes. When tempted and tried, he claims the power that Christ died to give, and overcomes through His grace. This every sinner needs to understand. He must repent of his sin, he must believe in the power of Christ, and accept that power to save and to keep him from sin. How thankful ought we to be for the gift of Christ's example! ［IBID., P. 224.］ {NL 40.2}
[NL 40.3]       why worry?            A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. . . . {NL 40.3}
[NL 40.4]           We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns  40  the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you. ［STEPS TO CHRIST, PP. 70-72.］ {NL 40.4}
[NL 41.1]       this you can count on            "He who through His own atonement provided for man an infinite fund of moral power, will not fail to employ this power in our behalf. . . . In the whole Satanic force there is not power to overcome one soul who in simple trust casts himself on Christ." ［CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS, P. 157.］ {NL 41.1}
[NL 41.2]          "Abundant grace has been provided that the believing soul may be kept free from sin." ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 1, P. 394.］ {NL 41.2}
[NL 41.3]          "In Him we have a complete offering, an infinite sacrifice, a mighty Saviour, who is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. In love He comes to reveal the Father, to reconcile man to God, to make him a new creature renewed after the image of Him who created him." ［IBID., P. 321.］ {NL 41.3}
[NL 41.4]     peter's problem            The evil that led to Peter's fall ［in denying Christ at His trial］ . . . is proving the ruin of thousands today. There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.  {NL 41.4}
[NL 42.1]    41        Peter's fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master. Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. ［NOTE: IT IS THE PRIVILEGE OF THE CHRISTIAN TO KNOW THAT ON HIS ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST HE IS SAVED FROM HIS SINS AND CAN REJOICE IN THIS SALVATION. BUT NEITHER THE SCRIPTURES NOR THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY WRITINGS SUPPORTS THE POPULAR TEACHING: "ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED." A PERSON MAY BE SAVED TODAY, BUT FAILING TO KEEP HIS EYES ON JESUS AND TO GROW DAILY IN HIM, MAY BECOME SELF-CONFIDENT AND BE LOST TOMORROW. THE APOSTLE PAUL DECLARED, "I DIE DAILY." IN A SENSE, CONVERSION IS A DAILY EXPERIENCE.        STUDY CAREFULLY THE WARNING DRAWN FROM THE LESSON IN PETER'S LIFE. READ IT IN ITS FULL CONTEXT AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SIMILAR STATEMENT THAT FOLLOWS. YOU WILL FIND THE PERPLEXING PASSAGE TO BE SELF-EXPLANATORY. OUR LORD WOULD HAVE EACH CHRISTIAN REJOICE FREELY IN HIS SALVATION, THE SALVATION HE ENJOYS DAILY. AND WHEN ASKED, "ARE YOU SAVED?" HE CAN WITH ASSURANCE ANSWER YES. HE WILL EXPLAIN THAT THIS EXPERIENCE IS ONE THAT RESULTS IN CONSTANT DEPENDENCE ON GOD AND IN DAILY CHRISTIAN GROWTH.--WHITE TRUSTEES.］ This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation. God's Word declares, "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried" (Daniel 12:10). Only he who endures the trial will receive the crown of life (James 1:12). {NL 42.1}
[NL 42.2]          Those who accept Christ, and in their first confidence say, I am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves. They lose sight of their own weakness and their constant need of divine strength. They are unprepared for Satan's devices, and under temptation many, like Peter, fall into the very depths of sin. We are admonished, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). Our only safety is in constant distrust of self, and dependence on Christ. ［CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS, PP. 154, 155.］ {NL 42.2}
[NL 42.3]       never be "satisfied"            There are many who profess Christ, but who never become  42  mature Christians. They admit that man is fallen, that his faculties are weakened, that he is unfitted for moral achievement, but they say that Christ has borne all the burden, all the suffering, all the self-denial, and they are willing to let Him bear it. They say that there is nothing for them to do but to believe; but Christ said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). Jesus kept the commandments of God. . . . {NL 42.3}
[NL 43.1]           We are never to rest in a satisfied condition, and cease to make advancement, saying, "I am saved." When this idea is entertained, the motives for watchfulness, for prayer, for earnest endeavor to press onward to higher attainments, cease to exist. No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the gates into the city of God. Then, with the utmost propriety, we may give glory to God and to the Lamb for eternal deliverance. As long as man is full of weakness--for of himself he cannot save his soul--he should never dare to say, "I am saved." {NL 43.1}
[NL 43.2]           It is not he that putteth on the armor that can boast of the victory; for he has the battle to fight and the victory to win. It is he that endureth unto the end that shall be saved. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 1, PP. 313-315.］ {NL 43.2}
[NL 43.3]       connection with Christ--pretended or real?            There are both believers and unbelievers in the church. Christ represents these two classes in His parable of the vine and its branches. He exhorts His followers: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." {NL 43.3}
[NL 44.1]    43       There is a wide difference between a pretended union and a real connection with Christ by faith. A profession of the truth places men in the church, but this does not prove that they have a vital connection with the living Vine. A rule is given by which the true disciple may be distinguished from those who claim to follow Christ but have not faith in Him. The one class are fruit bearing, the other, fruitless. The one are often subjected to the pruning knife of God that they may bring forth more fruit; the other, as withered branches, are erelong to be severed from the living Vine. . . . {NL 44.1}
[NL 44.2]          The fibers of the branch are almost identical with those of the vine. The communication of life, strength, and fruitfulness from the trunk to the branches is unobstructed and constant. The root sends its nourishment through the branch. Such is the true believer's relation to Christ. He abides in Christ and draws his nourishment from Him. {NL 44.2}
[NL 44.3]      it's personal            This spiritual relation can be established only by the exercise of personal faith. This faith must express on our part supreme preference, perfect reliance, entire consecration. Our will must be wholly yielded to the divine will, our feelings, desires, interests, and honor identified with the prosperity of Christ's kingdom and the honor of His cause, we constantly receiving grace from Him, and Christ accepting gratitude from us. {NL 44.3}
[NL 44.4]           When this intimacy of connection and communion is formed, our sins are laid upon Christ; His righteousness is imputed to us. He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. We have access to God through Him; we are accepted in the Beloved. . . . {NL 44.4}
[NL 44.5]           It was when Christ was about to take leave of His disciples that He gave them the beautiful emblem of His relation  44  to believers. He had been presenting before them the close union with Himself by which they could maintain spiritual life when His visible presence was withdrawn. To impress it upon their minds He gave them the vine as its most striking and appropriate symbol. . . . {NL 44.5}
[NL 45.1]           All Christ's followers have as deep an interest in this lesson as had the disciples who listened to His words. In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God. The separation is wide and fearful; but Christ has made provision again to connect us with Himself. The power of evil is so identified with human nature that no man can overcome except by union with Christ. Through this union we receive moral and spiritual power. If we have the spirit of Christ we shall bring forth the fruit of righteousness, fruit that will honor and bless men, and glorify God. {NL 45.1}
[NL 45.2]           The Father is the vinedresser. He skillfully and mercifully prunes every fruit-bearing branch. Those who share Christ's suffering and reproach now will share His glory hereafter. He "is not ashamed to call them brethren." His angels minister to them. His second appearing will be as the Son of man, thus even in His glory identifying Himself with humanity. To those who have united themselves to Him, He declares: "Though a mother may forget her child, 'yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.' Thou art continually before Me." {NL 45.2}
[NL 45.3]      pruning the branches          Oh, what amazing privileges are proffered us! {NL 45.3}
[NL 45.4]          Will we put forth most earnest efforts to form this alliance with Christ, through which alone these blessings are attained? Will we break off our sins by righteousness and our iniquities by turning unto the Lord? Skepticism and infidelity are widespread. Christ asked the question:  45  "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" We must cherish a living, active faith. The permanence of our faith is the condition of our union. {NL 45.4}
[NL 46.1]           A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish. Christ first chose us, paying an infinite price for our redemption; and the true believer chooses Christ as first and last and best in everything. But this union costs us something. It is a union of utter dependence, to be entered into by a proud being. All who form this union must feel their need of the atoning blood of Christ. They must have a change of heart. They must submit their own will to the will of God. There will be a struggle with outward and internal obstacles. There must be a painful work of detachment as well as a work of attachment. Pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness--sin in all its forms--must be overcome if we would enter into a union with Christ. The reason why many find the Christian life so deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is that they try to attach themselves to Christ without first detaching themselves from these cherished idols. {NL 46.1}
[NL 46.2]           After the union with Christ has been formed, it can be preserved only by earnest prayer and untiring effort. We must resist, we must deny, we must conquer self. Through the grace of Christ, by courage, by faith, by watchfulness, we may gain the victory. ［TESTIMONIES, VOL. 5, PP. 228-231.］ {NL 46.2}
[NL 47.1]      46          6: beware the counterfeits       this is the test            "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God's work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested. ［THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, P. 593.］ {NL 47.1}
[NL 47.2]       why aren't miracles enough?            The man who makes the working of miracles the test of his faith will find that Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform wonders that will appear to be genuine miracles. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, P. 52.］ {NL 47.2}
[NL 47.3]          Satan is a cunning worker, and he will bring in subtle fallacies to darken and confuse the mind and root out the doctrines of salvation. Those who do not accept the Word of God just as it reads, will be snared in his trap. ［IBID.］  {NL 47.3}
[NL 48.1]   47        Evil angels are upon our track every moment. . . . They assume new ground and work marvels and miracles in our sight. . . . {NL 48.1}
[NL 48.2]          Some will be tempted to receive these wonders as from God. The sick will be healed before us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for the trial which awaits us when the lying wonders of Satan shall be more fully exhibited? Will not many souls be ensnared and taken? By departing from the plain precepts and commandments of God, and giving heed to fables, the minds of many are preparing to receive these lying wonders. We must all now seek to arm ourselves for the contest in which we must soon engage. Faith in God's word, prayerfully studied and practically applied, will be our shield from Satan's power and will bring us off conquerors through the blood of Christ. ［TESTIMONIES, VOL. 1, P. 302.］ {NL 48.2}
[NL 48.3]       healing can be from the devil            I am instructed to say that in the future great watchfulness will be needed. There is to be among God's people no spiritual stupidity. Evil spirits are actively engaged in seeking to control the minds of human beings. Men are binding up in bundles, ready to be consumed by the fires of the last days. Those who discard Christ and His righteousness will accept the sophistry that is flooding the world. Christians are to be sober and vigilant, steadfastly resisting their adversary the devil, who is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles. . . . {NL 48.3}
[NL 48.4]           We need not be deceived. Wonderful scenes, with which Satan will be closely connected, will soon take place. God's Word declares that Satan will work miracles. He will make people sick, and then will suddenly remove from them his satanic power. They will then be regarded  48  as healed. These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test. Many who have had great light will fail to walk in the light, because they have not become one with Christ. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, P. 53.］ {NL 48.4}
[NL 49.1]          If those through whom cures are performed, are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God, and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver. He is a transgressor of the moral law, and employs every device that he can master to blind men to its true character. We are warned that in the last days he will work with signs and lying wonders. And he will continue these wonders until the close of probation, that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness. ［IBID. PP. 50, 51.］ {NL 49.1}
[NL 49.2]       false "tongues" identified in 1864            A spirit of fanaticism has ruled a certain class of Sabbathkeepers there; they have sipped but lightly at the fountain of truth and are unacquainted with the spirit of the message of the third angel. . . . {NL 49.2}
[NL 49.3]           Some of these persons have exercises which they call gifts and say that the Lord has placed them in the church. They have an unmeaning gibberish which they call the unknown tongue, which is unknown not only by man but by the Lord and all heaven. Such gifts are manufactured by men and women, aided by the great deceiver. Fanaticism, false excitement, false talking in tongues, and noisy exercises have been considered gifts which God has placed in the church. Some have been deceived here. . . . {NL 49.3}
[NL 49.4]           Fanaticism and noise have been considered special evidences of faith. Some are not satisfied with a meeting  49  unless they have a powerful and happy time. They work for this and get up an excitement of feeling. {NL 49.4}
[NL 50.1]           But the influence of such meetings is not beneficial. When the happy flight of feeling is gone, they sink lower than before the meeting because their happiness did not come from the right source. The most profitable meetings for spiritual advancement are those which are characterized with solemnity and deep searching of heart; each seeking to know himself, and earnestly, and in deep humility, seeking to learn of Christ. . . . {NL 50.1}
[NL 50.2]           There are wandering stars professing to be ministers sent of God who are preaching the Sabbath from place to place, but who have truth mixed up with error and are throwing out their mass of discordant views to the people. Satan has pushed them in to disgust intelligent and sensible unbelievers. Some of these have much to say upon the gifts and are often especially exercised. They give themselves up to wild, excitable feelings and make unintelligible sounds which they call the gift of tongues, and a certain class seem to be charmed with these strange manifestations. A strange spirit rules with this class, which would bear down and run over anyone who would reprove them. God's Spirit is not in the work and does not attend such workmen. They have another spirit. ［TESTIMONIES, VOL. 1, PP. 411-414.］ {NL 50.2}
[NL 50.3]          The world will not be converted by the gift of tongues, or by the working of miracles, but by preaching Christ crucified. ［TESTIMONIES TO MINISTERS, P. 424.］ {NL 50.3}
[NL 50.4]       drums, dancing, and noise            The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, ［NOTE: REFERENCE IS HERE MADE TO THE "HOLY FLESH" MOVEMENT OF 1900-1901. SEE SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, PAGES 31-39.--WHITE TRUSTEES.］ the Lord has shown me would take place just before  50  the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit. {NL 50.4}
[NL 51.1]          The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. . . . A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of Satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit's working. . . . Those participating in the supposed revival receive impressions which lead them adrift. They cannot tell what they formerly knew regarding Bible principles. {NL 51.1}
[NL 51.2]      bodies out of control            No encouragement should be given to this kind of worship. The same kind of influence came in after the passing of the time in 1844. The same kind of representations were made. Men became excited, and were worked by a power thought to be the power of God. They turned their bodies over and over, like a carriage wheel, claiming that they could not do this except by supernatural power. There was a belief that the dead were raised and had ascended to heaven. The Lord gave me a message for this fanaticism; for the beautiful principles of Bible truth were being eclipsed. {NL 51.2}
[NL 51.3]      nudity            Men and women, supposed to be guided by the Holy Spirit, held meetings in a state of nudity. They talked about  51  holy flesh. They said they were beyond the power of temptation, and they sang, and shouted, and made all manner of noisy demonstrations. These men and women were not bad, but they were deceived and deluded. . . . Satan was moulding the work, and sensuality was the result. The cause of God was dishonored. Truth, sacred truth, was leveled in the dust by human agencies. {NL 51.3}
[NL 52.1]           The authorities of the land interfered, and several of the ring leaders were incarcerated within prison walls. By those who were confined in prison this interference was termed persecution for the truth's sake, and thus truth was clothed with garments spotted with the flesh. . . . I presented the reproof of the Lord regarding this kind of work, showing that its influence was making the truth objectionable and disgusting to the community. . . . {NL 52.1}
[NL 52.2]           I bore my testimony, declaring that these fanatical movements, this din and noise, were inspired by the spirit of Satan, who was working miracles to deceive if possible the very elect. ［LETTER 132, 1900. (PORTIONS IN SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, PP. 36, 37.)］ {NL 52.2}
[NL 52.3]       confusion            We need to be on our guard, to maintain a close connection with Christ, that we be not deceived by Satan's devices. The Lord desires to have in His service order and discipline, not excitement and confusion. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, P. 35.］ {NL 52.3}
[NL 52.4]          Wild, clamorous cries and exercises are no evidence that the Spirit of God is at work. ［REVIEW AND HERALD, MARCH 5, 1889.］ {NL 52.4}
[NL 52.5]       order versus impressions and feelings            There are many restless spirits who will not submit to discipline, system, and order. They think that their liberties would be abridged were they to lay aside their own  52  judgment and submit to the judgment of those of experience. The work of God will not progress unless there is a disposition to submit to order and expel the reckless, disorderly spirit of fanaticism from their meetings. {NL 52.5}
[NL 53.1]           Impressions and feelings are no sure evidence that a person is led by the Lord. Satan will, if he is unsuspected, give feelings and impressions. These are not safe guides. All should thoroughly acquaint themselves with the evidences of our faith, and the great study should be how they can adorn their profession and bear fruit to the glory of God. ［TESTIMONIES, VOL. 1, P. 413.］ {NL 53.1}
[NL 53.2]       satan's slaves            On every side, Satan seeks to entice the youth into the path of perdition; and if he can once get their feet set in the way, he hurries them on in their downward course, leading them from one dissipation to another, until his victims lose their tenderness of conscience, and have no more the fear of God before their eyes. They exercise less and less self-restraint. They become addicted to the use of wine and alcohol, tobacco and opium, ［NOTE: THE SOURCE OF MORPHINE IS OPIUM. A FAST-WORKING DERIVATIVE OF MORPHINE IS HEROIN.］ and go from one stage of debasement to another. They are slaves to appetite. Counsel which they once respected, they learn to despise. They put on swaggering airs, and boast of liberty when they are the slaves to selfishness, debased appetite, and licentiousness. ［TEMPERANCE, P. 274.］ {NL 53.2}
[NL 53.3]     "inspired" by drugs            For some time he ［a patient at the Battle Creek Sanitarium］ had thought he was obtaining new light. He was very ill, and must soon die. . . . Those to whom he presented his views listened to him eagerly, and some thought him inspired. . . . To many his reasoning seemed  53  to be without a flaw. They told of his powerful exhortations in his sickroom. Most wonderful views passed before him. But what was the source of his inspiration? It was the morphine ［NOTE: THE SOURCE OF MORPHINE IS OPIUM. A FAST-WORKING DERIVATIVE OF MORPHINE IS HEROIN.］ given him to relieve his pain. ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, P. 113.］ {NL 53.3}
[NL 54.1]       pantheism, spiritualism, and free love            The theory that God is an essence pervading all nature is one of Satan's most subtle devices. It misrepresents God and is a dishonor to His greatness and majesty. Pantheistic theories are not sustained by the Word of God. . . . They gratify the natural heart and give license to inclination. ［TESTIMONIES, VOL. 8, P. 291.］ {NL 54.1}
[NL 54.2]          The theory that God is an essence pervading all nature is received by many who profess to believe the Scriptures; but, however beautifully clothed, this theory is a most dangerous deception. It misrepresents God and is a dishonor to His greatness and majesty. And it surely tends not only to mislead, but to debase men. Darkness is its element, sensuality its sphere. . . . These theories, followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole Christian economy. They do away with the necessity for the atonement and make man his own savior. ［THE MINISTRY OF HEALING, PP. 428, 429.］ {NL 54.2}
[NL 54.3]          I have seen the results of these fanciful views of God, in apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism. The free love tendency of these teachings was so concealed that at first it was difficult to make plain its real character. Until the Lord presented it to me, I knew not what to call it, but I was instructed to call it unholy spiritual love. ［TESTIMONIES, VOL. 8, P. 292.］ {NL 54.3}
[NL 54.4]          As in the days of the apostles men tried by tradition and philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures, so today,  54  by the pleasing sentiments of higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, theosophy, and pantheism, the enemy of righteousness is seeking to lead souls into forbidden paths. . . . By spiritualism, multitudes are taught to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself. ［THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, P. 474.］ {NL 54.4}
[NL 55.1]       irrational behavior            Sanctification is not a happy flight of feeling, not the work of an instant, but the work of a lifetime. If any one claims that the Lord has sanctified him, and made him holy, the proof of his claim to the blessing will be seen in the fruits of meekness, patience, long-suffering, truthfulness, and love. {NL 55.1}
[NL 55.2]           If the blessing that those who claim to be sanctified have received, leads them to rely upon some particular emotion, and they declare there is no need of searching the Scriptures that they may know God's revealed will, then the supposed blessing is a counterfeit, for it leads its possessors to place value on their own unsanctified emotions and fancies, and to close their ears to the voice of God in His word. . . . {NL 55.2}
[NL 55.3]           Nervous excitement in religious matters is no evidence that the Spirit of God is working upon the heart. We read of frenzied contortions of the body, of shrieking and screaming in the work of Satan upon the minds and bodies of men; but the word of God affords us no example of any such manifestations in connection with those upon whom He pours out His Spirit. It is clear that distempered fancies, wild outbursts, and contorted bodily exercises are the workings of the enemy. {NL 55.3}
[NL 55.4]           Yet many think that the disorder of the mind, which is intensified by the power of Satan, is a warrant that God is causing these deceived souls to act in so uncomely a  55  manner. The whole spirit and tone of the Bible condemns men in acting without reason or intelligence. When the Spirit of God moves upon the heart, it causes the faithful, obedient child of God to act in a manner that will commend religion to the good judgment of sensible-minded men and women. ［SIGNS OF THE TIMES, FEB. 28, 1895.］ {NL 55.4}
[NL 56.1]       pretending            Said Christ: "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." {NL 56.1}
[NL 56.2]           These may profess to be followers of Christ, but they have lost sight of their Leader. They may say, "Lord, Lord"; they may point to the sick who are healed through them, and to other marvelous works, and claim that they have more of the Spirit and power of God than is manifested by those who keep His law. But their works are done under the supervision of the enemy of righteousness, whose aim it is to deceive souls, and are designed to lead away from obedience, truth, and duty. {NL 56.2}
[NL 56.3]           In the near future there will be still more marked manifestations of this miracle-working power; for it is said of him, "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." {NL 56.3}
[NL 56.4]           We are surprised to see so many ready to accept these great pretensions as the genuine work of the Spirit of God; but those who look to wonderful works merely, and are guided by impulse and impressions, will be deceived. . . . {NL 56.4}
[NL 57.1]     56        claims to holiness            No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered as holy in the books of Heaven are not aware of the fact, and are the last ones to boast of their own goodness. None of the prophets and apostles ever professed holiness, not even Daniel, Paul, or John. The righteous never make such a claim. {NL 57.1}
[NL 57.2]           The more nearly they resemble Christ, the more they lament their unlikeness to Him; for their consciences are sensitive, and they regard sin more as God regards it. They have exalted views of God and of the great plan of salvation; and their hearts, humbled under a sense of their own unworthiness, are alive to the honor of being accounted members of the royal family, sons and daughters of the King Eternal. {NL 57.2}
[NL 57.3]           Those who love the law of God cannot harmonize in worship or in spirit with the determined transgressors of that law, who are filled with bitterness and malice when the plainly revealed truths of the Bible are taught. We have a detector which discriminates between the true and the false. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." ［IBID., FEB. 26, 1885.］ {NL 57.3}
[NL 57.4]       whose voice can i trust?            We need to be anchored in Christ, rooted and grounded in the faith. Satan works through agents. He selects those who have not been drinking of the living waters, whose souls are athirst for something new and strange, and who are ever ready to drink at any fountain that may present itself. Voices will be heard, saying, "Lo, here is Christ," or "Lo, there"; but we must believe them not. We have unmistakable evidence of the voice of the  57  True Shepherd, and He is calling upon us to follow Him. He says, "I have kept My Father's commandments." He leads His sheep in the path of humble obedience to the law of God, but He never encourages them in the transgression of that law. {NL 57.4}
[NL 58.1]           "The voice of a stranger" is the voice of one who neither respects nor obeys God's holy, just, and good law. Many make great pretensions to holiness, and boast of the wonders they perform in healing the sick, when they do not regard this great standard of righteousness. But through whose power are these cures wrought? Are the eyes of either party opened to their transgressions of the law? and do they take their stand as humble, obedient children, ready to obey all of God's requirements? . . . {NL 58.1}
[NL 58.2]           None need be deceived. The law of God is as sacred as His throne, and by it every man who cometh into the world is to be judged. There is no other standard by which to test character. "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Now shall the case be decided according to the Word of God, or shall man's pretensions be credited? Christ says, "By their fruits ye shall know them." ［SELECTED MESSAGES, BOOK 2, P. 50.］ {NL 58.2}
[NL 59.1]      59          7: it's still a fight       what sin has done            More clearly than we do we need to understand the issues at stake in the great conflict in which we are engaged. We need to understand more fully the value of the truths of the word of God and the danger of allowing our minds to be diverted from them by the great deceiver. {NL 59.1}
[NL 59.2]           The infinite value of the sacrifice required for our redemption reveals the fact that sin is a tremendous evil. Through sin the whole human organism is deranged, the mind is perverted, the imagination corrupted. Sin has degraded the faculties of the soul. Temptations from without find an answering chord within the heart, and the feet turn imperceptibly toward evil. {NL 59.2}
[NL 59.3]           As the sacrifice in our behalf was complete, so our restoration from the defilement of sin is to be complete. No act of wickedness will the law of God excuse; no unrighteousness can escape its condemnation. The ethics of the gospel acknowledge no standard but the perfection of the divine character. . . . {NL 59.3}
[NL 59.4]      it takes perseverance            Wrongs cannot be righted, nor can reformations in conduct be made by a few feeble, intermittent efforts. Character building is the work, not of a day, nor of a year, but of a lifetime. The struggle for conquest over self, for holiness and heaven, is a lifelong struggle. Without continual effort and constant activity, there can be no advancement in the divine life, no attainment of the victor's crown. {NL 59.4}
[NL 60.1]    59       The strongest evidence of man's fall from a higher state is the fact that it costs so much to return. The way of return can be gained only by hard fighting, inch by inch, hour by hour. In one moment, by a hasty, unguarded act, we may place ourselves in the power of evil; but it requires more than a moment to break the fetters and attain to a holier life. The purpose may be formed, the work begun; but its accomplishment will require toil, time, perseverance, patience, and sacrifice. {NL 60.1}
[NL 60.2]          We cannot allow ourselves to act from impulse. We cannot be off guard for a moment. Beset with temptations without number, we must resist firmly or be conquered. Should we come to the close of life with our work undone, it would be an eternal loss. {NL 60.2}
[NL 60.3]           The life of the apostle Paul was a constant conflict with self. He said, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). His will and his desires every day conflicted with duty and the will of God. Instead of following inclination, he did God's will, however crucifying to his nature. {NL 60.3}
[NL 60.4]           At the close of his life of conflict, looking back over its struggles and triumphs, he could say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day" (2 Timothy 4:7, 8). {NL 60.4}
[NL 60.5]           The Christian life is a battle and a march. In this warfare there is no release; the effort must be continuous and persevering. It is by unceasing endeavor that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan. Christian integrity must be sought with resistless energy and maintained with a resolute fixedness of purpose. {NL 60.5}
[NL 60.6]           No one will be borne upward without stern, persevering effort in his own behalf. All must engage in this warfare for themselves; no one else can fight our battles. . . . {NL 60.6}
[NL 61.1]     60        there's a science to it            There is a science of Christianity to be mastered--a science as much deeper, broader, higher than any human science as the heavens are higher than the earth. The mind is to be disciplined, educated, trained; for we are to do service for God in ways that are not in harmony with inborn inclination. Hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil must be overcome. Often the education and training of a lifetime must be discarded, that one may become a learner in the school of Christ. Our hearts must be educated to become steadfast in God. We are to form habits of thought that will enable us to resist temptation. We must learn to look upward. The principles of the word of God--principles that are as high as heaven, and that compass eternity--we are to understand in their bearing upon our daily life. Every act, every word, every thought, is to be in accord with these principles. All must be brought into harmony with, and subject to, Christ. {NL 61.1}
[NL 61.2]           The precious graces of the Holy Spirit are not developed in a moment. Courage, fortitude, meekness, faith, unwavering trust in God's power to save, are acquired by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the children of God are to seal their destiny. {NL 61.2}
[NL 61.3]      no time to lose            We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close. At the longest, we have but a brief lifetime here, and we know not how soon the arrow of death may strike our hearts. We know not how soon we may be called to give up the world and all its interests. Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. But a few short years, and for everyone now numbered  61  with the living the mandate will go forth: {NL 61.3}
[NL 62.1]           "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: . . . and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still" (Revelation 22:11). {NL 62.1}
[NL 62.2]           Are we prepared? Have we become acquainted with God, the Governor of heaven, the Lawgiver, and with Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world as His representative? When our lifework is ended, shall we be able to say, as did Christ our example: {NL 62.2}
[NL 62.3]           "I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. . . . I have manifested Thy name"? John 17:4-6. {NL 62.3}
[NL 62.4]           The angels of God are seeking to attract us from ourselves and from earthly things. Let them not labor in vain. {NL 62.4}
[NL 62.5]           Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change. "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" (1 Peter 1:13-16). {NL 62.5}
[NL 62.6]           The thoughts must be centered upon God. We must put forth earnest effort to overcome the evil tendencies of the natural heart. Our efforts, our self-denial and perseverance, must be proportionate to the infinite value of the object of which we are in pursuit. Only by overcoming as Christ overcame shall we win the crown of life. {NL 62.6}
[NL 62.7]      constant dependence            Man's great danger is in being self-deceived, indulging self-sufficiency, and thus separating from God, the source of his strength. Our natural tendencies, unless corrected  62  by the Holy Spirit of God, have in them the seeds of moral death. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we cannot resist the unhallowed effects of self-indulgence, self-love, and temptation to sin. {NL 62.7}
[NL 63.1]           In order to receive help from Christ, we must realize our need. We must have a true knowledge of ourselves. It is only he who knows himself to be a sinner that Christ can save. Only as we see our utter helplessness and renounce all self-trust, shall we lay hold on divine power. {NL 63.1}
[NL 63.2]           It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves; therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a constant, earnest confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Perils surround us; and we are safe only as we feel our weakness and cling with the grasp of faith to our mighty Deliverer. {NL 63.2}
[NL 63.3]      truth or trivia            We must turn away from a thousand topics that invite attention. There are matters that consume time and arouse inquiry, but end in nothing. The highest interests demand the close attention and energy that are so often given to comparatively insignificant things. {NL 63.3}
[NL 63.4]           Accepting new theories does not in itself bring new life to the soul. Even an acquaintance with facts and theories important in themselves is of little value unless put to a practical use. We need to feel our responsibility to give our souls food that will nourish and stimulate spiritual life. . . . {NL 63.4}
[NL 63.5]           The question for us to study is, "What is truth--the truth that is to be cherished, loved, honored, and obeyed?" The devotees of science have been defeated  63  and disheartened in their efforts to find out God. What they need to inquire at this time is, "What is the truth that will enable us to win the salvation of our souls?" {NL 63.5}
[NL 64.1]      do i have the answer?            "What think ye of Christ?"--this is the all-important question. Do you receive Him as a personal Saviour? To all who receive Him He gives power to become sons of God. {NL 64.1}
[NL 64.2]           Christ revealed God to His disciples in a way that performed in their hearts a special work, such as He desires to do in our hearts. There are many who, in dwelling too largely upon theory, have lost sight of the living power of the Saviour's example. They have lost sight of Him as the humble, self-denying worker. What they need is to behold Jesus. Daily we need the fresh revealing of His presence. We need to follow more closely His example of self-renunciation and self-sacrifice. {NL 64.2}
[NL 64.3]           We need the experience that Paul had when he wrote: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). {NL 64.3}
[NL 64.4]           The knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ expressed in character is an exaltation above everything else that is esteemed on earth or in heaven. It is the very highest education. It is the key that opens the portals of the heavenly city. This knowledge it is God's purpose that all who put on Christ shall possess. ［THE MINISTRY OF HEALING, PP. 451-457.］ {NL 64.4}
[AG 0.1]         AG - God's Amazing Grace (1973)      FOREWORD         WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THIS BOOK, GOD'S AMAZING GRACE, WE NOW HAVE TEN ELLEN G. WHITE DEVOTIONAL VOLUMES. THE FACT THAT A WORLDWIDE CHURCH WOULD PUBLISH TEN SUCH VOLUMES FROM ONE AUTHOR IS SIGNIFICANT. NO OTHER WRITER HAS BEEN SO HONORED. WHILE ALL OF THE MORNING WATCH VOLUMES HAVE BEEN DEEPLY SPIRITUAL, REFLECTING THE DEDICATION OF THE NUMEROUS AUTHORS AND THEIR LITERARY SKILLS, NONE COULD WRITE WITH THE DEEP INSIGHTS OF THIS ONE UNIQUE WRITER. AND WHAT IS THE EXPLANATION? IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO ELLEN WHITE, THE PERSON. DOUBTLESS, IF SHE WERE ALIVE, SHE WOULD MAKE THIS HUMBLE EXPLANATION:       "SISTER WHITE IS NOT THE ORIGINATOR OF THESE BOOKS. THEY CONTAIN THE INSTRUCTION THAT DURING HER LIFEWORK GOD HAS BEEN GIVING HER. THEY CONTAIN THE PRECIOUS, COMFORTING LIGHT THAT GOD HAS GRACIOUSLY GIVEN HIS SERVANT TO BE GIVEN TO THE WORLD. FROM THEIR PAGES THIS LIGHT IS TO SHINE INTO THE HEARTS OF MEN AND WOMEN, LEADING THEM TO THE SAVIOUR."--REVIEW AND HERALD, JAN. 20, 1903.       AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS WHO READ THE INSPIRED MESSAGES OF THIS VOLUME WILL BE LED INTO A MORE INTIMATE EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS CHRIST. THUS THEY WILL PARTAKE OF HIS AMAZING GRACE WHICH ELLEN WHITE DESCRIBED AS "AN ATTRIBUTE OF GOD SHOWN TO UNDESERVING HUMAN BEINGS. WE DID NOT SEEK AFTER IT," SHE EXPLAINED, "BUT IT WAS SENT IN SEARCH OF US."       THE STATEMENTS ON THIS SUBJECT OF GRACE PERMEATE THE MANY PRINTED SPIRIT OF PROPHECY VOLUMES. THESE RICH SOURCES HAVE YIELDED THE PRIME SELECTIONS. THE PERIODICALS SUCH AS THE REVIEW AND HERALD, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, AND THE YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR, ALSO PROVIDE HELPFUL FACETS FOR STUDY.       WHEN ONLY PART OF A REFERENCE IS USED, THE OMISSIONS IN THIS BOOK ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE USUAL WAY. IN MANY CASES THE READING FOR THE DAY CONSISTS OF A NUMBER OF CHOICE QUOTATIONS GROUPED TOGETHER AS A COMPOSITE STATEMENT. AT THE CLOSE OF THE VOLUME THE INDIVIDUAL SOURCE CREDITS WILL BE FOUND, AND ALSO A SCRIPTURE INDEX.       GOD'S AMAZING GRACE WAS COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE TRUSTEES, WHO CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLISHING THESE PRODUCTS OF MRS. WHITE'S PEN. IT SHOULD BE RECALLED THAT COMPILATIONS FROM THIS WRITER ARE MADE BY THE TRUSTEES IN HARMONY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF HER WILL, WHICH CALL FOR SUCH SELECTIONS TO BE GATHERED TOGETHER AND PRINTED IN BOOKS AS THE NEED MIGHT ARISE.       IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THESE BRIEF DAY-BY-DAY COUNSELS AND THOUGHTS WILL ENCOURAGE THE READER TO DRAW MORE HEAVILY UPON THE INFINITE RESOURCES OF GOD'S GRACE, AND REACH THAT PERFECTION REQUIRED FOR TRANSLATION TO HEAVEN. THIS IS THE URGENT PREPARATION NEEDED BY ALL ADVENTISTS TODAY, AND IT IS OUR PRAYER THAT THIS BOOK WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A REVIVAL EXPERIENCE AND TRUE REFORMATION IN THE CHURCH.         THE TRUSTEES OF THE       ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE         WASHINGTON, D.C.  {AG 0.1}
[AG 9.1]       Chap. 1 - Good News of the Kingdom         And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Matthew 4:23.  {AG 9.1}
[AG 9.2]            "He opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:2, 3). As something strange and new, these words fall upon the ears of the wondering multitude. Such teaching is contrary to all they have ever heard from priest or rabbi. They see in it nothing to flatter their pride or to feed their ambitious hopes. But there is about this new Teacher a power that holds them spellbound. The sweetness of divine love flows from His very presence as the fragrance from a flower. . . .  {AG 9.2}
[AG 9.3]          In the throng that surrounded Jesus there were some who had a sense of their spiritual poverty. . . . There were souls who, in the presence of His purity, felt that they were "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17); and they longed for "the grace of God that bringeth salvation" (Titus 2:11). . . .  {AG 9.3}
[AG 9.4]          Of the poor in spirit Jesus says, "Their's is the kingdom of heaven." This kingdom is not, as Christ's hearers had hoped, a temporal and earthly dominion. Christ was opening to them the spiritual kingdom of His love, His grace, His righteousness. ... His subjects are the poor in spirit, the meek, the persecuted for righteousness' sake. The kingdom of heaven is theirs. Though not yet fully accomplished, the work is begun in them which will make them "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12).  {AG 9.4}
[AG 9.5]          All who have a sense of their deep soul poverty, who feel that they have nothing good in themselves, may find righteousness and strength by looking unto Jesus. . . . He bids you exchange your poverty for the riches of His grace. We are not worthy of God's love, but Christ, our surety, is worthy, and is abundantly able to save all who shall come unto Him. Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness.  {AG 9.5}
[AG 10.1]       Chap. 2 - For Sinners Only         For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Titus 2:11.  {AG 10.1}
[AG 10.2]            By disobeying the commands of God, man fell under the condemnation of His law. This fall called for the grace of God to appear in behalf of sinners. We should never have learned the meaning of this word "grace" had we not fallen. God loves the sinless angels, who do His service, and are obedient to all His commands; but He does not give them grace. These heavenly beings know naught of grace; they have never needed it; for they have never sinned. Grace is an attribute of God shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow this grace upon every one who hungers for it. To every one He presents terms of mercy, not because we are worthy, but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive this gift.  {AG 10.2}
[AG 10.3]          But God does not use His grace to make His law of none effect, or to take the place of His law. . . . God's grace and the law of His kingdom are in perfect harmony; they walk hand in hand. His grace makes it possible for us to draw nigh to Him by faith. By receiving it, and letting it work in our lives, we testify to the validity of the law; we exalt the law and make it honorable by carrying out its living principles through the power of the grace of Christ; and by rendering pure, whole-hearted obedience to God's law, we witness before the universe of heaven, and before an apostate world that is making void the law of God, to the power of redemption.  {AG 10.3}
[AG 10.4]          Not because we first loved Him, does God love us; but "while we were yet sinners" (Romans 5:8) Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God's displeasure and condemnation, He has not forsaken us; He has not left us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us; and co-operating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil. Trusting in Christ as our personal Saviour, we may be "more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).  {AG 10.4}
[AG 11.1]       Chap. 3 - At God's Appointed Time         When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, . . . to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4:4, 5.  {AG 11.1}
[AG 11.2]            In heaven's council the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. . . . Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. . . .  {AG 11.2}
[AG 11.3]          The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. . . . It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.  {AG 11.3}
[AG 11.4]          With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. . . . But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. . . . At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.  {AG 11.4}
[AG 11.5]          Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.  {AG 11.5}
[AG 12.1]       Chap. 4 - The Message of the First Advent         Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:14, 15.  {AG 12.1}
[AG 12.2]            As Jesus traveled through Galilee, teaching and healing, multitudes flocked to Him from the cities and villages. Many came even from Judea and the adjoining provinces. Often He was obliged to hide Himself from the people. The enthusiasm ran so high that it was necessary to take precautions lest the Roman authorities should be aroused to fear an insurrection. Never before had there been such a period as this for the world. Heaven was brought down to men. Hungering and thirsting souls that had waited long for the redemption of Israel now feasted upon the grace of a merciful Saviour. . . .  {AG 12.2}
[AG 12.3]          The gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the prophecies. The "time" which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. . . . "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks" (Daniel 9:25), sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9, margin), went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C. From this time four hundred and eighty-three years extend to the autumn of A.D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In A.D. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry. Then the message was proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled." . . .  {AG 12.3}
[AG 12.4]         The time of Christ's coming, His anointing by the Holy Spirit, His death, and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely pointed out. . . . "The Spirit of Christ which was in them" "testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Peter 1:11). . . . As the message of Christ's first advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory.  {AG 12.4}
[AG 13.1]       Chap. 5 - A Spiritual Kingdom         Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36.  {AG 13.1}
[AG 13.2]            The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. The gospel of the grace of God, with its spirit of self-abnegation, can never be in harmony with the spirit of the world. The two principles are antagonistic. . . .  {AG 13.2}
[AG 13.3]          But today in the religious world there are multitudes who, as they believe, are working for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ as an earthly and temporal dominion. They desire to make our Lord the ruler of the kingdoms of this world, the ruler in its courts and camps, its legislative halls, its palaces and market places. They expect Him to rule through legal enactments, enforced by human authority. Since Christ is not now here in person, they themselves will undertake to act in His stead, to execute the laws of His kingdom. The establishment of such a kingdom is what the Jews desired in the days of Christ. They would have received Jesus, had He been willing to establish a temporal dominion, to enforce what they regarded as the laws of God, and to make them the expositors of His will and the agents of His authority. But He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." He would not accept the earthly throne. . . .  {AG 13.3}
[AG 13.4]          Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ's nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit. . . . Here is the only power that can work the uplifting of mankind. And the human agency for the accomplishment of this work is the teaching and practicing of the Word of God. . . .  {AG 13.4}
[AG 13.5]          Now, as in Christ's day, the work of God's kingdom lies not with those who are clamoring for recognition and support by earthly rulers and human laws, but with those who are declaring to the people in His name those spiritual truths that will work in the receivers the experience of Paul: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20).  {AG 13.5}
[AG 14.1]       Chap. 6 - Unlike Earthly Kingdoms         And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? Mark 4:30.  {AG 14.1}
[AG 14.2]            Christ found the kingdoms of the world corrupt. After Satan was expelled from heaven, he erected his standard of rebellion on this earth, and sought by every means to win men to his standard. . . . His purpose was to establish a kingdom which would be governed by his own laws, and carried on with his own resources, independent of God; and so well did he succeed, that when Christ came to the world to establish a kingdom, He looked upon the governments of men, and said, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?" Nothing in civil society afforded Him a comparison. . . .  {AG 14.2}
[AG 14.3]          In striking contrast to the wrong and oppression so universally practised were the mission and work of Christ. . . . He planned a government which would use no force; His subjects would know no oppression. . . . Not as a fierce tyrant did He come, but as the Son of man; not to conquer the nations by His iron power, but "to preach good tidings unto the meek;" "to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" "to comfort all that mourn" (Isaiah 61:1, 2). He came as the divine Restorer, bringing to oppressed and downtrodden humanity the rich and abundant grace of Heaven, that by the power of His righteousness, man, fallen and degraded though he was, might be a partaker of divinity. . . .  {AG 14.3}
[AG 14.4]          Christ taught that His church is a spiritual kingdom. He Himself, "the Prince of peace," is the head of His church. In His person humanity, inhabited by divinity, was represented to the world. The great end of His mission was to be a sin-offering for the world, that by the shedding of blood an atonement might be made for the whole race of men. With a heart ever touched with the feelings of our infirmities, an ear ever open to the cry of suffering humanity, a hand ever ready to save the discouraged and despairing, Jesus, our Saviour, "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). . . .  {AG 14.4}
[AG 14.5]          And all who are members of the kingdom of Christ will represent Him in character and disposition.  {AG 14.5}
[AG 15.1]       Chap. 7 - The Ensign of Christ's Kingdom         Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29.  {AG 15.1}
[AG 15.2]            To Daniel was given a vision of fierce beasts, representing the powers of the earth. But the ensign of the Messiah's kingdom is a lamb. While earthly kingdoms rule by the ascendancy of physical power, Christ is to banish every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion. His kingdom was to be established to uplift and ennoble fallen humanity.  {AG 15.2}
[AG 15.3]          To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. . . . As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God's dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty.  {AG 15.3}
[AG 15.4]          The types and shadows of the sacrificial service, with the prophecies, gave the Israelites a veiled, indistinct view of the mercy and grace to be brought to the world by the revelation of Christ. . . . Only through Christ can man keep the moral law. By transgression of this law man brought sin into the world, and with sin came death. Christ became the propitiation for man's sin. He proffered His perfection of character in the place of man's sinfulness. He took upon Himself the curse of disobedience. The sacrifices and offerings pointed forward to the sacrifice He was to make. The slain lamb typified the Lamb that was to take away the sin of the world. . . .  {AG 15.4}
[AG 15.5]          The law and the gospel are in perfect harmony. Each upholds the other. In all its majesty the law confronts the conscience, causing the sinner to feel his need of Christ as the propitiation for sin. The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law. "I had not known sin, but by the law" (Romans 7:7), Paul declares. The sense of sin, urged home by the law, drives the sinner to the Saviour. In his need man may present the mighty arguments furnished by the cross of Calvary. He may claim the righteousness of Christ; for it is imparted to every repentant sinner.  {AG 15.5}
[AG 16.1]       Chap. 8 - God's Kingdom in the Heart         Behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21.  {AG 16.1}
[AG 16.2]            The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses--extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.  {AG 16.2}
[AG 16.3]          Some of the Pharisees had come to Jesus demanding "when the kingdom of God should come" (Luke 17:20). More than three years had passed since John the Baptist gave the message that like a trumpet call had sounded through the land, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). And as yet these Pharisees saw no indication of the establishment of the kingdom. . . .  {AG 16.3}
[AG 16.4]          Jesus answered, "The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show ［margin］: neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of God begins at the heart. Look not here or there for manifestations of earthly power to mark its coming.  {AG 16.4}
[AG 16.5]          The works of Christ not only declared Him to be the Messiah, but showed in what manner His kingdom was to be established. . . . It comes through the gentleness of the inspiration of His word, through the inward working of His Spirit, the fellowship of the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ. . . .  {AG 16.5}
[AG 16.6]          When God gave His Son to our world, He endowed human beings with imperishable riches--riches compared with which the treasured wealth of men since the world began is nothingness. Christ came to the earth and stood before the children of men with the hoarded love of eternity, and this is the treasure that, through our connection with Him, we are to receive, to reveal, and to impart.  {AG 16.6}
[AG 17.1]       Chap. 9 - Like Mustard Seed         The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, . . . which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Matthew 13:31, 32.  {AG 17.1}
[AG 17.2]            The germ in the seed grows by the unfolding of the life-principle which God has implanted. Its development depends upon no human power. So it is with the kingdom of Christ. It is a new creation. Its principles of development are the opposite to those that rule the kingdoms of this world. Earthly governments prevail by physical force; they maintain their dominion by war; but the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince of Peace. . . . Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness, He counterworks error and sin. . . .  {AG 17.2}
[AG 17.3]          The kingdom of Christ in its beginning seemed humble and insignificant. Compared with earthly kingdoms it appeared to be the least of all. By the rulers of this world Christ's claim to be a king was ridiculed. Yet in the mighty truths committed to His followers the kingdom of the gospel possessed a divine life. And how rapid was its growth, how widespread its influence! When Christ spoke this parable, there were only a few Galilean peasants to represent the new kingdom. . . . But the mustard seed was to grow and spread forth its branches throughout the world. When the earthly kingdoms whose glory then filled the hearts of men should perish, the kingdom of Christ would remain, a mighty and far-reaching power.  {AG 17.3}
[AG 17.4]          So the work of grace in the heart is small in its beginning. A word is spoken, a ray of light is shed into the soul, an influence is exerted that is the beginning of the new life; and who can measure its results? . . .  {AG 17.4}
[AG 17.5]          In this last generation the parable of the mustard seed is to reach a signal and triumphant fulfillment. The little seed will become a tree. The last message of warning and mercy is to go to "every nation and kindred and tongue" (Revelation 14:6-14), "to take out of them a people for his name" (Acts 15:14; Revelation 18:1). And the earth shall be lightened with His glory.  {AG 17.5}
[AG 18.1]       Chap. 10 - Like Yeast         The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33.  {AG 18.1}
[AG 18.2]            In the Saviour's parable, leaven is used to represent the kingdom of heaven. It illustrates the quickening, assimilating power of the grace of God. . . .  {AG 18.2}
[AG 18.3]          The grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. . . . As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. . . .  {AG 18.3}
[AG 18.4]          The leaven hidden in the flour works invisibly to bring the whole mass under its leavening process; so the leaven of truth works secretly, silently, steadily, to transform the soul. The natural inclinations are softened and subdued. New thoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of character is set up--the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused to action in new lines. . . . The conscience is awakened. . . .  {AG 18.4}
[AG 18.5]          The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. . . . He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God. . . .  {AG 18.5}
[AG 18.6]          The grace of Christ is to control the temper and the voice. Its working will be seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind, encouraging words. An angel presence is in the home. The life breathes a sweet perfume, which ascends to God as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering. The countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments. . . . As these changes are effected, angels break forth in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude.  {AG 18.6}
[AG 19.1]       Chap. 11 - Established by Christ's Death         Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24.  {AG 19.1}
[AG 19.2]            At the very time when they ［Christ's disciples］ expected to see their Lord ascend the throne of David, they beheld Him seized as a malefactor, scourged, derided, and condemned, and lifted up on the cross of Calvary. . . .  {AG 19.2}
[AG 19.3]          The announcement which had been made by the disciples in the name of the Lord was in every particular correct, and the events to which it pointed were even then taking place. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15), had been their message. . . . And the "kingdom of God" which they had declared to be at hand was established by the death of Christ. This kingdom was not, as they had been taught to believe, an earthly empire. Nor was it that future, . . . everlasting kingdom, in which "all dominions shall serve and obey him" (Daniel 7:27). As used in the Bible, the expression "kingdom of God" is employed to designate both the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. . . .  {AG 19.3}
[AG 19.4]          The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man. . . . Yet it was not actually established until the death of Christ. Even after entering upon His earthly mission, the Saviour . . . might have drawn back from the sacrifice of Calvary. In Gethsemane the cup of woe trembled in His hand. He might even then have wiped the blood-sweat from His brow, and have left the guilty race to perish in their iniquity. . . . But when the Saviour yielded up His life, and with His expiring breath cried out, "It is finished," then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was assured. The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair in Eden was ratified. The kingdom of grace, which had before existed by the promise of God, was then established.  {AG 19.4}
[AG 19.5]          Thus the death of Christ--the very event which the disciples had looked upon as the final destruction of their hope-- was that which made it forever sure. . . . The event that had filled them with mourning and despair was that . . . in which centered the future life and eternal happiness of all God's faithful ones in all the ages.  {AG 19.5}
[AG 20.1]       Chap. 12 - Its Principles of Government         Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12.  {AG 20.1}
[AG 20.2]            The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation of the will and the character of its Author. God is love, and His law is love. Its two great principles are love to God and love to man. . . . The character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of His law. . . .  {AG 20.2}
[AG 20.3]          In the beginning, man was created in the image of God. He was in perfect harmony with the nature and the law of God; the principles of righteousness were written upon his heart. But sin alienated him from his Maker. He no longer reflected the divine image. His heart was at war with the principles of God's law. . . . But "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son," that man might be reconciled to God. Through the merits of Christ he can be restored to harmony with his Maker. His heart must be renewed by divine grace; he must have a new life from above. This change is the new birth. . . .  {AG 20.3}
[AG 20.4]          The first step in reconciliation to God is the conviction of sin. . . . "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). In order to see his guilt, the sinner must test his character by God's great standard of righteousness. It is a mirror which shows the perfection of a righteous character and enables him to discern the defects of his own. The law reveals to man his sin. . . . It declares that death is the portion of the transgressor. The gospel of Christ alone can free him from the condemnation or the defilement of sin. He must exercise repentance toward God, whose law has been transgressed; and faith in Christ, his atoning sacrifice. . . .  {AG 20.4}
[AG 20.5]          In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty. . . .  {AG 20.5}
[AG 20.6]          The followers of Christ are to become like Him--by the grace of God to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law. This is Bible sanctification.  {AG 20.6}
[AG 21.1]       Chap. 13 - Our Top Priority         Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33.  {AG 21.1}
[AG 21.2]            The people who listened to the words of Christ were still anxiously watching for some announcement of the earthly kingdom. While Jesus was opening to them the treasures of heaven, the question uppermost in many minds was, How will a connection with Him advance our prospects in the world? Jesus shows that in making the things of the world their supreme anxiety they were like the heathen nations about them. . . .  {AG 21.2}
[AG 21.3]          "All these things," said Jesus, "do the nations of the world seek after" (Luke 12:30). . . . I have come to open to you the kingdom of love and righteousness and peace. Open your hearts to receive this kingdom, and make its service your highest interest. Though it is a spiritual kingdom, fear not that your needs for this life will be uncared for. . . .  {AG 21.3}
[AG 21.4]          Jesus does not release us from the necessity of effort, but He teaches that we are to make Him first and last and best in everything. We are to engage in no business, follow no pursuit, seek no pleasure, that would hinder the outworking of His righteousness in our character and life. Whatever we do is to be done heartily, as unto the Lord.  {AG 21.4}
[AG 21.5]          Jesus, while He dwelt on earth, dignified life in all its details by keeping before men the glory of God, and by subordinating everything to the will of His Father. If we follow His example, His assurance to us is that all things needful in this life "shall be added." Poverty or wealth, sickness or health, simplicity or wisdom--all are provided for in the promise of His grace.  {AG 21.5}
[AG 21.6]          Difficulties will be powerless to hinder him who is determined to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. . . . Looking to Jesus,. . . the believer will willingly brave contempt and derision. And help and grace sufficient for every circumstance are promised by Him whose word is truth. His everlasting arms encircle the soul that turns to Him for aid. In His care we may rest safely, saying, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Psalm 56:3).  {AG 21.6}
[AG 22.1]      Chap. 14 - Entrance Requirement         Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3.  {AG 22.1}
[AG 22.2]            In the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation and His mission to the world.  {AG 22.2}
[AG 22.3]          He came directly to the point, saying solemnly, yet kindly, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, margin). . . . Raising His hand with solemn, quiet dignity, He pressed the truth home with greater assurance, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.". . .  {AG 22.3}
[AG 22.4]          By nature the heart is evil. . . . The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. . . . It can no more be explained than can the movements of the wind. . . .  {AG 22.4}
[AG 22.5]          While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. . . . The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God. . . .  {AG 22.5}
[AG 22.6]          Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same way as the chief of sinners. Than Christ, "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).  {AG 22.6}
[AG 23.1]       Chap. 15 - By God's Grace         Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:24.  {AG 23.1}
[AG 23.2]            In many of His parables, Christ uses the expression, "the kingdom of heaven," to designate the work of divine grace upon the hearts of men. . . . The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race. It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God; and through faith, men could become its subjects.  {AG 23.2}
[AG 23.3]          The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government; He desires only the service of love. . . . To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. . . .  {AG 23.3}
[AG 23.4]          The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of "the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal" (Romans 16:25, R.V.). It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's throne. . . . God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {AG 23.4}
[AG 23.5]         As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew that He would have to suffer, yet He became man's substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race, with just as much power to avert the doom pronounced upon the guilty as when He died upon the cross of Calvary.  {AG 23.5}
[AG 23.6]          What love! What amazing condescension! The King of glory proposes to humble Himself to fallen humanity! He would place His feet in Adam's steps. He would take man's fallen nature, and engage to cope with the strong foe who triumphed over Adam. He would overcome Satan, and in thus doing He would open the way for the redemption from the disgrace of Adam's failure and fall, of all those who would believe on Him.  {AG 23.6}
[AG 24.1]       Chap. 16 - The Royal Robe         And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Revelation 19:8.  {AG 24.1}
[AG 24.2]            The parable of the wedding garment ［Matthew 22:1-14］ opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. . . . By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ's true followers will possess. . . . The fine linen, says the Scripture, "is the righteousness of saints." It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.  {AG 24.2}
[AG 24.3]          The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by God in holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to the will of God. . . . A beautiful soft light, the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair. . . . But when sin entered, they severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed. Naked and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.  {AG 24.3}
[AG 24.4]          We cannot provide a robe of righteousness for ourselves, for the prophet says, "All our righteousness are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). There is nothing in us from which we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear. We are to receive the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven, even the spotless robe of Christ's righteousness.  {AG 24.4}
[AG 24.5]          God has made ample provision that we may stand perfect in His grace, wanting in nothing, waiting for the appearing of our Lord. Are you ready? Have you the wedding garment on? That garment will never cover deceit, impurity, corruption, or hypocrisy. The eye of God is upon you. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We may conceal our sins from the eyes of men, but we can hide nothing from our Maker.  {AG 24.5}
[AG 24.6]          Let the youth and the little children be taught to choose for themselves that royal robe woven in heaven's loom--the "fine linen, clean and white," which all the holy ones of earth will wear. This robe, Christ's own spotless character, is freely offered to every human being. But all who receive it will receive and wear it here.  {AG 24.6}
[AG 25.1]       Chap. 17 - An Inheritance in Heaven         To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:4.  {AG 25.1}
[AG 25.2]            Christ was teaching, and, as usual, others besides His disciples had gathered about Him. . . . But there were many who desired the grace of heaven only to serve their selfish purposes. They recognized the marvelous power of Christ in setting forth the truth in a clear light. . . . Would He not lend His power for their worldly benefit?  {AG 25.2}
[AG 25.3]          "And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me" (Luke 12:13). . . . In the midst of the solemn instruction that Christ had given, this man had revealed his selfish disposition. He could appreciate that ability of the Lord which might work for the advancement of his own temporal affairs; but spiritual truths had taken no hold on his mind and heart. . . . ［Jesus］ was opening to him the treasures of divine love. The Holy Spirit was pleading with him to become an heir of the inheritance that is "incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." . . . ［But］ his eyes were fixed on the earth. . . .  {AG 25.3}
[AG 25.4]          The Saviour's mission on earth was fast drawing to a close. Only a few months remained for Him to complete what He had come to do, in establishing the kingdom of His grace. Yet human greed would have turned Him from His work to take up the dispute over a piece of land. But Jesus was not to be diverted from His mission. His answer was, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" . . . Christ virtually said, It is not My work to settle controversies of this kind. He came for another purpose, to preach the gospel, and thus to arouse men to a sense of eternal realities. . . .  {AG 25.4}
[AG 25.5]          When He sent forth the twelve, He said, "As ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. . ." (Matthew 10:7, 8). They were not to settle the temporal affairs of the people. Their work was to persuade men to be reconciled to God. In this work lay their power to bless humanity. The only remedy for the sins and sorrows of humanity is Christ. The gospel of His grace alone can cure the evils that curse society. . . . He alone, for the selfish heart of sin, gives the new heart of love.  {AG 25.5}
[AG 26.1]       Chap. 18 - The Gracious Invitation         Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28.  {AG 26.1}
[AG 26.2]            Christ sought to teach the disciples the truth that in God's kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, no aristocracy; that they must go to all nations, bearing to them the message of a Saviour's love.  {AG 26.2}
[AG 26.3]          Christ tears away the wall of partition, the self-love, the dividing prejudice of nationality, and teaches a love for all the human family. . . . He teaches us to look upon every needy soul as our neighbor and the world as our field. As the rays of the sun penetrate to the remotest corners of the globe, so God designs that the light of the gospel shall extend to every soul upon the earth.  {AG 26.3}
[AG 26.4]          All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in. . . .  {AG 26.4}
[AG 26.5]          In the trust given to the first disciples, believers of every age have shared. Every one who has received the gospel has been given sacred truth to impart to the world. God's faithful people have always been aggressive missionaries, consecrating their resources to the honor of His name, and wisely using their talents in His service. . . .  {AG 26.5}
[AG 26.6]          Everyone who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of his fellow men. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come" (Revelation 22:17). The charge to give this invitation includes the entire church. Every one who has heard the invitation is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying, "Come." . . .  {AG 26.6}
[AG 26.7]          Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church, so that every one shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory.  {AG 26.7}
[AG 27.1]       Chap. 19 - Embraces the Whole World         Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Psalm 2:8.  {AG 27.1}
[AG 27.2]           "The field is the world" (Matthew 13:38). We understand better what this saying comprehends than did the apostles who received the commission to preach the gospel. The whole world is a vast missionary field.  {AG 27.2}
[AG 27.3]          The terrible condition of the world would seem to indicate that the death of Christ has been almost in vain, and that Satan has triumphed. . . . But we have not been deceived. Notwithstanding the apparent triumph of Satan, Christ is carrying forward His work in the heavenly sanctuary and on the earth. . . .  {AG 27.3}
[AG 27.4]          The solemn, sacred message of warning must be proclaimed in the most difficult fields and in the most sinful cities, in every place where the light of the great threefold gospel message has not yet dawned. Every one is to hear the last call to the marriage supper of the lamb. From town to town, from city to city, from country to country, the message of present truth is to be proclaimed, not with outward display, but in the power of the Spirit.  {AG 27.4}
[AG 27.5]          Before man can belong to the kingdom of Christ, his character must be purified from sin and sanctified by the grace of Christ. . . . Christ longs to manifest His grace, and stamp His character and image upon the whole world. He was offered the kingdoms of this world by the one who revolted in heaven, to buy His homage to the principles of evil; but He came to establish a kingdom of righteousness, and He would not be bought; He would not abandon His purpose. This earth is His purchased inheritance, and He would have men free and pure and holy. . . . Though Satan works through human instrumentalities to hinder the purpose of Christ, there are triumphs yet to be accomplished through the blood shed for the world, that will bring glory to God and to the Lamb. His kingdom will extend, and embrace the whole world. . . . Christ will not be satisfied till victory is complete. But "he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun" (Isaiah 53:11; 59:19).  {AG 27.5}
[AG 28.1]      Chap. 20 - Ambassadors of the Kingdom         Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20.  {AG 28.1}
[AG 28.2]            Since His ascension, Christ the great Head of the church, has carried forward His work in the world by chosen ambassadors, through whom He speaks to the children of men, and ministers to their needs. The position of those who have been called of God to labor in word and doctrine for the upbuilding of His church, is one of grave responsibility. In Christ's stead they are to beseech men and women to be reconciled to God. . . .  {AG 28.2}
[AG 28.3]          Christ's ministers are the spiritual guardians of the people entrusted to their care. Their work has been likened to that of watchmen. In ancient times, sentinels were often stationed on the walls of cities, where, from points of vantage, they could overlook important points to be guarded, and give warning of the approach of an enemy. Upon their faithfulness depended the safety of all within. . . .  {AG 28.3}
[AG 28.4]          To every minister the Lord declares: "O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me ..." (Ezekiel 33:7-9). These words of the prophet declare the solemn responsibility resting upon those who are appointed as guardians of the church, stewards of the mysteries of God. . . .  {AG 28.4}
[AG 28.5]          It is the privilege of the watchmen on the walls of Zion to live so near to God, and to be so susceptible to the impressions of His Spirit, that He can work through them to tell sinners of their peril, and point them to the place of safety.  {AG 28.5}
[AG 28.6]          The heart of the true minister is filled with an intense longing to save souls. . . . He watches for souls as one that must give an account. With his eyes fixed on the cross of Calvary, beholding the uplifted Saviour, relying on His grace, believing that He will be with him until the end, as his shield, his strength, his efficiency, he works for God. With invitations and pleadings, mingled with the assurances of God's love, he seeks to win souls to Jesus, and in heaven he is numbered among those who are "called, and chosen, and faithful" (Revelation 17:14).  {AG 28.6}
[AG 29.1]       Chap. 21 - The Army of the Lord         Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13.  {AG 29.1}
[AG 29.2]            The strength of an army is measured largely by the efficiency of the men in the ranks. A wise general instructs his officers to train every soldier for active service. He seeks to develop the highest efficiency on the part of all. If he were to depend on his officers alone he could never expect to conduct a successful campaign. He counts on loyal and untiring service from every man in his army. The responsibility rests largely upon the men in the ranks.  {AG 29.2}
[AG 29.3]          And so it is in the army of Prince Immanuel. Our General, who has never lost a battle, expects willing, faithful service from everyone who has enlisted under His banner. In the closing controversy now waging between the forces for good and the hosts of evil He expects all, laymen as well as ministers, to take part. All who have enlisted as His soldiers are to render faithful service as minutemen, with a keen sense of the responsibility resting upon them individually.  {AG 29.3}
[AG 29.4]          All who enter the army are not to be generals, captains, sergeants, or even corporals. All have not the care and responsibility of leaders. There is hard work of other kinds to be done. Some must dig trenches and build fortifications; some are to stand as sentinels, some to carry messages. While there are but few officers, it requires many soldiers to form the rank and file of the army; yet its success depends upon the fidelity of every soldier. One man's cowardice or treachery may bring disaster upon the entire army.  {AG 29.4}
[AG 29.5]          There is earnest work to be done by us individually if we would fight the good fight of faith. Eternal interests are at stake. We must put on the whole armor of righteousness, we must resist the devil, and we have the sure promise that he will be put to flight. The church is to conduct an aggressive warfare, to make conquests for Christ, to rescue souls from the power of the enemy. God and holy angels are engaged in this warfare. Let us please Him who has called us to be soldiers.  {AG 29.5}
[AG 30.1]       Chap. 22 - A Girdle of Truth         Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Ephesians 6:14.  {AG 30.1}
[AG 30.2]            There is absolutely no safeguard against evil but truth. No man can stand firm for right in whose heart the truth does not abide. There is only one power that can make and keep us steadfast--the power of God, imparted to us through the grace of Christ.  {AG 30.2}
[AG 30.3]          There are many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what they believe; but, until controversy arises, they do not know their own weakness. When separated from those of like faith and compelled to stand singly and alone to explain their belief, they will be surprised to see how confused are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth. . . .  {AG 30.3}
[AG 30.4]          The Lord calls upon all who believe His word to awake out of sleep. Precious light has come, appropriate for this time. It is Bible truth, showing the perils that are right upon us. This light should lead us to a diligent study of the Scriptures and a most critical examination of the positions which we hold. . . . Believers are not to rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas of what constitutes truth. Their faith must be firmly founded upon the word of God so that when the testing time shall come and they are brought before councils to answer for their faith they may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear. . . .  {AG 30.4}
[AG 30.5]          The erroneous teachings of popular theology have made thousands upon thousands of skeptics and infidels. There are errors and inconsistencies which many denounce as the teaching of the Bible that are really false interpretations of Scripture. . . . Instead of criticizing the Bible, let us seek, by precept and example, to present to the world its sacred, life-giving truths, that we may "show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).  {AG 30.5}
[AG 30.6]          The truth stands firmly established on the eternal Rock--a foundation that storm and tempest can never move. . . . Do not lower the banner of truth . . . in order to unite with the solemn message for these last days anything that will tend to hide the peculiar features of our faith.  {AG 30.6}
[AG 31.1]       Chap. 23 - A Breastplate for Safety         And having on the breastplate of righteousness. Ephesians 6:14.  {AG 31.1}
[AG 31.2]            We must put on every piece of the armor, and then stand firm. The Lord has honored us by choosing us as His soldiers. Let us fight bravely for Him, maintaining the right in every transaction. . . . Put on as your breastplate that divinely protected righteousness which it is the privilege of all to wear. This will protect your spiritual life.  {AG 31.2}
[AG 31.3]          Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly, and thoughtfully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Strength, grace, and glory have been provided through Christ, to be brought by ministering angels to the heirs of salvation. None are so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannot find in Jesus, who died for them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they will put away their sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose of heart to the living God. He is waiting to strip them of their garments, stained and polluted by sin, and to put upon them the white, bright robes of righteousness.  {AG 31.3}
[AG 31.4]          The truly righteous, who sincerely love and fear God, wear the robe of Christ's righteousness in prosperity and adversity alike. Self-denial, self-sacrifice, benevolence, kindness, love, patience, fortitude, and Christian trust are the daily fruits borne by those who are truly connected with God. Their acts may not be published to the world, but they themselves are daily wrestling with evil, and gaining precious victories over temptation and wrong.  {AG 31.4}
[AG 31.5]          All who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of the Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power.  {AG 31.5}
[AG 31.6]          Each one will have a close struggle to overcome sin in his own heart. This is at times a very painful and discouraging work; because, as we see the deformities in our character, we keep looking at them, when we should look to Jesus and put on the robe of His righteousness. Everyone who enters the pearly gates of the city of God will enter there as a conqueror, and his greatest conquest will have been the conquest of self.  {AG 31.6}
[AG 32.1]       Chap. 24 - Gospel Shoes for a Mission of Peace         And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15.  {AG 32.1}
[AG 32.2]            We are living in the midst of an "epidemic of crime," at which thoughtful, God-fearing men everywhere stand aghast. . . . Every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic agencies are at work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt the mind, and defile and destroy the body?  {AG 32.2}
[AG 32.3]          And while the world is filled with these evils, the gospel is too often presented in so indifferent a manner as to make but little impression upon the consciences or the lives of men. Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give health and life and peace.  {AG 32.3}
[AG 32.4]          The gospel is a message of peace. Christianity is a system, which, received and obeyed, would spread peace, harmony, and happiness throughout the earth. The religion of Christ will unite in close brotherhood all who accept its teachings.  {AG 32.4}
[AG 32.5]          The peace of Christ is born of truth. It is harmony with God. The world is at enmity with the law of God; sinners are at enmity with their Maker; and as a result they are at enmity with one another. . . . Men cannot manufacture peace. Human plans for the purification and uplifting of individuals or of society will fail of producing peace, because they do not reach the heart. The only power that can create or perpetuate true peace is the grace of Christ. When this is implanted in the heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension.  {AG 32.5}
[AG 32.6]          The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun.  {AG 32.6}
[AG 32.7]          The Lord is soon coming. Talk it, pray it, believe it. Make it a part of the life. . . . Gird on the Christian armor, and be sure that your feet are "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."  {AG 32.7}
[AG 33.1]       Chap. 25 - A Shield for Defense         Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Ephesians 6:16.  {AG 33.1}
[AG 33.2]            Satan watches his opportunity to seize the precious graces when we are unguarded, and we shall have a severe conflict with the powers of darkness to retain them, or to regain a heavenly grace if through lack of watchfulness we lose it. But . . . it is the privilege of Christians to obtain strength from God to hold every precious gift. Fervent and effectual prayer will be regarded in heaven. When the servants of Christ take the shield of faith for their defense, and the sword of the Spirit for war, there is danger in the enemy's camp.  {AG 33.2}
[AG 33.3]          Amidst the snares to which all are exposed, they need strong and trustworthy defenses on which to rely. Many in this corrupt age have so small a supply of the grace of God, that in many instances their defense is broken down by the first assault, and fierce temptations take them captives. The shield of grace can preserve all unconquered by the temptations of the enemy, though surrounded with the most corrupting influences. By firm principle, and unwavering trust in God, their virtue and nobleness of character can shine, and, although surrounded with evil, no taint need be left upon their virtue and integrity.  {AG 33.3}
[AG 33.4]          The work of conquering evil is to be done through faith. Those who go into the battlefield will find that they must put on the whole armor of God. The shield of faith will be their defense and will enable them to be more than conquerors. Nothing else will avail but this--faith in the Lord of hosts, and obedience to His orders. Vast armies furnished with every other facility will avail nothing in the last great conflict. Without faith, an angel host could not help. Living faith alone will make them invincible and enable them to stand in the evil day, steadfast, unmovable, holding the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end.  {AG 33.4}
[AG 34.1]       Chap. 26 - A Helmet for Protection         And take the helmet of salvation. Ephesians 6:17.  {AG 34.1}
[AG 34.2]           God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of the Scriptures.  {AG 34.2}
[AG 34.3]          The mind must be educated and disciplined to love purity. A love for spiritual things should be encouraged; yea, must be encouraged, if you would grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. . . . Good purposes are right, but will prove of no avail unless resolutely carried out. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians; but they made no earnest effort, therefore they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. The will must be exercised in the right direction. I will be a wholehearted Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the height and depth, of perfect love. Listen to the words of Jesus: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Ample provisions are made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.  {AG 34.3}
[AG 34.4]          We should meditate upon the Scriptures, thinking soberly and candidly upon the things that pertain to our eternal salvation. The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. We should seek to comprehend the meaning of the plan of salvation. We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His people from their sins. By constantly contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger. Our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be more intelligent and fervent. There will be more constant confidence in Jesus, and you will have a daily, living experience in the willingness and power of Christ to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.  {AG 34.4}
[AG 35.1]       Chap. 27 - A Sword for Battle         And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17.  {AG 35.1}
[AG 35.2]            God has provided abundant means for successful warfare against the evil that is in the world. The Bible is the armory where we may equip for the struggle. Our loins must be girt about with truth. Our breastplate must be righteousness. The shield of faith must be in our hand, the helmet of salvation on our brow; and with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, we are to cut our way through the obstructions and entanglements of sin.  {AG 35.2}
[AG 35.3]          The first Adam fell; the second Adam held fast to God and His Word under the most trying circumstances, and His faith in His Father's goodness, mercy, and love did not waver for one moment. "It is written" was His weapon of resistance, and it is the sword of the Spirit which every human being is to use.  {AG 35.3}
[AG 35.4]          In these days of peril and corruption, the young are exposed to many trials and temptations. Many are sailing in a dangerous harbor. They need a pilot; but they scorn to accept the much needed help, feeling that they are competent to guide their own bark, and not realizing that it is about to strike a hidden rock that may cause them to make shipwreck of faith and happiness. . . . There is a disposition with many to be impetuous and headstrong. They have not heeded the wise counsel of the word of God; they have not battled with self, and obtained precious victories; and their proud, unbending will has driven them from the path of duty and obedience.  {AG 35.4}
[AG 35.5]          There are great things expected from the sons and daughters of God. I look upon the youth of today, and my heart yearns over them. What possibilities are open before them! If they sincerely seek to learn of Christ, He will give them wisdom, as He gave wisdom to Daniel. . . . "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." . . . "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 3:6).  {AG 35.5}
[AG 35.6]         Let the youth try to appreciate the privilege that may be theirs, to be directed by the unerring wisdom of God. Let them take the Word of truth as the man of their counsel, and become skillful in the use of "the sword of the Spirit." Satan is a wise general; but the humble, devoted soldier of Jesus Christ may overcome him.  {AG 35.6}
[AG 36.1]       Chap. 28 - The Battlefield         We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12.  {AG 36.1}
[AG 36.2]            The fallen world is the battlefield for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as a theater on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell. Every human being acts a part in this conflict. No one can stand on neutral ground. Men must either accept or reject the world's Redeemer. All are witnesses, either for or against Christ. Christ calls upon those who stand under His banner to engage in the conflict with Him as faithful soldiers, that they may inherit the crown of life.  {AG 36.2}
[AG 36.3]          Battles are to be fought every day. A great warfare is going on over every soul, between the prince of darkness and the Prince of life. . . . As God's agents you are to yield yourselves to Him, that He may plan and direct and fight the battle for you, with your cooperation. The Prince of life is at the head of His work. He is to be with you in your daily battle with self, that you may be true to principle; that passion, when warring for the mastery, may be subdued by the grace of Christ; that you come off more than conqueror through Him that hath loved us. Jesus has been over the ground. He knows the power of every temptation. He knows just how to meet every emergency, and how to guide you through every path of danger.  {AG 36.3}
[AG 36.4]          God will have a people zealous of good works, standing firm amid the pollutions of this degenerate age. There will be a people who hold so fast to the divine strength that they will be proof against every temptation. Evil communications in flaming handbills may seek to speak to their senses and corrupt their minds; yet they will be so united to God and angels that they will be as those who see not and hear not. They have a work to do which no one can do for them, which is to fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. . . .  {AG 36.4}
[AG 36.5]          The youth may have principles so firm that the most powerful temptations of Satan will not draw them away from their allegiance.  {AG 36.5}
[AG 37.1]       Chap. 29 - Loyalty a Must         Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3.  {AG 37.1}
[AG 37.2]            We are soldiers of Christ; and those who enlist in His army are expected to do difficult work, work which will tax their energies to the utmost. We must understand that a soldier's life is one of aggressive warfare, of perseverance and endurance. For Christ's sake we are to endure trials. We are not engaged in mimic battles.  {AG 37.2}
[AG 37.3]          Resolve, not in your own strength, but in the strength and grace given of God, that you will consecrate to Him now, just now, every power, every ability. You will then follow Jesus because He bids you, and you will not ask where, or what reward will be given. . . .  {AG 37.3}
[AG 37.4]          When you die to self, when you surrender to God, to do His work, to let the light that He has given you shine forth in good works, you will not labor alone. God's grace stands forth to cooperate with every effort to enlighten the ignorant and those who do not know that the end of all things is at hand. But God will not do your work. Light may shine in abundance, but the grace given will convert your soul only as it arouses you to cooperate with divine agencies. You are called upon to put on the Christian armor and enter the Lord's service as active soldiers. Divine power is to cooperate with human effort to break the spell of worldly enchantment that the enemy has cast upon souls.  {AG 37.4}
[AG 37.5]          The Lord has honored us by choosing us as His soldiers. Let us fight bravely for Him, maintaining the right in every transaction. Rectitude in all things is essential to the warfare of the soul. As you strive for the victory over your own inclinations, He will help you by His Holy Spirit to be circumspect in every action, that you may give no occasion for the enemy to speak evil of the truth.  {AG 37.5}
[AG 37.6]          We are soldiers of Christ. He is the Captain of our salvation, and we are under His orders and rules. We are to wear His armor; we are to be marshaled only under His banner. . . . We are to keep on the whole armor of God, and work as in view of the universe of heaven.  {AG 37.6}
[AG 38.1]       Chap. 30 - Marching Orders         Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. Exodus 14:15.  {AG 38.1}
[AG 38.2]            The history of the children of Israel is written for the instruction and admonition of all Christians. When the Israelites were overtaken by dangers and difficulties, and their way seemed hedged up, their faith forsook them, and they murmured against the leader whom God had appointed for them. . . . The divine command was: "Go forward." They were not to wait until the way was made plain, and they could comprehend the entire plan of their deliverance. God's cause is onward, and He will open a path before His people. . . .  {AG 38.2}
[AG 38.3]          There are times when the Christian life seems beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before, and bondage or death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly above all discouragements: "Go forward." We should obey this command, let the result be what it may, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness and though we feel the cold waves about our feet. . . .  {AG 38.3}
[AG 38.4]          Those who think it impossible for them to yield to the will of God and have faith in His promises until all is made clear and plain before them, will never yield at all. Faith is not certainty of knowledge; it "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). To obey the commandments of God is the only way to obtain His favor. "Go forward" should be the Christian's watchword.  {AG 38.4}
[AG 38.5]          Continual progress in knowledge and virtue is God's purpose for us. His law is the echo of His own voice, giving to all the invitation, "Come up higher; be holy, holier still." Every day we may advance in perfection of Christian character.  {AG 38.5}
[AG 38.6]          Putting our trust in God, we are to move steadily forward, doing His work with unselfishness, in humble dependence upon Him, committing to His providence ourselves and all that concerns our present and future, holding the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end, remembering that we receive the blessings of heaven, not because of our worthiness, but because of Christ's worthiness and our acceptance, through faith in Him, of God's abounding grace.  {AG 38.6}
[AG 39.1]       Chap. 31 - The Victory         Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57.  {AG 39.1}
[AG 39.2]            Victories are not gained by ceremonies or display, but by simple obedience to the highest General, the Lord God of heaven. He who trusts in this Leader will never know defeat.  {AG 39.2}
[AG 39.3]          The largest share of the annoyances of life, its daily corroding cares, its heartaches, its irritation, is the result of a temper uncontrolled. . . . The government of self is the best government in the world. By putting on the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, ninety-nine out of a hundred of the troubles which so terribly embitter life might be saved. . . . The natural man must die, and the new man, Christ Jesus, take possession of the soul, so that the follower of Jesus may say in verity and truth: "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20).  {AG 39.3}
[AG 39.4]          Self is difficult to conquer. Human depravity in every form is not easily brought into subjection to the Spirit of Christ. But all should be impressed with the fact that unless this victory is gained through Christ, there is no hope for them. The victory can be gained; for nothing is impossible with God. By His assisting grace, all evil temper, all human depravity, may be overcome. . . . You may be overcomers if you will, in the name of Christ, take hold of the work decidedly.  {AG 39.4}
[AG 39.5]          The temptations of Satan are greater now than ever before, for he knows that his time is short, and that very soon every case will be decided, either for life or for death. It is no time now to sink down beneath discouragement and trial; we must bear up under all our afflictions, and trust wholly in the Almighty God of Jacob. . . . His grace is sufficient for all our trials; and although they are greater than ever before, yet if we trust wholly in God, we can overcome every temptation and through His grace come off victorious. . . .  {AG 39.5}
[AG 39.6]          When temptations and trials rush in upon us, let us go to God and agonize with Him in prayer. He will not turn us away empty, but will give us grace and strength to overcome, and to break the power of the enemy.  {AG 39.6}
[AG 40.1]       Chap. 32 - Adam and Eve--Rulers in Eden         So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over . . . every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:27, 28.  {AG 40.1}
[AG 40.2]            Adam was crowned king in Eden. To him was given dominion over every living thing that God had created. The Lord blessed Adam and Eve with intelligence such as He had not given to any other creature. He made Adam the rightful sovereign over all the works of His hands.  {AG 40.2}
[AG 40.3]          Created to be "the image and glory of God," Adam and Eve had received endowments not unworthy of their high destiny. . . . Every faculty of mind and soul reflected the Creator's glory. Endowed with high mental and spiritual gifts, Adam and Eve were made but "little lower than the angels."  {AG 40.3}
[AG 40.4]          Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents, capable of appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of His requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience. They were to enjoy communion with God and with holy angels; but before they could be rendered eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the very beginning of man's existence a check was placed upon the desire for self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at the foundation of Satan's fall. The tree of knowledge, which stood near the tree of life in the midst of the garden, was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our first parents. . . God placed man under law, as an indispensable condition of his very existence. He was a subject of the divine government, and there can be no government without law. . . .  {AG 40.4}
[AG 40.5]          While they remained true to God, Adam and his companion were to bear rule over the earth. Unlimited control was given them over every living thing. The lion and the lamb sported peacefully around them, or lay . . . Together at their feet. The happy birds flitted about them without fear; and as their glad songs ascended to the praise of their Creator, Adam and Eve united with them in thanksgiving to the Father and the Son.  {AG 40.5}
[AG 41.1]       Chap. 33 - The Rulership Forfeited         The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. Daniel 4:17.  {AG 41.1}
[AG 41.2]            Among the lower creatures Adam had stood as king . . . ; but when he transgressed, this dominion was forfeited. The spirit of rebellion, to which he himself had given entrance, extended throughout the animal creation. Thus not only the life of man, but the nature of the beasts, the trees of the forest, the grass of the field, the very air he breathed, all told the sad lesson of the knowledge of evil.  {AG 41.2}
[AG 41.3]          Not only man but the earth had by sin come under the power of the wicked one. . . . At his creation Adam was placed in dominion over the earth. But by yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan. "Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage" (2 Peter 2:19). When man became Satan's captive, the dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). He had usurped that dominion over the earth which had been originally given to Adam.  {AG 41.3}
[AG 41.4]          When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and the glory of the world are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it, he stated what was true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of deception. Satan's dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam was the vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an independent rule. The earth is God's, and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ. When Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan's hands, Christ still remained the rightful king. . . .  {AG 41.4}
[AG 41.5]          By the one who had revolted in heaven the kingdoms of this world were offered Christ, to buy His homage to the principles of evil; but He would not be bought. . . .  {AG 41.5}
[AG 41.6]          Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you . . ." (James 4:7, 8). We cannot save ourselves from the tempter's power; he has conquered humanity . . . ; but "the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).  {AG 41.6}
[AG 42.1]       Chap. 34 - Christ the Second Adam         For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22.  {AG 42.1}
[AG 42.2]            The fall of man filled all heaven with sorrow. . . . The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law, and bring him again into harmony with Heaven. Christ would take upon Himself the guilt and shame of sin--sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and His Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race. . . .  {AG 42.2}
[AG 42.3]          The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; . . . yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His son to die for the guilty race. . . . Oh, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him! . . . Through endless ages immortal minds, seeking to comprehend the mystery of that incomprehensible love, will wonder and adore.  {AG 42.3}
[AG 42.4]          Christ is called the second Adam. In purity and holiness, connected with God and beloved by God, He began where the first Adam began. . . .  {AG 42.4}
[AG 42.5]          Christ was tempted by Satan in a hundredfold severer manner than was Adam, and under circumstances in every way more trying. The deceiver presented himself as an angel of light, but Christ withstood his temptations. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful fall, and saved the world. . . . He lived the law of God, and honored it in a world of transgression, revealing to the heavenly universe, to Satan, and to all the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that through His grace humanity can keep the law of God. . . .  {AG 42.5}
[AG 42.6]          Christ's victory was as complete as had been Adam's failure. So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us.  {AG 42.6}
[AG 43.1]       Chap. 35 - Israel's Invisible King         Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments. Nehemiah 9:13.  {AG 43.1}
[AG 43.2]            All through the pages of sacred history, where the dealings of God with His chosen people are recorded, there are burning traces of the great I AM. Never has He given to the sons of men more open manifestations of His power and glory than when He alone was acknowledged as Israel's ruler, and gave the law to His people. Here was a scepter swayed by no human hand; and the stately goings forth of Israel's invisible King were unspeakably grand and awful.  {AG 43.2}
[AG 43.3]          In all these revelations of the divine presence, the glory of God was manifested through Christ. Not alone at the Saviour's advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents, there has been no direct communication between God and man. The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God. All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. . . . It was He who gave the law to Israel. Amid the awful glory of Sinai, Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of His Father's law. It was He who gave to Moses the law engraved upon the tables of stone. . . .  {AG 43.3}
[AG 43.4]          Jesus was the light of His people--the light of the world--before He came to earth in the form of humanity. The first gleam of light that pierced the gloom in which sin had wrapped the world, came from Christ. And from Him has come every ray of heaven's brightness that has fallen upon the inhabitants of the earth. In the plan of redemption Christ is the Alpha and the Omega--the First and the Last.  {AG 43.4}
[AG 44.1]       Chap. 36 - Our Ruler in the Heavens         The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Psalm 103:19.  {AG 44.1}
[AG 44.2]           The three Hebrews were called upon to confess Christ in the face of the burning fiery furnace. They had been commanded by the king to fall down and worship the golden image which he had set up, and threatened that if they would not, they should be cast alive into the fiery furnace, but they answered, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:16-18).  {AG 44.2}
[AG 44.3]          To bow down when in prayer to God is the proper attitude to occupy. . . . But such an act was homage to be rendered to God alone . . . , the Ruler of the universe; and these three Hebrews refused to give such honor to any idol even though composed of pure gold. In doing so, they would, to all intents and purposes, be bowing to the king of Babylon. . . . They suffered the penalty. . . . But Christ came in person and walked with them through the fire, and they received no harm.  {AG 44.3}
[AG 44.4]          This miracle produced a striking change in the minds of the people. The great golden image, set up with such display, was forgotten. The king published a decree that anyone speaking against the God of these men should be put to death. . . .  {AG 44.4}
[AG 44.5]          These faithful Hebrews possessed great natural ability, they had enjoyed the highest intellectual culture, and now occupied a position of honor; but all this did not lead them to forget God. Their powers were yielded to the sanctifying influence of divine grace. . . . In their wonderful deliverance were displayed, before that vast assembly, the power and majesty of God. Jesus placed Himself by their side in the fiery furnace, and by the glory of His presence convinced the proud king of Babylon that it could be no other than the Son of God. . . . By the deliverance of His faithful servants, the Lord declares that He will take His stand with the oppressed and overthrow all earthly powers that would trample upon the authority of the God of heaven.  {AG 44.5}
[AG 45.1]       Chap. 37 - God with Us         They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23.  {AG 45.1}
[AG 45.2]            From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was "the image of God," the image of His greatness and majesty, "the outshining of his glory." It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God's love--to be "God with us.". . .  {AG 45.2}
[AG 45.3]          Our little world is the lesson book of the universe. God's wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which "angels desire to look", and it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven; that the love which "seeketh not her own" has its source in the heart of God. . . .  {AG 45.3}
[AG 45.4]          Jesus might have remained at the Father's side. He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the homage of the angels. But He chose to give back the scepter into the Father's hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing. . . .  {AG 45.4}
[AG 45.5]          This great purpose had been shadowed forth in types and symbols. The burning bush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God. . . . The all-merciful God shrouded His glory in a most humble type, that Moses could look upon it and live. So in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God communicated with Israel, revealing to men His will, and imparting to them His grace. God's glory was subdued, and His majesty veiled, that the weak vision of finite men might behold it. So Christ was to come in "the body of our humiliation" (Philippians 3:21, R.V.), "in the likeness of men.". . . His glory was veiled, His greatness and majesty were hidden, that He might draw near to sorrowful, tempted men.  {AG 45.5}
[AG 46.1]       Chap. 38 - The Kingdom Threatened         When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. John 6:15.  {AG 46.1}
[AG 46.2]            Seated upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. . . . No human power could create from five barley loaves and two small fishes food sufficient to feed thousands of hungry people. And they said one to another, "This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world" (John 6:14). . . . He can conquer the nations, and give to Israel the long-sought dominion.  {AG 46.2}
[AG 46.3]          In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. They see that He makes no effort to attract attention or secure honor to Himself. . . . They fear that He will never urge His claim to David's throne. Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him the King of Israel. . . . Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement. . . . Violence and insurrection would follow an effort to place Him on the throne, and the work of the spiritual kingdom would be hindered. Without delay the movement must be checked. Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them take the boat and return at once to Capernaum. . . .  {AG 46.3}
[AG 46.4]          Jesus now commands the multitude to disperse; and His manner is so decisive that they dare not disobey. . . . The kingly bearing of Jesus, and His few quiet words of command, quell the tumult, and frustrate their designs. They recognize in Him a power above all earthly authority, and without a question they submit.  {AG 46.4}
[AG 46.5]          When left alone, Jesus "went up into a mountain apart to pray.". . . He prayed for power to reveal to men the divine character of His mission, that Satan might not blind their understanding and pervert their judgment. . . . In travail and conflict of soul He prayed for His disciples. . . . Their long-cherished hopes, based on a popular delusion, were to be disappointed in a most painful and humiliating manner. In the place of His exaltation to the throne of David they were to witness His crucifixion. This was to be indeed His true coronation.  {AG 46.5}
[AG 47.1]       Chap. 39 - A Kingly Procession         Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Zechariah 9:9.  {AG 47.1}
[AG 47.2]            Five hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Zechariah thus foretold the coming of the King to Israel. . . . Christ was following the Jewish custom for a royal entry. . . . No sooner was He seated upon the colt than a loud shout of triumph rent the air. The multitude hailed Him as Messiah, their King. . . .They could lead the triumphal procession with no royal standards, but they cut down the spreading palm boughs, Nature's emblem of victory, and waved them aloft with loud acclamations and hosannas. . . .  {AG 47.2}
[AG 47.3]          Never before in His earthly life had Christ permitted such a demonstration. He clearly foresaw the result. It would bring Him to the cross. But it was His purpose thus publicly to present Himself as the Redeemer. He desired to call attention to the sacrifice that was to crown His mission. . . .  {AG 47.3}
[AG 47.4]          Never before had the world seen such a triumphal procession. It was not like that of the earth's famous conquerors. No train of mourning captives, as trophies of kingly valor, made a feature of that scene. But about the Saviour were the glorious trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. There were the captives whom He had rescued from Satan's power, praising God for their deliverance. The blind whom He had restored to sight were leading the way. The dumb whose tongues He had loosed shouted the loudest hosannas. The cripples whom He had healed bounded with joy. . . . Lazarus, whose body had seen corruption in the grave, but who now rejoiced in the strength of glorious manhood, led the beast on which the Saviour rode. . . .  {AG 47.4}
[AG 47.5]          That scene of triumph was of God's own appointing. It had been foretold by the prophet, and man was powerless to turn aside God's purpose.  {AG 47.5}
[AG 47.6]          As well might the priests and rulers attempt to deprive the earth of the shining face of the sun, as to shut from the world the beams of glory from the Sun of Righteousness. In spite of all opposition, the kingdom of Christ was confessed by the people.  {AG 47.6}
[AG 48.1]       Chap. 40 - Jerusalem's King         Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Psalm 48:2.  {AG 48.1}
[AG 48.2]           From the crest of Olivet, Jesus looked upon Jerusalem. Fair and peaceful was the scene spread out before Him. . . . The rays of the setting sun lighted up the snowy whiteness of its marble walls and gleamed from golden gate and tower and pinnacle. "The perfection of beauty" it stood, the pride of the Jewish nation. What child of Israel could gaze upon the scene without a thrill of joy and admiration! But far other thoughts occupied the mind of Jesus. "When he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it" (Luke 19:41). Amid the universal rejoicing of the triumphal entry, while palm branches waved, while glad hosannas awoke the echoes of the hills, and thousands of voices declared Him King, the world's Redeemer was overwhelmed with a sudden and mysterious sorrow. He, the Son of God, the Promised One of Israel, whose power had conquered death and called its captives from the grave, was in tears, not of ordinary grief, but of intense, irrepressible agony.  {AG 48.2}
[AG 48.3]          His tears were not for Himself.... He wept for the doomed thousands of Jerusalem--because of the blindness and impenitence of those whom He came to bless and to save. . . .  {AG 48.3}
[AG 48.4]          Though rewarded with evil for good, and hatred for His love, He had steadfastly pursued His mission of mercy. Never were those repelled that sought His grace. . . . But Israel had turned from her best Friend and only Helper. The pleadings of His love had been despised, His counsels spurned, His warnings ridiculed. . . .  {AG 48.4}
[AG 48.5]          When Christ should hang upon the cross of Calvary, Israel's day as a nation favored and blessed of God would be ended.... As Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was before Him--that city, that nation, which had once been the chosen of God, His peculiar treasure.  {AG 48.5}
[AG 48.6]         The long-suffering of God toward Jerusalem only confirmed the Jews in their stubborn impenitence. . . . Her children had spurned the grace of Christ.  {AG 48.6}
[AG 49.1]       Chap. 41 - King of Glory         Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:7, 8.  {AG 49.1}
[AG 49.2]           Christ came to earth as God in the guise of humanity. He ascended to heaven as the King of saints. His ascension was worthy of His exalted character. He went as One mighty in battle, a conqueror, leading captivity captive. He was attended by the heavenly host, amid shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song.  {AG 49.2}
[AG 49.3]         The disciples not only saw the Lord ascend, but they had the testimony of the angels that He had gone to occupy His Father's throne in heaven. . . . The brightness of the heavenly escort, and the opening of the glorious gates of God to welcome Him, were not to be discerned by mortal eyes. Had the track of Christ to heaven been revealed to the disciples in all its inexpressible glory, they could not have endured the sight. . . .  {AG 49.3}
[AG 49.4]          Their senses were not to become so infatuated with the glories of heaven that they would lose sight of the character of Christ on earth, which they were to copy in themselves. They were to keep distinctly before their minds the beauty and majesty of His life, the perfect harmony of all His attributes, and the mysterious union of the divine and human in His nature. . . . His visible ascent from the world was in harmony with the meekness and quiet of His life.  {AG 49.4}
[AG 49.5]          What a source of joy to the disciples, to know that they had such a Friend in heaven to plead in their behalf! Through the visible ascension of Christ all their views and contemplation of heaven are changed. . . . They now looked upon it as their future home, where mansions were being prepared for them by their loving Redeemer. Prayer was clothed with a new interest, since it was a communion with their Saviour. . . .  {AG 49.5}
[AG 49.6]          They had a gospel to preach--Christ in human form, a Man of sorrows; Christ in humiliation, taken by wicked hands and crucified; Christ resurrected, and ascended to heaven, into the presence of God, to be man's Advocate; Christ to come again with power and great glory in the clouds of heaven.  {AG 49.6}
[AG 50.1]       Chap. 42 - Ruler Over All Nations         That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Psalm 83:18.  {AG 50.1}
[AG 50.2]           In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will. . . .  {AG 50.2}
[AG 50.3]          Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that it might be seen whether it would fulfill the purpose of "the Watcher and the Holy One.". . . While the nations rejected God's principles, and in this rejection wrought their own ruin, it was still manifest that the divine, overruling purpose was working through all their movements.  {AG 50.3}
[AG 50.4]          This lesson is taught in a wonderful symbolic representation given to the prophet Ezekiel ［chapters 1 and 10］. . . . A number of wheels, intersecting one another, were moved by four living beings. . . . The wheels were so complicated in arrangement that at first sight they appeared to be in confusion; but they moved in perfect harmony. Heavenly beings, sustained and guided by the hand beneath the wings of the cherubim, were impelling these wheels; above them upon the sapphire throne, was the Eternal One; and round about the throne a rainbow, the emblem of divine mercy. As the wheellike complications were under the guidance of the hand beneath the wings of the cherubim, so the complicated play of human events is under divine control. Amidst the strife and tumult of nations, He that sitteth above the cherubim still guides the affairs of the earth.  {AG 50.4}
[AG 50.5]          The history of nations that one after another have occupied their allotted time and place, . . . speaks to us. To every nation and to every individual of today God has assigned a place in His great plan. . . . All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes.  {AG 50.5}
[AG 51.1]       Chap. 43 - Limits to God's Forbearance         It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. Psalm 119:126.  {AG 51.1}
[AG 51.2]           During a vision of the night, I stood on an eminence, from which I could see houses shaken like a reed in the wind. Buildings, great and small, were falling to the ground. Pleasure resorts, theaters, hotels, and the homes of the wealthy were shaken and shattered. Many lives were blotted out of existence, and the air was filled with the shrieks of the injured and the terrified.  {AG 51.2}
[AG 51.3]          The destroying angels of God were at work. One touch, and buildings, so thoroughly constructed that men regarded them as secure against every danger, quickly became heaps of rubbish. There was no assurance of safety in any place. . . . The awfulness of the scenes that passed before me I cannot find words to describe. It seemed that the forbearance of God was exhausted and that the judgment day had come.  {AG 51.3}
[AG 51.4]          The angel that stood at my side then instructed me that but few have any conception of the wickedness existing in our world today, and especially the wickedness in the large cities. He declared that the Lord has appointed a time when He will visit transgressors in wrath for persistent disregard of His law. . . . God's supreme rulership and the sacredness of His law must be revealed to those who persistently refused to render obedience to the King of kings. Those who choose to remain disloyal must be visited in mercy with judgments, in order that, if possible, they may be aroused to a realization of the sinfulness of their course. . . . While the divine Ruler bears long with perversity, He is not deceived and will not always keep silence. His supremacy, His authority as Ruler of the universe, must finally be acknowledged and the just claims of His law vindicated.  {AG 51.4}
[AG 51.5]          There are limits even to the forbearance of God, and many are exceeding these boundaries. They have overrun the limits of grace, and therefore God must interfere and vindicate His own honor. . . .  {AG 51.5}
[AG 51.6]          When the Lord comes forth as an avenger, He will also come as a protector of all those who have preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world.  {AG 51.6}
[AG 52.1]       Chap. 44 - Qualifying for the Kingdom         Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15.  {AG 52.1}
[AG 52.2]           Christ does not acknowledge any caste, color, or grade as necessary to become a subject of His kingdom. Admittance to His kingdom does not depend upon wealth or a superior heredity. But those who are born of the Spirit are the subjects of His kingdom. Spiritual character is that which will be recognized by Christ. His kingdom is not of this world. His subjects are those who are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And this grace is given them of God. Christ does not find His subjects fitted for His kingdom, but He qualifies them by His divine power. Those who have been dead in trespasses and sins are quickened to spiritual life. The faculties which God has given them for holy purposes are refined, purified, and exalted, and they are led to form characters after the divine similitude. . . .  {AG 52.2}
[AG 52.3]          Christ draws them to Himself by an unseen power. He is the light of life, and He imbues them with His own Spirit. As they are drawn into the spiritual atmosphere, they see that they have been made the sport of Satan's temptations, and that they have been under his dominion; but they break the yoke of fleshly lusts, and refuse to be the servants of sin. . . . They realize that they have exchanged captains, and they take their directions from the lips of Jesus. As a servant looks to his master, and as a maid looks to her mistress, so these souls, drawn by the cords of love to Christ, constantly look unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of their faith. By beholding Jesus, by obeying His requirements, they increase in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. Thus they become changed into His image from character to character until they are distinguished from the world, and it can be written of them: "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10).  {AG 52.3}
[AG 53.1]       Chap. 45 - Sonship         As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12.  {AG 53.1}
[AG 53.2]            When Adam's sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut Himself loose from fallen beings. He might have treated them as sinners deserved to be treated. He might have commanded the angels of heaven to pour out upon our world the vials of His wrath. He might have removed this dark blot from His universe. But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Christ by His human relationship to men drew them close to God. He clothed His divine nature with the garb of humanity, and demonstrated before the heavenly universe, before the unfallen worlds, how much God loves the children of men.  {AG 53.2}
[AG 53.3]          The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all heaven.  {AG 53.3}
[AG 53.4]          Divine sonship is not something that we gain of ourselves. Only to those who receive Christ as their Saviour is given the power to become sons and daughters of God. The sinner cannot, by any power of his own, rid himself of sin. . . . But the promise of sonship is made to all who believe on His name." Every one who comes to Jesus in faith will receive pardon.  {AG 53.4}
[AG 53.5]          God was to be manifest in Christ, "reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Man had become so degraded by sin that it was impossible for him, in himself, to come into harmony with Him whose nature is purity and goodness. But Christ, after having redeemed man from the condemnation of the law, could impart divine power to unite with human effort. Thus by repentance toward God and faith in Christ the fallen children of Adam might once more become "sons of God."  {AG 53.5}
[AG 53.6]          When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ.  {AG 53.6}
[AG 54.1]       Chap. 46 - Adopted Sons and Daughters         Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:5, 6.  {AG 54.1}
[AG 54.2]            Before the foundations of the earth were laid the covenant was made that all who were obedient, all who should through the abundant grace provided become holy in character and without blame before God by appropriating that grace, should be children of God.  {AG 54.2}
[AG 54.3]          We owe everything to grace, free grace, sovereign grace. Grace in the covenant ordained our adoption. Grace in the Saviour effected our redemption, our regeneration, and our adoption to heirship with Christ.  {AG 54.3}
[AG 54.4]          As we fully believe that we are His by adoption, we may have a foretaste of heaven. . . . We have a nearness to Him, and can hold sweet communion with Him. We obtain distinct views of His tenderness and compassion, and our hearts are broken and melted with contemplation of the love that is given to us. We feel indeed an abiding Christ in the soul. We abide in Him, and feel at home with Jesus. . . . We have a realizing sense of the love of God, and we rest in His love. No language can describe it, it is beyond knowledge. We are one with Christ, our life is hid with Christ in God. We have the assurance that when He who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. With strong confidence we can call God our Father.  {AG 54.4}
[AG 54.5]          All who have been born into the heavenly family are in a special sense the brethren of our Lord. The love of Christ binds together the members of His family, and wherever that love is manifest there the divine relationship is revealed. . . .  {AG 54.5}
[AG 54.6]          Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts.  {AG 54.6}
[AG 55.1]       Chap. 47 - The Redemption Price         Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:12.  {AG 55.1}
[AG 55.2]            Every soul is precious, because it has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  {AG 55.2}
[AG 55.3]          Some speak of the Jewish age as a Christless period, without mercy or grace. To such are applicable the words of Christ to the Sadducees, "Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God" (Mark 12:24). The period of the Jewish economy was one of wonderful manifestations of divine power. . . .  {AG 55.3}
[AG 55.4]         The very system of sacrifices was devised by Christ, and given to Adam as typifying a Saviour to come, who would bear the sins of the world, and die for its redemption. . . .  {AG 55.4}
[AG 55.5]          The blood of the Son of God was symbolized by the blood of the slain victim, and God would have clear and definite ideas preserved between the sacred and the common. Blood was sacred, inasmuch as through the shedding of the blood of the Son of God alone could there be atonement for sin. Blood was also used to cleanse the sanctuary from the sins of the people, thus typifying the blood of Christ which alone can cleanse from sin.  {AG 55.5}
[AG 55.6]          Our Saviour declares that He brought from heaven as a donation eternal life. He was to be lifted up upon the cross of Calvary to draw all men unto Him. How then shall we treat the purchased inheritance of Christ? Tenderness, appreciation, kindness, sympathy, and love should be shown to them. Then we may work to help and bless one another. In this work we have more than human brotherhood. We have the exalted companionship of heavenly angels. They cooperate with us in the work of enlightening high and low. . . .  {AG 55.6}
[AG 55.7]          Christ determined in council with His Father to spare nothing, however costly, to withhold nothing however highly it might be estimated, that would rescue the poor sinner. He would give all heaven to this work of salvation, of restoring the moral image of God in man. . . . To be a child of God is to be one with Christ in God, and to put forth our hands in earnest, self-sacrificing love to strengthen and bless the souls that are perishing in their sins.  {AG 55.7}
[AG 56.1]       Chap. 48 - Abraham and His Children         If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29.  {AG 56.1}
[AG 56.2]            Of Abraham it is written that "he was called the friend of God," "the father of all them that believe." . . .  {AG 56.2}
[AG 56.3]          It was a high honor to which Abraham was called, that of being the father of the people who for centuries were the guardians and preservers of the truth of God for the world--of that people through whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed in the advent of the promised Messiah.  {AG 56.3}
[AG 56.4]          Abraham was honored by the surrounding nations as a mighty prince and a wise and able chief. He did not shut away his influence from his neighbors. His life and character, in their marked contrast with those of the worshipers of idols, exerted a telling influence in favor of the true faith. His allegiance to God was unswerving, while his affability and benevolence inspired confidence and friendship, and his unaffected greatness commanded respect and honor.  {AG 56.4}
[AG 56.5]          His religion was not held as a precious treasure to be jealously guarded and enjoyed solely by the possessor. True religion cannot be thus held; for such a spirit is contrary to the principles of the gospel. While Christ is dwelling in the heart, it is impossible to conceal the light of His presence, or for that light to grow dim. On the contrary, it will grow brighter and brighter as day by day the mists of selfishness and sin that envelop the soul are dispelled by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness.  {AG 56.5}
[AG 56.6]          The people of God are His representatives upon the earth, and He intends that they shall be lights in the moral darkness of this world. Scattered all over the country, in the towns, cities, and villages, they are God's witnesses, the channels through which He will communicate to an unbelieving world the knowledge of His will and the wonders of His grace. It is His plan that all who are partakers of the great salvation shall be missionaries for Him. The piety of the Christian constitutes the standard by which worldlings judge the gospel. Trials patiently borne, blessings gratefully received, meekness, kindness, mercy, and love, habitually exhibited, are the lights that shine forth in the character before the world.  {AG 56.6}
[AG 57.1]       Chap. 49 - Citizens of Heaven         Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19.  {AG 57.1}
[AG 57.2]            The people of God--the true Israel--though scattered throughout all nations, are on earth but sojourners, whose citizenship is in heaven.  {AG 57.2}
[AG 57.3]          The condition of being received into the Lord's family is coming out from the world, separating from all its contaminating influences. The people of God are to have no connection with idolatry in any of its forms. They are to reach a higher standard. We are to be distinguished from the world, and then God says, "I will receive you as members of My royal family, children of the heavenly King." As believers in the truth we are to be distinct in practice from sin and sinners. Our citizenship is in heaven.  {AG 57.3}
[AG 57.4]          We should realize more clearly the value of the promises God has made to us, and appreciate more deeply the honor He has given us. God can bestow no higher honor upon mortals than to adopt them into His family, giving them the privilege of calling Him Father. There is no degradation in becoming children of God.  {AG 57.4}
[AG 57.5]          We are strangers and pilgrims in this world. We are to wait, watch, pray, and work. The whole mind, the whole soul, the whole heart, and the whole strength are purchased by the blood of the Son of God. We are not to feel it our duty to wear a pilgrim's dress of just such a color, just such a shape, but neat, modest apparel, that the word of inspiration teaches us we should wear. If our hearts are united with Christ's heart, we shall have a most intense desire to be clothed with His righteousness. Nothing will be put upon the person to attract attention, or to create controversy.  {AG 57.5}
[AG 57.6]          Christianity--how many there are who do not know what it is! It is not something put on the outside. It is a life inwrought with the life of Jesus. It means that we are wearing the robe of Christ's righteousness.  {AG 57.6}
[AG 57.7]          Citizens of heaven will make the best citizens of earth. A correct view of our duty to God leads to clear perceptions of our duty to our fellow men.  {AG 57.7}
[AG 58.1]       Chap. 50 - The Test of Loyalty         He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21.  {AG 58.1}
[AG 58.2]            It is essential that every subject of the kingdom of God should be obedient to the law of Jehovah. . . . The fact that the law is holy, just, and good is to be testified before all nations, tongues, and peoples, to worlds unfallen, to angels, seraphim, and cherubim. The principles of the law of God were wrought out in the character of Jesus Christ, and he who cooperates with Christ, becoming a partaker of the divine nature, will develop the divine character, and become an illustration of the divine law. . . .  {AG 58.2}
[AG 58.3]          The more we study the attributes of the character of God as revealed in Christ, the more we see that justice has been sustained in the sacrifice that met the penalty of the law, . . . in order that man might have another probation. . . . Those who are obedient to the law of the government of God while in this brief probation, . . . will be pronounced in heaven loyal children of the Lord of Hosts. . . .  {AG 58.3}
[AG 58.4]          By both creation and redemption we are the Lord's property. We are absolutely His subjects, and amenable to the laws of His kingdom. Let no one foster the delusion that the Lord God of heaven and earth has no law by which to control and govern His subjects. We are dependent upon God for everything we enjoy. The food which we eat, the clothing we wear, the atmosphere we breathe, the life we enjoy from day to day, are received from God. We are under obligation to be governed by His will, to acknowledge Him as our supreme ruler. . . .  {AG 58.4}
[AG 58.5]          We are under a debt of gratitude to God for the revelation of His love in Christ Jesus; and as intelligent human agents, we are to reveal to the world the manner of character that will result from obedience to every specification of the law of God's government. In perfect obedience to His holy will, we are to manifest adoration, love, cheerfulness, and praise, and thus honor and glorify God. It is in this way alone that man may reveal the character of God in Christ to the world, and make manifest to men that happiness, peace, assurance, and grace come from obedience to the law of God.  {AG 58.5}
[AG 59.1]       Chap. 51 - God's Claims are First         We ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29.  {AG 59.1}
[AG 59.2]            The message that we have to bear is not one that we need cringe to declare. Its advocates are not to seek to cover it, to conceal its origin and purpose. As those who have made solemn vows to God, and who have been commissioned as the messengers of Christ, as stewards of the mysteries of grace, we are under obligation to declare faithfully the whole counsel of God.  {AG 59.2}
[AG 59.3]          We are not to make less prominent the special truths that have separated us from the world, and made us what we are; for they are fraught with eternal interests. God has given us light in regard to the things that are now taking place, and with pen and voice we are to proclaim the truth to the world.  {AG 59.3}
[AG 59.4]          The Sabbath is the Lord's test, and no man, be he king, priest, or ruler, is authorized to come between God and man. Those who seek to be conscience for their fellow men, place themselves above God. Those who are under the influence of a false religion, who observe a spurious rest day, will set aside the most positive evidence in regard to the true Sabbath. They will try to compel men to obey the laws of their own creation, laws that are directly opposed to the law of God. . . . The law for the observance of the first day of the week is the production of an apostate Christendom. . . . In no case are God's people to pay it homage.  {AG 59.4}
[AG 59.5]          The banner of truth and religious liberty held aloft by the founders of the gospel church and by God's witnesses during the centuries that have passed since then, has, in this last conflict, been committed to our hands. . . . We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must obey God rather than men. God's word must be recognized as above all human legislation. A "Thus saith the Lord" is not to be set aside for a "Thus saith the church" or a "Thus saith the state." The crown of Christ is to be lifted above the diadems of earthly potentates.  {AG 59.5}
[AG 60.1]       Chap. 52 - Above Earthly Kingdoms         Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19.  {AG 60.1}
[AG 60.2]            The qualities which shine with greatest luster in the kingdoms of the world, have no place in Christ's spiritual kingdom. That which is highly exalted among men, and brings exaltation to its possessor, such as caste, rank, position, or wealth, is not esteemed in the spiritual kingdom. The Lord says, "Them that honour me, I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). In Christ's kingdom men are distinguished according to their piety. . . .  {AG 60.2}
[AG 60.3]          The kingdom of heaven is of a higher order than any earthly kingdom. Whether we shall have a higher position or a lower position, will not be determined by our rank, wealth, or education, but by the character of the obedience rendered to the word of God. Those who have been actuated by selfishness and human ambition, who have been striving to be greatest, who have been self-important, who have felt above confessing mistakes and errors, will have no place in the kingdom of God. Whether men will be honored as members of the royal family of God, will be determined by the manner in which they bear the test and proving of God that is brought to bear upon them in this life. Those who have not been self-denying, who have not manifested sympathy for the woes of others, who have not cultivated the precious attributes of love, who have not manifested forbearance and meekness in this life, will not be changed when Christ comes. . . .  {AG 60.3}
[AG 60.4]          The character which we now manifest is deciding our future destiny. The happiness of heaven will be found by conforming to the will of God, and if men become members of the royal family in heaven, it will be because heaven has begun with them on earth. They have cherished the mind of Christ, and when the call comes, "Child, come up higher," the righteous will take every grace, every precious, sanctified ability, into the courts above, and exchange earth for heaven. God knows who are the loyal and true subjects of His kingdom on earth, and those who do His will upon earth as it is done in heaven, will be made the members of the royal family above.  {AG 60.4}
[AG 61.1]       Chap. 53 - Blessings Through Obedience         I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8.  {AG 61.1}
[AG 61.2]           What a God is our God! He rules over His kingdom with diligence and care, and He has built a hedge--the Ten Commandments--about His subjects to preserve them from the results of transgression. In requiring obedience to the laws of His kingdom, God gives His people health and happiness, peace and joy. He teaches them that the perfection of character He requires can be attained only by becoming familiar with His Word.  {AG 61.2}
[AG 61.3]          The true seeker, who is striving to be like Jesus in word, life, and character, will contemplate his Redeemer and, by beholding, become changed into His image, because he longs and prays for the same disposition and mind that was in Christ Jesus. . . . He longs after God. The history of his Redeemer, the immeasurable sacrifice that He made, becomes full of meaning to him. Christ, the Majesty of heaven, became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich; not rich merely in endowments, but rich in attainments.  {AG 61.3}
[AG 61.4]          These are the riches that Christ earnestly longs that His followers shall possess. As the true seeker after the truth reads the Word and opens his mind to receive the Word, he longs after truth with his whole heart. The love, the pity, the tenderness, the courtesy, the Christian politeness, which will be the elements in the heavenly mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him, take possession of his soul. His purpose is steadfast. He is determined to stand on the side of righteousness. Truth has found its way into the heart, and is planted there by the Holy Spirit, who is the truth. When truth takes hold of the heart, the man gives sure evidence of this by becoming a steward of the grace of Christ.  {AG 61.4}
[AG 61.5]          Each steward has his own special work to do for the advancement of God's kingdom. . . . The talents of speech, memory, influence, property, are to accumulate for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. He will bless the right use of His gifts.  {AG 61.5}
[AG 62.1]       Chap. 54 - Stewards of God's Grace         As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10.  {AG 62.1}
[AG 62.2]            The knowledge of God's grace, the truths of His Word, and temporal gifts as well--time and means, talents and influence-- are all a trust from God to be employed to His glory and the salvation of men. Nothing can be more offensive to God, who is constantly bestowing His gifts upon man, than to see him selfishly grasping these gifts and making no returns to the Giver. Jesus is today in heaven preparing mansions for those who love Him; yes, more than mansions, a kingdom which is to be ours. But all who shall inherit these blessings must be partakers of the self-denial and self-sacrifice of Christ for the good of others.  {AG 62.2}
[AG 62.3]          Never was there greater need of earnest, self-sacrificing labor in the cause of Christ than now, when the hours of probation are fast closing and the last message of mercy is to be given to the world. . . .  {AG 62.3}
[AG 62.4]          All that men receive of God's bounty still belongs to God. Whatever He has bestowed in the valuable and beautiful things of earth is placed in our hands to test us, to sound the depths of our love for Him and our appreciation of His favors. Whether it be the treasures of wealth or of intellect, they are to be laid, a willing offering, at the feet of Jesus. . . .  {AG 62.4}
[AG 62.5]          Whatever we render to God is, through His mercy and generosity, placed to our account as faithful stewards. . . . Angels of God, whose perceptions are unclouded by sin, recognize the endowments of heaven as bestowed with the intention that they be returned in such a way as to add to the glory of the great Giver. With the sovereignty of God is bound up the well-being of man. The glory of God is the joy and the blessing of all created beings. When we seek to promote His glory we are seeking for ourselves the highest good which it is possible for us to receive. . . . God calls for the consecration to His service of every faculty, of every gift, you have received from Him. He wants you to say, with David: "All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (1 Chronicles 29:14).  {AG 62.5}
[AG 63.1]       Chap. 55 - Stewards of Truth         Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. Psalm 66:16.  {AG 63.1}
[AG 63.2]           Wherever there is life, there is increase and growth; in God's kingdom there is a constant interchange--taking in, and giving out; receiving, and returning to the Lord His own. God works with every true believer, and the light and blessings received are given out again in the work which the believer does. Thus the capacity for receiving is increased. As one imparts of the heavenly gifts, he makes room for fresh currents of grace and truth to flow into the soul from the living fountain. Greater light, increased knowledge and blessing, are his. In this work, which devolves upon every church member, is the life and growth of the church. He whose life consists in ever receiving and never giving, soon loses the blessing. If truth does not flow forth from him to others, he loses his capacity to receive. We must impart the goods of heaven if we desire fresh blessings.  {AG 63.2}
[AG 63.3]          As the knowledge of truth is imparted, it will increase. All who receive the gospel message into the heart will long to proclaim it. The heaven-born love of Christ must find expression. Those who have put on Christ will relate their experience, tracing step by step the leadings of the Holy Spirit--their hungering and thirsting for the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, the results of their searching of the Scriptures, their prayers, their soul agony, and the words of Christ to them, "Thy sins be forgiven thee."  {AG 63.3}
[AG 63.4]          It is unnatural for any to keep these things secret, and those who are filled with the love of Christ will not do so. In proportion as the Lord has made them the depositaries of sacred truth will be their desire that others shall receive the same blessing. And as they make known the rich treasures of God's grace, more and still more of the grace of Christ will be imparted to them. They will have the heart of a little child in its simplicity and unreserved obedience. Their souls will pant after holiness and more and more of the treasures of truth and grace will be revealed to them to be given to the world.  {AG 63.4}
[AG 64.1]       Chap. 56 - Stewards of Strength         Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Mark 12:30.  {AG 64.1}
[AG 64.2]            To every man is committed individual gifts, termed talents. Some regard these talents as being limited to certain men who possess superior mental endowments and genius. But God has not restricted the bestowal of His talents to a favored few. To every one is committed some special endowment, for which he will be held responsible by the Lord. Time, reason, means, strength, mental powers, tenderness of heart--all are gifts from God, entrusted to be used in the great work of blessing humanity.  {AG 64.2}
[AG 64.3]          In the capital of strength a precious talent has been entrusted to men for labor. This is of more value than any bank deposit, and should be more highly prized. . . . It is a blessing that cannot be purchased with gold or silver, houses or lands; and God requires it to be used wisely. No man has a right to sacrifice this talent to the corroding influence of inaction. All are as accountable for the capital of physical strength as for their capital of means. . . .  {AG 64.3}
[AG 64.4]          The essential lesson of contented industry in the necessary duties of life is yet to be learned by many of Christ's followers. It requires more grace, more stern discipline of character, to work for God in the capacity of mechanic, merchant, lawyer, or farmer, carrying the precepts of Christianity into the ordinary business of life, than to labor as an acknowledged missionary in the open field. It requires a strong spiritual nerve to bring religion into the workshop and the business office, sanctifying the details of everyday life, and ordering every transaction according to the standard of God's word. But this is what the Lord requires.  {AG 64.4}
[AG 64.5]          Religion and business are not two separate things; they are one. Bible religion is to be interwoven with all we do or say. Divine and human agencies are to combine in temporal as well as in spiritual achievements.  {AG 64.5}
[AG 64.6]          We are to love God, not only with all the heart, mind, and soul, but with all the strength. This covers the full, intelligent use of the physical powers.  {AG 64.6}
[AG 65.1]       Chap. 57 - Stewards of Influence         Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God. Hebrews 12:12-15.  {AG 65.1}
[AG 65.2]            These words should teach us to be very careful how we snap the thread of our faith by dwelling on our difficulties until they are large in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, who cannot read our inner, heart life. All should remember that the conversation has a great influence for good or for ill. . . . Do not allow the enemy so to use your tongue. . . . Do not exert an influence that will break the hold of any trembling soul from God. . . .  {AG 65.2}
[AG 65.3]          The graces of Christ's Spirit must be cherished and revealed by the sons and daughters of God. By their humility, their penitence, their desire to be like Jesus, to be conformed to His will by practicing His lessons in their daily life, they honor Him. . . .  {AG 65.3}
[AG 65.4]          "Ye are God's husbandry" (1 Corinthians 3:9). As one takes pleasure in the cultivation of a garden, so God takes pleasure in His believing sons and daughters. A garden demands constant labor. The weeds must be removed; new plants must be set out; branches that are making too rapid development must be pruned back. So the Lord works for His garden, so He tends His plants. He cannot take pleasure in any development that does not reveal the graces of the character of Christ. The blood of Christ has made men and women God's precious charge. Then how careful should we be not to manifest too much freedom in pulling up the plants that God has placed in His garden! Some plants are so feeble that they have hardly any life, and for these the Lord has a special care.  {AG 65.4}
[AG 65.5]          In all your transactions with your fellow men, never forget that you are dealing with God's property. Be kind; be pitiful; be courteous. Respect God's purchased possession. Treat one another with tenderness and courtesy. Exert every God-given faculty to become examples to others. . . .  {AG 65.5}
[AG 65.6]          Let Him who knows the heart and all its waywardness be able to deal with you in mercy because you have shown mercy and compassion and love. . . . (Hebrews 12:13).  {AG 65.6}
[AG 66.1]       Chap. 58 - Your Royal Birth         We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1.  {AG 66.1}
[AG 66.2]            Many who claim to be Christians are not Christians. . . . God takes none to heaven but those who are first made saints in this world through the grace of Christ, those in whom He can see Christ exemplified. . . .  {AG 66.2}
[AG 66.3]          "The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (James 5:11). . . . He looks upon His redeemed heritage with pity. He is ready to pardon their sins if they will surrender and be loyal to Him. In order to be just, and yet the justifier of the sinner, He laid the punishment of sin upon His only begotten Son. . . . For Christ's sake He pardons those that fear Him. He does not see in them the vileness of the sinner; He recognizes in them the likeness of His Son, in whom they believe. In this way only can God take pleasure in any of us. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).  {AG 66.3}
[AG 66.4]          Were it not for Christ's atoning sacrifice, there would be nothing in us in which God could delight. All the natural goodness of man is worthless in God's sight. He does not take pleasure in any man who retains his old nature, and is not so renewed in knowledge and grace that he is a new man in Christ. Our education, our talents, our means, are gifts entrusted to us by God, that He may test us. If we use them for self-glorification, God says, "I cannot delight in them; for Christ has died for them in vain." . . .  {AG 66.4}
[AG 66.5]          To adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour, we must have the mind that was in Christ. Our likes and dislikes, our desire to be first, to favor self to the disadvantage of others, must be overcome. The peace of God must rule in our hearts. Christ must be in us a living, working principle. . . .  {AG 66.5}
[AG 66.6]          By your obedience to God, respect yourselves as the purchased possession of His dear Son. Seek to be uplifted in Christ. This work is as lasting as eternity. . . . Shall we, sons and daughters of God, forget our royal birth? Shall we not rather honor our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Shall we not show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light?  {AG 66.6}
[AG 67.1]       Chap. 59 - A Share in Christ's Kingdom         I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:29, 30.  {AG 67.1}
[AG 67.2]            What a promise is this! Christ's faithful ones are to be sharers with Him in the kingdom He has received from His Father. This is a spiritual kingdom, in which those who are most active in serving their brethren are the greatest. Christ's servants, under His direction, are to administer the affairs of His kingdom. They are to eat and drink at His table, that is, be admitted to near communion with Him.  {AG 67.2}
[AG 67.3]          Those who search for worldly distinction and glory make a sad mistake. It is the one who denies self, giving to others the preference, who will sit nearest to Christ on His throne. He who reads the heart sees the true merit possessed by His lowly, self-sacrificing disciples, and because they are worthy He places them in positions of distinction, though they do not realize their worthiness and do not seek for honor. . . .  {AG 67.3}
[AG 67.4]          God places no value on outward display or boasting. Many who in this life are looked upon as superior to others, will one day see that God values men according to their compassion and self-denial. . . . Those who follow the example of Him who went about doing good, who help and bless their fellow men, trying always to lift them up, are in God's sight infinitely higher than the selfish ones who exalt themselves.  {AG 67.4}
[AG 67.5]          God does not accept men because of their capabilities, but because they seek His face, desiring His help. God sees not as man sees. He judges not from appearances. He searches the heart, and judges righteously. . . .  {AG 67.5}
[AG 67.6]          He accepts and communes with His lowly, unpretentious followers; for in them He sees the most precious material, which will stand the test of storm and tempest, heat and pressure. Our object in working for the Master should be that His name may be glorified in the conversion of sinners. . . .  {AG 67.6}
[AG 67.7]         Let us rejoice that the Lord does not measure the workers in His vineyard by their learning or by the educational advantages they have had. The tree is judged by its fruit. The Lord will cooperate with those who cooperate with Him.  {AG 67.7}
[AG 68.1]       Chap. 60 - Heaven's Highest Attraction         Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16.  {AG 68.1}
[AG 68.2]            After pointing to Christ, the compassionate intercessor who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," the apostle says: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. . . ." The throne of grace represents the kingdom of grace; for the existence of a throne implies the existence of a kingdom.  {AG 68.2}
[AG 68.3]          God's appointments and grants in our behalf are without limit. The throne of grace is itself the highest attraction because occupied by One who permits us to call Him Father. But God did not deem the principle of salvation complete while invested only with His own love. By His appointment He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature. As our Intercessor, His office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. Christ intercedes in behalf of those who have received Him. To them He gives power, by virtue of His own merits, to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. And the Father demonstrates His infinite love for Christ, who paid our ransom with His blood, by receiving and welcoming Christ's friends as His friends. He is satisfied with the atonement made. He is glorified by the incarnation, the life, death, and mediation of His Son.  {AG 68.3}
[AG 68.4]          No sooner does the child of God approach the mercy seat than he becomes the client of the great Advocate. At his first utterance of penitence and appeal for pardon Christ espouses his case and makes it His own, presenting the supplication before the Father as His own request.  {AG 68.4}
[AG 68.5]          As Christ intercedes in our behalf, the Father lays open all the treasures of His grace for our appropriation, to be enjoyed and to be communicated to others. "Ask in my name," Christ says; "I do not say that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loveth you, because you have loved Me. Make use of My name. This will give your prayers efficiency, and the Father will give you the riches of His grace; wherefore, 'ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full' (John 16:24)."  {AG 68.5}
[AG 69.1]       Chap. 61 - Christ is Priest Upon the Throne         Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Hebrews 4:14.  {AG 69.1}
[AG 69.2]            In the temple in heaven, the dwelling place of God, His throne is established in righteousness and judgment. In the most holy place is His law, the great rule of right by which all mankind are tested. The ark that enshrines the tables of the law is covered with the mercy seat, before which Christ pleads His blood in the sinner's behalf. Thus is represented the union of justice and mercy in the plan of human redemption. . . .  {AG 69.2}
[AG 69.3]          As a priest, Christ is now set down with the Father in His throne. Upon the throne with the eternal, self-existent One, is He who "hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4), who "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).... "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father" (1 John 2:1). His intercession is that of a pierced and broken body, of a spotless life. The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead for fallen man, whose redemption was purchased at such infinite cost.  {AG 69.3}
[AG 69.4]          The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. . . . Through defects in the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome. But Jesus pleads in their behalf His wounded hands, His bruised body; and He declares to all who would follow Him: "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9). . . . Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome them.  {AG 69.4}
[AG 69.5]          We are now living in the great day of atonement. . . . All who would have their names retained in the book of life should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart.  {AG 69.5}
[AG 70.1]       Chap. 62 - Encircled by a Rainbow         Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne . . . and there was a rainbow round about the throne. Revelation 4:2, 3.  {AG 70.1}
[AG 70.2]            The rainbow of promise encircling the throne on high is an everlasting testimony that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It testifies to the universe that God will never forsake His people in their struggle with evil. It is an assurance to us of strength and protection as long as the throne itself shall endure.  {AG 70.2}
[AG 70.3]          As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God.  {AG 70.3}
[AG 70.4]          It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world's Redeemer and the law of Jehovah, to exclaim, "Thy gentleness hath made me great" (2 Samuel 22:36). We know that the gospel is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability of the law of God. . . . Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is sacrificed to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King.  {AG 70.4}
[AG 70.5]          By faith let us look upon the rainbow round about the throne, the cloud of sins confessed behind it. The rainbow of promise is an assurance to every humble, contrite, believing soul, that his life is one with Christ, and that Christ is one with God. The wrath of God will not fall upon one soul that seeks refuge in Him. God Himself has declared, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." "The bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant" (Exodus 12:13; Genesis 9:16).  {AG 70.5}
[AG 71.1]       Chap. 63 - In the Most Holy Place         The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20.  {AG 71.1}
[AG 71.2]            I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus' countenance and admired His lovely person. The Father's person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form like Himself. He said He had, but I could not behold it, for said He, "If you should once behold the glory of His person, you would cease to exist." . . .  {AG 71.2}
[AG 71.3]          I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. . . . Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father.  {AG 71.3}
[AG 71.4]          Two lovely cherubs, one on each side of the ark, stood with their wings outstretched above it, and touching each other above the head of Jesus as He stood before the mercy seat. Their faces were turned toward each other, and they looked downward to the ark, representing all the angelic host looking with interest at the law of God. Between the cherubim was a golden censer, and as the prayers of the saints, offered in faith, came up to Jesus, and He presented them to His Father, a cloud of fragrance arose from the incense, looking like smoke of most beautiful colors. Above the place where Jesus stood, before the ark, was exceedingly bright glory that I could not look upon; it appeared like the throne of God.  {AG 71.4}
[AG 71.5]          Our crucified Lord is pleading for us in the presence of the Father at the throne of grace. His atoning sacrifice we may plead for our pardon, our justification, and our sanctification. The lamb slain is our only hope. Our faith looks up to Him, grasps Him as the One who can save to the uttermost, and the fragrance of the all-sufficient offering is accepted of the Father. . . . Christ's glory is concerned in our success. He has a common interest in all humanity. He is our sympathizing Saviour.  {AG 71.5}
[AG 72.1]       Chap. 64 - Guarded by Seraphim         I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1.  {AG 72.1}
[AG 72.2]            When God was about to send Isaiah with a message to His people, He first permitted the prophet to look in vision into the holy of holies within the sanctuary. Suddenly the gate and the inner veil of the temple seemed to be uplifted or withdrawn, and he was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where even the prophet's feet might not enter. There rose before him a vision of Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, while the train of His glory filled the temple. Around the throne were seraphim, as guards about the great King, and they reflected the glory that surrounded them. As their songs of praise resounded in deep notes of adoration, the pillars of the gate trembled, as if shaken by an earthquake. With lips unpolluted by sin, these angels poured forth the praises of God. "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts," they cried: "the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3).  {AG 72.2}
[AG 72.3]          The seraphim around the throne are so filled with reverential awe as they behold the glory of God, that they do not for an instant look upon themselves with admiration. Their praise is for the Lord of hosts. As they look into the future, when the whole earth shall be filled with His glory, the triumphant song is echoed from one to another in melodious chant, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts." They are fully satisfied to glorify God; abiding in His presence, beneath His smile of approbation, they wish for nothing more.  {AG 72.3}
[AG 72.4]          The world that Satan has claimed and has ruled over with cruel tyranny, the Son of God has, by one vast achievement, encircled in His love and connected again with the throne of Jehovah. Cherubim and seraphim, and the unnumbered hosts of all the unfallen worlds, sang anthems of praise to God and the Lamb when this triumph was assured. They rejoiced that the way of salvation had been opened to the fallen race and that the earth would be redeemed from the curse of sin. How much more should those rejoice who are the objects of such amazing love! How can we ever be in doubt and uncertainty, and feel that we are orphans?  {AG 72.4}
[AG 73.1]       Chap. 65 - Founded on Righteousness         Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Psalm 97:2, N.E.B.  {AG 73.1}
[AG 73.2]           In all His dealings with His creatures God has maintained the principles of righteousness by revealing sin in its true character--by demonstrating that its sure result is misery and death. The unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and never will be. Such pardon would show the abandonment of the principles of righteousness, which are the very foundation of the government of God. It would fill the unfallen universe with consternation. God has faithfully pointed out the results of sin, and if these warnings were not true, how could we be sure that His promises would be fulfilled? That so-called benevolence which would set aside justice, is not benevolence, but weakness.  {AG 73.2}
[AG 73.3]          God is the life-giver. From the beginning, all His laws were ordained to life. But sin broke in upon the order that God had established, and discord followed. So long as sin exists, suffering and death are inevitable. It is only because the Redeemer has borne the curse of sin in our behalf, that man can hope to escape, in his own person, its dire results.  {AG 73.3}
[AG 73.4]          We are to accept of Christ as our personal Saviour, and He imputes unto us the righteousness of God in Christ. . . . "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).  {AG 73.4}
[AG 73.5]          In the love of God has been opened the most marvelous vein of precious truth, and the treasures of the grace of Christ are laid open before the church and the world.... What love is this, what marvelous, unfathomable love that would lead Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners. What a loss it is to the soul who understands the strong claims of the law, and who yet fails to understand the grace of Christ which doth much more abound. . . . Look at the cross of Calvary. It is a standing pledge of the boundless love, the measureless mercy of the heavenly Father.  {AG 73.5}
[AG 73.6]          There is a God in Israel, with whom is deliverance for all that are oppressed. Righteousness is the habitation of His throne.  {AG 73.6}
[AG 74.1]       Chap. 66 - Established in Justice and Judgment         Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psalm 89:14.  {AG 74.1}
[AG 74.2]           Through Jesus, God's mercy was manifested to men; but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God's character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man's redemption. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). . . .  {AG 74.2}
[AG 74.3]          God's love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan's purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness of God's law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God's plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10).  {AG 74.3}
[AG 74.4]         By His life and His death, Christ proved that God's justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan's charges were refuted.  {AG 74.4}
[AG 74.5]          The grace of Christ and the law of God are inseparable. In Jesus mercy and truth are met together.... He was the representative of God and the exemplar of humanity. He presented to the world what humanity might become when united by faith with divinity. The only-begotten Son of God took upon Him the nature of man, and established His cross between earth and heaven. Through the cross, man was drawn to God, and God to man. Justice moved from its high and awful position, and the heavenly hosts, the armies of holiness, drew near to the cross, bowing with reverence; for at the cross justice was satisfied. Through the cross the sinner was drawn from the stronghold of sin, from the confederacy of evil, and at every approach to the cross his heart relents and in penitence he cries, "It was my sins that crucified the Son of God." At the cross he leaves his sins, and through the grace of Christ his character is transformed.  {AG 74.5}
[AG 75.1]       Chap. 67 - Fountain of Life and Power         Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Revelation 5:13.  {AG 75.1}
[AG 75.2]            God desires His obedient children to claim His blessing and to come before Him with praise and thanksgiving. God is the Fountain of life and power. . . . He has done for His chosen people that which should inspire every heart with thanksgiving, and it grieves Him that so little praise is offered. He desires to have a stronger expression from His people, showing that they know they have reason for joy and gladness.  {AG 75.2}
[AG 75.3]          The dealings of God with His people should be often repeated. How frequently were the waymarks set up by the Lord in His dealings with ancient Israel! Lest they should forget the history of the past, He commanded Moses to frame these events into song, that parents might teach them to their children. . . . For His people in this generation the Lord has wrought as a wonder-working God. The past history of the cause of God needs to be often brought before the people, young and old. We need often to recount God's goodness and to praise Him for His wonderful works. . . .  {AG 75.3}
[AG 75.4]          The church of God below is one with the church of God above. Believers on the earth and the beings in heaven who have never fallen constitute one church. Every heavenly intelligence is interested in the assemblies of the saints who on earth meet to worship God. In the inner court of heaven they listen to the testimony of the witnesses for Christ in the outer court on earth, and the praise and thanksgiving from the worshipers below is taken up in the heavenly anthem, and praise and rejoicing sound through the heavenly courts because Christ has not died in vain for the fallen sons of Adam. While angels drink from the fountainhead, the saints on earth drink of the pure streams flowing from the throne, the streams that make glad the city of our God. Oh, that we could all realize the nearness of heaven to earth! . . . In every assembly of the saints below are angels of God, listening to the testimonies, songs, and prayers. Let us remember that our praises are supplemented by the choirs of the angelic host above.  {AG 75.4}
[AG 76.1]       Chap. 68 - Center of Worship         I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth. Psalm 138:2.  {AG 76.1}
[AG 76.2]           The bright and cheerful side of our religion will be represented by all who are daily consecrated to God. . . . While we review, not the dark chapters in our experience, but the manifestations of God's great mercy and unfailing love, we shall praise far more than complain. We shall talk of the loving faithfulness of God as the true, tender, compassionate shepherd of His flock, which He has declared that none shall pluck out of His hand. The language of the heart will not be selfish murmuring and repining. Praise, like clear-flowing streams, will come from God's truly believing ones. . . .  {AG 76.2}
[AG 76.3]          The temple of God is opened in heaven, and the threshold is flushed with the glory of God which is for every church that will love God and keep His commandments. We need to study, to meditate, and to pray. Then we shall have spiritual eyesight to discern the inner courts of the celestial temple. We shall catch the themes of song and thanksgiving of the heavenly choir round about the throne. When Zion shall arise and shine, her light will be most penetrating, and precious songs of praise and thanksgiving will be heard in the assemblies of the saints. Murmuring and complaining over little disappointments and difficulties will cease. . . . We shall see our Advocate offering up the incense of His own merits in our behalf. . . .  {AG 76.3}
[AG 76.4]          God teaches that we should assemble in His house to cultivate the attributes of perfect love. This will fit the dwellers of earth for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for all who love Him. There they will assemble in the sanctuary from Sabbath to Sabbath, from one new moon to another, to unite in loftiest strains of song, in praise and thanksgiving to Him who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.  {AG 76.4}
[AG 76.5]          Our God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, declares: "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me" (Psalm 50:23). All heaven unite in praising God. Let us learn the song of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join their shining ranks. Let us say with the psalmist: "While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being" (Psalm 146:2).  {AG 76.5}
[AG 77.1]      Chap. 69 - Source of Compassion and Mercy         Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Psalm 45:6.  {AG 77.1}
[AG 77.2]           Though now He has ascended to the presence of God, and shares the throne of the universe, Jesus has lost none of His compassionate nature. Today, the same tender, sympathizing heart is open to all the woes of humanity. Today the hand that was pierced is reached forth to bless more abundantly His people that are in the world. . . .  {AG 77.2}
[AG 77.3]          Through all our trials we have a never-failing Helper. He does not leave us alone to struggle with temptation, to battle with evil, and be finally crushed with burdens and sorrow. Though now He is hidden from mortal sight, the ear of faith can hear His voice saying, Fear not; I am with you. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore" (Revelation 1:18).  {AG 77.3}
[AG 77.4]          Those who put away iniquity from their hearts and stretch out their hands in earnest supplication unto God will have that help which God alone can give them. A ransom has been paid for the souls of men, that they may have an opportunity to escape from the thralldom of sin and obtain pardon, purity, and heaven. . . . Those who frequent the throne of grace, offering up sincere, earnest petitions for divine wisdom and power, will not fail to become active, useful servants of Christ. They may not possess great talents, but with humility of heart and firm reliance upon Jesus they may do a good work in bringing souls to Christ. . . .  {AG 77.4}
[AG 77.5]          Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. . . . God is a God of truth. Justice and mercy are the attributes of His throne. He is a God of love, of pity and tender compassion. Thus He is represented in His Son, our Saviour. He is a God of patience and long-suffering. If such is the being whom we adore and to whose character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true God.  {AG 77.5}
[AG 77.6]          If we are following Christ, His merits, imputed to us, come up before the Father as sweet odor. And the graces of our Saviour's character, implanted in our hearts, will shed around us a precious fragrance.  {AG 77.6}
[AG 78.1]       Chap. 70 - A Sympathizing High Priest         Thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Psalm 9:4.  {AG 78.1}
[AG 78.2]           We do not understand the greatness and majesty of God nor remember the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creatures formed by His hand. He who sitteth in the heavens, swaying the scepter of the universe, does not judge according to our finite standard, nor reckon according to our computation. We are in error if we think that that which is great to us must be great to God, and that that which is small to us must be small to Him. . . .  {AG 78.2}
[AG 78.3]          No sin is small in the sight of God. The sins which man is disposed to look upon as small may be the very ones which God accounts as great crimes. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven, while pride, selfishness, and covetousness go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God. . . . We need clear discernment, that we may measure sin by the Lord's standard.  {AG 78.3}
[AG 78.4]          Now, while probation lingers, it does not become one to pronounce sentence upon others and look to himself as a model man. Christ is our model; imitate Him, plant your feet in His steps. You may professedly believe every point of present truth, but unless you practice these truths it will avail you nothing. We are not to condemn others; this is not our work; but we should love one another and pray for one another. When we see one err from the truth, then we may weep over him as Christ wept over Jerusalem. Let us see what our heavenly Father in His word says about the erring: "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). . . .  {AG 78.4}
[AG 78.5]          Jesus cares for each one as though there were not another individual on the face of the earth. As Deity He exerts mighty power in our behalf, while as our Elder Brother He feels for all our woes. The Majesty of heaven held not Himself aloof from degraded, sinful humanity. We have not a high priest who is so high, so lifted up, that He cannot notice us or sympathize with us, but one who was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  {AG 78.5}
[AG 79.1]       Chap. 71 - Christ Shares His Father's Throne         The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psalm 110:1.  {AG 79.1}
[AG 79.2]           The love of the Father toward a fallen race is unfathomable, indescribable, without a parallel. This love led Him to consent to give His only begotten Son to die, that rebellious man might be brought into harmony with the government of Heaven, and be saved from the penalty of his transgression. The Son of God stepped down from His royal throne, and for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich. He became "a Man of sorrows," that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy. . . . God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory to a world marred and blighted with sin, shadowed with the shadow of death and the curse.  {AG 79.2}
[AG 79.3]          Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Saviour's life on earth, we see "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). . . .  {AG 79.3}
[AG 79.4]          By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey. . . . The Child of Bethlehem, the meek and lowly Saviour, is God "manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). . . . "God with us" is the surety of our deliverance from sin, the assurance of our power to obey the law of heaven. . . .  {AG 79.4}
[AG 79.5]          In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. . . . "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: . . ." (Isaiah 9:6). God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. It is the "Son of man" who shares the throne of the universe. . . . In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love.  {AG 79.5}
[AG 80.1]       Chap. 72 - God's Law is Linked with His Throne         Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119:18.  {AG 80.1}
[AG 80.2]           God has given His holy law to man as His measure of character. By this law you may see and overcome every defect in your character. You may sever yourself from every idol, and link yourself to the throne of God by the golden chain of grace and truth.  {AG 80.2}
[AG 80.3]          The moral law was never a type or a shadow. It existed before man's creation, and will endure as long as God's throne remains. God could not change nor alter one precept of His law in order to save man; for the law is the foundation of His government. It is unchangeable, unalterable, infinite, and eternal. In order for man to be saved, and for the honor of the law to be maintained, it was necessary for the Son of God to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. He who knew no sin became sin for us, He died for us on Calvary. His death shows the wonderful love of God for man, and the immutability of His law. . . .  {AG 80.3}
[AG 80.4]          The glory of Christ is revealed in the law, which is a transcript of His character, and His transforming efficacy is felt upon the soul until men become changed to His likeness. They are made partakers of the divine nature, and grow more and more like their Saviour, advancing step by step in conformity to the will of God, till they reach perfection.  {AG 80.4}
[AG 80.5]          The law of God was not given to the Jews alone. It is of world-wide and perpetual obligation. . . . Its ten precepts are like a chain of ten links. If one is broken, the chain becomes worthless. Not a single precept can be revoked or changed to save the transgressor.  {AG 80.5}
[AG 80.6]          Christ designs that heaven's order, heaven's plan of government, heaven's divine harmony, shall be represented in His church on earth. Thus in His people He is glorified. Through them the Sun of Righteousness will shine in undimmed luster to the world. . . . The church, endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depositary, in which the riches of His mercy, His grace, and His love, are to appear in full and final display. Christ looks upon His people in their purity and perfection, as the reward of His humiliation, and the supplement of His glory--Christ, the great Center, from whom radiates all glory.  {AG 80.6}
[AG 81.1]       Chap. 73 - Help in Resisting Temptation         Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Revelation 3:10.  {AG 81.1}
[AG 81.2]            All heaven is interested in the work going on in this world, which is to prepare men and women for the future, immortal life. It is God's plan that human agencies shall have the high honor of acting as co-workers with Jesus Christ in the salvation of souls. . . . They should look upon the work of God as sacred and holy, and should bring to Him, every day, offerings of joy and gratitude, in return for the power of His grace, by which they are enabled to make advancement in the divine life. . . .  {AG 81.2}
[AG 81.3]          It is not necessary that anyone should yield to the temptations of Satan and thus violate his conscience and grieve the Holy Spirit. Every provision has been made in the Word of God whereby all may have divine help in their endeavors to overcome.  {AG 81.3}
[AG 81.4]          In the religious life of every soul who is finally victorious there will be scenes of terrible perplexity and trial; but his knowledge of the Scriptures will enable him to bring to mind the encouraging promises of God, which will comfort his heart and strengthen his faith in the power of the Mighty One. He reads: . . . . "that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. . . "(1 Peter 1:7). The trial of faith is more precious than gold. All should learn that this is a part of the discipline in the school of Christ, which is essential to purify and refine them from the dross of earthliness. . . .  {AG 81.4}
[AG 81.5]          Summon all your powers to look up, not down at your difficulties; then you will never faint by the way. You will soon see Jesus behind the cloud, reaching out His hand to help you; and all you have to do is to give Him your hand in simple faith and let Him lead you. . . . A great name among men is as letters traced in sand, but a spotless character will endure to all eternity. God gives you intelligence and a reasoning mind, whereby you may grasp His promises; and Jesus is ready to help you in forming a strong, symmetrical character.  {AG 81.5}
[AG 82.1]       Chap. 74 - Where Sins May Be Blotted Out         I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25.  {AG 82.1}
[AG 82.2]            Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.  {AG 82.2}
[AG 82.3]          Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die. . . .  {AG 82.3}
[AG 82.4]          With the rich promises of the Bible before you, can you give place to doubt? Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner. . . . As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion. . . . He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.  {AG 82.4}
[AG 83.1]       Chap. 75 - Where We Find Deliverance from Sin         Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13, 14.  {AG 83.1}
[AG 83.2]            The Prince of heaven has placed man in an exalted position. His life has been valued at the cost of Calvary's cross. . . . From the depths of sin's degradation, we may be exalted to become heirs with Christ, the sons of God, and kings and priests unto the Most High. . . .  {AG 83.2}
[AG 83.3]          When Christ bowed on the banks of Jordan, after His baptism, the heavens, were opened, and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, like burnished gold, and encircled Him with its glory; and the voice of God from the highest heaven was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). The prayer of Christ in man's behalf opened the gates of heaven, and the Father had responded, accepting the petition for the fallen race. Jesus prayed as our substitute and surety, and now the human family may find access to the Father through the merits of His well-beloved Son. . . . Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). The gate of heaven has been left ajar, and the radiance from the throne of God shines into the hearts of those who love Him.  {AG 83.3}
[AG 83.4]          The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan. . . . embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. . . . The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells us of the power of prayer--how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and our petition find acceptance in the courts of heaven. By sin, earth was cut off from heaven, and alienated from its communion; but Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory. His love has encircled man, and reached the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. . . . Our Redeemer has opened the way so that the most sinful, the most needy, . . . may find access to the Father. All may have a home in the mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare.  {AG 83.4}
[AG 84.1]       Chap. 76 - Accessible to All         In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Ephesians 3:12.  {AG 84.1}
[AG 84.2]            Many who are sincerely seeking for holiness of heart and purity of life seem perplexed and discouraged. . . . Darkness and discouragement will sometimes come upon the soul and threaten to overwhelm us, but we should not cast away our confidence. We must keep the eye fixed on Jesus, feeling or no feeling. We should seek to faithfully perform every known duty, and then calmly rest in the promises of God.  {AG 84.2}
[AG 84.3]          At times a deep sense of our unworthiness will send a thrill of terror through the soul, but this is no evidence that God has changed toward us, or we toward God. No effort should be made to rein the mind up to a certain intensity of emotion. We may not feel today the peace and joy which we felt yesterday; but we should by faith grasp the hand of Christ, and trust Him as fully in the darkness as in the light.  {AG 84.3}
[AG 84.4]          Satan may whisper, "You are too great a sinner for Christ to save." While you acknowledge that you are indeed sinful and unworthy, you may meet the tempter with the cry, "By virtue of the atonement, I claim Christ as my Saviour. I trust not to my own merits, but to the precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses me. This moment I hang my helpless soul on Christ." . . .  {AG 84.4}
[AG 84.5]          Be not discouraged because your heart seems hard. Every obstacle, every internal foe, only increases your need of Christ. He came to take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. Look to Him for special grace to overcome your peculiar faults. When assailed by temptation, steadfastly resist the evil promptings. . . . Cry to the dear Saviour for help to sacrifice every idol and to put away every darling sin. Let the eye of faith see Jesus standing before the Father's throne, presenting His wounded hands as He pleads for you. Believe that strength comes to you through your precious Saviour. . . .  {AG 84.5}
[AG 84.6]          If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus and support in fighting the battles of the Lord. . . . Beside the loveliness of Christ, all earthly attractions will seem of little worth.  {AG 84.6}
[AG 85.1]       Chap. 77 - Christ's Name Our Password         Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13.  {AG 85.1}
[AG 85.2]            Through Christ we may present our petitions at the throne of grace. Through Him, unworthy as we are, we may obtain all spiritual blessings.  {AG 85.2}
[AG 85.3]          Make your requests known to your Maker. Never is one repulsed who comes to Him with a contrite heart. Not one sincere prayer is lost. Amid the anthems of the celestial choir, God hears the cries of the weakest human being. We pour out our heart's desire in our closets, we breathe a prayer as we walk by the way, and our words reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe. They may be inaudible to any human ear, but they cannot die away into silence, nor can they be lost through the activities of business that are going on. Nothing can drown the soul's desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the confusion of the multitude, to the heavenly courts. It is God to whom we are speaking, and our prayer is heard.  {AG 85.3}
[AG 85.4]          "Ask in my name," Christ says. . . . Christ is the connecting link between God and man. He has promised His personal intercession. He places the whole virtue of His righteousness on the side of the suppliant. He pleads for man, and man, in need of divine help, pleads for himself in the presence of God, using the influence of the One who gave His life for the life of the world. As we acknowledge before God our appreciation of Christ's merits, fragrance is given to our intercessions. As we approach God through the virtue of the Redeemer's merits, Christ places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite. . . .  {AG 85.4}
[AG 85.5]          Yes, Christ has become the medium of prayer between man and God. He has also become the medium of blessing between God and man. He has united divinity with humanity. . . .  {AG 85.5}
[AG 85.6]          Pray, yes, pray with unshaken faith and trust. The Angel of the covenant, even our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Mediator who secures the acceptance of the prayers of His believing ones.  {AG 85.6}
[AG 86.1]       Chap. 78 - Prayers Like Fragrant Incense         Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Revelation 8:3.  {AG 86.1}
[AG 86.2]            True prayer takes hold upon Omnipotence and gives us the victory. Upon his knees the Christian obtains strength to resist temptation. . . . The silent, fervent prayer of the soul will rise like holy incense to the throne of grace and will be as acceptable to God as if offered in the sanctuary. To all who thus seek Him, Christ becomes a present help in time of need. They will be strong in the day of trial.  {AG 86.2}
[AG 86.3]          It is a wonderful favor for any man in this life to be commended of God as was Cornelius. And what was the ground of this approval?--"Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4).  {AG 86.3}
[AG 86.4]          Neither prayer nor almsgiving has any virtue in itself to recommend the sinner to God; the grace of Christ, through His atoning sacrifice, can alone renew the heart and make our service acceptable to God. This grace had moved upon the heart of Cornelius. The Spirit of Christ had spoken to his soul; Jesus had drawn him, and he had yielded to the drawing. His prayers and alms were not urged or extorted from him; they were not a price he was seeking to pay in order to secure heaven; but they were the fruit of love and gratitude to God.  {AG 86.4}
[AG 86.5]          Such prayer from a sincere heart ascends as incense before the Lord; and offerings to His cause and gifts to the needy and suffering are a sacrifice well pleasing to Him. . . .  {AG 86.5}
[AG 86.6]          Prayer and almsgiving are closely linked together--the expression of love to God and to our fellow men. They are the outworking of the two great principles of the divine law,"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength"; and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Mark 12:30, 31). Thus while our gifts cannot recommend us to God or earn His favor, they are an evidence that we have received the grace of Christ. They are a test of the sincerity of our profession of love.  {AG 86.6}
[AG 87.1]       Chap. 79 - Press Your Case         I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. Hosea 14:4.  {AG 87.1}
[AG 87.2]            I hope that none will obtain the idea that they are earning the favor of God by confession of sins or that there is special virtue in confessing to human beings. . . . The Lord would have us come to Him daily with all our troubles and confessions of sin, and He can give us rest. . . .  {AG 87.2}
[AG 87.3]          Confess your secret sins alone before your God. Acknowledge your heart wanderings to Him who knows perfectly how to treat your case. If you have wronged your neighbor, acknowledge to him your sin and show fruit of the same by making restitution. Then claim the blessing. Come to God just as you are, and let Him heal all your infirmities. Press your case to the throne of grace; let the work be thorough. Be sincere in dealing with God and your own soul. If you come to Him with a heart truly contrite, He will give you the victory. . . . He will not misapprehend or misjudge you.  {AG 87.3}
[AG 87.4]          Your fellow men cannot absolve you from sin or cleanse you from iniquity. Jesus is the only One who can give you peace. He loved you and gave Himself for you. His great heart of love is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15). What sins are too great for Him to pardon? what soul too dark and sin-oppressed for Him to save? He is gracious, not looking for merit in us, but of His own boundless goodness healing our backslidings and loving us freely, while we are yet sinners. He is "slow to anger, and of great kindness" (Nehemiah 9:17).  {AG 87.4}
[AG 87.5]          There is a remedy for the sin-sick soul. That remedy is in Jesus. Precious Saviour! His grace is sufficient for the weakest; and the strongest must also have His grace or perish.  {AG 87.5}
[AG 87.6]          I saw how this grace could be obtained. Go to your closet and there alone plead with God. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Be in earnest, be sincere. Fervent prayer availeth much. Jacob-like, wrestle in prayer. Agonize. Jesus in the garden sweat great drops of blood; you must make an effort. Do not leave your closet until you feel strong in God; then watch, and just as long as you watch and pray, you can keep these evil besetments under, and the grace of God can, and will, appear in you.  {AG 87.6}
[AG 88.1]      Chap. 80 - Elijah's Example         Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. James 5:17, 18.  {AG 88.1}
[AG 88.2]            When upon Mount Carmel he ［Elijah］ offered the prayer for rain (1 Kings 18:41-45), his faith was tested, but he persevered in making known his request unto God. Six times he prayed earnestly, and yet there was no sign that his petition was granted, but with a strong faith he urged his plea to the throne of grace. Had he given up in discouragement at the sixth time, his prayer would not have been answered, but he persevered till the answer came. We have a God whose ear is not closed to our petitions; and if we prove His Word, He will honor our faith. He wants us to have all our interests interwoven with His interests, and then He can safely bless us; for we shall not then take glory to self when the blessing is ours, but shall render all the praise to God. God does not always answer our prayers the first time we call upon Him; for should He do this, we might take it for granted that we had a right to all the blessings and favors He bestowed upon us. Instead of searching our hearts to see if any evil was entertained by us, any sin indulged, we should become careless, and fail to recognize our dependence upon Him, and our need of His help.  {AG 88.2}
[AG 88.3]          The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement . . . . As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. . . . And when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said, "Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand."  {AG 88.3}
[AG 88.4]          Elijah did not wait for the heavens to gather blackness. In that small cloud, he beheld by faith an abundance of rain; and he acted in harmony with his faith. . . . Faith such as this is needed in the world today--faith that will lay hold on the promises of God's word, and refuse to let go until Heaven hears.  {AG 88.4}
[AG 89.1]       Chap. 81 - When Affliction Comes         When he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 2 Chronicles 33:12.  {AG 89.1}
[AG 89.2]            "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33), says Christ; but in Me ye shall have peace. The trials to which Christians are subjected in sorrow, adversity, and reproach are the means appointed of God to separate the chaff from the wheat. Our pride, selfishness, evil passions, and love of worldly pleasure must all be overcome; therefore God sends us afflictions to test and prove us, and show us that these evils exist in our characters. We must overcome through His strength and grace, that we may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. "For our light affliction," says Paul, "which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18). Afflictions, crosses, temptations, adversity, and our varied trials are God's workmen to refine us, sanctify us, and fit us for the heavenly garner.  {AG 89.2}
[AG 89.3]          Many of your afflictions have been visited upon you, in the wisdom of God, to bring you closer to the throne of grace. He softens and subdues His children by sorrows and trials. This world is God's workshop, where He fashions us for the courts of heaven. He uses the planing knife upon our quivering hearts until the roughness and irregularities are removed and we are fitted for our proper places in the heavenly building. Through tribulation and distress the Christian becomes purified and strengthened, and develops a character after the model that Christ has given.  {AG 89.3}
[AG 89.4]          Let the afflictions which pain us so grievously become instructive lessons, teaching us to press forward toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ. Let us be encouraged by the thought that the Lord is soon to come. Let this hope gladden our hearts.  {AG 89.4}
[AG 90.1]       Chap. 82 - Sharing Christ's Suffering         Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:13.  {AG 90.1}
[AG 90.2]            To have strength we must have exercise. To have strong faith, we must be placed in circumstances where our faith will be exercised. . . . It is through much tribulation that we are to enter the kingdom of God. Our Saviour was tried in every possible way, and yet He triumphed in God continually. It is our privilege to be strong in the strength of God under all circumstances and to glory in the cross of Christ.  {AG 90.2}
[AG 90.3]          In this life we must meet fiery trials and make costly sacrifices, but the peace of Christ is the reward. There has been so little self-denial, so little suffering for Christ's sake, that the cross is almost entirely forgotten. We must be partakers with Christ of His sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne.  {AG 90.3}
[AG 90.4]          Heaven is very near those who suffer for righteousness' sake. Christ identifies His interests with the interests of His faithful people; He suffers in the person of His saints, and whoever touches His chosen ones touches Him. The power that is near to deliver from physical harm or distress is also near to save from the greater evil, making it possible for the servant of God to maintain his integrity under all circumstances, and to triumph through divine grace.  {AG 90.4}
[AG 90.5]          Persecution should bring joy to the disciples of Christ, for it is an evidence that they are following in the steps of their Master.  {AG 90.5}
[AG 90.6]          While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better. He has said, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deuteronomy 33:25). "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation and reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes suffering for His sake sweet.  {AG 90.6}
[AG 91.1]       Chap. 83 - Come with Reverence         Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28.  {AG 91.1}
[AG 91.2]            There should be an intelligent knowledge of how to come to God in reverence and godly fear with devotional love. There is a growing lack of reverence for our Maker, a growing disregard of His greatness and His majesty. But God is speaking to us in these last days. We hear His voice in the storm, in the rolling thunder. We hear of calamities He permits in the earthquakes, the breaking forth of waters, and the destructive elements sweeping all before them.  {AG 91.2}
[AG 91.3]         In these perilous times, those who profess to be God's commandment-keeping people should guard against the tendency to lose the spirit of reverence and godly fear. The Scriptures teach men how to approach their Maker--with humility and awe, through faith in a divine Mediator. Let man come on bended knee, as a subject of grace, a suppliant at the footstool of mercy. Thus he is to testify that the whole soul, body, and spirit are in subjection to his Creator.  {AG 91.3}
[AG 91.4]          Both in public and in private worship, it is our duty ［THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE ELLEN WHITE STOOD AT THE DESK WHILE OFFERING PRAYERS OF CONSECRATION DURING CHURCH SERVICES.］ to bow upon our knees before God when we offer our petitions to Him. Jesus, our example, "kneeled down, and prayed." And of His disciples it is recorded that they, too, "kneeled down, and prayed." Stephen "kneeled." Paul declared: "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:14). In confessing before God the sins of Israel, Ezra knelt. Daniel "kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God" (Daniel 6:10). And the invitation of the psalmist is: "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Psalm 95:6).  {AG 91.4}
[AG 91.5]         "What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?" (Deuteronomy 10:12). . . . "The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 33:18). "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life" (Proverbs 22:4).  {AG 91.5}
[AG 92.1]      Chap. 84 - Come in Humility and Holy Fear         God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. Psalm 89:7.  {AG 92.1}
[AG 92.2]           Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God. In the name of Jesus we may come before Him with confidence, but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption, as though He were on a level with ourselves. There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, as they would address an equal, or even an inferior. There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not presume to do in the audience-chamber of an earthly ruler. These should remember that they are in His sight whom seraphim adore, before whom angels veil their faces. God is greatly to be reverenced; all who truly realize His presence will bow in humility before Him.  {AG 92.2}
[AG 92.3]          Some think it a mark of humility to pray to God in a common manner, as if talking with a human being. They profane His name by needlessly and irreverently mingling with their prayers the words, "God Almighty"--awful, sacred words, which should never pass the lips except in subdued tones and with a feeling of awe. . . .  {AG 92.3}
[AG 92.4]          It is the heartfelt prayer of faith that is heard in heaven and answered on earth. God understands the needs of humanity. He knows what we desire before we ask Him. He sees the soul's conflict with doubt and temptation. He marks the sincerity of the suppliant. He will accept the humiliation and affliction of the soul. "To this man will I look," He declares, "even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."  {AG 92.4}
[AG 92.5]          It is our privilege to pray with confidence, the Spirit inditing our petitions. With simplicity we should state our needs to the Lord, and claim His promise. . . .  {AG 92.5}
[AG 92.6]          Our prayers should be full of tenderness and love. When we yearn for a deeper, broader realization of the Saviour's love, we shall cry to God for more wisdom. If ever there was a need of soul-stirring prayers and sermons, it is now. The end of all things is at hand. O that we could see as we should the necessity of seeking the Lord with all the heart! Then we should find Him. May God teach His people how to pray.  {AG 92.6}
[AG 93.1]       Chap. 85 - A Sacred Experience         Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Psalm 33:8.  {AG 93.1}
[AG 93.2]           Holy angels have been displeased and disgusted with the irreverent manner in which many have used the name of God, the great Jehovah. Angels mention that sacred name with the greatest awe, ever veiling their faces when they speak the name of God; and the name of Christ is so sacred to them that they speak it with the greatest reverence.  {AG 93.2}
[AG 93.3]          True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed. The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened. "Holy and reverend is his name," the psalmist declares. Angels, when they speak that name, veil their faces. With what reverence, then, should we, who are fallen and sinful, take it upon our lips!  {AG 93.3}
[AG 93.4]          Well would it be for young and old to study and ponder and often repeat those words of Holy Writ that show how the place marked by God's special presence should be regarded. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet," He commanded Moses at the burning bush; "for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5). Jacob, after beholding the vision of the angels, exclaimed, "The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. . . . This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:16, 17). "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" (Habakkuk 2:20).            "The Lord is a great God,         And a great King above all gods. . . .         O come, let us worship and bow down:         Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."        "It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;         We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.         Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,         And into his courts with praise:         Be thankful unto him, and bless his name."            (Psalm 95:3-6; 100:3, 4).  {AG 93.4}
[AG 94.1]      Chap. 86 - A Hallowed Name         Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Matthew 6:9.  {AG 94.1}
[AG 94.2]            To hallow the name of the Lord requires that the words in which we speak of the Supreme Being be uttered with reverence. "Holy and reverend is his name" (Psalm 111:9). We are never in any manner to treat lightly the titles or appellations of the Deity. In prayer we enter the audience chamber of the Most High; and we should come before Him with holy awe. The angels veil their faces in His presence. The cherubim and the bright and holy seraphim approach His throne with solemn reverence. How much more should we, finite, sinful beings, come in a reverent manner before the Lord, our Maker!  {AG 94.2}
[AG 94.3]         But to hallow the name of the Lord means much more than this. We may, like the Jews in Christ's day, manifest the greatest outward reverence for God, and yet profane His name continually. "The name of the Lord" is "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, . . . forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" (Exodus 34:5-7). Of the church of Christ it is written, "This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 33:16). This name is put upon every follower of Christ. It is the heritage of the child of God. The family are called after the Father. The prophet Jeremiah, in the time of Israel's sore distress and tribulation, prayed, "We are called by thy name; leave us not" (Jeremiah 14:9).  {AG 94.3}
[AG 94.4]          This name is hallowed by the angels of heaven, by the inhabitants of unfallen worlds. When you pray, "Hallowed be thy name," you ask that it may be hallowed in this world, hallowed in you. God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child; pray that you may do no dishonor to the "worthy name by which ye are called" (James 2:7). God sends you into the world as His representatives. In every act of life you are to make manifest the name of God. This petition calls upon you to possess His character. You cannot hallow His name, you cannot represent Him to the world, unless in life and character you represent the very life and character of God. This you can do only through the acceptance of the grace and righteousness of Christ.  {AG 94.4}
[AG 95.1]       Chap. 87 - Our Continual Dependence         The Lord sitteth King for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people. Psalm 29:10, 11.  {AG 95.1}
[AG 95.2]           The throne of grace is to be our continual dependence. . . . There is strength for us in Christ. He is our Advocate before the Father. He dispatches His messengers to every part of His dominion to communicate His will to His people. He walks in the midst of His churches. He desires to sanctify, elevate, and ennoble His followers. The influence of those who truly believe in Him will be a savor of life in the world. He holds the stars in His right hand, and it is His purpose to let His light shine through these to the world. Thus He desires to prepare His people for higher service in the church above. He has given us a great work to do. Let us do it with accuracy and determination. Let us show in our lives what the truth has done for us.  {AG 95.2}
[AG 95.3]          "Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks" (Revelation 2:1). This Scripture shows Christ's relation to the churches. He walks in the midst of His churches throughout the length and breadth of the earth. He watches them with intense interest to see whether they are in such a condition spiritually that they can advance His kingdom. Christ is present in every assembly of the church. He is acquainted with everyone connected with His service. He knows those whose hearts He can fill with the holy oil, that they may impart it to others. Those who faithfully carry forward the work of Christ in our world, representing in word and works the character of God, fulfilling the Lord's purpose for them, are in His sight very precious. Christ takes pleasure in them as a man takes pleasure in a well-kept garden and the fragrance of the flowers he has planted.  {AG 95.3}
[AG 95.4]          No candlestick, no church, shines of itself. From Christ emanates all its light. The church in heaven today is only the complement of the church on earth; but it is higher, grander-- perfect. The same divine illumination is to continue through eternal ages. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the light thereof. No church can have light if it fails to diffuse the glory it receives from the throne of God.  {AG 95.4}
[AG 96.1]       Chap. 88 - A Throne in Every Heart         That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Ephesians 3:17.  {AG 96.1}
[AG 96.2]            God has bought us, and He claims a throne in each heart. Our minds and bodies must be subordinated to Him, and the natural habits and appetites must be made subservient to the higher wants of the soul. But we can place no dependence upon ourselves in this work. We cannot with safety follow our own guidance. The Holy Spirit must renew and sanctify us. In God's service there must be no halfway work.  {AG 96.2}
[AG 96.3]          When the heart is cleansed from sin, Christ is placed on the throne that self-indulgence and love of earthly treasure once occupied. The image of Christ is seen in the expression of the countenance. The work of sanctification is carried forward in the soul. Self-righteousness is banished. There is seen the putting on of the new man, which after Christ is created in righteousness and true holiness.  {AG 96.3}
[AG 96.4]          "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Beholding Christ means studying His life as given in His Word. We are to dig for truth as for hidden treasure. We are to fix our eyes upon Christ. When we take Him as our personal Saviour, this gives us boldness to approach the throne of grace. By beholding we become changed, morally assimilated to the One who is perfect in character. By receiving His imputed righteousness, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we become like Him. The image of Christ is cherished, and it captivates the whole being.  {AG 96.4}
[AG 96.5]          The upward progress of the soul indicates that Jesus bears rule in the heart. That heart through which He diffuses His peace and joy, and the blessed fruits of His love, becomes His temple and His throne. "Ye are my friends," says Christ, "if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14).  {AG 96.5}
[AG 96.6]          Give to God the most precious offering that it is possible for you to make; give Him your heart.  {AG 96.6}
[AG 97.1]       Chap. 89 - Undivided Occupancy         They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5:24.  {AG 97.1}
[AG 97.2]            We are commanded to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts. How shall we do it? Shall we inflict pain on the body? No; but put to death the temptation to sin. The corrupt thought is to be expelled. Every thought is to be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. . . . The love of God must reign supreme; Christ must occupy an undivided throne. Our bodies are to be regarded as His purchased possession. The members of the body are to become the instruments of righteousness.  {AG 97.2}
[AG 97.3]          There are two kingdoms in this world, the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan. To one of these kingdoms each one of us belongs. In His wonderful prayer for His disciples, Christ said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:15-18).  {AG 97.3}
[AG 97.4]          It is not God's will that we should seclude ourselves from the world. But while in the world we should sanctify ourselves to God. We should not pattern after the world. We are to be in the world, as a corrective influence, as salt that retains its savor. Among an unholy, impure, idolatrous generation, we are to be pure and holy, showing that the grace of Christ has power to restore in man the divine likeness. We are to exert a saving influence upon the world. . . .  {AG 97.4}
[AG 97.5]          The world has become a lazar house of sin, a mass of corruption. . . . We are not to practice its ways or follow its customs. Continually we are to resist its lax principles. . . .  {AG 97.5}
[AG 97.6]          The blessing of grace is given to men that the heavenly universe and the fallen world may see as they could not otherwise, the perfection of Christ's character. The Great Physician came to our world to show men and women that through His grace they may so live that in the great day of God they can receive the precious testimony, "Ye are complete in him" (Colossians 2:10).  {AG 97.6}
[AG 98.1]       Chap. 90 - Even for Ever         Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. Isaiah 9:7.  {AG 98.1}
[AG 98.2]            In this life we can only begin to understand the wonderful theme of redemption. With our finite comprehension we may consider most earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and the death, the justice and the mercy, that meet in the cross; yet with the utmost stretch of our mental powers we fail to grasp its full significance. The length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of redeeming love are but dimly comprehended. The plan of redemption will not be fully understood, even when the ransomed see as they are seen and know as they are known; but through the eternal ages, new truth will continually unfold to the wondering and delighted mind. Though the griefs and pains and temptations of earth are ended, and the cause removed, the people of God will ever have a distinct, intelligent knowledge of what their salvation has cost.  {AG 98.2}
[AG 98.3]          The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space--the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore--humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father's face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart, and crushed out His life on Calvary's cross. That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer and behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as they behold His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in rapturous song: "Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God, by His own most precious blood!"  {AG 98.3}
[AG 99.1]       Chap. 91 - To Draw Us to God         I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3.  {AG 99.1}
[AG 99.2]            The Lord of life and glory clothed His divinity with humanity to demonstrate to man that God through the gift of Christ would connect us with Him. Without a connection with God no one can possibly be happy. Fallen man is to learn that our Heavenly Father cannot be satisfied until His love embraces the repentant sinner, transformed through the merits of the spotless Lamb of God.  {AG 99.2}
[AG 99.3]          The work of all the heavenly intelligences is to this end. Under the command of their General they are to work for the reclaiming of those who by transgression have separated themselves from their Heavenly Father. A plan has been devised whereby the wondrous grace and love of Christ shall stand revealed to the world. In the infinite price paid by the Son of God to ransom man, the love of God is revealed. This glorious plan of redemption is ample in its provisions to save the whole world. Sinful and fallen man may be made complete in Jesus through the forgiveness of sin and the imputed righteousness of Christ.  {AG 99.3}
[AG 99.4]          In all the gracious deeds that Jesus did, He sought to impress upon men the parental, benevolent attributes of God. . . . Jesus would have us understand the love of the Father, and He seeks to draw us to Him by presenting His parental grace. He would have the whole field of our vision filled with the perfection of God's character. . . . It was only by living among men that He could reveal the mercy, compassion, and love of His heavenly Father; for it was only by actions of benevolence that He could set forth the grace of God.  {AG 99.4}
[AG 99.5]          Christ came to manifest the love of God to the world, to draw the hearts of all men to Himself. . . . The first step toward salvation is to respond to the drawing of the love of Christ. . . . It is that men may understand the joy of forgiveness, the peace of God, that Christ draws them through the manifestation of His love. If they respond to His drawing, yielding their hearts to His grace, He will lead them on step by step, to a full knowledge of Himself, and this is life eternal.  {AG 99.5}
[AG 100.1]       Chap. 92 - To Change the Heart         A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26.  {AG 100.1}
[AG 100.2]            When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?--a changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride.  {AG 100.2}
[AG 100.3]          The appetites and passions, clamoring for indulgence, trample reason and conscience underfoot. This is the cruel work of Satan, and he is constantly putting forth the most determined efforts to strengthen the chains by which he has bound his victims. Those who have been all their lives indulging wrong habits do not always realize the necessity of a change. . . . Let the conscience be aroused and much is gained. Nothing but the grace of God can convict and convert the heart; here alone can the slaves of custom obtain power to break the shackles which bind them. The self-indulgent must be led to see and feel that a great moral renovation is necessary if they would meet the claims of the divine law; the soul-temple has been defiled, and God calls upon them to arouse and strive with all their might to win back the God-given manhood which has been sacrificed through sinful indulgence.  {AG 100.3}
[AG 100.4]          Oh, what rays of softness and beauty shone forth in the daily life of our Saviour! What sweetness flowed from His very presence! The same spirit will be revealed in His children. Those with whom Christ dwells will be surrounded with a divine atmosphere. Their white robes of purity will be fragrant with perfume from the garden of the Lord. Their faces will reflect light from His, brightening the path for stumbling and weary feet.  {AG 100.4}
[AG 100.5]          No man who has the true ideal of what constitutes a perfect character will fail to manifest the sympathy and tenderness of Christ. The influence of grace is to soften the heart, to refine and purify the feelings, giving a heaven-born delicacy and sense of propriety.  {AG 100.5}
[AG 101.1]       Chap. 93 - Brings Peace and Rest         The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest. . . . There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Isaiah 57:20, 21.  {AG 101.1}
[AG 101.2]            Sin has destroyed our peace. While self is unsubdued, we can find no rest. The masterful passions of the heart no human power can control. We are as helpless here as were the disciples to quiet the raging storm ［Matthew 8:23-27］. But He who spoke peace to the billows of Galilee, has spoken the word of peace for every soul. However fierce the tempest, those who turn to Jesus . . . will find deliverance. His grace . . . quiets the strife of human passion, and in His love the heart is at rest.  {AG 101.2}
[AG 101.3]          For every soul struggling to rise from a life of sin to a life of purity, the great element of power abides in the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). . . . The only remedy for vice is the grace and power of Christ. The good resolutions made in one's own strength avail nothing.  {AG 101.3}
[AG 101.4]          Every unholy passion must be kept under the control of sanctified reason through the grace abundantly bestowed of God. We are living in an atmosphere of satanic witchery. The enemy will weave a spell of licentiousness around every soul that is not barricaded by the grace of Christ. Temptations will come; but if we watch against the enemy, and maintain the balance of self-control and purity, the seducing spirits will have no influence over us. Those who do nothing to encourage temptation will have strength to withstand it when it comes; but those who keep themselves in an atmosphere of evil will have only themselves to blame if they are overcome and fall from their steadfastness. . . .  {AG 101.4}
[AG 101.5]          Men and women are to watch themselves; they are to be constantly on guard, allowing no word or act that would cause their good to be evil spoken of. He who professes to be a follower of Christ is to watch himself, keeping himself pure and undefiled in thought, word, and deed. His influence upon others is to be uplifting. His life is to reflect the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. . . . Eternal vigilance is the price of safety.  {AG 101.5}
[AG 102.1]       Chap. 94 - Exalts God's Law         Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. Job 22:22.  {AG 102.1}
[AG 102.2]            Everything in nature, from the mote in the sunbeam to the worlds on high, is under law. And upon obedience to these laws the order and harmony of the natural world depend. So there are great principles of righteousness to control the life of all intelligent beings, and upon conformity to these principles the well-being of the universe depends. Before this earth was called into being, God's law existed. Angels are governed by its principles, and in order for earth to be in harmony with heaven, man also must obey the divine statutes. To man in Eden Christ made known the precepts of the law "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). The mission of Christ on earth was not to destroy the law, but by His grace to bring man back to obedience to its precepts. . . .  {AG 102.2}
[AG 102.3]          His mission was to "magnify the law, and make it honourable" (Isaiah 42:21). He was to show the spiritual nature of the law, to present its far-reaching principles, and to make plain its eternal obligation.  {AG 102.3}
[AG 102.4]          The divine beauty of the character of Christ, of whom the noblest and most gentle among men are but a faint reflection; . . . Jesus, the express image of the Father's person, the effulgence of His glory; the self-denying Redeemer, throughout His pilgrimage of love on earth was a living representative of the character of the law of God. In His life it is made manifest that heaven-born love, Christlike principles, underlie the laws of eternal rectitude.  {AG 102.4}
[AG 102.5]          The Bible is God's will expressed to man. It is the only perfect standard of character, and marks out the duty of man in every circumstance of life.  {AG 102.5}
[AG 102.6]          We must so conduct our life work that we can go to God in confidence and open our hearts before Him, telling Him our necessities and believing that He hears and will give us grace and strength to carry out the principles of the Word of God.  {AG 102.6}
[AG 103.1]       Chap. 95 - Gives Power to Obey         For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:19.  {AG 103.1}
[AG 103.2]            One honored of all heaven came to this world to stand in human nature at the head of humanity, testifying to the fallen angels and to the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds that through the divine help which has been provided, every one may walk in the path of obedience to God's commands. . . .  {AG 103.2}
[AG 103.3]          No one less holy than the Only Begotten of the Father, could have offered a sacrifice that would be efficacious to cleanse all--even the most sinful and degraded--who accept the Saviour as their atonement and become obedient to Heaven's law. Nothing less could have reinstated man in God's favor.  {AG 103.3}
[AG 103.4]          Christ gave His life to make it possible for man to be restored to the image of God. It is the power of His grace that draws men together in obedience to the truth.  {AG 103.4}
[AG 103.5]          God desires us to reach the standard of perfection made possible for us by the gift of Christ. He calls upon us to make our choice on the right side, to connect with heavenly agencies, to adopt principles that will restore in us the divine image. In His written Word and in the great book of nature He has revealed the principles of life. It is our work to obtain a knowledge of these principles, and by obedience to cooperate with Him in restoring health to the body as well as to the soul.  {AG 103.5}
[AG 103.6]          Men need to learn that the blessings of obedience, in their fullness, can be theirs only as they receive the grace of Christ. It is His grace that gives men power to obey the laws of God. It is this that enables him to break the bondage of evil habit. This is the only power that can make him and keep him steadfast in the right path.  {AG 103.6}
[AG 103.7]          To the heart that has become purified, all is changed. . . . The Spirit of God produces a new life in the soul, bringing the thoughts and desires into obedience to the will of Christ; and the inward man is renewed in the image of God. Weak and erring men and women show to the world that the redeeming power of grace can cause the faulty character to develop into symmetry and abundant fruitfulness.  {AG 103.7}
[AG 104.1]       Chap. 96 - Breaks the Hold of Evil         Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Romans 5:20.  {AG 104.1}
[AG 104.2]            The gifts of Jesus are ever fresh and new. . . . Each new gift increases the capacity of the receiver to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. He gives grace for grace. There can be no failure of supply. If you abide in Him, the fact that you receive a rich gift today insures the reception of a richer gift tomorrow. . . .  {AG 104.2}
[AG 104.3]          The gift of Christ to the marriage feast was a symbol ［John 2:1-11］. The water represented baptism into His death; the wine, the shedding of His blood for the sins of the world. The water to fill the jars was brought by human hands, but the word of Christ alone could impart to it life-giving virtue. . . .  {AG 104.3}
[AG 104.4]          The word of Christ supplied ample provision for the feast. So abundant is the provision of His grace to blot out the iniquities of men, and to renew and sustain the soul.  {AG 104.4}
[AG 104.5]          Our condition through sin is unnatural, and the power that restores us must be supernatural, else it has no value. There is but one power that can break the hold of evil from the hearts of men, and that is the power of God in Jesus Christ. Only through the blood of the Crucified One is there cleansing from sin. His grace alone can enable us to resist and subdue the tendencies of our fallen nature.  {AG 104.5}
[AG 104.6]          Satan is determined that men shall not see the love of God, which led Him to give His only-begotten Son to save the lost race; for it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. Oh, how shall we succeed in setting forth before the world the deep, precious love of God? In no other way can we compass it than by exclaiming, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1)! Let us say to sinners, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)! . . .  {AG 104.6}
[AG 104.7]          Look at the cross of Calvary. It is a standing pledge of the boundless love, the measureless mercy, of the heavenly Father.  {AG 104.7}
[AG 105.1]       Chap. 97 - Magnifies the Lord         Let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. Psalm 40:16.  {AG 105.1}
[AG 105.2]           As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know, what we ourselves have seen and heard and felt, If we have been following Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell concerning the way in which He has led us. We can tell how we have tested His promise, and found the promise true. We can bear witness to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing.  {AG 105.2}
[AG 105.3]          God would have every family that He is preparing to inhabit the eternal mansions above, give glory to Him for the rich treasures of His grace. Were children, in the home life, educated and trained to be grateful to the Giver of all good things we would see an element of heavenly grace manifest in our families. Cheerfulness would be seen in the home life, and coming from such homes, the youth would bring a spirit of respect and reverence with them into the schoolroom, and into the church. . . .  {AG 105.3}
[AG 105.4]          Every temporal blessing would be received with gratitude, and every spiritual blessing become doubly precious because the perception of each member of the household had become sanctified by the Word of truth. The Lord Jesus is very near to those who thus appreciate His gracious gifts, tracing all their good things back to the benevolent, loving care-taking God, and recognizing Him as the great Fountain of all comfort and consolation, the inexhaustible Source of grace.  {AG 105.4}
[AG 105.5]          The true Christian will make God first and last and best in everything. No ambitious motives will chill his love for God; steadily, perseveringly, will he cause honor to redound to his heavenly Father. It is when we are faithful in exalting the name of God that our impulses are under divine supervision, and we are enabled to developed spiritual and intellectual power.  {AG 105.5}
[AG 105.6]          Jesus, the divine Master, ever exalted the name of His heavenly Father. He taught His disciples to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" (Matthew 6:9, A.R.V.). and they were not to forget to acknowledge, "Thine is . . . the glory" (verse 13).  {AG 105.6}
[AG 106.1]      Chap. 98 - To Uproot Selfishness         Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke 12:1.  {AG 106.1}
[AG 106.2]            The hypocrisy of the Pharisees was the product of self-seeking. The glorification of themselves was the object of their lives. . . . Even the disciples, though outwardly they had left all for Jesus' sake, had not in heart ceased to seek great things for themselves. . . . As leaven, if left to complete its work, will cause corruption and decay, so does the self-seeking spirit, cherished, work the defilement and ruin of the soul. Among the followers of our Lord today, as of old, how widespread is this subtle, deceptive sin! How often our service to Christ, our communion with one another, is marred by the secret desire to exalt self! . . . To His own disciples the warning words of Christ are spoken, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." . . . Only the power of God can banish self-seeking and hypocrisy.  {AG 106.2}
[AG 106.3]          When Judas joined the disciples, he was not insensible to the beauty of the character of Christ. He felt the influence of that divine power which was drawing souls to the Saviour. . . . The Saviour read the heart of Judas; He knew the depths of iniquity to which, unless delivered by the grace of God, Judas would sink. In connecting this man with Himself, He placed him where he might, day by day, be brought in contact with the outflowing of His own unselfish love. If he would open his heart to Christ, divine grace would banish the demon of selfishness, and even Judas might become a subject of the kingdom of God.  {AG 106.3}
[AG 106.4]          No one was so exalted as Christ, and yet He stooped to the humblest duty. . . . Christ Himself set the example of humility. He would not leave this great subject in man's charge. Of so much consequence did He regard it, that He Himself, One equal with God, acted as servant to His disciples. While they were contending for the highest place, He to whom every knee shall bow, He whom the angels of glory count it honor to serve, bowed down to wash the feet of those who called Him Lord. He washed the feet of His betrayer. . . . His whole life was under a law of service. He served all, ministered to all. Thus He lived the law of God, and by His example showed how we are to obey it.  {AG 106.4}
[AG 107.1]       Chap. 99 - To Break Bad Habits         If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17.  {AG 107.1}
[AG 107.2]            Through the power of Christ, men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have become transformed into the image of God. This change is in itself the miracle of miracles. A change wrought by the Word, it is one of the deepest mysteries of the Word. We cannot understand it; we can only believe, as declared by the Scriptures, it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). . . .  {AG 107.2}
[AG 107.3]          Renouncing all that would hinder him from making progress in the upward way or that would turn the feet of another from the narrow path, the believer will reveal in his daily life mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forbearance, and the love of Christ.  {AG 107.3}
[AG 107.4]          The power of a higher, purer, nobler life is our great need. The world has too much of our thought, and the kingdom of heaven too little.  {AG 107.4}
[AG 107.5]          In his efforts to reach God's ideal for him, the Christian is to despair of nothing. Moral and spiritual perfection, through the grace and power of Christ, is promised to all. Jesus is the source of power, the fountain of life.  {AG 107.5}
[AG 107.6]          Let us make God's holy word our study, bringing its holy principles into our lives. Let us walk before God in meekness and humility, daily correcting our faults. . . . Peace and rest will come to you as you bring your will into subjection to the will of Christ. Then the love of Christ will rule in the heart, bringing into captivity to the Saviour the secret springs of action. The hasty, easily roused temper will be soothed and subdued by the oil of Christ's grace. . . .  {AG 107.6}
[AG 107.7]          In humble, grateful dependence he who has been given a new heart relies upon the help of Christ. He reveals in his life the fruit of righteousness. He once loved himself. Worldly pleasure was his delight. Now his idol is dethroned, and God reigns supreme. The sins he once loved he now hates. Firmly and resolutely he follows in the path of holiness.  {AG 107.7}
[AG 108.1]       Chap. 100 - Creates Hatred for Satan         Give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:27, R.S.V.  {AG 108.1}
[AG 108.2]            Satan's enmity against the human race is kindled because, through Christ, they are the objects of God's love and mercy. He desires to thwart the divine plan for man's redemption, to cast dishonor upon God, by defacing and defiling His handiwork; he would cause grief in heaven and fill the earth with woe and desolation. And he points to all his evil as the result of God's work in creating man.  {AG 108.2}
[AG 108.3]          It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts, enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from above.  {AG 108.3}
[AG 108.4]          Like a roaring lion, Satan is seeking for his prey. He tries his wiles upon every unsuspecting youth; there is safety only in Christ. It is through His grace alone that Satan can be successfully repulsed. Satan tells the young that there is time enough yet, that they may indulge in sin and vice this once and never again; but that one indulgence will poison their whole life. Do not once venture on forbidden ground. In this perilous day of evil, when allurements to vice and corruption are on every hand, let the earnest, heartfelt cry of the young be raised to heaven: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" And may his ears be open and his heart inclined to obey the instruction given in the answer: "By taking heed thereto according to thy word" (Psalm 119:9). The only safety for the youth in this age of pollution is to make God their trust. Without divine help they will be unable to control human passions and appetites. In Christ is the very help needed. . . . You can say with the apostle: "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Again; "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27).  {AG 108.4}
[AG 109.1]      Chap. 101 - To Banish Unrest and Doubt         O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:31.  {AG 109.1}
[AG 109.2]            Christ came to this world to show that by receiving power from on high, man can live an unsullied life. With unwearying patience and sympathetic helpfulness He met men in their necessities. By the gentle touch of grace He banished from the soul unrest and doubt, changing enmity to love, and unbelief to confidence.  {AG 109.2}
[AG 109.3]          It is not wise to look to ourselves and study our emotions. If we do this, the enemy will present difficulties and temptations that weaken faith and destroy courage. Closely to study our emotions and give way to our feelings is to entertain doubt and entangle ourselves in perplexity. We are to look away from self to Jesus.  {AG 109.3}
[AG 109.4]          When temptations assail you, when care, perplexity, and darkness seem to surround your soul, look to the place where you last saw the light. Rest in Christ's love and under His protecting care. When sin struggles for the mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses the soul and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, remember that Christ's grace is sufficient to subdue sin and banish the darkness.  {AG 109.4}
[AG 109.5]          He will give you grace to be patient, He will give you grace to be trustful, He will give you grace to overcome restlessness, He will warm your heart with His own sweet Spirit, He will revive your soul in its weakness. . . . Then stay your soul in confidence upon God. Roll all your burdens upon Him.  {AG 109.5}
[AG 109.6]          The soul that loves God, rises above the fog of doubt; he gains a bright, broad, deep, living experience, and becomes meek and Christlike. His soul is committed to God, hid with Christ in God. He will be able to stand the test of neglect, of abuse and contempt, because his Saviour has suffered all this. He will not become fretful and discouraged when difficulties press him, because Jesus did not fail or become discouraged. Every true Christian will be strong, not in the strength and merit of his good works, but in the righteousness of Christ, which through faith is imputed unto him. It is a great thing to be meek and lowly in heart, to be pure and undefiled, as was the Prince of heaven when He walked among men.  {AG 109.6}
[AG 110.1]       Chap. 102 - To Unify the Church         Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. Hebrews 13:9.  {AG 110.1}
[AG 110.2]            The Lord in His wisdom has arranged that by means of the close relationship that should be maintained by all believers, Christian shall be united to Christian and church to church. Thus the human instrumentality will be enabled to cooperate with the divine. Every agency will be subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all the believers will be united in an organized and well-directed effort to give to the world the glad tidings of the grace of God.  {AG 110.2}
[AG 110.3]          God deals with men as individuals, giving to everyone his work. All are to be taught of God. Through the grace of Christ every soul must work out his own righteousness, maintaining a living connection with the Father and the Son. . . .  {AG 110.3}
[AG 110.4]          While it is true that the Lord guides individuals, it is also true that He is leading out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there, one believing this thing, another that. Angels of God are doing the work committed to their trust. The third angel is leading out and purifying a people, and they should move with him unitedly. . . .  {AG 110.4}
[AG 110.5]          Some have advanced the thought that as we near the close of time, every child of God will act independently of any religious organization. But I have been instructed by the Lord that in this work there is no such thing as every man's being independent. . . . In order that the Lord's work may advance healthfully and solidly, His people must draw together.  {AG 110.5}
[AG 110.6]          Each member of the church should feel under sacred obligations to guard strictly the interests of the cause of God. . . . Jesus has opened to everyone a way by which wisdom, grace, and power may be obtained. He is our example in all things, and nothing should divert the mind from the main object in life, which is to have Christ in the soul, melting and subduing the heart. When this is the case, every member of the church, every professor of the truth, will be Christlike in character, in words, in actions.  {AG 110.6}
[AG 111.1]       Chap. 103 - That We Might be Overcomers         They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. Revelation 12:11.  {AG 111.1}
[AG 111.2]            Christ has made it possible for every member of the human family to resist temptation. All who would live godly lives may overcome as Christ overcame.  {AG 111.2}
[AG 111.3]          To make God's grace our own, we must act our part. The Lord does not propose to perform for us either the willing or the doing. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort. Our souls are to be aroused to cooperate. The Holy Spirit works in us, that we may work out our own salvation. . . . Fine mental qualities and a high tone of moral character are not the result of accident. God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them. The openings of Providence must be quickly discerned and eagerly entered. There are many who might become mighty men, if, like Daniel, they would depend upon God for grace to be overcomers, and for strength and efficiency to do their work.  {AG 111.3}
[AG 111.4]          It is necessary to maintain a living connection with heaven, seeking as often as did Daniel--three times a day--for divine grace to resist appetite and passion. Wrestling with appetite and passion unaided by divine power will be unsuccessful; but make Christ your stronghold, and the language of your soul will be, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Said the apostle Paul, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:27).  {AG 111.4}
[AG 111.5]          Let no one think he can overcome without the help of God. You must have the energy, the strength, the power, of an inner life developed within you. You will then bear fruit unto godliness, and will have an intense loathing of vice. You need to constantly strive to work away from earthliness, from cheap conversation, from everything sensual, and aim for nobility of soul and a pure and unspotted character. Your name may be kept so pure that it cannot justly be connected with anything dishonest or unrighteous, but will be respected by all the good and pure, and it may be written in the Lamb's book of life, to be immortalized among the holy angels.  {AG 111.5}
[AG 112.1]       Chap. 104 - To Build Noble Characters         And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16, R.S.V.  {AG 112.1}
[AG 112.2]            God expects us to build characters in accordance with the Pattern set before us. We are to lay brick by brick, adding grace to grace, finding our weak points and correcting them in accordance with the directions given. When a crack is seen in the walls of a mansion, we know that something about the building is wrong. In our character building, cracks are often seen. Unless these defects are remedied, the house will fall when the tempest of trial beats upon it.  {AG 112.2}
[AG 112.3]          God gives us strength, reasoning power, time, in order that we may build characters on which He can place His stamp of approval. He desires each child of His to build a noble character, by the doing of pure, noble deeds, that in the end He may present a symmetrical structure, a fair temple, honored by man and God.  {AG 112.3}
[AG 112.4]          A noble all-round character is not inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected.  {AG 112.4}
[AG 112.5]          By the life we live through the grace of Christ the character is formed. The original loveliness begins to be restored to the soul. The attributes of the character of Christ are imparted, and the image of the Divine begins to shine forth. The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun. They have Christ's joy, the joy of being a blessing to humanity. They have the honor of being accepted for the Master's use; they are trusted to do His work in His name.  {AG 112.5}
[AG 112.6]          As God is pure in His sphere, so man is to be pure in his. And he will be pure if Christ is formed within, the hope of glory; for he will imitate Christ's life and reflect His character.  {AG 112.6}
[AG 113.1]       Chap. 105 - To Strengthen and Encourage         I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13.  {AG 113.1}
[AG 113.2]            The Lord has in readiness the most precious exhibitions of His grace to strengthen and encourage the sincere, humble worker.  {AG 113.2}
[AG 113.3]          The disciples of Christ had a deep sense of their own inefficiency, and with humiliation and prayer they joined their weakness to His strength, their ignorance to His wisdom, their unworthiness to His righteousness, their poverty to His exhaustless wealth. Thus strengthened and equipped, they hesitated not to press forward in the service of the Master.  {AG 113.3}
[AG 113.4]          All that man has, God has given him, and he who improves his abilities to God's glory will be an instrument to do good; but we can no more live a religious life without constant prayer and the performance of religious duties than we can have physical strength without partaking of temporal food. We must daily sit down at God's table. We must receive strength from the living Vine, if we are nourished. . . .  {AG 113.4}
[AG 113.5]          I entreat you to move with an eye single to the glory of God. Let His power be your dependence, His grace your strength. By study of the Scriptures and earnest prayer seek to obtain clear conceptions of your duty, and then faithfully perform it. It is essential that you cultivate faithfulness in little things, and in so doing you will acquire habits of integrity in greater responsibilities. . . . Every event of life is great for good or for evil. The mind needs to be trained by daily tests, that it may acquire power to stand in any difficult position. In the days of trial and of peril you will need to be fortified to stand firmly for the right, independent of every opposing influence.  {AG 113.5}
[AG 113.6]          Jesus consents to bear our burdens only when we trust Him. He is saying: "Come unto me, all ye weary and heavy laden; give Me your load; trust Me to do the work that it is impossible for the human agent to do." Let us trust Him. Worry is blind and cannot discern the future. But Jesus sees the end from the beginning, and in every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Abiding in Christ, we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.  {AG 113.6}
[AG 114.1]       Chap. 106 - For Times of Trial         Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12.  {AG 114.1}
[AG 114.2]            The powers of darkness gather about the soul and shut Jesus from our sight, and at times we can only wait in sorrow and amazement until the cloud passes over. These seasons are sometimes terrible. Hope seems to fail, and despair seizes upon us. In these dreadful hours we must learn to trust, to depend solely upon the merits of the atonement, and in all our helpless unworthiness cast ourselves upon the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. We shall never perish while we do this--never! When light shines on our pathway, it is no great thing to be strong in the strength of grace. But to wait patiently in hope when clouds envelop us and all is dark, requires faith and submission which causes our will to be swallowed up in the will of God. We are too quickly discouraged, and earnestly cry for the trial to be removed from us, when we should plead for patience to endure and grace to overcome.  {AG 114.2}
[AG 114.3]          Those who turn to God with heart and soul and mind will find in Him peaceful security. . . . He knows just what we need, just what we can bear, and He will give us grace to endure every trial and test that He brings upon us. My constant prayer is for greater nearness to God.  {AG 114.3}
[AG 114.4]          God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ.  {AG 114.4}
[AG 114.5]          Those who surrender their lives to His guidance and to His service will never be placed in a position for which He has not made provision. Whatever our situation, if we are doers of His word, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.  {AG 114.5}
[AG 115.1]       Chap. 107 - To Establish the Home         Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3.  {AG 115.1}
[AG 115.2]            He who gave Eve to Adam as a helpmeet performed His first miracle at a marriage festival. . . . Thus He sanctioned marriage, recognizing it as an institution that He Himself had established. He ordained that men and women should be united in holy wedlock, to rear families whose members, crowned with honor, should be recognized as members of the family above.  {AG 115.2}
[AG 115.3]          Like every other one of God's good gifts . . . , marriage has been perverted by sin; but it is the purpose of the gospel to restore its purity and beauty. . . .  {AG 115.3}
[AG 115.4]          The grace of Christ, and this alone, can make this institution what God designed it should be--an agent for the blessing and uplifting of humanity. And thus the families of earth, in their unity and peace and love, may represent the family of heaven. The condition of society presents a sad comment upon Heaven's ideal of this sacred relation. Yet even for those who have found bitterness and disappointment where they had hoped for companionship and joy, the gospel of Christ offers a solace. The patience and gentleness which His Spirit can impart, will sweeten the bitter lot. The heart in which Christ dwells will be so filled, so satisfied, with His love that it will not be consumed with longing to attract sympathy and attention to itself. And through the surrender of the soul to God, His wisdom can accomplish what human wisdom fails to do. Through the revelation of His grace, hearts that were once indifferent or estranged may be united. . . .  {AG 115.4}
[AG 115.5]          Men and women can reach God's ideal for them if they will take Christ as their helper. What human wisdom cannot do, His grace will accomplish for those who give themselves to Him in loving trust. His providence can unite hearts in bonds that are of heavenly origin. Love will not be a mere exchange of soft and flattering words. The loom of heaven weaves with warp and woof finer, yet more firm, than can be woven by the looms of earth. The result is not a tissue fabric, but a texture that will bear wear and test and trial. Heart will be bound to heart in the golden bonds of a love that is enduring.  {AG 115.5}
[AG 116.1]       Chap. 108 - To Sustain the Burden Bearer         Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. Psalm 55:22.  {AG 116.1}
[AG 116.2]           In the humble round of toil, the very weakest, the most obscure, may be workers together with God and may have the comfort of His presence and sustaining grace. They are not to weary themselves with busy anxieties and needless cares. Let them work on from day to day, accomplishing faithfully the task that God's providence assigns, and He will care for them. . . .  {AG 116.2}
[AG 116.3]          The Lord's care is over all His creatures. He loves them all, and makes no difference, except that He has the most tender pity for those who are called to bear life's heaviest burdens.  {AG 116.3}
[AG 116.4]          Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears, before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. . . . Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3). The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.  {AG 116.4}
[AG 116.5]         The Lord does not press on anyone burdens too heavy to be borne. He estimates every weight before He allows it to rest upon the hearts of those who are laborers together with Him. To every one of His workers our loving heavenly Father says: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee" (Psalm 55:22). Let the burden bearers believe that He will carry every load, great or small.  {AG 116.5}
[AG 117.1]      Chap. 109 - For Each Day's Need         My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.  {AG 117.1}
[AG 117.2]            All blessings are bestowed upon those who have a vital connection with Jesus Christ. Jesus calls them to Himself not simply to refresh us with His grace and presence for a few hours, and then to send us forth from His light to walk apart from Him in sadness and gloom. No, no. He tells us that we must abide with Him and He with us. . . . Trust in Him continually, and doubt not His love. He knows all our weakness and that which we need. He will give us grace sufficient for our day.  {AG 117.2}
[AG 117.3]          Those only who are constantly receiving fresh supplies of grace, will have power proportionate to their daily need and their ability to use that power. Instead of looking forward to some future time when, through a special endowment of spiritual power, they will receive a miraculous fitting up for soul-winning, they are yielding themselves daily to God, that He may make them vessels meet for His use. Daily they are improving the opportunities for service that lie within their reach. Daily they are witnessing for the Master wherever they may be, whether in some humble sphere of labor in the home, or in a public field of usefulness.  {AG 117.3}
[AG 117.4]          To the consecrated worker there is wonderful consolation in the knowledge that even Christ during His life on earth sought His Father daily for fresh supplies of needed grace; and from this communion with God He went forth to strengthen and bless others. . . .  {AG 117.4}
[AG 117.5]          Every worker who follows the example of Christ will be prepared to receive and use the power that God has promised to His church for the ripening of earth's harvest. Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of His Spirit, with its reviving, sanctifying power. As they go forth to the day's duties, they have the assurance that the unseen agency of the Holy Spirit enables them to be "laborers together with God" (1 Corinthians 3:9).  {AG 117.5}
[AG 118.1]       Chap. 110 - To Lift the Most Sinful         But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6.  {AG 118.1}
[AG 118.2]            Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. He might have extinguished every spark of hope in her soul, but He did not. It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity, and in His strength she had overcome.  {AG 118.2}
[AG 118.3]          When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.  {AG 118.3}
[AG 118.4]          Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. . . . He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration. . . .  {AG 118.4}
[AG 118.5]          The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature.  {AG 118.5}
[AG 118.6]          To those who with steadfast perseverance strive to reveal the attributes of Christ, angels are commissioned to give enlarged views of His character and work, His power and grace and love. Thus they become partakers of His nature.  {AG 118.6}
[AG 119.1]       Chap. 111 - Gives Life to the Soul         Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14.  {AG 119.1}
[AG 119.2]            He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of this world will drink to thirst again. Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long for something to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet that want. The need of the world, "the Desire of all nations," is Christ. The divine grace which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul.  {AG 119.2}
[AG 119.3]         Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draught of the water of life would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee. And He who reveals to the soul its necessity is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing. . . . From this source he may draw strength and grace sufficient for all his needs.  {AG 119.3}
[AG 119.4]          He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life.  {AG 119.4}
[AG 119.5]          The water that Christ referred to was the revelation of His grace in His Word. . . . Christ's gracious presence in His Word is ever speaking to the soul, representing Him as the well of living water to refresh the thirsting. It is our privilege to have a living, abiding Saviour. He is the source of spiritual power implanted within us, and His influence will flow forth in words and actions, refreshing all within the sphere of our influence, begetting in them desires and aspirations for strength and purity, for holiness and peace, and for that joy which brings with it no sorrow. This is the result of an indwelling Saviour.  {AG 119.5}
[AG 120.1]       Chap. 112 - To Make Us Holy         Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2.  {AG 120.1}
[AG 120.2]            Holiness is not rapture: it is an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His love.  {AG 120.2}
[AG 120.3]          Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. . . . Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behaviour, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.  {AG 120.3}
[AG 120.4]          No man receives holiness as a birthright, or as a gift from any other human being. Holiness is the gift of God through Christ. Those who receive the Saviour become sons of God. They are His spiritual children, born again, renewed in righteousness and true holiness. Their minds are changed. With clearer vision they behold eternal realities. They are adopted into God's family, and they become conformed to His likeness, changed by His Spirit from glory to glory. From cherishing supreme love for self, they come to cherish supreme love for God and for Christ. . . . Accepting Christ as a personal Saviour, and following His example of self-denial--this is the secret of holiness.  {AG 120.4}
[AG 120.5]         Forgetting the things that are behind, let us press forward in the heavenward way. Let us neglect no opportunity that, if improved, will make us more useful in God's service. Then like threads of gold, holiness will run through our lives, and the angels, beholding our consecration, will repeat the promise, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir" (Isaiah 13:12). All heaven rejoices when weak, faulty human beings give themselves to Jesus, to live His life.  {AG 120.5}
[AG 121.1]       Chap. 113 - To Adorn the Christian         Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1 Peter 3:3, 4.  {AG 121.1}
[AG 121.2]            God, who created everything lovely and beautiful that the eye rests upon, is a lover of the beautiful. He shows you how He estimates true beauty. The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in His sight of great price.  {AG 121.2}
[AG 121.3]          Of how little value are gold or pearls or costly array in comparison with the loveliness of Christ. Natural loveliness consists in symmetry, or the harmonious proportion of parts, each with the other; but spiritual loveliness consists in the harmony or likeness of our souls to Jesus. This will make its possessor more precious than fine gold, even the golden wedge of Ophir. The grace of Christ is indeed a priceless adornment. It elevates and ennobles its possessor and reflects beams of glory upon others, attracting them also to the Source of light and blessing.  {AG 121.3}
[AG 121.4]          Our appearance in every respect should be characterized by neatness, modesty, and purity. But the Word of God gives no sanction to the making of changes in apparel merely for the sake of fashion, that we may appear like the world. Christians are not to decorate the person with costly array or expensive ornaments. . . .  {AG 121.4}
[AG 121.5]          All who are in earnest in seeking for the grace of Christ will heed the precious words of instruction inspired by God. Even the style of the apparel will express the truth of the gospel.  {AG 121.5}
[AG 121.6]          It is right to love beauty and to desire it; but God desires us to love and seek first the highest beauty, that which is imperishable. No outward adorning can compare in value or loveliness with that "meek and quiet spirit," the "fine linen, white and clean" (Revelation 19:14), which all the holy ones of earth will wear. This apparel will make them beautiful and beloved here, and will hereafter be their badge of admission to the palace of the King.  {AG 121.6}
[AG 122.1]       Chap. 114 - To Bring Comfort         Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted. 2 Corinthians 1:4.  {AG 122.1}
[AG 122.2]            The Lord has special grace for the mourner, and its power is to melt hearts, to win souls. His love opens a channel into the wounded and bruised soul, and becomes a healing balsam to those who sorrow.  {AG 122.2}
[AG 122.3]          Those who have borne the greatest sorrows are frequently the ones who carry the greatest comfort to others, bringing sunshine wherever they go. Such ones have been chastened and sweetened by their afflictions; they did not lose confidence in God when trouble assailed them, but clung closer to His protecting love. Such ones are living proof of the tender care of God, who makes the darkness as well as the light and chastens us for our good. Christ is the light of the world; in Him is no darkness. Precious light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining. Rejoice in the Lord always.  {AG 122.3}
[AG 122.4]          It is your privilege to receive grace from Christ that will enable you to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith you yourselves are comforted of God. . . . Let each try to help the next one. Thus you may have a little heaven here below, and angels of God will work through you to make right impressions. . . . Seek to help wherever you can. Cultivate the best dispositions that the grace of God may rest richly upon you.  {AG 122.4}
[AG 122.5]          Young and old may learn to look to God as the One who will heal, as One who sympathizes, who understands their necessities and who will never make a mistake.  {AG 122.5}
[AG 122.6]          Find time to comfort some other heart, to bless with a kind, cheering word someone who is battling with temptation and maybe with affliction. In thus blessing another with cheering, hopeful words, pointing him to the Burden Bearer, you may unexpectedly find peace, happiness, and consolation yourself.  {AG 122.6}
[AG 122.7]          A consecrated Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and peace. It is characterized by purity, tact, simplicity, and usefulness. It is controlled by that unselfish love that sanctifies the influence. It is full of Christ, and leaves a track of light wherever its possessor may go.  {AG 122.7}
[AG 123.1]       Chap. 115 - Makes Our Foundation Sure         Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. Isaiah 28:16.  {AG 123.1}
[AG 123.2]            In the Scriptures the figure of the erection of a temple is frequently used to illustrate the building of the church. . . . Writing of the building of this temple, Peter says, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood . . ." (1 Peter 2:4, 5). . . .  {AG 123.2}
[AG 123.3]          The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages. To this foundation they brought the stones that they quarried from the world. Not without hindrance did the builders labor. Their work was made exceedingly difficult by the opposition of the enemies of Christ. They had to contend against the bigotry, prejudice, and hatred of those who were building upon a false foundation. . . . But in the face of imprisonment, torture, and death, faithful men carried the work forward; and the structure grew, beautiful and symmetrical. . . .  {AG 123.3}
[AG 123.4]          Through the ages that have passed since the days of the apostles, the building of God's temple has never ceased. We may look back through the centuries and see the living stones of which it is composed gleaming like jets of light through the darkness of error and superstition. Throughout eternity these precious jewels will shine with increasing luster. . . .  {AG 123.4}
[AG 123.5]          But the structure is not yet complete. We who are living in this age have a work to do, a part to act. We are to bring to the foundation material that will stand the test of fire--gold, silver, and precious stones. . . . The Christian who faithfully presents the word of life, leading men and women into the way of holiness and peace, is bringing to the foundation material that will endure, and in the kingdom of God he will be honored as a wise builder.  {AG 123.5}
[AG 123.6]          Divine power will unite with our efforts, and as we cling to God with the hand of faith, Christ will impart to us His wisdom and His righteousness. Thus, by His grace, we shall be enabled to build upon the sure foundation.  {AG 123.6}
[AG 124.1]       Chap. 116 - A Preserving Power         Ye are the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13.  {AG 124.1}
[AG 124.2]            By these words of Christ we gain some idea of what constitutes the value of human influence. It is to work with the influence of Christ, to lift where Christ lifts, to impart correct principles, and stay the progress of the world's corruption. It is to diffuse that grace which Christ alone can impart. It is to uplift, to sweeten, the lives and characters of others by the power of a pure example united with earnest faith and love. God's people are to exercise a reforming, preserving power in the world. They are to counterwork the destroying, corrupting influence of evil. . . .  {AG 124.2}
[AG 124.3]          The work of the people of God in the world is to restrain evil, to elevate, to purify, and to ennoble mankind. The principles of kindness and love and benevolence are to uproot every fiber of the selfishness that has permeated all society and corrupted the church. . . . If men and women will open their hearts to the heavenly influence of truth and love, these principles will flow forth again, like streams in the desert, refreshing all, and causing freshness to appear where now are barrenness and dearth. The influence of those who keep the way of the Lord will be as far-reaching as eternity. They will carry with them the cheerfulness of heavenly peace as an abiding, refreshing, enlightening power.  {AG 124.3}
[AG 124.4]          Again, there is to be an open influence. Christ says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." . . .  {AG 124.4}
[AG 124.5]          The light that shines from those who receive Jesus Christ is not self-originated. It is all from the Light and Life of the world. . . . Christ is the light, the life, the holiness, the sanctification, of all who believe, and His light is to be received and imparted in all good works. In many different ways His grace is also acting as the salt of the earth; whithersoever this salt finds its way, to homes or communities, it becomes a preserving power to save all that is good, and to destroy all that is evil. True religion is the light of the world, the salt of the earth. . . .  {AG 124.5}
[AG 124.6]          The fountain of grace and knowledge is ever flowing. It is inexhaustible. It is from this abundant fulness that we are supplied.  {AG 124.6}
[AG 125.1]       Chap. 117 - A Light to Shine         Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60:1.  {AG 125.1}
[AG 125.2]            Through the social relations, Christianity comes in contact with the world. Everyone who has received the divine illumination is to brighten the pathway of those who know not the Light of life. . . . Social power, sanctified by the grace of Christ, must be improved in winning souls to the Saviour. Let the world see that we are not selfishly absorbed in our own interests, but that we desire others to share our blessings and privileges. Let them see that our religion does not make us unsympathetic or exacting. Let all who profess to have found Christ, minister as He did for the benefit of men.  {AG 125.2}
[AG 125.3]          We should never give to the world the false impression that Christians are a gloomy, unhappy people. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we shall see a compassionate Redeemer, and shall catch light from His countenance. Wherever His Spirit reigns, there peace abides. And there will be joy also, for there is a calm, holy trust in God.  {AG 125.3}
[AG 125.4]          Christ is pleased with His followers when they show that, though human, they are partakers of the divine nature. They are not statues, but living men and women. Their hearts, refreshed by the dews of divine grace, open and expand to the Sun of Righteousness. The light that shines upon them they reflect upon others in works that are luminous with the love of Christ.  {AG 125.4}
[AG 125.5]          The confession of faith made by saints and martyrs was recorded for the benefit of succeeding generations. Those living examples of holiness and steadfast integrity have come down to inspire courage in those who are now called to stand as witnesses for God. They received grace and truth, not for themselves alone, but that, through them, the knowledge of God might enlighten the earth. Has God given light to His servants in this generation? Then they should let it shine forth to the world.  {AG 125.5}
[AG 125.6]          We are to be channels through which the Lord can send light and grace to the world. . . . The entire church, acting as one, blending in perfect union, is to be a living, active missionary agency, moved and controlled by the Holy Spirit.  {AG 125.6}
[AG 126.1]       Chap. 118 - Workers with God         For we are labourers together with God. 1 Corinthians 3:9.  {AG 126.1}
[AG 126.2]            God will honor and uphold every true-hearted, earnest soul who is seeking to walk before Him in the perfection of Christ's grace. He will never leave nor forsake one humble, trembling soul. Shall we believe that He will work in our hearts? that if we allow Him to do so, He will make us pure and holy, by His rich grace qualifying us to be laborers together with Him? Can we with keen, sanctified perception appreciate the strength of His promises, and appropriate them, not because we are worthy, but because by living faith we claim the righteousness of Christ?  {AG 126.2}
[AG 126.3]          In giving light to His people anciently, God did not work exclusively through any one class. Daniel was a prince of Judah. Isaiah also was of the royal line. David was a shepherd boy, Amos a herdsman, Zechariah a captive from Babylon, Elisha a tiller of the soil. The Lord raised up as His representatives prophets and princes, the noble and the lowly, and taught them the truths to be given to the world. To every one who becomes a partaker of His grace, the Lord appoints a work for others. . . .  {AG 126.3}
[AG 126.4]          Let all cultivate their physical and mental powers to the utmost of their ability, that they may work for God where His providence shall call them. The same grace that came from Christ to Paul and Apollos, that distinguished them for spiritual excellencies, will today be imparted to devoted Christian missionaries. God desires His children to have intelligence and knowledge, that with unmistakable clearness and power His glory may be revealed in our world. . . .  {AG 126.4}
[AG 126.5]          Men deficient in school education, lowly in social position, have, through the grace of Christ, sometimes been wonderfully successful in winning souls for Him. The secret of their success was their confidence in God. They learned daily of Him who is wonderful in counsel and mighty in power.  {AG 126.5}
[AG 126.6]          Everyone in whose heart Christ abides, everyone who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity. As he receives from the Saviour grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life.  {AG 126.6}
[AG 127.1]       Chap. 119 - Fishers of Men         And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19.  {AG 127.1}
[AG 127.2]            Divine grace in the newly converted soul is progressive. It gives an increase of grace, which is received, not to be hidden under a bushel, but to be imparted, that others may be benefited. He who is truly converted will work to save others who are in darkness.  {AG 127.2}
[AG 127.3]          When a crisis comes in the life of any soul, and you attempt to give counsel or admonition, your words will have only the weight of influence for good that your own example and spirit have gained for you. You must be good before you can do good. You cannot exert an influence that will transform others until your own heart has been humbled and refined and made tender by the grace of Christ. When this change has been wrought in you, it will be as natural for you to live to bless others as it is for the rosebush to yield its fragrant bloom.  {AG 127.3}
[AG 127.4]          He whose heart is filled with the grace of God and love for his perishing fellow men will find opportunity, wherever he may be placed, to speak a word in season to those who are weary. Christians are to work for their Master in meekness and lowliness, holding fast to their integrity amid the noise and bustle of life.  {AG 127.4}
[AG 127.5]          We should strive to understand the weakness of others. We know little of the heart trials of those who have been bound in chains of darkness and who lack resolution and moral power. . . .  {AG 127.5}
[AG 127.6]          We become too easily discouraged over the souls who do not at once respond to our efforts. Never should we cease to labor for a soul while there is one gleam of hope. Precious souls cost our self-sacrificing Redeemer too dear a price to be lightly given up to the tempter's power. . . . Without a helping hand many would never recover themselves, but by patient, persistent effort they may be uplifted. Such need tender words, kind consideration, tangible help. . . . Christ is able to uplift the most sinful and place them where they will be acknowledged as children of God, joint heirs with Christ to the immortal inheritance. By the miracle of divine grace many may be fitted for lives of usefulness.  {AG 127.6}
[AG 128.1]       Chap. 120 - A Completed Work         He shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Zechariah 4:7.  {AG 128.1}
[AG 128.2]            Human power did not establish the work of God, neither can human power destroy it. To those who carry forward His work in face of difficulty and opposition, God will give the constant guidance and guardianship of His holy angels. His work on earth will never cease. The building of His spiritual temple will be carried forward until it shall stand complete, and the headstone shall be brought forth with shoutings: "Grace, grace unto it."  {AG 128.2}
[AG 128.3]          Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member should be a channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's love. . . .  {AG 128.3}
[AG 128.4]          The church is God's agency for the proclamation of truth, empowered by Him to do a special work; and if she is loyal to Him, obedient to all His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellency of divine grace. If she will be true to her allegiance, if she will honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her.  {AG 128.4}
[AG 128.5]          Christ desires by the fullness of His power so to strengthen His people that through them the whole world shall be encircled with an atmosphere of grace. When His people shall make a whole-hearted surrender of themselves to God, this purpose will be accomplished. . . . Christ will abide in humanity, and humanity will abide in Christ. In all the work will appear, not the character of finite man, but the character of the infinite God. . . .  {AG 128.5}
[AG 128.6]          The goodly fabric of character wrought out through divine power will receive light and glory from heaven, and will stand before the world as a witness pointing to the throne of the living God. Then the work will move forward with solidity and redoubled strength.  {AG 128.6}
[AG 129.1]       Chap. 121 - Before Creation         Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. 2 Timothy 1:9.  {AG 129.1}
[AG 129.2]            The purpose and plan of grace existed from all eternity. Before the foundation of the world it was according to the determinate counsel of God that man should be created, endowed with power to do the divine will. But the defection of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent, and yet it did not deter Him from carrying out His eternal purpose; for the Lord would establish His throne in righteousness. God knows the end from the beginning. . . . Therefore redemption was not an afterthought . . . but an eternal purpose to be wrought out for the blessing not only of this atom of a world but for the good of all the worlds which God has created.  {AG 129.2}
[AG 129.3]          The creation of the worlds, the mystery of the gospel, are for one purpose, to make manifest to all created intelligences, through nature and through Christ, the glories of the divine character. By the marvelous display of His love in giving "his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," the glory of God is revealed to lost humanity and to the intelligences of other worlds.  {AG 129.3}
[AG 129.4]          Jesus encircles the race with His human arm, while with His divine arm He lays hold upon infinity. He is the "daysman" between a holy God and our sinful humanity--one who can "lay his hand on us both" (Job 9:33).  {AG 129.4}
[AG 129.5]          The terms of this oneness between God and man in the great covenant of redemption were arranged with Christ from all eternity. The covenant of grace was revealed to the patriarchs. The covenant made with Abraham . . . was a covenant confirmed by God in Christ, the very same gospel which is preached to us. . . . Paul speaks of the gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ, as "the revelation of the mystery, which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25, 26, R.V.).  {AG 129.5}
[AG 130.1]       Chap. 122 - Everlasting         Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Isaiah 55:3.  {AG 130.1}
[AG 130.2]            The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It has existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity.  {AG 130.2}
[AG 130.3]          From the opening of the great controversy it has been Satan's purpose to misrepresent God's character, and to excite rebellion against His law. . . . But amid the working of evil, God's purposes move steadily forward to their accomplishment; to all created intelligences He is making manifest His justice and benevolence. Through Satan's temptations the whole human race have become transgressors of God's law, but by the sacrifice of His Son a way is opened whereby they may return to God. Through the grace of Christ they may be enabled to render obedience to the Father's law. Thus in every age, from the midst of apostasy and rebellion, God gathers out a people that are true to Him--a people "in whose heart is his law."  {AG 130.3}
[AG 130.4]          God's work is the same in all time, although there are different degrees of development and different manifestations of His power, to meet the wants of men in the different ages. Beginning with the first gospel promise, and coming down through the patriarchal and Jewish ages, and even to the present time, there has been a gradual unfolding of the purposes of God in the plan of redemption. . . . He who proclaimed the law from Sinai, and delivered to Moses the precepts of the ritual law, is the same that spoke the sermon on the mount. . . . The Teacher is the same in both dispensations. God's claims are the same. The principles of His government are the same.  {AG 130.4}
[AG 130.5]          In the closing work of God in the earth, the standard of His law will be again exalted. . . . God will not break His covenant, nor alter the thing that has gone out of His lips. His word will stand fast forever as unalterable as His throne.  {AG 130.5}
[AG 131.1]       Chap. 123 - In Eden         I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15.  {AG 131.1}
[AG 131.2]            The covenant of grace was first made with man in Eden, when after the fall, there was given a divine promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. To all men this covenant offered pardon, and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. It also promised them eternal life on condition of fidelity to God's law. Thus the patriarchs received the hope of salvation.  {AG 131.2}
[AG 131.3]          Adam and Eve, at their creation, had a knowledge of the law of God. It was printed on their hearts, and they understood its claims upon them.  {AG 131.3}
[AG 131.4]          The law of God existed before man was created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were governed by it. After the fall, the principles of righteousness were unchanged. Nothing was taken from the law; not one of its holy precepts could be improved. And as it has existed from the beginning, so will it continue to exist throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.  {AG 131.4}
[AG 131.5]          After the transgression of Adam the principles of the law were . . . definitely arranged and expressed to meet man in his fallen condition. Christ, in counsel with His Father, instituted the system of sacrificial offerings; that death, instead of being immediately visited upon the transgressor, should be transferred to a victim which should prefigure the great and perfect offering of the Son of God. . . . Through the blood of this victim, man looked forward by faith to the blood of Christ which would atone for the sins of the world.  {AG 131.5}
[AG 131.6]          The mission of Christ on earth was not to destroy the law, but by His grace to bring man back to obedience to its precepts. . . . By His own obedience to the law, Christ testified to its immutable character and proved that through His grace it could be perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam.  {AG 131.6}
[AG 132.1]       Chap. 124 - Shared with Noah         And God spake unto Noah, . . . saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you. Genesis 9:8, 9.  {AG 132.1}
[AG 132.2]            Wickedness was so widespread that God said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth. . . . But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. . . . Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:7-9).  {AG 132.2}
[AG 132.3]          Noah was to preach to the people, and also to prepare an ark as God should direct him for the saving of himself and family. He was not only to preach, but his example in building the ark was to convince all that he believed what he preached.  {AG 132.3}
[AG 132.4]          Noah did not forget God who had so graciously preserved them, but immediately ［on coming out of the ark］ erected an altar and. . . offered burnt offerings on the altar, showing his faith in Christ the great sacrifice, and manifesting his gratitude to God for their wonderful preservation. The offering of Noah came up before God like a sweet savor. He accepted the offering, and blessed Noah and his family. . . .  {AG 132.4}
[AG 132.5]          And lest man should be terrified with gathering clouds, and falling rains, . . . God graciously encourages the family of Noah by a promise. "And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood. . . . And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. . . . And the bow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth" (Genesis 9:11-16).  {AG 132.5}
[AG 132.6]          With the assurance given to Noah concerning the flood, God Himself has linked one of the most precious promises of His grace; "As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith Jehovah that hath mercy on thee" (Isaiah 54:9, 10).  {AG 132.6}
[AG 133.1]       Chap. 125 - Renewed to Abraham         I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Genesis 17:7.  {AG 133.1}
[AG 133.2]            After the Flood the people once more increased on the earth, and wickedness also increased. . . . The Lord finally left the hardened transgressors to follow their evil ways, while He chose Abraham, of the line of Shem, and made him the keeper of His law for future generations.  {AG 133.2}
[AG 133.3]          This same covenant ［the covenant of grace］ was renewed to Abraham in the promise "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). This promise pointed to Christ. So Abraham understood it, and he trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It was this faith that was accounted to him for righteousness. The covenant with Abraham also maintained the authority of God's law. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Genesis 17:1). The testimony of God concerning His faithful servant was, "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Genesis 26:5). . . .  {AG 133.3}
[AG 133.4]          Though this covenant was made with Adam and renewed to Abraham, it could not be ratified until the death of Christ. It had existed by the promise of God since the first intimation of redemption had been given; it had been accepted by faith; yet when ratified by Christ, it is called a new covenant. The law of God was the basis of this covenant, which was simply an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will, placing them where they could obey God's law.  {AG 133.4}
[AG 133.5]          If it were not possible for human beings under the Abrahamic covenant to keep the commandments of God, every soul of us is lost. The Abrahamic covenant is the covenant of grace. "By grace are ye saved" (Ephesians 2:8). Disobedient children? No, obedient to all His commandments.  {AG 133.5}
[AG 133.6]          Abraham's unquestioning obedience was one of the most striking instances of faith and reliance upon God to be found in the Sacred Record. . . . Just such faith and confidence as Abraham had the messengers of God need today.  {AG 133.6}
[AG 134.1]       Chap. 126 - Terms of the Covenant         If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. Exodus 19:5.  {AG 134.1}
[AG 134.2]            In the beginning, God gave His law to mankind as a means of attaining happiness and eternal life.  {AG 134.2}
[AG 134.3]          The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises, assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Here is the sum and substance of the law of God. The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined. . . .  {AG 134.3}
[AG 134.4]          That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise, "This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan." There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO and Live.  {AG 134.4}
[AG 134.5]          The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been--just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents--perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.  {AG 134.5}
[AG 134.6]          Christ does not lessen the claims of the law. In unmistakable language He presents obedience to it as the condition of eternal life--the same condition that was required of Adam before his fall. . . . The requirement under the covenant of grace is just as broad as the requirement made in Eden--harmony with God's law, which is holy, just, and good.  {AG 134.6}
[AG 134.7]          The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace.  {AG 134.7}
[AG 135.1]       Chap. 127 - The Promises of Men         All the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. Exodus 19:8.  {AG 135.1}
[AG 135.2]            Another compact ［other than the Abrahamic covenant］-- called in Scripture the "old" covenant--was formed between God and Israel at Sinai, and was then ratified by the blood of a sacrifice. The Abrahamic covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ, and it is called the "second", or "new" covenant, because the blood by which it was sealed was shed after the blood of the first covenant.  {AG 135.2}
[AG 135.3]         Soon after the encampment at Sinai, Moses was called up into the mountain to meet with God. . . . Israel was now to be taken into a close and peculiar relation to the Most High--to be incorporated as a church and a nation under the government of God. The message to Moses for the people was: ". . . if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exodus 19:4-6).  {AG 135.3}
[AG 135.4]          Moses returned to the camp, and having summoned the elders of Israel, he repeated to them the divine message. Their answer was, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." Thus they entered into a solemn covenant with God, pledging themselves to accept Him as their Ruler, by which they became, in a special sense, the subjects of His authority.  {AG 135.4}
[AG 135.5]          In their bondage the people had to a great extent lost the knowledge of God and of the principles of the Abrahamic covenant. . . . Living in the midst of idolatry and corruption, they had no true conception of the holiness of God, of the exceeding sinfulness of their own hearts, their utter inability, in themselves, to render obedience to God's law, and their need of a Saviour. . . . God brought them to Sinai; He manifested His glory; He gave them His law, with the promise of great blessings on condition of obedience. . . . The people did not realize . . . that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God's law. . . . Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, "All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient" (Exodus 24:7).  {AG 135.5}
[AG 136.1]       Chap. 128 - Better Promises         He is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises. Hebrews 8:6.  {AG 136.1}
[AG 136.2]            The Israelites had been specially charged not to lose sight of the commandments of God, in obedience to which they would find strength and blessing.  {AG 136.2}
[AG 136.3]          They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant and shadowed forth in the sacrificial offerings. Now by faith and love they were bound to God as their deliverer from the bondage of sin. Now they were prepared to appreciate the blessings of the new covenant.  {AG 136.3}
[AG 136.4]          The terms of the "old covenant" were, Obey and live: "If a man do, he shall even live in them" (Ezekiel 20:11; Leviticus 18:5); but "cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them" (Deuteronomy 27:26). The "new covenant" was established upon "better promises"--the promise of forgiveness of sins and of the grace of God to renew the heart and bring it into harmony with the principles of God's law.  {AG 136.4}
[AG 136.5]          The blessings of the new covenant are grounded purely on mercy in forgiving unrighteousness and sins. . . . All who humble their hearts, confessing their sins, will find mercy and grace and assurance. Has God, in showing mercy to the sinner, ceased to be just? Has He dishonored His holy law, and will He henceforth pass over the violation of it? God is true. He changes not. The conditions of salvation are ever the same. Life, eternal life, is for all who will obey God's law. . . .  {AG 136.5}
[AG 136.6]          Under the new covenant, the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old--perfect obedience. . . . In the new and better covenant, Christ has fulfilled the law for the transgressors of law, if they receive Him by faith as a personal Saviour. . . . In the better covenant we are cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ.  {AG 136.6}
[AG 137.1]       Chap. 129 - Written on the Heart         After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:33, 34.  {AG 137.1}
[AG 137.2]            The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone, is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth "the fruits of the Spirit." Through the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as He walked.  {AG 137.2}
[AG 137.3]          There are two errors against which the children of God --particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace --especially need to guard. The first . . . is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. . . .  {AG 137.3}
[AG 137.4]          The opposite and no less dangerous error is, that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption. . . . If the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? . . . Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience. . . .  {AG 137.4}
[AG 137.5]          Where there is not only a belief in God's Word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith--faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. And the heart that in its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, now delights in its holy precepts, exclaiming with the psalmist, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).  {AG 137.5}
[AG 138.1]      Chap. 130 - The Gift of Repentance         Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5:31.  {AG 138.1}
[AG 138.2]            Repentance is one of the first fruits of saving grace. Our great Teacher, in His lessons to erring, fallen man, presents the life-giving power of His grace, declaring that through this grace men and women may live the new life of holiness and purity. He who lives this life works out the principles of the kingdom of heaven. Taught of God, he leads others in straight paths. He will not lead the lame into paths of uncertainty. The working of the Holy Spirit in his life shows that he is a partaker of the divine nature. Every soul thus worked by the Spirit of Christ receives so abundant a supply of the rich grace that, beholding his good works, the unbelieving world acknowledges that he is controlled and sustained by divine power, and is led to glorify God. . . .  {AG 138.2}
[AG 138.3]          Read and study the thirty-fourth chapter of Ezekiel. In it we are given most precious encouragement. "I will save my flock, and they shall be no more a prey," the Lord declares. ". . . And I will make with them a covenant of peace. . . ."  {AG 138.3}
[AG 138.4]          The most striking feature of this covenant of peace is the exceeding richness of the pardoning mercy expressed to the sinner if he repents and turns from his sin. The Holy Spirit describes the gospel as salvation through the tender mercies of our God. "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness," the Lord declares of those who repent, "and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 8:12). Does God turn from justice in showing mercy to the sinner? No; God cannot dishonor His law by suffering it to be transgressed with impunity. Under the new covenant, perfect obedience is the condition of life. If the sinner repents and confesses his sins, he will find pardon. By Christ's sacrifice in his behalf, forgiveness is secured for him. Christ has satisfied the demands of the law for every repentant, believing sinner. . . .  {AG 138.4}
[AG 138.5]          The atonement that has been made for us by Christ is wholly and abundantly satisfactory to the Father. God can be just, and yet the justifier of those who believe.  {AG 138.5}
[AG 139.1]       Chap. 131 - The Gift of Pardon         Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Nehemiah 9:17.  {AG 139.1}
[AG 139.2]            Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty must be executed. God, in the gift of His only-begotten Son, met both these requirements. By dying in man's stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and provided a pardon.  {AG 139.2}
[AG 139.3]          God requires that we confess our sins, and humble our hearts before Him; but at the same time we should have confidence in Him as a tender Father, who will not forsake those who put their trust in Him. . . . God does not give us up because of our sins. We may make mistakes, and grieve His Spirit; but when we repent, and come to Him with contrite hearts, He will not turn us away. There are hindrances to be removed. Wrong feelings have been cherished, and there have been pride, self-sufficiency, impatience, and murmurings. All these separate us from God. Sins must be confessed; there must be a deeper work of grace in the heart. . . .  {AG 139.3}
[AG 139.4]          We must learn in the school of Christ. Nothing but His righteousness can entitle us to one of the blessings of the covenant of grace. . . . We look to self, as though we had power to save ourselves; but Jesus died for us because we are helpless to do this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness. . . .  {AG 139.4}
[AG 139.5]          Jesus is our only Saviour; and although millions who need to be healed will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish. . . .  {AG 139.5}
[AG 139.6]          You may see that you are sinful and undone; but it is just on this account that you need a Saviour. If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled; for Jesus has promised it. Precious Saviour! His arms are open to receive us, and His great heart of love is waiting to bless us.  {AG 139.6}
[AG 140.1]       Chap. 132 - Accepted by Faith         For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26.  {AG 140.1}
[AG 140.2]            To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray without soul hunger and living faith, avails nothing. A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.  {AG 140.2}
[AG 140.3]          True faith is that which receives Christ as a personal Saviour. God gave His only-begotten Son, that I, by believing in Him, "should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). When I come to Christ, according to His word, I am to believe that I receive His saving grace. The life that I now live, I am to "live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).  {AG 140.3}
[AG 140.4]          The apostle Paul clearly presents the relation between faith and the law under the new covenant. He says: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh"--it could not justify man, because in his sinful nature he could not keep the law --"God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 5:1; 3:31; 8:3, 4).  {AG 140.4}
[AG 141.1]      Chap. 133 - God's Law is its Standard         Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13.  {AG 141.1}
[AG 141.2]            Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the covenant was made that all who were obedient, all who should through the abundant grace provided, become holy in character, and without blame before God, by appropriating that grace, should be children of God. This covenant, made from eternity, was given to Abraham hundreds of years before Christ came. With what interest and what intensity did Christ in humanity study the human race to see if they would avail themselves of the provision offered.  {AG 141.2}
[AG 141.3]          In His teachings, Christ showed how far-reaching are the principles of the law spoken from Sinai. He made a living application of that law whose principles remain forever the great standard of righteousness--the standard by which all shall be judged in that great day when the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened. He came to fulfill all righteousness, and, as the head of humanity, to show man that he can do the same work, meeting every specification of the requirements of God. Through the measure of His grace furnished to the human agent, not one need miss heaven. Perfection of character is attainable by every one who strives for it. This is made the very foundation of the new covenant of the gospel. The law of Jehovah is the tree; the gospel is the fragrant blossoms and fruit which it bears.  {AG 141.3}
[AG 141.4]          God's law is the transcript of His character. It embodies the principles of His kingdom. He who refuses to accept these principles is placing himself outside the channel where God's blessings flow.  {AG 141.4}
[AG 141.5]          The glorious possibilities set before Israel could be realized only through obedience to God's commandments. The same elevation of character, the same fulness of blessing--blessing on mind and soul and body, blessing on house and field, blessing for this life and for the life to come--is possible for us only through obedience.  {AG 141.5}
[AG 141.6]          Let us not lower the standard, but keep it lifted high, looking to Him who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.  {AG 141.6}
[AG 142.1]       Chap. 134 - The Pledge of Obedience         He took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. Exodus 24:7.  {AG 142.1}
[AG 142.2]            The covenant that God made with His people at Sinai is to be our refuge and defense....This covenant is of just as much force today as it was when the Lord made it with ancient Israel....  {AG 142.2}
[AG 142.3]          This is the pledge that God's people are to make in these last days. Their acceptance with God depends on a faithful fulfillment of the terms of their agreement with Him. God includes in His covenant all who will obey Him. To all who will do justice and judgment, keeping their hand from doing any evil, the promise is, "Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off" (Isaiah 56:5).  {AG 142.3}
[AG 142.4]          The Father sets His love upon His elect people who live in the midst of men. These are the people whom Christ has redeemed by the price of His own blood; and because they respond to the drawing of Christ, through the sovereign mercy of God, they are elected to be saved as His obedient children. Upon them is manifested the free grace of God, the love wherewith He hath loved them. Everyone who will humble himself as a little child, who will receive and obey the Word of God with a child's simplicity will be among the elect of God.  {AG 142.4}
[AG 142.5]          To make God's grace our own, we must act our part. The Lord does not propose to perform for us either the willing or the doing. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort.  {AG 142.5}
[AG 142.6]          Let the human agent compare his life with the life of Christ. ...Let him imitate the example of Him who lived out the law of Jehovah, who said, "I have kept my father's commandments." Those who follow Christ will be continually looking into the perfect law of liberty, and through the grace given them by Christ, will fashion the character according to the divine requirements.  {AG 142.6}
[AG 143.1]       Chap. 135 - The Role of Baptism         We are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4.  {AG 143.1}
[AG 143.2]            Christ made baptism the entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Those who receive the ordinance of baptism thereby make a public declaration that they have renounced the world, and have become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. . . .  {AG 143.2}
[AG 143.3]          Christ enjoins those who receive this ordinance to remember that they are bound by a solemn covenant to live to the Lord. They are to use for Him all their entrusted capabilities, never losing the realization that they bear God's sign of obedience to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, that they are subjects of Christ's kingdom, partakers of the divine nature. They are to surrender all they have and are to God, employing all their gifts to God's glory.  {AG 143.3}
[AG 143.4]          Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have accepted the invitation, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (chapter 7:1). . . .  {AG 143.4}
[AG 143.5]         Let those who received the imprint of God by baptism heed these words, remembering that upon them the Lord has placed His signature, declaring them to be His sons and daughters. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, powers infinite and omniscient, receive those who truly enter into covenant relation with God. They are present at every baptism, to receive the candidates who have renounced the world and have received Christ into the soul temple. These candidates have entered into the family of God, and their names are inscribed in the Lamb's book of life.  {AG 143.5}
[AG 144.1]       Chap. 136 - Not a Substitute for the Law         What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Romans 6:15.  {AG 144.1}
[AG 144.2]            It is the sophistry of Satan that the death of Christ brought in grace to take the place of the law. The death of Jesus did not change or annul, or lessen in the slightest degree, the law of ten commandments. That precious grace offered to men through a Saviour's blood, establishes the law of God. Since the fall of man, God's moral government and His grace are inseparable. They go hand in hand through all dispensations.  {AG 144.2}
[AG 144.3]          The gospel of the New Testament is not the Old Testament standard lowered to meet the sinner and save him in his sins. God requires of all His subjects obedience, entire obedience to all His commandments.  {AG 144.3}
[AG 144.4]          Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, that He might know how to succor those who should be tempted. His life is our example. He shows by His willing obedience that man may keep the law of God and that transgression of the law, not obedience to it, brings him into bondage. . . .  {AG 144.4}
[AG 144.5]          Man, who has defaced the image of God in his soul by a corrupt life, cannot, by mere human effort, effect a radical change in himself. He must accept the provisions of the gospel; he must be reconciled to God through obedience to His law and faith in Jesus Christ. His life from thenceforth must be governed by a new principle. . . . He must face the mirror, God's law, discern the defects in his moral character, and put away his sins, washing his robe of character in the blood of the Lamb. . . .  {AG 144.5}
[AG 144.6]          The influence of a gospel hope will not lead the sinner to look upon the salvation of Christ as a matter of free grace, while he continues to live in transgression of the law of God. When the light of truth dawns upon his mind and he fully understands the requirements of God and realizes the extent of his transgressions, he will reform his ways, become loyal to God through the strength obtained from His Saviour, and lead a new and purer life.  {AG 144.6}
[AG 144.7]          It is not the work of the gospel to weaken the claims of God's holy law, but to bring men up where they can keep its precepts.  {AG 144.7}
[AG 145.1]       Chap. 137 - Includes Love to God and Man         Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. . . . And . . . thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:37-39.  {AG 145.1}
[AG 145.2]            The whole work of grace is one continual service of love, of self-denying, self-sacrificing effort. During every hour of Christ's sojourn upon the earth, the love of God was flowing from Him in irrepressible streams. All who are imbued with His Spirit will love as He loved. The very principle that actuated Christ will actuate them in all their dealing one with another.  {AG 145.2}
[AG 145.3]          This love is the evidence of their discipleship. . . . When men are bound together, not by force or self-interest, but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence that the image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new principle of life has been implanted. It shows that there is power in the divine nature to withstand the supernatural agencies of evil, and that the grace of God subdues the selfishness inherent in the natural heart.  {AG 145.3}
[AG 145.4]          When self is merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within--when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart and is revealed in the countenance.  {AG 145.4}
[AG 145.5]          It is not possible for the heart in which Christ abides to be destitute of love. If we love God because He first loved us, we shall love all for whom Christ died. We cannot come in touch with divinity without coming in touch with humanity; for in Him who sits upon the throne of the universe, divinity and humanity are combined. Connected with Christ, we are connected with our fellow men by the golden links of the chain of love. Then the pity and compassion of Christ will be manifest in our life. . . . It will be as natural for us to minister to the needy and suffering as it was for Christ to go about doing good.  {AG 145.5}
[AG 145.6]          The law of God requires that man shall love God supremely, and his neighbor as himself. When through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is perfectly done, we shall be complete in Christ.  {AG 145.6}
[AG 146.1]       Chap. 138 - Involves Character Building         Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9.  {AG 146.1}
[AG 146.2]            Obedience to the laws of God develops in man a beautiful character that is in harmony with all that is pure and holy and undefiled. In the life of such a man the message of the gospel of Christ is made clear. Accepting the mercy of Christ and His healing from the power of sin, he is brought into right relation with God. His life, cleansed from vanity and selfishness, is filled with the love of God. His daily obedience to the law of God obtains for him a character that assures him eternal life in the kingdom of God.  {AG 146.2}
[AG 146.3]          But Christ has given us no assurance that to attain perfection of character is an easy matter. A noble, all-round character is not inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected.  {AG 146.3}
[AG 146.4]          The truth is no truth to the one who does not reveal, by his elevated spiritual character, a power beyond that which the world can give, and influence corresponding in its sacred, peculiar character to the truth itself. He who is sanctified by the truth will exert a saving, vital influence upon all with whom he comes in contact. This is Bible religion.  {AG 146.4}
[AG 146.5]          We need constantly a fresh revelation of Christ, a daily experience that harmonizes with His teachings. High and holy attainments are within our reach. Continual progress in knowledge and virtue is God's purpose for us. His law is the echo of His own voice, giving to all the invitation, "Come up higher. Be holy, holier still." Every day we may advance in perfection of Christian character.  {AG 146.5}
[AG 147.1]       Chap. 139 - Demands Purity         For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7.  {AG 147.1}
[AG 147.2]            Life is a gift of God. Our bodies have been given us to use in God's service, and He desires that we shall care for and appreciate them. We are possessed of physical as well as mental faculties. Our impulses and passions have their seat in the body, and therefore we must do nothing that would defile this entrusted possession. Our bodies must be kept in the best possible condition physically, and under the most spiritual influences, in order that we may make the best use of our talents. Read 1 Corinthians 6:13.  {AG 147.2}
[AG 147.3]          Our bodies belong to God. He paid the price of redemption for the body as well as the soul. . . . God is the great caretaker of the human machinery. In the care of our bodies we must cooperate with Him. Love for God is essential for life and health. In order to have perfect health our hearts must be filled with hope, and love, and joy.  {AG 147.3}
[AG 147.4]          The lower passions are to be strictly guarded. The perceptive faculties are abused, terribly abused, when the passions are allowed to run riot. When the passions are indulged, the blood, instead of circulating to all parts of the body, thereby relieving the heart and clearing the mind, is called in undue amount to the internal organs. Disease comes as the result. The man cannot be healthy until the evil is seen and remedied.  {AG 147.4}
[AG 147.5]          "He that is joined unto the Lord"--bound up with Christ in the covenant of grace--"is one spirit. Flee fornication" (1 Corinthians 6:17,18). Do not stop for one moment to reason. Satan would rejoice to see you overthrown by temptation. Do not stop to argue the case with your weak conscience. Turn away from the first step of transgression.  {AG 147.5}
[AG 147.6]          Would that the example of Joseph might be followed by all who claim to be wise, who feel competent in their own strength to discharge the duties of life. A wise man will not be governed and controlled by his appetites and passions, but will control and govern them. He will draw nigh to God, striving to prepare mind and body to discharge aright the duties of life. . . . Satan is the destroyer; Christ the restorer.  {AG 147.6}
[AG 148.1]       Chap. 140 - Encourages Christlikeness         He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6.  {AG 148.1}
[AG 148.2]            The gospel is to be presented, not as a lifeless theory, but as a living force to change the life. God desires that the receivers of His grace shall be witnesses to its power. . . . He would have His servants bear testimony to the fact that through His grace men may possess Christlikeness of character, and may rejoice in the assurance of His great love. He would have us bear testimony to the fact that He cannot be satisfied until the human race are reclaimed and reinstated in their holy privileges as His sons and daughters.  {AG 148.2}
[AG 148.3]          God's people are to be distinguished as a people who serve Him fully, wholeheartedly, taking no honor to themselves, and remembering that by a most solemn covenant they have bound themselves to serve the Lord and Him only.  {AG 148.3}
[AG 148.4]          God requires perfection of His children. His law is a transcript of His own character, and it is the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may be no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will have to compose His kingdom. The life of Christ on earth was a perfect expression of God's law, and when those who claim to be children of God become Christlike in character, they will be obedient to God's commandments. Then the Lord can trust them to be of the number who shall compose the family of heaven. Clothed in the glorious apparel of Christ's righteousness, they have a place at the King's feast. They have a right to join the blood-washed throng.  {AG 148.4}
[AG 148.5]          Everything must be viewed in the light of the example of Christ. He is the truth. He is the true Light that lighteth every man who cometh into the world. Listen to His words, copy His example in self-denial and self-sacrifice, and look to the merits of Christ for the glory in character which He possesses to be bestowed on you. Those who follow Christ live not to please themselves. Human standards are like feeble reeds. The Lord's standard is perfection of character.  {AG 148.5}
[AG 149.1]       Chap. 141 - With All the Heart         This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 26:16.  {AG 149.1}
[AG 149.2]            In God's covenant with His people in ancient times, directions were given for the faithful recognition of the gracious and marvelous works which He had done for them. God delivered His people Israel from bondage in Egypt. He brought them into their own land, and gave them goodly heritage and sure dwelling places. And He asked of them a recognition of His marvelous works. The first fruits of the earth were to be consecrated to God, and given back to Him as an offering of gratitude, an acknowledgment of His goodness to them. . . .  {AG 149.2}
[AG 149.3]          These directions, which the Lord has given to His people, express the principles of the law of the kingdom of God, and they are made specific, so that the minds of the people may not be left in ignorance and uncertainty. These scriptures present the never-ceasing obligation of all whom God has blessed with life and health and advantages in temporal and spiritual things. The message has not grown weak because of age. God's claims are just as binding now, just as fresh in their importance, as God's gifts are fresh and continual.  {AG 149.3}
[AG 149.4]          Lest any should forget these important directions, Christ has repeated them with His own voice. He calls His followers to a life of consecration and self-denial. He says: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). This means what it says. Only by self-denial and self-sacrifice can we show that we are true disciples of Christ.  {AG 149.4}
[AG 149.5]          Christ counted it essential to remind His people that obedience to the commandments of God is for their present and future good. Obedience brings a blessing, disobedience a curse. Besides, when the Lord in a special manner favors His people, He exhorts them publicly to acknowledge His goodness. In this way His name will be glorified; for such an acknowledgment is a testimony that His words are faithful and true. "Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee" (Deuteronomy 26:11).  {AG 149.5}
[AG 150.1]       Chap. 142 - A Mutual Pact         You have recognized the Lord this day as your God; you are to conform to his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his laws, and to obey him. The Lord has recognized you this day as his special possession, as he promised you, and to keep his commandments. Deuteronomy 26:17, 18, N.E.B.  {AG 150.1}
[AG 150.2]            There must be no withholding on our part, of our service or our means, if we would fulfill our covenant with God. . . . The purpose of all God's commandments is to reveal man's duty not only to God, but to his fellow man. In this late age of the world's history, we are not, because of the selfishness of our hearts, to question or dispute the right of God to make these requirements, or we will deceive ourselves, and rob our souls of the richest blessings of the grace of God. Heart and mind and soul are to be merged in the will of God. Then the covenant, framed from the dictates of infinite wisdom, and made binding by the power and authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords, will be our pleasure. . . . It is enough that He has said that obedience to His statutes and laws is the life and prosperity of His people.  {AG 150.2}
[AG 150.3]          The blessings of God's covenant are mutual. . . . God accepts those who will work for His name's glory, to make His name a praise in a world of apostasy and idolatry. He will be exalted by His commandment-keeping people that He may make them "high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour" (Deuteronomy 26:19).  {AG 150.3}
[AG 150.4]          By our baptismal pledge we avouched and solemnly confessed the Lord Jehovah as our Ruler. We virtually took a solemn oath, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that henceforth our lives would be merged into the life of these three great agencies, that the life we should live in the flesh would be lived in faithful obedience to God's sacred law. We declared ourselves dead, and our life hid with Christ in God, that henceforth we should walk with Him in newness of life, as men and women having experienced the new birth. We acknowledge God's covenant with us, and pledge ourselves to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. By our profession of faith we acknowledged the Lord as our God, and yielded ourselves to obey His commandments.  {AG 150.4}
[AG 151.1]       Chap. 143 - Blessings of the Covenant         Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38.  {AG 151.1}
[AG 151.2]            God blesses the work of men's hands, that they may return to Him His portion. He gives them the sunshine and the rain; He causes vegetation to flourish; He gives health and ability to acquire means. Every blessing comes from His bountiful hand, and He desires men and women to show their gratitude by returning Him a portion in tithes and offerings--in thank offerings, in freewill offerings, in trespass offerings. . . . They are to reveal an unselfish interest in the building up of His work in all parts of the world.  {AG 151.2}
[AG 151.3]          In the great work of warning the world, those who have the truth in the heart, and are sanctified through the truth, will act their assigned part. They will be faithful in the payment of tithes and offerings. Every church member is bound by covenant relation with God to deny himself of every extravagant outlay of means. Let not the want of economy in the home life render us unable to act our part in strengthening the work already established, and in entering new territory. . . .  {AG 151.3}
[AG 151.4]          I entreat my brethren and sisters throughout the world to awaken to the responsibility that rests upon them to pay a faithful tithe. . . . Keep a faithful account with your Creator. . . .  {AG 151.4}
[AG 151.5]          He who gave his only-begotten Son to die for you, has made a covenant with you. He gives you His blessings, and in return He requires you to bring Him your tithes and offerings. . . . God calls upon His human agents to be true to the contract He has made with them. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse," He says, "that there may be meat in mine house" (Malachi 3:10).  {AG 151.5}
[AG 151.6]          How great was the gift of God to man, and how like our God to make it! With a liberality that can never be exceeded He gave, that He might save the rebellious sons of men and bring them to see His purpose and discern His love. Will you, by your gifts and offerings, show that you think nothing too good for Him who "gave his only begotten Son"?  {AG 151.6}
[AG 152.1]       Chap. 144 - Ratified by Christ's Blood         For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till come. 1 Corinthians 11:26.  {AG 152.1}
[AG 152.2]            In instituting the sacramental service to take the place of the Passover, Christ left for His church a memorial of His great sacrifice for man. "This do," He said, "in remembrance of me." This was the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. The one was to close forever; the other, which He had just established, was to take its place, and to continue through all time as the memorial of His death. . . .  {AG 152.2}
[AG 152.3]          In this last act of Christ in partaking with His disciples of the bread and wine, He pledged Himself to them as their Redeemer by a new covenant, in which it was written and sealed that upon all who will receive Christ by faith will be bestowed all the blessings that heaven can supply, both in this life and in the future immortal life. This covenant deed was to be ratified by Christ's own blood, which it had been the office of the old sacrificial offerings to keep before the minds of His chosen people. Christ designed that this supper should be often commemorated in order to bring to our remembrance His sacrifice in giving His life for the remission of the sins of all who will believe on Him and receive Him.  {AG 152.3}
[AG 152.4]          In the Saviour's death the powers of darkness seemed to prevail, and they exulted in their victory. But from the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Jesus came forth a conqueror.  {AG 152.4}
[AG 152.5]          Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the Heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves His Son. Christ was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge to "make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir" (Isaiah 13:12).  {AG 152.5}
[AG 153.1]       Chap. 145 - Sealed by Christ's Atonement         In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7.  {AG 153.1}
[AG 153.2]            Christ on the cross not only draws men to repentance toward God for the transgression of His law--for whom God pardons He first makes penitent--but Christ has satisfied Justice; He has proffered Himself as an atonement. His gushing blood, His broken body, satisfy the claims of the broken law, and thus He bridges the gulf which sin has made. He suffered in the flesh, that with His bruised and broken body He might cover the defenseless sinner. The victory gained at His death on Calvary broke forever the accusing power of Satan over the universe and silenced his charges that self-denial was impossible with God and therefore not essential in the human family.  {AG 153.2}
[AG 153.3]          Christ was without sin, else His life in human flesh and His death on the cross would have been of no more value in procuring grace for the sinner than the death of any other man. While He took upon Him humanity, it was a life taken into union with Deity. He could lay down His life as priest and also victim. . . . He offered Himself without spot to God.  {AG 153.3}
[AG 153.4]          The atonement of Christ sealed forever the everlasting covenant of grace. It was the fulfilling of every condition upon which God suspended the free communication of grace to the human family. Every barrier was then broken down which intercepted the freest exercise of grace, mercy, peace, and love to the most guilty of Adam's race.  {AG 153.4}
[AG 153.5]          In the courts above, Christ is pleading for His church---pleading for those for whom He has paid the redemption price of His blood. Centuries, ages, can never lessen the efficacy of His atoning sacrifice. Neither life nor death, height nor depth, can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus; not because we hold Him so firmly, but because He holds us so fast. If our salvation depended on our own efforts, we could not be saved; but it depends on the One who is behind all the promises. Our grasp on Him may seem feeble, but His love is that of an elder brother; so long as we maintain our union with Him, no one can pluck us out of His hand.  {AG 153.5}
[AG 154.1]       Chap. 146 - Christ the Mediator         For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Hebrews 9:24.  {AG 154.1}
[AG 154.2]            The sin of Adam and Eve caused a fearful separation between God and man. And Christ steps in between fallen man and God, and says to man: "You may yet come to the Father; there is a plan devised through which God can be reconciled to man, and man to God; through a mediator you can approach God." And now He stands to mediate for you. He is the great High Priest who is pleading in your behalf; and you are to come and present your case to the Father through Jesus Christ. Thus you can find access to God.  {AG 154.2}
[AG 154.3]          Christ Jesus is represented as continually standing at the altar, momentarily offering up the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. The typical shadows of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess any virtue. A daily and yearly typical atonement is no longer to be made, but the atoning sacrifice through a mediator is essential because of the constant commission of sin. Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. . . .  {AG 154.3}
[AG 154.4]          The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin, ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary: but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. . . . All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. . . .  {AG 154.4}
[AG 154.5]          O, that all may see that everything in obedience, in penitence, in praise and thanksgiving must be placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ.  {AG 154.5}
[AG 155.1]       Chap. 147 - The Blood of the Covenant         Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will. Hebrews 13:20, 21.  {AG 155.1}
[AG 155.2]            To many it has been a mystery why so many sacrificial offerings were required in the old dispensation, why so many bleeding victims were led to the altar. But the great truth that was kept before men, and imprinted upon mind and heart, was this, "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). In every bleeding sacrifice was typified "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).  {AG 155.2}
[AG 155.3]          Christ Himself was the originator of the Jewish system of worship, in which, by types and symbols, were shadowed forth spiritual and heavenly things. Many forgot the true significance of these offerings; and the great truth that through Christ alone there is forgiveness of sin, was lost to them. The multiplying of sacrificial offerings, the blood of bulls and goats, could not take away sin. . . .  {AG 155.3}
[AG 155.4]          A lesson was embodied in every sacrifice, impressed in every ceremony, solemnly preached by the priest in his holy office, and inculcated by God Himself--that through the blood of Christ alone is there forgiveness of sins.  {AG 155.4}
[AG 155.5]          Anciently believers were saved by the same Saviour as now, but it was a God veiled. They saw God's mercy in figures. . . . Christ's sacrifice is the glorious fulfillment of the whole Jewish economy. . . . When as a sinless offering Christ bowed His head and died, when by the Almighty's unseen hand the veil of the temple was rent in twain, a new and living way was opened. All can now approach God through the merits of Christ. It is because the veil has been rent that men can draw nigh to God. They need not depend on priest or ceremonial sacrifice. Liberty is given to all to go directly to God through a personal Saviour.  {AG 155.5}
[AG 155.6]          The whole mind, the whole soul, the whole heart, and the whole strength are purchased by the blood of the Son of God.  {AG 155.6}
[AG 156.1]       Chap. 148 - The Covenant and the Sabbath         Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever. Exodus 31:16, 17.  {AG 156.1}
[AG 156.2]            When the Lord delivered His people Israel from Egypt and committed to them His law, He taught them that by the observance of the Sabbath they were to be distinguished from idolaters. . . .  {AG 156.2}
[AG 156.3]          As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God's people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of a relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors. . . . The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that recreates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience.  {AG 156.3}
[AG 156.4]          To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given "for a perpetual covenant." To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God's government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise.  {AG 156.4}
[AG 156.5]          The fourth commandment alone of all the ten contains the seal of the great Lawgiver, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Those who obey this commandment take upon themselves His name, and all the blessings it involves are theirs.  {AG 156.5}
[AG 156.6]          The Sabbath has lost none of its meaning. It is still a sign between God and His people, and it will be so forever.  {AG 156.6}
[AG 157.1]       Chap. 149 - God's Eternal Pledge         He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Psalm 105:8.  {AG 157.1}
[AG 157.2]           God stands back of every promise He has made. With your Bibles in your hands, say: "I have done as Thou hast said. I present Thy promise, 'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you' (Matthew 7:7)." . . .  {AG 157.2}
[AG 157.3]          The rainbow about the throne is an assurance that God is true; that in Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. We have sinned against Him and are undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderful of pleas: "Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us" (Jeremiah 14:21). He has pledged Himself to give heed to our cry when we come to Him confessing our unworthiness and sin. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word to us.  {AG 157.3}
[AG 157.4]          To everyone who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attainment of measureless results. The Lord God is bound by an eternal pledge to supply power and grace to everyone who is sanctified through obedience to the truth.  {AG 157.4}
[AG 157.5]          Nehemiah pressed into the presence of the King of kings and won to his side a power that can turn hearts as rivers of waters are turned. ［See Nehemiah 1 and 2.］  {AG 157.5}
[AG 157.6]          To pray as Nehemiah prayed in his hour of need is a resource at the command of the Christian under circumstances when other forms of prayer may be impossible. Toilers in the busy walks of life, crowded and almost overwhelmed with perplexity, can send up a petition to God for divine guidance. . . . In times of sudden difficulty or peril the heart may send up its cry for help to One who has pledged Himself to come to the aid of His faithful, believing ones whenever they call upon Him. In every circumstance, under every condition, the soul weighed down with grief and care, or fiercely assailed by temptation, may find assurance, support, and succor in the unfailing love and power of a covenant-keeping God.  {AG 157.6}
[AG 158.1]       Chap. 150 - Perpetual and Unalterable         Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. Jeremiah 50:5.  {AG 158.1}
[AG 158.2]            A covenant is an agreement by which parties bind themselves and each other to the fulfillment of certain conditions. Thus the human agent enters into agreement with God to comply with the conditions specified in His Word. His conduct shows whether or not he respects these conditions.  {AG 158.2}
[AG 158.3]          Man gains everything by obeying the covenant-keeping God. God's attributes are imparted to man, enabling him to exercise mercy and compassion. God's covenant assures us of His unchangeable character. . . . We must know for ourselves what His requirements and our obligations are. The terms of God's covenant are, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." These are the conditions of life. "This do," Christ said, "and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:27, 28).  {AG 158.3}
[AG 158.4]          The law of God was written with His own finger on tables of stone, thus showing that it could never be changed or abrogated. It is to be preserved through the eternal ages, immutable as the principles of His government. . . . Christ gave His life to make it possible for man to be restored to the image of God. It is the power of His grace that draws men together in obedience to the truth.  {AG 158.4}
[AG 158.5]          My brethren, bind up with the Lord God of hosts. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. . . . Troublous times are before us, but if we stand together in Christian fellowship, none striving for supremacy, God will work mightily for us. . . .  {AG 158.5}
[AG 158.6]          He knows our every necessity. He has all power. He can bestow upon His servants the measure of efficiency that their need demands. His infinite love and compassion never weary. With the majesty of omnipotence He unites the gentleness and care of a tender shepherd. We need have no fear that He will not fulfill His promises. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant that He has made with those that love Him. His promises to His church stand fast forever. He will make her an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations.  {AG 158.6}
[AG 159.1]       Chap. 151 - The Symbol of the Covenant         And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:12, 13.  {AG 159.1}
[AG 159.2]            What compassion for erring man, to place the beautiful, variegated rainbow in the clouds, a token of the covenant of the great God with man! . . . It was His design that as the children of after generations should see the bow in the cloud, . . . their parents could explain to them the destruction of the old world by a flood, because the people gave themselves up to all manner of wickedness, and that the hands of the Most High had bended the bow, and placed it in the clouds, as a token that He would never bring again a flood of waters on the earth. This symbol in the clouds was to confirm the belief of all, and establish their confidence in God, for it was a token of divine mercy and goodness to man. . . .  {AG 159.2}
[AG 159.3]          A rainbow is represented in Heaven round about the throne, also above the head of Christ, as a symbol of God's mercy encompassing the earth. When man by his great wickedness provokes the wrath of God, Christ, man's intercessor, pleads for him, and points to the rainbow in the cloud, as evidence of God's great mercy and compassion for erring man.  {AG 159.3}
[AG 159.4]          Angels rejoice as they gaze upon this precious token of God's love to man. The world's Redeemer looks upon it; for it was through His instrumentality that this bow was made to appear in the heavens, as a token or covenant of promise to man. God Himself looks upon the bow in the clouds, and remembers His everlasting covenant between Himself and man. . . . As we gaze upon the beautiful sight, we may be joyful in God, assured that He Himself is looking upon this token of His covenant, and that as He looks upon it He remembers the children of earth, to whom it was given. Their afflictions, perils, and trials are not hidden from Him. We may rejoice in hope, for the bow of God's covenant is over us. He never will forget the children of His care.  {AG 159.4}
[AG 160.1]       Chap. 152 - Exile from Heaven's Throne         Who, being in the form of God, . . . was made in the likeness of men: and . . . humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:6-8.  {AG 160.1}
[AG 160.2]            In order to fully realize the value of salvation, it is necessary to understand what it cost. In consequence of limited ideas of the sufferings of Christ, many place a low estimate upon the great work of the atonement. The glorious plan of man's salvation was brought about through the infinite love of God the Father. In this divine plan is seen the most marvelous manifestation of the love of God to the fallen race. Such love as is manifested in the gift of God's beloved Son amazed the holy angels. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This Saviour was the brightness of His Father's glory and the express image of His person. He possessed divine majesty, perfection, and excellence. He was equal with God. "It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:19). . . .  {AG 160.2}
[AG 160.3]          Christ consented to die in the sinner's stead, that man, by a life of obedience, might escape the penalty of the law of God.  {AG 160.3}
[AG 160.4]          Jesus was the majesty of heaven, the beloved commander of the angels, who delighted to do His pleasure. He was one with God, "in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18), yet He thought it not a thing to be desired to be equal with God while man was lost in sin and misery. He stepped down from His throne, He left His crown and royal scepter, and clothed His divinity with humanity. He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross, that man might be exalted to a seat with Him upon His throne. In Him we have a complete offering, an infinite sacrifice, a mighty Saviour, who is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. In love He comes to reveal the Father, to reconcile man to God, to make him a new creature renewed after the image of Him who created him.  {AG 160.4}
[AG 160.5]          Our heavenly Father made an infinite sacrifice in giving His Son to die for fallen man. The price paid for our redemption should give us exalted views of what we may become through Christ.  {AG 160.5}
[AG 161.1]       Chap. 153 - Matchless Condescension         Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:14.  {AG 161.1}
[AG 161.2]            Satan accomplished the fall of man, and since that time it has been his work to efface in man the image of God, and to stamp upon human hearts his own image. . . . He intercepts every ray of light that comes from God to man, and appropriates the worship that is due to God. . . .  {AG 161.2}
[AG 161.3]          But the only begotten Son of God has looked upon the scene, has beheld human suffering and misery. . . . He looked upon the schemes by which Satan works to blot from the human soul every trace of likeness to God; how he led them into intemperance so as to destroy the moral powers which God gave to man as a most precious, priceless endowment. He saw how, through indulgence in appetite, brain power was destroyed, and the temple of God was in ruins. . . . The senses, the nerves, the passions, the organs of man, were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the grossest, vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men, and human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the world's Redeemer looked. What a horrible spectacle for the eyes of infinite purity to behold! . . .  {AG 161.3}
[AG 161.4]          The great condescension on the part of God is a mystery beyond our fathoming. The greatness of the plan cannot be fully comprehended, nor could infinite wisdom devise a plan that would surpass it. It could be successful only by . . . Christ becoming man, and suffering the wrath which sin has made because of the transgression of God's law. Through this plan the great, the dreadful God can be just, and yet be the justifier of all who believe in Jesus, and who receive Him as their personal Saviour. This is the heavenly science of redemption, of saving men from eternal ruin. . . .  {AG 161.4}
[AG 161.5]          God so loved the world that He gave Himself in Christ to the world to bear the penalty of man's transgression. God suffered with His Son, as the divine Being alone could suffer, in order that the world might become reconciled to Him.  {AG 161.5}
[AG 162.1]       Chap. 154 - Incomparable Temptations         The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30.  {AG 162.1}
[AG 162.2]            From the moment that Christ entered the world, the whole confederacy of Satanic agencies was set at work to deceive and overthrow Him as Adam had been deceived and overthrown. . . .  {AG 162.2}
[AG 162.3]          When Christ was born in Bethlehem, the angels of God appeared to the shepherds, who were watching their flocks by night, and gave divine credentials of the authority of the newborn babe. Satan knew that One had come to the earth with a divine commission to dispute his authority. He heard the angel declare: ". . . Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. . ." (Luke 2:10, 11).  {AG 162.3}
[AG 162.4]          The heavenly heralds aroused all the wrath of the synagogue of Satan. He followed the steps of those who had charge of the infant Jesus. He heard the prophecy of Simeon in the temple courts. . . . "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, . . ." (Luke 2:29-32). Satan was filled with frenzy as he saw that the aged Simeon recognized the divinity of Christ.  {AG 162.4}
[AG 162.5]          The Commander of heaven was assailed by the tempter. . . . From the time that He was a helpless babe in Bethlehem, when the agencies of hell sought to destroy Him in His infancy through the jealousy of Herod, until He came to Calvary's cross, He was continually assailed by the evil one. In the councils of Satan it was determined that He must be overcome. No human being had come into the world and escaped the power of the deceiver. The whole forces of the confederacy of evil were set upon His track. . . . Satan knew that he must either conquer or himself be conquered. Success or failure involved too much for him to leave the work with any one of his agents of evil. The prince of evil himself must personally conduct the warfare. . . .  {AG 162.5}
[AG 162.6]          The life of Christ was a perpetual warfare against Satanic agencies. Satan rallied the whole energies of apostasy against the Son of God.  {AG 162.6}
[AG 162.7]          On not one occasion was there a response to his manifold temptations. Not once did Christ step on Satan's ground, to give him any advantage.  {AG 162.7}
[AG 163.1]       Chap. 155 - Unutterable Loneliness         I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me. Isaiah 63:3.  {AG 163.1}
[AG 163.2]            Through childhood, youth, and manhood, Jesus walked alone. In His purity and His faithfulness, He trod the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Him. He carried the awful weight of responsibility for the salvation of men. He knew that unless there was a decided change in the principles and purposes of the human race, all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul, and none could appreciate the weight that rested upon Him.  {AG 163.2}
[AG 163.3]          Throughout His life His mother and His brothers did not comprehend His mission. Even His disciples did not understand Him. He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God, but His life on earth must be spent in solitude. As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel the shame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit.  {AG 163.3}
[AG 163.4]          Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. Upon Him who had laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption of the world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained steadfast. Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out His hand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent love.  {AG 163.4}
[AG 163.5]          The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should have been. . . . When Jesus was no longer with them, . . . they began to see how they might have shown Him attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart. . . .  {AG 163.5}
[AG 163.6]          The same want is evident in our world today. But few appreciate all that Christ is to them. If they did, the great love of Mary ［Matthew 26:6-13］ would be expressed, the anointing would be freely bestowed. . . . Nothing would be thought too costly to give for Christ, no self-denial or self-sacrifice too great to be endured for His sake.  {AG 163.6}
[AG 164.1]       Chap. 156 - Unequaled Test         For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15.  {AG 164.1}
[AG 164.2]            After His baptism, the Son of God entered the dreary wilderness, there to be tempted by the devil. . . . For forty days He ate and drank nothing. . . . He realized the power of appetite upon man; and in behalf of sinful man, He bore the closest test possible upon that point. Here a victory was gained which few can appreciate. The controlling power of depraved appetite, and the grievous sin of indulging it, can only be understood by the length of the fast which our Saviour endured that He might break its power. . . . He came to earth to unite His divine power with our human efforts, that through the strength and moral power which He imparts, we might overcome in our own behalf.  {AG 164.2}
[AG 164.3]          Oh! what matchless condescension for the King of glory to come down to this world to endure the pangs of hunger and the fierce temptations of a wily foe, that He might gain an infinite victory for man. Here is love without a parallel. . . .  {AG 164.3}
[AG 164.4]          It was not the gnawing pangs of hunger alone which made the sufferings of our Redeemer so inexpressibly severe. It was the sense of guilt which had resulted from the indulgence of appetite that had brought such terrible woe into the world, which pressed so heavily upon His divine soul. . . .  {AG 164.4}
[AG 164.5]          With man's nature, and the terrible weight of his sins pressing upon Him, our Redeemer withstood the power of Satan upon this great leading temptation, which imperils the souls of men. If man should overcome this temptation, he could conquer on every other point.  {AG 164.5}
[AG 164.6]          Intemperance lies at the foundation of all the moral evils known to man. Christ began the work of redemption just where the ruin began. The fall of our first parents was caused by the indulgence of appetite. In redemption, the denial of appetite is the first work of Christ. What amazing love has Christ manifested in coming into the world to bear our sins and infirmities, and to tread the path of suffering, that He might show us by His life of spotless merit how we should walk, and overcome as He had overcome.  {AG 164.6}
[AG 165.1]       Chap. 157 - Infinite Suffering         For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Hebrews 2:18.  {AG 165.1}
[AG 165.2]            Would that we could comprehend the significance of the words, Christ "suffered being tempted." While He was free from the taint of sin, the refined sensibilities of His holy nature rendered contact with evil unspeakably painful to Him. Yet with human nature upon Him, He met the archapostate face to face, and single-handed withstood the foe of His throne. Not even by a thought could Christ be brought to yield to the power of temptation.  {AG 165.2}
[AG 165.3]          What a sight was this for Heaven to look upon! Christ, who knew not the least taint of sin or defilement, took our nature in its deteriorated condition. This was humiliation greater than finite man can comprehend. God was manifest in the flesh. He humbled Himself. What a subject for thought, for deep, earnest contemplation! So infinitely great that He was the Majesty of heaven, and yet He stooped so low, without losing one atom of His dignity and glory! He stooped to poverty and to the deepest abasement among men. For our sake He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich.  {AG 165.3}
[AG 165.4]          The world had lost the original pattern of goodness and had sunk into universal apostasy and moral corruption; and the life of Jesus was one of laborious, self-denying effort to bring man back to his first estate by imbuing him with the spirit of divine benevolence and unselfish love. While in the world, He was not of the world. It was a continual pain to Him to be brought in contact with the enmity, depravity, and impurity which Satan had brought in; but He had a work to do to bring man into harmony with the divine plan, and earth in connection with heaven, and He counted no sacrifice too great for the accomplishment of the object. He "was in all points tempted like as we are" (Hebrews 4:15). Satan stood ready to assail Him at every step, hurling at Him his fiercest temptations; yet He "did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). "He . . .suffered being tempted," suffered in proportion to the perfection of His holiness. But the prince of darkness found nothing in Him; not a single thought or feeling responded to temptation.  {AG 165.4}
[AG 166.1]       Chap. 158 - Agonizing Prayer         Who in the days of his flesh ... offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death. Hebrews 5:7.  {AG 166.1}
[AG 166.2]            While you pray, dear youth, that you may not be led into temptation, remember that your work does not end with the prayer. You must then answer your own prayer as far as possible by resisting temptation, and leave that which you cannot do for yourselves for Jesus to do for you. . . .  {AG 166.2}
[AG 166.3]          I would remind the youth who ornament their persons . . . that, because of their sins, the Saviour's head wore the shameful crown of thorns. When you devote precious time to trimming your apparel, remember that the King of glory wore a plain, seamless coat. You who weary yourselves in decorating your persons, please bear in mind that Jesus was often weary from incessant toil and self-denial and self-sacrifice to bless the suffering and needy. He spent whole nights in prayer upon the lonely mountains, not because of His weakness and His necessities, but because He saw, He felt, the weakness of your natures to resist the temptations of the enemy upon the very points where you are now overcome. He knew that you would be indifferent in regard to your dangers and would not feel your need of prayer. It was on our account that He poured out His prayers to His Father with strong cries and tears. It was to save us from the very pride and love of vanity and pleasure which we now indulge, and which crowds out the love of Jesus, that those tears were shed. . . .  {AG 166.3}
[AG 166.4]          Will you, young friends, arise and shake off this dreadful indifference and stupor which has conformed you to the world? Will you heed the voice of warning which tells you that destruction lies in the path of those who are at ease in this hour of danger?  {AG 166.4}
[AG 166.5]          Many of our youth, by their careless disregard of the warnings and reproofs given them, open the door wide for Satan to enter. With God's word for our guide and Jesus as our heavenly Teacher we need not be ignorant of His requirements or of Satan's devices. . . . It will be no unpleasant task to be obedient to the will of God when we yield ourselves fully to be directed by His Spirit.  {AG 166.5}
[AG 167.1]       Chap. 159 - Whole Nights of Prayer         And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12.  {AG 167.1}
[AG 167.2]            The Majesty of heaven, while engaged in His earthly ministry, prayed much to His Father. He was frequently bowed all night in prayer. . . . The Mount of Olives was the favorite resort of the Son of God for His devotions. Frequently after the multitude had left Him for the retirement of the night, He rested not, though weary with the labors of the day. . . . While the city was hushed in silence, and the disciples had returned to their homes to obtain refreshment in sleep, Jesus slept not. His divine pleadings were ascending to His Father from the Mount of Olives that His disciples might be kept from the evil influences which they would daily encounter in the world, and that His own soul might be strengthened and braced for the duties and trials of the coming day. All night, while His followers were sleeping, was their divine Teacher praying. The dew and the frost of night fell upon His head bowed in prayer. His example is left for His followers. . . .  {AG 167.2}
[AG 167.3]          He chose the stillness of night, when there would be no interruption. Jesus could heal the sick and raise the dead. He was Himself a source of blessing and strength. He commanded even the tempests, and they obeyed Him. He was unsullied with corruption, a stranger to sin; yet He prayed, and that often with strong crying and tears. He prayed for His disciples and for Himself, thus identifying Himself with our needs, our weaknesses, and our failings, which are so common with humanity. He was a mighty petitioner, not possessing the passions of our human, fallen natures, but compassed with like infirmities, tempted in all points even as we are. Jesus endured agony which required help and support from His Father.  {AG 167.3}
[AG 167.4]          Christ is our example. Are the ministers of Christ tempted and fiercely buffeted by Satan? so also was He who knew no sin. He turned to His Father in these hours of distress. He came to earth that He might provide a way whereby we could find grace and strength to help in every time of need, by following His example in frequent, earnest prayer.  {AG 167.4}
[AG 168.1]       Chap. 160 - Gethsemane's Anguish         O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will. Matthew 26:39.  {AG 168.1}
[AG 168.2]            In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man's stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." . . . Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony. . . . Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God's law.  {AG 168.2}
[AG 168.3]          It is a fearful thing for the unrepenting sinner to fall into the hands of the living God. This is proved by the history of the destruction of the old world by a flood, by the record of the fire which fell from heaven and destroyed the inhabitants of Sodom. But never was this proved to so great an extent as in the agony of Christ, the Son of the infinite God, when he bore the wrath of God for a sinful world. It was in consequence of sin, the transgression of God's law, that the Garden of Gethsemane has become pre-eminently the place of suffering to a sinful world. No sorrow, no agony, can measure with that which was endured by the Son of God.  {AG 168.3}
[AG 168.4]          Man has not been made a sin-bearer, and he will never know the horror of the curse of sin which the Saviour bore. No sorrow can bear any comparison with the sorrow of Him upon whom the wrath of God fell with overwhelming force. Human nature can endure but a limited amount of test and trial. The finite can only endure the finite measure, and human nature succumbs; but the nature of Christ had a greater capacity for suffering. . . . The agony which Christ endured, broadens, deepens, and gives a more extended conception of the character of sin, and the character of the retribution which God will bring upon those who continue in sin. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ to the repenting, believing sinner.  {AG 168.4}
[AG 168.5]          The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man's substitute, Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father.  {AG 168.5}
[AG 169.1]       Chap. 161 - The Father's Frown         This is your hour, and the power of darkness. Luke 22:53.  {AG 169.1}
[AG 169.2]            As the Son of God bowed in the attitude of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the agony of His spirit forced from His pores sweat like great drops of blood. It was here that the horror of great darkness surrounded Him. The sins of the world were upon Him. He was suffering in man's stead as a transgressor of His Father's law. Here was the scene of temptation. The divine light of God was receding from His vision, and He was passing into the hands of the powers of darkness. In His soul anguish He lay prostrate on the cold earth. He was realizing His Father's frown. He had taken the cup of suffering from the lips of guilty man, and proposed to drink it Himself, and in its place give to man the cup of blessing. The wrath that would have fallen upon man was now falling upon Christ. It was here that the mysterious cup trembled in His hand.  {AG 169.2}
[AG 169.3]          Jesus had often resorted to Gethsemane with His disciples for meditation and prayer. . . . Never before had the Saviour visited the spot with a heart so full of sorrow. It was not bodily suffering from which the Son of God shrank. . . . The sins of a lost world were upon Him and overwhelming Him. It was a sense of His Father's frown, in consequence of sin, which rent His heart with such piercing agony and forced from His brow great drops of blood. . . .  {AG 169.3}
[AG 169.4]          We can have but faint conceptions of the inexpressible anguish of God's dear Son in Gethsemane, as He realized His separation from His Father in consequence of bearing man's sin. He became sin for the fallen race. The sense of the withdrawal of His Father's love pressed from His anguished soul these mournful words: "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matthew 26:38). . . .  {AG 169.4}
[AG 169.5]          The divine Son of God was fainting, dying. The Father sent a messenger from His presence to strengthen the divine Sufferer and brace Him to tread the bloodstained path. Could mortals have viewed the amazement and the sorrow of the angelic host as they watched in silent grief the Father separating His beams of light, love, and glory from the beloved Son of His bosom, they would better understand how offensive sin is in His sight.  {AG 169.5}
[AG 170.1]       Chap. 162 - Forsaken by His Father         My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46.  {AG 170.1}
[AG 170.2]            He ［Jesus］ was betrayed by a kiss into the hands of His enemies, and hurried to the judgment hall of an earthly court. . . . The angelic host beheld with wonder and with grief Him who had been the Majesty of heaven, and who had worn the crown of glory, now wearing the crown of thorns, a bleeding victim to the rage of an infuriated mob, fired to insane madness by the wrath of Satan. Behold the patient Sufferer! Upon His head is the thorny crown. His lifeblood flows from every lacerated vein. . . .  {AG 170.2}
[AG 170.3]          Behold the oppressor and the oppressed! A vast multitude enclose the Saviour of the world. Mockings and jeerings are mingled with the coarse oaths of blasphemy. . . . Christ, the precious Son of God, was led forth, and the cross was laid upon His shoulders. . . . Thronged by an immense crowd of bitter enemies and unfeeling spectators, He is led away to the crucifixion. . . . He is nailed to the cross, and hangs suspended between the heavens and the earth. . . . The glorious Redeemer of a lost world was suffering the penalty of man's transgression of the Father's law. He was about to ransom His people with His own blood. . . .  {AG 170.3}
[AG 170.4]          Oh, was there ever suffering and sorrow like that endured by the dying Saviour! It was the sense of His Father's displeasure which made His cup so bitter. It was not bodily suffering which so quickly ended the life of Christ upon the cross. It was the crushing weight of the sins of the world, and a sense of His Father's wrath. . . . The fierce temptation that His own Father had forever left Him caused that piercing cry from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"  {AG 170.4}
[AG 170.5]          In His dying agony, as He yields up His precious life, He has by faith alone to trust in Him whom it has ever been His joy to obey. . . . Denied even bright hope and confidence in the triumph which will be His in the future, He cries with a loud voice: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). He is acquainted with the character of His Father, with His justice, His mercy, and His great love, and in submission He drops into His hands.  {AG 170.5}
[AG 171.1]       Chap. 163 - The Sins of the World         He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5.  {AG 171.1}
[AG 171.2]            Some have limited views of the atonement. They think that Christ suffered only a small portion of the penalty of the law of God; they suppose that, while the wrath of God was felt by His dear Son, He had, through all His painful sufferings, the evidence of His Father's love and acceptance; that the portals of the tomb before Him were illuminated with bright hope, and that He had the abiding evidence of His future glory. Here is a great mistake. Christ's keenest anguish was a sense of His Father's displeasure. His mental agony because of this was of such intensity that man can have but faint conception of it.  {AG 171.2}
[AG 171.3]          With many the story of the condescension, humiliation, and sacrifice of our divine Lord awakens no deeper interest . . . than does the history of the death of the martyrs of Jesus. Many have suffered death by slow tortures; others have suffered death by crucifixion. In what does the death of God's dear Son differ from these? . . . If the sufferings of Christ consisted in physical pain alone, then His death was no more painful than that of some of the martyrs. But bodily pain was but a small part of the agony of God's dear Son. The sins of the world were upon Him, also the sense of His Father's wrath as He suffered the penalty of the law transgressed. It was these that crushed His divine soul. . . . The separation that sin makes between God and man was fully realized and keenly felt by the innocent, suffering Man of Calvary. He was oppressed by the powers of darkness. He had not one ray of light to brighten the future. . . . It was in this terrible hour of darkness, the face of His Father hidden, legions of evil angels enshrouding Him, the sins of the world upon Him, that the words were wrenched from His lips: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" . . .  {AG 171.3}
[AG 171.4]          In comparison with the enterprise of everlasting life, every other sinks into insignificance.  {AG 171.4}
[AG 172.1]       Chap. 164 - What a Price         Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18, 19.  {AG 172.1}
[AG 172.2]            "Ye know," says Peter, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold." Oh, had these been sufficient to purchase the salvation of man, how easily it might have been accomplished by Him who says: "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine" (Haggai 2:8). But the transgressor of God's holy law could be redeemed only by the precious blood of the Son of God.  {AG 172.2}
[AG 172.3]          It was through infinite sacrifice and inexpressible suffering that our Redeemer placed redemption within our reach. He was in this world unhonored and unknown, that, through His wonderful condescension and humiliation, He might exalt man to receive eternal honors and immortal joys in the heavenly courts. During His thirty years of life on earth His heart was wrung with inconceivable anguish. The path from the manger to Calvary was shadowed by grief and sorrow. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, enduring such heartache as no human language can portray. He could have said in truth, "Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow" (Lamentations 1:12). Hating sin with a perfect hatred, He yet gathered to His soul the sins of the whole world. Guiltless, He bore the punishment of the guilty. Innocent, yet offering Himself as a substitute for the transgressor. The guilt of every sin pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world's Redeemer. The evil thoughts, the evil words, the evil deeds of every son and daughter of Adam, called for retribution upon Himself; for He had become man's substitute. Though the guilt of sin was not His, His spirit was torn and bruised by the transgressions of men, and He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  {AG 172.3}
[AG 172.4]          What a price has been paid for us! Behold the cross, and the Victim uplifted upon it. Look at those hands, pierced with the cruel nails. Look at His feet, fastened with spikes to the tree. Christ bore our sins in His own body. That suffering, that agony, is the price of your redemption.  {AG 172.4}
[AG 173.1]       Chap. 165 - The Worth of One Soul         Know ye not that . . . ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.  {AG 173.1}
[AG 173.2]            All men have been bought with this infinite price. By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being. Whether believers or unbelievers, all men are the Lord's property.  {AG 173.2}
[AG 173.3]          We are His by creation and by redemption. Our very bodies are not our own, to treat as we please, to cripple by habits that lead to decay, making it impossible to render to God perfect service. Our lives and all our faculties belong to Him. He is caring for us every moment; He keeps the living machinery in action; if we were left to run it for one moment, we should die. We are absolutely dependent upon God.  {AG 173.3}
[AG 173.4]          A great lesson is to be learned when we understand our relation to God, and His relation to us. The words, "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price," should be hung in memory's hall, that we may ever recognize God's right to our talents, our property, our influence, our individual selves. We are to learn how to treat this gift of God, in mind, in soul, in body, that as Christ's purchased possession, we may do Him healthful, savory service.  {AG 173.4}
[AG 173.5]          The wealth of earth dwindles into insignificance when compared with the worth of a single soul for whom our Lord and Master died. He who weigheth the hills in scales and the mountains in a balance regards a human soul as of infinite value.  {AG 173.5}
[AG 173.6]          Let the youth be impressed with the thought that they are not their own. They belong to Christ. They are the purchase of His blood, the claim of His love. They live because He keeps them by His power. Their time, their strength, their capabilities are His, to be developed, to be trained, to be used for Him.  {AG 173.6}
[AG 173.7]          Christ has bought you at a dear price, and offers you grace and glory if you will receive it.  {AG 173.7}
[AG 174.1]       Chap. 166 - The Sacrifice of Love         And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:2.  {AG 174.1}
[AG 174.2]            This is the oblation of a life-gift in our behalf, that we may be all that He desires us to be--representatives of Him, expressing the fragrance of His character, His own pure thoughts, His divine attributes as manifested in His sanctified human life, in order that others may behold Him in His human form, and . . . be led to desire to be like Christ--pure, undefiled, wholly acceptable to God, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.  {AG 174.2}
[AG 174.3]          How earnestly Christ prosecuted the work of our salvation! What devotion His life revealed as He sought to give value to fallen man by imputing to every repenting, believing sinner the merits of His spotless righteousness! How untiringly He worked! In the Temple and in the synagogue, in the streets of the cities, in the market place, in the workshop, by the seaside, among the hills, He preached the gospel and healed the sick. He gave all there was of Himself, that He might work out the plan of redeeming grace.  {AG 174.3}
[AG 174.4]          Christ offered up His broken body to purchase back God's heritage, to give man another trial. "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a Conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our Intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgression.  {AG 174.4}
[AG 175.1]       Chap. 167 - Heaven Itself Imperiled         I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Isaiah 13:12.  {AG 175.1}
[AG 175.2]            The value of a soul, who can estimate? Would you know its worth, go to Gethsemane, and there watch with Christ through those hours of anguish, when He sweat as it were great drops of blood. Look upon the Saviour uplifted on the cross. Hear that despairing cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). Look upon the wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet. Remember that Christ risked all. For our redemption, heaven itself was imperiled. At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sinner Christ would have laid down His life, you may estimate the value of a soul.  {AG 175.2}
[AG 175.3]          If you are in communion with Christ you will place His estimate upon every human being. You will feel for others the same deep love that Christ has felt for you. Then you will be able to win, not drive, to attract, not repulse, those for whom He died. . . . The greater their sin and the deeper their misery, the more earnest and tender will be your efforts for their recovery. You will discern the need of those who are suffering, who have been sinning against God, and who are oppressed with a burden of guilt. Your heart will go out in sympathy for them, and you will reach out to them a helping hand.  {AG 175.3}
[AG 175.4]          Christ and Him crucified should become the theme of our thoughts and stir the deepest emotions of our souls. . . . It is through the cross alone that we can estimate the worth of the human soul. Such is the value of men for whom Christ died that the Father is satisfied with the infinite price which He pays for the salvation of man in yielding up His own Son to die for their redemption. What wisdom, mercy, and love in its fullness are here manifested! The worth of man is known only by going to Calvary. In the mystery of the cross of Christ we can place an estimate upon man.  {AG 175.4}
[AG 175.5]          How glorious are the possibilities set before the fallen race! Through His Son, God has revealed the excellency to which man is capable of attaining. Through the merits of Christ man is lifted from his depraved state, purified, and made more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir.  {AG 175.5}
[AG 176.1]       Chap. 168 - The Father's Immeasurable Sacrifice         Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10.  {AG 176.1}
[AG 176.2]            Love is the underlying principle of God's government in heaven and earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian's character. . . . And love will be revealed in sacrifice.  {AG 176.2}
[AG 176.3]          The plan of redemption was laid in sacrifice--a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. Christ gave all for us, and those who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all for the sake of their Redeemer.  {AG 176.3}
[AG 176.4]          When Adam's sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut Himself loose from fallen beings. He might have treated them as sinners deserve to be treated. He might have commanded the angels of heaven to pour out upon our world the vials of His wrath. He might have removed this dark blot from His universe. But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. . . .  {AG 176.4}
[AG 176.5]          The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all heaven.  {AG 176.5}
[AG 176.6]          Those who have professed to love Christ, have not comprehended the relation which exists between them and God, and it is still but dimly outlined to their understanding. They but vaguely comprehend the amazing grace of God in giving His only-begotten Son for the salvation of the world.  {AG 176.6}
[AG 176.7]          In order to secure man to Himself and ensure his eternal salvation, Christ left the royal courts of heaven and came to this earth, endured the agonies of sin and shame in man's stead, and died to make him free. In view of the infinite price paid for man's redemption, how dare any professing the name of Christ treat with indifference one of His little ones? . . . How patiently, kindly, and affectionately should they deal with the purchase of the blood of Christ!  {AG 176.7}
[AG 177.1]       Chap. 169 - The Only Acceptable Ransom         For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:5, 6.  {AG 177.1}
[AG 177.2]            Through Christ, restoration as well as reconciliation is provided for man. The gulf that was made by sin has been spanned by the cross of Calvary. A full, complete ransom has been paid by Jesus, by virtue of which the sinner is pardoned, and the justice of the law is maintained. All who believe that Christ is the atoning sacrifice may come and receive pardon for their sins; for through the merit of Christ, communication has been opened between God and man. God can accept me as His child, and I can claim Him and rejoice in Him as my loving Father. We must center our hopes of heaven upon Christ alone, because He is our substitute and surety. . . .  {AG 177.2}
[AG 177.3]          The best efforts that man in his own strength can make, are valueless to meet the holy and just law that he has transgressed; but through faith in Christ he may claim the righteousness of the Son of God as all-sufficient. Christ satisfied the demands of the law in His human nature. He bore the curse of the law for the sinner, made an atonement for him, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish. . . . Genuine faith appropriates the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are combined.  {AG 177.3}
[AG 177.4]          He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be saved without obedience, but his works should not be of himself; Christ should work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure. . . . All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin; but that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to God. When we seek to gain heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes progress. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we may go on from strength to strength, from victory to victory; for through Christ the grace of God has worked out our complete salvation.  {AG 177.4}
[AG 177.5]          We cannot estimate the precious ransom paid to redeem fallen man. The heart's best and holiest affections should be given in return for such wondrous love.  {AG 177.5}
[AG 178.1]       Chap. 170 - God's Unspeakable Gift         Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15.  {AG 178.1}
[AG 178.2]            The revelation of God's love to man centers in the cross. Its full significance tongue cannot utter; pen cannot portray; the mind of man cannot comprehend. . . . Christ crucified for our sins, Christ risen from the dead, Christ ascended on high, is the science of salvation that we are to learn and to teach.  {AG 178.2}
[AG 178.3]          "Who, being in the form of God, counted it not a thing to be grasped to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:6-8, R.V., margin). "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God." "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). . . .  {AG 178.3}
[AG 178.4]          Here are infinite wisdom, infinite love, infinite justice, infinite mercy--"the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God" (Romans 11:33).  {AG 178.4}
[AG 178.5]          It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing. Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah's goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; there is not a star that beautifies the heavens which He did not make. There is not an article of food upon our tables that He has not provided for our sustenance. The superscription of Christ is upon it all. Everything is supplied to man through the one unspeakable Gift, the only-begotten Son of God. He was nailed to the cross that all these bounties might flow to God's workmanship.  {AG 178.5}
[AG 178.6]          "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). Surely there are none that, beholding the riches of His grace, can forbear to exclaim with the apostle: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."  {AG 178.6}
[AG 179.1]       Chap. 171 - So Costly--and Yet Free         By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Romans 5:18.  {AG 179.1}
[AG 179.2]            Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot grasp it, power cannot command it; but to all who will accept it, God's glorious grace is freely given. But men may feel their need, and, renouncing all self-dependence, accept salvation as a gift. Those who enter heaven will not scale its walls by their own righteousness, nor will its gates be opened to them for costly offerings of gold or silver, but they will gain an entrance to the many mansions of the Father's house through the merits of the cross of Christ.  {AG 179.2}
[AG 179.3]          For sinful men, the highest consolation, the greatest cause of rejoicing, is that Heaven has given Jesus to be the sinner's Saviour. . . . He offered to go over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell; to meet the tempter on the field of battle, and conquer him in man's behalf. Behold Him in the wilderness of temptation. Forty days and forty nights He fasted, enduring the fiercest assaults of the powers of darkness. He trod the "winepress alone; and of the people there was none with" Him (Isaiah 63:3). It was not for Himself, but that He might break the chain that held the human race in slavery to Satan.  {AG 179.3}
[AG 179.4]          As Christ in His humanity sought strength from His Father, that He might be enabled to endure trial and temptation, so are we to do. We are to follow the example of the sinless Son of God. Daily we need help and grace and power from the Source of all power. We are to cast our helpless souls upon the One who is ready to help us in every time of need. Too often we forget the Lord. Self gives way to impulse, and we lose the victories that we should gain.  {AG 179.4}
[AG 179.5]          If we are overcome let us not delay to repent, and to accept the pardon that will place us on vantage ground. If we repent and believe, the cleansing power from God will be ours. His saving grace is freely offered. His pardon is given to all who will receive it. . . . Over every sinner that repents the angels of God rejoice with songs of joy. Not one sinner need be lost. Full and free is the gift of saving grace.  {AG 179.5}
[AG 180.1]       Chap. 172 - Bought Without Money         I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:4.  {AG 180.1}
[AG 180.2]            There are many who hope by their own works to merit God's favor. They do not realize their helplessness. They do not accept the grace of God as a free gift, but are trying to build themselves up in self-righteousness.  {AG 180.2}
[AG 180.3]          The blessings of redeeming love our Saviour compared to a precious pearl ［Matthew 13:45, 46］. . . .  {AG 180.3}
[AG 180.4]          In the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had. Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented in the Scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but only to those who give themselves soul, body, and spirit, to Him without reserve. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord's, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price.  {AG 180.4}
[AG 180.5]          Salvation is a free gift, and yet it is to be bought and sold. In the market of which divine mercy has the management, the precious pearl is represented as being bought without money and without price. . . .  {AG 180.5}
[AG 180.6]          The gospel of Christ is a blessing that all may possess. The poorest are as well able as the richest to purchase salvation; for no amount of worldly wealth can secure it. It is obtained by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to Christ as His own purchased possession. . . .  {AG 180.6}
[AG 180.7]          We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in worldly marts or in worldly ways. The price we are required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience.  {AG 180.7}
[AG 180.8]          All His gifts are promised on condition of obedience. God has a heaven full of blessings for those who will cooperate with Him.  {AG 180.8}
[AG 181.1]       Chap. 173 - Grace Enough For All         For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17.  {AG 181.1}
[AG 181.2]            God has an abundance of grace and power awaiting our demand. But the reason we do not feel our great need of it is because we look to ourselves and not to Jesus. We do not exalt Jesus and rely wholly upon His merits.  {AG 181.2}
[AG 181.3]          The provision made is complete, and the eternal righteousness of Christ is placed to the account of every believing soul. The costly, spotless robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has been provided for the repenting, believing sinner, and he may say: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).  {AG 181.3}
[AG 181.4]          Abundant grace has been provided that the believing soul may be kept free from sin; for all heaven, with its limitless resources, has been placed at our command. We are to draw from the well of salvation. . . . In ourselves we are sinners; but in Christ we are righteous. Having made us righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ, God pronounces us just, and treats us as just. He looks upon us as His dear children. Christ works against the power of sin, and where sin abounded, grace much more abounds.  {AG 181.4}
[AG 181.5]          We may make daily progress in the upward path to holiness and yet we find still greater heights to be reached; but every stretch of the spiritual muscles, every taxation of heart and brain, brings to light the abundance of the supply of grace essential for us as we advance.  {AG 181.5}
[AG 181.6]          The more we contemplate these riches, the more we will come into possession of them, and the more we shall reveal the merits of Christ's sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, His inexpressible love, the fullness of His wisdom, and His power to present us before the Father without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  {AG 181.6}
[AG 181.7]          We are living in the day of preparation. We must obtain a full supply of grace from the divine storehouse. The Lord has made provision for every day's demand.  {AG 181.7}
[AG 182.1]       Chap. 174 - Unmerited Favor         Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation. Psalm 106:4.  {AG 182.1}
[AG 182.2]           Grace is unmerited favor, and the believer is justified without any merit of his own, without any claim to offer to God. He is justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, who stands in the courts of heaven as the sinner's substitute and surety. But while he is justified because of the merit of Christ, he is not free to work unrighteousness. Faith works by love and purifies the soul. Faith buds and blossoms and bears a harvest of precious fruit. Where faith is, good works appear. The sick are visited, the poor are cared for, the fatherless and the widows are not neglected, the naked are clothed, the destitute are fed.  {AG 182.2}
[AG 182.3]          Christ went about doing good, and when men are united with Him, they love the children of God, and meekness and truth guide their footsteps. The expression of the countenance reveals their experience, and men take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Christ and the believer become one, and His beauty of character is revealed in those who are vitally connected with the Source of power and love. Christ is the great depositary of justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace.  {AG 182.3}
[AG 182.4]          All may come to Him and receive of His fullness. He says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). . . . Have you been looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of your faith? Have you been beholding Him who is full of truth and grace? Have you accepted the peace which Christ alone can give? If you have not, then yield to Him, and through His grace seek for a character that will be noble and elevated. Seek for a constant, resolute, cheerful spirit. Feed on Christ who is the Bread of life, and you will manifest His loveliness of character and spirit.  {AG 182.4}
[AG 182.5]          The very best you can do will not merit the favor of God. It is Jesus' worthiness that will save you, His blood that will cleanse you.  {AG 182.5}
[AG 183.1]       Chap. 175 - Christ Our Righteousness         Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. Romans 3:25.  {AG 183.1}
[AG 183.2]            Christ is called "the Lord our righteousness," and through faith each one should say, "The Lord my righteousness." When faith lays hold upon this gift of God, the praise of God will be upon our lips, and we shall be able to say to others, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). We shall then be able to tell the lost concerning the plan of salvation, that while the world was lying under the curse of sin, the Lord presented terms of mercy to the fallen and hopeless sinner, and revealed the value and meaning of His grace. Grace is unmerited favor. . . . It was grace that sent our Saviour to seek us as wanderers and bring us back to the fold. . . .  {AG 183.2}
[AG 183.3]          No man can look within himself and find anything in his character that will recommend him to God, or make his acceptance sure. It is only through Jesus, whom the Father gave for the life of the world, that the sinner may find access to God. Jesus alone is our Redeemer, our Advocate and Mediator; in Him is our only hope for pardon, peace, and righteousness. It is by virtue of the blood of Christ that the sin-stricken soul can be restored to soundness. . . .  {AG 183.3}
[AG 183.4]          Apart from Christ we have no merit, no righteousness. Our sinfulness, our weakness, our human imperfection make it impossible that we should appear before God unless we are clothed in Christ's spotless righteousness. . . .  {AG 183.4}
[AG 183.5]          When you respond to the drawing of Christ, and join yourself to Him, you manifest saving faith. . . . Faith familiarizes the soul with the existence and presence of God, and, living with an eye single to the glory of God, more and more we discern the beauty of His character, the excellence of His grace. Our souls become strong in spiritual power; for we are breathing the atmosphere of heaven. . . . We are rising above the world, beholding Him who is the Chief among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely, and by beholding we are to become changed into His image.  {AG 183.5}
[AG 184.1]       Chap. 176 - The Bright Side of Religion         I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18.  {AG 184.1}
[AG 184.2]            Every one who loves God is to testify of the preciousness of His grace and truth. Those who receive the light of truth are to have lesson upon lesson to educate them not to keep silent, but to speak often one to another. They are to keep in mind the Sabbath meeting, when those who love and fear God, and who think upon His name, can have opportunity to express their thoughts in speaking one to another. . . .  {AG 184.2}
[AG 184.3]          The Majesty of heaven identifies His interests with those of the believers, however humble may be their circumstances. And whenever they are privileged to meet together, it is appropriate that they speak often one to another, giving utterance to the gratitude and love that is a result of thinking upon the name of the Lord. Thus shall God be glorified as He hearkens and hears, and the testimony meeting will be considered the most precious of all meetings; for the words spoken are recorded in the book of remembrance. . . .  {AG 184.3}
[AG 184.4]          Do not gratify the enemy by dwelling upon the dark side of your experience; trust Jesus more fully for help to resist temptation. If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of ourselves, we should have much more of His presence. If we abide in Him, we shall be so filled with peace, faith, and courage, and shall have so victorious an experience to relate when we come to meeting, that others will be refreshed by our clear, strong testimony for God. These precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power, which works for the salvation of souls. The bright and cheerful side of religion will be represented by all who are daily consecrated to God. We should not dishonor our Lord by a mournful relation of trials that appear grievous. All trials that are received as educators will produce joy. The whole religious life will be uplifting, elevating, ennobling, fragrant with good words and works.  {AG 184.4}
[AG 185.1]       Chap. 177 - "Worthy is the Lamb!"         Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Revelation 5:12.  {AG 185.1}
[AG 185.2]            We are not worthy of God's love, but Christ, our surety, is worthy, and is abundantly able to save all who shall come unto Him.  {AG 185.2}
[AG 185.3]          Christ delights to take apparently hopeless material, those whom Satan has debased and through whom he has worked, and make them the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from suffering and from the wrath that is to fall upon the disobedient.  {AG 185.3}
[AG 185.4]          If the enemy can lead the desponding to take their eyes off from Jesus, and look to themselves, and dwell upon their own unworthiness, instead of dwelling upon the worthiness of Jesus, His love, His merits, and His great mercy, he will get away their shield of faith and gain his object; they will be exposed to his fiery temptations. The weak should therefore look to Jesus, and believe in Him; they then exercise faith.  {AG 185.4}
[AG 185.5]          The Son of God gave all--life and love and suffering--for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? Every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of His grace, and for this very reason we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been saved.  {AG 185.5}
[AG 185.6]          Many make a serious mistake in their religious life by keeping the attention fixed upon their feelings and thus judging of their advancement or decline. Feelings are not a safe criterion. We are not to look within for evidence of our acceptance with God. We shall find there nothing but that which will discourage us. Our only hope is in "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). There is everything in Him to inspire with hope, with faith, and with courage. He is our righteousness, our consolation and rejoicing. . . .  {AG 185.6}
[AG 185.7]          A sense of our weakness and unworthiness should lead us with humility of heart to plead the atoning sacrifice of Christ. As we rely upon His merits we shall find rest and peace and joy. He saves to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.  {AG 185.7}
[AG 186.1]       Chap. 178 - Mystery of Mysteries         Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16.  {AG 186.1}
[AG 186.2]            What a mystery of mysteries! It is difficult for the reason to grasp the majesty of Christ, the mystery of redemption. The shameful cross has been upraised, the nails have been driven through His hands and feet, and the cruel spear has pierced to His heart, and the redemption price has been paid for the human race. . . .  {AG 186.2}
[AG 186.3]          Redemption is an inexhaustible theme, worthy of our closest contemplation. It passes the comprehension of the deepest thought, the stretch of the most vivid imagination. . . .  {AG 186.3}
[AG 186.4]          Were Jesus with us today, He would say to us as He did to His disciples, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). Jesus longed to open before the minds of His disciples deep and living truths, but their earthliness, their clouded, deficient comprehension made it impossible. . . . The want of spiritual growth closes the door to the rich rays of light that shine from Christ. . . .  {AG 186.4}
[AG 186.5]          Those who have been diligently working in the mines of God's Word, and have discovered the precious ore in the rich veins of truth, in the divine mysteries that have been hidden for ages, will exalt the Lord Jesus, the Source of all truth, by revealing in their characters the sanctifying power of what they believe. Jesus and His grace must be enshrined in the inner sanctuary of the soul. Then He will be revealed in words, in prayer, in exhortation, in the presentation of sacred truth.  {AG 186.5}
[AG 186.6]          The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In the light that streams from Calvary, the attributes of God which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive. Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to blend with holiness, justice, and power. While we behold the majesty of His throne, high and lifted up, we see His character in His gracious manifestations, and comprehend, as never before, the significance of that endearing title, "Our Father."  {AG 186.6}
[AG 187.1]       Chap. 179 - Unsearchable Riches         Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Ephesians 3:8.  {AG 187.1}
[AG 187.2]            It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If all were willing to receive, all would become filled with His Spirit.  {AG 187.2}
[AG 187.3]          It is the privilege of every soul to be a living channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that Christ desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's love. All heaven is waiting for channels through which can be poured the holy oil to be a joy and blessing to human hearts.  {AG 187.3}
[AG 187.4]          "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, . . . and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).  {AG 187.4}
[AG 187.5]          Such are the words in which "Paul the aged," "a prisoner of Jesus Christ," writing from his prison house at Rome, endeavored to set before his brethren that which he found language inadequate to express in its fulness--"the unsearchable riches of Christ," the treasure of grace freely offered to the fallen sons of men.  {AG 187.5}
[AG 187.6]          As your soul yearns after God, you will find more and still more of the unsearchable riches of His grace. As you contemplate these riches, you will come into possession of them, and will reveal the merits of the Saviour's sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, the fulness of His wisdom, and His power to present you before the Father "without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14).  {AG 187.6}
[AG 188.1]       Chap. 180 - "Behold, What Manner of Love"         Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3:1.  {AG 188.1}
[AG 188.2]            It is from the Father's heart that the streams of divine compassion, manifest in Christ, flow out to the children of men. . . . God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. He permitted Him to leave the bosom of His love, the adoration of the angels, to suffer shame, insult, humiliation, hatred, and death. . . . It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God--it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God. . . .  {AG 188.2}
[AG 188.3]          God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption. . . . Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the Father's love to lost humanity. . . .  {AG 188.3}
[AG 188.4]          The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth, the breadth of the Father's love toward the perishing race, he was filled with adoration and reverence; and, failing to find suitable language in which to express the greatness and tenderness of this love, he called upon the world to behold it. . . . What a value this places upon man! Through transgression, the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name, "sons of God."  {AG 188.4}
[AG 188.5]          Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise! Theme of the most profound meditation! The matchless love of God for a world that did not love Him!  {AG 188.5}
[AG 189.1]       Chap. 181 - How Long Must Heaven Suffer?         I and my Father are one. John 10:30.  {AG 189.1}
[AG 189.2]            God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was one with the Father.  {AG 189.2}
[AG 189.3]          Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator. All heaven suffered in Christ's agony; but that suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. When there came upon Israel the calamities that were the sure result of separation from God--subjugation by their enemies, cruelty, and death--it is said that "his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel." "In all their affliction he was afflicted: . . . and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old" (Judges 10:16; Isaiah 63:9).  {AG 189.3}
[AG 189.4]          His Spirit "maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." As the "whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together" (Romans 8:26, 22), the heart of the infinite Father is pained in sympathy. Our world is a vast lazar house, a scene of misery that we dare not allow our thoughts to dwell upon. Did we realize it as it is, the burden would be too terrible. Yet God feels it all.  {AG 189.4}
[AG 189.5]          Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but the throb vibrates to the Father's heart.  {AG 189.5}
[AG 189.6]          He who knows the depths of the world's misery and despair, knows by what means to bring relief. . . . Although human beings have abused their mercies, wasted their talents, and lost the dignity of godlike manhood, the Creator is to be glorified in their redemption.  {AG 189.6}
[AG 189.7]          In order to destroy sin and its results He gave His best Beloved, and He has put it in our power, through cooperation with Him, to bring this scene of misery to an end.  {AG 189.7}
[AG 189.8]          With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come--the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!  {AG 189.8}
[AG 190.1]       Chap. 182 - From the Beginning         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. 2 Peter 1:21.  {AG 190.1}
[AG 190.2]            It is the glory of the gospel that it is founded upon the principle of restoring in the fallen race the divine image by a constant manifestation of benevolence. This work began in the heavenly courts. . . . The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption.  {AG 190.2}
[AG 190.3]          Before the entrance of sin, Adam enjoyed open communion with his Maker; but since man separated himself from God by transgression, the human race has been cut off from this high privilege. By the plan of redemption, however, a way has been opened whereby the inhabitants of the earth may still have connection with heaven. God has communicated with men by His Spirit, and divine light has been imparted to the world by revelations to His chosen servants.  {AG 190.3}
[AG 190.4]          From the beginning, God has been working by His Holy Spirit through human instrumentalities for the accomplishment of His purpose in behalf of the fallen race. This was manifest in the lives of the patriarchs. To the church in the wilderness also, in the time of Moses, God gave His "good Spirit to instruct them" (Nehemiah 9:20). And in the days of the apostles He wrought mightily for His church through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The same power that sustained the patriarchs. . . and that made the work of the apostolic church effective, has upheld God's faithful children in every succeeding age. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that during the Dark Ages the Waldensian Christians helped to prepare the way for the Reformation. It was the same power that made successful the efforts of the noble men and women who pioneered the way for the establishment of modern missions. . . .  {AG 190.4}
[AG 190.5]          Today the heralds of the cross are. . . preparing the way for the second advent of Christ. . . . And as they continue to let their light shine, as did those who were baptized with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they receive more and still more of the Spirit's power. Thus the earth is to be lightened with the glory of God.  {AG 190.5}
[AG 191.1]       Chap. 183 - Christ's Promise of the Spirit         I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth. John 14:16, 17.  {AG 191.1}
[AG 191.2]            Before offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, Christ sought for the most essential and complete gift to bestow upon His followers, a gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of grace. "I will pray the Father," He said, "and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you" (John 14:16-18, margin).  {AG 191.2}
[AG 191.3]          Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption He had been moving upon men's hearts. But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come.  {AG 191.3}
[AG 191.4]          The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if he had not ascended on high.  {AG 191.4}
[AG 191.5]          This promise belongs to us now as surely as it belonged to the disciples. . . . Let every church member kneel before God, and pray earnestly for the impartation of the Spirit. Cry, "Lord, increase my faith. Make me to understand Thy word; for the entrance of Thy word giveth light. Refresh me by Thy presence. Fill my heart with Thy Spirit."  {AG 191.5}
[AG 191.6]          At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith.  {AG 191.6}
[AG 192.1]       Chap. 184 - The Spirit's Power         Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49.  {AG 192.1}
[AG 192.2]            Christ's visible presence was about to be withdrawn from the disciples, but a new endowment of power was to be theirs. The Holy Spirit was to be given them in its fullness, sealing them for their work.  {AG 192.2}
[AG 192.3]          In obedience to Christ's command, they waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father--the outpouring of the Spirit. They did not wait in idleness. The record says that they were "continually in the temple, praising and blessing God" (Luke 24:53). They also met together to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. . . . Higher and still higher they extended the hand of faith, with the mighty argument, "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34). . . .  {AG 192.3}
[AG 192.4]          The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God. . . .  {AG 192.4}
[AG 192.5]          These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need, and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.  {AG 192.5}
[AG 192.6]          During the patriarchal age the influence of the Holy Spirit had often been revealed in a marked manner, but never in its fullness. Now, in obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift, and in heaven Christ added His intercession. He claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it upon His people.  {AG 192.6}
[AG 193.1]       Chap. 185 - Pentecost         And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Acts 2:1, 2.  {AG 193.1}
[AG 193.2]            The Spirit came upon the waiting, praying disciples with a fullness that reached every heart. The Infinite One revealed Himself in power to His church. It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and now Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out upon the church the riches of the Spirit's grace. And under the influence of the Spirit, words of penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven. Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy were heard. All heaven bent low to behold and to adore the wisdom of matchless, incomprehensible love. Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, "Herein is love." They grasped the imparted gift. And what followed? The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands were converted in a day. . . .  {AG 193.2}
[AG 193.3]          Christ's ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven's communication that the Redeemer's inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers, as a token that He had, as Priest and King, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.  {AG 193.3}
[AG 193.4]          God is willing to give us a similar blessing, when we seek for it as earnestly. The Lord did not lock the reservoir of heaven after pouring His Spirit upon the early disciples. We also may receive of the fullness of His blessing. Heaven is full of the treasures of His grace, and those who come to God in faith may claim all that He has promised.  {AG 193.4}
[AG 194.1]       Chap. 186 - The Office of the Spirit         When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. John 16:8.  {AG 194.1}
[AG 194.2]            The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church.  {AG 194.2}
[AG 194.3]          While we yield ourselves as instruments for the Holy Spirit's working, the grace of God works in us to deny old inclinations, to overcome powerful propensities, and to form new habits.  {AG 194.3}
[AG 194.4]          The Spirit of God, received into the soul, quickens all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God, develops harmoniously, and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness. . . .  {AG 194.4}
[AG 194.5]          It is the Spirit that causes to shine into darkened minds the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness; that makes men's hearts burn within them with an awakened realization of the truths of eternity; that presents before the mind the great standard of righteousness, and convinces of sin; that inspires faith in Him who alone can save from sin; that works to transform character by withdrawing the affections of men from those things which are temporal and perishable, and fixing them upon the eternal inheritance. The Spirit recreates, refines, and sanctifies human beings, fitting them to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King.  {AG 194.5}
[AG 195.1]       Chap. 187 - A Comforter Like Christ         Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. John 16:7.  {AG 195.1}
[AG 195.2]            The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour.  {AG 195.2}
[AG 195.3]          With the consecrated worker for God, in whatever place he may be, the Holy Spirit abides. The words spoken to the disciples are spoken also to us. The Comforter is ours as well as theirs.  {AG 195.3}
[AG 195.4]          There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart. Circumstances may separate us from our friends; the broad, restless ocean may roll between us and them. Though their sincere friendship may still exist, they may be unable to demonstrate it. . . . But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always there, one given in Christ's place, to act in His stead. He is always at our right hand, to speak soothing, gentle words; to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. This Spirit works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of this Spirit reveal its fruit--love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.  {AG 195.4}
[AG 195.5]          The Holy Spirit ever abides with him who is seeking for perfection of Christian character. The Holy Spirit furnishes the pure motive, the living, active principle, that sustains striving, wrestling, believing souls in every emergency and under every temptation. The Holy Spirit sustains the believer amid the world's hatred, amid the unfriendliness of relatives, amid disappointment, amid the realization of imperfection, and amid the mistakes of life. Depending upon the matchless purity and perfection of Christ, the victory is sure to him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith. . . . He has borne our sins, in order that through Him we might have moral excellence, and attain unto the perfection of Christian character.  {AG 195.5}
[AG 196.1]       Chap. 188 - Christ's Representative         Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:20.  {AG 196.1}
[AG 196.2]            When Christ ascended to the Father, He did not leave His followers without help. The Holy Spirit, as His representative, and the heavenly angels, as ministering spirits, are sent forth to aid those who against great odds are fighting the good fight of faith. Ever remember that Jesus is your helper. No one understands as well as He your peculiarities of character. He is watching over you, and if you are willing to be guided by Him, He will throw around you influences for good that will enable you to accomplish all His will for you.  {AG 196.2}
[AG 196.3]          The Christian life is a warfare. But "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). In this conflict of righteousness against unrighteousness we can be successful only by divine aid. Our finite will must be brought into submission to the will of the Infinite; the human will must be blended with the divine. This will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid. . . .  {AG 196.3}
[AG 196.4]          The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; for it is His representative. Through it He infuses spiritual life into the soul, quickening its energies for good, cleansing it from moral defilement, and giving it a fitness for His kingdom. Jesus has large blessings to bestow, rich gifts to distribute among men. He is the wonderful Counselor, infinite in wisdom and strength; and if we will acknowledge the power of His Spirit, and submit to be molded by it, we shall stand complete in Him. What a thought is this! In Christ "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him" (Colossians 2:9, 10). Never will the human heart know happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God. The Spirit conforms the renewed soul to the model, Jesus Christ. Through the influence of the Spirit, enmity against God is changed into faith and love, and pride into humility. The soul perceives the beauty of truth, and Christ is honored in excellence and perfection of character. As these changes are effected, angels break out in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude.  {AG 196.4}
[AG 197.1]       Chap. 189 - Like Dew, Rain, and Sunshine         I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. Hosea 14:5.  {AG 197.1}
[AG 197.2]            Of the almost innumerable lessons taught in the varied processes of growth, some of the most precious are conveyed in the Saviour's parable of the growing seed. . . .  {AG 197.2}
[AG 197.3]          The seed has in itself a germinating principle, a principle that God Himself has implanted; yet if left to itself the seed would have no power to spring up. Man has his part to act in promoting the growth of the grain; but there is a point beyond which he can accomplish nothing. He must depend upon One who has connected the sowing and the reaping by wonderful links of His own omnipotent power.  {AG 197.3}
[AG 197.4]          There is life in the seed, there is power in the soil; but unless infinite power is exercised day and night, the seed will yield no return. The showers of rain must refresh the thirsty fields; the sun must impart warmth; electricity must be conveyed to the buried seed. The life which the Creator has implanted, He alone can call forth. Every seed grows, every plant develops, by the power of God. . . .  {AG 197.4}
[AG 197.5]          The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a figure of the development of character. There can be no life without growth.  {AG 197.5}
[AG 197.6]          The plant must either grow or die. As its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so is the growth of character. At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God's purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be constant advancement.  {AG 197.6}
[AG 197.7]          The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. So spiritual growth is attained through cooperation with divine agencies. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to take root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and the rain, so we are to receive the Holy Spirit. If our hearts are stayed upon Christ, He will come unto us "as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." As the Sun of righteousness, He will arise upon us "with healing in His wings." We shall "grow as the lily." We shall "revive as the corn, and grow as the vine" (Hosea 6:3; Malachi 4:2; Hosea 14:5, 7).  {AG 197.7}
[AG 198.1]       Chap. 190 - Illuminates the Scriptures         But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10.  {AG 198.1}
[AG 198.2]            God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was intrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, none the less, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth.  {AG 198.2}
[AG 198.3]          In His Word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. . . . Yet the fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our Saviour, to open the Word to His servants, to illuminate and apply its teachings.  {AG 198.3}
[AG 198.4]          Those who dig beneath the surface discover the hidden gems of truth. The Holy Spirit is present with the earnest searcher. Its illumination shines upon the Word, stamping the truth upon the mind with a new, fresh importance. The searcher is filled with a sense of peace and joy never before felt. The preciousness of truth is realized as never before. A new, heavenly light shines upon the Word, illuminating it as though every letter were tinged with gold. God Himself has spoken to the mind and heart, making the Word spirit and life.  {AG 198.4}
[AG 198.5]          The Holy Spirit is implanting the grace of Christ in the heart of many a noble seeker after truth, quickening his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his former education. "The light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9), is shining in his soul; and this Light, if heeded, will guide his feet to the kingdom of God.  {AG 198.5}
[AG 199.1]       Chap. 191 - Teacher of Truth         When he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13.  {AG 199.1}
[AG 199.2]            The Comforter is called "the Spirit of truth." His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the Word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.  {AG 199.2}
[AG 199.3]          God intends that even in this life the truths of His Word shall be ever unfolding to His people. There is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained. We can attain to an understanding of God's Word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the Word was given. "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;" "for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11, 10).  {AG 199.3}
[AG 199.4]          From God, the fountain of wisdom, proceeds all the knowledge that is of value to man, all that the intellect can grasp or retain. The fruit of the tree representing good and evil is not to be eagerly plucked because it is recommended by one who was once a bright angel in glory. He has said that if men eat thereof, they shall know good and evil; but let it alone. The true knowledge comes not from infidels or wicked men. The word of God is light and truth. The true light shines from Jesus Christ, who "lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9). From the Holy Spirit proceeds divine knowledge. He knows what humanity needs to promote peace, happiness, and restfulness here in this world, and to secure eternal rest in the kingdom of God.  {AG 199.4}
[AG 199.5]          Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given. . . . The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine truth.  {AG 199.5}
[AG 200.1]       Chap. 192 - A Faithful Guide         For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48:14.  {AG 200.1}
[AG 200.2]           No truth is more clearly taught in the Bible than that God by His Holy Spirit especially directs His servants on earth in the great movements for the carrying forward of the work of salvation. Men are instruments in the hands of God, employed by Him to accomplish His purposes of grace and mercy.  {AG 200.2}
[AG 200.3]          I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end. . . .  {AG 200.3}
[AG 200.4]          If ever there was a time when we needed the special guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is now. We need a thorough consecration. It is fully time that we gave to the world a demonstration of the power of God in our own lives and in our ministry.  {AG 200.4}
[AG 200.5]          The Lord desires to see the work of proclaiming the third angel's message carried forward with increasing efficiency. As He has worked in all ages to give victories to His people, so in this age He longs to carry to a triumphant fulfillment His purposes for His church. He bids His believing saints to advance unitedly, going from strength to greater strength, from faith to increased assurance and confidence in the truth and righteousness of His cause.  {AG 200.5}
[AG 200.6]          We are to stand firm as a rock to the principles of the Word of God, remembering that God is with us to give us strength to meet each new experience. . . . We are to hold as very sacred the faith that has been substantiated by the instruction and approval of the Spirit of God from our earliest experience until the present time. We are to cherish as very precious the work that the Lord has been carrying forward through His commandment-keeping people, and which, through the power of His grace will grow stronger and more efficient as time advances. The enemy is seeking to becloud the discernment of God's people, and to weaken their efficiency, but if they will labor as the Spirit of God shall direct, He will open doors of opportunity before them. . . . Their experience will be one of constant growth, until the Lord shall descend from heaven with power and great glory to set His seal of final triumph upon His faithful ones.  {AG 200.6}
[AG 201.1]       Chap. 193 - Our Personal Guide         Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21.  {AG 201.1}
[AG 201.2]            I have no higher wish than to see our youth imbued with that spirit of pure religion which will lead them to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Go forth, young disciples of Christ, controlled by principle, clad in the robes of purity and righteousness. Your Saviour will guide you into the position best suited to your talents and where you can be most useful.  {AG 201.2}
[AG 201.3]          "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). Such a promise is of more value than gold or silver. If with a humble heart you seek divine guidance in every trouble and perplexity. His word is pledged that a gracious answer will be given you. And His word can never fail.  {AG 201.3}
[AG 201.4]          As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error. We need to make every effort to keep the way of the Lord. We must in no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man. The Lord's angels are appointed to keep strict watch over those who put their faith in the Lord, and these angels are to be our special help in every time of need. Every day we are to come to the Lord with full assurance of faith, and to look to Him for wisdom. . . . Those who are guided by the Word of the Lord will discern with certainty between falsehood and truth, between sin and righteousness.  {AG 201.4}
[AG 201.5]          "Emmanuel, God with us." This means everything to us. What a broad foundation does it lay for our faith! What a hope big with immortality does it place before the believing soul! God with us in Christ Jesus to accompany us every step of the journey to heaven! The Holy Spirit with us as a Comforter, a Guide in our perplexities, to soothe our sorrows, and shield us in temptation!  {AG 201.5}
[AG 201.6]          He who does the will of God, who walks in the path that God has marked out, cannot stumble and fall. The light of God's guiding Spirit gives him a clear perception of his duty, and leads him aright till the close of his work.  {AG 201.6}
[AG 202.1]       Chap. 194 - That Still, Small Voice         Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Hebrews 3:7, 8.  {AG 202.1}
[AG 202.2]           Conscience is the voice of God, heard amid the conflict of human passions; when it is resisted, the Spirit of God is grieved.  {AG 202.2}
[AG 202.3]          Men have the power to quench the Spirit of God; the power of choosing is left with them. They are allowed freedom of action. They may be obedient through the name and grace of our Redeemer, or they may be disobedient, and realize the consequences.  {AG 202.3}
[AG 202.4]          The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God. We must resist and conquer inclination, and obey the voice of conscience without parleying or compromise, lest its promptings cease and will and impulse control. The word of the Lord comes to us all who have not resisted His Spirit by determining not to hear and obey. This voice is heard in warnings, in counsels, in reproof. It is the Lord's message of light to His people. If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn, and we left in darkness. . . .  {AG 202.4}
[AG 202.5]          The pleadings of the Spirit, neglected today because pleasure or inclination leads in an opposite direction, may be powerless to convince, or even impress, tomorrow. To improve the opportunities of the present, with prompt and willing hearts, is the only way to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. We should ever cherish a sense that, individually, we are standing before the Lord of hosts; no word, no act, no thought, even, should be indulged to offend the eye of the Eternal One. . . . If we would feel that in every place we are the servants of the Most High, we would be more circumspect; our whole life would possess to us a meaning and a sacredness which earthly honors can never give.  {AG 202.5}
[AG 202.6]          The thoughts of the heart, the words of the lips, and every act of the life, will make our character more worthy, if the presence of God is continually felt. Let the language of the heart be: "Lo, God is here." Then the life will be pure, the character unspotted, the soul continually uplifted to the Lord.  {AG 202.6}
[AG 203.1]       Chap. 195 - A Refining and Sanctifying Force         I the Lord do sanctify them. Leviticus 22:9.  {AG 203.1}
[AG 203.2]            None but He who has created man can effect a change in the human heart. . . . The human judgment and ideas of the most experienced are liable to be imperfect and faulty, and the frail instrument, subject to his own hereditary traits of character, has need to submit to the sanctification of the Holy Spirit every day, else self will gather the reins and want to drive.  {AG 203.2}
[AG 203.3]          A mind trained only in worldly science fails to understand the things of God; but the same mind, converted and sanctified, will see the divine power in the word. Only the mind and heart cleansed by the sanctification of the Spirit can discern heavenly things.  {AG 203.3}
[AG 203.4]          An earthly parent cannot give his child a sanctified character. He cannot transfer his character to his child. God alone can transform us. Christ breathed on His disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22). This is the great gift of heaven. Christ imparted to them through the Spirit His own sanctification. He imbued them with His power, that they might win souls to the gospel. Henceforth Christ would live through their faculties, and speak through their words. . . . They must cherish His principles and be controlled by His Spirit. They were no longer to follow their own way, to speak their own words. The words they spoke were to proceed from a sanctified heart, and fall from sanctified lips.  {AG 203.4}
[AG 203.5]          We need the softening, subduing, refining influence of the Holy Spirit, to mold our characters, and to bring every thought into captivity to Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that will enable us to overcome, that will lead us to sit at the feet of Jesus, as did Mary, and learn His meekness and lowliness of heart. We need to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit every hour of the day, lest we be ensnared by the enemy, and our souls be imperiled.  {AG 203.5}
[AG 203.6]          The light of truth is to shine to the ends of the earth. Greater and still greater light is beaming with celestial brightness from the Redeemer's face upon His representatives, to be diffused through the darkness of a benighted world. As laborers together with Him, let us pray for the sanctification of His Spirit, that we may shine more and more brightly.  {AG 203.6}
[AG 204.1]       Chap. 196 - Molds Into the Divine Likeness         And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:24.  {AG 204.1}
[AG 204.2]            The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service. To all who have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit has come as a counselor, sanctifier, guide, and witness. The more closely believers have walked with God, the more clearly and powerfully they have testified of their Redeemer's love and of His saving grace. The men and women who through the long centuries of persecution and trial enjoyed a large measure of the presence of the Spirit in their lives, have stood as signs and wonders in the world. Before angels and men they have revealed the transforming power of redeeming love.  {AG 204.2}
[AG 204.3]          Those who at Pentecost were endued with power from on high, were not thereby freed from further temptation and trial. As they witnessed for truth and righteousness, they were repeatedly assailed by the enemy of all truth, who sought to rob them of their Christian experience. They were compelled to strive with all their God-given powers to reach the measure of the stature of grace, that they might reach higher and still higher toward perfection. Under the Holy Spirit's working, even the weakest, by experiencing faith in God, learned to improve their entrusted powers and to become sanctified, refined, and ennobled. As in humility they submitted to the moulding influence of the Holy Spirit, they received of the fullness of the Godhead and were fashioned in the likeness of the divine. . . .  {AG 204.3}
[AG 204.4]          The Holy Spirit withdraws the affections from the things of this earth and fills the soul with a desire for holiness. . . . If men are willing to be moulded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the whole being. The Spirit will take the things of God and stamp them on the soul.  {AG 204.4}
[AG 205.1]       Chap. 197 - Brings Refreshing         Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19.  {AG 205.1}
[AG 205.2]            The third angel's message is swelling into a loud cry, and you must not feel at liberty to neglect the present duty, and still entertain the idea that at some future time you will be the recipients of great blessing, when without any effort on your part a wonderful revival will take place. Today you are to give yourselves to God, that He may make you vessels unto honor, and meet for His service. Today you are to give yourself to God, that you may be emptied of self, emptied of envy, jealousy, evil surmising, strife, everything that shall be dishonoring to God. Today you are to have your vessel purified that it may be ready for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord--fitted for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. . . .  {AG 205.2}
[AG 205.3]          God has not revealed to us the time when this message will close, or when probation will have an end. . . . It is our duty to watch and work and wait, to labor every moment for the souls of men that are ready to perish. We are to keep walking continually in the footsteps of Jesus, working in His lines, dispensing His gifts as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. . . .  {AG 205.3}
[AG 205.4]          The Word of The Lord reveals the fact that the end of all things is at hand, and its testimony is most decided that it is necessary for every soul to have the truth planted in the heart so that it will control the life and sanctify the character. The Spirit of the Lord is working to take the truth of the inspired Word and stamp it upon the soul so that professed followers of Christ will have a holy, sacred joy that they will be able to impart to others.  {AG 205.4}
[AG 205.5]          Our only safety is in being ready for the heavenly refreshing, having our lamps trimmed and burning. . . . Day by day we are to seek the enlightenment of the Spirit of God, that it may do its office work upon the soul and character.  {AG 205.5}
[AG 206.1]       Chap. 198 - Purifying, Vitalizing Power         Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10.  {AG 206.1}
[AG 206.2]           The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close the doors and windows, and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doors and throw wide the windows, and let heaven's purifying atmosphere flow in. . . . The windows of impulse, of feeling must be opened up toward heaven, and the dust of selfishness and earthliness must be expelled. The grace of God must sweep through the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes for contemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized by the Spirit of God.  {AG 206.2}
[AG 206.3]          He who lives the principles of Bible religion, will not be found weak in moral power. Under the ennobling influence of the Holy Spirit, the tastes and inclinations become pure and holy. Nothing takes so strong a hold upon the affections, nothing reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of action, nothing exerts so potent an influence upon the life, and gives so great firmness and stability to the character, as the religion of Christ. It leads its possessor ever upward, inspiring him with noble purposes, teaching him propriety of deportment, and imparting a becoming dignity to every action.  {AG 206.3}
[AG 206.4]          The church is the object of God's tenderest love and care. If the members will allow Him, He will reveal His character through them. He says to them, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). Those who walk and talk with God practice the gentleness of Christ. In their lives, forbearance, meekness, and self-restraint are united with holy earnestness and diligence. As they advance heavenward, the sharp, rough edges of character are worn off, and godliness is seen. The Holy Spirit, full of grace and power, works upon mind and heart.  {AG 206.4}
[AG 206.5]          The heart in which Jesus makes his abode will be quickened, purified, guided, and ruled by the Holy Spirit, and the human agent will make strenuous efforts to bring his character into harmony with God. He will avoid everything that is contrary to the revealed will and mind of God.  {AG 206.5}
[AG 207.1]       Chap. 199 - Received by Naked Faith         The just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4.  {AG 207.1}
[AG 207.2]            Many do not exercise that faith which it is their privilege and duty to exercise, often waiting for that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith; the two are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God's to give. The grace of God comes to us through the channel of living faith, and that faith it is in our power to exercise.  {AG 207.2}
[AG 207.3]          True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before it is realized and felt. We must send up our petitions in faith within the second vail, and let our faith take hold of the promised blessing, and claim it as ours. We are then to believe that we receive the blessing, because our faith has hold of it, and according to the Word it is ours. "What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the blessing, even before we realize it. . . . But many suppose . . . that they cannot have faith unless they feel the power of the Spirit. Such confound faith with the blessing that comes through faith. The very time to exercise faith is when we feel destitute of the Spirit. When thick clouds of darkness seem to hover over the mind, then is the time to let living faith pierce the darkness and scatter the clouds. True faith rests on the promises contained in the Word of God, and those only who obey that Word can claim its glorious promises.  {AG 207.3}
[AG 207.4]          Should anyone dishonor God by imagining that He would not respond to the appeals of His children? . . .  The Holy Spirit, the representative of Himself, is the greatest of all gifts. All "good things" are comprised in this. The Creator Himself can give us nothing greater, nothing better. When we beseech the Lord to pity us in our distress, and to guide us by His Holy Spirit, He will never turn away our prayer.  {AG 207.4}
[AG 207.5]          The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will be proportioned to the measure of our desire and the faith exercised for it. . . . We can be assured that we shall receive the Holy Spirit if we individually try the experiment of testing God's word.  {AG 207.5}
[AG 208.1]       Chap. 200 - For All Who Believe         God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13.  {AG 208.1}
[AG 208.2]            In this text the two agencies in the work of salvation are revealed--the divine influence, and the strong, living faith of those who follow Christ. It is through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth that we become laborers together with God. Christ waits for the cooperation of His church. . . . The blood of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the divine Word, are ours. The object of all this provision of heaven is before us--the salvation of the souls for whom Christ died; and it depends upon us to lay hold on the promises God has given, and become laborers together with Him. Divine and human agencies must cooperate in the work. . . .  {AG 208.2}
[AG 208.3]          Christ crucified for our sins; Christ risen from the dead; Christ ascended on high as our intercessor--this is the science of salvation that we need to learn and to teach.  {AG 208.3}
[AG 208.4]          It is God's purpose that His people shall be a sanctified, purified, holy people, communicating light to all around them. It is His purpose that, by exemplifying the truth in their lives, they shall be a praise in the earth. The grace of Christ is sufficient to bring this about.  {AG 208.4}
[AG 208.5]          There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God. All who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to His service will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical, mental, and spiritual power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of His own Spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in mind and heart. Through the grace given us we may achieve victories that because of our own erroneous and preconceived opinions, our defects of character, our smallness of faith, have seemed impossible.  {AG 208.5}
[AG 208.6]          To everyone who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attainment of measureless results.  {AG 208.6}
[AG 209.1]       Chap. 201 - More Than Mortal Power         When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19.  {AG 209.1}
[AG 209.2]            God has provided divine assistance for all the emergencies to which our human resources are unequal. He gives the Holy Spirit to help in every strait, to strengthen our hope and assurance, to illuminate our minds and purify our hearts.  {AG 209.2}
[AG 209.3]          Your part is to put your will on the side of Christ. When you yield your will to His, He immediately takes possession of you, and works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Your nature is brought under the control of His Spirit. Even your thoughts are subject to Him. If you cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire, you can control the will, and thus an entire change will be wrought in your life. When you yield up your will to Christ, your life is hid with Christ in God. It is allied to the power which is above all principalities and powers. You have a strength from God that holds you fast to His strength; and a new life, even the life of faith, is possible to you.  {AG 209.3}
[AG 209.4]          You can never be successful in elevating yourself, unless your will is on the side of Christ, cooperating with the Spirit of God. Do not feel that you cannot; but say, "I can, I will." And God has pledged His Holy Spirit to help you in every decided effort.  {AG 209.4}
[AG 209.5]          The lifework given us is that of preparation for the life eternal. If we accomplish this work as God designs we shall, every temptation may work for our advancement; for as we resist its allurements, we make progress in the divine life. In the heat of the conflict, unseen agencies will be by our side, commanded of heaven to aid us in our wrestlings; and in the crisis, strength and firmness and energy will be imparted to us, and we shall have more than mortal power. . . .  {AG 209.5}
[AG 209.6]          Those who would be conquerors must engage in conflict with unseen agencies. . . . The Holy Spirit is ever at work, seeking to purify, refine, and discipline the souls of men, in order that they may become fitted for the society of saints and angels.  {AG 209.6}
[AG 210.1]       Chap. 202 - Brings Harmony         Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:20, 21.  {AG 210.1}
[AG 210.2]            After the descent of the Holy Spirit the disciples went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour, their one desire the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of the communion with saints. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth's sake. In their daily association with one another they revealed the love that Christ had commanded them to reveal. . . .  {AG 210.2}
[AG 210.3]          Harmony and union existing among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that can be borne that God has sent His Son into the world to save sinners. It is our privilege to bear this witness. But, in order to do this, we must place ourselves under Christ's command. Our characters must be molded in harmony with His character, our wills must be surrendered to His will.  {AG 210.3}
[AG 210.4]          We are of the same faith, members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father, with the same blessed hope of immortality. How close and tender should be the tie that binds us together. The people of the world are watching us to see if our faith is exerting a sanctifying influence upon our hearts. They are quick to discern every defect in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us give them no occasion to reproach our faith. . . .  {AG 210.4}
[AG 210.5]          Little differences dwelt upon lead to actions that destroy Christian fellowship. Let us not allow the enemy thus to gain the advantage over us. Let us keep drawing nearer to God and to one another. . . . The heart of the Saviour is set upon His followers' fulfilling God's purpose in all its height and depth. They are to be one in Him, even though they are scattered the world over. . . . When Christ's prayer is fully believed, . . . unity of action will be seen in our ranks. Brother will be bound to brother by the golden bonds of the love of Christ. The Spirit of God alone can bring about this oneness. He who sanctified Himself can sanctify His disciples. United with Him, they will be united with one another in the most holy faith.  {AG 210.5}
[AG 211.1]       Chap. 203 - Creates Unity in Diversity         I ... beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3.  {AG 211.1}
[AG 211.2]            Paul urges the Ephesians to preserve unity and love. . . . Divisions in the church dishonor the religion of Christ before the world and give occasion to the enemies of truth to justify their course.  {AG 211.2}
[AG 211.3]          A union of believers with Christ will as a natural result lead to a union with one another, which bond of union is the most enduring upon earth. We are one in Christ, as Christ is one with the Father. . . . It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. . . . Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, all depend on our union with Christ and the degree of faith we exercise in Him.  {AG 211.3}
[AG 211.4]          The word and Spirit of truth, dwelling in our hearts, will separate us from the world. The immutable principles of truth and love will bind heart to heart, and the strength of the union will be according to the measure of grace and truth enjoyed.  {AG 211.4}
[AG 211.5]          The vine has many branches, but though all the branches are different, they do not quarrel. In diversity there is unity. All the branches obtain their nourishment from one source. This is an illustration of the unity that is to exist among Christ's followers. In their different lines of work they all have but one Head. The same Spirit, in different ways, works through them. There is harmonious action, though the gifts differ. . . . God calls for each one ... to do his appointed work according to the ability which has been given him.  {AG 211.5}
[AG 211.6]          We have a character to maintain, but it is the character of Christ. Having the character of Christ, we can carry on the work of God together. The Christ in us will meet the Christ in our brethren, and the Holy Spirit will give that union of heart and action which testifies to the world that we are children of God. . . .  {AG 211.6}
[AG 211.7]          The world needs to see worked out before it the miracle that binds the hearts of God's people together in Christian love.  {AG 211.7}
[AG 212.1]       Chap. 204 - Given on Condition         For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5.  {AG 212.1}
[AG 212.2]            Christ promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church, and the promise belongs as much to us as to the first disciples. But like every other promise, it is given on conditions. There are many who profess to believe and claim the Lord's promises; they talk about Christ and the Holy Spirit; yet they receive no benefit, because they do not surrender their souls to the guidance and control of divine agencies.  {AG 212.2}
[AG 212.3]          We cannot use the Holy Spirit; the Spirit is to use us. Through the Spirit, God works in His people "to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). But many will not submit to be led. They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given. The promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive.  {AG 212.3}
[AG 212.4]          The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. Those only who are thus taught of God, those only who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, can stand as true representatives of the Saviour. . . .  {AG 212.4}
[AG 212.5]          Christ promised that the Holy Spirit should abide with those who wrestle for victory over sin, to demonstrate the power of divine might by endowing the human agent with supernatural strength and instructing the ignorant in the mysteries of the kingdom of God. . . .  {AG 212.5}
[AG 212.6]          When one is fully emptied of self, when every false god is cast out of the soul, the vacuum is filled by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. Such a one has the faith that purifies the soul from defilement. He is conformed to the Spirit, and he minds the things of the Spirit. He has no confidence in self. Christ is all and in all.  {AG 212.6}
[AG 213.1]       Chap. 205 - Giving and Receiving         Freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8.  {AG 213.1}
[AG 213.2]            Jesus said, "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). As the Holy Spirit opens to you the truth you will treasure up the most precious experiences and will long to speak to others of the comforting things that have been revealed to you. When brought into association with them you will communicate some fresh thought in regard to the character or the work of Christ. You will have some fresh revelation of His pitying love to impart to those who love Him and to those who love Him not. . . .  {AG 213.2}
[AG 213.3]          The heart that has once tasted the love of Christ, cries out continually for a deeper draft, and as you impart you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. Every revelation of God to the soul increases the capacity to know and to love. The continual cry of the heart is, "More of Thee," and ever the Spirit's answer is, "Much more." . . . To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. Our Lord Himself has given the command, "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18), and this command is also a promise of its fulfillment. It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fullness dwell," and "in him ye are made full" (Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V.).  {AG 213.3}
[AG 213.4]         The more of the Spirit of God, the more of His grace, is brought into our daily experience, the less friction there will be, the more happiness we shall have, and the more we shall impart to others.  {AG 213.4}
[AG 213.5]          Christ is the great center, the source of all strength. . . . The most intelligent, the most spiritually minded, can bestow only as they receive. Of themselves they can supply nothing for the needs of the soul. We can impart only that which we receive from Christ; and we can receive only as we impart to others. As we continue imparting, we continue to receive; and the more we impart, the more we shall receive. Thus we may be constantly believing, trusting, receiving, and imparting.  {AG 213.5}
[AG 214.1]       Chap. 206 - Oil for Our Lamps         The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Matthew 25:4.  {AG 214.1}
[AG 214.2]            The two classes of watchers ［in the parable of the ten virgins］ represent the two classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps is represented the Word of God. . . . The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. . . .  {AG 214.2}
[AG 214.3]          In the parable, all the ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom. All had lamps and vessels for oil. For a time there was seen no difference between them. So with the church that lives just before Christ's second coming. All have a knowledge of the Scriptures. All have heard the message of Christ's near approach, and confidently expect His appearing. But as in the parable, so it is now. A time of waiting intervenes, faith is tried; and when the cry is heard, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him," many are unready. . . . They are destitute of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His Word is of no avail. The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit, cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. . . . Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan. . . .  {AG 214.3}
[AG 214.4]          The grace of God has been freely offered to every soul. . . . But character is not transferable. No man can believe for another. . . . No man can impart to another the character which is the fruit of the Spirit's working. . . .  {AG 214.4}
[AG 214.5]          We cannot be ready to meet the Lord by waking when the cry is heard, "Behold, the Bridegroom!" and then gathering up our empty lamps to have them replenished. . . . In the parable the wise virgins had oil in their vessels with their lamps. Their light burned with undimmed flame through the night of watching. . . . So the followers of Christ are to shed light into the darkness of the world. Through the Holy Spirit, God's word is a light as it becomes a transforming power in the life of the receiver. By implanting in their hearts the principles of His word, the Holy Spirit develops in men the attributes of God. The light of His glory--His character--is to shine forth in His followers.  {AG 214.5}
[AG 214.6]          Ask God to give you much of the oil of His grace.  {AG 214.6}
[AG 215.1]       Chap. 207 - The Sin God Cannot Forgive         Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. Matthew 12:31.  {AG 215.1}
[AG 215.2]            Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ; but he who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him. It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare it to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul. . . .  {AG 215.2}
[AG 215.3]          It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God's word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. . . .  {AG 215.3}
[AG 215.4]          It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. . . . The most common manifestation of the sin against the Holy Spirit is in persistently slighting Heaven's invitation to repent. Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step toward the rejection of salvation, and toward the sin against the Holy Spirit.  {AG 215.4}
[AG 215.5]          When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan.  {AG 215.5}
[AG 216.1]       Chap. 208 - Grieved by Our Doubts         And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30.  {AG 216.1}
[AG 216.2]            When we seem to doubt God's love and distrust His promises we dishonor Him and grieve His Holy Spirit. . . . How can our heavenly Father regard us when we distrust His love, which has led Him to give His only-begotten Son that we might have life? The apostle writes, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things" (Romans 8:32)? And yet how many, by their actions, if not in word, are saying, "The Lord does not mean this for me. Perhaps He loves others, but He does not love me."  {AG 216.2}
[AG 216.3]          Faith takes God at His word, not asking to understand the meaning of the trying experiences that come. But there are many who have little faith.... And the difficulties they encounter, instead of driving them to God, separate them from Him, by arousing unrest and repining. Do they well to be thus unbelieving? Jesus is their friend. All heaven is interested in their welfare, and their fear and repining grieve the Holy Spirit. Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We are to trust His promises. . . . When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be sent when we need it most.  {AG 216.3}
[AG 216.4]          It is a serious thing to grieve the Holy Spirit; and it is grieved when the human agent seeks to work himself, and refuses to enter the service of the Lord because the cross is too heavy, or the self-denial too great. The Holy Spirit seeks to abide in each soul. If it is welcomed as an honored guest, those who receive it will be made complete in Christ.  {AG 216.4}
[AG 216.5]          Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us--the perfection of His character? When the Lord's people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will declare, "It is finished."  {AG 216.5}
[AG 217.1]       Chap. 209 - For Those Who Seek         I am the Lord your God; ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy. Leviticus 11:44.  {AG 217.1}
[AG 217.2]            It is the glory of God to give His virtue to His children. He desires to see men and women reaching the highest standard; and when by faith they lay hold of the power of Christ, when they plead His unfailing promises, and claim them as their own, when with an importunity that will not be denied they seek for the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be made complete in Him. . . .  {AG 217.2}
[AG 217.3]          Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law. But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition. The holiness that God's Word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth. Man's obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ's righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience. The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he is to pray to the Saviour to heal the disorders of his sin-sick soul. He has not the wisdom or the strength to overcome; these belong to the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help.  {AG 217.3}
[AG 217.4]          The Holy Spirit will be given to those who seek for its power and grace and will help our infirmities when we would have an audience with God. Heaven is open to our petitions, and we are invited to come "boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). We are to come in faith, believing that we shall obtain the very things we ask of Him.  {AG 217.4}
[AG 217.5]         If you have a sense of need in your soul, if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your heart, in order that He may be sought unto to do for you, through the endowment of the Holy Spirit, those things which it is impossible for you to do for yourself.  {AG 217.5}
[AG 217.6]          If we will empty the soul of self, He will supply all our necessities.  {AG 217.6}
[AG 218.1]       Chap. 210 - Pentecostal Power         And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33.  {AG 218.1}
[AG 218.2]           What was the result of the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost? The glad tidings of a risen Saviour were carried to the uttermost parts of the inhabited world. As the disciples proclaimed the message of redeeming grace, hearts yielded to the power of this message. The Church beheld converts flocking to her from all directions. Backsliders were reconverted. Sinners united with believers in seeking the pearl of great price. Some who had been the bitterest opponents of the gospel became its champions. . . . Every Christian saw in his brother a revelation of divine love and benevolence. One interest prevailed; one subject of emulation swallowed up all others. The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character, and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.  {AG 218.2}
[AG 218.3]          "With great power gave the apostles witness. . . ." Under their labors were added to the church chosen men, who, receiving the word of truth, consecrated their lives to the work of giving to others the hope that filled their hearts with peace and joy. They could not be restrained or intimidated by threatenings. The Lord spoke through them, and as they went from place to place, the poor had the gospel preached to them, and miracles of divine grace were wrought. So mightily can God work when men give themselves up to the control of His Spirit.  {AG 218.3}
[AG 218.4]          To us today, as verily as to the first disciples, the promise of the Spirit belongs. God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the Day of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word. . . .  {AG 218.4}
[AG 218.5]          Zeal for God moved the disciples to bear witness to the truth with mighty power. Should not this zeal fire our hearts with a determination to tell the story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified? Is not the Spirit of God to come today, in answer to earnest, persevering prayer, and fill men with power for service?  {AG 218.5}
[AG 219.1]       Chap. 211 - Ask For It         If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall you heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13.  {AG 219.1}
[AG 219.2]            Our Lord is rich in grace, mighty in power; He will abundantly bestow these gifts upon all who come to Him in faith. ... We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. Moral darkness, like a funeral pall, covers the earth. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and satanic deceptions are misleading the minds of men. Without the Spirit and power of God it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth.  {AG 219.2}
[AG 219.3]          By the grace of Christ the apostles were made what they were. It was sincere devotion and humble, earnest prayer that brought them into close communion with Him. They sat together with Him in heavenly places. They realized the greatness of their debt to Him. By earnest, persevering prayer they obtained the endowment of the Holy Spirit, and then they went forth, weighted with the burden of saving souls.... Shall we be less earnest than were the apostles?  {AG 219.3}
[AG 219.4]          Since this is the means by which we are to receive power, why do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit? Why do we not talk of it, pray for it, and preach concerning it? ... For the daily baptism of the Spirit, every worker should offer his petition to God. Companies of Christian workers should gather to ask for special help for heavenly wisdom, that they may know how to plan and execute wisely.  {AG 219.4}
[AG 219.5]          Day after day is passing into eternity, bringing us nearer to the close of probation. As never before we must pray for the Holy Spirit to be more abundantly bestowed upon us, and we must look for its sanctifying influence to come upon the workers....  {AG 219.5}
[AG 219.6]          Those who are under the influence of the Spirit of God will not be fanatical, but calm and steadfast, free from extravagance in thought, word, or deed. Amid the confusion of delusive doctrines, the Spirit of God will be a guide and a shield to those who have not resisted the evidences of truth, silencing every other voice but that which comes from Him who is the truth.  {AG 219.6}
[AG 220.1]       Chap. 212 - The Latter Rain         Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. Zechariah 10:1.  {AG 220.1}
[AG 220.2]            Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God's church. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former rain, and glorious was the result.... But near the close of earth's harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest "in the time of the latter rain."  {AG 220.2}
[AG 220.3]          As Christ was glorified on the day of Pentecost so will He again be glorified in the closing work of the gospel, when He shall prepare a people to stand the final test, in the closing conflict of the great controversy.  {AG 220.3}
[AG 220.4]          Many . . . will be seen hurrying hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to bring the light to others. The truth, the Word of God, is as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message from heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and ... they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit's power.  {AG 220.4}
[AG 220.5]          But unless the members of God's church today have a living connection with the Source of all spiritual growth, they will not be ready for the time of reaping. Unless they keep their lamps trimmed and burning, they will fail of receiving added grace in times of special need.  {AG 220.5}
[AG 220.6]          Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. There is no place for us to rest in a careless attitude.... By prayer and faith we are continually to seek more of the Spirit.  {AG 220.6}
[AG 221.1]       Chap. 213 - A Miracle         God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost. Hebrews 2:4.  {AG 221.1}
[AG 221.2]            Christ wrought no miracle at the demand of the Pharisees. He wrought no miracle in the wilderness in answer to Satan's insinuations. He does not impart to us power to vindicate ourselves or to satisfy the demands of unbelief and pride. But the gospel is not without a sign of its divine origin. Is it not a miracle that we can break from the bondage of Satan? Enmity against Satan is not natural to the human heart; it is implanted by the grace of God. When one who has been controlled by a stubborn, wayward will is set free, and yields himself wholeheartedly to the drawing of God's heavenly agencies, a miracle is wrought; so also when a man who has been under strong delusion comes to understand moral truth. Every time a soul is converted, and learns to love God and keep His commandments, the promise of God is fulfilled, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you" (Ezekiel 36:26). The change in human hearts, the transformation of human characters, is a miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle. In the preaching of the Word of God, the sign that should be manifest now and always is the presence of the Holy Spirit, to make the Word a regenerating power to those that hear. This is God's witness before the world to the divine mission of His Son.  {AG 221.2}
[AG 221.3]          Many are utterly discouraged.... They are looked upon as unable to comprehend or to receive the gospel of Christ. Yet by the miracle of divine grace they may be changed. Under the ministration of the Holy Spirit the stupidity that makes their uplifting appear so hopeless will pass away.... Vice will disappear, and ignorance will be overcome.  {AG 221.3}
[AG 221.4]          The chain that has been let down from the throne of God is long enough to reach to the lowest depths. Christ is able to lift the most sinful out of the pit of degradation, and to place them where they will be acknowledged as children of God, heirs with Christ to an immortal inheritance.  {AG 221.4}
[AG 222.1]       Chap. 214 - Amazing Transformations         For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 1 Corinthians 4:9.  {AG 222.1}
[AG 222.2]            The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasure of heaven.  {AG 222.2}
[AG 222.3]          To His church, Christ has given ample facilities, that He may receive a large revenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. The church, being endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealth of His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display. The declaration in His intercessory prayer, that the Father's love is as great toward us as toward Himself, the only-begotten Son, and that we shall be with Him where He is, forever one with Christ and the Father, is a marvel to the heavenly host, and it is their great joy. The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is to be to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the powers of hell shall not prevail against. In their untainted purity and spotless perfection, Christ looks upon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory--Christ, the great center from which radiates all glory.  {AG 222.3}
[AG 222.4]          All heaven is watching those agencies that are as the hand to work out the purpose of God in the earth, thus doing the will of God in heaven. Such co-operation accomplishes a work that brings honor and glory and majesty to God. Oh, if all would love as Christ has loved, that perishing men might be saved from ruin, what a change would come to our world!  {AG 222.4}
[AG 223.1]       Chap. 215 - Heart Renewal         And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:23, 24.  {AG 223.1}
[AG 223.2]            Christ was a faithful reprover.... To all things untrue and base His very presence was a rebuke. In the light of His purity, men saw themselves unclean, their life's aims mean and false. Yet He drew them. He who had created man, understood the value of humanity....  {AG 223.2}
[AG 223.3]          In every human being He discerned infinite possibilities. He saw men as they might be, transfigured by His grace--in "the beauty of the Lord our God" (Psalm 90:17).  {AG 223.3}
[AG 223.4]         All defects of character originate in the heart. Pride, vanity, evil temper, and covetousness proceed from the carnal heart unrenewed by the grace of Christ.  {AG 223.4}
[AG 223.5]          It is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. No mere external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God. There are many who try to reform by correcting this bad habit or that bad habit and they hope in this way to become Christians, but they are beginning in the wrong place. Our first work is with the heart....  {AG 223.5}
[AG 223.6]          The Scriptures are the great agency in this transformation of character. Christ prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17). If studied and obeyed, the Word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin, and the faith that springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us, body, soul, and spirit, to His will....  {AG 223.6}
[AG 223.7]          Let us not spare ourselves, but carry forward in earnest the work of reform that must be done in our lives. Let us crucify self. Unholy habits will clamor for the mastery, but in the name and through the power of Jesus we may conquer. To him who daily seeks to keep his heart with all diligence, the promise is given, "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).  {AG 223.7}
[AG 224.1]       Chap. 216 - It Takes Time         I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Isaiah 27:3.  {AG 224.1}
[AG 224.2]            The mind of a man or a woman does not come down in a moment from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to transform the human to the divine, or to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. Though formed in the image of his Maker, man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him. As he ceases to watch and pray, he ceases to guard the citadel, the heart.... Constant war against the carnal mind must be maintained; and we must be aided by the refining influence of the grace of God, which will attract the mind upward and habituate it to meditate upon pure and holy things.  {AG 224.2}
[AG 224.3]          Character does not come by chance. It is not determined by one outburst of temper, one step in the wrong direction. It is the repetition of the act that causes it to become habit, and molds the character either for good or for evil. Right characters can be formed only by persevering, untiring effort, by improving every entrusted talent and capability to the glory of God.  {AG 224.3}
[AG 224.4]          God expects us to build characters in accordance with the pattern set before us. We are to lay brick by brick, adding grace to grace, finding our weak points and correcting them in accordance with the directions given.  {AG 224.4}
[AG 224.5]          God gives us strength, reasoning power, time, in order that we may build characters on which He can place His stamp of approval. He desires each child of His to build a noble character, by the doing of pure, noble deeds, that in the end he may present a symmetrical structure, a fair temple, honored by man and God....  {AG 224.5}
[AG 224.6]          He who would grow into a beautiful building for the Lord must cultivate every power of the being. It is only by the right use of the talents that the character can be developed harmoniously. Thus we bring to the foundation that which is represented in the Word as gold, silver, precious stones--material that will stand the test of God's purifying fires.  {AG 224.6}
[AG 225.1]       Chap. 217 - Determination the Key         For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2.  {AG 225.1}
[AG 225.2]            Many are attracted by the beauty of Christ and the glory of heaven, who yet shrink from the conditions by which alone these can become their own. . . . To renounce their own will, their chosen objects of affection or pursuit, requires a sacrifice at which they hesitate and falter and turn back. . . . They desire the good, they make some effort to obtain it; but they do not choose it; they have not a settled purpose to secure it at the cost of all things.  {AG 225.2}
[AG 225.3]          The only hope for us if we would overcome is to unite our will to God's will, and work in cooperation with Him, hour by hour and day by day. We cannot retain self and yet enter the kingdom of God. If we ever attain unto holiness, it will be through the renunciation of self and the reception of the mind of Christ. Pride and self-sufficiency must be crucified. Are we willing to pay the price required of us? Are we willing to have our will brought into perfect conformity to the will of God? Until we are willing the transforming grace of God cannot be manifest upon us.  {AG 225.3}
[AG 225.4]          By becoming thoroughly acquainted with ourselves, and then combining with the grace of God a firm determination on our part, we may be conquerors, and become perfect in all things, wanting in nothing.  {AG 225.4}
[AG 225.5]          Opposing circumstances should create a firm determination to overcome them. The breaking down of one barrier will give greater ability and courage to go forward. Press with determination in the right direction, and circumstances will be your helpers, not your hindrances.  {AG 225.5}
[AG 225.6]          True Christian character is marked by a singleness of purpose, an indomitable determination, which refuses to yield to worldly influences, which will aim at nothing short of the Bible standard. . . . The consecration of Christ's follower must be complete. . . . He must be willing to bear patiently, cheerfully, joyfully, whatever in God's providence he may be called to suffer. His final reward will be to share with Christ the throne of immortal glory.  {AG 225.6}
[AG 226.1]       Chap. 218 - Felt in the Home         Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31.  {AG 226.1}
[AG 226.2]            Missionary work is to be done in the home. Here those who have received Christ are to show what grace has done for them. A divine influence controls the true believer in Christ, and this influence makes itself felt throughout the home and is favorable for the perfection of the characters of all in the home. . . .  {AG 226.2}
[AG 226.3]          The church needs all the cultivated spiritual force which can be obtained, that all, and especially the younger members of the Lord's family, may be carefully guarded. The truth lived at home makes itself felt in disinterested labor abroad. He who lives Christianity in the home will be a bright and shining light everywhere.  {AG 226.3}
[AG 226.4]          God wants the children and youth to join the Lord's army. . . . They must be trained to resist temptation and to fight the good fight of faith. Direct their minds to Jesus as soon as they can comprehend your lessons in simple words, easy to be understood. Teach them self-control. Teach them to begin the work of overcoming when young, and they will receive the precious help that Jesus can and will give, connected with prayerful efforts of parents. Cheer them with encouraging words for the battles they fight in resisting temptation and coming off conquerors through grace given them of Jesus Christ.  {AG 226.4}
[AG 226.5]          The harmony of the domestic circle is often broken by a hasty word and abusive language. How much better were it left unsaid. One smile of pleasure, one peaceful, approving word spoken in the spirit of meekness, would be a power to soothe, to comfort, and to bless. . . . Many excuse their hasty words and passionate tempers by saying: "I am sensitive; I have a hasty temper." This will never heal the wounds made by hasty, passionate words. . . . The natural man must die, and the new man, Christ Jesus, take possession of the soul. . . . You may show by your life what the power and grace of God can do in transforming the natural man into a spiritual man in Christ Jesus.  {AG 226.5}
[AG 227.1]       Chap. 219 - That the World May Know         Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Isaiah 43:12.  {AG 227.1}
[AG 227.2]            A living Christian will have a living testimony to bear. If you have been following Jesus step by step, you will have something right to the point to relate of the way He has led you. You can tell how you tested His promise, and found the promise true. You can point to the living spots in your experience, without going back for years into the past. Would that we could oftener hear the simple, earnest testimony of heart conflicts and victories. . . .  {AG 227.2}
[AG 227.3]          Every true Christian will have a battle to fight to practice the principles of truth as well as to assent to them. . . . The Captain of our salvation calls for witnesses fresh from the field of action. Those who have been fiercely assaulted by the enemies of truth and the adversary of souls, and who have conducted themselves as did Jesus in His hour of trial, will have a testimony to bear which will thrill the hearts of the hearers. They will indeed be witnesses for Jesus.  {AG 227.3}
[AG 227.4]          We do not always realize the power of example. We are brought in contact with others. We meet persons who are erring, who do wrong in various ways; they may be disagreeable, quick, passionate, dictatorial. While dealing with these we must be patient, forbearing, kind, and gentle. . . . There are trials and perplexities for us all to encounter; for we are in a world of cares, anxieties, and disappointments. But these continual annoyances must be met in the spirit of Christ. Through grace we may rise superior to our surroundings, and keep our spirits calm and unruffled amid the frets and worries of everyday life. We shall thus represent Christ to the World.  {AG 227.4}
[AG 227.5]          Christ sought to save the world, not by conformity to it, but by revealing to the world the transforming power of the grace of God to mold and fashion the human character after the likeness of the character of Christ.  {AG 227.5}
[AG 227.6]          The grace of Christ is to work a wonderful transformation in the life and character of its receiver; and if we are truly the disciples of Christ, the world will see that divine power has done something for us; for while we are in the world, we shall not be of it.  {AG 227.6}
[AG 228.1]       Chap. 220 - Sustaining the Spiritual Life         Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35.  {AG 228.1}
[AG 228.2]            God speaks to us in His Word. Here we have in clearer lines the revelation of His character, of His dealings with men, and the great work of redemption. Here is open before us the history of patriarchs and prophets and other holy men of old. They were men "subject to like passions as we are" (James 5:17). We see how they struggled through discouragements like our own, how they fell under temptation as we have done, and yet took heart again and conquered through the grace of God: and beholding, we are encouraged in our striving after righteousness. As we read of the precious experiences granted them, of the light and love and blessing it was theirs to enjoy, and of the work they wrought through the grace given them, the spirit that inspired them kindles a flame of holy emulation in our hearts and a desire to be like them in character--like them to walk with God.  {AG 228.2}
[AG 228.3]          Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures--and how much more it is true of the New--"They are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). . . . If you would become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures. Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They are the living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the living bread from heaven. . . . Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink; and as in the natural economy, so in the spiritual economy: it is what we meditate upon that will give tone and strength to our spiritual nature.  {AG 228.3}
[AG 228.4]          Spiritual life must be sustained by communion with Christ through His Word. The mind must dwell upon it, the heart must be filled with it. The Word of God laid up in the heart and sacredly cherished and obeyed, through the power of the grace of Christ can make man right, and keep him right.  {AG 228.4}
[AG 228.5]          When His words of instruction have been received, and have taken possession of us, Jesus is to us an abiding presence, controlling our thoughts and ideas and actions. . . . Jesus Christ is everything to us--the first, the last, the best in everything.  {AG 228.5}
[AG 229.1]       Chap. 221 - Reveals God's Character         The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Exodus 34:6.  {AG 229.1}
[AG 229.2]            All the light of the past, all the light which shines in the present and reaches forth into the future, as revealed in the Word of God, is for every soul who will receive it. The glory of this light, which is the very glory of the character of Christ, is to be manifested in the individual Christian, in the family, in the church, in the ministry of the Word, and in every institution established by God's people. All these the Lord designs shall be symbols of what can be done for the world. They are to be types of the saving power of the truths of the gospel. . . .  {AG 229.2}
[AG 229.3]          By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in the church, the world is to have a representation of His character. . . .  {AG 229.3}
[AG 229.4]          In order to manifest the character of God . . . we must become personally acquainted with God. If we have fellowship with God, we are His ministers, though we may never preach to a congregation. We are workers together with God in presenting the perfection of His character in humanity.  {AG 229.4}
[AG 229.5]          God has enjoined the duty upon His human agents to communicate the character of God, testifying to His grace, His wisdom, and His benevolence, by manifesting His refined, tender, merciful love. . . .  {AG 229.5}
[AG 229.6]          Our work is to restore the moral image of God in man through the abundant grace given us of God by Jesus Christ. . . . Oh, how much we need to know Jesus and our heavenly Father that we may represent Him in character!  {AG 229.6}
[AG 229.7]          The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character. . . . The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the Word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image.  {AG 229.7}
[AG 230.1]       Chap. 222 - Perfection Now?         Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48.  {AG 230.1}
[AG 230.2]            When God gave His Son to the world, He made it possible for men and women to be perfect by the use of every capability of their beings to the glory of God. In Christ He gave to them the riches of His grace, and a knowledge of His will. As they would empty themselves of self, and learn to walk in humility, leaning on God for guidance, men would be enabled to fulfill God's high purpose for them.  {AG 230.2}
[AG 230.3]          Perfection of character is based upon that which Christ is to us. If we have constant dependence on the merits of our Saviour, and walk in His footsteps, we shall be like Him, pure and undefiled.  {AG 230.3}
[AG 230.4]          Our Saviour does not require impossibilities of any soul. He expects nothing of His disciples that He is not willing to give them grace and strength to perform. He would not call upon them to be perfect if He had not at His command every perfection of grace to bestow on the ones upon whom He would confer so high and holy a privilege. . . .  {AG 230.4}
[AG 230.5]          Our work is to strive to attain in our sphere of action the perfection that Christ in His life on the earth attained in every phase of character. He is our example. In all things we are to strive to honor God in character. . . . We are to be wholly dependent on the power that He has promised to give us.  {AG 230.5}
[AG 230.6]          Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.  {AG 230.6}
[AG 230.7]          Our Saviour is a Saviour for the perfection of the whole man. He is not the God of part of the being only. The grace of Christ works to the disciplining of the whole human fabric. He made all. He has redeemed all. He has made the mind, the strength, the body as well as the soul, partaker of the divine nature, and all is His purchased possession. He must be served with the whole mind, heart, soul, and strength. Then the Lord will be glorified in His saints in even the common, temporal things with which they are connected. "Holiness unto the Lord" will be in the inscription placed upon them.  {AG 230.7}
[AG 231.1]       Chap. 223 - Ever-Widening Influence         In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned. Titus 2:7, 8.  {AG 231.1}
[AG 231.2]            The life of Christ was an ever-widening, shoreless influence, an influence that bound Him to God and to the whole human family. Through Christ, God has invested man with an influence that makes it impossible for him to live to himself. Individually we are connected with our fellow men, a part of God's great whole, and we stand under mutual obligations. No man can be independent of his fellow men; for the well-being of each affects others. It is God's purpose that each shall feel himself necessary to others' welfare, and seek to promote their happiness. . . .  {AG 231.2}
[AG 231.3]          By the atmosphere surrounding us, every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected. . . .  {AG 231.3}
[AG 231.4]          Our words, our acts, our dress, our deportment, even the expression of the countenance, has an influence. . . . If by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same influence upon others, and they upon still others. Thus by our unconscious influence thousands may be blessed. . . .  {AG 231.4}
[AG 231.5]          Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ we co-operate with Him in the work of saving souls. It is only by revealing in our life His character that we can co-operate with Him. And the wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do. When those who profess to serve God follow Christ's example, practicing the principles of the law in their daily life; when every act bears witness that they love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, then will the church have power to move the world.  {AG 231.5}
[AG 231.6]          But never should it be forgotten that influence is no less a power of evil. To lose one's own soul is a terrible thing; but to cause the loss of other souls is still more terrible. . . . It is only through the grace of God that we can make a right use of this endowment.  {AG 231.6}
[AG 232.1]       Chap. 224 - Hearts Made Pure         And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:3.  {AG 232.1}
[AG 232.2]            Here is a work for man to do. He must face the mirror, God's law, discern the defects in his moral character, and put away his sins, washing his robe of character in the blood of the lamb. Envy, pride, malice, deceit, strife, and crime will be cleansed from the heart that is a recipient of the love of Christ and that cherishes the hope of being made like Him when we shall see Him as He is. The religion of Christ refines and dignifies its possessor, whatever his associations or station in life may be. Men who become enlightened Christians rise above the level of their former character into greater mental and moral strength. Those fallen and degraded by sin and crime may, through the merits of the Saviour, be exalted to a position but little lower than that of the angels.  {AG 232.2}
[AG 232.3]          But the influence of a gospel hope will not lead the sinner to look upon the salvation of Christ as a matter of free grace, while he continues to live in transgression of the law of God. When the light of truth dawns upon his mind and he fully understands the requirements of God and realizes the extent of his transgressions, he will reform his ways, become loyal to God through the strength obtained from his Saviour, and lead a new and purer life.  {AG 232.3}
[AG 232.4]          We have a work to do to fashion the character after the divine Model. All wrong habits must be given up. The impure must become pure in heart; the selfish man must put away his selfishness; the proud man must get rid of his pride; the self-sufficient man must overcome his self-confidence, and realize that he is nothing without Christ. . . . We must have a living connection with God.  {AG 232.4}
[AG 232.5]          A stubborn and rebellious heart can close its doors to all the sweet influences of the grace of God and all the joy in the Holy Ghost; but the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. The more closely we are connected with Christ, the more will our words and actions show the subduing, transforming power of His grace.  {AG 232.5}
[AG 233.1]       Chap. 225 - Changed by Beholding         We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18.  {AG 233.1}
[AG 233.2]            The work of transformation from unholiness is a continuous one. Day by day God labors for man's sanctification, and man is to co-operate with Him, putting forth persevering efforts in the cultivation of right habits. He is to add grace to grace; and as he thus works on the plan of addition, God works for him on the plan of multiplication. Our Saviour is always ready to hear and answer the prayer of the contrite heart, and grace and peace are multiplied to His faithful ones. Gladly He grants them the blessings they need in their struggle against the evils that beset them.  {AG 233.2}
[AG 233.3]          John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ's followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and follow the divine Pattern. Both were closely associated with Jesus and were privileged to listen to His teaching. Each possessed serious defects of character; and each had access to the divine grace that transforms character. But while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other revealed that he was not a doer of the Word, but a hearer only. One, daily dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish desires, was brought into bondage to Satan.  {AG 233.3}
[AG 233.4]          Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever the result of communion with Christ. There may be marked defects in the character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ, the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed from glory to glory, until he is like Him whom he adores. . . .  {AG 233.4}
[AG 233.5]          God can be honored by those who profess to believe in Him, only as they are conformed to His image and controlled by His Spirit. Then, as witnesses for the Saviour, they may make known what divine grace has done for them.  {AG 233.5}
[AG 234.1]       Chap. 226 - For the Most Hopeless         Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. 1 Peter 3:8.  {AG 234.1}
[AG 234.2]            Christ came to bring salvation within the reach of all. Upon the cross of Calvary He paid the infinite redemption price for a lost world. . . . His mission was to sinners, sinners of every grade, of every tongue and nation. . . . The most erring, the most sinful, were not passed by; His labors were especially for those who most needed the salvation He came to bring. The greater their need of reform, the deeper was His interest, the greater His sympathy, and the more earnest His labors. His great heart of love was stirred to its depths for the ones whose condition was most hopeless and who most needed His transforming grace. . . .  {AG 234.2}
[AG 234.3]          We should cultivate the spirit with which Christ labored to save the erring. They are as dear to Him as we are. They are equally capable of being trophies of His grace and heirs of the kingdom. But they are exposed to the snares of a wily foe, exposed to danger and defilement, and without the saving grace of Christ, to certain ruin. Did we view the matter in the right light, how would our zeal be quickened and our earnest, self-sacrificing efforts be multiplied, that we might come close to those who need our help, our prayers, our sympathy, and our love! . . . If our hearts are softened and subdued by the grace of Christ, and glowing with a sense of God's goodness and love, there will be a natural outflow of love, sympathy, and tenderness to others.  {AG 234.3}
[AG 234.4]          Come close to the great heart of pitying love, and let the current of that divine compassion flow into your heart and from you to the hearts of others. Let the tenderness and mercy that Jesus has revealed in His own precious life be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings, especially those who are our brethren in Christ. . . . Never, never become heartless, cold, unsympathetic, and censorious. Never lose an opportunity to say a word to encourage and inspire hope. We cannot tell how far-reaching may be our tender words of kindness, our Christlike efforts to lighten some burden. The erring can be restored in no other way than in the spirit of meekness, gentleness, and tender love.  {AG 234.4}
[AG 235.1]       Chap. 227 - Partakers of Christ's Nature         Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4.  {AG 235.1}
[AG 235.2]            What beauty of character shone forth in the daily life of Christ! He is to be our pattern. There is a great work to be done in fashioning the character after the divine similitude. The grace of Christ must mold the entire being, and its triumph will not be complete until the heavenly universe shall witness habitual tenderness of feeling, Christlike love, and holy deeds in the deportment of the children of God.  {AG 235.2}
[AG 235.3]          Each person must obtain an experience for himself. No one can depend for salvation on the experience or practice of any other man. We must each become acquainted with Christ in order properly to represent Him to the world. "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" (2 Peter 1:3). None of us need excuse our hasty temper, our misshapen characters, our selfishness, envy, jealousy, or any impurity of soul, body, or spirit. . . .  {AG 235.3}
[AG 235.4]          We must learn of Christ. We must know what He is to those He has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity. . . .  {AG 235.4}
[AG 235.5]          As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan's temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus. . . . In Him there is inexhaustible fullness. . . .  {AG 235.5}
[AG 235.6]          God has given us every facility, every grace. He has provided the riches of heaven's treasure, and it is our privilege to draw continually from this capital.  {AG 235.6}
[AG 236.1]       Chap. 228 - Fashions the Character         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. 1 Peter 1:14, 15.  {AG 236.1}
[AG 236.2]            The transforming power of Christ's grace molds the one who gives himself to God's service. Imbued with the Spirit of the Redeemer, he is ready to deny self, ready to take up the cross, ready to make any sacrifice for the Master. No longer can he be indifferent to the souls perishing around him. He is lifted above self-serving. He has been created anew in Christ, and self-serving has no place in his life. He realizes that every part of his being belongs to Christ, who has redeemed him from the slavery of sin; that every moment of his future has been bought with the precious lifeblood of God's only-begotten Son.  {AG 236.2}
[AG 236.3]          Christ is our pattern, and those who follow Christ will not walk in darkness, for they will not seek their own pleasure. To glorify God will be the continual aim of their life. Christ represented the character of God to the world. The Lord Jesus so conducted His life that men were compelled to acknowledge that He had done all things well. The world's Redeemer was the light of the world, for His character was without fault. Though He was the only begotten Son of God, and the heir of all things in heaven and earth, He did not leave an example of indolence and self-indulgence. . . .  {AG 236.3}
[AG 236.4]          Christ never flattered any one. He never deceived or defrauded, never changed His course of straightforward uprightness to obtain favor or applause. He ever expressed the truth. The law of kindness was in His lips, and there was no guile in His mouth. Let the human agent compare his life with the life of Christ, and through the grace which Jesus imparts to those who make Him their personal Saviour, reach the standard of righteousness. . . . Those who follow Christ will be continually looking into the perfect law of liberty, and through the grace given them by Christ, will fashion the character according to the divine requirements.  {AG 236.4}
[AG 237.1]       Chap. 229 - Revealed by Love         A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34, 35.  {AG 237.1}
[AG 237.2]            The golden chain of love, binding the hearts of the believers in unity, in bonds of fellowship and love, and in oneness with Christ and the Father, makes the connection perfect, and bears to the world a testimony of the power of Christianity that cannot be controverted. . . .  {AG 237.2}
[AG 237.3]          Satan understands the power of such a testimony as a witness to the world of what grace can do in transforming character. . . . He will work every conceivable device to break this golden chain which links heart to heart of those who believe the truth and binds them up in close connection with the Father and the Son.  {AG 237.3}
[AG 237.4]          Those who have never experienced the tender, winning love of Christ cannot lead others to the fountain of life. His love in the heart is a constraining power, which leads men to reveal Him in the conversation, in the tender, pitiful spirit, in the uplifting of the lives of those with whom they associate. . . .  {AG 237.4}
[AG 237.5]          In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life, and sheds a refining influence on all around.  {AG 237.5}
[AG 237.6]          He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself will work with the constant realization that he is a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. Making God's will his will, he will reveal in his life the transforming power of the grace of Christ. In all the circumstances of life, he will take Christ's example as his guide.  {AG 237.6}
[AG 237.7]          Every true, self-sacrificing worker for God is willing to spend and be spent for the sake of others. . . . By earnest, thoughtful efforts to help where help is needed, the true Christian shows his love for God and for his fellow beings. He may lose his life in service. But when Christ comes to gather His jewels to Himself, he will find it again.  {AG 237.7}
[AG 238.1]       Chap. 230 - A Life-giving Atmosphere         Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. 2 Corinthians 2:14, 15.  {AG 238.1}
[AG 238.2]            In the matchless gift of His son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live, and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.  {AG 238.2}
[AG 238.3]          Not all the beauty of art can bear comparison with the beauty of temper and character to be revealed in those who are Christ's representatives. It is the atmosphere of grace which surrounds the soul of the believer, the Holy Spirit working upon mind and heart, that makes him a savor of life unto life, and enables God to bless his work.  {AG 238.3}
[AG 238.4]          Transformation of character is to be the testimony to the world of the indwelling love of Christ. The Lord expects His people to show that the redeeming power of grace can work upon the faulty character and cause it to develop in symmetry and abundant fruitfulness. . . .  {AG 238.4}
[AG 238.5]          When the grace of God reigns within, the soul will be surrounded with an atmosphere of faith and courage and Christlike love, an atmosphere invigorating to the spiritual life of all who inhale it. . . . Those who are humble in heart the Lord will use to reach souls whom the ordained ministers cannot approach. They will be moved to speak words which reveal the saving grace of Christ.  {AG 238.5}
[AG 238.6]          And in blessing others they will themselves be blessed. God gives us the opportunity to impart grace, that He may refill us with increased grace. Hope and faith will strengthen as the agent for God works with the talents and facilities that God has provided. He will have a divine agency to work with him.  {AG 238.6}
[AG 238.7]          A holy influence is to go forth to the world from those who are sanctified through the truth. The earth is to be encircled with an atmosphere of grace. The Holy Spirit is to work on human hearts, taking the things of God and showing them to men.  {AG 238.7}
[AG 239.1]       Chap. 231 - Awaiting Our Demand         Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24.  {AG 239.1}
[AG 239.2]            Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye shall receive."  {AG 239.2}
[AG 239.3]          Jesus is our helper; in Him and through Him we must conquer. . . . The grace of Christ is waiting your demand upon it. He will give you grace and strength as you need it if you ask Him. . . . The religion of Christ will bind and restrain every unholy passion, will stimulate to energy, to self-discipline, and industry, even in the matters of homely, everyday life, leading us to learn economy, tact, and self-denial, and to endure even privation without a murmur. The Spirit of Christ in the heart will be revealed in the character, will develop noble qualities and powers. "My grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9) says Christ.  {AG 239.3}
[AG 239.4]          Make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and your own soul. . . . We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglect secret prayer; for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is neglected. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. In solitude let the soul be laid open to the inspecting eye of God. Secret prayer is to be heard only by the prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to receive the burden of such petitions. In secret prayer the soul is free from surrounding influences, free from excitement. . . . By calm, simple faith, the soul holds communion with God, and gathers to itself rays of divine light to strengthen and sustain it in the conflict with Satan. . . .  {AG 239.4}
[AG 239.5]          Pray in your closet, and as you go about your daily labor, let your heart be often uplifted to God. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. These silent prayers rise like precious incense before the throne of grace. Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed upon God.  {AG 239.5}
[AG 240.1]       Chap. 232 - Disciplines and Refines         Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. Job 5:17.  {AG 240.1}
[AG 240.2]            Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success. . . . He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. . . .  {AG 240.2}
[AG 240.3]          The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. The blacksmith puts the iron and steel into the fire that he may know what manner of metal they are. The Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed in the furnace of affliction to prove what temper they are of and whether they can be fashioned for His work.  {AG 240.3}
[AG 240.4]          It may seem that we are to study our own hearts, and square our own actions by some standard of our own; but this is not the case. This would but work deform instead of reform. The work must begin in the heart, and then the spirit, the words, the expression of the countenance, and the actions of the life, will make manifest that a change has taken place. In knowing Christ through the grace that He has shed forth abundantly, we become changed. . . . In humility we shall correct every fault and defect of character; because Christ is abiding in the heart, we shall be fitted up for the heavenly family above.  {AG 240.4}
[AG 240.5]          The Christian is not to retain his sinful habits and cherish his defects of character. . . . Whatever may be the nature of your defects, the Spirit of the Lord will enable you to discern them, and grace will be given you whereby they may be overcome.  {AG 240.5}
[AG 241.1]       Chap. 233 - Ever Upward         As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Colossians 2:6.  {AG 241.1}
[AG 241.2]            This means that you are to study the life of Christ. You are to study it with as much more earnestness than you study secular lines of knowledge, as eternal interests are more important than temporal, earthly pursuits. If you appreciate the value and sacredness of eternal things, you will bring your sharpest thoughts, your best energies, to the solving of the problem that involves your eternal well-being; for every other interest sinks into nothingness in comparison with that.  {AG 241.2}
[AG 241.3]          You have the Pattern, Christ Jesus; walk in His footsteps.  {AG 241.3}
[AG 241.4]          "Add to your faith virtue" (2 Peter 1:5). There is no promise given to the one who is retrograding. The apostle, in his testimony, is aiming to excite the believers to advancement in grace and holiness. They already profess to be living the truth, they have a knowledge of the precious faith, they have been made partakers of the divine nature. But if they stop here they will lose the grace they have received. . . .  {AG 241.4}
[AG 241.5]          Truth is an active, working principle, molding heart and life so that there is a constant upward movement. . . . In every step of climbing, the will is obtaining a new spring of action. The moral tone is becoming more like the mind and character of Christ. The progressive Christian has grace and love which passes knowledge, for divine insight into the character of Christ takes a deep hold upon his affections. The glory of the Lord revealed above the ladder can only be appreciated by the progressive climber, who is ever attracted higher, to nobler aims which Christ reveals.  {AG 241.5}
[AG 241.6]          The steps upward to heaven must be taken one at a time; every advance step strengthens us for the next. The transforming power of the grace of God upon the human heart is a work which but few comprehend because they are too indolent to make the necessary effort. . . .  {AG 241.6}
[AG 241.7]          It is beyond the power of man to conceive the high and noble attainments that are within his reach if he will combine human effort with the grace of God, who is the Source of all wisdom and power. And there is an eternal weight of glory beyond.  {AG 241.7}
[AG 242.1]       Chap. 234 - Grace Sufficient         And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9.  {AG 242.1}
[AG 242.2]            "When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel" (1 Samuel 15:17)? Here Samuel points out the reason for Saul's appointment to the throne of Israel. He had a humble opinion of his own capabilities, and was willing to be instructed. When the divine choice fell upon him, he was deficient in knowledge and experience, and had, with many good qualities, serious defects of character. . . . But if he would remain humble, seeking constantly to be guided by divine wisdom, . . . he would be enabled to discharge the duties of his high position with success and honor. Under the influence of divine grace, every good quality would be gaining strength, while evil traits would as steadily lose their power.  {AG 242.2}
[AG 242.3]          This is the work which the Lord proposes to do for all who consecrate themselves to Him. . . . To all who will receive instruction He will impart grace and wisdom. . . . He will reveal to them their defects of character, and bestow upon all who seek His aid, strength to correct their errors. Whatever may be man's besetting sin, whatever bitter or baleful passions struggle for the mastery, he may conquer, if he will watch and war against them in the name and strength of Israel's Helper. The children of God should cultivate a keen sensitiveness to sin. . . . It is one of Satan's most successful devices, to lead men to the commission of little sins, to blind the mind to the danger of little indulgences, little digressions from the plainly stated requirements of God. Many who would shrink with horror from some great transgression, are led to look upon sin in little matters as of trifling consequence. But these little sins eat out the life of godliness in the soul. The feet which enter upon a path diverging from the right way are tending toward the broad road that ends in death.  {AG 242.3}
[AG 242.4]          Whatever the position in which God has placed us, whatever our responsibilities or our dangers, we should remember that He has pledged Himself to impart needed grace to the earnest seeker. Those who feel insufficient for their position and yet accept it because God bids them, relying upon His power and wisdom, will go on from strength to strength.  {AG 242.4}
[AG 243.1]       Chap. 235 - While Probation Lasts         He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11.  {AG 243.1}
[AG 243.2]            All the good that man enjoys comes because of the mercy of God. He is the great and bountiful Giver. His love is manifest to all in the abundant provision made for man. He has given us probationary time in which to form characters for the courts above.  {AG 243.2}
[AG 243.3]          We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality. . . . When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have reserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us.  {AG 243.3}
[AG 243.4]          During probationary time the grace of God is offered to every soul. But if men waste their opportunities in self-pleasing, they cut themselves off from everlasting life. No after-probation will be granted them. By their own choice they have fixed an impassable gulf between them and their God.  {AG 243.4}
[AG 243.5]          Many are deceiving themselves by thinking that the character will be transformed at the coming of Christ, but there will be no conversion of heart at His appearing. Our defects of character must here be repented of, and through the grace of Christ we must overcome them while probation shall last. This is the place for fitting up for the family above.  {AG 243.5}
[AG 243.6]          Probation is almost ended. . . . Get ready! get ready! Work while the day lasts, for the night cometh when no man can work.  {AG 243.6}
[AG 244.1]       Chap. 236 - The Reward         Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12.  {AG 244.1}
[AG 244.2]            In His divine arrangement, through His unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. We are accepted through Christ's merit alone; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merit of Christ that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works in and of themselves have no merit. . . . We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful natures.  {AG 244.2}
[AG 244.3]          We need . . . to bring the light and grace of Christ into all our works. We need to take hold of Christ and to retain our hold of Him until we know that the power of His transforming grace is manifested in us. We must have faith in Christ if we would reflect the divine character. . . . Faith in the Word of God and in the power of Christ to transform the life will enable the believer to work His works.  {AG 244.3}
[AG 244.4]          To His servants Christ commits "His goods"--something to be put to use for Him. He gives "to every man his work." . . . Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God. . . .  {AG 244.4}
[AG 244.5]          Christ has paid us our wages, even His own blood and suffering, to secure our willing service. He came to our world to give us an example of how we should work, and what spirit we should bring into our labor. He desires us to study how we can best advance His work and glorify His name in the world.  {AG 244.5}
[AG 244.6]          The sanctification of the soul by the working of the Holy Spirit is the implanting of Christ's nature in humanity. Gospel religion is Christ in the life--a living, active principle. It is the grace of Christ revealed in character and wrought out in good works.  {AG 244.6}
[AG 245.1]       Chap. 237 - For the Whole Man         The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.  {AG 245.1}
[AG 245.2]            The sanctification set forth in the Scriptures embraces the entire being--spirit, soul, and body. . . . Christians are bidden to present their bodies, "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1). In order to do this, all their powers must be preserved in the best possible condition. Every practice that weakens physical or mental strength unfits man for the service of his Creator. . . . Said Christ: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart" (Matthew 22:37). Those who do love God with all the heart will desire to give Him the best service of their life, and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power of their being into harmony with the laws that will promote their ability to do His will. They will not, by the indulgence of appetite or passion, enfeeble or defile the offering which they present to their heavenly Father.  {AG 245.2}
[AG 245.3]          God would have us realize that He has a right to mind, soul, body, and spirit--to all that we possess. We are His by creation and by redemption. As our Creator, He claims our entire service. As our Redeemer, He has a claim of love as well as of right--of love without a parallel. . . . Our bodies, our souls, our lives, are His, not only because they are His free gift, but because He constantly supplies us with His benefits, and gives us strength to use our faculties. . . .  {AG 245.3}
[AG 245.4]          Shall we not, then, give to Christ that which He has died to redeem? If you will do this, He will quicken your conscience, renew your heart, sanctify your affections, purify your thoughts, and set all your powers at work for Him. Every motive, and every thought will be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ.  {AG 245.4}
[AG 245.5]          Those who are sons of God will represent Christ in character. Their works will be perfumed by the infinite tenderness, compassion, love, and purity of the Son of God. And the more completely mind and body are yielded to the Holy Spirit, the greater will be the fragrance of our offering to Him.  {AG 245.5}
[AG 246.1]       Chap. 238 - In God's Image         And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Colossians 3:10.  {AG 246.1}
[AG 246.2]            When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. . . .  {AG 246.2}
[AG 246.3]          Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man's physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized--this was to be the great work of redemption.  {AG 246.3}
[AG 246.4]          Though the moral image of God was almost obliterated by the sin of Adam, through the merits and power of Jesus it may be renewed. Man may stand with the moral image of God in his character; for Jesus will give it to him.  {AG 246.4}
[AG 246.5]          It was a wonderful thing for God to create man, to make mind. The glory of God is to be revealed in the creation of man in God's image and in his redemption. One soul is of more value than a world. . . . The Lord Jesus Christ is the author of our being, and He is also the author of our redemption, and everyone who will enter the kingdom of God will develop a character that is the counterpart of the character of God.  {AG 246.5}
[AG 246.6]          The Lord, by close and pointed truths for these last days, is cleaving out a people from the world and purifying them unto Himself. Pride and unhealthful fashions, the love of display, the love of approbation--all must be left with the world if we would be renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created us.  {AG 246.6}
[AG 246.7]          By the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the disciple; he becomes a new creature.  {AG 246.7}
[AG 246.8]          It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, which Jesus said He would send into the world, that changes our character into the image of Christ; and when this is accomplished, we reflect, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord.  {AG 246.8}
[AG 247.1]       Chap. 239 - Representatives of Christ         Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen. Isaiah 43:10.  {AG 247.1}
[AG 247.2]            The life that Christ lived in this world, men and women can live through His power and under His instruction. In their conflict with Satan they may have all the help that He had. . . .  {AG 247.2}
[AG 247.3]          The lives of professing Christians who do not live the Christ life are a mockery to religion. Every one whose name is registered on the church roll is under obligation to represent Christ by revealing the inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit. They are to be His witnesses, making known the advantages of walking and working as Christ has given them example. The truth for this time is to appear in its power in the lives of those who believe it, and is to be imparted to the world. Believers are to represent in their lives, its power to sanctify and ennoble. . . . They are to show forth the power of the grace that Christ died to give men. . . . They are to be men of faith, men of courage, whole-souled men, who, without questioning, trust in God and His promises. . . .  {AG 247.3}
[AG 247.4]          There must be no pretense in the lives of those who have so sacred and solemn a message as we have been called to bear. The world is watching Seventh-day Adventists because it knows something of their profession of faith and of their high standard, and when it sees those who do not live up to their profession, it points at them with scorn.  {AG 247.4}
[AG 247.5]          Those who love Jesus will bring all in their lives into harmony with His will. . . . Through the grace of God they are enabled to keep their purity of principle unsullied. Holy angels are close beside them, and Christ is revealed in their steadfast adherence to the truth. They are Christ's minutemen, bearing, as true witnesses, a decided testimony in favor of the truth. They show that there is a spiritual power that can enable men and women not to swerve an inch from truth and justice for all the gifts that men can bestow. Such ones, wherever they may be, will be honored of heaven because they have conformed their lives to the will of God, caring not what sacrifices they are called upon to make.  {AG 247.5}
[AG 248.1]       Chap. 240 - Every Day, Everywhere         In all thy ways acknowledge him. Proverbs 3:6.  {AG 248.1}
[AG 248.2]            Bible religion is not a garment which can be put on and taken off at pleasure. It is an all-pervading influence, which leads us to be patient, self-denying followers of Christ, doing as He did, walking as He walked. . . .  {AG 248.2}
[AG 248.3]          If no one ever came under your notice who needed your sympathy, your words of compassion and pity, then you would be guiltless before God for failing to exercise these precious gifts; but every follower of Christ will find opportunity to show Christian kindness and love; and in so doing he will prove that he is a possessor of the religion of Jesus Christ.  {AG 248.3}
[AG 248.4]          This religion teaches us to exercise patience and long-suffering when brought into places where we receive treatment that is harsh and unjust. . . . "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that we should inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9). . . . When Christ was reviled, He reviled not again. . . . His religion brings with it a meek and quiet spirit. . . .  {AG 248.4}
[AG 248.5]          There is constant need of patience, gentleness, self-denial, and self-sacrifice in the exercise of Bible religion. But if the word of God is made an abiding principle in our lives, everything with which we have to do, each word, each trivial act, will reveal that we are subject to Jesus Christ. . . . If the word of God is received into the heart, it will empty the soul of self-sufficiency and self-dependence. Our lives will be a power for good, because the Holy Spirit will fill our minds with the things of God. . . .  {AG 248.5}
[AG 248.6]          Of ourselves, we can neither obtain nor practice the religion of Christ; for our hearts are deceitful above all things; but Jesus . . . has shown us how we may be cleansed from sin. "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9), He says. . . . Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, we shall catch the light of His countenance, reflect His image, and grow up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. Our religion will be attractive, because it will possess the fragrance of the righteousness of Christ. We shall be happy; for our spiritual meat and drink will be to us righteousness and peace and joy.  {AG 248.6}
[AG 249.1]       Chap. 241 - A Work of Reformation         Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. Luke 3:4, 5.  {AG 249.1}
[AG 249.2]            The work of reformation here brought to view by John, the purging of heart and mind and soul, is one that is needed by many who today profess to have the faith of Christ. Wrong practices that have been indulged in need to be put away; the crooked paths need to be made straight, and the rough places smooth. The mountains and hills of self-esteem and pride need to be brought low. There is need of bringing forth "fruits meet for repentance" (Matthew 3:8). When this work is done in the experience of God's believing people, "all flesh shall see the salvation of God" (Luke 3:6). . . .  {AG 249.2}
[AG 249.3]          The fact that our names are on the church books will not secure for us an entrance into the kingdom of heaven. God asks, Have you used your opportunities for service and for the development of Christian character? Have you traded faithfully with your Lord's goods? Knowing the will of God concerning you, how have you obeyed that will? Have you sought to benefit and bless those who needed help and encouragement? . . .  {AG 249.3}
[AG 249.4]          There is no human being in the world but bears fruit of some kind, either good or evil; and Christ has made it possible for every soul to bear most precious fruit. Obedience to the requirements of God, submission to the will of Christ, will yield in the life the peaceable fruits of righteousness. The inhabitants of this world are dear to God's family. . . . He gave the richest gift that heaven could bestow, that men and women might return from their rebellion to His law, and accept into their hearts and lives the principles of heaven. If men would acknowledge the Gift, and accept His sacrifice, their transgressions would be pardoned, and the grace of God would be imparted to them to help them to yield in their lives the precious fruits of holiness.  {AG 249.4}
[AG 249.5]          "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit." We have a representation to make to the world of pure principles, holy ambitions, noble aspirations, that will distinguish us from all other people, making us a separate nation, a peculiar people.  {AG 249.5}
[AG 250.1]       Chap. 242 - Preparing for Heaven         Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the son of man also confess before the angels of God. Luke 12:8.  {AG 250.1}
[AG 250.2]            The thought that God can take a poor, sinful, sorrowful human being, and so transform him by grace that he may become an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus, is almost too great for our comprehension. . . . Christ takes upon Him the sins of the transgressor, and imputes to him His righteousness, and by His transforming grace makes him capable of associating with angels and communing with God.  {AG 250.2}
[AG 250.3]          The refining influence of the grace of God changes the natural disposition of man. Heaven would not be desirable to the carnal-minded; their natural, unsanctified hearts would feel no attraction toward that pure and holy place, and if it were possible for them to enter, they would find there nothing congenial. The propensities that control the natural heart must be subdued by the grace of Christ before fallen man is fitted to enter heaven and enjoy the society of the pure, holy angels. When man dies to sin and is quickened to new life in Christ, divine love fills his heart; his understanding is sanctified; he drinks from an inexhaustible fountain of joy and knowledge, and the light of an eternal day shines upon his path, for with him continually is the Light of life.  {AG 250.3}
[AG 250.4]          God desires that heaven's plan shall be carried out, and heaven's divine order and harmony prevail, in every family, in every church, in every institution. Did this love leaven society, we should see the outworking of noble principles in Christian refinement and courtesy, and in Christian charity toward the purchase of the blood of Christ. Spiritual transformation would be seen in all our families, in our institutions, in our churches. When this transformation takes place, these agencies will become instrumentalities by which God will impart heaven's light to the world and thus, through divine discipline and training, fit men and women for the society of heaven.  {AG 250.4}
[AG 250.5]          Jesus has gone to prepare mansions for those who are preparing themselves through His love and grace, for the abodes of bliss.  {AG 250.5}
[AG 251.1]       Chap. 243 - Longing for Heaven and Home         My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Psalm 84:2.  {AG 251.1}
[AG 251.2]           Oh that the great interests of the world to come were appreciated! Why is it that men are so unconcerned about the salvation of the soul when it was purchased at such cost by the Son of God?  {AG 251.2}
[AG 251.3]          The heart of man may be the abode of the Holy Spirit. The peace of Christ that passeth understanding may rest in your soul, and the transforming power of His grace may work in your life, and fit you for the courts of glory. But if brain and nerve and muscle are all employed in the service of self, you are not making God and heaven the first consideration of your life. . . .  {AG 251.3}
[AG 251.4]          If the eye is single, if it is directed heavenward, the light of heaven will fill the soul, and earthly things will appear insignificant and uninviting. The purpose of the heart will be changed, and the admonition of Jesus will be heeded. . . . Your thoughts will be fixed upon the great rewards of eternity. All your plans will be made in reference to the future, immortal life. . . . Bible religion will be woven into your daily life.  {AG 251.4}
[AG 251.5]          Some who profess to have true religion sadly neglect the guide-book given by God to point the way to heaven. They may read the Bible, but merely reading God's Word, as one would read words traced by a human pen, will give only a superficial knowledge. . . .  {AG 251.5}
[AG 251.6]          If we do not receive the religion of Christ by feeding upon the word of God, we shall not be entitled to an entrance into the city of God. Having lived on earthly food, having educated our tastes to love worldly things, we would not be fitted for the heavenly courts; we could not appreciate the pure, heavenly current that circulates in heaven. The voices of the angels and the music of their harps would not satisfy us. The science of heaven would be as an enigma to our minds. We need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ; we need to be molded and fashioned by the transforming influence of His grace, that we may be fitted for the society of heavenly angels.  {AG 251.6}
[AG 251.7]          In order to be at home in heaven, we must have heaven enshrined in our hearts here.  {AG 251.7}
[AG 252.1]       Chap. 244 - Seen and Heard         And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14.  {AG 252.1}
[AG 252.2]            As a witness for Christ, John entered into no controversy, no wearisome contention. He declared what he knew, what he had seen and heard. He had been intimately associated with Christ, had listened to His teachings, had witnessed His mighty miracles. Few could see the beauties of Christ's character as John saw them. For him the darkness had passed away; on him the true light was shining. His testimony in regard to the Saviour's life and death was clear and forcible. Out of the abundance of a heart overflowing with love for the Saviour he spoke; and no power could stay his words.  {AG 252.2}
[AG 252.3]          He could testify: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the Life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3).  {AG 252.3}
[AG 252.4]          So everyone may be able, through his own experience, to "set his seal to this, that God is true" (John 3:33, A.R.V.). He can bear witness to that which he himself has seen and heard and felt of the power of Christ. He can testify: "I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied; the Bible is to me the revelation of Christ. I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul."  {AG 252.4}
[AG 252.5]          How shall we know for ourselves God's goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us--not, hear and know, read and know, or believe and know; but--"Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself. Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. "Taste and see that the Lord is good."  {AG 252.5}
[AG 253.1]      Chap. 245 - Power to Obey         For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13.  {AG 253.1}
[AG 253.2]            The grace of God in Christ is the foundation of the Christian's hope, and that grace will be manifested in obedience.  {AG 253.2}
[AG 253.3]          Christ is the sympathetic, compassionate Redeemer. In His sustaining power, men and women become strong to resist evil. As the convicted sinner looks at sin, it becomes to him exceeding sinful. . . . He sees that his faults must be overcome and that his appetites and passions must be subjected to God's will. . . . Having repented of his transgression of God's law, he strives earnestly to overcome sin. He seeks to reveal the power of Christ's grace, and he is brought into personal touch with the Saviour. Constantly he keeps Christ before him. Praying, believing, receiving the blessings he needs, he comes nearer and nearer to God's standard for him.  {AG 253.3}
[AG 253.4]          New virtues are revealed in his character as he denies self and lifts the cross, following where Christ leads the way. He loves the Lord Jesus with his whole heart, and Christ becomes his wisdom, his righteousness, his sanctification, and his redemption. . . .  {AG 253.4}
[AG 253.5]          The miracle-working power of Christ's grace is revealed in the creation in man of a new heart, a higher life, a holier enthusiasm. God says: "A new heart also will I give you" (Ezekiel 36:26). Is not this, the renewal of man, the greatest miracle that can be performed? What cannot the human agent do who by faith takes hold of the divine power?  {AG 253.5}
[AG 253.6]          Human effort avails nothing without divine power; and without human endeavor, divine effort is with many of no avail. To make God's grace our own, we must act our part. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort. . . . Those who walk in the path of obedience will encounter many hindrances. Strong, subtle influences may bind them to the world; but the Lord is able to render futile every agency that works for the defeat of His chosen ones; in His strength they may overcome every temptation, conquer every difficulty.  {AG 253.6}
[AG 254.1]       Chap. 246 - Resists Satan         There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13.  {AG 254.1}
[AG 254.2]            Will man take hold of divine power, and with determination and perseverance resist Satan, as Christ has given him example in His conflict with the foe in the wilderness of temptation? God cannot save man against his will from the power of Satan's artifices. Man must work with his human power, aided by the divine power of Christ, to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man must overcome as Christ overcame. And then, through the victory that it is his privilege to gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ. This could not be the case if Christ alone did all the overcoming. Man must do his part; he must be victor on his own account, through the strength and grace that Christ gives him. Man must be a co-worker with Christ in the labor of overcoming.  {AG 254.2}
[AG 254.3]          The victims of evil habit must be aroused to the necessity of making an effort for themselves. Others may put forth the most earnest endeavor to uplift them, the grace of God may be freely offered, Christ may entreat, His angels may minister; but all will be in vain unless they themselves are roused to fight the battle in their own behalf. . . .  {AG 254.3}
[AG 254.4]          Those who put their trust in Christ are not to be enslaved by any hereditary or cultivated habit or tendency. Instead of being held in bondage to the lower nature, they are to rule every appetite and passion. God has not left us to battle with evil in our own finite strength. Whatever may be our inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong, we can overcome through the power that He is ready to impart.  {AG 254.4}
[AG 254.5]          The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel anyone to do evil. Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we need not be overcome. However severe or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer.  {AG 254.5}
[AG 255.1]       Chap. 247 - Makes Us Overcomers         These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33.  {AG 255.1}
[AG 255.2]            Christ did not fail, neither was He discouraged, and His followers are to manifest a faith of the same enduring nature. They are to live as He lived, and work as He worked, because they depend on Him as the great Master Worker.  {AG 255.2}
[AG 255.3]          Courage, energy, and perseverance they must possess. Though apparent impossibilities obstruct their way, by His grace they are to go forward. Instead of deploring difficulties, they are called upon to surmount them. They are to despair of nothing, and to hope for everything. With the golden chain of His matchless love, Christ has bound them to the throne of God. It is His purpose that the highest influence in the universe, emanating from the Source of all power, shall be theirs. They are to have power to resist evil, power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master, power that will enable them to overcome as Christ overcame.  {AG 255.3}
[AG 255.4]          Inspiration faithfully records the faults of good men, those who were distinguished by the favor of God; indeed, their faults are more fully presented than their virtues. . . .  {AG 255.4}
[AG 255.5]          Men whom God favored, and to whom He entrusted great responsibilities, were sometimes overcome by temptation and committed sin, even as we at the present day strive, waver, and frequently fall into error. Their lives, with all their faults and follies, are open before us, both for our encouragement and warning. If they had been represented as without fault, we, with our sinful nature, might despair at our own mistakes and failures. But seeing where others struggled through discouragements like our own, where they fell under temptation as we have done, and yet took heart again and conquered through the grace of God, we are encouraged in our striving after righteousness. As they, though sometimes beaten back, recovered their ground, and were blessed of God, so we too may be overcomers in the strength of Jesus.  {AG 255.5}
[AG 255.6]          The life of Christ's disciples is to be like His, a series of uninterrupted victories, not seen to be such here, but recognized as such in the great hereafter.  {AG 255.6}
[AG 256.1]       Chap. 248 - Self-Mastery         He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs 16:32.  {AG 256.1}
[AG 256.2]            The highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control. He who can stand unmoved amid a storm of abuse is one of God's heroes. To rule the spirit is to keep self under discipline; to resist evil; to regulate every word and deed by God's great standard of righteousness. He who has learned to rule his spirit will rise above the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances, to which we are daily exposed, and these will cease to cast a gloom over his spirit.  {AG 256.2}
[AG 256.3]          It is God's purpose that the kingly power of sanctified reason, controlled by divine grace, shall bear sway in the lives of human beings. He who rules his spirit is in possession of this power.  {AG 256.3}
[AG 256.4]          The body is a most important medium through which the mind and the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character. Hence it is that the adversary of souls directs his temptations to the enfeebling and degrading of the physical powers. . . . The body is to be brought into subjection to the higher powers of the being. The passions are to be controlled by the will, which is itself to be under the control of God. . . . Intellectual power, physical stamina, and the length of life depend upon immutable laws. Through obedience to these laws, man may stand conqueror of himself, conqueror of his own inclinations, conqueror of principalities and powers of "the rulers of the darkness of this world," and of "spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). . . .  {AG 256.4}
[AG 256.5]          The spirit that possessed Daniel, the youth of today may have; they may draw from the same source of strength, possess the same power of self-control, and reveal the same grace in their lives, even under circumstances as unfavorable. Though surrounded by temptations to self-indulgence, especially in our large cities, where every form of sensual gratification is made easy and inviting, yet by divine grace their purpose to honor God may remain firm. Through strong resolution and vigilant watchfulness they may withstand every temptation that assails the soul.  {AG 256.5}
[AG 257.1]       Chap. 249 - Angel Reinforcements         Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Luke 10:19.  {AG 257.1}
[AG 257.2]            Fallen man is Satan's lawful captive. The mission of Christ was to rescue him from the power of his great adversary. Man is naturally inclined to follow Satan's suggestions, and he cannot successfully resist so terrible a foe unless Christ, the mighty Conqueror, dwells in him, guiding his desires, and giving him strength. God alone can limit the power of Satan. . . . Satan knows better than God's people the power that they can have over him when their strength is in Christ. When they humbly entreat the mighty Conqueror for help, the weakest believer in the truth, relying firmly upon Christ, can successfully repulse Satan and all his host. . . .  {AG 257.2}
[AG 257.3]          Satan will call to his aid legions of his angels to oppose the advance of even one soul, and, if possible, wrest it from the hand of Christ. . . . But if the one in danger perseveres, and in his helplessness casts himself upon the merits of the blood of Christ, our Saviour listens to the earnest prayer of faith, and sends a reinforcement of those angels that excel in strength to deliver him. Satan cannot endure to have his powerful rival appealed to, for he fears and trembles before His strength and majesty. At the sound of fervent prayer, Satan's whole host trembles.  {AG 257.3}
[AG 257.4]          Nothing but Christ's loving compassion, His divine grace, His almighty power, can enable us to baffle the relentless foe, and subdue the opposition of our own hearts. What is our strength? The joy of the Lord. Let the love of Christ fill our hearts, and then we shall be prepared to receive the power that He has for us. . . .  {AG 257.4}
[AG 257.5]          Beholding Christ for the purpose of becoming like Him, the seeker after truth sees the perfection of the principles of God's law, and he becomes dissatisfied with everything but perfection. . . . A battle must be fought with the attributes that Satan has been strengthening for his own use. . . . But he knows that with the Redeemer there is saving power that will gain for him the victory in the conflict. The Saviour will strengthen and help him as he comes pleading for grace and efficiency.  {AG 257.5}
[AG 258.1]       Chap. 250 - For Disciplining the Mind         In thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 1 Chronicles 29:12.  {AG 258.1}
[AG 258.2]            The mind is so constituted that it must be occupied with either good or evil. If it takes a low level, it is generally because it is left to deal with commonplace subjects. . . . Man has the power to regulate and control the workings of the mind, and give direction to the current of his thoughts. But this requires greater effort than we can make in our own strength. We must stay our minds on God, if we would have right thoughts, and proper subjects for meditation.  {AG 258.2}
[AG 258.3]          Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over their thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul. The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers must be disciplined, and they will strengthen and improve by exercise.  {AG 258.3}
[AG 258.4]          To understand this matter aright, we must remember that our hearts are naturally depraved, and we are unable, of ourselves, to pursue a right course. It is only by the grace of God, combined with the most earnest efforts on our part, that we can gain the victory. . . .  {AG 258.4}
[AG 258.5]          The intellect, as well as the heart, must be consecrated to the service of God. He has claims upon all there is of us. . . .  {AG 258.5}
[AG 258.6]          Pleasure-seeking, frivolity, and mental and moral dissipation, are flooding the world with their demoralizing influence. Every Christian should labor to press back the tide of evil, and save our youth from the influences that would sweep them down to ruin. May God help us to press our way against the current!  {AG 258.6}
[AG 258.7]          Without the power of God's grace and Spirit we cannot reach the high standard He has placed before us. There is a divine excellence of character to which we are to attain, and in striving to meet the standard of heaven, divine incentives will urge us on, the mind will become balanced, and the restlessness of the soul will be banished in repose in Christ.  {AG 258.7}
[AG 259.1]       Chap. 251 - Our Strength and Security         Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10.  {AG 259.1}
[AG 259.2]            Many are spiritually weak because they look at themselves instead of at Christ. . . . Christ is the great storehouse from which on every occasion we may draw strength and happiness. Why, then, do we withdraw our eyes from His sufficiency to look on and bemoan our weakness? Why do we forget that He is ready to help us in every time of need? We dishonor Him by talking of our inefficiency. Instead of looking at ourselves, let us constantly behold Jesus, daily becoming more and more like Him, more and more able to talk of Him, better prepared to avail ourselves of His kindness and helpfulness, and to receive the blessings offered us. As we thus live in communion with Him, we grow strong in His strength, a help and a blessing to those around us.  {AG 259.2}
[AG 259.3]          Christ has made every provision for us to be strong. He has given us His Holy Spirit, whose office is to bring to our remembrance all the promises that Christ has made, that we may have peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness. If we will but keep our eyes fixed on the Saviour, and trust in His power, we shall be filled with a sense of security; for the righteousness of Christ will become our righteousness. . . .  {AG 259.3}
[AG 259.4]          When temptations assail you, as they surely will, when care and perplexity surround you, when, distressed and discouraged, you are almost ready to yield to despair, look, O look, to where with the eye of faith you last saw the light; and the darkness that encompasseth you will be dispelled by the bright shining of His glory. When sin struggles for the mastery in your soul, and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, go to the Saviour. His grace is sufficient to subdue sin. He will pardon us, making us joyful in God.  {AG 259.4}
[AG 259.5]          God wants our minds to expand. He desires to put His grace upon us. . . . We are to be one with Christ as He is one with the Father, and the Father will love us as He loves His Son. We may have the same help that Christ had, we may have strength for every emergency; for God will be our front guard and our rearward. He will shut us in on every side.  {AG 259.5}
[AG 260.1]       Chap. 252 - All-Sufficient         Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1.  {AG 260.1}
[AG 260.2]            The lessons contained in the words of Paul to Timothy are of the greatest importance to us today. He charges him to "be strong"--in his own wisdom?--No, but "in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." He who would be a follower of Christ is not to rely upon his own capabilities, or to feel confident in himself. Neither is he to be dwarfed in his religious efforts, to shun responsibilities, and remain inefficient in the cause of God. . . . If the Christian feels his weakness, his inability, by putting his trust in God, he will find the grace of Christ sufficient for every emergency.  {AG 260.2}
[AG 260.3]          The soldier of Christ must meet many forms of temptation, and resist and overcome them. The fiercer the conflict, the greater the supply of grace to meet the need of the soul. . . . The true Christian will understand what it means to pass through severe conflicts and trying experiences; but he will steadily increase in the grace of Christ to meet successfully the enemy of his soul. . . . The darkness will press upon his soul at times; but the true light will shine, the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness will dispel the gloom; and . . . through the grace of Christ he will be enabled to be a faithful witness of the things which he has heard from the inspired messenger of God. . . . By thus communicating truth to others, the worker for Christ obtains a clearer view of the abundant provisions made for all, of the sufficiency of the grace of Christ for every time of conflict, sorrow, and trial. Through the mysterious plan of redemption, grace has been provided, so that the imperfect work of the human agent may be accepted in the name of Jesus our Advocate.  {AG 260.3}
[AG 260.4]          Man has little power, and can accomplish but a small work at his very best. . . . God is omnipotent, and at every point where we need divine help and seek for it in sincerity, it will be given. God has pledged His word that His grace will be sufficient for you in your greatest necessity, in your sorest distress. Christ will be to you a present help if you will appropriate His grace.  {AG 260.4}
[AG 261.1]       Chap. 253 - For Today's Need         As thy days, so shall thy strength be. Deuteronomy 33:25.  {AG 261.1}
[AG 261.2]            The promise is not that we will have strength today for a future emergency, that anticipated future trouble will be provided for beforehand, before it comes to us. We may, if we walk by faith, expect strength and provision for us as fast as our circumstances demand it. We live by faith, not by sight. The Lord's arrangement is for us to ask Him for the very things that we need. The grace of tomorrow will not be given today. Men's necessity is God's opportunity. . . . The grace of God is never given to be squandered, to be misapplied or perverted, or to be left to rust with disuse. . . .  {AG 261.2}
[AG 261.3]          While you are bearing daily responsibilities in the love and fear of God, as obedient children walking in all humility of mind, strength and wisdom from God will be given to meet every trying circumstance. . . .  {AG 261.3}
[AG 261.4]          We are to keep close to the Source of our strength day by day, and when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard for us against the enemy. The promise of God is sure, that strength shall be proportioned to our day. We may be confident for the future only in the strength that is given for the present necessities. . . . Do not borrow anxiety for the future. It is today that we are in need.  {AG 261.4}
[AG 261.5]          Many are weighed down by the anticipation of future troubles. They are constantly seeking to bring tomorrow's burdens into today. Thus a large share of all their trials are imaginary. For these, Jesus has made no provision. He promises grace only for the day. He bids us not to burden ourselves with the cares and troubles of tomorrow. . . .  {AG 261.5}
[AG 261.6]          The Lord requires us to perform the duties of today and to endure its trials. We are today to watch that we offend not in word or deed. We must today praise and honor God. By the exercise of living faith today we are to conquer the enemy. We must today seek God and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.  {AG 261.6}
[AG 262.1]       Chap. 254 - Gives Limitless Strength         God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 2 Samuel 22:33.  {AG 262.1}
[AG 262.2]            We have little idea of the strength that would be ours if we would connect with the Source of all strength. We fall into sin again and again, and think it must always be so. We cling to our infirmities as if they were something to be proud of. Christ tells us that we must set our face as a flint if we would overcome. He has borne our sins in His own body on the tree; and through the power He has given us, we may resist the world, the flesh, and the devil. Then let us not talk of our weakness and inefficiency, but of Christ and His strength. When we talk of Satan's strength, the enemy fastens his power more firmly upon us. When we talk of the power of the Mighty One, the enemy is driven back. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us.  {AG 262.2}
[AG 262.3]          The Word of the eternal God is our guide. Through this Word we have been made wise unto salvation. This Word is ever to be in our hearts and on our lips. "It is written" is to be our anchor. Those who make God's Word their counselor realize the weakness of the human heart and the power of the grace of God to subdue every unsanctified, unholy impulse. Their hearts are ever prayerful, and they have the guardianship of holy angels. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God lifts up for them a standard against him. There is harmony in the heart; for the precious, powerful influences of truth bear sway.  {AG 262.3}
[AG 262.4]          We must be better acquainted with our Bibles. We might close the door to many temptations, if we would commit to memory passages of Scripture. Let us hedge up the way to Satan's temptations with "It is written." We shall meet with conflicts to test our faith and courage, but they will make us strong if we conquer through the grace Jesus is willing to give. But we must believe; we must grasp the promises without a doubt.  {AG 262.4}
[AG 262.5]          Bid the tempted one look not to circumstances, to the weakness of self, or to the power of temptation, but to the power of God's Word. All its strength is ours.  {AG 262.5}
[AG 263.1]       Chap. 255 - Produces Loving, Lovable Christians         Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Ephesians 6:24.  {AG 263.1}
[AG 263.2]            Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world.  {AG 263.2}
[AG 263.3]          The world needs evidences of sincere Christianity. Professed Christianity may be seen everywhere; but when the power of God's grace is seen in our churches, the members will work the works of Christ. Natural and hereditary traits of character will be transformed. The indwelling of His Spirit will enable them to reveal Christ's likeness, and in proportion to the purity of their piety will be the success of their work.  {AG 263.3}
[AG 263.4]          Let us honor our profession of faith. Let us adorn our lives with beautiful traits of character. Harshness of speech and action is not of Christ, but of Satan. Shall we, by clinging to our imperfections and deformities, make Christ ashamed of us? His grace is promised to us. If we will receive it, it will beautify our lives. . . . Deformity will be exchanged for goodness, perfection. Our lives will be adorned with the graces that made Christ's life so beautiful. . . .  {AG 263.4}
[AG 263.5]          A true, lovable Christian is the most powerful argument that can be advanced in favor of Bible truth. Such a man is Christ's representative. His life is the most convincing evidence that can be borne to the power of divine grace.  {AG 263.5}
[AG 263.6]          Every day of life is freighted with responsibilities which we must bear. Every day, our words and acts are making impressions upon those with whom we associate. . . . The true follower of Christ strengthens the good purposes of all with whom he comes in contact. Before an unbelieving, sin-loving world he reveals the power of God's grace and the perfection of His character.  {AG 263.6}
[AG 264.1]       Chap. 256 - Points Out the Way         That the Lord thy God my shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. Jeremiah 42:3.  {AG 264.1}
[AG 264.2]            To dwell upon the beauty, goodness, mercy, and love of Jesus is strengthening to the mental and moral powers, and while the mind is kept trained to do the works of Christ, to be obedient children, you will habitually inquire, Is this the way of the Lord? Will Jesus be pleased to have me do this? . . .  {AG 264.2}
[AG 264.3]          Many need to make a decided change in the tenor of their thoughts and actions, if they would please Jesus. We can seldom see our sins in the grievous light that God can. Many have habituated themselves to pursue a course of sin, and their hearts harden, under the influence of the power of Satan. . . .  {AG 264.3}
[AG 264.4]          But when in the strength and grace of God they place their minds against the temptations of Satan, their minds are made clear, their hearts and consciences by being influenced by the Spirit of God are made sensitive, and then sin appears as it is--exceedingly sinful.  {AG 264.4}
[AG 264.5]          Every act of obedience to Christ, every act of self-denial for His sake, every trial well endured, every victory gained over temptation, is a step in the march to the glory of final victory. If we take Christ for our guide, He will lead us safely. The veriest sinner need not miss his way. Not one trembling seeker need fail of walking in pure and holy light. Though the path is so narrow, so holy that sin cannot be tolerated therein, yet access has been secured for all, and not one doubting, trembling soul need say, "God cares nought for me." . . .  {AG 264.5}
[AG 264.6]          And all the way up the steep road leading to eternal life are well-springs of joy to refresh the weary. Those who walk in wisdom's ways are, even in tribulation, exceeding joyful; for He whom their soul loveth, walks, invisible, beside them. At each upward step they discern more distinctly the touch of His hand; at every step brighter gleamings of glory from the Unseen fall upon their path; and their songs of praise, reaching ever a higher note, ascend to join the songs of angels before the throne. "The path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18, R.V., margin).  {AG 264.6}
[AG 265.1]       Chap. 257 - For Him Who Believes         Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace. Romans 4:16.  {AG 265.1}
[AG 265.2]            Without the grace of Christ, the sinner is in a hopeless condition; nothing can be done for him; but through divine grace, supernatural power is imparted. . . . It is through the impartation of the grace of Christ that sin is discerned in its hateful nature, and finally driven from the soul temple. It is through grace that we are brought into fellowship with Christ, to be associated with Him in the work of salvation. Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin. . . .  {AG 265.2}
[AG 265.3]          "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:3-5). Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ's righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to a greater light.  {AG 265.3}
[AG 265.4]          The touch of faith opens to us the divine treasure house of power and wisdom; and thus, through instruments of clay, God accomplishes the wonders of His grace. This living faith is our great need today. We must know that Jesus is indeed ours; that His Spirit is purifying and refining our hearts. If the followers of Christ had genuine faith, with meekness and love, what a work they might accomplish! What fruit would be seen to the glory of God!  {AG 265.4}
[AG 266.1]       Chap. 258 - Power in the Promises         That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:12.  {AG 266.1}
[AG 266.2]            We must keep close to the Word of God. We need its warnings and encouragement, its threatenings and promises.  {AG 266.2}
[AG 266.3]          The Scriptures are to be received as God's word to us, not written merely, but spoken. When the afflicted ones came to Christ, He beheld not only those who asked for help, but all who throughout the ages should come to Him in like need and with like faith. When He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee" (Matthew 9:2) . . . , He spoke to other afflicted, sin-burdened ones who should seek His help. So with all the promises of God's word. In them He is speaking to us individually, speaking as directly as if we could listen to His voice. It is in these promises that Christ communicates to us His grace and power. They are leaves from that tree which is "for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2). Received, assimilated, they are to be the strength of the character, the inspiration and sustenance of the life. Nothing else can have such healing power.  {AG 266.3}
[AG 266.4]          God loves His creatures with a love that is both tender and strong. He has established the laws of nature, but His laws are not arbitrary exactions. Every "thou shalt not," whether in physical or moral law, contains or implies a promise. If it is obeyed, blessings will attend our steps; if it is disobeyed, the result is danger and unhappiness. The laws of God are designed to bring His people closer to Himself. He will save them from the evil and lead them to the good if they will be led, but force them He never will.  {AG 266.4}
[AG 266.5]          We are too faithless. Oh, how I wish that I could lead our people to have faith in God! They need not feel that in order to exercise faith they must be wrought up into a high state of excitement. All they have to do is to believe God's Word, just as they believe one another's word. He hath said it, and He will perform His Word. Calmly rely on His promise, because He means all that He says. Say, He has spoken to me in His Word, and He will fulfill every promise that He has made. Do not become restless. Be trustful. God's Word is true. Act as if your heavenly Father could be trusted.  {AG 266.5}
[AG 267.1]       Chap. 259 - Not in Worldly Pomp         That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5.  {AG 267.1}
[AG 267.2]            Jesus was to do His work, . . . not with pomp and outward display, but through speaking to the hearts of men by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice. . . .  {AG 267.2}
[AG 267.3]          The followers of Christ are to be the light of the world; but God does not bid them make an effort to shine. He does not approve of any self-satisfied endeavor to display superior goodness. He desires that their souls shall be imbued with the principles of heaven; then, as they come in contact with the world, they will reveal the light that is in them. Their steadfast fidelity in every act of life will be a means of illumination. . . .  {AG 267.3}
[AG 267.4]          Worldly display, however imposing, is of no value in God's sight. Above the seen and temporal, He values the unseen and eternal. The former is of worth only as it expresses the latter. The choicest productions of art possess no beauty that can compare with the beauty of character which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's working in the soul. . . .  {AG 267.4}
[AG 267.5]          Human effort will be efficient in the work of God just according to the consecrated devotion of the worker--by revealing the power of the grace of Christ to transform the life. We are to be distinguished from the world because God has placed His seal upon us, because He manifests in us His own character of love. Our Redeemer covers us with His righteousness.  {AG 267.5}
[AG 267.6]          In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning, or eloquence. He asks, "Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?" God can use every person just in proportion as He can put His Spirit into the soul temple. The work that He will accept is the work that reflects His image. His followers are to bear, as their credentials to the world, the ineffaceable characteristics of His immortal principles.  {AG 267.6}
[AG 267.7]          Jesus knew the worthlessness of earthly pomp, and He gave no attention to its display. In His dignity of soul, His elevation of character, His nobility of principle, He was far above the vain fashions of the world.  {AG 267.7}
[AG 268.1]       Chap. 260 - Multiplied Blessings         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. 2 Peter 1:2, 3.  {AG 268.1}
[AG 268.2]            In the first chapter of the second epistle of Peter you will find the promise that grace and peace will be multiplied unto you, if you will "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" (2 Peter 1:5-7). These virtues are wonderful treasures. . . .  {AG 268.2}
[AG 268.3]          Shall we not strive to use to the very best of our ability the little time that is left in this life, adding grace to grace, power to power, making it manifest that we have a source of power in the heavens above? Christ says: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). What is this power given to Him for? For us. He desires us to realize that He has returned to heaven as our Elder Brother and that the measureless power given Him has been placed at our disposal. . . .  {AG 268.3}
[AG 268.4]          We are to represent Christ in all that we say and do. We are to live His life. The principles by which He was guided are to shape our course of action toward those with whom we are associated. When we are securely anchored in Christ, we have a power that no human being can take from us.  {AG 268.4}
[AG 268.5]          The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist.  {AG 268.5}
[AG 268.6]          Through His Son, God has revealed the excellency to which man is capable of attaining. And before the world God is developing us as living witnesses of what man may become through the grace of Christ. . . .  {AG 268.6}
[AG 268.7]          What an honor He confers upon us, in urging us to be holy in our sphere, as the Father is holy in His sphere. And through His power we are able to do this; for He declares, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). This unlimited power it is your privilege and mine to claim.  {AG 268.7}
[AG 269.1]       Chap. 261 - The Youth Need It         Thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. Psalm 71:5.  {AG 269.1}
[AG 269.2]           There are among us many young men and women who are not ignorant of our faith, yet whose hearts have never been touched by the power of divine grace. How can we who claim to be the servants of God pass on day after day, week after week, indifferent to their condition? If they should die in their sins, unwarned, their blood would be required at the hands of the watchmen who failed to give them warning.  {AG 269.2}
[AG 269.3]          Why should not labor for the youth in our borders be regarded as missionary work of the highest kind? It requires the most delicate tact, the most watchful consideration, the most earnest prayer for heavenly wisdom. The youth are the objects of Satan's special attacks; but kindness, courtesy, and the sympathy which flows from a heart filled with love to Jesus, will gain their confidence, and save them from many a snare of the enemy.  {AG 269.3}
[AG 269.4]          The youth need more than a casual notice, more than an occasional word of encouragement. They need painstaking, prayerful, careful labor. . . . Often those whom we pass by with indifference, because we judge them from outward appearance, have in them the best material for workers, and will repay all the efforts bestowed on them.  {AG 269.4}
[AG 269.5]          Seventh-day Adventist parents should more fully realize their responsibilities as character builders. God places before them the privilege of strengthening His cause through the consecration and labors of their children. He desires to see gathered out from the homes of our people a large company of youth who, because of the godly influences of their homes, have surrendered their hearts to Him, and go forth to give Him the highest service of their lives. Directed and trained by the godly instruction of the home, the influence of the morning and evening worship, the consistent example of parents who love and fear God, they have learned to submit to God as their Teacher, and are prepared to render Him acceptable service as loyal sons and daughters. Such youth are prepared to represent to the world the power and grace of Christ.  {AG 269.5}
[AG 270.1]       Chap. 262 - For the Humble         Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6.  {AG 270.1}
[AG 270.2]            To be clothed with humility does not mean that we are to be dwarfs in intellect, deficient in aspiration, and cowardly in our lives, shunning burdens lest we fail to carry them successfully. Real humility fulfills God's purposes by depending upon His strength.  {AG 270.2}
[AG 270.3]          God works by whom He will. He sometimes selects the humblest instrument to do the greatest work, for His power is revealed through the weakness of men. We have our standard, and by it we pronounce one thing great and another small; but God does not estimate according to our rule. We are not to suppose that what is great to us must be great to God, or that what is small to us must be small to Him.  {AG 270.3}
[AG 270.4]          All boasting of merit in ourselves is out of place. . . . The reward is not of works, lest any man should boast; but it is all of grace. . . .  {AG 270.4}
[AG 270.5]          There is no religion in the enthronement of self. He who makes self-glorification his aim will find himself destitute of that grace which alone can make him efficient in Christ's service. Whenever pride and self-complacency are indulged the work is marred. . . .  {AG 270.5}
[AG 270.6]          The Christian who is such in his private life, in the daily surrender of self, in sincerity of purpose and purity of thought, in meekness under provocation, in faith and piety, in fidelity in that which is least, the one who in the home life represents the character of Christ--such a one may in the sight of God be more precious than even the world-renowned missionary or martyr. . . .  {AG 270.6}
[AG 270.7]          Not in our learning, not in our position, not in our numbers or entrusted talents, not in the will of man, is to be found the secret of success. Feeling our inefficiency we are to contemplate Christ, and through Him who is the strength of all strength, the thought of all thought, the willing and obedient will gain victory after victory. . . .  Blessed will be the recompense of grace to those who have wrought for God in the simplicity of faith and love.  {AG 270.7}
[AG 271.1]       Chap. 263 - That We May Excel         The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them. Proverbs 12:26.  {AG 271.1}
[AG 271.2]            The Lord expects His servants to excel others in life and character. He has placed every facility at the command of those who serve Him. The Christian is looked upon by the whole universe as one who strives for the mastery, running for the race set before him, that he may obtain the prize, even an immortal crown; but if he who professes to follow Christ does not make it manifest that his motives are above those of the world in this great contest where there is everything to win and everything to lose, he will never be a victor. He is to make use of every entrusted power, that he may overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil through the power of the Holy Spirit, by grace abundantly provided. . . .  {AG 271.2}
[AG 271.3]          Those who would be victors should contemplate and count the cost of salvation. Strong human passions must be subdued; the independent will must be brought into captivity to Christ. The Christian is to realize that he is not his own. He will have temptations to resist, and battles to fight against his own inclinations; for the Lord will accept no half-way service. Hypocrisy is an abomination to Him. The follower of Christ must walk by faith, as seeing Him who is invisible. Christ will be his dearest treasure, his all and in all.  {AG 271.3}
[AG 271.4]          This experience is essential to those who profess the name of Christ, for its influence pervades the conduct, and sanctifies the influence of the Christian's life in its effect upon others. The business connections and intercourse of Christians; with men of the world will be sanctified by the grace of Christ; and wherever they are, a moral atmosphere will be created, that will have power for good; for it will breathe the spirit of the Master.  {AG 271.4}
[AG 271.5]          He who has the mind of Christ knows that his only safe course is to keep close to Jesus, following the light of life. He will not accept work, or engage himself in business, that will hinder him from reaching the perfection of Christian character. . . . "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:4).  {AG 271.5}
[AG 272.1]       Chap. 264 - Source of Right Influence         Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Isaiah 58:8.  {AG 272.1}
[AG 272.2]            The Lord has a special work to do for us individually. As we see the wickedness of the world brought to light in the courts of justice and published in the daily papers, let us draw near to God, and by living faith lay hold of His promises, that the grace of Christ may be manifest in us. We may have an influence, a powerful influence, in the world. . . . We are to have an eye single to the glory of God. We are to work with all the intelligence that God has given us, placing ourselves in the channel of light, that the grace of God can come upon us to mold and fashion us to the divine similitude. Heaven is waiting to bestow its richest blessings upon those who will consecrate themselves to do the work of God in these last days of the world's history.  {AG 272.2}
[AG 272.3]          There is nothing in us of ourselves by which we can influence others for good. If we realize our helplessness and our need of divine power, we shall not trust to ourselves. We know not what results a day, an hour, or a moment may determine, and never should we begin the day without committing our ways to our heavenly Father. His angels are appointed to watch over us, and if we put ourselves under their guardianship, then in every time of danger they will be at our right hand. When unconsciously we are in danger of exerting a wrong influence, the angels will be by our side, prompting us to a better course, choosing our words for us, and influencing our actions. Thus our influence may be a silent, unconscious, but mighty power in drawing others to Christ and the heavenly world.  {AG 272.3}
[AG 272.4]          Personal influence is a power. It is to work with the influence of Christ, to lift where Christ lifts, to impart correct principles, and to stay the progress of the world's corruption. It is to diffuse that grace which Christ alone can impart. It is to uplift, to sweeten the lives and characters of others by the power of a pure example united with earnest faith and love.  {AG 272.4}
[AG 273.1]       Chap. 265 - For the Race of Life         Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1, 2.  {AG 273.1}
[AG 273.2]            Envy, malice, evil thinking, evilspeaking, covetousness-- these are weights that the Christian must lay aside if he would run successfully the race for immortality. Every habit or practice that leads into sin and brings dishonor upon Christ, must be put away, whatever the sacrifice. The blessing of heaven cannot attend any man in violating the eternal principles of right. . . .  {AG 273.2}
[AG 273.3]          The competitors in the ancient games, after they had submitted to self-denial and rigid discipline, were not even then sure of the victory. . . . However eagerly and earnestly the runners might strive, the prize could be awarded to but one. One hand only could grasp the coveted garland. Some might put forth the utmost effort to obtain the prize, but as they reached forth the hand to secure it, another, an instant before them, might grasp the coveted treasure.  {AG 273.3}
[AG 273.4]          Such is not the case in the Christian warfare. Not one who complies with the conditions will be disappointed at the end of the race. Not one who is earnest and persevering will fail of success. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. The weakest saint, as well as the strongest, may wear the crown of immortal glory. All may win who, through the power of divine grace, bring their lives into conformity to the will of Christ. . . . Every act casts its weight into the scale that determines life's victory or defeat. And the reward given to those who win will be in proportion to the energy and earnestness with which they have striven. . . .  {AG 273.4}
[AG 273.5]          Paul knew that his warfare against evil would not end so long as life should last. Ever he realized the need of putting a strict guard upon himself, that earthly desires might not overcome spiritual zeal. With all his power he continued to strive against natural inclinations. Ever he kept before him the ideal to be attained, and this ideal he strove to reach by willing obedience to the law of God. His words, his practices, his passions --all were brought under the control of the Spirit of God.  {AG 273.5}
[AG 274.1]       Chap. 266 - "Tell of His Power"         They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power. Psalm 145:11.  {AG 274.1}
[AG 274.2]           If Christians would associate together, speaking to each other of the love of God, and of the precious truths of redemption, their own hearts would be refreshed, and they would refresh one another. We may be daily learning more of our heavenly Father, gaining a fresh experience of His grace; then we shall desire to speak of His love; and as we do this, our own hearts will be warmed and encouraged. If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of self, we should have far more of His presence.  {AG 274.2}
[AG 274.3]          If we would but think of God as often as we have evidence of His care for us, we should keep Him ever in our thoughts, and should delight to talk of Him and to praise Him. We talk of temporal things because we have an interest in them. We talk of our friends because we love them; our joys and our sorrows are bound up with them. Yet we have infinitely greater reason to love God than to love our earthly friends; it should be the most natural thing in the world to make Him first in all our thoughts, to talk of His goodness and tell of His power.  {AG 274.3}
[AG 274.4]          Those who study the Word of God and day by day receive instruction from Christ bear the stamp of heaven's principles. A high, holy influence goes forth from them. A helpful atmosphere surrounds their souls. The pure, holy, elevated principles that they follow enable them to bear a living testimony to the power of divine grace.  {AG 274.4}
[AG 274.5]          Christ wants His followers to be like Him, because He desires to be correctly represented in the family circle, in the church, and in the world. . . . We are to accept Christ as our efficiency, our strength, that we may reveal His character to the world. This is the work resting upon us as Christians. We are to witness to the power of heavenly grace. . . .  {AG 274.5}
[AG 274.6]          God wants His sons and daughters to reveal before the synagogue of Satan, before the heavenly universe, before the world, the power of His grace, that men and angels may know that Christ has not died in vain. Let us show the world that we have power from on high.  {AG 274.6}
[AG 275.1]       Chap. 267 - Power to Shake the World         By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. 2 Corinthians 6:7.  {AG 275.1}
[AG 275.2]            The commission that Christ gave to the disciples, they fulfilled. As these messengers of the cross went forth to proclaim the gospel, there was such a revelation of the glory of God as had never before been witnessed by mortal man. By the cooperation of the divine Spirit, the apostles did a work that shook the world. To every nation was the gospel carried in a single generation.  {AG 275.2}
[AG 275.3]          Glorious were the results that attended the ministry of the chosen apostles of Christ. At the beginning of their ministry some of them were unlearned men, but their consecration to the cause of their Master was unreserved, and under His instruction they gained a preparation for the great work committed to them. Grace and truth reigned in their hearts, inspiring their motives and controlling their actions. Their lives were hid with Christ in God, and self was lost sight of, submerged in the depths of infinite love. . . . Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God, was the theme of every discourse. . . . As they proclaimed the completeness of Christ, the risen Saviour, their words moved hearts, and men and women were won to the gospel. Multitudes who had reviled the Saviour's name and despised His power, now confessed themselves disciples of the Crucified.  {AG 275.3}
[AG 275.4]          Not in their own power did the apostles accomplish their mission, but in the power of the living God. . . . The consciousness of the responsibility resting on them purified and enriched their experience; and the grace of heaven was revealed in the conquests they achieved for Christ. With the might of omnipotence God worked through them to make the gospel triumphant.  {AG 275.4}
[AG 275.5]          As Christ sent forth His disciples, so today He sends forth the members of His church. The same power that the apostles had is for them. If they will make God their strength, He will work with them, and they shall not labor in vain. Let them realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed His signet. . . . He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.  {AG 275.5}
[AG 276.1]       Chap. 268 - The Christian's Badge         Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20.  {AG 276.1}
[AG 276.2]            The Lord is waiting to manifest through His people His grace and power. But He requires that those who engage in His service shall keep their minds ever directed to Him. Every day they should have time for reading the Word of God and for prayer. . . .  {AG 276.2}
[AG 276.3]          Individually we are to walk and talk with God; then the sacred influence of the gospel of Christ in all its preciousness will appear in our lives.  {AG 276.3}
[AG 276.4]          There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says.  {AG 276.4}
[AG 276.5]          The officers who were sent to Jesus came back with the report that never man spoke as He spoke. But the reason for this was that never man lived as He lived. Had His life been other than it was, He could not have spoken as He did. His words bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure and holy, full of love and sympathy, benevolence and truth.  {AG 276.5}
[AG 276.6]          It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ's grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus.  {AG 276.6}
[AG 276.7]          The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.  {AG 276.7}
[AG 277.1]       Chap. 269 - Irresistible         Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19.  {AG 277.1}
[AG 277.2]           The Lord calls upon us for confession of His goodness. . . . Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our own individuality. These precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.  {AG 277.2}
[AG 277.3]          In order to confess Christ, we must have Him to confess. No one can truly confess Christ unless the mind and spirit of Christ are in him. . . . We must understand what it is to confess Christ and wherein we deny Him. . . . The fruits of the Spirit manifested in the life are a confession of Him. If we have forsaken all for Christ, our lives will be humble, our conversation heavenly, our conduct blameless. The powerful, purifying influence of truth in the soul, and the character of Christ exemplified in the life, are a confession of Him.  {AG 277.3}
[AG 277.4]          Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible--a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity. . . . Those who have placed themselves without reserve on the side of Christ will stand firmly by that which reason and conscience tell them is right.  {AG 277.4}
[AG 277.5]          The life of the true believer reveals an indwelling Saviour. The follower of Jesus is Christlike in spirit and in temper. Like Christ, he is meek and humble. His faith works by love and purifies the soul. His whole life is a testimony to the power of the grace of Christ.  {AG 277.5}
[AG 278.1]       Chap. 270 - Heirs of Immortality         Being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:7.  {AG 278.1}
[AG 278.2]            Every earnest petition for grace and strength will be answered. . . . Ask God to do for you those things that you cannot do for yourselves. Tell Jesus everything. Lay open before Him the secrets of your heart; for His eye searches the inmost recesses of the soul, and He reads your thoughts as an open book. When you have asked for the things that are necessary for your soul's good, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. Accept His gifts with your whole heart; for Jesus has died that you might have the precious things of heaven as your own.  {AG 278.2}
[AG 278.3]          The youth must not suppose that they can go on living careless and indulgent lives, seeking no preparation for the kingdom of God, and yet in time of trial be able to stand firm for the truth. They need to seek earnestly to bring into their lives the perfection that is seen in the life of the Saviour, so that when Christ shall come, they will be prepared to enter in through the gates into the city of God. God's abounding love and presence in the heart will give the power of self-control and will mold and fashion the mind and character. The grace of Christ in the life will direct the aims and purposes and capabilities into channels that will give moral and spiritual power --power which the youth will not have to leave in this world, but which they can carry with them into the future life and retain through the eternal ages.  {AG 278.3}
[AG 278.4]          All heaven is interested in men and women whom God has valued so much as to give His beloved Son to die to redeem them. No other creature that God has made is capable of such improvement, such refinement, such nobility as man. Then when men become blunted by their own debasing passions, sunken in vice, what a specimen for God to look upon! Man cannot conceive what he may be and what he may become. Through the grace of Christ he is capable of constant mental progress. Let the light of truth shine into his mind and the love of God be shed abroad in his heart and he may, through the grace Christ has died to impart to him, be a man of power--a child of earth but an heir of immortality.  {AG 278.4}
[AG 279.1]       Chap. 271 - Invincible         The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22.  {AG 279.1}
[AG 279.2]            When in his distress, Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and made supplication with tears, the heavenly Messenger, in order to try his faith, also reminded him of his sin, and endeavored to escape from him. But Jacob would not be turned away. He had learned that God is merciful, and he cast himself upon His mercy. He pointed back to his repentance for his sin, and pleaded for deliverance. As he reviewed his life, he was driven almost to despair; but he held fast the Angel, and with earnest, agonizing cries urged his petition until he prevailed.  {AG 279.2}
[AG 279.3]          Such will be the experience of God's people in their final struggle with the powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless. . . . They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives, their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" (Genesis 32:26). . . .  {AG 279.3}
[AG 279.4]          Jacob's history is an assurance that God will not cast off those who have been betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance. It was by self-surrender and confiding faith that Jacob gained what he had failed to gain by conflict in his own strength. God thus taught His servant that divine power and grace alone could give him the blessing he craved. Thus it will be with those who live in the last days. As dangers surround them, and despair seizes upon the soul, they must depend solely upon the merits of the atonement. We can do nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless unworthiness we must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while they do this.  {AG 279.4}
[AG 280.1]       Chap. 272 - "More than Conquerors"         Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:35-37.  {AG 280.1}
[AG 280.2]            God's servants receive no honor or recognition from the world. Stephen was stoned because he preached Christ and Him crucified. Paul was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, and finally put to death, because he was a faithful messenger of God to the Gentiles. The apostle John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:9.). These examples of human steadfastness in the might of divine power are a witness to the world of the faithfulness of God's promises, of His abiding presence and sustaining grace.  {AG 280.2}
[AG 280.3]          Jesus does not present to His followers the hope of attaining earthly glory and riches, of living a life free from trial. Instead He calls upon them to follow Him in the path of self-denial and reproach. He who came to redeem the world was opposed by the united forces of evil. . . .  {AG 280.3}
[AG 280.4]          In all ages Satan has persecuted the people of God. He has tortured them and put them to death, but in dying they became conquerors. They bore witness to the power of One mightier than Satan. Wicked men may torture and kill the body, but they cannot touch the life that is hid with Christ in God. They can incarcerate men and women in prison walls, but they cannot bind the spirit.  {AG 280.4}
[AG 280.5]          Through trial and persecution the glory--the character--of God is revealed in His chosen ones. The believers in Christ, hated and persecuted by the world, are educated and disciplined in the school of Christ. On earth they walk in narrow paths; they are purified in the furnace of affliction. They follow Christ through sore conflicts; they endure self-denial, and experience bitter disappointments; but thus they learn the guilt and woe of sin, and they look upon it with abhorrence. Being partakers of Christ's sufferings, they can look beyond the gloom to the glory, saying, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).  {AG 280.5}
[AG 281.1]       Chap. 273 - "He is Able"         I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 2 Timothy 1:12.  {AG 281.1}
[AG 281.2]            The apostle ［Paul］ was looking into the great beyond, not with uncertainty or dread, but with joyous hope and longing expectation. As he stands at the place of martyrdom he sees not the sword of the executioner or the earth so soon to receive his blood; he looks up . . . to the throne of the Eternal.  {AG 281.2}
[AG 281.3]          This man of faith beholds the ladder of Jacob's vision, representing Christ, who has connected earth with heaven, and finite man with the infinite God. His faith is strengthened as he calls to mind how patriarchs and prophets have relied upon the One who is his support and consolation, and for whom he is giving his life. From these holy men who from century to century have borne testimony for their faith, he hears the assurance that God is true. His fellow apostles, who to preach the gospel of Christ, went forth to meet religious bigotry and heathen superstition, persecution, and contempt, who counted not their lives dear unto themselves that they might bear aloft the light of the cross amidst the dark mazes of infidelity--these he hears witnessing to Jesus as the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. From the rack, the stake, the dungeon, from dens and caves of the earth, there falls upon his ear the martyr's shout of triumph. He hears the witness of steadfast souls, who, though destitute, afflicted, tormented, yet bear fearless, solemn testimony for the faith, declaring, "I know whom I have believed." . . .  {AG 281.3}
[AG 281.4]          Ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, washed from sin in His blood, and clothed in His righteousness, Paul has the witness in himself that his soul is precious in the sight of His Redeemer. His life is hid with Christ in God, and he is persuaded that He who has conquered death is able to keep that which is committed to His trust.  {AG 281.4}
[AG 281.5]          I am so glad that we can come to God in faith and humility, and plead with Him until our souls are brought into such close relationship with Jesus that we can lay our burdens at His feet, saying, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.  {AG 281.5}
[AG 282.1]       Chap. 274 - As Jesus Grew         And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40.  {AG 282.1}
[AG 282.2]            The Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, became a babe in Bethlehem, and for a time represented the helpless infant in its mother's care. In childhood He spoke and acted as a child, honoring His parents, and carrying out their wishes in helpful ways. But from the first dawning of intelligence He was constantly growing in grace and in a knowledge of truth.  {AG 282.2}
[AG 282.3]          Parents and teachers should aim so to cultivate the tendencies of the youth that at each stage of life they may represent the beauty appropriate to that period, unfolding naturally, as do the plants in the garden.  {AG 282.3}
[AG 282.4]          As a child Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy.  {AG 282.4}
[AG 282.5]          With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of His powers, and beheld the impress of perfection upon His character. With delight she sought to encourage that bright, receptive mind. Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to co-operate with the heavenly agencies in the development of this child, who could claim only God as His Father. . . . From her lips and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. The very words which He Himself had spoken to Moses for Israel He was now taught at His mother's knee. . . . And spread out before Him was the great library of God's created works. He who had made all things studied the lessons which His own hand had written in earth and sea and sky. . . . Heavenly beings were His attendants, and the culture of holy thoughts and communings was His. From the first dawning of intelligence He was constantly growing in spiritual grace and knowledge of truth.  {AG 282.5}
[AG 282.6]          Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become acquainted with our heavenly Father through His Word, angels will draw near, our minds will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated and refined. We shall become more like our Saviour.  {AG 282.6}
[AG 283.1]       Chap. 275 - The Divine Order of Growth         For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4:28.  {AG 283.1}
[AG 283.2]            He who gave this parable created the tiny seed, gave it its vital properties, and ordained the laws that govern its growth. And the truths which the parable teaches were made a living reality in His own life. In both His physical and His spiritual nature He followed the divine order of growth illustrated by the plant, as He wishes all youth to do. . . . In childhood He did the works of an obedient child. . . . But at each stage of His development He was perfect, with the simple, natural grace of a sinless life.  {AG 283.2}
[AG 283.3]          The parable of the seed reveals that God is at work in nature. . . . There is life in the seed, there is power in the soil; but unless an infinite power is exercised day and night, the seed will yield no returns. . . . Every seed grows, every plant develops, by the power of God. . . .  {AG 283.3}
[AG 283.4]          The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. As in nature, so in grace; there can be no life without growth. The plant must either grow or die. As its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so is the development of the Christian life. At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God's purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement. Sanctification is the work of a lifetime. As our opportunities multiply, our experience will enlarge, and our knowledge increase. We shall become strong to bear responsibility, and our maturity will be in proportion to our privileges.  {AG 283.4}
[AG 283.5]          The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. It sends down its roots into the earth. It drinks in the sunshine, the dew, and the rain. It receives the life-giving properties from the air. So the Christian is to grow by cooperating with the divine agencies. . . . As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to take deep root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and the rain, we are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. . . . By constantly relying upon Christ as our personal Saviour, we shall grow up into Him in all things who is our head.  {AG 283.5}
[AG 284.1]       Chap. 276 - How to Grow         But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18.  {AG 284.1}
[AG 284.2]            It is the privilege of the young, as they grow in Jesus, to grow in spiritual grace and knowledge. We may know more and more of Jesus through an interested searching of the Scriptures, and then following the ways of truth and righteousness therein revealed. Those who are ever growing in grace will be steadfast in the faith, and moving forward.  {AG 284.2}
[AG 284.3]          There should be an earnest desire in the heart of every youth who has purposed to be a disciple of Jesus Christ to reach the highest Christian standard, to be a worker with Christ. If he makes it his aim to be of that number who shall be presented faultless before the throne of God, he will be continually advancing. The only way to remain steadfast is to progress daily in divine life. Faith will increase if, when brought in contact with doubts and obstacles, it overcomes them. True sanctification is progressive. If you are growing in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, you will improve every privilege and opportunity to gain more knowledge of the life and character of Christ.  {AG 284.3}
[AG 284.4]          Faith in Jesus will grow as you become better acquainted with your Redeemer by dwelling upon His spotless life and His infinite love. You cannot dishonor God more than to profess to be His disciple while you keep at a distance from Him, and are not fed and nourished by His Holy Spirit. When you are growing in grace, you will love to attend religious meetings, and you will gladly bear testimony of the love of Christ before the congregation. God, by His grace, can make the young man prudent, and He can give to the children knowledge and experience. They can grow in grace daily.  {AG 284.4}
[AG 284.5]          As long as we continue to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author and Finisher of our faith, we shall be safe. But our affections must be placed upon things above, not on things of the earth. By faith we must rise higher and still higher in the attainment of the graces of Christ. By daily contemplating His matchless charms, we must grow more and more into His glorious image. While we thus live in communion with Heaven, Satan will lay his nets for us in vain.  {AG 284.5}
[AG 285.1]       Chap. 277 - Conditions of Christian Growth         And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; . . . being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11.  {AG 285.1}
[AG 285.2]            Where there is life, there will be growth and fruit-bearing; but unless we grow in grace, our spirituality will be dwarfed, sickly, fruitless. It is only by growing, by bearing fruit, that we can fulfill God's purpose for us. "Herein is my Father glorified," Christ said, "that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8). In order to bear much fruit, we must make the most of our privileges. We must use every opportunity granted us for obtaining strength.  {AG 285.2}
[AG 285.3]          A pure, noble character, with all its grand possibilities, has been provided for every human being. But there are many who have not an earnest longing for such a character. They are not willing to part with the evil that they may have the good. . . . They neglect to grasp the blessings that would place them in harmony with God. . . . They cannot grow.  {AG 285.3}
[AG 285.4]          One of the divine plans for growth is impartation. The Christian is to gain strength by strengthening others. "He that watereth shall be watered also himself" (Proverbs 11:25). This is not merely a promise; it is a divine law, a law by which God designs that the streams of benevolence, like the waters of the great deep, shall be kept in constant circulation, continually flowing back to their source. In the fulfilling of this law is the secret of spiritual growth. . . .  {AG 285.4}
[AG 285.5]          If we come to God in faith, He will receive us and give us strength to climb upward to perfection. If we watch every word and action, that we may do nothing to dishonor the One who has trusted us, if we improve every opportunity granted us, we shall grow into the full stature of men and women in Christ. . . .  {AG 285.5}
[AG 285.6]          Christians, is Christ revealed in us? Are we doing all in our power to gain a body that is not easily enfeebled, a mind that looks beyond self to the cause and effect of every movement, that can wrestle with hard problems and conquer them, a will that is firm to resist evil and defend the right? Are we crucifying self? Are we growing up into the full stature of men and women in Christ, preparing to endure hardness as good soldiers of the cross?  {AG 285.6}
[AG 286.1]       Chap. 278 - A Mysterious Power         All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. Isaiah 61:9.  {AG 286.1}
[AG 286.2]            In the plan of redemption there are mysteries that the human mind cannot fathom, many things that human wisdom cannot explain; but nature can teach us much concerning the mystery of godliness. Every shrub, every tree bearing fruit, all vegetation, has lessons for our study. In the growth of the seed are to be read the mysteries of the kingdom of God. To the heart softened by the grace of God, the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the flowers of the field, utter words of counsel. . . .  {AG 286.2}
[AG 286.3]          God's laws for nature are obeyed by nature. Cloud and storm, sunshine and shower, dew and rain, all are under the supervision of God and yield obedience to His command. In obedience to the law of God the spire of grain bursts through the earth, "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear" (Mark 4:28). The fruit is seen in the bud, and the Lord develops it in its proper season because it does not resist His working. . . .  {AG 286.3}
[AG 286.4]          Can it be that man, made in the image of God, endowed with reason and speech, shall alone be unappreciative of His gifts and disobedient to His laws? . . .  {AG 286.4}
[AG 286.5]          God desires us to learn from nature the lesson of obedience. . . . The book of nature and the written Word shed light upon each other. Both make us better acquainted with God by teaching us of His character and of the laws through which He works.  {AG 286.5}
[AG 286.6]          Tell your children about the miracle-working power of God. As they study the great lesson book of nature, God will impress their minds. The farmer plows his land and sows his seed, but he cannot make the seed grow. He must depend on God to do that which no human power can do. The Lord puts His vital power into the seed, causing it to spring forth into life. Under His care the germ of life breaks through the hard crust encasing it, and springs up to bear fruit. . . . As the children are told of the work that God does for the seed, they learn the secret of growth in grace.  {AG 286.6}
[AG 287.1]       Chap. 279 - From Childhood         Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14.  {AG 287.1}
[AG 287.2]            In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom. . . . In His teaching He came down to their level. He, the Majesty of heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up, and bear fruit unto eternal life.  {AG 287.2}
[AG 287.3]          It is still true that children are the most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years. They need to be educated in spiritual things, and parents should give them every advantage, that they may form characters after the similitude of the character of Christ. . . .  {AG 287.3}
[AG 287.4]          The Christian worker may be Christ's agent in drawing these children to the Saviour. By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, . . . and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character, so that of them it may be said, "Of such is the kingdom of God."  {AG 287.4}
[AG 287.5]          God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members of the household of faith, and have a most precious experience. . . . They may have their hearts drawn out in confidence and love for Jesus, and live for the Saviour. Christ will make them little missionaries. The whole current of their thought may be changed, so that sin will not appear a thing to be enjoyed, but to be shunned and hated.  {AG 287.5}
[AG 287.6]          The Saviour longs to save the young. He would rejoice to see them around His throne, clothed in the spotless robes of His righteousness. He is waiting to place upon their heads the crown of life, and to hear their happy voices join in ascribing honor and glory and majesty to God and the Lamb in the song of victory that will echo and re-echo through the courts of heaven.  {AG 287.6}
[AG 288.1]       Chap. 280 - In the Home         Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1.  {AG 288.1}
[AG 288.2]           God designs that the families of earth shall be a symbol of the family in heaven. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God's plan, are among His most effective agencies for the formation of Christian character and for the advancement of His work.  {AG 288.2}
[AG 288.3]          The importance and the opportunities of the home life are illustrated in the life of Jesus. He who came from heaven to be our example and teacher spent thirty years as a member of the household at Nazareth.  {AG 288.3}
[AG 288.4]          His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips, and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. He lived in a peasant's home, and faithfully and cheerfully He acted His part in bearing the household burdens. He had been the Commander of heaven, and angels had delighted to fulfill His word; now He was a willing servant, a loving, obedient son. . . .  {AG 288.4}
[AG 288.5]          Thus prepared, He went forth to His mission, in every moment of His contact with men exerting upon them an influence to bless, a power to transform, such as the world had never witnessed.  {AG 288.5}
[AG 288.6]          Let your home be such that Christ can enter it as an abiding guest. Let it be such that people will take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him. . . .  {AG 288.6}
[AG 288.7]          Angels of heaven often visit the home in which the will of God bears sway. Under the power of divine grace, such a home becomes a place of refreshing to worn, weary pilgrims. Self is kept from asserting itself. Right habits are formed. There is a careful recognition of the rights of others. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul stands at the helm, presiding over the entire household.  {AG 288.7}
[AG 288.8]          The measure of your Christianity is gauged by the character of your home life. The grace of Christ enables its possessors to make the home a happy place, full of peace and rest.  {AG 288.8}
[AG 288.9]          Let the light of heavenly grace irradiate your character, that there may be sunlight in the home.  {AG 288.9}
[AG 289.1]       Chap. 281 - Daily Prayer Essential         If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23.  {AG 289.1}
[AG 289.2]            If we would develop a character which God can accept, we must form correct habits in our religious life. Daily prayer is as essential to growth in grace, and even to spiritual life itself, as is temporal food to physical well-being. We should accustom ourselves to often lift the thoughts to God in prayer. If the mind wanders, we must bring it back; by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. We cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety. We may have His presence to attend us at every step, but only by observing the conditions which He has Himself laid down.  {AG 289.2}
[AG 289.3]          Religion must be made the great business of life. Everything else should be held subordinate to this. All our powers of soul, body, and spirit, must be engaged in the Christian warfare. We must look to Christ for strength and grace, and we shall gain the victory as surely as Jesus died for us.  {AG 289.3}
[AG 289.4]          At the beginning of the day, do not, dear youth, neglect to pray earnestly to Jesus that He will impart to you strength and grace to resist the temptations of the enemy in whatsoever form they may come; and if you pray earnestly, in faith and contrition of soul, the Lord will hear your prayer. But you must watch as well as pray. . . .  {AG 289.4}
[AG 289.5]          Children and youth may come to Jesus with their burdens and perplexities, and know that He will respect their appeals to Him, and give them the very things they need. Be earnest; be resolute. Present the promise of God, and then believe without a doubt. Do not wait to feel special emotions before you think the Lord answers. Do not mark out some particular way that the Lord must work for you before you believe you receive the things you ask of Him; but trust His word, and leave the whole matter in the hands of the Lord, with full faith that your prayer will be honored, and the answer will come at the very time and in the very way your heavenly Father sees is for your good; and then live out your prayers. Walk humbly and keep moving forward.  {AG 289.5}
[AG 290.1]       Chap. 282 - Secret Prayer a Necessity         Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 1 Chronicles 16:11.  {AG 290.1}
[AG 290.2]            When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us.  {AG 290.2}
[AG 290.3]          Have a place for secret prayer. Jesus had select places for communion with God, and so should we. We need often to retire to some spot, however humble, where we can be alone with God. . . .  {AG 290.3}
[AG 290.4]          In the secret place of prayer, where no eye but God's can see, no ear but His can hear, we may pour out our most hidden desires and longings to the Father of infinite pity, and in the hush and silence of the soul that voice which never fails to answer the cry of human need will speak to our hearts. . . .  {AG 290.4}
[AG 290.5]          As we make Christ our daily companion we shall feel that the powers of an unseen world are all around us; and by looking unto Jesus we shall become assimilated to His image. By beholding we become changed. The character is softened, refined, and ennobled for the heavenly kingdom. The sure result of our intercourse and fellowship with our Lord will be to increase piety, purity, and fervor. There will be a growing intelligence in prayer. We are receiving a divine education, and this is illustrated in a life of diligence and zeal.  {AG 290.5}
[AG 290.6]          The soul that turns to God for its help, its support, its power, by daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual hungering and thirsting after righteousness. By maintaining a connection with God, we shall be enabled to diffuse to others, through our association with them, the light, the peace, the serenity, that rule in our hearts. The strength acquired in prayer to God, united with persevering effort in training the mind in thoughtfulness and care-taking, prepares one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all circumstances.  {AG 290.6}
[AG 290.7]          Religion must begin with emptying and purifying the heart, and must be nurtured by daily prayer.  {AG 290.7}
[AG 291.1]       Chap. 283 - A Continual Work         For this is the will of God, even your sanctification. 1 Thessalonians 4:3.  {AG 291.1}
[AG 291.2]            Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. Satan lives, and is active, and every day we need to cry earnestly to God for help and strength to resist him. As long as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome, and there is no stopping place, there is no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained. . . .  {AG 291.2}
[AG 291.3]          The Christian life is constantly an onward march. Jesus sits as a refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly reflected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation. A great work is required of the Christian. We are exhorted to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Here we see where the great labor rests. There is a constant work for the Christian.  {AG 291.3}
[AG 291.4]          None are living Christians unless they have a daily experience in the things of God and daily practice self-denial, cheerfully bearing the cross and following Christ. Every living Christian will advance daily in the divine life. As he advances toward perfection, he experiences a conversion to God every day; and this conversion is not completed until he attains to perfection of Christian character, a full preparation for the finishing touch of immortality. . . .  {AG 291.4}
[AG 291.5]          Religion is not merely an emotion, a feeling. It is a principle which is interwoven with all the daily duties and transactions of life. . . . It is continuance in well-doing that will form characters for heaven.  {AG 291.5}
[AG 291.6]          We must live for Christ minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day; then Christ will dwell in us, and when we meet together, His love will be in our hearts, welling up like a spring in the desert, refreshing all, and making those who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the waters of life.  {AG 291.6}
[AG 292.1]       Chap. 284 - Through Simple, Trusting Faith         The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14.  {AG 292.1}
[AG 292.2]            It is your privilege ever to grow in grace, advancing in the knowledge and love of God, if you maintain the sweet communion with Christ it is your privilege to enjoy. In the simplicity of humble faith ask the Lord to open your understanding, that you may discern and appreciate the precious things of His Word. Thus you may grow in grace, grow in simple, trusting faith. . . .  {AG 292.2}
[AG 292.3]          Be sure that your spiritual life does not become poor, sickly, inefficient. There are many who have need of the words and example of a Christian. Weakness and indecision provoke the assaults of the enemy, and any one who fails to increase in spiritual growth, in a knowledge of truth and righteousness, will frequently be overcome by the enemy.  {AG 292.3}
[AG 292.4]          Genuine faith always works by love. When you look to Calvary it is not to quiet your soul in the nonperformance of duty, not to compose yourself to sleep, but to create faith in Jesus, faith that will work, purifying the soul from the slime of selfishness. When we lay hold of Christ by faith, our work has just begun. Every man has corrupt and sinful habits that must be overcome by vigorous warfare. Every soul is required to fight the fight of faith. If one is a follower of Christ, he cannot be sharp in deal, he cannot be hardhearted, devoid of sympathy. . . . He cannot be overbearing, nor can he use harsh words, and censure and condemn.  {AG 292.4}
[AG 292.5]          Let faith, like a palm tree, strike its penetrating roots beneath the things which do appear, and obtain spiritual refreshment from the living springs of God's grace and mercy. There is a well of water which springeth up into everlasting life. You must draw your life from this hidden spring. If you divest yourselves of selfishness, and strengthen your souls by constant communion with God, you may promote the happiness of all with whom you come in contact. You will notice the neglected, inform the ignorant, encourage the oppressed and desponding, and, as far as possible, relieve the suffering. And you will not only point the way to heaven, but will walk in that way yourselves.  {AG 292.5}
[AG 293.1]       Chap. 285 - Abiding in Christ         I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5.  {AG 293.1}
[AG 293.2]            Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, "Without me ye can do nothing." Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness--all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly--by abiding in Him--that we grow in grace. He is not only the author, but the finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. David says, "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:8).  {AG 293.2}
[AG 293.3]         Do you ask, "How am I to abide in Christ?"--In the same way as you received Him at first. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Colossians 2:6). . . . You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart, but having given yourself to God, you believed that He for Christ's sake did all this for you. By faith you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him--by giving and taking. You are to give all --your heart, your will, your service--give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all--Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper--to give you power to obey. . . .  {AG 293.3}
[AG 293.4]          Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love--this is the subject for the soul's contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.  {AG 293.4}
[AG 294.1]       Chap. 286 - Physically and Spiritually         Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2.  {AG 294.1}
[AG 294.2]            God's purpose for His children is that they shall grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ. In order to do this, they must use aright every power of mind, soul, and body. They cannot afford to waste any mental or physical strength.  {AG 294.2}
[AG 294.3]          The question of how to preserve the health is one of primary importance. When we study this question in the fear of God we shall learn that it is best, for both our physical and spiritual advancement, to observe simplicity in diet. Let us patiently study this question. . . .  {AG 294.3}
[AG 294.4]          Those who have received instruction regarding the evils of the use of flesh foods, tea and coffee, and rich and unhealthful food preparations, and who are determined to make a covenant with God by sacrifice, will not continue to indulge their appetite for food that they know to be unhealthful. God demands that the appetites be cleansed, and that self-denial be practiced in regard to those things which are not good. This is a work that will have to be done before His people can stand before Him a perfected people. . . .  {AG 294.4}
[AG 294.5]          God requires of His people continual advancement. We need to learn that indulged appetite is the greatest hindrance to mental improvement and soul sanctification. With all our profession of health reform, many of us eat improperly. Indulgence of appetite is the greatest cause of physical and mental debility, and lies largely at the foundation of feebleness and premature death. Let the individual who is seeking to possess purity of spirit bear in mind that in Christ there is power to control the appetite.  {AG 294.5}
[AG 294.6]          The health of the body is to be regarded as essential for growth in grace and the acquirement of an even temper. . . . Erroneous eating and drinking result in erroneous thinking and acting. All are now being tested and proved. We have been baptized into Christ, and if we will act our part by separating from everything that would drag us down . . . there will be given us strength to grow up into Christ, who is our living head, and we shall see the salvation of God.  {AG 294.6}
[AG 295.1]       Chap. 287 - Keeping the Heart         Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23.  {AG 295.1}
[AG 295.2]            Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a healthy growth in grace. The heart in its natural state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and sinful passions. When brought into subjection to Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all defilement. This cannot be done without the consent of the individual.  {AG 295.2}
[AG 295.3]          When the soul has been cleansed, it is the duty of the Christian to keep it undefiled. Many seem to think that the religion of Christ does not call for the abandonment of daily sins, the breaking loose from habits which have held the soul in bondage. They renounce some things condemned by the conscience, but they fail to represent Christ in the daily life. They do not bring Christlikeness into the home. They do not show a thoughtful care in their choice of words. Too often, fretful, impatient words are spoken, words which stir the worst passions of the human heart. Such ones need the abiding presence of Christ in the soul. Only in His strength can they keep guard over the words and actions. . . .  {AG 295.3}
[AG 295.4]          Many seem to begrudge moments spent in meditation, and the searching of the Scriptures, and prayer, as though the time thus occupied was lost. I wish you could all view these things in the light God would have you for you would then make the kingdom of heaven of the first importance. To keep your heart in heaven will give vigor to all your graces, and put life into all your duties. . . . As exercise increases the appetite, and gives strength and healthy vigor to the body, so will devotional exercises bring an increase of grace and spiritual vigor. . . .  {AG 295.4}
[AG 295.5]          Let the prayer go up to God, "Create in me a clean heart" (Psalm 51:10); for a pure, cleansed soul has Christ abiding therein, and out of the abundance of the heart are the issues of life. The human will is to be yielded to Christ. Instead of passing on, closing the heart in selfishness, there is need of opening the heart to the sweet influences of the Spirit of God. Practical religion breathes its fragrance everywhere. It is a savor of life unto life.  {AG 295.5}
[AG 296.1]      Chap. 288 - First, an Empty Heart         Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Mark 12:30, 31.  {AG 296.1}
[AG 296.2]            On these two commandments the whole interest and duty of moral beings hang. Those who do their duty to others as they would that others should do to them are brought into a position where God can reveal Himself to them. They will be approved of Him. They are made perfect in love, and their labors and prayers will not be in vain. They are continually receiving grace and truth from the Fountainhead, and as freely transmitting to others the divine light and salvation they receive. . . .  {AG 296.2}
[AG 296.3]          Selfishness is abomination in the sight of God and holy angels. Because of this sin many fail to attain the good which they are capable of enjoying. They look with selfish eyes on their own things, and do not love and seek the interest of others as they do their own. They reverse God's order. Instead of doing for others what they wish others to do for them, they do for themselves what they desire others to do for them, and do to others what they are most unwilling to have returned to them.  {AG 296.3}
[AG 296.4]          How is it possible that we may grow in grace? It is possible to us only as we empty our hearts of self, and present them to Heaven, to be molded after the divine Pattern. We may have a connection with the living channel of light; we may be refreshed with the heavenly dew, and have the showers of Heaven descend upon us. As we appropriate the blessing of God, we shall be able to receive greater measures of His grace. As we learn to endure as seeing Him who is invisible, we shall become changed into the image of Christ. The grace of Christ will not make us proud, cause us to be lifted up in self, but we shall become meek and lowly in heart.  {AG 296.4}
[AG 296.5]          Growth in grace will not lead you to be proud, self-confident, and boastful, but will make you more conscious of your own nothingness, of your entire dependence upon the Lord.  {AG 296.5}
[AG 297.1]       Chap. 289 - Snares to Shun         For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:16.  {AG 297.1}
[AG 297.2]            Pride and the love of the world are the snares which are so great a hindrance to spirituality and a growth in grace.  {AG 297.2}
[AG 297.3]          This world is not the Christian's heaven, but merely the workshop of God, where we are to be fitted up to unite with the sinless angels in a holy heaven. We should be constantly training the mind to noble, unselfish thoughts. This education is necessary to so bring into exercise the powers which God has given us that His name shall best be glorified upon the earth. We are accountable for all the noble qualities which God has given us, and to put these faculties to a use He never designed we should is showing base ingratitude to Him. The service of God demands all the powers of our being, and we fail of meeting the design of God unless we bring these powers to a high state of cultivation, and educate the mind to love to contemplate heavenly things, and strengthen and ennoble the energies of the soul by right actions, operating to the glory of God. . . .  {AG 297.3}
[AG 297.4]          Unless the mind is educated to dwell upon religious themes, it will be weak and feeble in this direction. But while dwelling upon worldly enterprises, it will be strong; for in this direction it has been cultivated, and has strengthened with exercise. The reason it is so difficult for men and women to live religious lives is because they do not exercise the mind unto godliness. It is trained to run in an opposite direction. Unless the mind is constantly exercised in obtaining spiritual knowledge and in seeking to understand the mystery of godliness, it is incapable of appreciating eternal things. . . . When the heart is divided, dwelling principally upon things of the world, and but little upon the things of God, there can be no special increase of spiritual strength.  {AG 297.4}
[AG 297.5]          While worldling are all earnestness and ambition to secure earthly treasure, God's people are not conformed to the world, but show by their earnest, watching, waiting position that they are transformed; that their home is not in this world, but that they are seeking a better country, even a heavenly.  {AG 297.5}
[AG 298.1]       Chap. 290 - In Humility         Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5.  {AG 298.1}
[AG 298.2]            The confiding love and unselfish devotion manifested in the life and character of John present lessons of untold value to the Christian church. John did not naturally possess the loveliness of character that his later experience revealed. By nature he had serious defects. He was not only proud, self-assertive, and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful under injury. . . . But beneath all this the divine Teacher discerned the ardent, sincere, loving heart. Jesus rebuked his self-seeking, disappointed his ambitions, tested his faith. But He revealed to him that for which his soul longed--the beauty of holiness, the transforming power of love.  {AG 298.2}
[AG 298.3]          The lessons of Christ, setting forth meekness and humility and love as essential to growth in grace and a fitness for His work, were of the highest value to John. He treasured every lesson, and constantly sought to bring his life into harmony with the divine pattern. John had begun to discern the glory of Christ--not the worldly pomp and power for which he had been taught to hope, but "the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). . . . John desired to become like Jesus, and under the transforming influence of the love of Christ he did become meek and lowly. Self was hid in Jesus.  {AG 298.3}
[AG 298.4]          The Lord Jesus seeks the co-operation of those who will become unobstructed channels for the communication of His grace. The first thing to be learned . . . is the lesson of self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character of Christ. This is not to be gained through education in the most scientific schools. It is the fruit of wisdom that is obtained from the divine Teacher alone. . . .  {AG 298.4}
[AG 298.5]          Men of the highest education in the arts and sciences have learned precious lessons from Christians in humble life who were designated by the world as unlearned. But these obscure disciples had obtained an education in the highest of all schools. They had sat at the feet of Him who spoke as "never man spake" (John 7:46).  {AG 298.5}
[AG 299.1]       Chap. 291 - In Kindness         Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Colossians 3:12.  {AG 299.1}
[AG 299.2]            Let the law of kindness be upon your lips and the oil of grace in your heart. This will produce wonderful results. You will be tender, sympathetic, courteous. You need all these graces. The Holy Spirit must be received and brought into your character; then it will be as holy fire, giving forth incense which will rise up to God, not from lips that condemn, but as a healer of the souls of men. Your countenance will express the image of the divine. . . . By beholding the character of Christ you will become changed into His likeness. The grace of Christ alone can change your heart and then you will reflect the image of the Lord Jesus. God calls upon us to be like Him--pure, holy, and undefiled. We are to bear the divine image. . . .  {AG 299.2}
[AG 299.3]          The Lord Jesus is our only helper. Through His grace we shall learn to cultivate love, to educate ourselves to speak kindly and tenderly. Through His grace our cold, harsh manners will be transformed. The law of kindness will be upon our lips, and those who are under the precious influences of the Holy Spirit, will not feel that it is an evidence of weakness to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with them that rejoice. We are to cultivate heavenly excellences of character. We are to learn what it means to have good-will toward all men, a sincere desire to be as sunshine and not as shadow in the lives of others.  {AG 299.3}
[AG 299.4]          Seize every opportunity to contribute to the happiness of those around you, sharing with them your affection. Words of kindness, looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would to many a struggling, lonely one be as a cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. . . .  {AG 299.4}
[AG 299.5]          Live in the sunshine of the Saviour's love. Then your influence will bless the world. Let the Spirit of Christ control you. Let the law of kindness be ever on your lips. Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and actions of those who are born again, to live the new life in Christ.  {AG 299.5}
[AG 300.1]       Chap. 292 - We Must Follow On         Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning. Hosea 6:3.  {AG 300.1}
[AG 300.2]            Christ came to teach the human family the way of salvation, and He made this way so plain that a little child can walk in it. He bids His disciples follow on to know the Lord; and as they daily follow His guidance, they learn that His going forth is prepared as the morning.  {AG 300.2}
[AG 300.3]          You have watched the rising sun, and the gradual break of day over earth and sky. Little by little the dawn increases, till the sun appears; then the light grows constantly stronger and clearer until the full glory of noontide is reached. This is a beautiful illustration of what God desires to do for His children in perfecting their Christian experience. As we walk day by day in the light He sends us, in willing obedience to all His requirements, our experience grows and broadens until we reach the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. . . .  {AG 300.3}
[AG 300.4]          Christ did not come to the earth as a king, to rule the nations. He came as a humble man, to be tempted, and to overcome temptation, to follow on, as we must, to know the Lord. In the study of His life we shall learn how much God through Him will do for His children. And we shall learn that, however great our trials may be, they cannot exceed what Christ endured that we might know the way, the truth, and the life. By a life of conformity to His example, we are to show our appreciation of His sacrifice in our behalf.  {AG 300.4}
[AG 300.5]          As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ. . . .  {AG 300.5}
[AG 300.6]          You are just as dependent upon Christ, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness. Apart from Him you have no life. You have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness. Abiding in Him, you may flourish. Drawing your life from Him, you will not wither nor be fruitless. You will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.  {AG 300.6}
[AG 301.1]       Chap. 293 - Reflecting Jesus         Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29.  {AG 301.1}
[AG 301.2]            I have a continual longing for Christ to be formed within, the hope of glory. I long to be beautified every day with the meekness and gentleness of Christ, growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. I must as an individual, through the grace given me of Jesus Christ, keep my own soul in health by keeping it as a divine channel through which His grace, His love, His patience, His meekness, shall flow to the world. This is my duty and no less the duty of every church member who claims to be a son or a daughter of God.  {AG 301.2}
[AG 301.3]          The Lord Jesus has made His church the depositary of sacred truth. He has left with her the work of carrying out His purposes and His plans to save the souls for whom He has manifested such interest, such unmeasured love. Like the sun in relation to our world, He rises amid the moral darkness--the Sun of Righteousness. He said of Himself, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). He said to His followers, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). . . . By reflecting the image of Jesus Christ, by the beauty and holiness of their characters, by their continual self-denial and their separation from all idols, large or small, they reveal that they have learned in the school of Christ.  {AG 301.3}
[AG 301.4]          The Scripture says of Christ that grace was poured into His lips that He might "know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Psalm 45:2; Isaiah 50:4). And the Lord bids us, "Let your speech be alway with grace" (Colossians 4:6) "that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29).  {AG 301.4}
[AG 301.5]         In seeking to correct or reform others we should be careful of our words. They will be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. . . . All who would advocate the principles of truth need to receive the heavenly oil of love. Under all circumstances reproof should be spoken in love. Then our words will reform but not exasperate. Christ by His Holy Spirit will supply the force and the power. This is His work.  {AG 301.5}
[AG 302.1]       Chap. 294 - When We Fail         Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:8.  {AG 302.1}
[AG 302.2]            Nothing but divine power can regenerate the human heart and imbue souls with the love of Christ, which will ever manifest itself with love for those for whom He died. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. When a man is converted to God, a new moral taste is supplied, a new motive power is given, and he loves the things that God loves. . . . Love, joy, peace, and inexpressible gratitude will pervade the soul, and the language of him who is blessed will be, "Thy gentleness hath made me great" (Psalm 18:35).  {AG 302.2}
[AG 302.3]         But those who are waiting to behold a magical change in their characters without determined effort on their part to overcome sin, will be disappointed. We have no reason to fear while looking to Jesus, no reason to doubt but that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him; but we may constantly fear lest our old nature will again obtain the supremacy, that the enemy shall devise some snare whereby we shall again become his captives. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. . . .  {AG 302.3}
[AG 302.4]          We are to grow daily in spiritual loveliness. We shall fail often in our efforts to copy the divine pattern. We shall often have to bow down to weep at the feet of Jesus, because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged; we are to pray more fervently, believe more fully, and try again with more steadfastness to grow into the likeness of our Lord. As we distrust our own power, we shall trust the power of our Redeemer, and render praise to God, who is the health of our countenance, and our God. . . .  {AG 302.4}
[AG 302.5]          By beholding we are to become changed; and as we meditate upon the perfections of the divine Model, we shall desire to become wholly transformed, and renewed in the image of His purity. It is by faith in the Son of God that transformation takes place in the character, and the child of wrath becomes the child of God.  {AG 302.5}
[AG 303.1]       Chap. 295 - Feasting on his Word         And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32.  {AG 303.1}
[AG 303.2]            The great and essential knowledge is the knowledge of God and His Word. . . . There should be a daily increasing of spiritual understanding; and the Christian will grow in grace, just in proportion as he depends upon and appreciates the teaching of the Word of God, and habituates himself to meditate upon divine things.  {AG 303.2}
[AG 303.3]          In giving us the privilege of studying His Word, the Lord has set before us a rich banquet. Many are the benefits derived from feasting on His Word, which is represented by Him as His flesh and blood, His spirit and life. By partaking of this Word our spiritual strength is increased; we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Habits of self-control are formed and strengthened. The infirmities of childhood--fretfulness, willfulness, selfishness, hasty words, passionate acts --disappear, and in their place are developed the graces of Christian manhood and womanhood.  {AG 303.3}
[AG 303.4]          The Lord, in His great mercy, has revealed to us in the Scriptures the rules of holy living. . . .  {AG 303.4}
[AG 303.5]          He has inspired holy men to record, for our benefit, instruction concerning the dangers that beset the path, and how to escape them. Those who obey His injunction to search the Scriptures will not be ignorant of these things. Amid the perils of the last days, every member of the church should understand the reasons of his hope and faith--reasons which are not difficult of comprehension. There is enough to occupy the mind, if we would grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  {AG 303.5}
[AG 303.6]          Whenever the people of God are growing in grace, they will be constantly obtaining a clearer understanding of His Word. They will discern new light and beauty in its sacred truths. This has been true in the history of the church in all ages, and thus it will continue to the end.  {AG 303.6}
[AG 304.1]       Chap. 296 - From One Source Only         Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17.  {AG 304.1}
[AG 304.2]            Your strength and growth in grace come only from one source. If when you are tempted and tried you stand bravely for the right, victory is yours. You are one step nearer to perfection of Christian character. A holy light from heaven fills the chambers of your soul, and you are surrounded by a pure, fragrant atmosphere.  {AG 304.2}
[AG 304.3]          It is our privilege to stand with the light of heaven upon us. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. It was no easier for Enoch to live a righteous life than it is for us at the present time. The world in his time was no more favorable to growth in grace and holiness than it is now.  {AG 304.3}
[AG 304.4]          It was by prayer and communion with God that Enoch was enabled to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are living in the perils of the last days, and we must receive our strength from the same source. We must walk with God. A separation from the world is required of us, for we cannot remain free from its pollution unless we follow the example of the faithful Enoch. . . .  {AG 304.4}
[AG 304.5]          How many there are as weak as water who might have a never-failing source of strength. Heaven is ready to impart to us, that we may be mighty in God, and attain to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. What increase of spiritual power have you gained during the last year? Who among us have gained one precious attainment after another, until envy, pride, malice, jealousy, and selfishness have been swept away, and only the graces of the Spirit remain--meekness, forbearance, gentleness, charity? God will help us if we take hold of the help He has provided.  {AG 304.5}
[AG 304.6]          No other creature that God has made is capable of such improvement, such refinement, such nobility as man. . . . Man cannot conceive what he may be and what he may become. Through the grace of Christ he is capable of constant mental progress. Let the light of truth shine into his mind and the love of God be shed abroad in his heart and he may, through the grace Christ has died to impart to him, be a man of power--a child of earth but an heir of immortality.  {AG 304.6}
[AG 305.1]       Chap. 297 - Helping Others         He that watereth shall be watered also himself. Proverbs 11:25.  {AG 305.1}
[AG 305.2]            Christ presents to us who are athirst the water of life, that we may drink freely; when we do this we have Christ within us as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Then our words are full of moisture. We are prepared to water others.  {AG 305.2}
[AG 305.3]          No sooner does one come to Christ, than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace. If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we shall have something to tell. . . .  {AG 305.3}
[AG 305.4]          And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption. . . .  {AG 305.4}
[AG 305.5]          If you will go to work as Christ designs that His disciples shall, and win souls for Him, you will feel the need of a deeper experience and a greater knowledge in divine things, and will hunger and thirst after righteousness. You will plead with God, and your faith will be strengthened, and your soul will drink deeper drafts at the well of salvation. Encountering opposition and trials will drive you to the Bible and prayer. You will grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ, and will develop a rich experience.  {AG 305.5}
[AG 305.6]          The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. The aspirations are elevated. There is no room for sloth or selfishness. Those who thus exercise the Christian graces will grow, and will become strong to work for God. They will have clear spiritual perceptions, a steady, growing faith, and an increased power in prayer. The Spirit of God, moving upon their spirit, calls forth the sacred harmonies of the soul, in answer to the divine touch. Those who thus devote themselves to unselfish effort for the good of others, are most surely working out their own salvation. The only way to grow in grace is . . . to engage, to the extent of our ability, in helping and blessing those who need the help we can give them.  {AG 305.6}
[AG 306.1]       Chap. 298 - Spiritual Exercise a Must         Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13.  {AG 306.1}
[AG 306.2]            An elevated standard is presented before the youth, and God is inviting them to come into real service for Him. True-hearted young men who delight to be learners in the school of Christ, can do a great work for the Master, if they will only give heed to the command of the Captain as it sounds down along the lines to our time, "Quit you like men, be strong."  {AG 306.2}
[AG 306.3]          Strength comes by exercise. All who put to use the ability which God has given them will have increased ability to devote to His service. Those who do nothing in the cause of God will fail to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. A man who would lie down and refuse to exercise his limbs would soon lose all power to use them. Thus the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers not only fails to grow up into Christ, but he loses the strength which he already has; he becomes a spiritual paralytic. It is those who, with love for God and their fellow men, are striving to help others that become established, strengthened, settled, in the truth. The true Christian works for God, not from impulse, but from principle; not for a day or a month, but during the entire period of life.  {AG 306.3}
[AG 306.4]          This world is not a parade ground, but a battlefield. All are called to endure hardness, as good soldiers. They are to be strong and quit themselves like men. . . . The true test of character is found in the willingness to bear burdens, to take the hard place, to do the work that needs to be done, though it bring no earthly recognition or reward.  {AG 306.4}
[AG 306.5]          O that each one would place a proper estimate upon the capabilities that have been given him of God! Through Christ you may climb the ladder of progress, and bring every power under the control of Jesus. . . . In your own strength you can do nothing; but in the grace of Jesus Christ, you can employ your powers in such a way as to bring the greatest good to your own soul, and the greatest blessing to the souls of others. Lay hold of Jesus, and you will diligently work the works of Christ, and will finally receive the eternal reward.  {AG 306.5}
[AG 307.1]       Chap. 299 - A Divine Prescription         That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:12.  {AG 307.1}
[AG 307.2]            Many are longing to grow in grace; they pray over the matter, and are surprised that their prayers are not answered. The Master has given them a work to do whereby they shall grow. Of what value is it to pray when there is need of work? The question is, Are they seeking to save souls for whom Christ died? Spiritual growth depends upon giving to others the light that God has given to you. You are to put forth your best thoughts in active labor to do good, and only good, in your family, in your church, and in your neighborhood.  {AG 307.2}
[AG 307.3]          In place of growing anxious with the thought that you are not growing in grace, just do every duty that presents itself, carry the burden of souls on your heart, and by every conceivable means seek to save the lost. Be kind, be courteous, be pitiful; speak in humility of the blessed hope; talk of the love of Jesus; tell of His goodness, His mercy, and His righteousness; and cease to worry as to whether or not you are growing. Plants do not grow through any conscious effort. . . . The plant is not in continual worriment about its growth; it just grows under the supervision of God.  {AG 307.3}
[AG 307.4]          If we will consecrate heart and mind to the service of God, doing the work He has for us to do and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts will become sacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to the Lamb sent by God to take away the sins of the world. . . .  {AG 307.4}
[AG 307.5]          The Lord Jesus is our strength and happiness, the great storehouse from which, on every occasion, men may draw strength. As we study Him, talk of Him, become more and more able to behold Him--as we avail ourselves of His grace and receive the blessings He proffers us, we have something with which to help others. Filled with gratitude, we communicate to others the blessings that have been freely given us. Thus receiving and imparting, we grow in grace.  {AG 307.5}
[AG 308.1]       Chap. 300 - No Place for Idleness         He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Luke 11:23.  {AG 308.1}
[AG 308.2]            How is our light to shine forth to the world unless it be by our consistent Christian life? How is the world to know that we belong to Christ, if we do nothing for Him? . . . There is no neutral ground between those who work to the utmost of their ability for Christ and those who work for the adversary of souls. Everyone who stands as an idler in the vineyard of the Lord is not merely doing nothing himself, but he is a hindrance to those who are trying to work. Satan finds employment for all who are not earnestly striving to secure their own salvation and the salvation of others. . . . Whenever a Christian is off his guard, this powerful adversary makes a sudden and violent attack. Unless the members of the church are active and vigilant, they will be overcome by his devices.  {AG 308.2}
[AG 308.3]          Many who should stand firm for righteousness and truth have manifested weakness and indecision that have encouraged the assaults of Satan. Those who fail to grow in grace, not seeking to reach the highest standard in divine attainments, will be overcome. . . .  {AG 308.3}
[AG 308.4]          In this season of conflict and trial we need all the support and consolation we can derive from righteous principles, from fixed religious convictions, from the abiding assurance of the love of Christ, and from a rich experience in divine things. We shall attain to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus only as the result of a steady growth in grace.  {AG 308.4}
[AG 308.5]          It is the work that we do or do not do that tells with tremendous power upon our lives and destinies. God requires us to improve every opportunity for usefulness that is offered us. Neglect to do this is perilous to our spiritual growth. We have a great work to do. Let us not pass in idleness the precious hours that God has given us in which to perfect characters for heaven. We must not be inactive or slothful in this work, for we have not a moment to spend without a purpose or object. God will help us to overcome our wrongs if we will pray and believe on Him. We can be more than conquerors through Him who has loved us.  {AG 308.5}
[AG 309.1]       Chap. 301 - In Life's Necessary Duties         Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24.  {AG 309.1}
[AG 309.2]            Your spiritual strength and growth in grace will be proportionate to the labor of love and good works which you do cheerfully for your Saviour, who has withheld nothing, not even His own life, that He might save you. . . .  {AG 309.2}
[AG 309.3]          Our good works alone will not save any of us, but we cannot be saved without good works. And after we have done all that we can do, in the name and strength of Jesus we are to say: "We are unprofitable servants" (Luke 17:10).  {AG 309.3}
[AG 309.4]          If you have the riches of the grace of Christ in your heart, you will not keep them to yourselves while the salvation of souls depends upon a knowledge of the way of salvation that you can give. These may not come to you and tell you their heart longings, but many are hungry, unsatisfied, and Christ died that they might have the riches of His grace. What are you going to do that these souls may share the blessings that you enjoy? . . .  {AG 309.4}
[AG 309.5]          Growth in grace is shown in an increasing ability to work for God. He who learns in the school of Christ will know how to pray and how to speak for the Master. Realizing that he lacks wisdom and experience, he will place himself under the training of the Great Teacher, knowing that only thus he can obtain perfection in God's service. And daily he becomes better able to comprehend spiritual things. Every day of diligent labor finds him at its close better fitted to help others.  {AG 309.5}
[AG 309.6]          The essential lesson of contented industry in the necessary duties of life is yet to be learned by many of Christ's followers. It requires more grace, more stern discipline of character, to work for God in the capacity of mechanic, merchant, lawyer, or farmer, carrying the precepts of Christianity into the ordinary business of life, than to labor as an acknowledged missionary in the open field. It requires a strong spiritual nerve to bring religion into the workshop and the business office, sanctifying the details of everyday life, and ordering every transaction according to the standard of God's Word. But this is what the Lord requires.  {AG 309.6}
[AG 310.1]       Chap. 302 - Little Opportunities         Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Ecclesiastes 9:10.  {AG 310.1}
[AG 310.2]            Nothing will so arouse a self-sacrificing zeal and broaden and strengthen the character as to engage in work for others. . . . None need wait until called to some distant field before beginning to help others. Doors of service are open everywhere. All around us are those who need our help. The widow, the orphan, the sick and the dying, the heartsick, the discouraged, the ignorant, and the outcast are on every hand.  {AG 310.2}
[AG 310.3]          We should feel it our special duty to work for those living in our neighborhood. Study how you can best help those who take no interest in religious things. As you visit your friends and neighbors, show an interest in their spiritual as well as in their temporal welfare. Speak to them of Christ as a sin-pardoning Saviour. Invite your neighbors to your home, and read with them from the precious Bible and from books that explain its truths. Invite them to unite with you in song and prayer. In these little gatherings, Christ Himself will be present, as He has promised, and hearts will be touched by His grace. . . .  {AG 310.3}
[AG 310.4]          Many regret that they are living a narrow life. They themselves can make their life broad and influential if they will. Those who love Jesus with heart and mind and soul, and their neighbor as themselves, have a wide field in which to use their ability and influence. Let none pass by little opportunities, to look for larger work. You might do successfully the small work, but fail utterly in attempting the larger work, and fall into discouragement. It is by doing with your might what you find to do that you will develop aptitude for larger work. It is by slighting the daily opportunities, by neglecting the little things right at hand, that so many become fruitless and withered. . . .  {AG 310.4}
[AG 310.5]          In fields where the conditions are so objectionable and disheartening that many are unwilling to go to them, remarkable changes have been wrought by the efforts of self-sacrificing workers. Patiently and perseveringly they labored, not relying upon human power, but upon God, and His grace sustained them. The amount of good thus accomplished will never be known in this world, but blessed results will be seen in the great hereafter.  {AG 310.5}
[AG 311.1]       Chap. 303 - Why Trials?         And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3.  {AG 311.1}
[AG 311.2]            Here is the process, the refining, purifying process, to be carried on by the Lord of hosts. The work is most trying to the soul, but it is only through this process that the rubbish and defiling impurities can be removed. Our trials are all necessary to bring us close to our heavenly Father, in obedience to His will, that we may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. God has given each of us capabilities, talents to improve. We need a new and living experience in the divine life, in order to do the will of God. No amount of past experience will suffice for the present, or will strengthen us to overcome the difficulties in our path. We must have new grace and fresh strength daily in order to be victorious. . . .  {AG 311.2}
[AG 311.3]          Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, and many others, were all sorely tried, but not in the same way. Everyone has his individual tests and trials in the drama of life, but the very same trial seldom comes twice. Each has his own experience, peculiar in its character and circumstances, to accomplish a certain work. God has a work, a purpose, in the life of each and all of us. Every act, however small, has its place. . . .  {AG 311.3}
[AG 311.4]          Would that all might feel that every step they take may have a lasting and controlling influence upon their own lives and the characters of others. Oh, how much need, then, of communion with God! What need of divine grace to direct every step, and show us how to perfect Christian characters!  {AG 311.4}
[AG 311.5]          Christians will have new scenes and new trials to pass through, where their past experience cannot be a sufficient guide. We need to learn of the divine Teacher as much now as at any period of our lives, and even more. And the more experience we gain, the nearer we draw toward the pure light of heaven, the more shall we discern in ourselves that needs reforming. . . . The path of the just is a progressive one, from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and from glory to glory. The divine illumination will increase more and more, corresponding with our onward movements, qualifying us to meet the responsibilities and emergencies before us.  {AG 311.5}
[AG 312.1]       Chap. 304 - "Fulness of God"         And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:19.  {AG 312.1}
[AG 312.2]            God calls upon those who know His will to be doers of His word. Weakness, halfheartedness, and indecision provoke the assaults of Satan; and those who permit these traits to grow will be borne helplessly down by the surging waves of temptation. . . .  {AG 312.2}
[AG 312.3]          Every means of grace should be diligently improved that the love of God may abound in the soul more and more, "that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness" (Philippians 1:10, 11). Your Christian life must take on vigorous and stalwart forms. You can attain to the high standard set before you in the Scriptures, and you must if you would be children of God. You cannot stand still; you must either advance or retrograde. You must have spiritual knowledge, that you "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ," that you may "be filled with all the fulness of God." . . .  {AG 312.3}
[AG 312.4]          Will you have a stinted Christian growth, or will you make healthy progress in the divine life? Where there is spiritual health there is growth. The child of God grows up to the full stature of a man or woman in Christ. There is no limit to his improvement. . . .  {AG 312.4}
[AG 312.5]          We have great victories to gain, and a heaven to lose if we do not gain them. The carnal heart must be crucified; for its tendency is to moral corruption, and the end thereof is death. Nothing but the life-giving influences of the gospel can help the soul. Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperative, and transforming power, may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness. You will thus become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust; and in your souls will be reflected the image of Him by whose stripes you are healed.  {AG 312.5}
[AG 313.1]       Chap. 305 - Wages or Gift?         The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.  {AG 313.1}
[AG 313.2]            Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. He was made captive by Satan, and would have remained so forever had not God specially interposed. It was the tempter's purpose to thwart the divine plan in man's creation, and fill the earth with woe and desolation.  {AG 313.2}
[AG 313.3]          By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: "Dead in trespasses and sins;" "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;" "no soundness in it" (Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6). We are held fast in the snare of Satan, "taken captive by him at his will" (2 Timothy 2:26). God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.  {AG 313.3}
[AG 313.4]          The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness. . . .  {AG 313.4}
[AG 313.5]          God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced submission would prevent all real development of mind or character; it would make man a mere automaton. Such is not the purpose of the Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative power, shall reach the highest possible development. He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us through His grace. He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work His will in us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.  {AG 313.5}
[AG 314.1]       Chap. 306 - Counting the Cost         But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Philippians 3:7.  {AG 314.1}
[AG 314.2]            Moses renounced a prospective kingdom, Paul the advantages of wealth and honor among his people, for a life of burden bearing in God's service. To many the life of these men appears one of renunciation and sacrifice. Was it really so? . . .  {AG 314.2}
[AG 314.3]          Moses was offered the palace of the Pharaohs and the monarch's throne; but the sinful pleasures that make men forget God were in those lordly courts, and he chose instead the "durable riches and righteousness" (Proverbs 8:18). Instead of linking himself with the greatness of Egypt, he chose to bind up his life with God's purpose. Instead of giving laws to Egypt, he by divine direction enacted laws for the world. He became God's instrument in giving to men those principles that are the safeguard alike of the home and of society, that are the cornerstone of the prosperity of nations--principles recognized today by the world's greatest men as the foundation of all that is best in human governments.  {AG 314.3}
[AG 314.4]          The greatness of Egypt is in the dust. Its power and civilization have passed away. But the work of Moses can never perish. The great principles of righteousness which he lived to establish are eternal. . . .  {AG 314.4}
[AG 314.5]          With Christ in the wilderness wandering, with Christ on the mount of transfiguration, with Christ in the heavenly courts --his was a life on earth blessing and blessed, and in heaven honored.  {AG 314.5}
[AG 314.6]          Paul also in his manifold labors was upheld by the sustaining power of His presence. "I can do all things," he said, "through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). . . . Who can measure the results to the world of Paul's lifework? Of all those beneficent influences that alleviate suffering, that comfort sorrow, that restrain evil, that uplift life from the selfish and the sensual, and glorify it with the hope of immortality, how much is due to the labors of Paul and his fellow workers, as with the gospel of the Son of God they made their unnoticed journey from Asia to the shores of Europe?  {AG 314.6}
[AG 314.7]          What is it worth to any life to have been God's instrument in setting in motion such influences of blessing? What will it be worth in eternity to witness the results of such a lifework?  {AG 314.7}
[AG 315.1]       Chap. 307 - Look and Live         As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14, 15.  {AG 315.1}
[AG 315.2]            The lifting up of the brazen serpent ［Numbers 21:4-9］ was to teach Israel an important lesson. They could not save themselves from the fatal effect of the poison in their wounds. God alone was able to heal them. Yet they were required to show their faith in the provision which He had made. They must look in order to live. It was their faith that was acceptable with God, and by looking upon the serpent their faith was shown. They knew that there was no virtue in the serpent itself, but it was a symbol of Christ; and the necessity of faith in His merits was thus presented to their minds. Heretofore many had brought their offerings to God, and had felt that in so doing they made ample atonement for their sins. They did not rely upon the Redeemer to come, of whom these offerings were only a type. The Lord would now teach them that their sacrifices, in themselves, had no more power or virtue than the serpent of brass, but were, like that, to lead their minds to Christ, the great sin offering. . . .  {AG 315.2}
[AG 315.3]          The Israelites saved their lives by looking upon the uplifted serpent. That look implied faith. They lived because they believed God's word, and trusted in the means provided for their recovery. So the sinner may look to Christ, and live. He receives pardon through faith in the atoning sacrifice. Unlike the inert and lifeless symbol, Christ has power and virtue in Himself to heal the repenting sinner.  {AG 315.3}
[AG 315.4]          While the sinner cannot save himself, he still has something to do to secure salvation. "Him that cometh to me," says Christ, "I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). But we must come to Him; and when we repent of our sins, we must believe that He accepts and pardons us. Faith is the gift of God, but the power to exercise it is ours. Faith is the hand by which the soul takes hold upon the divine offers of grace and mercy. . . .  {AG 315.4}
[AG 315.5]          Jesus had pledged His word; He will save all who come unto Him. Though millions who need it to be healed will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish.  {AG 315.5}
[AG 316.1]       Chap. 308 - When Satan is Powerless         The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18.  {AG 316.1}
[AG 316.2]           Satan knows that those who ask God for pardon and grace will obtain it; therefore he presents their sins before them to discourage them. Against those who are trying to obey God, he is constantly seeking occasion for complaint. Even their best and most acceptable service he seeks to make appear corrupt. By countless devices, the most subtle and the most cruel, he endeavors to secure their condemnation.  {AG 316.2}
[AG 316.3]          In his own strength, man cannot meet the charges of the enemy. In sin-stained garments, confessing his guilt, he stands before God. But Jesus, our Advocate, presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him. He pleads their cause, and by the mighty arguments of Calvary, vanquishes their accuser. His perfect obedience to God's law has given Him all power in heaven and in earth, and He claims from His Father mercy and reconciliation for guilty man. To the accuser of His people He declares: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. These are the purchase of My blood, brands plucked from the burning." And to those who rely on Him in faith, He gives the assurance, "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." (Zechariah 3:4).  {AG 316.3}
[AG 316.4]          All who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of the Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power. His word is pledged: "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me" (Isaiah 27:5). The promise given to Joshua is given to all: "If thou wilt keep my charge, . . . I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by" (Zechariah 3:7). Angels of God will walk on either side of them, even in this world, and they will stand at last among the angels that surround the throne of God.  {AG 316.4}
[AG 317.1]       Chap. 309 - For the Hungry and Thirsty         Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6.  {AG 317.1}
[AG 317.2]            Would that you could conceive of the rich supplies of grace and power awaiting your demand. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. We must exercise greater faith in calling upon God for all needed blessings.  {AG 317.2}
[AG 317.3]          The strength acquired in prayer to God, united with individual effort in training the mind to thoughtfulness and caretaking, prepares the person for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all circumstances, however trying. The temptations to which we are daily exposed make prayer a necessity. In order that we may be kept by the power of God through faith, the desires of the mind should be continually ascending in silent prayer for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge. But thought and prayer cannot take the place of earnest, faithful improvement of the time. Work and prayer are both required in perfecting Christian character.  {AG 317.3}
[AG 317.4]          We must live a twofold life--a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work. . . . God requires us to be living epistles, known and read of all men. The soul that turns to God for its strength, its support, its power, by daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual hungering and thirsting after righteousness.  {AG 317.4}
[AG 317.5]          Let us realize the weakness of humanity, and see where man fails in his self-sufficiency. We shall then be filled with a desire to be just what God desires us to be--pure, noble, sanctified. We shall hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ. To be like God will be the one desire of the soul. This is the desire that filled Enoch's heart. And we read that he walked with God. He studied the character of God to a purpose. He did not mark out his own course, or set up his own will. . . . He strove to conform himself to the divine likeness.  {AG 317.5}
[AG 317.6]          There is no excuse for defection or despondency, because all the promises of heavenly grace are for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. The intensity of desire represented by hungering and thirsting is a pledge that the coveted supply will be given.  {AG 317.6}
[AG 318.1]       Chap. 310 - With All Your Heart         And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13.  {AG 318.1}
[AG 318.2]            Many are leaning upon a supposed hope without a true foundation. The fountain is not cleansed, therefore the streams proceeding from that fountain are not pure. Cleanse the fountain, and the streams will be pure. If the heart is right, your words, your dress, your acts, will all be right. True godliness is lacking. I would not dishonor my Master so much as to admit that a careless, trifling, prayerless person is a Christian. No; a Christian has victory over his besetments, over his passions. There is a remedy for the sin-sick soul. That remedy is in Jesus. Precious Saviour! His grace is sufficient for the weakest; and the strongest must also have His grace or perish.  {AG 318.2}
[AG 318.3]          I saw how this grace could be obtained. Go to your closet, and there alone plead with God: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Be in earnest, be sincere. Fervent prayer availeth much. Jacoblike, wrestle in prayer. Agonize. Jesus, in the garden, sweat great drops of blood; you must make an effort. Do not leave your closet until you feel strong in God; then watch, and just as long as you watch and pray you can keep these evil besetments under, and the grace of God can and will appear in you.  {AG 318.3}
[AG 318.4]         God forbid that I should cease to warn you. Young friends, seek the Lord with all your heart. Come with zeal, and when you sincerely feel that without the help of God you perish, when you pant after Him as the hart panteth after the water brooks, then will the Lord strengthen you speedily. Then will your peace pass all understanding. If you expect salvation, you must pray. . . . Beg of God to work in you a thorough reformation, that the fruits of His Spirit may dwell in you. . . . It is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. A sweet heavenly peace will pervade the mind, and you will love to meditate upon God and heaven. You will feast upon the glorious promises of His Word. But know first that you have begun the Christian course. Know that the first steps are taken in the road to everlasting life.  {AG 318.4}
[AG 319.1]       Chap. 311 - "Not of Yourselves"         For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8.  {AG 319.1}
[AG 319.2]            The apostle desired those to whom he was writing to remember that they must reveal in their lives the glorious change wrought in them by Christ's transforming grace. They were to be lights in the world, by their purified, sanctified characters exerting an influence counter to the influence of satanic agencies. They were ever to remember the words, "Not of yourselves." They could not change their own hearts. And when by their efforts souls were led from the ranks of Satan to take their stand for Christ, they were not to claim any credit for the transformation wrought.  {AG 319.2}
[AG 319.3]         God calls upon all who will to come and drink of the waters of life freely. The power of God is the one element of efficiency in the grand work of obtaining the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is in accordance with the divine plan that we follow every ray of light given of God. Man can accomplish nothing without God, and God has arranged His plans so as to accomplish nothing in the restoration of the human race without the cooperation of the human with the divine. The part man is required to sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the plan of God it is just that part that is needed to make the work a success.  {AG 319.3}
[AG 319.4]          The great change that is seen in the life of a sinner after conversion is not brought about by any human goodness. . . .  {AG 319.4}
[AG 319.5]          He who is rich in mercy has imparted His grace to us. Then let praise and thanksgiving ascend to Him, because He has become our Saviour. Let His love, filling our hearts and minds, flow forth from our lives in rich currents of grace. When we were dead in trespasses and sins, He quickened us into spiritual life. He brought grace and pardon, filling the soul with new life. Thus the sinner passes from death to life. He now takes up his new duties in Christ's service. His life becomes true and strong, filled with good works. "Because I live," Christ said, "ye shall live also." . . .  {AG 319.5}
[AG 319.6]          There will be no second probation. Now, while it is called today, if we will hear the voice of the Lord, and turn fully to Him, He will have mercy upon us, and abundantly pardon.  {AG 319.6}
[AG 320.1]       Chap. 312 - Peace Restored         Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:2.  {AG 320.1}
[AG 320.2]            Christ is "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace.  {AG 320.2}
[AG 320.3]          There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love. He who is at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable. Envy will not be in his heart; evil surmisings will find no room there; hatred cannot exist. The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven and will diffuse its blessed influence on all around. The spirit of peace will rest like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife.  {AG 320.3}
[AG 320.4]          Christ's followers are sent to the world with the message of peace. Whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence of a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God, is a peacemaker. . . .  {AG 320.4}
[AG 320.5]          The spirit of peace is evidence of their connection with heaven. The sweet savor of Christ surrounds them. The fragrance of the life, the loveliness of the character, reveal to the world the fact that they are children of God. Men take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus.  {AG 320.5}
[AG 320.6]          The grace of Christ must be woven into every phase of the character. . . . Daily growth into the life of Christ creates in the soul a heaven of peace; in such a life there is continual fruit bearing. . . . In the lives of those who are ransomed by the blood of Christ, self-sacrifice will constantly appear. Goodness and righteousness will be seen. The quiet, inward experience will make the life full of godliness, faith, meekness, patience. This is to be our daily experience. We are to form characters free from sin--characters made righteous in and by the grace of Christ.  {AG 320.6}
[AG 321.1]       Chap. 313 - Union With Christ         But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:14.  {AG 321.1}
[AG 321.2]            To effect the salvation of men, God employs various agencies. He speaks to them by His word and by His ministers, and He sends by the Holy Spirit messages of warning, reproof, and instruction. These means are designed to enlighten the understanding of the people, to reveal to them their duty and their sins, and the blessings which they may receive; to awaken in them a sense of spiritual want, that they may go to Christ and find in Him the grace they need. . . .  {AG 321.2}
[AG 321.3]          Every individual, by his own act, either puts Christ from him by refusing to cherish His spirit and follow His example, or he enters into a personal union with Christ by self-renunciation, faith, and obedience. We must, each for himself, choose Christ, because He has first chosen us. This union with Christ is to be formed by those who are naturally at enmity with Him. It is a relation of utter dependence, to be entered into by a proud heart. This is close work, and many who profess to be followers of Christ know nothing of it. They nominally accept the Saviour, but not as the sole ruler of their hearts. . . .  {AG 321.3}
[AG 321.4]          To renounce their own will, perhaps their chosen object of affection or pursuit, requires an effort, at which many hesitate and falter and turn back. Yet this battle must be fought by every heart that is truly converted. We must war against temptations without and within. We must gain the victory over self, crucify the affections and lusts; and then begins the union of the soul with Christ. . . . After this union is formed, it can be preserved only by continual, earnest, painstaking effort. Christ exercises His power to preserve and guard this sacred tie, and the dependent, helpless sinner must act his part with untiring energy, or Satan by his cruel, cunning power will separate him from Christ. . . .  {AG 321.4}
[AG 321.5]          Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy,. . . will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ. Your connection with the church . . . will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him. You must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace.  {AG 321.5}
[AG 322.1]       Chap. 314 - What is God's Glory?         For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6.  {AG 322.1}
[AG 322.2]            The glory of God is His character. While Moses was in the mount, earnestly interceding with God, he prayed, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." In answer God declared, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." The glory of God--His character--was then revealed: "The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty" (Exodus 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7).  {AG 322.2}
[AG 322.3]         This character was revealed in the life of Christ. That He might by His own example condemn sin in the flesh, He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. Constantly he beheld the character of God; constantly He revealed this character to the world.  {AG 322.3}
[AG 322.4]          Christ desires His followers to reveal in their lives this same character. In His intercessory prayer for His disciples He declared: "The glory ［character］ which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:22, 23).  {AG 322.4}
[AG 322.5]          Today it is still His purpose to sanctify and cleanse His church ". . . that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing . . ." (Ephesians 5:26, 27). No greater gift than the character that He revealed, can Christ ask His Father to bestow upon those who believe on Him. What largeness there is in His request! What fullness of grace every follower of Christ has the privilege of receiving!. . . O that we might more fully appreciate the honor Christ confers upon us! By wearing His yoke and learning of Him, we become like Him in aspiration, in meekness and lowliness, in fragrance of character.  {AG 322.5}
[AG 323.1]       Chap. 315 - Sanctified Perception         At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 17:7.  {AG 323.1}
[AG 323.2]            The treasures of eternity have been committed to the keeping of Jesus Christ, to give to whomsoever He will; but how sad it is that so many quickly lose sight of the precious grace that is proffered unto them through faith in Him. He will impart the heavenly treasures to those who will believe in Him, look to Him, and abide in Him. . . . He calls upon His chosen, peculiar people who love and serve Him, to come unto Him and ask, and He will give them the bread of life, and endow them with the water of life, which shall be in them as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.  {AG 323.2}
[AG 323.3]          Jesus brought to our world the accumulated treasures of God, and all who believe upon Him are adopted as His heirs. He declares that great shall be the reward of them who suffer for His name's sake.  {AG 323.3}
[AG 323.4]          This world is but a little atom in the vast domain over which God presides, and yet this little fallen world is more precious in His sight than the ninety and nine which went not astray from the fold. If we will make Him our trust, He will not leave us to become the sport of Satan's temptations. God would have every soul for whom Christ has died become a part of the vine, connected with the parent stock, drawing nourishment from it. Our dependence on God is absolute, and should keep us very humble; and because of our dependence on Him, our knowledge of Him should be greatly increased. God would have us put away every species of selfishness, and come to Him, not as the owner of ourselves, but as the Lord's purchased possession.  {AG 323.4}
[AG 323.5]          God will honor and uphold every truehearted, earnest soul who is seeking to walk before Him in the perfection of the grace of Christ .... Can we with keen, sanctified perception appreciate the strength of the promises of God, and appropriate them to our individual selves, not because we are worthy, but because Christ is worthy, not because we are righteous, but because by living faith we claim the righteousness of Christ in our behalf?  {AG 323.5}
[AG 324.1]       Chap. 316 - The Sum and Substance         But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10.  {AG 324.1}
[AG 324.2]            When the truth is received, it will work radical changes in life and character; for religion means the abiding of Christ in the heart, and where He is, the soul goes on in spiritual activity, ever growing in grace, ever going on to perfection. . . .  {AG 324.2}
[AG 324.3]          It is no real evidence that you are a Christian because your emotion is stirred, your spirit stirred by truth; the question is, Are you growing up into Christ, your living head? Is the grace of Christ manifested in your life? God gives His grace to men, that they may desire more of His grace. God's grace is ever working upon the human heart, and when it is received, the evidence of its reception will appear in the life and character of its recipient. . . . The grace of Christ in the heart will always promote spiritual life, and spiritual advancement will be made. . . . We do not see the plants grow in the field, and yet we are assured that they do grow, and may we not know of our own spiritual strength and growth? . . .  {AG 324.3}
[AG 324.4]          The sum and substance of the whole matter of Christian grace and experience is contained in believing on Christ, in knowing God and His Son whom He has sent. But here is where many fail, for they lack faith in God. Instead of desiring to be brought into fellowship with Christ in His self-denial and humiliation, they are ever seeking for the supremacy of self. . . .  {AG 324.4}
[AG 324.5]          O, if you loved Him as He has loved you, you would not shun an experience in the dark chapters of the suffering of the Son of God! . . . When we contemplate the humiliation of Christ, beholding His self-denial and self-sacrifice, we are filled with amazement at the manifestation of divine love for guilty man. When for Christ's sake we are called to pass through trials that are of a humiliating nature, if we have the mind of Christ, we shall suffer them with meekness, not resenting injury, or resisting evil. We shall manifest the spirit that dwelt in Christ. . . .  {AG 324.5}
[AG 324.6]          We are to bear Christ's yoke, to work as He worked for the salvation of the lost; and those who are partakers of His sufferings will also be partakers of His glory.  {AG 324.6}
[AG 325.1]       Chap. 317 - Praise God!         I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel. Isaiah 63:7.  {AG 325.1}
[AG 325.2]            When a sense of the loving-kindness of God is constantly refreshing the soul, it will be revealed in the countenance by an expression of peace and joy. It will be manifest in the words and works. And the generous, holy Spirit of Christ, working upon the heart, will yield in the life a converting influence upon others. . . .  {AG 325.2}
[AG 325.3]          Have we not reason to talk of God's goodness and to tell of His power? When friends are kind to us we esteem it a privilege to thank them for their kindness. How much more should we count it a joy to return thanks to the Friend who has given us every good and perfect gift. Then let us, in every church, cultivate thanksgiving to God. Let us educate our lips to praise God in the family circle. . . . Let our gifts and offerings declare our gratitude for the favors we daily receive. In everything we should show forth the joy of the Lord. . . .  {AG 325.3}
[AG 325.4]          David declares, "I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live" (Psalm 116:1, 2). God's goodness in hearing and answering prayer places us under heavy obligation to express our thanksgiving for the favors bestowed upon us. We should praise God much more than we do. The blessings received in answer to prayer should be promptly acknowledged. . . .  {AG 325.4}
[AG 325.5]         We grieve the Spirit of Christ by our complaints and murmurings and repinings. We should not dishonor God by the mournful relation of trials that appear grievous. All trials that are received as educators will produce joy. The whole religious life will be uplifting, elevating, ennobling, fragrant with good words and works.  {AG 325.5}
[AG 325.6]          Let the peace of God reign in your soul. Then you will have strength to bear all suffering, and you will rejoice that you have grace to endure. Praise the Lord; talk of His goodness; tell of His power. Sweeten the atmosphere that surrounds your soul. . . . Praise with heart and soul and voice, Him who is the health of your countenance, your Saviour, and your God.  {AG 325.6}
[AG 326.1]       Chap. 318 - Nothing Withheld         For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11.  {AG 326.1}
[AG 326.2]           "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things" (Romans 8:32)? Let us appreciate the great sacrifice that God has made in our behalf. There will never be a time when we shall be more welcome to the gifts of His grace than now. Christ gave His life for men, that they might know how He loved them. He does not want any to perish, but longs to see all coming to repentance. All who will surrender the will to Him may have the life that measures with the life of God. . . . The sword of justice fell upon Him that they might go free. He died that they might live. . . .  {AG 326.2}
[AG 326.3]          We are to stand firmly for the principles of the Word of God, remembering that God is with us to give us strength to meet each new experience. Let us ever maintain the principles of righteousness in our lives, that in the name of the Lord we may go forward from strength to strength. . . . We are to cherish as very precious the work which the Lord has been carrying forward through His commandment-keeping people, and which, through the power of His grace, will grow stronger and more efficient as time advances. The enemy is seeking to becloud the discernment of God's people, and to weaken their efficiency; but if they will labor as the Spirit of God shall direct, He will open doors of opportunity before them for the work of building the old waste places. Their experience will be one of constant growth in assurance and power until the Lord shall descend from heaven with power and great glory to set His seal of final triumph on His faithful ones.  {AG 326.3}
[AG 326.4]          The Lord desires to see the work of the third angel's message carried forward with increasing efficiency. As He has worked in all ages to give courage and power to His people, so in this age He longs to carry to triumphant fulfillment His purposes for His church. He bids the saints advance unitedly, going from strength to greater strength, from faith to increased faith in the righteousness and truth of His cause.  {AG 326.4}
[AG 327.1]       Chap. 319 - Thought Control?         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. 1 Peter 1:13.  {AG 327.1}
[AG 327.2]            Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over the thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul. The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers must be disciplined, and they will strengthen and improve by exercise.  {AG 327.2}
[AG 327.3]          In order to understand this matter aright, we must remember that our hearts are naturally depraved, and we are unable of ourselves to pursue a right course. It is only by the grace of God, combined with the most earnest effort on our part, that we can gain the victory.  {AG 327.3}
[AG 327.4]          Every wrong tendency may be, through the grace of Christ, repressed, not in a languid, irresolute manner, but with firmness of purpose, with high resolves to make Christ the pattern. Let your love go out for those things that Jesus loved, and be withheld from those things that will give no strength to right impulses. With determined energy seek to learn, and to improve the character every day. You must have firmness of purpose to take yourself in hand and be what you know God would be pleased to have you.  {AG 327.4}
[AG 327.5]          The intellect, as well as the heart, must be consecrated to the service of God. He has claims upon all there is of us. The follower of Christ should not indulge in any gratification, or engage in any enterprise, however innocent or laudable it may appear, which an enlightened conscience tells him would abate his ardor or lessen his spirituality. Every Christian should labor to press back the tide of evil, and save our youth from the influences that would sweep them down to ruin. May God help us to press our way against the current.  {AG 327.5}
[AG 328.1]       Chap. 320 - In Debt         Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12.  {AG 328.1}
[AG 328.2]            A great blessing is here asked upon conditions. We ourselves state these conditions. We ask that the mercy of God toward us may be measured by the mercy which we extend to others. Christ declares that this is the rule by which the Lord will deal with us: "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14, 15). Wonderful terms! but how little are they understood or heeded. One of the most common sins, and one that is attended with most pernicious results, is the indulgence of an unforgiving spirit. How many will cherish animosity or revenge and then bow before God and ask to be forgiven as they forgive. Surely they can have no true sense of the import of this prayer or they would not dare take it upon their lips. We are dependent upon the pardoning mercy of God every day and every hour; how then can we cherish bitterness and malice toward our fellow sinners!  {AG 328.2}
[AG 328.3]          The fact that we are under so great obligation to Christ places us under the most sacred obligation to those whom He died to redeem. We are to manifest toward them the same sympathy, the same tender compassion and unselfish love, which Christ has manifested toward us.  {AG 328.3}
[AG 328.4]          He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel through which alone he can receive mercy from God. We should not think that unless those who have injured us confess the wrong we are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness. It is their part, no doubt, to humble their hearts by repentance and confession; but we are to have a spirit of compassion toward those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess their faults. However sorely they may have wounded us, we are not to cherish our grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our injuries; but as we hope to be pardoned for our offenses against God we are to pardon all who have done evil to us. . . .  {AG 328.4}
[AG 328.5]          As we come to God, this is the condition which meets us at the threshold, that, receiving mercy from Him, we yield ourselves to reveal His grace to others.  {AG 328.5}
[AG 329.1]       Chap. 321 - In the School of Christ         I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8.  {AG 329.1}
[AG 329.2]           He who is seeking with diligence to acquire the wisdom of human schools should remember that another school also claims him as a student. Christ was the greatest teacher the world ever saw. He brought to man knowledge direct from heaven. . . .  {AG 329.2}
[AG 329.3]          In the school of Christ students are never graduated. Among the pupils are both old and young. Those who give heed to the instructions of the divine Teacher constantly advance in wisdom, refinement, and nobility of soul, and thus they are prepared to enter that higher school where advancement will continue throughout eternity.  {AG 329.3}
[AG 329.4]          Infinite Wisdom sets before us the great lessons of life--lessons of duty and happiness. These are often hard to learn, but without them we can make no real progress. . . . It is in this world, amid its trials and temptations, that we are to gain a fitness for the society of the pure and holy. Those who become so absorbed in less important studies that they cease to learn in the school of Christ are meeting with infinite loss. . . .  {AG 329.4}
[AG 329.5]          In the religion of Christ there is a regenerating influence that transforms the entire being, lifting man above every debasing, groveling vice, and raising the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven. . . . Every faculty, every attribute, with which the Creator has endowed the children of men is to be employed for His glory; and in this employment is found its purest, holiest, happiest exercise. While religious principle is held paramount, every advance step taken in the acquirement of knowledge or in the culture of the intellect is a step toward the assimilation of the human with the Divine, the finite with the Infinite. . . .  {AG 329.5}
[AG 329.6]          He who is following the divine guidance has found the only true source of saving grace and real happiness, and has gained the power of imparting happiness to all around him. . . . Love to God purifies and ennobles every taste and desire, intensifies every affection, and brightens every worthy pleasure. It enables men to appreciate and enjoy all that is true, and good, and beautiful.  {AG 329.6}
[AG 330.1]       Chap. 322 - Examination Day         Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Psalm 26:2.  {AG 330.1}
[AG 330.2]           The Lord in His providence brings men where He can test their moral powers and reveal their motives of action, that they may improve what is right in themselves and put away that which is wrong. God would have His servants become acquainted with the moral machinery of their own hearts. In order to bring this about, He often permits the fire of affliction to assail them that they may become purified. . . .  {AG 330.2}
[AG 330.3]          True grace is willing to be tried; if we are loath to be searched by the Lord, our condition is serious indeed. God is the refiner and purifier of souls; in the heat of the furnace the dross is separated forever from the true silver and gold of the Christian character. Jesus watches the test. He knows what is needed to purify the precious metal that it may reflect the radiance of His divine love.  {AG 330.3}
[AG 330.4]          I entreat you to "examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). To maintain the warmth and purity of Christian love requires a constant supply of the grace of Christ. . . .  {AG 330.4}
[AG 330.5]          In this season of conflict and trial we need all the support and consolation we can derive from righteous principles, from fixed religious convictions, from the abiding assurance of the love of Christ, and from a rich experience in divine things. We shall attain to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus only as the result of a steady growth in grace.  {AG 330.5}
[AG 330.6]          Not in freedom from trial, but in the midst of it, is Christian character developed. Exposure to rebuffs and opposition leads the follower of Christ to greater watchfulness and more earnest prayer to the mighty Helper. Severe trial endured by the grace of God develops patience, vigilance, fortitude, and a deep and abiding trust in God. It is the triumph of the Christian faith that it enables its follower to suffer and be strong; to submit, and thus to conquer; to be killed all the day long, and yet to live; to bear the cross, and thus to win the crown of glory.  {AG 330.6}
[AG 331.1]       Chap. 323 - What About Good Works?         We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10.  {AG 331.1}
[AG 331.2]            Our acceptance with God is sure only through His beloved Son, and good works are but the result of the working of His sin-pardoning love. They are no credit to us, and we have nothing accorded to us for our good works by which we may claim a part in the salvation of our souls. Salvation is God's free gift to the believer, given to him for Christ's sake alone. The troubled soul may find peace through faith in Christ, and his peace will be in proportion to his faith and trust. He cannot present his good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul.  {AG 331.2}
[AG 331.3]          But are good works of no real value? Is the sinner who commits sin every day with impunity, regarded of God with the same favor as the one who through faith in Christ tries to work in his integrity? The Scripture answers, "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." In His divine arrangement, through His unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. We are accepted through Christ's merit alone; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merit of Christ that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works in and of themselves have no merit. When we have done all that it is possible for us to do, we are to count ourselves as unprofitable servants. We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful natures.  {AG 331.3}
[AG 331.4]          The Lord has bidden us to draw nigh to Him and He will draw nigh to us; and drawing nigh to Him, we receive the grace by which to do those works which will be rewarded at His hands.  {AG 331.4}
[AG 331.5]          The labor of love springs from the work of faith. . . . While it is true that our busy activities will not in themselves ensure salvation, it is also true that faith which unites us to Christ will stir the soul to activity.  {AG 331.5}
[AG 332.1]       Chap. 324 - Watch!         Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Mark 14:38.  {AG 332.1}
[AG 332.2]            Many today are asleep, as were the disciples. They are not watching and praying lest they enter into temptation.  {AG 332.2}
[AG 332.3]          Let every soul be on the alert. The adversary is on your track. Be vigilant, watching diligently lest some carefully concealed and masterly snare shall take you unawares. Let the careless and indifferent beware lest the day of the Lord come upon them as a thief in the night. . . .  {AG 332.3}
[AG 332.4]          He who overcomes must watch; for, with worldly entanglements, error, and superstition, Satan strives to win Christ's followers from Him. It is not enough that we avoid glaring dangers and perilous, inconsistent moves. We are to keep close to the side of Christ, walking in the path of self-denial and sacrifice. We are in an enemy's country. He who was cast out of heaven has come down with great power. With every conceivable artifice and device he is seeking to take souls captive. Unless we are constantly on guard we shall fall an easy prey to his unnumbered deceptions.  {AG 332.4}
[AG 332.5]          Warning, admonition, promise, all are for us, upon whom the ends of the world are come. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). . . . Watch against the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts, watch the plans, lest they become self-centered. Watch over the souls whom Christ has purchased with His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good.  {AG 332.5}
[AG 332.6]          If you draw close to Jesus and seek to adorn your profession by a well-ordered life and godly conversation, your feet will be kept from straying into forbidden paths. If you will only watch, continually watch unto prayer, if you will do everything as if you were in the immediate presence of God, you will be saved from yielding to temptation, and may hope to be kept pure, spotless, and undefiled till the last. If you hold the beginning of your confidence firm unto the end, your ways will be established in God; and what grace has begun, glory will crown in the kingdom of our God.  {AG 332.6}
[AG 333.1]       Chap. 325 - Kept From Falling         Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24.  {AG 333.1}
[AG 333.2]            In these last days, when iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold, God will have a people to glorify His name, and stand as reprovers of unrighteousness. They are to be a "peculiar people," who will be true to the law of God when the world shall seek to make void its precepts; and when the converting power of God works through His servants, the hosts of darkness will array themselves in bitter and determined opposition. . . . There will be a constant conflict from the time of our determination to serve the God of heaven, until we are delivered out of this present evil world. There is no release from this war. . . .  {AG 333.2}
[AG 333.3]          Our work is an aggressive one, and as faithful soldiers of Jesus, we must bear the blood-stained banner into the very strongholds of the enemy. . . . If we will consent to lay down our arms, to lower the blood-stained banner, to become the captives and servants of Satan, we may be released from the conflict and the suffering. But this peace will be gained only at the loss of Christ and heaven. We cannot accept peace on such conditions. Let it be war, war, to the end of earth's history, rather than peace through apostasy and sin.  {AG 333.3}
[AG 333.4]          The work of apostasy begins in some secret rebellion of the heart against the requirements of God's law. Unholy desires, unlawful ambitions, are cherished and indulged, and unbelief and darkness separate the soul from God. If we do not overcome these evils they will overcome us. . . .  {AG 333.4}
[AG 333.5]          The indulgence of spiritual pride, of unholy desires, of evil thoughts, of anything that separates us from an intimate and sacred association with Jesus, imperils our souls. . . . We must "fight the good fight of faith," if we would "lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:12). We are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation" (1 Peter 1:5). If the thought of apostasy is grievous to you, . . . then "abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9); and believe in Him who is "able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."  {AG 333.5}
[AG 334.1]       Chap. 326 - Established         Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17.  {AG 334.1}
[AG 334.2]            The Saviour made each work of healing an occasion for implanting divine principles in the mind and soul. This was the purpose of His work. He imparted earthly blessings, that He might incline the hearts of men to receive the gospel of His grace.  {AG 334.2}
[AG 334.3]          For three years the disciples had before them the wonderful example of Jesus. Day by day they walked and talked with Him, hearing His words of cheer to the weary and heavy-laden, and seeing the manifestations of His power in behalf of the sick and afflicted. When the time came for Him to leave them, He gave them grace and power to carry forward His work in His name. They were to shed abroad the light of His gospel of love and healing. . . .  {AG 334.3}
[AG 334.4]          The work which the disciples did, we also are to do. Every Christian is to be a missionary. In sympathy and compassion we are to minister to those in need of help. . . . The Saviour identifies Himself with every child of humanity. . . . His followers are not to feel themselves detached from the perishing world around them. They are a part of the great web of humanity, and heaven looks upon them as brothers to sinners as well as to saints. . . . By all that has given us advantage over another-- be it education and refinement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious experience--we are in debt to those less favored; and, so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them. . . .  {AG 334.4}
[AG 334.5]          He who becomes a child of God should henceforth look upon himself as a link in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in His plan of mercy, going forth with Him to seek and save the lost.  {AG 334.5}
[AG 334.6]          The world needs a practical demonstration of what the grace of God can do in restoring to human beings their lost kingship, giving them mastery of themselves. There is nothing that the world needs so much as a knowledge of the gospel's saving power revealed in Christlike lives.  {AG 334.6}
[AG 335.1]       Chap. 327 - Joy in Sharing         For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20.  {AG 335.1}
[AG 335.2]            God could have reached His object in saving sinners without our aid; but in order for us to develop a character like Christ's, we must share in His work. In order to enter into His joy--the joy of seeing souls redeemed by His sacrifice--we must participate in His labors for their redemption.  {AG 335.2}
[AG 335.3]          Jesus saw in every soul one to whom must be given the call to His kingdom. He reached the hearts of the people by going among them as one who desired their good. He sought them in the public streets, in private houses, on the boats, in the synagogue, by the shores of the lake, and at the marriage feast. He met them at their daily vocations, and manifested an interest in their secular affairs. He carried His instruction into the household, bringing families in their own homes under the influence of His divine presence. His strong personal sympathy helped to win hearts. . . .  {AG 335.3}
[AG 335.4]          It was by personal contact and association that Jesus trained His disciples. Sometimes He taught them, sitting among them on the mountainside; sometimes beside the sea, or walking with them by the way, He revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He did not sermonize as men do today. Wherever hearts were open to receive the divine message, He unfolded the truths of the way of salvation. He did not command His disciples to do this or that, but said, "Follow Me." On His journeys through the country and cities He took them with Him, that they might see how He taught the people. . . .  {AG 335.4}
[AG 335.5]          The example of Christ in linking Himself with the interests of humanity should be followed by all who preach His word, and by all who have received the gospel of His grace. . . . Not alone from the pulpit are the hearts of men touched by divine truth. There is another field of labor, humbler, it may be, but fully as promising. It is found in the home of the lowly, and in the mansion of the great; at the hospitable board, and in gatherings for innocent social enjoyment. . . . Wherever we go we are to carry Jesus with us, and to reveal to others the preciousness of our Saviour.  {AG 335.5}
[AG 336.1]       Chap. 328 - To God Be the Glory         But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7.  {AG 336.1}
[AG 336.2]            All the good qualities that men possess are the gift of God; their good deeds are performed by the grace of God through Christ. Since they owe all to God, the glory of whatever they are or do belongs to Him alone; they are but instruments in His hands.  {AG 336.2}
[AG 336.3]          More than this--as all the lessons of Bible history--it is a perilous thing to praise or exalt men; for if one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall. Man is contending with foes who are stronger than he. . . . It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; and whatever diverts the mind from God, whatever leads to self-exaltation or to self-dependence, is surely preparing the way for our overthrow. The tenor of the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in divine power.  {AG 336.3}
[AG 336.4]          Our heavenly Father has not sent angels from heaven to preach salvation to men. He has opened to us the precious truths of His Word and implanted the truth in our hearts that we may give it to those who are in darkness. If we have indeed tasted of the precious gifts of God in His promises, we are to impart this knowledge to others. . . .  {AG 336.4}
[AG 336.5]          We are individually to work as though a great responsibility rested upon us. We are to manifest untiring energy and tact and zeal in this work and take the burden, feeling the peril in which our neighbors and friends are placed. We are to work as Christ worked. We are to present the truth as it is in Jesus, that the blood of souls shall not be upon our garments. At the same time we are to feel entire dependence and trust in God, for we know we cannot do anything without His grace and power to help. A Paul may plant, and an Apollos, water, but God alone can give the increase.  {AG 336.5}
[AG 336.6]          Our duty, our safety, our happiness and usefulness, and our salvation call upon us each to use the greatest diligence to secure the grace of Christ.  {AG 336.6}
[AG 337.1]       Chap. 329 - The Reaping         That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7.  {AG 337.1}
[AG 337.2]            No one can give place in his own heart and life for the stream of God's blessing to flow to others, without receiving in himself a rich reward. . . .  {AG 337.2}
[AG 337.3]          The grace of Christ in the soul is developing traits of character that are the opposite of selfishness--traits that will refine, ennoble, and enrich the life. Acts of kindness performed in secret will bind hearts together, and will draw them closer to the heart of Him from whom every generous impulse springs. The little attentions, the small acts of love and self-sacrifice, that flow out from the life as quietly as the fragrance from a flower --these constitute no small share of the blessings and happiness of life. And it will be found at last that the denial of self for the good and happiness of others, however humble and uncommended here, is recognized in heaven as a token of our union with Him, the King of glory, who was rich, yet for our sake became poor.  {AG 337.3}
[AG 337.4]          The deeds of kindness may have been done in secret, but the result upon the character of the doer cannot be hidden. If we work with whole-hearted interest as a follower of Christ, the heart will be in close sympathy with God, and the Spirit of God, moving upon our spirit, will call forth the sacred harmonies of the soul in answer to the divine touch.  {AG 337.4}
[AG 337.5]          He who gives increased talents to those who have made a wise improvement of the gifts entrusted to them is pleased to acknowledge the service of His believing people in the Beloved, through whose grace and strength they have wrought. Those who have sought for the development and perfection of Christian character by exercising their faculties in good works, will, in the world to come, reap that which they have sown. The work begun upon earth will reach its consummation in that higher and holier life to endure throughout eternity.  {AG 337.5}
[AG 337.6]          He who is "rich unto all that call upon him," has said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you . . ." (Romans 10:12; Luke 6:38). . . . Every sacrifice that is made in His ministry will be recompensed according to "the exceeding riches of his grace."  {AG 337.6}
[AG 338.1]       Chap. 330 - The World is Waiting         For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15.  {AG 338.1}
[AG 338.2]            The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God's plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to "the principalities and powers in heavenly places" (Ephesians 3:10), the final and full display of the love of God. . . .  {AG 338.2}
[AG 338.3]          The church is God's fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. . . .  {AG 338.3}
[AG 338.4]          During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.  {AG 338.4}
[AG 338.5]          As the rays of the sun penetrate to the remotest corners of the globe, so God designs that the light of the gospel shall extend to every soul upon the earth. . . . At this time, when the enemy is working as never before to engross the minds of men and women, we should be laboring with increasing activity. Diligently, disinterestedly, we are to proclaim the last message of mercy in the cities--in the highways and byways. All classes are to be reached. As we labor we shall meet with different nationalities. None are to be passed by unwarned. The Lord Jesus was the gift of God to the entire world--not to the higher classes alone, and not to one nationality, to the exclusion of others. His saving grace encircles the world. Whosoever will, may drink of the water of life. A world is waiting to hear the message of present truth.  {AG 338.5}
[AG 339.1]       Chap. 331 - Christ is Waiting         This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14.  {AG 339.1}
[AG 339.2]            The gospel of Christ is from beginning to end the gospel of saving grace. It is a distinctive and controlling idea. It will be a help to the needy, light for the eyes that are blind to the truth, and a guide to souls seeking for the true foundation. Full and everlasting salvation is within the reach of every soul. Christ is waiting and longing to speak pardon, and impart the freely offered grace. He is watching and waiting, saying as He said to the blind man at the gate of Jericho, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" (Mark 10:51). I will take away thy sins; I will wash you in My blood.  {AG 339.2}
[AG 339.3]         In all the highways of life there are souls to be saved. The blind are groping in darkness. Give them the light, and God will bless you as His laborers.  {AG 339.3}
[AG 339.4]          We need greater earnestness in the cause of Christ. The solemn message of truth should be given with an intensity that would impress unbelievers that God is working with our efforts, that the Most High is our living source of strength.  {AG 339.4}
[AG 339.5]          It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.  {AG 339.5}
[AG 339.6]          The time has come when through God's messengers the scroll is being unrolled to the world. The truth contained in the first, second, and third angels' messages must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; it must lighten the darkness of every continent, and extend to the islands of the sea. There must be no delay in this work.  {AG 339.6}
[AG 339.7]          Our watchword is to be, Onward, ever onward! Angels of heaven will go before us to prepare the way. Our burden for the regions beyond can never be laid down till the whole earth is lighted with the glory of the Lord.  {AG 339.7}
[AG 340.1]       Chap. 332 - The Universe is Waiting         Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23.  {AG 340.1}
[AG 340.2]            In this speck of a world the whole heavenly universe manifests the greatest interest, for Christ has paid an infinite price for the souls of its inhabitants.  {AG 340.2}
[AG 340.3]          Everything in the universe calls upon those who know the truth to consecrate themselves unreservedly to the proclamation of the truth as it has been made known to them in the third angel's message.... The working of satanic agencies calls every Christian to stand in his lot.  {AG 340.3}
[AG 340.4]          The work given us is a great and important one, and in it are needed wise, unselfish men, men who understand what it means to give themselves to unselfish effort to save souls. But there is no need for the service of men who are lukewarm, for such men Christ cannot use. Men and women are needed whose hearts are touched with human suffering and whose lives give evidence that they are receiving and imparting light and life and grace.  {AG 340.4}
[AG 340.5]          The people of God are to come close to Christ in self-denial and sacrifice, their one aim being to give the message of mercy to all the world. Some will work in one way and some in another, as the Lord shall call and lead them. But they are all to strive together, seeking to make the work a perfect whole.  {AG 340.5}
[AG 340.6]          The church will not retrograde while the members seek help from the throne of grace, that they may not fail to cooperate in the great work of saving the souls that are on the brink of ruin. . . .  {AG 340.6}
[AG 340.7]          The heavenly universe is waiting for consecrated channels, through which God can communicate with His people, and through them with the world. God will work through a consecrated, self-denying church, and He will reveal His Spirit in a visible and glorious manner, especially in this time, when Satan is working in a masterly manner to deceive the souls of both ministers and people. . . .  {AG 340.7}
[AG 340.8]          Will not the church awake to her responsibility? God is waiting to impart the Spirit of the greatest missionary the world has ever known to those who will work with self-denying, self-sacrificing consecration.  {AG 340.8}
[AG 341.1]       Chap. 333 - Sons of God         Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2.  {AG 341.1}
[AG 341.2]            "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." Can any human dignity equal this? What higher position can we occupy than to be called the sons of the infinite God?  {AG 341.2}
[AG 341.3]          What a stupendous thought, what unheard-of condescension, what amazing love, that finite men may be allied to the Omnipotent! "To them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." Can any worldly honor equal this?  {AG 341.3}
[AG 341.4]          Let us represent the Christian life as it really is; let us make the way cheerful, inviting, interesting. We can do this if we will. We may fill our own minds with vivid pictures of spiritual and eternal things, and in so doing help to make them a reality to other minds. Faith sees Jesus standing as our Mediator at the right hand of God. Faith beholds the mansions He has gone to prepare for those who love Him. Faith sees the robe and crown all prepared for the overcomer. Faith hears the songs of the redeemed, and brings eternal glories near. We must come close to Jesus in loving obedience, if we would see the King in His beauty.  {AG 341.4}
[AG 341.5]          To have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is to be ennobled and elevated, and made a partaker of joys unspeakable and full of glory. Food, clothing, station, and wealth may have their value; but to have a connection with God and to be a partaker of His divine nature is of priceless value. Our lives should be hid with Christ in God; and although it "doth not yet appear what we shall be," "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear" (Colossians 3:4), "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." The princely dignity of the Christian character will shine forth as the sun, and the beams of light from the face of Christ will be reflected upon those who have purified themselves even as He is pure. The privilege of becoming sons of God is cheaply purchased, even at the sacrifice of everything we possess, be it life itself.  {AG 341.5}
[AG 342.1]       Chap. 334 - In Sight of the Goal         I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14.  {AG 342.1}
[AG 342.2]            "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible...." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Those who engaged in running the race to obtain the laurel which was considered a special honor were temperate in all things, so that their muscles, their brains, and every part of them might be in the very best condition to run.... Only one received the prize. But in the heavenly race we can all run and all receive the prize. There is no uncertainty, no risk, in the matter. We must put on the heavenly graces, and, with the eye directed upward to the crown of immortality, keep the Pattern ever before us. . . . The humble, self-denying life of our divine Lord we are to keep constantly in view. And then as we seek to imitate Him, keeping our eye upon the mark of the prize, we can run this race with certainty.  {AG 342.2}
[AG 342.3]          If heathen men, who were not controlled by enlightened conscience, who had not the fear of God before them, would submit to deprivation and the discipline of training, denying themselves of every weakening indulgence merely for a wreath of perishable substance and the applause of the multitude, how much more should they who are running the Christian race in the hope of immortality and the approval of High Heaven, be willing to deny themselves unhealthy stimulants and indulgences, which degrade the morals, enfeeble the intellect, and bring the higher powers into subjection to the animal appetites and passions. . . . With intense interest God and heavenly angels mark the self-denial, the self-sacrifice, and the agonizing efforts of those who engage to run the Christian race....  {AG 342.3}
[AG 342.4]          To all those who fully comply with the conditions in God's word, and have a sense of their responsibility to preserve physical vigor and activity of body, that they may have well-balanced minds and healthy morals, the race is not uncertain. They all may gain the prize, and win and wear the crown of immortal glory that fadeth not away.  {AG 342.4}
[AG 343.1]       Chap. 335 - God's Glory Seen in His Works         Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:3.  {AG 343.1}
[AG 343.2]            As it came from the Creator's hand, not only the Garden of Eden but the whole earth was exceedingly beautiful. No taint of sin, or shadow of death, marred the fair creation. God's glory "covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise" (Habakkuk 3:3). "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). Thus was the earth a fit emblem of Him who is "abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6); a fit study for those who were made in His image. The Garden of Eden was a representation of what God desired the whole earth to become, and it was His purpose that, as the human family increased in numbers, they should establish other homes and schools like the one He had given. Thus in course of time the whole earth might be occupied with homes and schools where the words and the works of God should be studied, and where the students should thus be fitted more and more fully to reflect, throughout endless ages, the light of the knowledge of His glory.  {AG 343.2}
[AG 343.3]          When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. "God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image--the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. All his faculties were capable of development; their capacity and vigor were continually to increase. Vast was the scope offered for their exercise, glorious the field opened to their research. The mysteries of the visible universe--the "wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge" (Job 37:16)--invited man's study. Face-to-face, heart-to-heart communion with his Maker was his high privilege. Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to gain new treasures of knowledge, to discover fresh springs of happiness, and to obtain clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the wisdom, the power, and the love of God. More and more fully would he have fulfilled the object of his creation, more and more fully have reflected the Creator's glory.  {AG 343.3}
[AG 344.1]       Chap. 336 - Man Created for God's Glory         Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.  {AG 344.1}
[AG 344.2]            God created man for His own glory, that after test and trial the human family might become one with the heavenly family. It was God's purpose to repopulate heaven with the human family, if they would show themselves obedient to His every word. Adam was to be tested, to see whether he would be obedient, as the loyal angels, or disobedient. If he stood the test, his instruction to his children would have been only of loyalty. His mind and thoughts would have been as the mind and thoughts of God. . . .  {AG 344.2}
[AG 344.3]          God made Adam after His own character, pure and upright. There were no corrupt principles in the first Adam, no corrupt propensities or tendencies to evil. Adam was as faultless as the angels before God's throne. These things are inexplainable but many things which now we cannot understand will be made plain when we shall see as we are seen, and know as we are known.  {AG 344.3}
[AG 344.4]          It is recorded of the holy men of old that God was not ashamed to be called their God ［Hebrews 11:16］. The reason assigned is that instead of coveting earthly possessions or seeking happiness in worldly plans or aspirations they placed their all upon the altar of God and made disposition of it to build up His kingdom. They lived only for God's glory and declared plainly that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth, seeking a better country, that is, an heavenly. Their conduct proclaimed their faith. God could entrust to them His truth and could leave the world to receive from them a knowledge of His will.  {AG 344.4}
[AG 344.5]          But how are the professed people of God today maintaining the honor of His name? How could the world infer that they are a peculiar people? What evidence do they give of citizenship in heaven? . . .  {AG 344.5}
[AG 344.6]          Puritan plainness and simplicity should mark the dwellings and apparel of all who believe the solemn truths for this time. ... Our dress, our dwellings, our conversation, should testify of our consecration to God. What power would attend those who thus evinced that they had given up all for Christ.  {AG 344.6}
[AG 345.1]       Chap. 337 - God's Glorious Plan         That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21.  {AG 345.1}
[AG 345.2]            The plan by which alone man's salvation could be secured, involved all heaven in its infinite sacrifice. The angels could not rejoice as Christ opened before them the plan of redemption, for they saw that man's salvation must cost their loved Commander unutterable woe. In grief and wonder they listened to His words as He told them how He must descend from heaven's purity and peace, its joy and glory and immortal life, and come in contact with the degradation of earth, to endure its sorrow, shame, and death. He was to stand between the sinner and the penalty of sin; yet few would receive Him as the Son of God. He would leave His high position as the Majesty of heaven, appear upon earth and humble Himself as a man, and by His own experience become acquainted with the sorrows, and temptations which man would have to endure. All this would be necessary in order that He might be able to succor them that should be tempted. When His mission as a teacher should be ended, He must be delivered into the hands of wicked men and be subjected to every insult and torture that Satan could inspire them to inflict. He must die the cruelest of deaths, lifted up between the heavens and the earth as a guilty sinner. He must pass long hours of agony so terrible that angels could not look upon it, but would veil their faces from the sight. He must endure anguish of soul, the hiding of His Father's face, while the guilt of transgression--the weight of the sins of the whole world--should be upon Him. . . .  {AG 345.2}
[AG 345.3]          He bade the angelic host to be in accord with the plan that His Father had accepted, and rejoice that, through His death, fallen man could be reconciled to God.  {AG 345.3}
[AG 345.4]          Then joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven. The glory and blessedness of a world redeemed, outmeasured even the anguish and sacrifice of the Prince of life. Through the celestial courts echoed the first strains of that song which was to ring out above the hills of Bethlehem--"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).  {AG 345.4}
[AG 346.1]       Chap. 338 - The Kingdom of Heaven in Miniature         Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. Matthew 17:1, 2.  {AG 346.1}
[AG 346.2]            Evening is drawing on as Jesus calls to His side three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and leads them across the fields, and far up a rugged path, to a lonely mountainside. . . .  {AG 346.2}
[AG 346.3]          Stepping a little aside from them, the Man of Sorrows pours out His supplications with strong crying and tears. He prays for strength to endure the test in behalf of humanity. . . . And He pours out His heart longings for His disciples, that in the hour of the power of darkness their faith may not fail. . . .  {AG 346.3}
[AG 346.4]          Now the burden of His prayer is that they may be given a manifestation of the glory He had with the Father before the world was, that His kingdom may be revealed to human eyes, and that His disciples may be strengthened to behold it. He pleads that they may witness a manifestation of His divinity that will comfort them in the hour of His supreme agony with the knowledge that He is of a surety the Son of God and that His shameful death is a part of the plan of redemption.  {AG 346.4}
[AG 346.5]          His prayer is heard. While He is bowed in lowliness upon the stony ground, suddenly the heavens open, the golden gates of the city of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the mount, enshrouding the Saviour's form. Divinity from within flashes through humanity, and meets the glory coming from above. Arising from His prostrate position, Christ stands in godlike majesty. The soul agony is gone. His countenance now shines "as the sun," and His garments are "white as the light."  {AG 346.5}
[AG 346.6]         The disciples, awaking, behold the flood of glory that illuminates the mount. In fear and amazement they gaze upon the radiant form of their Master. . . . Beside Him are two heavenly beings, in close converse with Him. They are Moses, who upon Sinai had talked with God; and Elijah, to whom the high privilege was given . . . never to come under the power of death. . . . Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature--Christ the King, Moses a representative of the risen saints, and Elijah of the translated ones.  {AG 346.6}
[AG 347.1]       Chap. 339 - Still Future         Thy kingdom come. Matthew 6:10.  {AG 347.1}
[AG 347.2]           The disciples of Christ were looking for the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory, but in giving them this prayer Jesus taught that the kingdom was not then to be established. They were to pray for its coming as an event yet future. But this petition was also an assurance to them. While they were not to behold the coming of the kingdom in their day, the fact that Jesus made them pray for it is evidence that in God's own time it will surely come.  {AG 347.2}
[AG 347.3]          The kingdom of God's grace is now being established, as day by day hearts that have been full of sin and rebellion yield to the sovereignty of His love. But the full establishment of the kingdom of His glory will not take place until the second coming of Christ to this world.  {AG 347.3}
[AG 347.4]          Not until the personal advent of Christ can His people receive the kingdom. The Saviour said: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations. . . . Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:31-34). . . . When the Son of man comes, the dead are raised incorruptible and the living are changed. By this great change they are prepared to receive the kingdom. . . . Man in his present state is mortal, corruptible; but the kingdom of God will be incorruptible, enduring forever. Therefore man in his present state cannot enter the kingdom of God. But when Jesus comes, He confers immortality upon His people; and then He calls them to inherit the kingdom of which they have hitherto been only heirs.  {AG 347.4}
[AG 347.5]          If "ye are Christ's," "all things are yours" (1 Corinthians 3:23, 21). But you are as a child who is not yet placed in control of his inheritance. God does not entrust to you your precious possession, lest Satan by his wily arts should beguile you, as he did the first pair in Eden. Christ holds it for you, safe beyond the spoiler's reach.  {AG 347.5}
[AG 348.1]       Chap. 340 - Why Not Now?         For they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 31:34.  {AG 348.1}
[AG 348.2]            Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations" (Matthew 24:14). His kingdom will not come until the good tidings of His grace have been carried to all the earth. Hence, as we give ourselves to God, and win other souls to Him, we hasten the coming of His Kingdom. Only those who devote themselves to His service ... pray in sincerity, "Thy kingdom come." . . .  {AG 348.2}
[AG 348.3]          The petition, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," is a prayer that the reign of evil on this earth may be ended, that sin may be forever destroyed, and the kingdom of righteousness be established. Then in earth as in heaven will be fulfilled "all the good pleasure of his goodness" (2 Thessalonians 1:11).  {AG 348.3}
[AG 348.4]          Christ will not be satisfied until the victory is complete, and "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). All the nations of the earth shall hear the gospel of His grace. Not all will receive His grace; but "a seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation" (Psalm 22:30). "The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High," and the "earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun" (Daniel 7:27; Isaiah 11:9; 59:19).  {AG 348.4}
[AG 348.5]         "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! . . . Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places: . . . for the Lord hath comforted his people. . . . The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (Isaiah 52:7-10).  {AG 348.5}
[AG 349.1]       Chap. 341 - Looking Into Eternity         Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28.  {AG 349.1}
[AG 349.2]            If the church will put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, withdrawing from all allegiance with the world, there is before her the dawn of a bright and glorious day. God's promise to her will stand fast forever. . . . Truth, passing by those who despise and reject it, will triumph. Although at times apparently retarded, its progress has never been checked. . . . Endowed with divine energy, it will cut its way through the strongest barriers and triumph over every obstacle.  {AG 349.2}
[AG 349.3]          What sustained the Son of God during His life of toil and sacrifice? He saw the results of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. Looking into eternity, He beheld the happiness of those who through His humiliation had received pardon and everlasting life. His ear caught the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.  {AG 349.3}
[AG 349.4]          We may have a vision of the future, the blessedness of heaven. In the Bible are revealed visions of the future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, and these are dear to His church. By faith we may stand on the threshold of the eternal city, and hear the gracious welcome given to those who in this life cooperate with Christ, regarding it as an honor to suffer for His sake. As the words are spoken, "Come ye blessed of my Father," they cast their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.... Honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Matthew 25:34; Revelation 5:12, 13).  {AG 349.4}
[AG 349.5]         There the redeemed greet those who led them to the Saviour, and all unite in praising Him who died that human beings might have the life that measures with the life of God. The conflict is over. Tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill all heaven as the ransomed ones take up the joyful strain, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again, a triumphant conqueror.  {AG 349.5}
[AG 350.1]      Chap. 342 - Who are Eligible?         The wise shall inherit glory. Proverbs 3:35.  {AG 350.1}
[AG 350.2]            God has elected a character in harmony with His law, and anyone who shall reach the standard of His requirement will have an entrance into the kingdom of glory. Christ Himself said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life" (John 3:36). "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). And in the Revelation He declares, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14). As regards man's final salvation, this is the only election brought to view in the Word of God.  {AG 350.2}
[AG 350.3]          Every soul is elected who will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected who will put on the armor, and fight the good fight of faith. He is elected who will watch unto prayer, who will search the Scriptures, and flee from temptation. He is elected who will have faith continually, and who will be obedient to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The provisions of redemption are free to all; the results of redemption will be enjoyed by those who have complied with the conditions.  {AG 350.3}
[AG 350.4]          Satan is ever at work endeavoring to pervert what God has spoken, to blind the mind and darken the understanding, and thus lead men into sin. This is why the Lord is so explicit, making His requirements so very plain that none need err. God is constantly seeking to draw men close under His protection, that Satan may not practice his cruel, deceptive power upon them. He has condescended to speak to them with His own voice, to write with His own hand the living oracles. And these blessed words, all instinct with life and luminous with truth, are committed to men as a perfect guide. . . .  {AG 350.4}
[AG 350.5]          Every chapter and every verse of the Bible is a communication from God to men.... If studied and obeyed, it would lead God's people, as the Israelites were led, by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.  {AG 350.5}
[AG 351.1]      Chap. 343 - Preparing to Live With Angels         I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1.  {AG 351.1}
[AG 351.2]           We have no doubt . . . that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. . . .  {AG 351.2}
[AG 351.3]         We embrace the truth of God with our different faculties, and as we come under the influence of that truth, it will accomplish the work for us which is necessary to give us a moral fitness for the kingdom of glory and for the society of the heavenly angels. We are now in God's workshop. Many of us are rough stones from the quarry. But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatever nature. Thus we are prepared to see the King in His beauty and finally to unite with the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. It is here that this work is to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are to be fitted for immortality.  {AG 351.3}
[AG 351.4]         We are in a world that is opposed to righteousness and purity of character, and to a growth in grace. Wherever we look we see corruption and defilement, deformity and sin. And what is the work that we are to undertake here just previous to receiving immortality? It is to preserve our bodies holy, our spirits pure, that we may stand forth unstained amid the corruptions teeming around us in these last days.  {AG 351.4}
[AG 351.5]         The light shines clearly, and none need be ignorant, for the great God Himself is man's instructor. . . . He designs that the great subject of health reform shall be agitated and the public mind deeply stirred to investigate; for it is impossible for men and women, with all their sinful, healthful-destroying, brain-enervating habits, to discern sacred truth, through which they are to be sanctified, refined, elevated, and made fit for the society of heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory.  {AG 351.5}
[AG 352.1]      Chap. 344 - Learn the Song of Triumph Now         I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously. Exodus 15:1.  {AG 352.1}
[AG 352.2]            This song and the great deliverance which it commemorates, made an impression never to be effaced from the memory of the Hebrew people. From age to age it was echoed by the prophets and singers of Israel, testifying that Jehovah is the strength and deliverance of those who trust in Him. That song does not belong to the Jewish people alone. It points forward to the destruction of all the foes of righteousness, and the final victory of the Israel of God. The prophet of Patmos beholds the white-robed multitude that "have gotten the victory," standing on the "sea of glass mingled with fire," having "the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the lamb" (Revelation 15:2, 3).  {AG 352.2}
[AG 352.3]          "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake" (Psalm 115:1). Such was the spirit that pervaded Israel's song of deliverance, and it is the spirit that should dwell in the hearts of all who love and fear God. In freeing our souls from the bondage of sin, God has wrought for us a deliverance greater than that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. . . . The daily blessings that we receive from the hand of God, and above all else the death of Jesus to bring happiness and heaven within our reach, should be a theme for constant gratitude. What compassion, what matchless love, has God shown to us, lost sinners, in connecting us with Himself, to be to Him a peculiar treasure! . . . We should praise God for the blessed hope held out before us in the great plan of redemption, we should praise Him for the heavenly inheritance and for His rich promises; praise Him that Jesus lives to intercede for us. . . .  {AG 352.3}
[AG 352.4]         All the inhabitants of heaven unite in praising God. Let us learn the song of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join their shining ranks. Let us say with the psalmist, "While I live, will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being" (Psalm 146:2). "Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee" (Psalm 67:5).  {AG 352.4}
[AG 353.1]      Chap. 345 - While We Wait         Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord. Luke 12:35, 36.  {AG 353.1}
[AG 353.2]            Now is the time to prepare for the coming of our Lord. Readiness to meet Him cannot be attained in a moment's time. Preparatory to that solemn scene there must be vigilant waiting and watching, combined with earnest work. So God's children glorify Him. Amid the busy scenes of life their voices will be heard speaking words of encouragement, faith, and hope. All they have and are is consecrated to the Master's service. . . .  {AG 353.2}
[AG 353.3]          Christ tell us when the day of His kingdom shall be ushered in. He does not say that all the world will be converted, but that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). By giving the gospel to the world, it is in our power to hasten the coming of the day of God. Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to the earth in power and great glory.  {AG 353.3}
[AG 353.4]          Living power must attend the message of Christ's second appearing. We must not rest until we see many souls converted to the blessed hope of the Lord's return. In the days of the apostles the message that they bore wrought a real work, turning souls from idols to serve the living God. The work to be done today is just as real, and the truth is just as much truth; only we are to give the message with as much more earnestness as the coming of the Lord is nearer. The message for this time is positive, simple, and of the deepest importance. We must act like men and women who believe it. Waiting, watching, working, praying, warning the world--this is our work.  {AG 353.4}
[AG 353.5]          I have been deeply impressed by scenes that have recently passed before me in the night season. There seemed to be a great movement--a work of revival--going forward in many places. Our people were moving into line, responding to God's call. My brethren, the Lord is speaking to us. Shall we not heed His call? Shall we not trim our lamps, and act like men who look for their Lord to come?  {AG 353.5}
[AG 354.1]       Chap. 346 - "Homeward Bound!"         Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34.  {AG 354.1}
[AG 354.2]            The coming of Christ is nearer than when we first believed. The great controversy is nearing its end. The judgments of God are in the land. They speak in solemn warning, saying: "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). . . .  {AG 354.2}
[AG 354.3]         We are living in the closing scenes of this earth's history. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The hours of probation are fast passing. We have no time--not a moment--to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard. Let no one say in his heart or by his works: "My Lord delayeth his coming" (Matthew 24:48). Let the message of Christ's soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. . . .  {AG 354.3}
[AG 354.4]          The Lord is soon to come, and we must be prepared to meet Him in peace. Let us be determined to do all in our power to impart light to those around us. We are not to be sad, but cheerful, and we are to keep the lord Jesus ever before us. He is soon coming, and we must be ready and waiting for His appearing. Oh, how glorious it will be to see Him and be welcomed as His redeemed ones! Long have we waited, but our hope is not to grow dim. If we can but see the King in His beauty we shall be forever blessed. I feel as if I must cry aloud: "Homeward bound!" We are nearing the time when Christ will come in power and great glory to take His ransomed ones to their eternal home. . . .  {AG 354.4}
[AG 354.5]          Long have we waited for our Saviour's return. But nonetheless sure is the promise. Soon we shall be in our promised home. There Jesus will lead us beside the living stream flowing from the throne of God and will explain to us the dark providences through which on this earth He brought us in order to perfect our characters. There we shall behold with undimmed vision the beauties of Eden restored. Casting at the feet of the Redeemer the crowns that He has placed on our heads, and touching our golden harps, we shall fill all heaven with praise to Him that sitteth on the throne.  {AG 354.5}
[AG 355.1]       Chap. 347 - What a Reward!         If any man's work abide . . . , he shall receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:14.  {AG 355.1}
[AG 355.2]            Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful workers gather about the throne of God and of the Lamb. When John in his mortal state beheld the glory of God, he fell as one dead; he was not able to endure the sight. But when the children of God shall have put on immortality, they will "see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). They will stand before the throne, accepted in the Beloved. All their sins have been blotted out, all their transgressions borne away. Now they can look upon the undimmed glory of the throne of God. They have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity. . . .  {AG 355.2}
[AG 355.3]          In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and the Son. The angels, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King and His trophies of victory. . . . A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts, accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and sacrifice has not been in vain. . . .  {AG 355.3}
[AG 355.4]          There are homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for the righteous, with crowns of glory and palms of victory. All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.  {AG 355.4}
[AG 355.5]          I urge you to prepare for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. . . . Prepare for the judgment, that when Christ shall come, to be admired in all them that believe, you may be among those who will meet Him in peace.  {AG 355.5}
[AG 356.1]       Chap. 348 - Christ's Glorious Appearing         When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. Matthew 25:31.  {AG 356.1}
[AG 356.2]            The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus' coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted up with His glory. . . .  {AG 356.2}
[AG 356.3]          Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man's hand. . . . The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. . . . With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Revelation 5:11). No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. . . .  {AG 356.3}
[AG 356.4]          The righteous cry with trembling: "Who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:17). The angel's song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and joy fills every heart. And the angels strike a note higher and sing again. . . .  {AG 356.4}
[AG 356.5]          The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place. . . . The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom they have despised and rejected. . . . Those who would have destroyed Christ and His faithful people now witness the glory which rests upon them. In the midst of their terror they hear the voices of the saints in joyful strains exclaiming: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us" (Isaiah 25:9).  {AG 356.5}
[AG 357.1]       Chap. 349 - Victory Over Death         For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.  {AG 357.1}
[AG 357.2]            The voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. . . . From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). . . .  {AG 357.2}
[AG 357.3]          The Living righteous are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. . . .  {AG 357.3}
[AG 357.4]          Before entering the City of God, the Saviour bestows upon His followers the emblems of victory and invests them with the insignia of their royal state. . . . Upon the heads of the overcomers, Jesus with His own right hand places the crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own "new name," and the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord." In every hand are placed in the victor's palm and the shining harp. Then, as the commanding angels strike the note, every hand sweeps the harp strings with skillful touch, awaking sweet music in rich, melodious strains. Rapture unutterable thrills every heart, and each voice is raised in grateful praise. . . .  {AG 357.4}
[AG 357.5]          Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. . . . Then that voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: "Your conflict is ended." "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).  {AG 357.5}
[AG 357.6]          Now is fulfilled the Saviour's prayer for His disciples, "I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am" (John 17:24). "Faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24), Christ presents to the Father the purchase of His blood. . . . Oh, the wonders of redeeming love! The rapture of that hour when the infinite Father, looking upon the ransomed, shall behold His image. . . !  {AG 357.6}
[AG 358.1]       Chap. 350 - Joy Everlasting         The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10.  {AG 358.1}
[AG 358.2]            When Christ came to this earth the first time, He came in lowliness and obscurity, and His life here was one of suffering and poverty. . . . At His second coming all will be changed. Not as a prisoner surrounded by a rabble will men see Him, but as heaven's King. Christ will come in His own glory, in the glory of His Father, and in the glory of the holy angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, the beautiful, triumphant sons of God, possessing surpassing loveliness and glory, will escort Him on His way. In the place of a crown of thorns, He will wear a crown of glory--a crown within a crown. In the place of that old purple robe, He will be clothed in a garment of whitest white, "so as no fuller on earth can white" (Mark 9:3) it. And on His vesture and on His thigh a name will be written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords." . . .  {AG 358.2}
[AG 358.3]          To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion, a familiar friend. They have lived in close, constant communion with God. Upon them the glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty. They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.  {AG 358.3}
[AG 358.4]          With uplifted heads, with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shining upon them, with rejoicing that their redemption draweth nigh, they go forth to meet the Bridegroom. . . .  {AG 358.4}
[AG 358.5]          A little longer, and we shall see the King in His beauty. A little longer, and He will wipe all tears from our eyes. . . . Then by innumerable voices will be sung the song, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:3). . . .  {AG 358.5}
[AG 358.6]          "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14).  {AG 358.6}
[AG 359.1]       Chap. 351 - Home at Last!         But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9.  {AG 359.1}
[AG 359.2]            As your senses delight in the attractive loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of His glory.  {AG 359.2}
[AG 359.3]          And by and by the gates of heaven will be thrown open to admit God's children, and from the lips of the King of glory the benediction will fall on their ears like richest music-- "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Then the redeemed will be welcomed to the home that Jesus is preparing for them.  {AG 359.3}
[AG 359.4]          I saw Jesus lead the redeemed company to the gate of the city. He laid hold of the gate and swung it back on its glittering hinges, and bade the nations that had kept the truth enter in. Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them, He said, with His rich, musical voice, "I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." . . .  {AG 359.4}
[AG 359.5]          Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, "Oh, what love! what wondrous love!" The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour's love.  {AG 359.5}
[AG 360.1]       Chap. 352 - Eden Restored         To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7.  {AG 360.1}
[AG 360.2]            The garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God. Here they renewed their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished them from Eden. When the tide of iniquity overspread the world, and the wickedness of men determined their destruction by a flood of waters, the hand that had planted Eden withdrew it from the earth. But in the final restitution, when there shall be "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1), it is to be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.  {AG 360.2}
[AG 360.3]          Then they that have kept God's commandments shall breathe in immortal vigor beneath the tree of life; and through unending ages the inhabitants of sinless worlds shall behold, in that garden of delight, a sample of the perfect work of God's creation, untouched by the curse of sin--a sample of what the whole earth would have become, had man but fulfilled the Creator's glorious plan.  {AG 360.3}
[AG 360.4]          Adam is reinstated in his first dominion. Transported with joy, he holds the trees that were once his delight--the very trees whose fruit he himself had gathered in the days of his innocence and joy. He sees the vines that his own hands have trained, the very flowers that he once loved to care for. His mind grasps the reality of the scene; he comprehends that this is indeed Eden restored.  {AG 360.4}
[AG 360.5]          Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will "grow up" to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. The last lingering traces of the curse of sin will be removed, and Christ's faithful ones will appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God" (Psalm 90:17), in mind and soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord. Oh, wonderful redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated with eager anticipation, but never fully understood.  {AG 360.5}
[AG 361.1]      Chap. 353 - All Suffering Ended         And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4.  {AG 361.1}
[AG 361.2]            Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. In the home of the redeemed there will be no tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity" (Isaiah 33:24). One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen as eternity rolls on.  {AG 361.2}
[AG 361.3]          The time has come to which holy men have looked with longing since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden, the time for the "redemption of the purchased possession" (Ephesians 1:14). The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin has been restored. . . . God's original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed. . . .  {AG 361.3}
[AG 361.4]          There, "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them: and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1). "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree" (Isaiah 55:13). "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . and a little child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11:6). "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (verse 9), saith the Lord.  {AG 361.4}
[AG 361.5]          One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. . . .  {AG 361.5}
[AG 361.6]          The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow Life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.  {AG 361.6}
[AG 362.1]       Chap. 354 - Eden Life Renewed         They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Isaiah 65:21, 22.  {AG 362.1}
[AG 362.2]            There will be employment in Heaven. The redeemed state is not one of idle repose.  {AG 362.2}
[AG 362.3]          In the earth made new, the redeemed will engage in the occupations and pleasures that brought happiness to Adam and Eve in the beginning. The Eden life will be lived, the life in garden and field. . . .  {AG 362.3}
[AG 362.4]          There every power will be developed, every capability increased. The grandest enterprises will be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations will be reached, the highest ambitions realized. And still there will appear new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects of study to call forth the powers of body and mind and soul.  {AG 362.4}
[AG 362.5]          "His servants shall serve him" (Revelation 22:3). The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven; education on earth is an initiation into the principles of heaven; the lifework here is a training for the lifework there. What we now are, in character and holy service, is the sure foreshadowing of what we shall be.  {AG 362.5}
[AG 362.6]          "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Matthew 20:28). Christ's work below is His work above, and our reward for working with Him in this world will be the greater power and wider privilege of working with Him in the world to come. "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God" (Isaiah 43:12). This also we shall be in eternity. . . .  {AG 362.6}
[AG 362.7]          In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found--witnessing, and ever as we witness learning anew "the riches of the glory of this mystery;" "which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).  {AG 362.7}
[AG 363.1]       Chap. 355 - Everlasting Happiness         Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11.  {AG 363.1}
[AG 363.2]           During His ministry Jesus lived to a great degree an outdoor life. . . . Much of His teaching was given in the open air.  {AG 363.2}
[AG 363.3]          In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called "a country" (Hebrews 11:16). There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.  {AG 363.3}
[AG 363.4]          The Bible presents to our view the unsearchable riches and immortal treasures of heaven. Man's strongest impulse urges him to seek his own happiness, and the Bible recognizes this desire and shows us that all heaven will unite with man in his efforts to gain true happiness. It reveals the condition upon which the peace of Christ is given to men. It describes a home of everlasting happiness and sunshine, where no tears nor want shall ever be known.  {AG 363.4}
[AG 363.5]          Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home--that world of beauty which no artist can picture, mortal tongue describe. . . .  {AG 363.5}
[AG 363.6]          To dwell forever in this home of the blest, to bear in soul, body, and spirit, not the dark traces of sin and the curse, but the perfect likeness of our Creator, and through ceaseless ages to advance in wisdom, in knowledge, and in holiness, ever exploring new fields of thought, ever finding new wonders and new glories, ever increasing in capacity to know and to enjoy and to love, and knowing that there is still beyond us joy and love and wisdom infinite--such is the object to which the Christian's hope is pointing.  {AG 363.6}
[AG 364.1]       Chap. 356 - With My Guardian Angel         Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10.  {AG 364.1}
[AG 364.2]            Not until the providences of God are seen in the light of eternity shall we understand what we owe to the care and interposition of His angels. Celestial beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared in garments that shone as the lightning; they have come as men, in the garb of wayfarers. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes; they have acted as guides to benighted travelers. . . .  {AG 364.2}
[AG 364.3]          Though the rulers of this world know it not, yet often in their councils angels have been spokesmen. Human eyes have looked upon them. Human ears have listened to their appeals. In the council-hall and the court of justice, heavenly messengers have pleaded the cause of the persecuted and oppressed. They have defeated purposes and arrested evils that would have brought wrong and suffering to God's children. To the students in the heavenly school, all this will be unfolded.  {AG 364.3}
[AG 364.4]          Every redeemed one will understand the ministry of angels in his own life. The angel who was his guardian from his earliest moment; the angel who watched his steps, and covered his head in the day of peril; the angel who was with him in the valley of the shadow of death, who marked his resting-place, who was the first to greet him in the resurrection morning --what will it be to hold converse with him, and to learn the history of divine interposition in the individual life, of heavenly cooperation in every work for humanity!  {AG 364.4}
[AG 364.5]          With the Word of God in his hands, every human being. . . may have such companionship as he shall choose. . . . He may dwell in this world in the atmosphere of heaven, . . . drawing nearer and nearer the threshold of the eternal world, until the portals shall open, and he shall enter there. He will find himself no stranger. The voices that will greet him are the voices of the holy ones, who, unseen, were on earth his companions-- voices that here he learned to distinguish and to love. He who through the Word of God has lived in fellowship with heaven, will find himself at home in heaven's companionship.  {AG 364.5}
[AG 365.1]       Chap. 357 - Heaven's School         And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Isaiah 54:13.  {AG 365.1}
[AG 365.2]            Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its teacher, the Infinite One. A branch of this school was established in Eden; and the plan of redemption accomplished, education will again be taken up in the Eden school. . . .  {AG 365.2}
[AG 365.3]          Between the school established in Eden at the beginning and the school of the hereafter there lies the whole compass of this world's history--the history of human transgression and suffering, of divine sacrifice, and of victory over death and sin. Not all the conditions of the first school of Eden will be found in the school of the future life. No tree of knowledge of good and evil will afford opportunity for temptation. No tempter is there, no possibility of wrong. Every character has withstood the testing of evil, and none are longer susceptible to its power. . . .  {AG 365.3}
[AG 365.4]          There, when the veil that darkens our vision shall be removed, and our eyes shall behold that world of beauty of which we now catch glimpses through the microscope; when we look on the glories of the heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope; when, the blight of sin removed, the whole earth shall appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God" (Psalm 90:17), what a field will be open to our study! There the student of science may read the records of creation and discern no reminders of the law of evil. He may listen to the music of nature's voices, and detect no note of wailing or undertone of sorrow. In all created things he may trace one handwriting--in the vast universe behold "God's name writ large," and not in earth or sea or sky one sign of ill remaining.  {AG 365.4}
[AG 365.5]         Those who have made the most of their privileges to reach the highest attainments here, will take these valuable acquisitions with them into the future life. They have sought and obtained that which is imperishable. The capability to appreciate the glories that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard," will be proportionate to the attainments reached in the cultivation of the faculties in this life.  {AG 365.5}
[AG 366.1]       Chap. 358 - Christ Our Teacher Still         My people shall know my name: . . . they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. Isaiah 52:6.  {AG 366.1}
[AG 366.2]            Restored to His presence, man will again, as at the beginning, be taught of God.  {AG 366.2}
[AG 366.3]          We have not the slightest idea of what will then be opened before us. With Christ we shall walk beside the living waters. He will unfold to us the beauty and glory of nature. He will reveal what He is to us, and what we are to Him. Truth we cannot know now, because of finite limitations, we shall know hereafter.  {AG 366.3}
[AG 366.4]          In the world to come Christ will lead the redeemed beside the river of life and will teach them wonderful lessons of truth. . . . They will see that a master hand holds the world in position. They will behold the skill displayed by the great Artist in coloring the flowers of the field, and will learn of the purposes of the merciful Father, who dispenses every ray of light, and with the holy angels the redeemed will acknowledge in songs of grateful praise God's supreme love to an unthankful world.  {AG 366.4}
[AG 366.5]          There will be open to the student, history of infinite scope and of wealth inexpressible. . . . The history of the inception of sin; of fatal falsehood in its crooked working; of truth that, swerving not from its own straight lines, has met and conquered error--all will be made manifest. The veil that interposes between the visible and the invisible world will be drawn aside, and wonderful things will be revealed. . . .  {AG 366.5}
[AG 366.6]          With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. And the years of eternity, as they roll, will continue to bring more glorious revelations. "Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20), will be, forever and forever, the impartation of the gifts of God.  {AG 366.6}
[AG 366.7]          Every right principle, every truth learned in an earthly school, will advance us just that much in the heavenly school.  {AG 366.7}
[AG 366.8]          We must get an education here that will enable us to live with God through the eternal ages. The education we begin here will be perfected in heaven. We will only just enter a higher grade.  {AG 366.8}
[AG 367.1]       Chap. 359 - Our Curriculum         For our knowledge is imperfect. . .; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:9, 10, R.S.V.  {AG 367.1}
[AG 367.2]            By faith we should look to the hereafter and grasp the pledge of God of a growth of intellect, the human faculties uniting with the divine, and every power of the soul being brought into direct contact with the Source of light. We may rejoice that all that has perplexed us in the providences of God will then be made plain; things hard to be understood will find an explanation.  {AG 367.2}
[AG 367.3]          There all who have wrought with unselfish spirit will behold the fruit of their labors. The outworking of every right principle and noble deed will be seen. Something of this we see here. But how little of the result of the world's noblest work is in this life manifest to the doer! How many toil unselfishly and unweariedly for those who pass beyond their reach and knowledge! Parents and teachers lie down in their last sleep, their lifework seeming to have been wrought in vain; they know not that their faithfulness has unsealed springs of blessing that can never cease to flow; only by faith they see the children they have trained become a benediction and an inspiration to their fellow men, and the influence repeat itself a thousandfold. Many a worker sends out into the world messages to strength and hope and courage, words that carry blessings to hearts in every land; but of the results he, toiling in loneliness and obscurity, knows little. So gifts are bestowed, burdens are borne, labor is done. Men sow the seed from which, above their graves, others reap blessed harvests. They plant trees, that others may eat the fruit. They are content here to know that they have set in motion agencies for good. In the hereafter the action and reaction of all these will be seen.  {AG 367.3}
[AG 367.4]          Of every gift that God has bestowed, leading men to unselfish effort, a record is kept in heaven. To trace this in its wide-spreading lines, to look upon those who by our efforts have been uplifted and ennobled, to behold in their history the outworking of true principles--this will be one of the studies and rewards of the heavenly school.  {AG 367.4}
[AG 368.1]       Chap. 360 - Exploring the Universe         Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12.  {AG 368.1}
[AG 368.2]            "Now we see through a glass, darkly." We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then we shall see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. . . .  {AG 368.2}
[AG 368.3]          The loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together "the whole family in heaven and earth"--these help to constitute the happiness of the redeemed.  {AG 368.3}
[AG 368.4]          There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forgetfulness of God. . . .  {AG 368.4}
[AG 368.5]          All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar--worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. . . . With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation--suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator's name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.  {AG 368.5}
[AG 368.6]          And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise.  {AG 368.6}
[AG 369.1]      Chap. 361 - Rejoice with Jerusalem         And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2.  {AG 369.1}
[AG 369.2]            There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified new earth, "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." "Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." "The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." Saith the Lord: "I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people." "The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Isaiah 62:3; Revelation 21:11, 24; Isaiah 65:19; Revelation 21:3.)  {AG 369.2}
[AG 369.3]          In the City of God "there shall be no night." None will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close. "And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light" (Revelation 22:5). The light of the sun will be superseded by a radiance which is not painfully dazzling, yet which immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide. The glory of God and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfading light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual day.  {AG 369.3}
[AG 369.4]          In the visions of the prophet, those who have triumphed over sin and the grave are now seen happy in the presence of their Maker, talking freely with Him as man talked with God in the beginning. "Be ye glad," the Lord bids them, "and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying" (Isaiah 65:18, 19). . . .  {AG 369.4}
[AG 369.5]          As the prophet beholds the redeemed dwelling in the City of God, free from sin and from all marks of the curse, in rapture he exclaims, "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her" (Isaiah 66:10).  {AG 369.5}
[AG 370.1]       Chap. 362 - Eternal Security         And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. Zechariah 14:9.  {AG 370.1}
[AG 370.2]            The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God's favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years, Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God's original purpose in its creation is accomplished. "The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" (Daniel 7:18).  {AG 370.2}
[AG 370.3]          "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3). . . . "All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever" (Psalm 111:7, 8). The sacred statutes which Satan has hated and sought to destroy, will be honored throughout a sinless universe.  {AG 370.3}
[AG 370.4]         Through Christ's redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The Omnipotent One is made known as the God of love. Satan's charges are refuted, and his character unveiled. Rebellion can never again arise. Sin can never again enter the universe. Through eternal ages all are secure from apostasy. By love's self-sacrifice, the inhabitants of earth and heaven are bound to their Creator in bonds of indissoluble union.  {AG 370.4}
[AG 370.5]          The work of redemption will be complete. In the place where sin abounded, God's grace much more abounds. The earth itself, the very field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. Our little world, under the curse of sin the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered and died--here, when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, "and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:3). And through endless ages as the redeemed walk in the light of the Lord, they will praise Him for His unspeakable gift--Immanuel, "God with us."  {AG 370.5}
[AG 371.1]       Chap. 363 - Full Compensation         Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Hebrews 10:35-37.  {AG 371.1}
[AG 371.2]            The long-suffering of God is wonderful. Long does justice wait while mercy pleads with the sinner. But "righteousness and judgment are the establishment of his throne" (Psalm 97:2, margin). . . . The world has become bold in transgression of God's law. Because of His long forbearance, men have trampled upon His authority. . . . But there is a line beyond which they cannot pass. The time is near when they will have reached the prescribed limit. Even now they have almost exceeded the bounds of the long-suffering of God, the limits of His grace, the limits of His mercy. The Lord will interpose to vindicate His own honor, to deliver His people, and to repress the swellings of unrighteousness. . . .  {AG 371.2}
[AG 371.3]         In this time of prevailing iniquity we may know that the last great crisis is at hand. When the defiance of God's law is almost universal, when His people are oppressed and afflicted by their fellow men, the Lord will interpose. . . .  {AG 371.3}
[AG 371.4]          "There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1). From garrets, from hovels, from dungeons, from scaffolds, from mountains and deserts, from the caves of the earth and the caverns of the sea, Christ will gather his children to himself. . . . By human tribunals the children of God have been adjudged the vilest criminals. But the day is near when "God is judge himself" (Psalm 50:6). Then the decisions of earth shall be reversed. "The rebuke of his people shall he take away" (Isaiah 25:8). White robes will be given to every one of them. . . .  {AG 371.4}
[AG 371.5]         Whatever crosses they have been called to bear, whatever losses they have sustained, whatever persecution they have suffered, even to the loss of their temporal life, the children of God are amply recompensed. "They shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4).  {AG 371.5}
[AG 372.1]       Chap. 364 - Look Up!         Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. Isaiah 40:1, 2.  {AG 372.1}
[AG 372.2]           In the darkest days of her long conflict with evil, the church of God has been given revelations of the eternal purpose of Jehovah. His people have been permitted to look beyond the trials of the present to the triumphs of the future, when, the warfare having been accomplished, the redeemed will enter into possession of the promised land. These visions of future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, should be dear to His church today, when the controversy of the ages is rapidly closing and the promised blessings are soon to be realized in all their fullness.  {AG 372.2}
[AG 372.3]          To us who are standing on the very verge of their fulfillment, of what deep moment, what living interest, are these delineations of the things to come--events for which, since our first parents turned their steps from Eden, God's children have watched and waited, longed and prayed!  {AG 372.3}
[AG 372.4]          Fellow pilgrim, we are still amid the shadows and turmoil of earthly activities; but soon our Saviour is to appear to bring deliverance and rest. Let us by faith behold the blessed hereafter as pictured by the hand of God. He who died for the sins of the world is opening wide the gates of Paradise to all who believe on Him. Soon the battle will have been fought, the victory won. Soon we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His presence the trials and sufferings of this life will seem as nothingness. The former things "shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." "Israel shall be saved . . . with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end."  {AG 372.4}
[AG 372.5]          Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase. Let this faith guide you along the narrow path that leads through the gates of the city into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for the redeemed.  {AG 372.5}
[AG 373.1]       Chap. 365 - God's Justice Vindicated         As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee shall bow and every tongue acknowledge God. Romans 14:11, N.E.B.  {AG 373.1}
[AG 373.2]            For what was the great controversy permitted to continue throughout the ages? Why was it that Satan's existence was not cut short at the outset of his rebellion? It was that the universe might be convinced of God's justice in His dealing with evil; that sin might receive eternal condemnation. In the plan of redemption there are heights and depths that eternity itself can never exhaust, marvels into which the angels desire to look. The redeemed only, of all created beings, have in their own experience known the actual conflict with sin; they have wrought with Christ, and, as even the angels could not do, have entered into the fellowship of His sufferings; will they have no testimony as to the science of redemption--nothing that will be of worth to unfallen beings? . . .  {AG 373.2}
[AG 373.3]          "In his temple doth everyone speak of his glory" (Psalm 29:9), and the song which the ransomed ones will sing . . . will declare the glory of God: "Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages. Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy" (Revelation 15:3, 4, R.V.).  {AG 373.3}
[AG 373.4]         As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the divine law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed. . . . Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him. God's wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all His dealings in the great controversy have been conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He has created. . . . With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints" (Revelation 15:3).  {AG 373.4}
[Mar 9.1]        Mar - Maranatha (1976)      FOREWORD         "THE DOCTRINE OF THE SECOND ADVENT IS THE VERY KEYNOTE OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES," DECLARED THE AUTHOR OF THE INSPIRED MESSAGES SELECTED FOR THIS DEVOTIONAL VOLUME. "ABOUT HIS COMING CLUSTER THE GLORIES OF THAT 'RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS, WHICH GOD HATH SPOKEN BY THE MOUTH OF ALL HIS HOLY PROPHETS SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN.' ACTS 3:21. THEN THE LONG-CONTINUED RULE OF EVIL SHALL BE BROKEN; 'THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD' WILL BECOME 'THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.' REVELATION 11:15."--THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, PP. 299-301.       THE HEARTS OF GOD'S PEOPLE, YOUNG AND OLD, THROB WITH INTENSE LONGING FOR THAT DAY OF DELIVERANCE SO NEAR AT HAND. WITH FAST FULFILLING PROPHECY CONFIRMING THEIR FAITH IN THE IMMINENCE OF OUR LORD'S RETURN, THE WHITE ESTATE TRUSTEES COMMISSIONED THIS COMPILATION OF READINGS CLUSTERING ABOUT THE GENERAL THEME OF ESCHATOLOGY, WITH EMPHASIS UPON THE COMING OF OUR LORD. THE COLLECTION WOULD BE INCOMPLETE WITHOUT READINGS DEALING WITH THE SIGNS THAT MARK THE APPROACH OF THE COMING KING, THE EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRE IN RELATIONSHIP TO HIS SECOND APPEARING, HIS MILLENNIAL REIGN IN GLORY, AND INSIGHTS INTO PROPHECIES TO BE FULFILLED AT THE CLOSE OF THE THOUSAND YEARS OF SILENCE, DURING WHICH SATAN IS A PRISONER ON THIS EARTH.       KEY STATEMENTS ON A SUBJECT SO VITAL TO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS HAVE APPEARED IN PRINT IN THE ELLEN G. WHITE BOOKS, AS WELL AS IN MANY ARTICLES IN THE JOURNALS OF THE CHURCH. THEREIN LIES THE EXPLANATION FOR THE FREQUENT REFERENCE TO THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, THE DESIRE OF AGES, EARLY WRITINGS, THE NINE VOLUMES OF THE TESTIMONIES FOR THE CHURCH, THE REVIEW AND HERALD, AND THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. NUMEROUS STATEMENTS FROM UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS ENRICH THE PRESENTATION, ESPECIALLY IN THE SECTION DEALING WITH THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS.       CERTAIN NECESSARY DELETIONS WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE MATERIALS SELECTED HAVE BEEN MADE IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE REPETITION OR STATEMENTS LESS PERTINENT TO THE TOPIC PRESENTED OR TO ACCOMMODATE A GIVEN READING TO THE LIMITS OF A SINGLE PAGE. SPECIAL CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THESE OMISSIONS IN NO WAY DISTORT OR ALTER THE MEANING OF THE ORIGINAL PASSAGE.       REFERENCES DIRECTING THE READER TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCES APPEAR AT THE CLOSE OF THE VOLUME. THE SCRIPTURE INDEX INCLUDES ONLY THE VERSE CHOSEN WITH EACH READING.                                 8         WE BELIEVE THAT THIS DEVOTIONAL VOLUME, THE ELEVENTH SPIRIT OF PROPHECY DEVOTIONAL BOOK, WITH ITS ACCENT ON FULFILLED AND FULFILLING PROPHECIES, IS TIMELY. THE MATERIAL IS STRAIGHTFORWARD, FRANK, AND STIRRING. THE MESSAGE SHOULD BRING AN AWAKENING OF THE TRUEST KIND, STIRRING THE READER TO AWARENESS CONCERNING THE SECOND-ADVENT THEME SO DEAR TO ALL OF OUR HEARTS, AND PREPARATION FOR THAT EVENT. IT IS OUR PRAYER THAT MANY WILL BE SEALED WITH THE SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD AND ENABLED TO PASS THROUGH THE TIME OF TROUBLE AND MEET THE COMING KING IN PEACE AS A RESULT OF APPLYING THESE READINGS TO THEIR LIVES. MARANATHA--THE LORD IS COMING!    THE TRUSTEE OF THE  ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE  WASHINGTON, D.C.        Chap. 1 - The First Coming of Jesus         When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,...to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4:4, 5.  {Mar 9.1}
[Mar 9.2]           The Saviour's coming was foretold in Eden. When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Deliverer. But the fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not. The prophecy of Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not all rightly interpreted the message. Century after century passed away; the voices of the prophets ceased. The hand of the oppressor was heavy upon Israel, and many were ready to exclaim, "The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth." Ezekiel 12:22.  {Mar 9.2}
[Mar 9.3]         But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God's purposes know no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the great darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the bondage of Israel in Egypt, and had declared that the time of their sojourning should be four hundred years. "Afterward," He said, "shall they come out with great substance." Genesis 15:14. Against that word, all the power of Pharaoh's proud empire battled in vain. On "the self-same day" appointed in the divine promise, "it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:41. So in heaven's council the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  {Mar 9.3}
[Mar 9.4]          "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son." Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer....  {Mar 9.4}
[Mar 9.5]          Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.  {Mar 9.5}
[Mar 10.1]       Chap. 2 - The Lesson of Bethlehem         Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 9:28.  {Mar 10.1}
[Mar 10.2]           At the time of Christ's first advent the priests and scribes of the Holy City, to whom were entrusted the oracles of God, might have discerned the signs of the times and proclaimed the coming of the Promised One. The prophecy of Micah designated His birthplace; Daniel specified the time of His advent. God committed these prophecies to the Jewish leaders; they were without excuse if they did not know and declare to the people that the Messiah's coming was at hand. Their ignorance was the result of sinful neglect....  {Mar 10.2}
[Mar 10.3]         All the people should have been watching and waiting that they might be among the first to welcome the world's Redeemer. But, lo, at Bethlehem two weary travelers from the hills of Nazareth traverse the whole length of the narrow street to the eastern extremity of the town, vainly seeking a place of rest and shelter for the night. No doors are open to receive them. In a wretched hovel prepared for cattle, they at last find refuge, and there the Saviour of the world is born....  {Mar 10.3}
[Mar 10.4]          There is no evidence that Christ is expected, and no preparation for the Prince of life. In amazement the celestial messenger is about to return to heaven with the shameful tidings, when he discovers a group of shepherds who are watching their flocks by night, and as they gaze into the starry heavens, are contemplating the prophecy of a Messiah to come to earth, and longing for the advent of the world's Redeemer. Here is a company that is prepared to receive the heavenly message. And suddenly the angel of the Lord appears, declaring the good tidings of great joy....  {Mar 10.4}
[Mar 10.5]          Oh, what a lesson is this wonderful story of Bethlehem! How it rebukes our unbelief, our pride and self-sufficiency. How it warns us to beware, lest by our criminal indifference we also fail to discern the signs of the times, and therefore know not the day of our visitation.  {Mar 10.5}
[Mar 11.1]       Chap. 3 - When Jesus was Born--         When Jesus was born in Bethlehem...there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Matthew 2:1, 2.  {Mar 11.1}
[Mar 11.2]           The King of glory stooped low to take humanity; and angels, who had witnessed His splendor in the heavenly courts, as He was worshiped by all the heavenly hosts, were disappointed to find their divine Commander in a position of so great humiliation.  {Mar 11.2}
[Mar 11.3]          The Jews had separated themselves so far from God by their wicked works, that angels could not communicate to them the tidings of the advent of the infant Redeemer. God chooses the wise men of the East to do His will....  {Mar 11.3}
[Mar 11.4]          These wise men had seen the heavens illuminated with light, which enshrouded the heavenly host who heralded the advent of Christ to the humble shepherds....  {Mar 11.4}
[Mar 11.5]          This light was a distant cluster of flaming angels, which appeared like a luminous star. The unusual appearance of the large bright star, which they had never seen before, hanging as a sign in the heavens, attracted their attention....The wise men directed their course where the star seemed to lead them. And as they drew nigh to the city of Jerusalem, the star was enshrouded in darkness, and no longer guided them. They reasoned that the Jews could not be ignorant of the great event of the advent of the Messiah, and they made inquiries in the vicinity of Jerusalem.  {Mar 11.5}
[Mar 11.6]          The wise men are surprised to see no unusual interest upon the subject of the coming of the Messiah....They marvel that the Jews are not interested and joyful in prospect of this great event of the advent of Christ.  {Mar 11.6}
[Mar 11.7]          The churches of our time are seeking worldly aggrandizement, and are as unwilling to see the light of the prophecies, and receive the evidences of their fulfillment which show that Christ is soon to come, as were the Jews in reference to His first appearing. They were looking for the temporal and triumphant reign of Messiah in Jerusalem. Professed Christians of our time are expecting the temporal prosperity of the church, in the conversion of the world, and the enjoyment of the temporal millennium.  {Mar 11.7}
[Mar 12.1]       Chap. 4 - The Hope of the Second Coming         He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20.  {Mar 12.1}
[Mar 12.2]           The ［second］ coming of the Lord has been in all ages the hope of His true followers. The Saviour's parting promise upon Olivet, that He would come again, lighted up the future for His disciples, filling their hearts with joy and hope that sorrow could not quench nor trials dim. Amid suffering and persecution, "the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" was the "blessed hope." When the Thessalonian Christians were filled with grief as they buried their loved ones, who had hoped to live to witness the coming of the Lord, Paul, their teacher, pointed them to the resurrection, to take place at the Saviour's advent. Then the dead in Christ should rise, and together with the living be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. "And so," he said, "shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. ...  {Mar 12.2}
[Mar 12.3]          From the dungeon, the stake, the scaffold, where saints and martyrs witnessed for the truth, comes down the centuries the utterance of their faith and hope. Being "assured of His personal resurrection, and consequently of their own at His coming, for this cause," says one of these Christians, "they despised death, and were found to be above it."--Daniel T. Taylor, The Reign of Christ on Earth: or, The Voice of the Church in All Ages, p. 33. They were willing to go down to the grave, that they might "rise free." They looked for the "Lord to come from heaven in the clouds with the glory of His Father," "bringing to the just the times of the kingdom." The Waldenses cherished the same faith. Wycliffe looked forward to the Redeemer's appearing as the hope of the church.  {Mar 12.3}
[Mar 12.4]          On rocky Patmos the beloved disciple hears the promise, "Surely I come quickly," and his longing response voices the prayer of the church in all her pilgrimage, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20.  {Mar 12.4}
[Mar 13.1]       Chap. 5 - The Keynote of Scripture         I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Job 19:25.  {Mar 13.1}
[Mar 13.2]           One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible is that of Christ's second coming, to complete the great work of redemption. To God's pilgrim people, so long left to sojourn in "the region and shadow of death," a precious, joy-inspiring hope is given in the promise of His appearing, who is "the resurrection and the life," to "bring home again His banished." The doctrine of the second advent is the very key-note of the Sacred Scriptures. From the day when the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer's power and bring them again to the lost Paradise. ... Enoch, only the seventh in descent from them that dwelt in Eden, he who for three centuries on earth walked with his God, was permitted to behold from afar the coming of the Deliverer. "Behold," he declared, "the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all." The patriarch Job in the night of his affliction exclaimed with unshaken trust: "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:... in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another."  {Mar 13.2}
[Mar 13.3]          May the God of all grace so enlighten your understanding that you may discern eternal things, that by the light of truth your own errors, which are many, may be discovered to you just as they are, that you may make the necessary effort to put them away, and in the place of this evil, bitter fruit may bring forth fruit which is precious unto eternal life.  {Mar 13.3}
[Mar 13.4]          Humble your poor, proud, self-righteous heart before God; get low, very low, all broken in your sinfulness at His feet. Devote yourself to the work of preparation. Rest not until you can truly say: My Redeemer liveth, and, because He lives, I shall live also.  {Mar 13.4}
[Mar 13.5]          If you lose heaven, you lose everything; if you gain heaven, you gain everything. Do not make a mistake in this matter, I implore you. Eternal interests are here involved.  {Mar 13.5}
[Mar 14.1]       Chap. 6 - Faith of the Reformers         The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26.  {Mar 14.1}
[Mar 14.2]           Luther declared: "I persuade myself verily, that the day of judgment will not be absent full three hundred years. God will not, cannot, suffer this wicked world much longer." "The great day is drawing near in which the kingdom of abominations shall be overthrown."--Daniel T. Taylor, The Reign of Christ on Earth: or, The Voice of the Church in All Ages, p. 33.  {Mar 14.2}
[Mar 14.3]          "This aged world is not far from its end," said Melanchthon. Calvin bids Christians "not to hesitate, ardently desiring the day of Christ's coming as of all events most auspicious;" and declares that "the whole family of the faithful will keep in view that day." "We must hunger after Christ, we must seek, contemplate," he says, "till the dawning of that great day, when our Lord will fully manifest the glory of His kingdom."--Ibid., pages 158, 134.  {Mar 14.3}
[Mar 14.4]          "Has not the Lord Jesus carried up our flesh into heaven?" said Knox, the Scotch Reformer, "and shall He not return? We know that He shall return, and that with expedition." Ridley and Latimer, who laid down their lives for the truth, looked in faith for the Lord's coming. Ridley wrote: "The world without doubt--this I do believe, and therefore I say it--draws to an end. Let us with John, the servant of God, cry in our hearts unto our Saviour Christ, Come, Lord Jesus, come." --Ibid., pages 151, 145.  {Mar 14.4}
[Mar 14.5]          "The thoughts of the coming of the Lord," said Baxter, "are most sweet and joyful to me."--Richard Baxter, Works, vol. 17, p. 555. "It is the work of faith and the character of His saints to love His appearing and to look for that blessed hope." "If death be the last enemy to be destroyed at the resurrection, we may learn how earnestly believers should long and pray for the second coming of Christ, when this full and final conquest shall be made."--Ibid., vol. 17, p. 500. "This is the day that all believers should long, and hope, and wait for, as being the accomplishment of all the work of their redemption, and all the desires and endeavors of their souls." "Hasten, O Lord, this blessed day!"--Ibid., vol. 17, pp. 182, 183. Such was the hope of the apostolic church, of the "church in the wilderness," and of the Reformers.  {Mar 14.5}
[Mar 15.1]       Chap. 7 - The Key to History         Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come. Isaiah 21:11 (last part), 12.  {Mar 15.1}
[Mar 15.2]           An understanding of the hope of Christ's second coming is the key that unlocks all the history that follows, and explains all the future lessons.  {Mar 15.2}
[Mar 15.3]          The voice of the true watchman needs now to be heard all along the line, "The morning cometh, and also the night." The trumpet must give a certain sound, for we are in the great day of the Lord's preparation.  {Mar 15.3}
[Mar 15.4]          The truths of prophecy are bound up together, and as we study them, they form a beautiful cluster of practical Christian truth. All the discourses that we give are plainly to reveal that we are waiting, working, and praying for the coming of the Son of God. His coming is our hope. This hope is to be bound up with all our words and works, with all our associations and relationships. . . .  {Mar 15.4}
[Mar 15.5]          The second coming of the Son of man is to be the wonderful theme kept before the people. Here is a subject that should not be left out of our discourses. Eternal realities must be kept before the mind's eye, and the attractions of the world will appear as they are, altogether profitless as vanity. What are we to do with the world's vanities, its praises, its riches, its honors, or its enjoyments?  {Mar 15.5}
[Mar 15.6]          We are pilgrims and strangers who are waiting, hoping, and praying for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If we believe this and bring it into our practical life, what vigorous action would this faith and hope inspire; what fervent love one for another; what careful holy living for the glory of God; and in our respect for the recompense of the reward, what distinct lines of demarcation would be evidenced between us and the world. . . .  {Mar 15.6}
[Mar 15.7]          The truth that Christ is coming should be kept before every mind.  {Mar 15.7}
[Mar 16.1]       Chap. 8 - Parallel Disappointments         Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:11.  {Mar 16.1}
[Mar 16.2]           Not infrequently the minds of the people, and even of God's servants, are so blinded by human opinions, the traditions and false teaching of men, that they are able only partially to grasp the great things which He has revealed in His word. Thus it was with the disciples of Christ, even when the Saviour was with them in person. Their minds had become imbued with the popular conception of the Messiah as a temporal prince, who was to exalt Israel to the throne of the universal empire, and they could not understand the meaning of His words foretelling His sufferings and death. . . .  {Mar 16.2}
[Mar 16.3]          From their very birth their hearts had been set upon the anticipated glory of an earthly empire, and this blinded their understanding....  {Mar 16.3}
[Mar 16.4]          The experience of the disciples who preached the "gospel of the kingdom" at the first advent of Christ, had its counterpart in the experience of those who proclaimed the message of His second advent. . . .  {Mar 16.4}
[Mar 16.5]          Like the first disciples, William Miller and his associates did not, themselves, fully comprehend the import of the message which they bore. Errors that had been long established in the church prevented them from arriving at a correct interpretation of an important point in the prophecy. Therefore, though they proclaimed the message which God had committed to them to be given to the world, yet through a misapprehension of its meaning they suffered disappointment. . . .  {Mar 16.5}
[Mar 16.6]          With these believers, as with the first disciples, that which in the hour of trial seemed dark to their understanding would afterward be made plain. When they should see the "end of the Lord" they would know that, notwithstanding the trial resulting from their errors, His purposes of love toward them had been steadily fulfilling. They would learn by a blessed experience that He is "very pitiful, and of tender mercy;" that all His paths "are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies."  {Mar 16.6}
[Mar 17.1]       Chap. 9 - Humble Men Proclaim the Message         We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye 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. 2 Peter 1:19.  {Mar 17.1}
[Mar 17.2]           This message ［Revelation 14:6, 7］ is declared to be a part of "the everlasting gospel." The work of preaching the gospel has not been committed to angels, but has been entrusted to men. Holy angels have been employed in directing this work, they have in charge the great movements for the salvation of men; but the actual proclamation of the gospel is performed by the servants of Christ upon the earth.  {Mar 17.2}
[Mar 17.3]          Faithful men, who were obedient to the promptings of God's Spirit and the teachings of His word, were to proclaim this warning to the world. They were those who had taken heed to the "sure word of prophecy," the "light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise." 2 Peter 1:19. They had been seeking the knowledge of God more than all hid treasures, counting it "better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold." Proverbs 3:14. And the Lord revealed to them the great things of the kingdom. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant." Psalm 25:14.  {Mar 17.3}
[Mar 17.4]         It was not the scholarly theologians who had an understanding of this truth, and engaged in its proclamation. Had these been faithful watchmen, diligently and prayerfully searching the Scriptures, they would have known the time of night; the prophecies would have opened to them the events about to take place. But they did not occupy this position, and the message was given by humbler men. Said Jesus: "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you." John 12:35. Those who turn away from the light which God has given, or who neglect to seek it when it is within their reach, are left in darkness. But the Saviour declares: "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12. Whoever is with singleness of purpose seeking to do God's will, earnestly heeding the light already given, will receive greater light; to that soul some star of heavenly radiance will be sent to guide him into all truth.  {Mar 17.4}
[Mar 18.1]       Chap. 10 - The Truth will Triumph         The angel . . . sware by him that liveth for ever . . . that there should be time no longer. Revelation 10:5, 6.  {Mar 18.1}
[Mar 18.2]           The message of Revelation 14, proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment is come, is given in the time of the end; and the angel of Revelation 10 is represented as having one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, showing that the message will be carried to distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, and the islands of the sea will hear the proclamation of the last message of warning. . . .  {Mar 18.2}
[Mar 18.3]          "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer" (Revelation 10:5, 6). This message announces the end of the prophetic periods. The disappointment of those who expected to see our Lord in 1844 was indeed bitter to those who had so ardently looked for His appearing. It was in the Lord's order that this disappointment should come. . . .  {Mar 18.3}
[Mar 18.4]         Not one cloud has fallen upon the church that God has not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counterwork the work of God but He has foreseen. All has taken place as He has predicted through His prophets. He has not left His church in darkness, forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and through His providence, acting in its appointed place in the world's history, He has brought about that which His Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell. All His purposes will be fulfilled and established. His law is linked with His throne, and satanic agencies combined with human agencies cannot destroy it. Truth is inspired and guarded by God; it will live, and will succeed, although it may appear at times to be overshadowed. The gospel of Christ is the law exemplified in character. The deceptions practiced against it, every device for vindicating falsehood, every error forged by satanic agencies, will eventually be eternally broken, and the triumph of truth will be like the appearing of the sun at noonday. The Sun of Righteousness shall shine forth with healing in His wings, and the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.  {Mar 18.4}
[Mar 19.1]       Chap. 11 - Hastening Our Lord's Return         He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. Romans 9:28.  {Mar 19.1}
[Mar 19.2]           In the prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction Christ said, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." This prophecy will again be fulfilled. The abounding iniquity of that day finds its counterpart in this generation. So with the prediction in regard to the preaching of the gospel. Before the fall of Jerusalem, Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, declared that the gospel was preached to "every creature which is under heaven." Colossians 1:23. So now, before the coming of the Son of man, the everlasting gospel is to be preached "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Revelation 14:6, 14. God "hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world." Acts 17:31. Christ tells us when that day shall be ushered in. He does not say that all the world will be converted, but that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." By giving the gospel to the world it is in our power to hasten our Lord's return. We are not only to look for but to hasten the coming of the day of God. 2 Peter 3:12, margin. Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.  {Mar 19.2}
[Mar 19.3]          It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years. . . .  {Mar 19.3}
[Mar 19.4]          We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel; but for Christ's sake, His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the consequence of their own wrong course of action.  {Mar 19.4}
[Mar 20.1]       Chap. 12 - Last Warnings of the Third Angel         After these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Revelation 18:1.  {Mar 20.1}
[Mar 20.2]           The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel's message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel's message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel. . . .  {Mar 20.2}
[Mar 20.3]          The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. . . .  {Mar 20.3}
[Mar 20.4]          Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand. . . .  {Mar 20.4}
[Mar 20.5]          The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord's side.  {Mar 20.5}
[Mar 21.1]       Chap. 13 - He shall Reign Forever         The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15.  {Mar 21.1}
[Mar 21.2]           The coming of Christ to usher in the reign of righteousness has inspired the most sublime . . . utterances of the sacred writers. . . . The psalmist sang of the power and majesty of Israel's King: ... "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad . . . before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth." Psalm 96:11-13.  {Mar 21.2}
[Mar 21.3]         Said the prophet Isaiah:..."He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it...." Isaiah 25:8....  {Mar 21.3}
[Mar 21.4]          When the Saviour was about to be separated from His disciples, He comforted them in their sorrow with the assurance that He would come again: "Let not your heart be troubled....In my Father's house are many mansions....I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself." John 14:1-3....  {Mar 21.4}
[Mar 21.5]          The angels who lingered upon Olivet after Christ's ascension repeated to the disciples the promise of His return: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11. And the apostle Paul, speaking by the Spirit of Inspiration, testified: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Says the prophet of Patmos: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him." Revelation 1:7.  {Mar 21.5}
[Mar 21.6]          About His coming cluster the glories of that "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:21. Then the long-continued rule of evil shall be broken; "the kingdoms of this world" will become "the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15.  {Mar 21.6}
[Mar 22.1]       Chap. 14 - The Elijah Prophecy         Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:5, 6.  {Mar 22.1}
[Mar 22.2]           Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ's first advent.  {Mar 22.2}
[Mar 22.3]          The work of John the Baptist, and the work of those who in the last days go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to arouse the people from their apathy, are in many respects the same. His work is a type of the work that must be done in this age. Christ is to come the second time to judge the world in righteousness.  {Mar 22.3}
[Mar 22.4]          John separated himself from friends and from the luxuries of life. The simplicity of his dress, a garment woven of camel's hair, was a standing rebuke to the extravagance and display of the Jewish priests, and of the people generally. His diet, purely vegetable, of locusts and wild honey, was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite and the gluttony that everywhere prevailed. ... The great subject of reform is to be agitated, and the public mind is to be stirred. Temperance in all things is to be connected with the message, to turn the people of God from their idolatry, their gluttony, and their extravagance in dress and other things.  {Mar 22.4}
[Mar 22.5]          The self-denial, humility, and temperance required of the righteous, whom God especially leads and blesses, is to be presented to the people in contrast to the extravagant, health-destroying habits of those who live in this degenerate age. God has shown that health reform is as closely connected with the third angel's message as the hand is with the body.  {Mar 22.5}
[Mar 22.6]          As John the Baptist . . . called their attention to the Ten Commandments, so we are to give, with no uncertain sound, the message: "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." With the earnestness that characterized Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist, we are to strive to prepare the way for Christ's second advent.  {Mar 22.6}
[Mar 23.1]       Chap. 15 - Uplift Jesus as the Center         I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16.  {Mar 23.1}
[Mar 23.2]           The perils of the last days are upon us, and in our work we are to warn the people of the danger they are in. Let not the solemn scenes which prophecy has revealed be left untouched. If our people were half awake, if they realized the nearness of the events portrayed in the Revelation, a reformation would be wrought in our churches, and many more would believe the message. We have no time to lose. . . . Advance new principles, and crowd in the clear-cut truth. It will be as a sword cutting both ways. But be not too ready to take a controversial attitude. There will be times when we must stand still and see the salvation of God. Let Daniel speak, let the Revelation speak, and tell what is truth. But whatever phase of the subject is presented, uplift Jesus as the center of all hope, "the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."  {Mar 23.2}
[Mar 23.3]          We do not go deep enough in our search for truth. Every soul who believes present truth will be brought where he will be required to give a reason of the hope that is in him. The people of God will be called upon to stand before kings, princes, rulers, and great men of the earth, and they must know that they do know what is truth. They must be converted men and women. God can teach you more in one moment by His Holy Spirit than you could learn from the great men of the earth. The universe is looking upon the controversy that is going on upon the earth. At an infinite cost, God has provided for every man an opportunity to know that which will make him wise unto salvation. How eagerly do angels look to see who will avail himself of this opportunity! When a message is presented to God's people, they should not rise up in opposition to it; they should go to the Bible, comparing it with the law and the testimony, and if it does not bear this test, it is not true. God wants our minds to expand. He desires to put His grace upon us. We may have a feast of good things every day, for God can open the whole treasure of heaven to us.  {Mar 23.3}
[Mar 24.1]       Chap. 16 - The Field is the World         Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19.  {Mar 24.1}
[Mar 24.2]           While in California in the year 1874, I was given an impressive dream....  {Mar 24.2}
[Mar 24.3]          I dreamed that several of the brethren in California were in council, considering the best plan for labor during the coming season....  {Mar 24.3}
[Mar 24.4]          A young man whom I had frequently seen in my dreams, came into the council. He listened with deep interest to the words that were spoken, and then, speaking with deliberation and authoritative confidence, said:  {Mar 24.4}
[Mar 24.5]          "The cities and villages constitute a part of the Lord's vineyard. They must hear the messages of warning. The enemy of truth is making desperate efforts to turn the people from the truth of God to falsehood.... You are to sow beside all waters.  {Mar 24.5}
[Mar 24.6]          "It may be that you will not at once see the result of your labor, but this should not discourage you. Take Christ as your example. He had many hearers, but few followers." ...  {Mar 24.6}
[Mar 24.7]          The messenger continued: "You are entertaining too limited ideas of the work for this time. You are trying to plan the work so that you can embrace it in your arms. You must take broader views. Your light must not be put under a bushel or under a bed, but on a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the house. Your house is the world....  {Mar 24.7}
[Mar 24.8]          "Many countries are waiting for the advanced light the Lord has for them; and your faith is limited, it is very small. Your conception of the work needs to be greatly enlarged.... Go forward. God will work with great power if you will walk in all humility of mind before Him. It is not faith to talk of impossibilities. Nothing is impossible with God. The light of the binding claims of the law of God is to test...the world."...  {Mar 24.8}
[Mar 24.9]          Time is short; and all who believe this message, should feel a solemn obligation resting upon them to be disinterested workers, exerting their influence on the right side, and never by word or action be found arrayed against those who are seeking to advance the interests of God's cause....The light God has given us isn't worth much to the world unless it can be seen by being presented before them.  {Mar 24.9}
[Mar 25.1]       Chap. 17 - God's Judgments in the Land         Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Luke 21:26.  {Mar 25.1}
[Mar 25.2]           O that God's people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of cities, now almost given to idolatry! . . .  {Mar 25.2}
[Mar 25.3]          Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say, "We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon." Others said, "You knew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know." On every side I heard such words spoken. . . .  {Mar 25.3}
[Mar 25.4]          Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations--trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him.  {Mar 25.4}
[Mar 25.5]          The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment. . . .  {Mar 25.5}
[Mar 25.6]          Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable.  {Mar 25.6}
[Mar 25.7]          Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God's indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.  {Mar 25.7}
[Mar 26.1]       Chap. 18 - A Better and Nobler Way         Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Isaiah 1:16, 17.  {Mar 26.1}
[Mar 26.2]           Ignorance, pleasure loving, and sinful habits, corrupting soul, body, and spirit, make the world full of moral leprosy; a deadly moral malaria is destroying thousands and tens of thousands.  {Mar 26.2}
[Mar 26.3]          Many are sunken in sin. Many are in distress. They are pressed with suffering, want, unbelief, despondency. Disease of every type afflicts them, both in body and in soul. They long to find a solace for their troubles, and Satan tempts them to seek it in lusts and pleasures that lead to ruin and death. He is offering them the apples of Sodom, that will turn to ashes upon their lips.  {Mar 26.3}
[Mar 26.4]          A terrible picture of the condition of the world has been presented before me. Immorality abounds everywhere. Licentiousness is the special sin of this age. Never did vice lift its deformed head with such boldness as now. . . . The iniquity which abounds is not merely confined to the unbeliever and the scoffer. Would that this were the case, but it is not. Many men and women who profess the religion of Christ are guilty. Even some who profess to be looking for His appearing are no more prepared for that event than Satan himself. They are not cleansing themselves from all pollution. They have so long served their lust that it is natural for their thoughts to be impure and their imaginations corrupt. It is as impossible to cause their minds to dwell upon pure and holy things as it would be to turn the course of Niagara and send its waters pouring up the falls. . . . Every Christian will have to learn to restrain his passions and be controlled by principle. . . .  {Mar 26.4}
[Mar 26.5]          If lasciviousness, pollution, adultery, crime, and murder are the order of the day among those who know not the truth, and who refuse to be controlled by the principles of God's word, how important that the class professing to be followers of Christ, closely allied to God and angels, should show them a better and nobler way! How important that by their chastity and virtue they stand in marked contrast to that class who are controlled by brute passions!  {Mar 26.5}
[Mar 27.1]       Chap. 19 - When the Loud Cry Sounds         And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Romans 13:11.  {Mar 27.1}
[Mar 27.2]           The end is near, stealing upon us stealthily, imperceptibly, like the noiseless approach of a thief in the night. May the Lord grant that we shall no longer sleep as do others, but that we shall watch and be sober. The truth is soon to triumph gloriously, and all who now choose to be laborers together with God, will triumph with it. The time is short; the night soon cometh when no man can work. . . .  {Mar 27.2}
[Mar 27.3]          The time is coming when there will be as many converted in a day as there were on the day of Pentecost, after the disciples had received the Holy Spirit. . . .  {Mar 27.3}
[Mar 27.4]          Many have let the gospel invitation go unheeded; they have been tested and tried; but mountainous obstacles have seemed to loom up before their faces, blocking their onward march. Through faith, perseverance, and courage, many will surmount these obstructions and walk out into the glorious light.  {Mar 27.4}
[Mar 27.5]          Almost unconsciously barriers have been erected in the strait and narrow way; stones of stumbling have been placed in the path; these will all be rolled away. The safeguards which false shepherds have thrown around their flocks will become as nought; thousands will step out into the light, and work to spread the light. Heavenly intelligences will combine with the human agencies. Thus encouraged, the church will indeed arise and shine, throwing all her sanctified energies into the contest; thus the design of God is accomplished; the lost pearls are recovered. . . .  {Mar 27.5}
[Mar 27.6]         During the loud cry, the church, aided by the providential interpositions of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of salvation. So abundantly will the renewing Spirit of God have crowned with success the intensely active agencies, that the light of present truth will be seen flashing everywhere.  {Mar 27.6}
[Mar 28.1]       Chap. 20 - The Faithful Ones will not Fail         Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12.  {Mar 28.1}
[Mar 28.2]           We have need now for more than human wisdom in reading and searching the Scriptures; and if we come to God's Word with humble hearts, He will raise up a standard for us against the lawless element.  {Mar 28.2}
[Mar 28.3]          It is difficult to hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end; and the difficulty increases when there are hidden influences constantly at work to bring in another spirit, a counterworking element, on Satan's side of the question. In the absence of persecution, there have drifted into our ranks some who appear sound, and their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if persecution should arise, would go out from us. In the crisis, they would see force in specious reasoning that has had an influence on their minds. Satan has prepared various snares to meet varied minds. When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate, will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Instead of being strengthened when brought into strait places, many prove that they are not living branches of the True Vine. . . .  {Mar 28.3}
[Mar 28.4]          But when the world makes void the law of God, what will be the effect upon the truly obedient and righteous? Will they be carried away by the strong current of evil? Because so many rank themselves under the banner of the prince of darkness, will God's commandment-keeping people swerve from their allegiance? Never! Not one who is abiding in Christ will fail or fall. His followers will bow in obedience to a higher authority than that of any earthly potentate. While the contempt placed upon God's commandments leads many to suppress the truth and show less reverence for it, the faithful ones will with greater earnestness hold aloft its distinguishing truths. We are not left to our own direction. . . . We should consult His Word with humble hearts, ask His counsel, and give up our will to His. We can do nothing without God.  {Mar 28.4}
[Mar 29.1]       Chap. 21 - Labor to Win Even One Soul         What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Luke 15:4.  {Mar 29.1}
[Mar 29.2]           For the conversion of one soul we should tax our resources to the utmost. One soul won to Christ will flash heaven's light all around him, penetrating the moral darkness and saving other souls.  {Mar 29.2}
[Mar 29.3]          If Christ left the ninety and nine, that He might seek and save the one lost sheep, can we be justified in doing less? Is not a neglect to work even as Christ worked, to sacrifice as He sacrificed, a betrayal of sacred trusts, an insult to God?  {Mar 29.3}
[Mar 29.4]          Sound an alarm throughout the length and breadth of the earth. Tell the people that the day of the Lord is near and hasteth greatly. Let none be left unwarned. We might have been in the place of the poor souls that are in error. We might have been placed among barbarians. According to the truth we have received above others, we are debtors to impart the same to them.  {Mar 29.4}
[Mar 29.5]          We have no time to lose. The end is near. The passage from place to place to spread the truth will soon be hedged with dangers on the right hand and on the left. Everything will be placed to obstruct the way of the Lord's messengers, so that they will not be able to do that which it is possible for them to do now. We must look our work fairly in the face and advance as fast as possible in aggressive warfare. From the light given me of God I know that the powers of darkness are working with intense energy from beneath, and with stealthy tread Satan is advancing to take those who are now asleep, as a wolf taking his prey. We have warnings now which we may give, a work now which we may do; but soon it will be more difficult than we can imagine. God help us to keep in the channel of light, to work with our eyes fastened on Jesus our Leader, and patiently, perseveringly press on to gain the victory.  {Mar 29.5}
[Mar 29.6]          In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found.  {Mar 29.6}
[Mar 30.1]       Chap. 22 - Study Daniel and the Revelation         Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:3.  {Mar 30.1}
[Mar 30.2]           A message that will arouse the churches is to be proclaimed. Every effort is to be made to give the light, not only to our people, but to the world. I have been instructed that the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be printed in small books, with the necessary explanations, and should be sent all over the world. Our own people need to have the light placed before them in clearer lines.  {Mar 30.2}
[Mar 30.3]          Those who eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God will bring from the books of Daniel and Revelation truth that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. They will start into action forces that cannot be repressed. The lips of children will be opened to proclaim the mysteries that have been hidden from the minds of men. . . .  {Mar 30.3}
[Mar 30.4]          Many of the prophecies are about to be fulfilled in quick succession. Every element of power is about to be set to work. Past history will be repeated; old controversies will arouse to new life, and peril will beset God's people on every side. Intensity is taking hold of the human family. It is permeating everything upon the earth. . . .  {Mar 30.4}
[Mar 30.5]          Study Revelation in connection with Daniel, for history will be repeated. . . . We, with all our religious advantages, ought to know far more today than we do know.  {Mar 30.5}
[Mar 30.6]          Angels desire to look into the truths that are revealed to the people who with contrite hearts are searching the word of God and praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and heights of the knowledge which He alone can give.  {Mar 30.6}
[Mar 30.7]          As we near the close of this world's history, the prophecies relating to the last days especially demand our study. The last book of the New Testament Scriptures is full of truth that we need to understand. Satan has blinded the minds of many so that they have been glad of any excuse for not making the Revelation their study. But Christ through His servant John has here declared what shall be in the last days; and He says, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein."  {Mar 30.7}
[Mar 31.1]       Chap. 23 - Intolerance and Persecution         If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep your's also. John 15:20.  {Mar 31.1}
[Mar 31.2]           Persecution in its varied forms is the development of a principle which will exist as long as Satan exists and Christianity has vital power. No man can serve God without enlisting against himself the opposition of the hosts of darkness. Evil angels will assail him, alarmed that his influence is taking the prey from their hands. Evil men, rebuked by his example, will unite with them in seeking to separate him from God by alluring temptations. When these do not succeed, then a compelling power is employed to force the conscience.  {Mar 31.2}
[Mar 31.3]          But so long as Jesus remains man's intercessor in the sanctuary above, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit is felt by rulers and people. It still controls to some extent the laws of the land. Were it not for these laws, the condition of the world would be much worse than it now is. While many of our rulers are active agents of Satan, God also has His agents among the leading men of the nation. The enemy moves upon his servants to propose measures that would greatly impede the work of God; but statesmen who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose such propositions with unanswerable arguments. Thus a few men will hold in check a powerful current of evil. The opposition of the enemies of truth will be restrained that the third angel's message may do its work. When the final warning shall be given, it will arrest the attention of these leading men through whom the Lord is now working, and some of them will accept it, and will stand with the people of God through the time of trouble. . . .  {Mar 31.3}
[Mar 31.4]          "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God. . . ." Joel 2:23. "In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:17, 21.  {Mar 31.4}
[Mar 31.5]          The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening.  {Mar 31.5}
[Mar 32.1]       Chap. 24 - The Church will not Fall         Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18.  {Mar 32.1}
[Mar 32.2]           Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects, he has gained control of the apostate churches; but here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God. . . . Their only hope is in the mercy of God; their only defense will be prayer.  {Mar 32.2}
[Mar 32.3]          The trying experiences that came to God's people in the days of Esther were not peculiar to that age alone. The revelator, looking down the ages to the close of time, has declared, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17. Some who today are living on the earth will see these words fulfilled.  {Mar 32.3}
[Mar 32.4]          The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination in the time of trouble.  {Mar 32.4}
[Mar 32.5]          Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths.  {Mar 32.5}
[Mar 32.6]          God declares that even a mother may forget her child, "yet will I not forget thee." . . . God thinks of His children with the tenderest solicitude and keeps a book of remembrance before Him, that He may never forget the children of His care.  {Mar 32.6}
[Mar 33.1]       Chap. 25 - The Counterfeit Revival         This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, . . . having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 5.  {Mar 33.1}
[Mar 33.2]           Before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God's special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.  {Mar 33.2}
[Mar 33.3]          In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God's word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God's blessing is not bestowed. And by the rule which Christ Himself has given, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16), it is evident that these movements are not the work of the Spirit of God.  {Mar 33.3}
[Mar 34.1]       Chap. 26 - Presumptuous, Careless Delay         Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15.  {Mar 34.1}
[Mar 34.2]           The evil servant says in his heart, "My lord delayeth his coming." He does not say that Christ will not come. He does not scoff at the idea of His second coming. But in his heart and by his actions and words he declares that the Lord's coming is delayed. He banishes from the mind of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay. . . . He mingles with the world....It is a fearful assimilation. With the world he is taken in the snare....  {Mar 34.2}
[Mar 34.3]          "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Revelation 3:3. The advent of Christ will surprise the false teachers. They are saying, "Peace and safety." Like the priests and teachers before the fall of Jerusalem, they look for the church to enjoy earthly prosperity and glory. The signs of the times they interpret as foreshadowing this. But what saith the word of Inspiration? "Sudden destruction cometh upon them." 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth, upon all who make this world their home, the day of God will come as a snare. . . .  {Mar 34.3}
[Mar 34.4]          The world, full of rioting, full of godless pleasure, is asleep, asleep in carnal security. Men are putting afar off the coming of the Lord. They laugh at warnings. The proud boast is made, "All things continue as they were from the beginning." "Tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant." 2 Peter 3:4; Isaiah 56:12. We will go deeper into pleasure loving. But Christ says, "Behold, I come as a thief." Revelation 16:15. At the very time when the world is asking in scorn, "Where is the promise of his coming?" the signs are fulfilling. While they cry, "Peace and safety," sudden destruction is coming. When the scorner, the rejecter of truth, has become presumptuous; when the routine of work in the various money-making lines is carried on without regard to principle; when the student is eagerly seeking knowledge of everything but his Bible, Christ comes as a thief.  {Mar 34.4}
[Mar 35.1]      Chap. 27 - A Heaven to Win         Watch ye therefore, and pray always. Luke 21:36.  {Mar 35.1}
[Mar 35.2]           The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. . . .  {Mar 35.2}
[Mar 35.3]          The condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon us. The daily papers are full of indications of a terrible conflict in the near future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails.  {Mar 35.3}
[Mar 35.4]          Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. . . . Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen. Restlessly are they waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are waiting and watching and working for our Lord's appearing. Another class are falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. Few believe with heart and soul that we have a hell to shun and a heaven to win.  {Mar 35.4}
[Mar 35.5]          The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual round. . . . Men are still eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying, and giving in marriage. Merchants are still buying and selling. Men are jostling one against another, contending for the highest place. Pleasure lovers are still crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest excitement prevails, yet probation's hour is fast closing, and every case is about to be eternally decided. . . .  {Mar 35.5}
[Mar 35.6]          Solemnly there come to us down through the centuries the warning words of our Lord from the Mount of Olives: "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."  {Mar 35.6}
[Mar 36.1]       Chap. 28 - Blessings Upon the Watchful Ones         Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. Luke 12:37.  {Mar 36.1}
[Mar 36.2]           God has always given men warning of coming judgments. Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith, in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving. The word came to Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me." Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city." Genesis 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ's disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ's second coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved.  {Mar 36.2}
[Mar 36.3]         Because we know not the exact time of His coming, we are commanded to watch. "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching." Luke 12:37. Those who watch for the Lord's coming are not waiting in idle expectancy. The expectation of Christ's coming is to make men fear the Lord, and fear His judgments upon transgression. It is to awaken them to the great sin of rejecting His offers of mercy. Those who are watching for the Lord are purifying their souls by obedience to the truth. With vigilant watching they combine earnest working. Because they know that the Lord is at the door, their zeal is quickened to co-operate with the divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls. These are the faithful and wise servants who give to the Lord's household "their portion of meat in due season." Luke 12:42. They are declaring the truth that is now specially applicable. As Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses each declared the truth for his time, so will Christ's servants now give the special warning for their generation.  {Mar 36.3}
[Mar 37.1]       Chap. 29 - Troubles on All Sides         Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Zephaniah 2:3.  {Mar 37.1}
[Mar 37.2]           There is no sadder spectacle than that of those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ . . . turning to jest the messages graciously sent to them in the gospel, denying the divinity of Christ, and trusting to their own finite reasoning, and to arguments that have no foundation. When tested with affliction, when brought face to face with death, all these fallacies they have cherished will be melted away like frost before the sun.  {Mar 37.2}
[Mar 37.3]          How terrible it is to stand by the coffin of one who has rejected the appeals of divine mercy! How terrible to say: Here is a life lost! Here is one who might have reached the highest standard, and gained immortal life, but he surrendered his life to Satan, became ensnared by the vain philosophies of men, and was a plaything of the evil one! The Christian's hope is an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and entereth into that which is within the veil, whither Christ the forerunner is for us entered. We have an individual work to do to prepare for the great events that are before us.  {Mar 37.3}
[Mar 37.4]          The youth should seek God more earnestly. The tempest is coming, and we must get ready for its fury by having repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We shall see troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths of the sea. Navies will go down, and human lives will be sacrificed by millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury of the flames. Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent; confusion, collision, and death without a moment's warning will occur on the great lines of travel. The end is near, probation is closing. Oh, let us seek God while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near! The prophet says: "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger."  {Mar 37.4}
[Mar 38.1]       Chap. 30 - Intercessory Prayers for Souls         Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:19.  {Mar 38.1}
[Mar 38.2]           I remember in Battle Creek when there were those who felt the burden for the unconverted, and those who were in darkness and saw no light; then prayer meetings were appointed that they might make the strength of God their strength. In every case the heavenly intelligences worked with these efforts, and souls were saved.  {Mar 38.2}
[Mar 38.3]          If there is a large number in the church, let the members be formed into small companies, to work not only for the church members, but for unbelievers. If in one place there are only two or three who know the truth, let them form themselves into a band of workers. Let them keep their bond of union unbroken, pressing together in love and unity, encouraging one another to advance, each gaining courage and strength from the assistance of the others. Let them reveal Christlike forbearance and patience, speaking no hasty words, using the talent of speech to build one another up in the most holy faith. Let them labor in Christlike love for those outside the fold. . . . As they work and pray in Christ's name, their numbers will increase.  {Mar 38.3}
[Mar 38.4]          There is home missionary work that is to be done, and we hear the plea, So long as there is so much sin and such need of labor in our own country, why manifest such zeal for foreign countries? I answer, Our field is the world. . . . The Saviour directed His disciples to begin their work in Jerusalem, and then pass on through Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Only a small proportion of the people accepted the doctrine; but the messengers bore the message rapidly from place to place, passing from country to country, lifting the standard of the gospel in all the near and far-off places of the earth. But there was a preparatory work. The Saviour's promise was, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me." Those who will not follow their own will and desires, but seek counsel of the Lord, will not be dull scholars for the Lord will teach them.  {Mar 38.4}
[Mar 39.1]       Chap. 31 - To Weep or to Rejoice?         The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. Jeremiah 8:20.  {Mar 39.1}
[Mar 39.2]           I appeal to the members of our churches not to disregard the fulfilling of the signs of the times, which say so plainly that the end is near. O, how many who have not cared for the salvation of their souls will soon make the bitter lamentation, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!"  {Mar 39.2}
[Mar 39.3]          O, that we would remember that it is court week with us, and that our cases are pending! Now is the time to watch and pray, to put away all self-indulgence, all pride, all selfishness. The precious moments that are now by many worse than wasted should be spent in meditation and prayer. Many of those who profess to be keeping the commandments of God are following inclination instead of duty. As they are now, they are unworthy of eternal life. To these careless, indifferent ones, I would say, Your vain thoughts, your unkind words, your selfish acts, are recorded in the book of heaven. The angels that were present at Belshazzar's idolatrous revelry stand beside you as you dishonor your Redeemer. Sadly they turn away, grieved that you should thus crucify Him afresh, and put Him to open shame. . . .  {Mar 39.3}
[Mar 39.4]          On Christ's coronation day He will not acknowledge as His any who bear spot or wrinkle or any such thing. But to His faithful ones He will give crowns of immortal glory. Those who would not that He should reign over them will see Him surrounded by the army of the redeemed, each of whom bears the sign, The Lord Our Righteousness. They will see the head once crowned with thorns crowned with a diadem of glory.  {Mar 39.4}
[Mar 39.5]          In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and His Son. The angels of heaven, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King, and those who are the trophies of His victory--those who have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and self-sacrifice has not been in vain.  {Mar 39.5}
[Mar 40.1]       Chap. 32 - Climactic Moment         Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap. Malachi 3:2.  {Mar 40.1}
[Mar 40.2]           The people of Israel, because of their sinfulness, were forbidden to approach the mount when God was about to descend upon it to proclaim His law, lest they should be consumed by the burning glory of His presence. If such manifestations of His power marked the place chosen for the proclamation of God's law, how terrible must be His tribunal when He comes for the execution of these sacred statutes. How will those who have trampled upon His authority endure His glory in the great day of final retribution? . . .  {Mar 40.2}
[Mar 40.3]          When the divine Presence was manifested upon Sinai, the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire. . . . But when Christ shall come in glory with His holy angels the whole earth shall be ablaze with the terrible light of His presence. . . .  {Mar 40.3}
[Mar 40.4]          Never since man was created had there been witnessed such a manifestation of divine power as when the law was proclaimed from Sinai. . . . Amid the most terrific convulsions of nature the voice of God, like a trumpet, was heard from the cloud. The mountain was shaken from base to summit, and the hosts of Israel, pale and trembling with terror, lay upon their faces upon the earth. He whose voice then shook the earth has declared, "Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." . . .  {Mar 40.4}
[Mar 40.5]          When Moses came from the divine Presence in the mount, where he had received the tables of the testimony, guilty Israel could not endure the light that glorified his countenance. How much less can transgressors look upon the Son of God when He shall appear in the glory of His Father, surrounded by all the heavenly host, to execute judgment upon the transgressors of His law and the rejecters of His atonement. . . .  {Mar 40.5}
[Mar 40.6]          But amid the tempest of divine judgment the children of God will have no cause for fear. "The Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." The day that brings terror and destruction to the transgressors of God's law, will bring to the obedient, "joy unspeakable, and full of glory."  {Mar 40.6}
[Mar 41.1]       Chap. 33 - A High Standard         And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. Leviticus 20:26.  {Mar 41.1}
[Mar 41.2]           I also saw many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.  {Mar 41.2}
[Mar 41.3]          I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of "refreshing" and the "latter rain" to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who . . . fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth . . . will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be . . . no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."  {Mar 41.3}
[Mar 41.4]          I saw that none could share the "refreshing" unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.  {Mar 41.4}
[Mar 41.5]          We are today to watch that we offend not in word or deed. . . . We must today seek God and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.  {Mar 41.5}
[Mar 42.1]       Chap. 34 - Weighing Time         The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 1 Samuel 2:3.  {Mar 42.1}
[Mar 42.2]           I have seen an angel standing with scales in his hands weighing the thoughts and interest of the people of God, especially the young. In one scale were the thoughts and interest tending heavenward; in the other were the thoughts and interest tending to earth. And in this scale were thrown all the reading of storybooks, thoughts of dress and show, vanity, pride, et cetera. Oh, what a solemn moment! the angels of God standing with scales, weighing the thoughts of His professed children--those who claim to be dead to the world and alive to God. The scale filled with thoughts of earth, vanity, and pride quickly went down, notwithstanding weight after weight rolled from the scale. The one with the thoughts and interest tending to heaven went quickly up as the other went down, and oh, how light it was! I can relate this as I saw it; but never can I give the solemn and vivid impression stamped upon my mind, as I saw the angel with the scales weighing the thoughts and interest of the people of God. Said the angel: "Can such enter heaven? No, no, never. Tell them the hope they now possess is vain, and unless they speedily repent, and obtain salvation, they must perish." . . .  {Mar 42.2}
[Mar 42.3]          I saw that many measure themselves among themselves, and compare their lives with the lives of others. This should not be. No one but Christ is given us as an example. He is our true Pattern, and each should strive to excel in imitating Him. . . .  {Mar 42.3}
[Mar 42.4]          I saw that some hardly know as yet what self-denial or sacrifice is, or what it is to suffer for the truth's sake. But none will enter heaven without making a sacrifice. A spirit of self-denial and sacrifice should be cherished. Some have not sacrificed themselves, their own bodies, on the altar of God. They indulge in hasty, fitful temper, gratify their appetites, and attend to their own self-interest, regardless of the cause of God. Those who are willing to make any sacrifice for eternal life, will have it; and it will be worth suffering for, worth crucifying self for, and sacrificing every idol for. The far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory swallows up everything and eclipses every earthly pleasure.  {Mar 42.4}
[Mar 43.1]       Chap. 35 - Will You Stand the Test?         Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Deuteronomy 8:2.  {Mar 43.1}
[Mar 43.2]           God will prove His people. . . . If the message ［the 1844 proclamation］ had been of as short duration as many of us supposed, there would have been no time for them to develop character. Many moved from feeling, not from principle and faith, and this solemn, fearful message stirred them. It wrought upon their feelings, and excited their fears, but did not accomplish the work which God designed that it should. . . .  {Mar 43.2}
[Mar 43.3]          God leads His people on, step by step. He brings them up to different points calculated to manifest what is in the heart. Some endure at one point, but fall off at the next. At every advanced point the heart is tested and tried a little closer. If the professed people of God find their hearts opposed to this straight work, it should convince them that they have a work to do to overcome. . . . Some are willing to receive one point; but when God brings them to another testing point, they shrink from it and stand back, because they find that it strikes directly at some cherished idol. Here they have opportunity to see what is in their hearts that shuts out Jesus. They prize something higher than the truth, and their hearts are not prepared to receive Jesus. Individuals are tested and proved a length of time to see if they will sacrifice their idols. . . . Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.  {Mar 43.3}
[Mar 43.4]          God proves His people in this world. . . . Here, in this world, in these last days, persons will show what power affects their hearts and controls their actions. If it is the power of divine truth, it will lead to good works. It will elevate the receiver, and make him noblehearted and generous, like his divine Lord. . . .  {Mar 43.4}
[Mar 43.5]          Young and old, God is now testing you. You are deciding your own eternal destiny.  {Mar 43.5}
[Mar 44.1]       Chap. 36 - An Infallible Guide         Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22.  {Mar 44.1}
[Mar 44.2]           God calls upon those who know His will to be doers of His word. Weakness, halfheartedness, and indecision provoke the assaults of Satan; and those who permit these traits to grow will be borne helplessly down by the surging waves of temptation. Everyone who professes the name of Christ is required to grow up to the full stature of Christ, the Christian's living head.  {Mar 44.2}
[Mar 44.3]          We all need a guide through the many strait places in life as much as the sailor needs a pilot over the sandy bar or up the rocky river, and where is this guide to be found? We point you . . . to the Bible. Inspired of God, written by holy men, it points out with great clearness and precision the duties of both old and young. It elevates the mind, softens the heart, and imparts gladness and holy joy to the spirit. The Bible presents a perfect standard of character; it is an infallible guide under all circumstances, even to the end of the journey of life. Take it as the man of your counsel, the rule of your daily life. . . .  {Mar 44.3}
[Mar 44.4]          In the Scriptures thousands of gems of truth lie hidden from the surface seeker. The mine of truth is never exhausted. The more you search the Scriptures with humble hearts, the greater will be your interest, and the more you will feel like exclaiming with Paul: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"  {Mar 44.4}
[Mar 44.5]          Every day you should learn something new from the Scriptures. Search them as for hid treasures, for they contain the words of eternal life. Pray for wisdom and understanding to comprehend these holy writings. If you would do this you would find new glories in the word of God; you would feel that you had received new and precious light on subjects connected with the truth, and the Scriptures would be constantly receiving a new value in your estimation. . . .  {Mar 44.5}
[Mar 44.6]          Be diligent in the use of every means of grace, that you may be transformed in character and may grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.  {Mar 44.6}
[Mar 45.1]       Chap. 37 - Ready to Answer         Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1 Peter 3:15.  {Mar 45.1}
[Mar 45.2]           I have been shown that many who profess to have a knowledge of present truth know not what they believe. They do not understand the evidences of their faith. They have no just appreciation of the work for the present time. When the time of trial shall come, there are men now preaching to others who will find, upon examining the positions they hold, that there are many things for which they can give no satisfactory reason. Until thus tested they know not their great ignorance. And there are many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what they believe; but, until controversy arises, they do not know their own weakness. When separated from those of like faith and compelled to stand singly and alone to explain their belief, they will be surprised to see how confused are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth. . . .  {Mar 45.2}
[Mar 45.3]          God will arouse His people; if other means fail, heresies will come in among them, which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat. The Lord calls upon all who believe His word to awake out of sleep. Precious light has come, appropriate for this time. . . . Believers are not to rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas of what constitutes truth. Their faith must be firmly founded upon the word of God so that when the testing time shall come and they are brought before councils to answer for their faith they may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear.  {Mar 45.3}
[Mar 45.4]          The servants of Christ are to prepare no set speech to present when brought to trial for their faith. Their preparation is to be made day by day, in treasuring up in their hearts the precious truths of God's word, in feeding upon the teaching of Christ, and through prayer strengthening their faith; then, when brought into trial, the Holy Spirit will bring to their remembrance the very truths that will reach the hearts of those who shall come to hear.  {Mar 45.4}
[Mar 45.5]          God will flash the knowledge obtained by diligent searching of the Scriptures, into their memory at the very time when it is needed.  {Mar 45.5}
[Mar 46.1]       Chap. 38 - The Feast that Satisfies         Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6.  {Mar 46.1}
[Mar 46.2]           Let those men and women who are satisfied with their dwarfed, crippled condition in divine things be suddenly transported to heaven and for an instant witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever abides there--every soul filled with love; every countenance beaming with joy; . . . could such persons, I ask, mingle with the heavenly throng, participate in their songs, and endure the pure, exalted, transporting glory that emanates from God and the Lamb? Oh, no! . . .  {Mar 46.2}
[Mar 46.3]          Those who have trained the mind to delight in spiritual exercises are the ones who can be translated and not be overwhelmed with the purity and transcendent glory of heaven. You may have a good knowledge of the arts, you may have an acquaintance with the sciences, you may excel in music and in penmanship, your manners may please your associates, but what have these things to do with a preparation for heaven? What have they to do to prepare you to stand before the tribunal of God?  {Mar 46.3}
[Mar 46.4]          Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Nothing but holiness will prepare you for heaven. It is sincere, experimental piety alone that can give you a pure, elevated character and enable you to enter into the presence of God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable. The heavenly character must be acquired on earth, or it can never be acquired at all.  {Mar 46.4}
[Mar 46.5]          Desires for goodness and true holiness are right so far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Good purposes are right, but will prove of no avail unless resolutely carried out. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians; but they made no earnest effort, therefore they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. The will must be exercised in the right direction. I will be a wholehearted Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the height and depth, of perfect love.  {Mar 46.5}
[Mar 46.6]          Listen to the words of Jesus: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Ample provisions are made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.  {Mar 46.6}
[Mar 47.1]       Chap. 39 - Moral Independence         Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18.  {Mar 47.1}
[Mar 47.2]           Many today have veils upon their faces. These veils are sympathy with the customs and practices of the world, which hide from them the glory of the Lord. God desires us to keep our eyes fixed upon Him, that we may lose sight of the things of this world.  {Mar 47.2}
[Mar 47.3]         As the truth is brought into practical life, the standard is to be elevated higher and higher to meet the requirements of the Bible. This will necessitate opposition to the fashions, customs, practices, and maxims of the world. Worldly influences, like the waves of the sea, beat against the followers of Christ to sweep them away from the true principles of His meekness and grace; but we are to stand as firm as a rock to principle. It will require moral courage to do this, and those whose souls are not riveted to the eternal Rock will be swept away by the worldly current. We can stand firm only as our life is hid with Christ in God. Moral independence is wholly in place when opposing the world. By conforming entirely to the will of God, we shall be placed upon vantage ground, and shall see the necessity of decided separation from the customs and practices of the world. We are not to elevate our standard just a little above the world's standard, but we are to make the distinction decidedly apparent. . . .  {Mar 47.3}
[Mar 47.4]          It is no easy matter to gain the priceless treasure of eternal life. No one can do this and drift with the current of the world. He must come out from the world and be separate and touch not the unclean. No one can act like a worldling without being carried down by the current of the world. No one will make any upward progress without persevering effort. He who would overcome must hold fast to Christ. He must not look back, but keep the eye ever upward, gaining one grace after another. Individual vigilance is the price of safety. . . .  {Mar 47.4}
[Mar 47.5]          The end of all things is at hand. There is need now of men armed and equipped to battle for God.  {Mar 47.5}
[Mar 48.1]       Chap. 40 - Any Idols Here?         Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21.  {Mar 48.1}
[Mar 48.2]           Every true child of God will be sifted as wheat, and in the sifting process every cherished pleasure which diverts the mind from God must be sacrificed. In many families the mantel shelves, stands, and tables are filled with ornaments and pictures. . . . Thus the thoughts, which should be upon God and heavenly interests, are brought down to common things. Is not this a species of idolatry? Should not the money thus spent have been used to bless humanity, to relieve the suffering, to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry? Should it not be placed in the Lord's treasury to advance His cause and build up His kingdom in the earth?  {Mar 48.2}
[Mar 48.3]          This matter is of great importance, and it is urged upon you to save you from the sin of idolatry. Blessing would come to your souls if you would obey the word spoken by the Holy One of Israel, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Many are creating unnecessary cares and anxieties for themselves by devoting time and thought to the unnecessary ornaments with which their houses are filled. The power of God is needed to arouse them from this devotion; for to all intents and purposes it is idolatry.  {Mar 48.3}
[Mar 48.4]          He who searches the heart, desires to win His people from every species of idolatry. Let the Word of God, the blessed book of life, occupy the tables now filled with useless ornaments. Spend your money in buying books that will be the means of enlightening the mind in regard to present truth. . . . Grasp the Word of the Lord as the treasure of infinite wisdom and love; this is the Guidebook that points out the path to heaven. . . .  {Mar 48.4}
[Mar 48.5]          O that you would search the Scriptures with prayerful hearts, and a spirit of surrender to God! O that you would search your hearts as with a lighted candle, and discover and break the finest thread that binds you to worldly habits, which divert the mind from God! Plead with God to show you every practice that draws your thoughts and affections from Him. God has given His holy law to man as His measure of character. By this law you may see and overcome every defect in your character. You may sever yourself from every idol, and link yourself to the throne of God by the golden chain of grace and truth.  {Mar 48.5}
[Mar 49.1]       Chap. 41 - Search Your Own Heart         Examine yourselves, to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5, R.S.V.  {Mar 49.1}
[Mar 49.2]           Nothing is more treacherous than the deceitfulness of sin. It is the god of this world that deludes, and blinds, and leads to destruction. Satan does not enter with his array of temptations at once. He disguises these temptations with a semblance of good. . . . Beguiled souls take one step, then are prepared for the next. . . . Oh, how Satan watches to see his bait taken so readily, and to see souls walking in the very path he has prepared! . . .  {Mar 49.2}
[Mar 49.3]          There is a necessity for close self-examination, and to closely investigate in the light of God's word, Am I sound, or am I rotten, at heart? Am I renewed in Christ, or am I still carnal at heart, with an outside, new dress put on? Rein yourself up to the tribunal of God, and see as in the light of God if there is any secret sin, any iniquity, any idol you have not sacrificed. Pray . . . as you have never prayed before, that you may not be deluded by Satan's devices; that you may not be given up to a heedless, careless, and vain spirit. . . .  {Mar 49.3}
[Mar 49.4]          One of the sins that constitute one of the signs of the last days, is that professed Christians are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Deal truly with your own souls. Search carefully. How few, after a faithful examination, can look up to Heaven and say, ". . . I am not a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God." How few can say, "I am dead to the world, . . . and when He who is my life shall appear, then shall I also appear with Him in glory."  {Mar 49.4}
[Mar 49.5]          The love and grace of God! Oh precious grace! more valuable than fine gold. It elevates and ennobles the spirit beyond all other principles. It sets the heart and affections upon Heaven. While those around us may be engaged in worldly vanity, pleasure-seeking, and folly, the conversation is in heaven, whence we look for the Saviour; the soul is reaching out after God for pardon and peace, for righteousness and true holiness. Converse with God and contemplation of things above transform the soul into the likeness of Christ.  {Mar 49.5}
[Mar 50.1]       Chap. 42 - Searching Questions         Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24:3, 4.  {Mar 50.1}
[Mar 50.2]           A soul united with Christ ... will war against all transgression and every approach of sin. He becomes every day more like a bright and shining light, and more victorious. He goes on from strength to strength, not from weakness to weakness.  {Mar 50.2}
[Mar 50.3]         Let no one deceive his own soul in this matter. If you harbor pride, self-esteem, a love for the supremacy, vainglory, unholy ambition, murmuring, discontent, bitterness, evil-speaking, lying, deception, slandering, you have not Christ abiding in your heart.... You must have a Christian character that will stand....  {Mar 50.3}
[Mar 50.4]          There must be thorough conversions among those who claim to believe the truth, or they will fall in the day of trial. God's people must reach a high standard. They must be a holy nation, a peculiar people, a chosen generation--zealous of good works. Christ has not died for you that you may possess the passions, tastes, and habits of men of the world....  {Mar 50.4}
[Mar 50.5]          No man enters the portals of glory but he who sets his heart thitherward. Then let the questions come home, Do you mind earthly things? Are your thoughts pure? Are you breathing the atmosphere of heaven? Do you carry with you the miasma of pollution? ... Are you earnest and devoted, serving God with purity and in the beauty of holiness? Ask sincerely, Am I a child of God, or am I not? ...  {Mar 50.5}
[Mar 50.6]          We need a thorough reformation in all our churches. The converting power of God must come into the church.... Put not off the day of preparation. Slumber not in a state of unpreparedness, having no oil in your vessels with your lamps.... Let not the question remain in perilous uncertainty. Ask yourselves earnestly, Am I among the saved, or the unsaved? Shall I stand, or shall I not stand? He only that hath clean hands and a pure heart shall stand in that day.  {Mar 50.6}
[Mar 50.7]          It is the privilege of every son of God to be a true Christian moment by moment; then he has all heaven enlisted on his side.  {Mar 50.7}
[Mar 51.1]       Chap. 43 - Dare you be Different?         Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9.  {Mar 51.1}
[Mar 51.2]           The warning that the Son of man is soon to come in the clouds of heaven has become to many a familiar tale. They have left the waiting, watching position. The selfish, worldly spirit manifested in the life reveals the sentiment of the heart, "My lord delayeth his coming." ...  {Mar 51.2}
[Mar 51.3]          The same spirit of selfishness, of conformity to the practices of the world, exists in our day as in Noah's. Many who profess to be children of God follow their worldly pursuits with an intensity that gives the lie to their profession. They will be planting and building, buying and selling, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the last moment of their probation. This is the condition of a large number of our own people. . . .  {Mar 51.3}
[Mar 51.4]          My soul is burdened as I see the great want of spirituality among us. The fashions and customs of the world, pride, love of amusement, love of display, extravagance in dress, in houses, in lands--these are robbing the treasury of God, turning to the gratification of self the means which should be used to send forth the light of truth to the world. . . .  {Mar 51.4}
[Mar 51.5]          The children of the light and of the day are not to gather about them the shades of night and darkness which encompass the workers of iniquity. On the contrary, they are to stand faithfully at their post of duty as light bearers, gathering light from God to shed upon those in darkness. The Lord requires His people to maintain their integrity, touching not--that is, imitating not--the practices of the ungodly.  {Mar 51.5}
[Mar 51.6]          Christians will be in this world "an holy nation, a peculiar people," showing forth the praises of Him who hath called them "out of darkness into his marvellous light." This light is not to grow dim, but to shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. . . . The thrilling truth that has been sounding in our ears for many years, "The Lord is at hand; be ye also ready," is no less the truth today than when we first heard the message.  {Mar 51.6}
[Mar 52.1]       Chap. 44 - Uproot Every Seed of Doubt         Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. . . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:35-39.  {Mar 52.1}
[Mar 52.2]           I saw that we are now in the shaking time. Satan is working with all his power to wrest souls from the hand of Christ and cause them to trample underfoot the Son of God. . . .  {Mar 52.2}
[Mar 52.3]          Character is being developed. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. God is testing and proving His people. These words were presented to me by the angel: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."  {Mar 52.3}
[Mar 52.4]          God is displeased that any of His people who have known the power of His grace should talk their doubts, and by thus doing make themselves a channel for Satan to transmit his suggestions to other minds. A seed of unbelief and evil sown is not readily rooted up. Satan nourishes it every hour, and it flourishes and becomes strong. A good seed sown needs to be nourished, watered, and tenderly cared for; because every poisonous influence is thrown about it to hinder its growth and cause it to die. Satan's efforts are more powerful now than ever before, for he knows that his time to deceive is short. . . .  {Mar 52.4}
[Mar 52.5]          God's people will be sifted, even as corn is sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated from the pure kernels of grain. We are to look to Christ for an example and imitate the humble pattern. . . .  {Mar 52.5}
[Mar 52.6]          I was shown the saints' reward, the immortal inheritance. Then I was shown how much God's people had endured for the truth's sake, and that they would count heaven cheap enough. They reckoned that the sufferings of this present time were not worthy to be compared with the glory which should be revealed in them. The people of God in these last days will be tried. But soon their last trial will come, and then they will receive the gift of eternal life.  {Mar 52.6}
[Mar 53.1]       Chap. 45 - Spiritual Giant or Dwarf?         Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1.  {Mar 53.1}
[Mar 53.2]           The Lord reproves and corrects the people who profess to keep His law. He points out their sins and lays open their iniquity because He wishes to separate all sin and wickedness from them, that they may perfect holiness in His fear and be prepared to die in the Lord or to be translated to heaven. . . .  {Mar 53.2}
[Mar 53.3]          God will accept nothing but purity and holiness; one spot, one wrinkle, one defect in the character, will forever debar them from heaven, with all its glories and treasures.  {Mar 53.3}
[Mar 53.4]          Most professed Christians have no sense of the spiritual strength they might obtain were they as ambitious, zealous, and persevering to gain a knowledge of divine things as they are to obtain the paltry, perishable things of this life. The masses professing to be Christians have been satisfied to be spiritual dwarfs. They have no disposition to make it their object to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; hence godliness is a hidden mystery to them, they cannot understand it. They know not Christ by experimental knowledge.  {Mar 53.4}
[Mar 53.5]          Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly, and thoughtfully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Strength, grace, and glory have been provided through Christ, to be brought by ministering angels to the heirs of salvation. None are so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannot find in Jesus, who died for them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they will put away their sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose of heart to the living God. He is waiting to strip them of their garments, stained and polluted by sin, and to put upon them the white, bright robes of righteousness; and He bids them live and not die. In Him they may flourish. Their branches will not wither nor be fruitless. If they abide in Him, they can draw sap and nourishment from Him, be imbued with His Spirit, walk even as He walked, overcome as He overcame, and be exalted to His own right hand.  {Mar 53.5}
[Mar 54.1]       Chap. 46 - Wise or Foolish?         Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Matthew 25:1, 2.  {Mar 54.1}
[Mar 54.2]           We are not to rest in the idea that because we are church-members we are saved, while we give no evidence that we are conformed to the image of Christ, while we cling to our old habits, and weave our fabric with the threads of worldly ideas and customs. . . .  {Mar 54.2}
[Mar 54.3]          The ten virgins are watching in the evening of this earth's history. All claim to be Christians. All have a call, a name, a lamp, and all claim to be doing God's service. All apparently watch for His appearing. But five are wanting. Five will be found surprised, dismayed, outside the banquet hall.  {Mar 54.3}
[Mar 54.4]          We are represented either by the wise or by the foolish virgins. There are many who will not remain at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. They have not a knowledge of His ways; they are not prepared for His coming. They have made a pretense of waiting for their Lord. They have not watched and prayed with that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. They have lived a life of carelessness. They have heard and assented to the truth, but they have never brought it into their practical life. The oil of grace is not feeding their lamps, and they are not prepared to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb.  {Mar 54.4}
[Mar 54.5]          Be not like the foolish virgins, who take for granted that the promises of God are theirs, while they do not follow the injunctions of Christ. Christ teaches us that profession is nothing. "If any man will come after me," He says, "let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." . . .  {Mar 54.5}
[Mar 54.6]          When we stand the test of God in the refining, purifying process; when the furnace fire consumes the dross, and the true gold of a purified character appears, we may still say, with Paul, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after. . . . This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  {Mar 54.6}
[Mar 55.1]       Chap. 47 - Now--Always Now         Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25:13.  {Mar 55.1}
[Mar 55.2]           The coming of Christ will be as it were at midnight, when all are sleeping. It will be well for every one to have his accounts all straightened up before sunset. All his works should be right, all his dealings just, between himself and his fellow-men. All dishonesty, all sinful practices should be put far away. The oil of grace should be in our vessels with our lamps. . . . Sad indeed will be the condition of the soul who has had a form of godliness but has denied the power thereof; who has called Christ, Lord, Lord, and yet who has not His image and superscription. . . .  {Mar 55.2}
[Mar 55.3]          God graciously grants a day of probation, a time of test and trial. He gives the invitation: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." . . .  {Mar 55.3}
[Mar 55.4]          Today the voice of mercy is calling, and Jesus is drawing men by the cords of His love; but the day will come when Jesus will put on the garments of vengeance. . . . The wickedness of the world is increasing every day, and when a certain line is reached, the register will be closed, and the account settled. There will be no more a sacrifice for sin. The Lord cometh. Long has mercy extended a hand of love, of patience and  forbearance, toward a guilty world. The invitation has been given, "Let him take hold of my strength. . . ." But men have presumed upon His mercy and refused His grace.  {Mar 55.4}
[Mar 55.5]         Why has the Lord so long delayed His coming? The whole host of heaven is waiting to fulfil the last work for this lost world, and yet the work waits. It is because the few who profess to have the oil of grace in their vessels with their lamps, have not become burning and shining lights in the world. It is because missionaries are few. . . .  {Mar 55.5}
[Mar 55.6]          Every week counts one week less, every day one day nearer to the appointed time of the judgment. Alas that so many have only a spasmodic religion--a religion dependent upon feeling and governed by emotion. "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." Then see that you have the oil of grace in your hearts. The possession of this will make every difference with you in the judgment.  {Mar 55.6}
[Mar 56.1]       Chap. 48 - The Last Watch         Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. Mark 13:35, 36.  {Mar 56.1}
[Mar 56.2]           A company was presented before me. . . . Their eyes were directed heavenward, and the words of their Master were upon their lips: "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." . . . The Lord intimates a delay before the morning finally dawns. But He would not have them give way to weariness, nor relax their earnest watchfulness, because the morning does not open upon them as soon as they expected. . . .  {Mar 56.2}
[Mar 56.3]          I saw that it was impossible to have the affections and interests engrossed in worldly cares, to be increasing earthly possessions, and yet be in a waiting, watching position, as our Saviour has commanded. Said the angel: "They can secure but one world. In order to acquire the heavenly treasure, they must sacrifice the earthly. They cannot have both worlds." . . .  {Mar 56.3}
[Mar 56.4]          I saw that watch after watch was in the past. Because of this, should there be a lack of vigilance? Oh, no! There is the greater necessity of unceasing watchfulness, for now the moments are fewer than before the passing of the first watch. . . . If we watched with unabated vigilance then, how much more need of double watchfulness in the second watch. The  passing of the second watch has brought us to the third, and now it is inexcusable to abate our watchfulness. The third watch calls for threefold earnestness. To become impatient now would be to lose all our earnest, persevering watching heretofore. The long night of gloom is trying; but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God's unwillingness to have His people perish has been the reason for so long delay. . . .  {Mar 56.4}
[Mar 56.5]          The difference between those who love the world and those who love Christ is so plain as to be unmistakable. While worldlings are all earnestness and ambition to secure earthly treasure, God's people are not conformed to the world, but show by their earnest, watching, waiting position that they are transformed; that their home is not in this world, but that they are seeking a better country, even a heavenly.  {Mar 56.5}
[Mar 57.1]       Chap. 49 - Only One Safe Course         Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Matthew 26:41.  {Mar 57.1}
[Mar 57.2]           What shall I say to arouse the remnant people of God? . . . I warn all who profess the name of Christ to closely examine themselves and make full and thorough confession of all their wrongs, that they may go beforehand to judgment, and that the recording angel may write pardon opposite their names. My brother, my sister, if these precious moments of mercy are not improved, you will be left without excuse. If you make no special effort to arouse, if you will not manifest zeal in repenting, these golden moments will soon pass, and you will be weighed in the balance and found wanting.  {Mar 57.2}
[Mar 57.3]          In the warning to "watch and pray," Jesus has indicated the only safe course. There is need of watchfulness. Our own hearts are deceitful; we are compassed with the weaknesses and frailties of humanity, and Satan is intent to destroy. We may be off our guard, but our adversary is never idle. Knowing his tireless vigilance, let us not sleep, as do others, but "watch and be sober." The spirit and influence of the world must be met, but they must not be allowed to take possession of the mind and heart.  {Mar 57.3}
[Mar 57.4]          Closely examine your own heart as in the light of eternity. Hide nothing from your examination. Search, oh! search, as for your life, and condemn yourself, pass judgment upon yourself, and then by faith claim the cleansing blood of Christ to remove the stains from your Christian character. Do not flatter or excuse yourself. Deal truly with your own soul. And then as you view yourself a sinner, fall, all broken, at the foot of the cross. Jesus will receive you, all polluted as you are, and will wash you in His blood, and cleanse you from all pollution, and make you fit for the society of heavenly angels, in a pure, harmonious heaven. There is no jar, no discord, there. All is health, happiness, and joy.  {Mar 57.4}
[Mar 57.5]          This world is a training school for the higher school, this life a preparation for the life to come. Here we are to be prepared for entrance into the heavenly courts. Here we are to receive and believe and practice the truth until we are made ready for a home with the saints in light.  {Mar 57.5}
[Mar 58.1]       Chap. 50 - The Faith that Works         The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7.  {Mar 58.1}
[Mar 58.2]           Do you believe that the end of all things is at hand, that the scenes of this earth's history are fast closing? If so, show your faith by your works. A man will show all the faith he has. Some think they have a good degree of faith, when if they have any, it is dead, for it is not sustained by works. "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." Few have that genuine faith which works by love and purifies the soul. But all who are accounted worthy of everlasting life must obtain a moral fitness for the same. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." This is the work before you. . . .  {Mar 58.2}
[Mar 58.3]          You must experience a death to self, and must live unto God. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice,  covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever. When Christ shall appear, it will not be to correct these evils and then give a moral fitness for His coming. This preparation must all be made before He comes. It should be a subject of thought, of study, and earnest inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? What shall be our conduct that we may show ourselves approved of God?  {Mar 58.3}
[Mar 58.4]          When tempted to murmur, censure, and indulge in fretfulness, wounding those around you, and in so doing wounding your own soul, oh! let the deep, earnest, anxious inquiry come from your soul, Shall I stand without fault before the throne of God? Only the faultless will be there. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.  {Mar 58.4}
[Mar 59.1]       Chap. 51 - Beware of Satan's Agents         Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1.  {Mar 59.1}
[Mar 59.2]           After the passing of the time in 1844, we had fanaticism of every kind to meet. . . . The experience of the past will be repeated. In the future Satan's superstitions will assume new forms. Errors will be presented in a pleasing and flattering manner. False theories, clothed with garments of light, will be presented to God's people. Thus Satan will try to deceive, if possible, the very elect. Most seducing influences will be exerted; minds will be hypnotized.  {Mar 59.2}
[Mar 59.3]          Corruptions of every type, similar to those existing among the antediluvians, will be brought in to take minds captive. The exaltation of nature as God, the unrestrained license of the human will, the counsel of the ungodly--these Satan uses as his agencies to bring about certain ends. He will employ the power of mind over mind to carry out his designs. The most sorrowful thought of all is that under his deceptive influence men will have a form of godliness, without having a real connection with God. Like Adam and Eve, who ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, many are even now feeding upon the deceptive morsels of error.  {Mar 59.3}
[Mar 59.4]          Satanic agencies are clothing false theories in an attractive garb, even as Satan in the Garden of Eden concealed his identity from our first parents by speaking through the serpent. These agencies are instilling into human minds that which in reality is deadly error. The hypnotic influence of Satan will rest upon those who turn from the plain word of God to pleasing fables.  {Mar 59.4}
[Mar 59.5]          It is those who have had the most light that Satan most assiduously seeks to ensnare. He knows that if he can deceive them, they will, under his control, clothe sin with garments of righteousness, and lead many astray.  {Mar 59.5}
[Mar 59.6]          I say to all: Be on your guard; for as an angel of light Satan is walking in every assembly of Christian workers, and in every church, trying to win the members to his side. I am bidden to give to the people of God the warning: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." Galatians 6:7.  {Mar 59.6}
[Mar 60.1]       Chap. 52 - Temptations in Disguise         I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29, 30.  {Mar 60.1}
[Mar 60.2]           God has not passed His people by and chosen one solitary man here and another there as the only ones worthy to be entrusted with His truth. He does not give one man new light contrary to the established faith of the body. In every reform men have arisen making this claim. . . .  {Mar 60.2}
[Mar 60.3]          One accepts some new and original idea which does not seem to conflict with the truth. He . . . dwells upon it until it seems to him to be clothed with beauty and importance, for Satan has power to give this false appearance. At last it becomes the all-absorbing theme, the one great point around which everything centers; and the truth is uprooted from the heart. . . .  {Mar 60.3}
[Mar 60.4]          I warn you to beware of these side issues, whose tendency is to divert the mind from the truth. Error is never harmless. It never sanctifies, but always brings confusion and dissension. . . .  {Mar 60.4}
[Mar 60.5]          There are a thousand temptations in disguise prepared for those who have the light of truth; and the only safety for any of us is in receiving no new doctrine, no new interpretation of the Scriptures, without first submitting it to brethren of experience. Lay it before them in a humble, teachable spirit, with earnest prayer; and if they see no light in it, yield to their judgment. . . .  {Mar 60.5}
[Mar 60.6]          Satan is constantly at work; but few have any idea of his activity and subtlety. The people of God must be prepared to withstand the wily foe. It is this resistance that Satan dreads. He knows better than we do the limit of his power and how easily he can be overcome if we resist and face him. Through divine strength the weakest saint is more than a match for him and all his angels, and if brought to the test he would be able to prove his superior power. Therefore Satan's step is noiseless, his movements stealthy, and his batteries masked. He does not venture to show himself openly, lest he arouse the Christian's dormant energies and send him to God in prayer.  {Mar 60.6}
[Mar 61.1]       Chap. 53 - Why Christ Delays His Coming         But this I do say, brothers. The appointed time has grown very short. 1 Corinthians 7:29, Goodspeed.  {Mar 61.1}
[Mar 61.2]           The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional.  {Mar 61.2}
[Mar 61.3]          God had committed to His people a work to be accomplished on earth. The third angel's message was to be given, the minds of believers were to be directed to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ had entered to make atonement for His people. The Sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach in the law of God must be made up. The message must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The people of God must purify their souls through obedience to the truth, and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.  {Mar 61.3}
[Mar 61.4]          Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, . . .the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward.  {Mar 61.4}
[Mar 61.5]          But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith. . . . Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. . . .  {Mar 61.5}
[Mar 61.6]          For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.  {Mar 61.6}
[Mar 62.1]       Chap. 54 - A Goal to Reach         The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.  {Mar 62.1}
[Mar 62.2]           When Paul wrote, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly," he did not exhort his brethren to aim at a standard which it was impossible for them to reach; he did not pray that they might have blessings which it was not the will of God to give. He knew that all who would be fitted to meet Christ in peace, must possess a pure and holy character.  {Mar 62.2}
[Mar 62.3]          If Seventh-day Adventists practiced what they profess to believe, if they were sincere health reformers, they would indeed be a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. And they would show a far greater zeal for the salvation of those who are ignorant of the truth.  {Mar 62.3}
[Mar 62.4]          Greater reforms should be seen among the people who claim to be looking for the soon appearing of Christ. Health reform is to do among our people a work which it has not yet done. There are those who ought to be awake to the danger of meat-eating, who are still eating the flesh of animals, thus endangering the physical, mental, and spiritual health. Many who are now only half converted on the question of meat-eating will go from God's people, to walk no more with them.  {Mar 62.4}
[Mar 62.5]          The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan. But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character. The continual transgression of man for six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we near the close of time, Satan's temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome.  {Mar 62.5}
[Mar 62.6]          Again and again I have been shown that God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to His original design--that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat-eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it.  {Mar 62.6}
[Mar 63.1]       Chap. 55 - No Time to Do the Devil's Work         Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. 2 Peter 3:11, 12.  {Mar 63.1}
[Mar 63.2]           It is essential that all shall know what atmosphere surrounds their own souls, whether they are in co-partnership with the enemy of righteousness, and unconsciously doing his work, or whether they are yoked up with Christ, doing His work. . . .  {Mar 63.2}
[Mar 63.3]          Satan would be pleased to have anyone and everyone become his allies in the work of weakening the confidence of brother in brother, and sowing discord among those who profess to believe the truth. Satan can accomplish his purpose most successfully through professed friends of Christ who are not walking and working in Christ's lines. . . .  {Mar 63.3}
[Mar 63.4]          This is the day of the Lord's preparation. We have no time now to talk unbelief or . . . to do the devil's work. Let everyone beware of unsettling the faith of others by sowing seeds of envy, jealousy, disunion; for God hears the words, and He judges, not by assertions which are yea and nay, but by the fruit of one's course of action. . . .  {Mar 63.4}
[Mar 63.5]          As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. How carefully we should improve the little remaining period of our probation! How earnestly we should examine ourselves! . . .  {Mar 63.5}
[Mar 63.6]          It is discipline of spirit, cleanness of heart and thought that is needed. This is of more value than brilliant talent, tact, or knowledge. An ordinary mind, trained to obey a "Thus saith the Lord," is better qualified for God's work than are those who have capabilities, but do not employ them rightly.... Men may take pride of their knowledge of worldly things; but if they have not a knowledge of the true God, of Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, they are deplorably ignorant, and their knowledge will perish with them. Secular knowledge is power; but the knowledge of the Word, which has a transforming influence upon the human mind, is imperishable.  {Mar 63.6}
[Mar 64.1]       Chap. 56 - Satan's Last Campaign         Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18.  {Mar 64.1}
[Mar 64.2]           The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. . . .  {Mar 64.2}
[Mar 64.3]          Man is Satan's captive and is naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith . . . that man may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain. It is only through Christ that Satan's power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will baffle his strongest efforts. . . .  {Mar 64.3}
[Mar 64.4]          Satan hopes to involve the remnant people of God in the general ruin that is coming upon the earth. As the coming of Christ draws nigh, he will be more determined and decisive in his efforts to overthrow them. Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God's word, yet souls will be deceived. False reports will be circulated, and some will be taken in this snare. . . . We cannot be too watchful against every form of error, for Satan is constantly seeking to draw men from the truth. . . .  {Mar 64.4}
[Mar 64.5]          Some men have no firmness of character. They are like a ball of putty and can be pressed into any conceivable shape. . . . This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency must be overcome. There is an indomitableness about true Christian character which cannot be molded or subdued by adverse circumstances. Men must have moral backbone, an integrity which cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified. . . .  {Mar 64.5}
[Mar 64.6]          God has set bounds that Satan cannot pass. Our most holy faith is this barrier; and if we build ourselves up in the faith, we shall be safe in the keeping of the Mighty One.  {Mar 64.6}
[Mar 65.1]       Chap. 57 - Through Heaven's Gates         By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; . . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5.  {Mar 65.1}
[Mar 65.2]           We are living in an evil age. . . . Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. Enoch walked with God three hundred years. Now the shortness of time seems to be urged as a motive to seek righteousness. Should it be necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us in order to compel us to right action? Enoch's case is before us. Hundreds of years he walked with God. He lived in a corrupt age, when moral pollution was teeming all around him; yet he trained his mind to devotion, to love purity. His conversation was upon heavenly things. He educated his mind to run in this channel, and he bore the impress of the divine. . . .  {Mar 65.2}
[Mar 65.3]          Enoch had temptations as well as we. He was surrounded with society no more friendly to righteousness than is that which surrounds us. The atmosphere he breathed was tainted with sin and corruption, the same as ours; yet he lived a life of holiness. He was unsullied with the prevailing sins of the age in which he lived. So may we remain pure and uncorrupted. He was a representative of the saints who live amid the perils and corruptions of the last days. For his faithful obedience to God he was translated. So, also, the faithful, who are alive and remain, will be translated.  {Mar 65.3}
[Mar 65.4]          "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." For three hundred years Enoch had been seeking purity of heart, that he might be in harmony with heaven. For three centuries he had walked with God. Day by day he had longed for a closer union; nearer and nearer had grown the communion, until God took him to Himself. He had stood at the threshold of the eternal world, only a step between him and the land of the blest; and now the portals opened, the walk with God, so long pursued on earth, continued, and he passed through the gates of the holy city, the first from among men to enter there. . . .  {Mar 65.4}
[Mar 65.5]          To such communion God is calling us. As was Enoch's must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord's second coming.  {Mar 65.5}
[Mar 66.1]       Chap. 58 - The Vision is Sure         The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3.  {Mar 66.1}
[Mar 66.2]           The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God's people today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. . . . In the service of God there need be no despondency, no wavering, no fear. The Lord will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. He will give them the wisdom their varied necessities demand.  {Mar 66.2}
[Mar 66.3]          Of the abundant provision made for every tempted soul, the apostle Paul bears eloquent testimony. To him was given the divine assurance, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." In gratitude and confidence the tried servant of God responded: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.  {Mar 66.3}
[Mar 66.4]          We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles have testified--the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its final fulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords. The time of waiting may seem long, the soul may be oppressed by discouraging circumstances, many in whom confidence has been placed may fall by the way; but with the prophet who endeavored to encourage Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him."  {Mar 66.4}
[Mar 66.5]          Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message, "The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. . . . The just shall live by his faith."  {Mar 66.5}
[Mar 67.1]       Chap. 59 - A Safe Refuge         Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Isaiah 26:21.  {Mar 67.1}
[Mar 67.2]           There is coming rapidly and surely an almost universal guilt upon the inhabitants of the cities, because of the steady increase of determined wickedness. The corruption that prevails, is beyond the power of the human pen to describe. Every day brings fresh revelations of strife, bribery, and fraud; every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. . . .  {Mar 67.2}
[Mar 67.3]          Our God is a God of mercy. With long-sufferance and tender compassion He deals with the transgressors of His law. . . . The Lord bears long with men, and with cities, mercifully giving warnings to save them from divine wrath; but a time will come when pleadings for mercy will no longer be heard. . . .  {Mar 67.3}
[Mar 67.4]          The conditions prevailing in society, and especially in the great cities of the nations, proclaim in thunder tones that the hour of God's judgment is come and that the end of all things earthly is at hand. We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another--fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. . . .  {Mar 67.4}
[Mar 67.5]          The storm of God's wrath is gathering; and those only will stand who respond to the invitations of mercy, . . . and become sanctified through obedience to the laws of the divine Ruler. The righteous alone will be hid with Christ in God till the desolation be overpast. Let the language of the soul be:        "Other refuge have I none;            Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;         Leave, Oh leave me not alone!            Still support and comfort me.            "Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,            Till the storm of life is past;         Safe into the haven guide;            Oh, receive my soul at last!"  {Mar 67.5}
[Mar 68.1]       Chap. 60 - A Crisis Ahead         Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Joel 1:15.  {Mar 68.1}
[Mar 68.2]           The prophecies which the great I AM has given in His word, uniting link after link in the chain of events, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future, tell us where we are today in the procession of the ages, and what may be expected in the time to come. All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order.  {Mar 68.2}
[Mar 68.3]         Today the signs of the times declare that we are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Everything in our world is in agitation. Before our eyes is fulfilling the Saviour's prophecy of the events to precede His coming: "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . . Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."  {Mar 68.3}
[Mar 68.4]          The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place--that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.  {Mar 68.4}
[Mar 68.5]          The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of these things. Here are revealed the great final scenes in the history of our world, . . . the sound of their approach causing the earth to tremble and men's hearts to fail them for fear.  {Mar 68.5}
[Mar 68.6]          Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes.  {Mar 68.6}
[Mar 68.7]          Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts.  {Mar 68.7}
[Mar 69.1]       Chap. 61 - Healing for Sin-Sick Souls         The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Isaiah 1:5, 6.  {Mar 69.1}
[Mar 69.2]           There is a remedy for the sin-sick soul. That remedy is in Jesus. Precious Saviour! His grace is sufficient for the weakest; and the strongest must also have His grace or perish.  {Mar 69.2}
[Mar 69.3]          I saw how this grace could be obtained. Go to your closet, and there alone plead with God: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Be in earnest, be sincere. . . . Jacoblike, wrestle in prayer. Agonize. . . . You must make an effort. . . .  {Mar 69.3}
[Mar 69.4]          Seek the Lord with all your heart. Come with zeal, and when you sincerely feel that without the help of God you perish, when you pant after Him as the hart panteth after the water brooks, then will the Lord strengthen you speedily. Then will your peace pass all understanding. If you expect salvation, you must pray. Take time. Be not hurried and careless in your prayers. Beg of God to work in you a thorough reformation, that the fruits of His Spirit may dwell in you, and you shine as lights in the world. Be not a hindrance or curse to the cause of God; you can be a help, a blessing. Does Satan tell you that you cannot enjoy salvation full and free? Believe him not.  {Mar 69.4}
[Mar 69.5]          I saw that it is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. A sweet, heavenly peace will pervade the mind, and you will love to meditate upon God and heaven. You will feast upon the glorious promises of His word. . . .  {Mar 69.5}
[Mar 69.6]          If professed Christians love Jesus better than the world, they will love to speak of Him, their best Friend, in whom their highest affections are centered. He came to their aid when they felt their lost and perishing condition. When weary and heavy-laden with sin, they turned unto Him. He removed their burden of guilt and sin, . . . and turned the whole current of their affections. The things they once loved, they now hate; and the things they hated, they now love.  {Mar 69.6}
[Mar 69.7]          Has this great change taken place in you?  {Mar 69.7}
[Mar 70.1]       Chap. 62 - A New Life         Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. . . . You must be born anew. John 3:5-7, R.S.V.  {Mar 70.1}
[Mar 70.2]           He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. . . .  {Mar 70.2}
[Mar 70.3]          A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. . . . Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is called sudden conversion; but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God,--a patient, protracted process.  {Mar 70.3}
[Mar 70.4]          While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God.  {Mar 70.4}
[Mar 70.5]          It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption. Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality. The beginning of redemption we may know here through a personal experience. Its results reach through the eternal ages.  {Mar 70.5}
[Mar 71.1]       Chap. 63 - Life's Top Priority         Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33.  {Mar 71.1}
[Mar 71.2]           This is the first great object--the kingdom of heaven, the righteousness of Christ. Other objects to be attained should be secondary to these.  {Mar 71.2}
[Mar 71.3]         Satan will present the path of holiness as difficult while the paths of worldly pleasure are strewed with flowers. In false and flattering colors will the tempter array the world with its pleasures before you. Vanity is one of the strongest traits of our depraved natures, and he knows that he can appeal to it successfully. He will flatter you through his agents. You may receive praise which will gratify your vanity and foster in you pride and self-esteem, and you may think that with such advantages and attractions it really is a great pity for you to come out from the world and be separate, and become a Christian. . . . But consider that the pleasures of earth will have an end, and that which you sow you must also reap. Are personal attractions, ability, or talents too valuable to devote to God, the Author of your being, He who watches over you every moment? Are your qualifications too precious to devote to God?  {Mar 71.3}
[Mar 71.4]          The young urge that they need something to enliven and divert the mind. I saw that there is pleasure in industry, a satisfaction in pursuing a life of usefulness. Some still urge that they must have something . . . to which the mind can turn for relief and refreshment amid cares and wearing labor. The Christian's hope is just what is needed. Religion will prove to the believer a comforter, a sure guide to the Fountain of true happiness. The young should study the word of God and give themselves to meditation and prayer, and they will find that their spare moments cannot be better employed.  {Mar 71.4}
[Mar 71.5]          Young friends, you should take time to prove your own selves, whether you are in the love of God. Be diligent to make your calling and election sure.  {Mar 71.5}
[Mar 71.6]          Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Make this first and last. Seek most earnestly to know Him whom to know aright is life eternal. Christ and His righteousness is the salvation of the soul.  {Mar 71.6}
[Mar 72.1]       Chap. 64 - Heaven's Flawless Pearl         The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:45, 46.  {Mar 72.1}
[Mar 72.2]           Christ Himself is the pearl of great price. . . . The righteousness of Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no stain. No work of man can improve the great and precious gift of God. It is without a flaw. In Christ are "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3. He is "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30. All that can satisfy the needs and longings of the human soul, for this world and for the world to come, is found in Christ. Our Redeemer is the pearl so precious that in comparison all things else may be accounted loss. . . .  {Mar 72.2}
[Mar 72.3]          In the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had. Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented in the Scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but only to those who give themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to Him without reserve. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord's, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price. . . .  {Mar 72.3}
[Mar 72.4]          In the market of which divine mercy has the management, the precious pearl is represented as being bought without money and without price. In this market all may obtain the goods of heaven. The treasury of the jewels of truth is open to all. . . . The Saviour's voice earnestly and lovingly invites us: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich." . . . The poorest are as well able as the richest to purchase salvation; for no amount of worldly wealth can secure it. It is obtained by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to Christ as His own purchased possession. . . .  {Mar 72.4}
[Mar 72.5]          We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it.  {Mar 72.5}
[Mar 73.1]       Chap. 65 - Christ the Only Saviour         Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood. Colossians 1:13, 14.  {Mar 73.1}
[Mar 73.2]           No matter who you are or what your life has been, you can be saved only in God's appointed way. You must repent; you must fall helpless on the Rock, Christ Jesus. You must feel your need of a physician and of the only remedy for sin, the blood of Christ. This remedy can be secured only by repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . The blood of Christ will avail for none but those who feel their need of its cleansing power.  {Mar 73.2}
[Mar 73.3]          What surpassing love and condescension, that when we had no claim upon divine mercy, Christ was willing to undertake our redemption! But our great Physician requires of every soul unquestioning submission. We are never to prescribe for our own case. Christ must have the entire management of will and action. . . .  {Mar 73.3}
[Mar 73.4]          We may flatter ourselves . . . that our moral character has been correct and we need not humble ourselves before God like the common sinner. But we must be content to enter into life in the very same way as the chief of sinners. We must renounce our own righteousness and plead for the righteousness of Christ to be imputed to us. We must depend wholly upon Christ for our strength. Self must die. We must acknowledge that all we have is from the exceeding riches of divine grace. Let this be the language of our hearts: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."  {Mar 73.4}
[Mar 73.5]          Genuine faith is followed by love, and love by obedience. All the powers and passions of the converted man are brought under the control of Christ. His Spirit is a renewing power, transforming to the divine image all who will receive it. . . .  {Mar 73.5}
[Mar 73.6]          "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." He feels that he is the purchase of the blood of Christ and bound by the most solemn vows to glorify God in his body and in his spirit, which are God's. The love of sin and the love of self are subdued in him. He daily asks: "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?" "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"  {Mar 73.6}
[Mar 74.1]       Chap. 66 - Taste for Yourself         O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalm 34:8.  {Mar 74.1}
[Mar 74.2]           How shall we know for ourselves God's goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us--not, hear and know, read and know, or believe and know; but--"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself.  {Mar 74.2}
[Mar 74.3]         Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. . . . Some--yes, a large number--have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. . . . They believe in the wrath of God, but put forth no earnest efforts to escape it. They believe in heaven, but make no sacrifice to obtain it. . . . They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. All their knowledge will but increase their condemnation. They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good.  {Mar 74.3}
[Mar 74.4]          To become a disciple of Christ is to deny self and follow Jesus through evil as well as good report. . . . Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. . . . Will we put forth efforts and make sacrifices proportionate to the worth of the object to be attained?  {Mar 74.4}
[Mar 74.5]          Every association we form, however limited, exerts some influence upon us. The extent to which we yield to that influence will be determined by the degree of intimacy, the constancy of the intercourse, and our love and veneration for the one with whom we associate. Thus by acquaintance and association with Christ we may become like Him, the one faultless Example.  {Mar 74.5}
[Mar 74.6]          Communion with Christ--how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy if we will seek it, if we will make any sacrifice to secure it.  {Mar 74.6}
[Mar 74.7]          So everyone may be able, through his own experience, to "set his seal to this, that God is true." John 3:33, A.R.V. . . . He can testify: "I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied. . . . I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul."  {Mar 74.7}
[Mar 75.1]       Chap. 67 - Citizens of Heaven         Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19.  {Mar 75.1}
[Mar 75.2]           Jesus says: "Behold, I come quickly." We should keep these words ever in mind, and act as though we do indeed believe that the coming of the Lord is nigh, and that we are pilgrims and strangers upon the earth.  {Mar 75.2}
[Mar 75.3]          Every means of grace should be diligently improved that the love of God may abound in the soul more and more, "that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness." Your Christian life must take on vigorous and stalwart forms. You can attain to the high standard set before you in the Scriptures, and you must if you would be children of God. You cannot stand still; you must either advance or retrograde. . . .  {Mar 75.3}
[Mar 75.4]          Will you have a stinted Christian growth, or will you make healthy progress in the divine life? Where there is spiritual health there is growth. The child of God grows up to the full stature of a man or woman in Christ. There is no limit to his improvement. . . .  {Mar 75.4}
[Mar 75.5]          Some who ought to be strong and established in Christ are as babes in understanding and experimental knowledge of the workings of the Spirit of God. After years of experience they are able to comprehend only the first principles of that grand system of faith and doctrine that constitutes the Christian religion. They do not comprehend that perfection of character which will receive the commendation: "Well done." . . .  {Mar 75.5}
[Mar 75.6]          We have great victories to gain, and a heaven to lose if we do not gain them. The carnal heart must be crucified; for its tendency is to moral corruption, and the end thereof is death. . . . Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit . . . may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness. You will thus become partakers of the divine nature, . . . and in your souls will be reflected the image of Him by whose stripes you are healed.  {Mar 75.6}
[Mar 76.1]       Chap. 68 - A Fuller Knowledge of God         This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3.  {Mar 76.1}
[Mar 76.2]           Only by knowing God here can we prepare to meet Him at His coming. . . . But many of those who profess to believe in Christ do not know God. They have only a surface religion. They do not love God; they do not study His character; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. They do not know what restful love is, or what it means to walk by faith. . . . They fail of understanding that it is their duty to receive, in order that they may enrich others.  {Mar 76.2}
[Mar 76.3]          The world by wisdom knows not God. Many have talked eloquently about Him, but their reasoning brings men no nearer to Him, because they themselves are not in vital connection with Him. Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. Their knowledge of God is imperfect.  {Mar 76.3}
[Mar 76.4]          We cannot by searching find out God, but He has revealed Himself in His Son, who is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. If we desire a knowledge of God we must be Christlike. . . . Living a pure life through faith in Christ as a personal Saviour will bring to the believer a clearer, higher conception of God.  {Mar 76.4}
[Mar 76.5]          Christ is a perfect revelation of God. "No man hath seen God at any time," He says; "the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Only by knowing Christ can we know God. And as we behold Him, we shall be changed into His image, prepared to meet Him at His coming. . . .  {Mar 76.5}
[Mar 76.6]          Now is the time to prepare for the coming of our Lord. Readiness to meet Him cannot be attained in a moment's time. Preparatory to that solemn scene there must be vigilant waiting and watching, combined with earnest work. So God's children glorify Him. Amid the busy scenes of life their voices will be heard speaking words of encouragement, hope, and faith. All they have and are is consecrated to the Master's service. Thus they prepare to meet their Lord; and when He comes, they will say, with joy, "This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. . . . We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."  {Mar 76.6}
[Mar 77.1]       Chap. 69 - The Highest Kind of Meditation         Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3:1.  {Mar 77.1}
[Mar 77.2]           What love, what matchless love, that, sinners and aliens as we are, we may be brought back to God and adopted into His family! We may address Him by the endearing name, "Our Father." . . .  {Mar 77.2}
[Mar 77.3]          All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more.  {Mar 77.3}
[Mar 77.4]          Christ came to reveal God to the world as a God of love, full of mercy, tenderness, and compassion.  {Mar 77.4}
[Mar 77.5]          It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day reviewing the life of Christ from the manger to Calvary. We should take it point by point and let the imagination vividly grasp each scene, especially the closing ones of His earthly life. By thus contemplating His teachings and sufferings, and the infinite sacrifice made by Him for the redemption of the race, we may strengthen our faith, quicken our love, and become more deeply imbued with the spirit which sustained our Saviour. If we would be saved at last we must all learn the lesson of penitence and faith at the foot of the cross. . . . Everything noble and generous in man will respond to the contemplation of Christ upon the cross.  {Mar 77.5}
[Mar 78.1]       Chap. 70 - White Raiment Required         When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? Matthew 22:11, 12.  {Mar 78.1}
[Mar 78.2]           By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ's true followers will possess. To the church it is given "that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white," "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." Revelation 19:8; Ephesians 5:27. The fine linen, says the Scripture, "is the righteousness of saints." Revelation 19:8. It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.  {Mar 78.2}
[Mar 78.3]         The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by God in holy Eden. . . . But when sin entered, they severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed. . . . Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence. . . . Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God's presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul. . . . This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God "was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." 1 John 3:5. . . .  {Mar 78.3}
[Mar 78.4]          By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.  {Mar 78.4}
[Mar 79.1]       Chap. 71 - Joy in Obedience         I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Psalm 119:174.  {Mar 79.1}
[Mar 79.2]           The true Christian will never complain that the yoke of Christ is galling to the neck. He accounts the service of Jesus as the truest freedom. The law of God is his delight. Instead of seeking to bring down the divine commands, to accord with his deficiencies, he is constantly striving to rise to the level of their perfection.  {Mar 79.2}
[Mar 79.3]         Such an experience must be ours if we would be prepared to stand in the day of God. Now, while probation lingers, while mercy's voice is still heard, is the time for us to put away our sins....  {Mar 79.3}
[Mar 79.4]          God has made ample provision that we may stand perfect in His grace, wanting in nothing, waiting for the appearing of our Lord. Are you ready? Have you the wedding garment on? That garment will never cover deceit, impurity, corruption, or hypocrisy. The eye of God is upon you.... We may conceal our sins from the eyes of men, but we can hide nothing from our Maker.  {Mar 79.4}
[Mar 79.5]          God spared not His own Son, but delivered Him to death for our offenses and raised Him again for our justification. Through Christ we may present our petitions at the throne of Grace. Through Him, unworthy as we are, we may obtain all spiritual blessings. Do we come to Him, that we may have life?  {Mar 79.5}
[Mar 79.6]          The will of God is expressed in the precepts of His holy law, and the principles of this law are the principles of heaven. The angels of heaven attain unto no higher knowledge than to know the will of God, and to do His will is the highest service that can engage their powers.  {Mar 79.6}
[Mar 79.7]          But in heaven, service is not rendered in the spirit of legality. When Satan rebelled against the law of Jehovah, the thought that there was a law came to the angels almost as an awakening to something unthought of. In their ministry the angels are not as servants, but as sons.... Obedience is to them no drudgery. Love for God makes their service a joy. So in every soul wherein Christ, the hope of glory, dwells, His words are re-echoed, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."  {Mar 79.7}
[Mar 80.1]       Chap. 72 - Shaping Up in God's Workshop         Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20, R.S.V.  {Mar 80.1}
[Mar 80.2]           We are not our own. We have been purchased with a dear price, even the sufferings and death of the Son of God. If we could understand this, and fully realize it, we would feel a great responsibility resting upon us to keep ourselves in the very best condition of health, that we might render to God perfect service....  {Mar 80.2}
[Mar 80.3]          We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming.... We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time.  {Mar 80.3}
[Mar 80.4]          When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters.... This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us....  {Mar 80.4}
[Mar 80.5]          We are now in God's workshop. Many of us are rough stones from the quarry. But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatever nature. Thus we are prepared to see the King in His beauty and finally to unite with the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. It is here that this work is to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are to be fitted for immortality.  {Mar 80.5}
[Mar 81.1]       Chap. 73 - Physical Health and Noble Thinking         Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11.  {Mar 81.1}
[Mar 81.2]           Many regard this text as a warning against licentiousness only; but it has a broader meaning. It forbids every injurious gratification of appetite or passion. Every perverted appetite becomes a warring lust. Appetite was given us for a good purpose, not to become the minister of death by being perverted, and thus degenerating into "lusts, which war against the soul." Peter's admonition is a most direct and forcible warning against the use of all stimulants and narcotics. These indulgences may well be classed among the lusts that exert a pernicious influence upon moral character.  {Mar 81.2}
[Mar 81.3]          Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin and will not affect their spirituality. A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature. The standard of virtue is elevated or degraded by the physical habits. Excessive eating of the best of food will produce a morbid condition of the moral feelings. And if the food is not the most healthful, the effects will be still more injurious. Any habit which does not promote healthful action in the human system degrades the higher and nobler faculties....Indulgence of appetite strengthens the animal propensities, giving them the ascendancy over the mental and spiritual powers.  {Mar 81.3}
[Mar 81.4]          The strength of the temptation to indulge appetite can be measured only by the inexpressible anguish of our Redeemer in that long fast in the wilderness. He knew that the indulgence of perverted appetite would so deaden man's perceptions that sacred things could not be discerned. . . . If the power of indulged appetite was so strong upon the race, that, in order to break its hold, the divine Son of God, in man's behalf, had to endure a fast of nearly six weeks, what a work is before the Christian! Yet, however great the struggle, he may overcome. By the help of that divine power which withstood the fiercest temptations that Satan could invent, he, too, may be entirely successful in his warfare with evil, and at last may wear the victor's crown in the kingdom of God.  {Mar 81.4}
[Mar 82.1]       Chap. 74 - The Sowing and Reaping of Life         Flee also youthful lusts: but follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22.  {Mar 82.1}
[Mar 82.2]           A little time spent in sowing your wild oats, dear young friends, will produce a crop that will embitter your whole life; an hour of thoughtlessness, once yielding to temptation, may turn the whole current of your life in the wrong direction. You can have but one youth; make that useful. When once you have passed over the ground you can never return to rectify your mistakes....  {Mar 82.2}
[Mar 82.3]          Satan...transforms himself into an angel of light and comes to the youth with his specious temptations and succeeds in winning them, step by step, from the path of duty. He is described as an accuser, a deceiver, a liar, a tormentor, and a murderer. ...It is Satan's act to tempt you, but your own act to yield. It is not in the power of all the host of Satan to force the tempted to transgress. There is no excuse for sin.  {Mar 82.3}
[Mar 82.4]          Temptation is not sin. Jesus was holy and pure; yet He was tempted in all points as we are, but with a strength and power that man will never be called upon to endure. In His successful resistance He has left us a bright example, that we should follow in His steps. If we are self-confident or self-righteous we shall be left to fall under the power of temptation; but if we look to Jesus and trust in Him we call to our aid a power that has conquered the foe on the field of battle, and with every temptation He will make a way of escape. When Satan comes in like a flood, we must meet his temptations with the sword of the Spirit, and Jesus will be our helper and will lift up for us a standard against him.  {Mar 82.4}
[Mar 82.5]          One wrong trait of character, one sinful desire cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel.... The pains of duty and the pleasures of sin are the cords with which Satan binds men in his snares. Those who would rather die than perform a wrong act are the only ones who will be found faithful.  {Mar 82.5}
[Mar 82.6]          The youth may have principles so firm that the most powerful temptations of Satan will not draw them away from their allegiance.  {Mar 82.6}
[Mar 83.1]       Chap. 75 - The Character Heaven Approves         Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12.  {Mar 83.1}
[Mar 83.2]           Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, has left an example for the youth. He toiled in the workshop at Nazareth for His daily bread. He was subject to His parents, and sought not to control His own time or to follow His own will. By a life of easy indulgence a youth can never attain to real excellence as a man or as a Christian. God does not promise us ease, honor, or wealth in His service; but He assures us that all needed blessings will be ours, "with persecutions," and in the world to come "life everlasting." Nothing less than entire consecration to His service will Christ accept. This is the lesson which every one of us must learn....  {Mar 83.2}
[Mar 83.3]          We have marked illustrations of the sustaining power of firm, religious principle.... The gaping lions' den could not keep Daniel from his daily prayers, nor could the fiery furnace induce Shadrach and his companions to fall down before the idol which Nebuchadnezzar set up. Young men who have firm principles will eschew pleasure, defy pain, and brave even the lions' den and the heated fiery furnace rather than be found untrue to God. Mark the character of Joseph. Virtue was severely tested, but its triumph was complete. At every point the noble youth endured the test. The same lofty, unbending principle appeared at every trial. The Lord was with him, and His word was law.  {Mar 83.3}
[Mar 83.4]          Those who study the Bible, counsel with God, and rely upon Christ will be enabled to act wisely at all times and under all circumstances. Good principles will be illustrated in actual life. Only let the truth for this time be cordially received and become the basis of character, and it will produce steadfastness of purpose, which the allurements of pleasure, the fickleness of custom, the contempt of the world-loving, and the heart's own clamors for self-indulgence are powerless to influence. Conscience must be first enlightened, the will must be brought into subjection. The love of truth and righteousness must reign in the soul, and a character will appear which heaven can approve.  {Mar 83.4}
[Mar 84.1]       Chap. 76 - Climbing Peter's Ladder         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. 2 Peter 1:5-7.   {Mar 84.1}
[Mar 84.2]           Point the youth to Peter's ladder of eight rounds, and place their feet, not on the highest round, but on the lowest, and with earnest solicitation urge them to climb to the very top.  {Mar 84.2}
[Mar 84.3]         Christ . . . is the ladder. The base is planted firmly on the earth in His humanity; the topmost round reaches to the throne of God in His divinity. The humanity of Christ embraces fallen humanity, while His divinity lays hold upon the throne of God. We are saved by climbing round after round of the ladder, looking to Christ, clinging to Christ, mounting step by step to the height of Christ, so that He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of this ladder. All these graces are to be manifested in the Christian character; and "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."  {Mar 84.3}
[Mar 84.4]          You are not to think that you must wait until you have perfected one grace before cultivating another. No; they are to grow up together...; every day that you live, you can be perfecting the blessed attributes fully revealed in the character of Christ....  {Mar 84.4}
[Mar 84.5]          Do not become overwhelmed with the great amount of work you must do in your lifetime, for you are not required to do it all at once. Let every power of your being go to each day's work, improve each precious opportunity, appreciate the helps that God gives you, and make advancement up the ladder of progress step by step. Remember that you are to live but one day at a time, that God has given you one day, and heavenly records will show how you have valued its privileges and opportunities. May you so improve every day given you of God, that at last you may hear the Master say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  {Mar 84.5}
[Mar 85.1]       Chap. 77 - The Breath of the Soul         Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  {Mar 85.1}
[Mar 85.2]           Prayer is the breath of the soul, the channel of all blessings. As . . . the repentant soul offers its prayer, God sees its struggles, watches its conflicts, and marks its sincerity. He has His finger upon its pulse, and He takes note of every throb. Not a feeling thrills it, not an emotion agitates it, not a sorrow shades it, not a sin stains it, not a thought or purpose moves it, of which He is not cognizant. That soul was purchased at an infinite cost, and is loved with a devotion that is unalterable.  {Mar 85.2}
[Mar 85.3]          Prayer to the Great Physician for the healing of the soul brings the blessing of God. Prayer unites us one to another and to God. Prayer brings Jesus to our side, and gives new strength and fresh grace to the fainting, perplexed soul. . . .  {Mar 85.3}
[Mar 85.4]          Christ our Saviour was tempted in all points like as we are, yet He was without sin. He took human nature, being made in fashion as a man, and his necessities were the necessities of a man. He had bodily wants to be supplied, bodily weariness to be relieved. It was by prayer to His Father that He was braced for duty and for trial. Day by day He followed His round of duty, seeking to save souls. . . . And He spent whole nights in prayer in behalf of the tempted ones. . . .  {Mar 85.4}
[Mar 85.5]          The night seasons of prayer which the Saviour spent in the mountain or in the desert were essential to prepare Him for the trials He must meet in the days to follow. He felt the need of the refreshing and invigorating of soul and body, that He might meet the temptations of Satan; and those who are striving to live His life will feel this same need. . . .  {Mar 85.5}
[Mar 85.6]          He says to us, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Christ alone can make us capable of responding when He says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." This means that every day self must be denied. Christ can give us the noble resolve, the will to suffer, and to fight the battles of the Lord with persevering energy. The weakest, aided by divine grace, may have strength to be more than conqueror.  {Mar 85.6}
[Mar 86.1]       Chap. 78 - The Secret of Progress         Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8.  {Mar 86.1}
[Mar 86.2]           We must be much in prayer if we would make progress in the divine life. When the message of truth was first proclaimed, how much we prayed. How often was the voice of intercession heard in the chamber, in the barn, in the orchard, or the grove. Frequently we spent hours in earnest prayer, two or three together claiming the promise; often the sound of weeping was heard and then the voice of thanksgiving and the song of praise. Now the day of God is nearer than when we first believed, and we should be more earnest, more zealous, and fervent than in those early days. Our perils are greater now than then.  {Mar 86.2}
[Mar 86.3]         It was in hours of solitary prayer that Jesus in His earth-life received wisdom and power. Let the youth follow His example in finding at dawn and twilight a quiet season for communion with their Father in heaven. And throughout the day let them lift up their hearts to God. At every step of our way He says, "I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand; . . . fear not; I will help thee." Isaiah 41:13. Could our children learn this lesson in the morning of their years, what freshness and power, what joy and sweetness, would be brought into their lives!  {Mar 86.3}
[Mar 86.4]          Let your heart break for the longing it has for God, for the living God. The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive. With the persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding persistence of Elijah, claim for yourself all that God has promised.  {Mar 86.4}
[Mar 86.5]          Let the glorious conceptions of God possess your mind. Let your life be knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus. He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness is willing to shine in your heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will take the things of God and show them unto you. . . . Christ will lead you to the threshold of the Infinite. You may behold the glory beyond the veil, and reveal to men the sufficiency of Him who ever liveth to make intercession for us.  {Mar 86.5}
[Mar 87.1]       Chap. 79 - Unwavering Faith         Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:6.  {Mar 87.1}
[Mar 87.2]           Prayer and faith are closely allied, and they need to be studied together. In the prayer of faith there is a divine science; it is a science that everyone who would make his life-work a success must understand. Christ says, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24. He makes it plain that our asking must be according to God's will; we must ask for the things that He has promised, and whatever we receive must be used in doing His will. The conditions met, the promise is unequivocal.  {Mar 87.2}
[Mar 87.3]          For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; then we are to believe that we receive, and return thanks to God that we have received. We need look for no outward evidence of the blessing. The gift is in the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realized when we need it most.  {Mar 87.3}
[Mar 87.4]          To live thus by the word of God means the surrender to Him of the whole life. There will be felt a continual sense of need and dependence, a drawing out of the heart after God. Prayer is a necessity; for it is the life of the soul. Family prayer, public prayer, have their place; but it is secret communion with God that sustains the soul life. . . .  {Mar 87.4}
[Mar 87.5]          An intensity such as never before was seen is taking possession of the world. In amusement, in money-making, in the contest for power, in the very struggle for existence, there is a terrible force that engrosses body and mind and soul. In the midst of this maddening rush, God is speaking. He bids us come apart and commune with Him. "Be still, and know that I am God." . . .  {Mar 87.5}
[Mar 87.6]          Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ, to sit down in companionship with Him-- this is our need.  {Mar 87.6}
[Mar 88.1]       Chap. 80 - Pure in Heart and Life         Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8.  {Mar 88.1}
[Mar 88.2]           Into the city of God there will enter nothing that defiles. All who are to be dwellers there will here have become pure in heart. In one who is learning of Jesus, there will be manifest a growing distaste for careless manners, unseemly language, and coarse thought. When Christ abides in the heart, there will be purity and refinement of thought and manner.  {Mar 88.2}
[Mar 88.3]          But the words of Jesus . . . have a deeper meaning--not merely pure in the sense in which the world understands purity, free from that which is sensual, pure from lust, but true in the hidden purposes and motives of the soul, free from pride and self-seeking, humble, unselfish, childlike.  {Mar 88.3}
[Mar 88.4]          Only like can appreciate like. Unless you accept in your own life the principle of self-sacrificing love, which is the principle of His character, you cannot know God. . . .  {Mar 88.4}
[Mar 88.5]          When Christ shall come in His glory, the wicked cannot endure to behold Him. The light of His presence, which is life to those who love Him, is death to the ungodly. . . . When He shall appear, they will pray to be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them.  {Mar 88.5}
[Mar 88.6]          But to hearts that have become purified through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, all is changed. These can know God. Moses was hid in the cleft of the rock when the glory of the Lord was revealed to him; and it is when we are hid in Christ that we behold the love of God. . . .  {Mar 88.6}
[Mar 88.7]          By faith we behold Him here and now. In our daily experience we discern His goodness and compassion in the manifestation of His providence. We recognize Him in the character of His Son. . . . The pure in heart see God in a new and endearing relation, as their Redeemer; and while they discern the purity and loveliness of His character, they long to reflect His image. They see Him as a Father longing to embrace a repenting son, and their hearts are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory. . . .  {Mar 88.7}
[Mar 88.8]          The pure in heart live as in the visible presence of God during the time He apportions them in this world. And they will also see Him face to face in the future, immortal state, as did Adam when he walked and talked with God in Eden.  {Mar 88.8}
[Mar 89.1]       Chap. 81 - Bible Sanctification Defined         Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17.  {Mar 89.1}
[Mar 89.2]           Those who are sanctified through the truth are living recommendations of its power, and representatives of their risen Lord. The religion of Christ will refine the taste, sanctify the judgment, elevate, purify, and ennoble the soul, making the Christian more and more fit for the society of the heavenly angels.  {Mar 89.2}
[Mar 89.3]          "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." John 17:19. "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." 1 Peter 1:22. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1. . . .  {Mar 89.3}
[Mar 89.4]          Here is Bible sanctification. It is not merely a show or outside work. It is sanctification received through the channel of truth. It is truth received in the heart, and practically carried out in the life.  {Mar 89.4}
[Mar 89.5]          There is no Bible sanctification for those who cast a part of the truth behind them. There is light enough given in the word of God, so that none need err. . . . Jesus, considered as a man, was perfect, yet He grew in grace. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke 2:52. Even the most perfect Christian may increase continually in the knowledge and love of God. . . .  {Mar 89.5}
[Mar 89.6]          Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace. . . . Satan lives, and is active, and every day we need to cry earnestly to God for help and strength to resist him. As long as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome, and there is no stopping place, there is no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained. . . .  {Mar 89.6}
[Mar 89.7]          The Christian life is constantly an onward march. Jesus sits as a refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly reflected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation.  {Mar 89.7}
[Mar 90.1]       Chap. 82 - Be Alert for Satan's Devices         Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8, 9.  {Mar 90.1}
[Mar 90.2]           Let every soul be on the alert. The adversary is on your track. Be vigilant, watching diligently lest some carefully concealed and masterly snare shall take you unawares. Let the careless and indifferent beware lest the day of the Lord come upon them as a thief in the night. Many will wander from the path of humility, and, casting aside the yoke of Christ, will walk in strange paths. Blinded and bewildered, they will leave the narrow path that leads to the city of God. . . .  {Mar 90.2}
[Mar 90.3]          He who overcomes must watch; for, with worldly entanglements, error, and superstition, Satan strives to win Christ's followers from Him. It is not enough that we avoid glaring dangers and perilous, inconsistent moves. We are to keep close to the side of Christ, walking in the path of self-denial and sacrifice. We are in an enemy's country. He who was cast out of heaven has come down with great power. With every conceivable artifice and device he is seeking to take souls captive. Unless we are constantly on guard we shall fall an easy prey to his unnumbered deceptions.  {Mar 90.3}
[Mar 90.4]          Everything is now clothed with a solemnity that all who believe the truth for this time should realize. They should act in reference to the day of God. The judgments of God are about to fall upon the world, and we need to be preparing for that great day.  {Mar 90.4}
[Mar 90.5]          Our time is precious. We have but few, very few days of probation in which to make ready for the future, immortal life. We have no time to spend in haphazard movements. We should fear to skim the surface of the word of God.  {Mar 90.5}
[Mar 90.6]          If your whole interest is in the truth and the preparatory work for this time you will be sanctified through the truth and receive a fitness for immortality. . . . The thorough work of preparation must go on with all who profess the truth, until we stand before the throne of God without fault, without a spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. God will cleanse you if you will submit to the purifying process.  {Mar 90.6}
[Mar 91.1]       Chap. 83 - Proof Against Every Temptation         Yield yourselves unto God, . . . and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you. Romans 6:13, 14.  {Mar 91.1}
[Mar 91.2]           There is but one power that can break the hold of evil from the hearts of men, and that is the power of God in Jesus Christ. . . . His grace alone can enable us to resist and subdue the tendencies of our fallen nature.  {Mar 91.2}
[Mar 91.3]          The infinite value of the sacrifice required for our redemption reveals the fact that sin is a tremendous evil. Through sin the whole human organism is deranged, the mind is perverted, the imagination corrupted. Sin has degraded the faculties of the soul. Temptations from without find an answering chord within the heart, and the feet turn imperceptibly toward evil. As the sacrifice in our behalf was complete, so our restoration from the defilement of sin is to be complete. There is no act of wickedness that the law will excuse; there is no unrighteousness that will escape its condemnation. The life of Christ was a perfect fulfillment of every precept of the law. He said; "I have kept my Father's commandments." John 15:10. His life is our standard of obedience and service.  {Mar 91.3}
[Mar 91.4]          Today Satan presents the same temptations that he presented to Christ, offering us the kingdoms of the world in return for our allegiance. But upon him who looks to Jesus as the author and finisher of his faith, Satan's temptations have no power. He cannot cause to sin the one who will accept by faith the virtues of Him who was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.  {Mar 91.4}
[Mar 91.5]          The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.  {Mar 91.5}
[Mar 91.6]          God will have a people zealous of good works, standing firm amid the pollutions of this degenerate age. There will be a people who hold so fast to the divine strength that they will be proof against every temptation.  {Mar 91.6}
[Mar 92.1]       Chap. 84 - Why Probation Lingers         The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.  {Mar 92.1}
[Mar 92.2]           I was shown our danger, as a people, of becoming assimilated to the world rather than to the image of Christ. We are now upon the very borders of the eternal world, but it is the purpose of the adversary of souls to lead us to put far off the close of time. Satan will in every conceivable manner assail those who profess to be the commandment-keeping people of God and to be waiting for the second appearing of our Saviour in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will lead as many as possible to put off the evil day and become in spirit like the world, imitating its customs. I felt alarmed as I saw that the spirit of the world was controlling the hearts and minds of many who make a high profession of the truth. . . .  {Mar 92.2}
[Mar 92.3]          In consideration of the shortness of time we as a people should watch and pray, and in no case allow ourselves to be diverted from the solemn work of preparation for the great event before us. Because the time is apparently extended, many have become careless and indifferent in regard to their words and actions. They do not realize their danger and do not see and understand the mercy of our God in lengthening their probation, that they may have time to form characters for the future, immortal life. Every moment is of the highest value. Time is granted them, not to be employed in studying their own ease and becoming dwellers on the earth, but to be used in the work of overcoming every defect in their own characters and in helping others, by example and personal effort, to see the beauty of holiness. God has a people upon the earth who in faith and holy hope are tracing down the roll of fast-fulfilling prophecy and are seeking to purify their souls by obeying the truth, that they may not be found without the wedding garment when Christ shall appear. . . .  {Mar 92.3}
[Mar 92.4]          The signs foretold in prophecy are fast fulfilling around us. This should arouse every true follower of Christ to zealous action.  {Mar 92.4}
[Mar 93.1]       Chap. 85 - Your Case Coming Up!         Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. Revelation 14:7.  {Mar 93.1}
[Mar 93.2]           In 1844 our great High Priest entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, to begin the work of the investigative judgment.  {Mar 93.2}
[Mar 93.3]          As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life. . . .  {Mar 93.3}
[Mar 93.4]          We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. . . . There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. . . . Every one must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  {Mar 93.4}
[Mar 93.5]          All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, . . . "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isaiah 43:25.  {Mar 93.5}
[Mar 94.1]       Chap. 86 - A Standard you can Trust         Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11.  {Mar 94.1}
[Mar 94.2]           At every revival of God's work, the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true, that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested. . . .  {Mar 94.2}
[Mar 94.3]          None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? . . .  {Mar 94.3}
[Mar 94.4]          It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light, and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought, and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help we are to form our opinions for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God. . . .  {Mar 94.4}
[Mar 94.5]          Jesus promised His disciples: "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26. But the teachings of Christ must previously have been stored in the mind, in order for the Spirit of God to bring them to our remembrance in the time of peril. . . .  {Mar 94.5}
[Mar 94.6]          When the testing time shall come, those who have made God's word their rule of life will be revealed. . . . Let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of prosperity.  {Mar 94.6}
[Mar 95.1]       Chap. 87 - The Scriptures Our Safeguard         Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14.  {Mar 95.1}
[Mar 95.2]           So long as the people of God preserve their fidelity to Him, so long as they cling by living faith to Jesus, they are under the protection of heavenly angels, and Satan will not be permitted to exercise his hellish arts upon them to their destruction. But those who separate themselves from Christ by sin are in great peril. . . .  {Mar 95.2}
[Mar 95.3]          Satan is now more earnestly engaged in playing the game of life for souls than at any previous time; and unless we are constantly on our guard, he will establish in our hearts, pride, love of self, love of the world, and many other evil traits. He will also use every possible device to unsettle our faith in God and in the truths of His Word. If we have not a deep experience in the things of God, if we have not a thorough knowledge of His Word, we shall be beguiled to our ruin by the errors and sophistries of the enemy. False doctrines will sap the foundations of many, because they have not learned to discern truth from error. Our only safeguard against the wiles of Satan is to study the Scriptures diligently, to have an intelligent understanding of the reasons of our faith, and faithfully to perform every known duty. The indulgence of one known sin will cause weakness and darkness, and subject us to fierce temptation. . . .  {Mar 95.3}
[Mar 95.4]          Are we opening the door of the heart to Jesus, and closing every means of entrance to Satan? Are we daily obtaining clearer light, and greater strength, that we may stand in Christ's righteousness? Are we emptying our hearts of all selfishness, and cleansing them, preparatory to receiving the latter rain from heaven? . . .  {Mar 95.4}
[Mar 95.5]          The work of overcoming is a great work. Shall we take hold of it with energy and perseverance? Unless we do, our "filthy garments" will not be taken from us. We need never expect that these will be torn from us violently; we must first show a desire to rid ourselves of them. We must seek to separate sin from us, relying upon the merits of the blood of Christ; and then in the day of affliction, when the enemy presses us, we shall walk among the angels.  {Mar 95.5}
[Mar 96.1]       Chap. 88 - God's Pledge of Security         The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. 2 Peter 2:9.  {Mar 96.1}
[Mar 96.2]           In the time of trial before us God's pledge of security will be placed upon those who have kept the word of His patience. . . . The pillar of cloud which speaks wrath and terror to the transgressor of God's law is light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal. Every faithful one will surely be gathered. . . .  {Mar 96.2}
[Mar 96.3]          What part will you act in the closing scenes of this world's history? . . . Do you realize the grand work of preparation that is going on in heaven and on earth? . . . Let none now tamper with sin, the source of every misery in our world. . . . Let not the destiny of your soul hang upon an uncertainty. Know that you are fully on the Lord's side. Let the inquiry go forth from sincere hearts and trembling lips, "Who shall be able to stand?" Have you, in these last precious hours of probation, been putting the very best material into your character building? Have you been purifying your souls from every stain? Have you followed the light? Have you works corresponding to your profession of faith?  {Mar 96.3}
[Mar 96.4]          Is the softening, subduing influence of the grace of God working upon you? . . . Are you letting your light shine to illumine the nations that are perishing in their sins? Do you realize that you are to stand in defense of God's commandments before those who are treading them underfoot?  {Mar 96.4}
[Mar 96.5]          It is possible to be a partial, formal believer, and yet be found wanting and lose eternal life. It is possible to practice some of the Bible injunctions and be regarded as a Christian, and yet perish because you lack qualifications essential to Christian character. . . . While mercy lingers, while the Saviour is making intercession, let us make thorough work for eternity.  {Mar 96.5}
[Mar 96.6]          The great crisis is just before us. To meet its trials and temptations, and to perform its duties, will require persevering faith. But we may triumph gloriously; not one watching, praying, believing soul will be ensnared by the enemy.  {Mar 96.6}
[Mar 97.1]       Chap. 89 - A Deep and Living Experience         How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him. Hebrews 2:3, R.S.V.  {Mar 97.1}
[Mar 97.2]           I saw that we should not put off the coming of the Lord. Said the angel: "Prepare, prepare, for what is coming upon the earth. Let your works correspond with your faith." I saw that the mind must be stayed upon God, and that our influence should tell for God and His truth. We cannot honor the Lord when we are careless and indifferent. . . . We must be in earnest to secure our own soul's salvation, and to save others. All importance should be attached to this, and everything besides should come in  secondary.  {Mar 97.2}
[Mar 97.3]          I saw the beauty of heaven. I heard the angels sing their rapturous songs, ascribing praise, honor, and glory to Jesus. I could then realize something of the wondrous love of the Son of God. He left all the glory, all the honor which He had in heaven, and was so interested for our salvation that He patiently and meekly bore every indignity and slight which man could heap upon Him. He was wounded, smitten, and bruised; He was stretched on Calvary's cross and suffered the most agonizing death to save us from death, that we might be washed in His blood and be raised up to live with Him in the mansions He is preparing for us, to enjoy the light and glory of heaven, to hear the angels sing, and to sing with them.  {Mar 97.3}
[Mar 97.4]          I saw that all heaven is interested in our salvation; and shall we be indifferent? Shall we be careless, as though it were a small matter whether we are saved or lost? Shall we slight the sacrifice that has been made for us? . . .  {Mar 97.4}
[Mar 97.5]          A Book has been given us to guide our feet through the perils of this dark world to heaven. It tells us how we can escape the wrath of God, and also tells of the sufferings of Christ for us, the great sacrifice that has been made that we might be saved and enjoy the presence of God forever.  {Mar 97.5}
[Mar 97.6]          A form of godliness will not save any. All must have a deep and living experience. This alone will save them in the time of trouble. Then their work will be tried of what sort it is; and if it is gold, silver, and precious stones, they will be hid in the secret of the Lord's pavilion.  {Mar 97.6}
[Mar 98.1]       Chap. 90 - "Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready"         Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Amos 4:12.  {Mar 98.1}
[Mar 98.2]           Suppose that today Christ should appear in the clouds of heaven, who . . . would be ready to meet Him? Suppose we should be translated into the kingdom of heaven just as we are. Would we be prepared to unite with the saints of God, to live in harmony with the royal family, the children of the heavenly King? What preparation have you made for the judgment? Have you made your peace with God? Are you laboring together with God? Are you seeking to help those around you, those in your home, those in your neighborhood, those with whom you come in contact that are not keeping the commandments of God? . . . Are we getting ready to meet the King? . . .  {Mar 98.2}
[Mar 98.3]          If it were possible for us to be admitted into heaven as we are, how many of us would be able to look upon God? How many of us have on the wedding-garment? How many of us are without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? How many of us are worthy to receive the crown of life? . . . Position does not make the man. It is Christ formed within that makes a man worthy of receiving the crown of life, that fadeth not away.  {Mar 98.3}
[Mar 98.4]          I was pointed to the remnant on the earth. The angel said to them, "Will ye shun the seven last plagues? . . . If so, ye must die that ye may live. Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye must have a greater preparation than ye now have. . . . Sacrifice all to God. Lay all upon His altar--self, property, and all, a living sacrifice. It will take all to enter glory."  {Mar 98.4}
[Mar 98.5]          Christ is coming with power and great glory. He is coming with His own glory and with the glory of the Father. . . . While the wicked flee from His presence, Christ's followers will rejoice. . . . To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and familiar friend. They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. Upon them the glory of the Lord has risen. . . . Now they rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty. They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.  {Mar 98.5}
[Mar 98.6]          If you are right with God today, you are ready if Christ should come today.  {Mar 98.6}
[Mar 99.1]       Chap. 91 - Greatest Work in the World         Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.  {Mar 99.1}
[Mar 99.2]           "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," is Christ's command to His followers. Not that all are called to be ministers or missionaries in the ordinary sense of the term; but all may be workers with Him in giving the "glad tidings" to their fellow men. To all, great or small, learned or ignorant, old or young, the command is given.  {Mar 99.2}
[Mar 99.3]          Upon every one who knows the truth for this time rests the responsibility of making it known to others. The servants of Christ are in a large measure responsible for the well-being and the salvation of the world. They are to be co-laborers with God in the work of winning souls to Christ.  {Mar 99.3}
[Mar 99.4]          The theme that attracts the heart of the sinner is Christ, and Him crucified. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus stands revealed to the world in unparalleled love. Present Him thus to the hungering multitudes, and the light of His love will win men from darkness to light, from transgression to obedience and true holiness. Beholding Jesus upon the cross of Calvary arouses the conscience to the heinous character of sin as nothing else can do.  {Mar 99.4}
[Mar 99.5]          Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. If we can awaken an interest in men's minds that will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside, and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God. . . . He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. He will die to selfishness. He will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ.  {Mar 99.5}
[Mar 99.6]          It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.  {Mar 99.6}
[Mar 100.1]       Chap. 92 - The Message of the Cross         God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14.  {Mar 100.1}
[Mar 100.2]           God has given me a message for His people. . . . You have been bought with a price, and all that you have and are is to be used to the glory of God and for the good of your fellow men. Christ died on the cross to save the world from perishing in sin. He asks your co-operation in this work. You are to be His helping hand. With earnest, unwearying effort you are to seek to save the lost. . . .  {Mar 100.2}
[Mar 100.3]          The transforming power of Christ's grace molds the one who gives himself to God's service. . . . No longer can he be  indifferent to the souls perishing around him. . . . He realizes that every part of his being belongs to Christ, who has redeemed him from the slavery of sin; that every moment of his future has been bought with the precious lifeblood of God's only-begotten Son.  {Mar 100.3}
[Mar 100.4]          Have you so deep an appreciation of the sacrifice made on Calvary that you are willing to make every other interest subordinate to the work of saving souls? The same intensity of desire to save sinners that marked the life of the Saviour marks the life of His true follower. The Christian has no desire to live for self. He delights to consecrate all that he has and is to the Master's service. He is moved by an inexpressible desire to win souls to Christ. . . .  {Mar 100.4}
[Mar 100.5]          How can I best glorify Him whose I am by creation and by redemption? This is to be the question that we are to ask ourselves. With anxious solicitude the one who is truly converted seeks to rescue those who are still in Satan's power. . . .  {Mar 100.5}
[Mar 100.6]          We have now only a little time in which to prepare for eternity. . . . People need the truth, and by earnest, faithful effort it is to be communicated to them. Souls are to be sought for, prayed for, labored for. . . .  {Mar 100.6}
[Mar 100.7]          Upon us rests the weighty responsibility of warning the world of its coming doom. . . . God calls upon His church to arise and clothe herself with power. Immortal crowns are to be won; the kingdom of heaven is to be gained; the world, perishing in ignorance, is to be enlightened.  {Mar 100.7}
[Mar 101.1]       Chap. 93 - Motivated by Love         And this commandment we have from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1 John 4:21.  {Mar 101.1}
[Mar 101.2]           Love is the basis of godliness. Whatever the profession, no man has pure love to God unless he has unselfish love for his brother. . . . When self is merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within--when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart and is revealed in the countenance. . . .  {Mar 101.2}
[Mar 101.3]          Connected with Christ, we are connected with our fellow men by the golden links of the chain of love. Then the pity and compassion of Christ will be manifest in our life. We shall not wait to have the needy and unfortunate brought to us. We shall not need to be entreated to feel for the woes of others. It will be as natural for us to minister to the needy and suffering as it was for Christ to go about doing good. . . .  {Mar 101.3}
[Mar 101.4]          The glory of heaven is in lifting up the fallen, comforting the distressed. . . . No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste is recognized by God. . . . All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan's circle the poor souls who have been deluded by his deceptions. It places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. . . .  {Mar 101.4}
[Mar 101.5]          Christ is seeking to uplift all who will be lifted to companionship with Himself, that we may be one with Him as He is one with the Father. He permits us to come in contact with suffering and calamity in order to call us out of our selfishness; He seeks to develop in us the attributes of His character--compassion, tenderness, and love. . . .  {Mar 101.5}
[Mar 101.6]          "If thou wilt keep my charge," the Lord declares, "I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by"--even among the angels that surround His throne. (Zechariah 3:7.) By cooperating with heavenly beings in their work on earth, we are preparing for their companionship in heaven.  {Mar 101.6}
[Mar 102.1]       Chap. 94 - The Place to Begin Witnessing         That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. Psalm 144:12.  {Mar 102.1}
[Mar 102.2]           Our work for Christ is to begin with the family in the home. . . . There is no missionary field more important than this.  {Mar 102.2}
[Mar 102.3]         Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine, so that the promises and commands of God awaken in the child gratitude and reverence; the parents whose tenderness and justice and long-suffering interpret to the child the love and justice and long-suffering of God; and who, by teaching the child to love and trust and obey them, are teaching him to love and trust and obey his Father in heaven. Parents who impart to a child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure more precious than the wealth of all the ages--a treasure as enduring as eternity.  {Mar 102.3}
[Mar 102.4]          God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members of the household of faith and have a most precious experience. They may have hearts that are tender and ready to receive impressions that will be lasting. They may have their hearts drawn out in confidence and love for Jesus, and live for the Saviour. Christ will make them little missionaries. The whole current of their thought may be changed, so that sin will not appear a thing to be enjoyed, but to be shunned and hated.  {Mar 102.4}
[Mar 102.5]          By precept and example parents are to teach their children to labor for the unconverted. The children should be so educated that they will sympathize with the aged and afflicted and will seek to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and distressed. . . . From their earliest years self-denial and sacrifice for the good of others and the advancement of Christ's cause should be inculcated, that they may be laborers together with God. . . .  {Mar 102.5}
[Mar 102.6]          God designs that the families of earth shall be a symbol of the family in heaven. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God's plan, are among His most effective agencies for the formation of Christian character and for the advancement of His work.  {Mar 102.6}
[Mar 103.1]       Chap. 95 - A World in Need         We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. Isaiah 59:9.  {Mar 103.1}
[Mar 103.2]           There are many who are reading the Scriptures who cannot understand their true import. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in.  {Mar 103.2}
[Mar 103.3]          Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give health and life and peace. Many who once knew the power of God's word have dwelt where there is no recognition of God, and they long for the divine presence.  {Mar 103.3}
[Mar 103.4]          The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago--a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished.  {Mar 103.4}
[Mar 103.5]          Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow me."  {Mar 103.5}
[Mar 103.6]          There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. . . . We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.  {Mar 103.6}
[Mar 103.7]          Heavenly intelligences are waiting to cooperate with human instrumentalities, that they may reveal to the world what human beings may become, and what, through union with the Divine, may be accomplished for the saving of souls that are ready to perish. There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.  {Mar 103.7}
[Mar 104.1]       Chap. 96 - Teaching from House to House         I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house. Acts 20:20.  {Mar 104.1}
[Mar 104.2]           Among the members of our churches there should be more house-to-house labor in giving Bible readings and distributing literature. . . . As we sow beside all waters we shall realize that "he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."  {Mar 104.2}
[Mar 104.3]          Christ's example must be followed by those who claim to be His children. Relieve the physical necessities of your fellow men, and their gratitude will break down the barriers and enable you to reach their hearts. . . . Women as well as men can engage in the work. . . . They can do in families a work that men cannot do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of those whom men cannot reach. Their work is needed. Discreet and humble women can do a good work in explaining the truth to the people in their homes. The word of God thus explained will do its leavening work, and . . . whole families will be converted. . . .  {Mar 104.3}
[Mar 104.4]          In the home circle, at your neighbor's fireside, at the bedside of the sick, in a quiet way you may read the Scriptures and speak a word for Jesus and the truth. Precious seed may thus be sown that will spring up and bring forth fruit. . . .  {Mar 104.4}
[Mar 104.5]          There is missionary work to be done in many unpromising places. The missionary spirit needs to take hold of our souls, inspiring us to reach classes for whom we had not planned to labor and in ways and places that we had no idea of working. The Lord has His plan for the sowing of the gospel seed. In sowing according to His will, we shall so multiply the seed that His word may reach thousands who have never heard the truth.  {Mar 104.5}
[Mar 104.6]          Thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand angels are waiting to co-operate with members of our churches in communicating the light that God has generously given, that a people may be prepared for the coming of Christ.  {Mar 104.6}
[Mar 104.7]          Our sisters, the youth, the middle-aged, and those of advanced years, may act a part in the closing work for this time; and in doing this as they have opportunity, they will obtain an experience of the highest value to themselves. In forgetfulness of self, they will grow in grace.  {Mar 104.7}
[Mar 105.1]       Chap. 97 - One-to-One Witnessing         For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.  {Mar 105.1}
[Mar 105.2]           Why are not all who claim to love God seeking to enlighten their neighbors and their associates, that they may not longer neglect this great salvation? Christ gave Himself to a shameful, agonizing death, showing His great travail of soul to save the perishing. Oh, Christ is able, Christ is willing, Christ is longing, to save all who will come unto Him!  {Mar 105.2}
[Mar 105.3]          Talk to souls in peril and get them to behold Jesus upon the cross, dying to make it possible for Him to pardon. Talk to the sinner with your own heart overflowing with the tender, pitying love of Christ. Let there be deep earnestness; but not a harsh, loud note should be heard from the one who is trying to win the soul to look and live.  {Mar 105.3}
[Mar 105.4]          First have your own soul consecrated to God. As you look upon our Intercessor in heaven, let your heart be broken. Then, softened and subdued, you can address repenting sinners as one who realizes the power of redeeming love. Pray with these souls, by faith bringing them to the foot of the cross; carry their minds up with your mind, and fix the eye of faith where you look, upon Jesus the Sin Bearer. Get them to look away from their poor, sinful selves to the Saviour, and the victory is won. They behold for themselves the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. They see the Way, the Truth, the Life. The Sun of Righteousness sheds its bright beams into the heart. The strong tide of redeeming love pours into the parched and thirsty soul, and the sinner is saved to Jesus Christ.  {Mar 105.4}
[Mar 105.5]          Christ crucified--talk it, pray it, sing it, and it will break and win hearts. This is the power and wisdom of God to gather souls for Christ. Formal, set phrases, the presentation of merely argumentative subjects, is productive of little good. The melting love of God in the hearts of the workers will be recognized by those for whom they labor. Souls are thirsting for the waters of life. Do not be empty cisterns. If you reveal the love of Christ to them, you may lead the hungering, thirsting ones to Jesus, and He will give them the bread of life and the water of salvation.  {Mar 105.5}
[Mar 106.1]       Chap. 98 - Sound an Alarm!         Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. Joel 2:1.  {Mar 106.1}
[Mar 106.2]           The things that concern our eternal welfare are now to absorb our attention. We cannot afford to give heavenly things the second place. . . . The judgments of God are in the land. They speak in solemn warning, saying, "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."  {Mar 106.2}
[Mar 106.3]          There are many, many in our churches who know little of the real meaning of the truth for this time. I appeal to them not to disregard the fulfilling of the signs of the times, which say so plainly that the end is near. O how many who have not sought their soul's salvation will soon make the bitter lamentation, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved"!  {Mar 106.3}
[Mar 106.4]          We are living in the closing scenes of this earth's history. Prophecy is rapidly fulfilling. The hours of probation are fast passing. We have no time--not a moment--to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard. Let no one say in his heart or by his works, "My lord delayeth his coming." Let the message of Christ's soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent, and flee from the wrath to come. Let us arouse them to immediate preparation; for we little know what is before us. Let ministers and lay members go forth into the ripening fields. . . .  {Mar 106.4}
[Mar 106.5]          The Lord is soon to come, and we must be prepared to meet Him in peace. Let us be determined to do all in our power to impart light to those around us. We are not to be sad, but cheerful, and we are to keep the Lord Jesus ever before us. . . . We must be ready and waiting for His appearing. O how glorious it will be to see Him, and be welcomed as His redeemed ones! Long have we waited, but our faith is not to become weak. If we can but see the King in His beauty, we shall be forever and forever blessed. I feel as if I must cry aloud, "Homeward bound." We are nearing the time when Christ will come with power and great glory, to take His ransomed ones to their eternal home.  {Mar 106.5}
[Mar 107.1]       Chap. 99 - God's Special Message for Today         The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:12.  {Mar 107.1}
[Mar 107.2]           In a time like this, we should have but one object in view-- the employing of every means that God has provided by which the truth may be planted in the hearts of men. . . . It is the duty of every Christian to strive to the utmost of his ability to spread abroad the knowledge of the truth.  {Mar 107.2}
[Mar 107.3]          God has waited long, and He is waiting still, to have the beings that are His by both creation and redemption, listen to His voice, and obey Him as loving, submissive children, whose desire is to be near His side, and to have the light of His countenance shining upon them. We are to bear the third angel's message to the world, warning men against the worship of the beast and his image, and directing them to take their places in the ranks of those who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." God has not revealed to us the time when this message will close, or when probation will have an end. . . . It is our duty to watch and work and wait, to labor every moment for the souls of men that are ready to perish. . . .  {Mar 107.3}
[Mar 107.4]          Now, just now, is the time for us to be watching, working, and waiting. . . . The end of all things is at hand. . . . The Spirit of the Lord is working to take the truth of the inspired word and stamp it upon the soul so that the professed followers of Christ will have a holy, sacred joy that they will be able to impart to others. . . .  {Mar 107.4}
[Mar 107.5]          There is need of a deeper, stronger, more constraining testimony on the power of the truth as seen in the practical godliness of those who profess to believe it.  {Mar 107.5}
[Mar 107.6]          We are to have the truth planted in the heart, and teach it to others as it is in Jesus. The world is in a very solemn period; for souls are deciding what will be their eternal destiny. Satan and his angels are continually plotting to make void the law of God, and thus to enslave the souls of men in the toils of sin. The darkness which is covering the earth is deepening, but those who walk humbly with God have nothing to fear.  {Mar 107.6}
[Mar 108.1]       Chap. 100 - A Time for Decision!         Choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua 24:15.  {Mar 108.1}
[Mar 108.2]           Today the world is mad: an insanity is upon men and women, and is hurrying them on to eternal ruin. Every species of indulgence prevails, and men have become so infatuated with vice that they will not listen to warnings or appeals.  {Mar 108.2}
[Mar 108.3]          The Lord says to the people of the earth, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." All are now deciding their eternal destiny. Men need to be aroused to realize the solemnity of the time, the nearness of the day when human probation shall be ended. God gives no man a message that it will be five years or ten years or twenty years before this earth's history shall close. He would not give any living being an excuse for delaying the preparation for His appearing. He would have no one say, as did the unfaithful servant, "My lord delayeth his coming;" for this leads to reckless neglect of the opportunities and privileges given to prepare us for that great day. Everyone who claims to be a servant of God is called to do His service as if each day might be the last. . . .  {Mar 108.3}
[Mar 108.4]          Talk of the speedy appearing of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Put not off that day. . . .  {Mar 108.4}
[Mar 108.5]          Here is the great burden to be carried by each one. Are my sins forgiven? Has Christ, the burden-bearer, taken away my guilt? Have I a clean heart, purified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ? Woe be to any soul who is not seeking a refuge in Christ. Woe be to all who shall in any way divert the mind from the work, and cause any soul to be less vigilant now. . . .  {Mar 108.5}
[Mar 108.6]          The great work from which the mind should not be diverted is the consideration of our personal standing in the sight of God. Are our feet on the Rock of Ages? Are we hiding ourselves in the only Refuge? The storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it? Are we one with Christ as He is one with the Father? Are we heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ? . . .  {Mar 108.6}
[Mar 108.7]          The character of Christ is to be our character. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our hearts. Here is our only safety. Nothing can separate a living Christian from God.  {Mar 108.7}
[Mar 109.1]       Chap. 101 - Living to Save Others         If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23.  {Mar 109.1}
[Mar 109.2]           The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us from God and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness. There can be no returning to the Lord except by self-denial. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but, through God strengthening us, we can live to do good to others, and in this way shun the evil of selfishness. We need not go to heathen lands to manifest our desire to devote all to God in a useful, unselfish life. We should do this in the home circle, in the church, among those with whom we associate and with whom we do business. Right in the common walks of life is where self is to be denied and kept in subordination.  {Mar 109.2}
[Mar 109.3]          Paul could say: "I die daily." It is the daily dying to self in the little transactions of life that makes us overcomers. We should forget self in the desire to do good to others. With many there is a decided lack of love for others. Instead of faithfully performing their duty, they seek rather their own pleasure.  {Mar 109.3}
[Mar 109.4]          God positively enjoins upon all His followers a duty to bless others with their influence and means, and to seek that wisdom of Him which will enable them to do all in their power to elevate the thoughts and affections of those who come within their influence. In doing for others, a sweet satisfaction will be experienced, an inward peace which will be a sufficient reward. When actuated by a high and noble desire to do others good, they will find true happiness in a faithful discharge of life's manifold duties. This will bring more than an earthly reward; for every faithful, unselfish performance of duty is noticed by the angels and shines in the life record.  {Mar 109.4}
[Mar 109.5]          In heaven none will think of self, nor seek their own pleasure; but all, from pure, genuine love, will seek the happiness of the heavenly beings around them. If we wish to enjoy heavenly society in the earth made new, we must be governed by heavenly principles here.  {Mar 109.5}
[Mar 109.6]          The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ.  {Mar 109.6}
[Mar 110.1]       Chap. 102 - Pathway to Life         Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13, 14.  {Mar 110.1}
[Mar 110.2]           Christ calls upon us to enter the narrow pathway, where every step means a denial of self. He calls upon us to stand upon the platform of eternal truth, and contend, yes, contend earnestly, for the faith once delivered to the saints. . . .  {Mar 110.2}
[Mar 110.3]         As we near the time when principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places will be fully brought into the warfare against the truth, when Satan's deceptive power will be so great that, if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect, our discernment must be sharpened by divine enlightenment, that we may not be ignorant of Satan's devices. . . . By giving us the cooperation of the holy angels, God has made it possible for our work to be . . . a glorious success. But success will seldom result from scattered effort. The united influence of all the members of the church is required.  {Mar 110.3}
[Mar 110.4]          The church today needs men who, like Enoch, walk with God, revealing Christ to the world. Church-members need to reach a higher standard. Heavenly messengers are waiting to communicate with those who have sunk self out of sight, whose lives are a fulfilling of the words, "I live; ye not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Of such men and women must the church be composed before her light can shine forth to the world in clear, distinct rays. Our views of the Sun of Righteousness are clouded by self-seeking. Christ is crucified afresh by many who through self-indulgence allow Satan to gain control over them. . . .  {Mar 110.4}
[Mar 110.5]          It is God's purpose that all shall be tested and tried, that He may see whether they are loyal or disloyal to the laws that govern the kingdom of heaven. To the last, God permits Satan to reveal himself as a liar, an accuser, and a murderer. Thus the final triumph of His people is made more marked, more glorious, more full and complete.  {Mar 110.5}
[Mar 111.1]       Chap. 103 - In Partnership with Christ         I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5.  {Mar 111.1}
[Mar 111.2]           The end is near! God calls upon the church to set in order the things that remain. Workers together with God, you are empowered by the Lord to take others with you into the kingdom. You are to be God's living agents, channels of light to the world, and round about you are angels of heaven with their commission from Christ to sustain, strengthen, and uphold you in working for the salvation of souls. . . .  {Mar 111.2}
[Mar 111.3]          Stand out separate and distinct from the world--in the world, but not of it, reflecting the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, being pure, holy, and undefiled, and in faith carrying light into all the highways and byways of the earth.  {Mar 111.3}
[Mar 111.4]          Let the churches awake before it is everlastingly too late. Let every member take up his individual work and vindicate the name of the Lord by which he is called. Let sound faith and earnest piety take the place of slothfulness and unbelief. When faith lays hold upon Christ, the truth will bring delight to the soul, and the services of religion will not be dull and uninteresting. . . .  Daily you will have a rich experience as you practice the Christianity you profess. Sinners will be converted. . . .  {Mar 111.4}
[Mar 111.5]          Oh, that all may arouse and manifest to the world that theirs is a living faith, that a vital issue is before the world, that Jesus will soon come. Let men see that we believe that we are on the borders of the eternal world.  {Mar 111.5}
[Mar 111.6]          The upbuilding of the kingdom of God is retarded or urged forward according to the unfaithfulness or fidelity of human agencies. The work is hindered by the failure of the human to cooperate with the divine. Men may pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"; but if they fail of acting out this prayer in their lives, their petitions will be fruitless. But though you may be weak, erring, and sinful, the Lord holds out to you the offer of partnership with Himself. He invites you to come under divine instruction. Uniting with Christ, you may work the works of God. "Without me," Christ said, "ye can do nothing."  {Mar 111.6}
[Mar 112.1]       Chap. 104 - Representatives of the Saviour         Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12, R.S.V.  {Mar 112.1}
[Mar 112.2]           God expects those who bear the name of Christ to represent Him. . . . They are to be a sanctified, purified, holy people, communicating light to all with whom they come in contact. . . .  {Mar 112.2}
[Mar 112.3]          The followers of Christ are to be separate from the world in principles and interests, but they are not to isolate themselves from the world. The Saviour mingled constantly with men, not to encourage them in anything that was not in accordance with God's will, but to uplift and ennoble them. "I sanctify myself," He declared, "that they also might be sanctified." John 17:19. So the Christian is to abide among men, that the savor of divine love may be as salt to preserve the world from corruption. . . .  {Mar 112.3}
[Mar 112.4]          The power of a higher, purer, nobler life is our great need. The world is watching to see what fruit is borne by professed Christians. . . . Impressions favorable or unfavorable to Bible religion are constantly being made on the minds of all with whom we have to do.  {Mar 112.4}
[Mar 112.5]          And God and the angels are watching. God desires His people to show by their lives the advantage of Christianity over worldliness, to show that they are working on a high, holy plane. He longs to see them showing that the truth they have received has made them children of the heavenly King. He longs to make them channels through which He can pour His boundless love and mercy.  {Mar 112.5}
[Mar 112.6]          Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of the Saviour shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim His own. It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten, the coming of our Lord. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel! Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come.  {Mar 112.6}
[Mar 113.1]       Chap. 105 - A Character the World will Recognize         That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:15.  {Mar 113.1}
[Mar 113.2]           It is God's purpose to manifest through His people the principles of His kingdom. That in life and character they may reveal these principles, He desires to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world. . . . By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in His church, the world is to have a representation of His character. And when the law of God is thus exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people in the world.  {Mar 113.2}
[Mar 113.3]          Seventh-day Adventists, above all people, should be patterns of piety, holy in heart and in conversation. To them have been entrusted the most solemn truths ever committed to mortals. Every endowment of grace and power and efficiency has been liberally provided. They look for the near return of Christ in the clouds of heaven. For them to give to the world the impression that their faith is not a dominating power in their lives is greatly to dishonor God.  {Mar 113.3}
[Mar 113.4]          Because of the increasing power of Satan's temptations, the times in which we live are full of peril for the children of God, and we need to learn constantly of the Great Teacher, that we may take every step in surety and righteousness. Wonderful scenes are opening before us; and at this time a living testimony is to be borne in the lives of God's professed people, so that the world may see that in this age, when evil reigns on every side, there is yet a people who are laying aside their will and are seeking to do God's will--a people in whose hearts and lives God's law is written. . . .  {Mar 113.4}
[Mar 113.5]          Their thoughts are to be pure, their words noble and uplifting. The religion of Christ is to be interwoven with all that they do and say. They are to be a sanctified, purified, holy people, communicating light to all with whom they come in contact. It is His purpose that by exemplifying the truth in their lives, they shall be a praise in the earth. The grace of Christ is sufficient to bring this about.  {Mar 113.5}
[Mar 114.1]       Chap. 106 - The Testimony the World Needs         You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on your hearts, to be known and read by all men. 2 Corinthians 3:2, R.S.V.  {Mar 114.1}
[Mar 114.2]           Transformation of character is to be the testimony to the world of the indwelling love of Christ. The Lord expects His people to show that the redeeming power of grace can work upon the faulty character and cause it to develop in symmetry and abundant fruitfulness.  {Mar 114.2}
[Mar 114.3]          But in order for us to fulfill God's purpose, there is a preparatory work to be done. The Lord bids us empty our hearts of the selfishness which is the root of alienation. He longs to pour upon us His Holy Spirit in rich measure, and He bids us clear the way by self-renunciation. When self is surrendered to God, our eyes will be opened to see the stumbling stones which our un-Christlikeness has placed in the way of others. All these God bids us remove. He says: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16. Then we may have the assurance that David had when, after confession of his sin, he prayed: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." Psalm 51:12, 13.  {Mar 114.3}
[Mar 114.4]         When the grace of God reigns within, the soul will be surrounded with an atmosphere of faith and courage and Christlike love, an atmosphere invigorating to the spiritual life of all who inhale it. . . . Everyone who is a partaker of Christ's pardoning love, everyone who has been enlightened by the Spirit of God and converted to the truth, will feel that for these precious blessings he owes a debt to every soul with whom he comes in contact. Those who are humble in heart the Lord will use to reach souls whom the ordained ministers cannot approach. They will be moved to speak words which reveal the saving grace of Christ.  {Mar 114.4}
[Mar 114.5]          And in blessing others they will themselves be blessed. God gives us opportunity to impart grace, that He may refill us with increased grace. Hope and faith will strengthen as the agent for God works with the talents and facilities that God has provided. He will have a divine agency to work with him.  {Mar 114.5}
[Mar 115.1]       Chap. 107 - When God Makes Up Deficiencies         We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1.  {Mar 115.1}
[Mar 115.2]           We are to be partners in the work of God throughout the world; wherever there are souls to be saved, we are to lend our help, that many sons and daughters may be brought to God. The end is near, and for this reason we are to make the most of every entrusted ability and every agency that shall offer help to the work. . . .  {Mar 115.2}
[Mar 115.3]          How the angels must feel as they see the end approaching, and see so many of those entrusted with the last message of mercy huddling together, attending meetings for the sake of benefit to their own souls, and feeling dissatisfied if there is not much preaching, while they have little burden and are doing little for the salvation of others. All who are indeed united to Christ by living faith will be partakers of the divine nature. They will be constantly receiving from Him spiritual life, and they cannot be silent.  {Mar 115.3}
[Mar 115.4]          Life always shows itself in action. If the heart is living, it will send the lifeblood to every part of the body. Those whose hearts are filled with spiritual life will not need to be urged to reveal it. The divine life will flow forth from them in rich currents of grace. As they pray, as they speak, and as they labor, God is glorified. . . .  {Mar 115.4}
[Mar 115.5]          It is not the most brilliant or the most talented whose work produces the greatest and most lasting results. Who are the most efficient laborers? Those who will respond to the invitation: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart."  {Mar 115.5}
[Mar 115.6]          If men to whom God has entrusted talents of intellect refuse to use these gifts to His glory, after test and trial He will leave them to their own imaginings and will take men who do not appear to be so richly endowed, who have not large self-confidence, and He will make the weak strong because they trust in God to do for them those things which they cannot do for themselves. God will accept the wholehearted service, and will Himself make up the deficiencies.  {Mar 115.6}
[Mar 115.7]          Angels are listening to hear what kind of report you are bearing to the world about your heavenly Master.  {Mar 115.7}
[Mar 116.1]       Chap. 108 - Preaching with Power         In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:1, 2, R.S.V.  {Mar 116.1}
[Mar 116.2]           John the Baptist in his desert life was taught of God. He studied the revelations of God in nature. Under the guiding of the Divine Spirit, he studied the scrolls of the prophets. By day and by night, Christ was his study, his meditation, until mind and heart and soul were filled with the glorious vision.  {Mar 116.2}
[Mar 116.3]          He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was lost sight of. He beheld the majesty of holiness and knew himself to be inefficient and unworthy. It was God's message that he was to declare. It was in God's power and His righteousness that he was to stand. He was ready to go forth as Heaven's messenger, unawed by the human, because he had looked upon the Divine. He could stand fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs because with trembling he had bowed before the King of kings.  {Mar 116.3}
[Mar 116.4]          With no elaborate arguments or finespun theories did John declare his message. Startling and stern, yet full of hope, his voice was heard from the wilderness: "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2. With a new, strange power it moved the people. The whole nation was stirred. Multitudes flocked to the wilderness. . . .  {Mar 116.4}
[Mar 116.5]          In this age, just prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, such a work as that of John is to be done. God calls for men who will prepare a people to stand in the great day of the Lord. . . . As a people who believe in Christ's soon appearing, we have a message to bear--"Prepare to meet thy God." Amos 4:12. Our message must be as direct as was the message of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding that his life was imperiled, he did not hesitate to declare God's word. And our work in this age must be done as faithfully.  {Mar 116.5}
[Mar 116.6]          In order to give such a message as John gave, we must have a spiritual experience like his. The same work must be wrought in us. We must behold God, and in beholding Him lose sight of self.  {Mar 116.6}
[Mar 117.1]       Chap. 109 - "Behold the Lamb of God"         Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29.  {Mar 117.1}
[Mar 117.2]           John had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to humanity; but the touch of divine love had transformed him. When, after Christ's ministry began, the disciples of John came to him with the complaint that all men were following the new Teacher, John showed how clearly he understood his relation to the Messiah, and how gladly he welcomed the One for whom he had prepared the way.  {Mar 117.2}
[Mar 117.3]          "A man can receive nothing," he said, "except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. . . . This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:27-30.  {Mar 117.3}
[Mar 117.4]          Looking in faith to the Redeemer, John had risen to the height of self-abnegation. He sought not to attract men to himself, but to lift their thoughts higher and still higher, until they should rest upon the Lamb of God. He himself had been only a voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now with joy he accepted silence and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to the Light of life.  {Mar 117.4}
[Mar 117.5]          Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God will not seek honor for themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up in love for Christ. They will recognize that it is their work to proclaim, as did John the Baptist: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. They will lift up Jesus, and with Him humanity will be lifted up. . . .  {Mar 117.5}
[Mar 117.6]          The soul of the prophet, emptied of self, was filled with the light of the Divine. . . . He bore witness to the Saviour's glory. . . . In this glory of Christ, all His followers are to share. . . . We can receive of heaven's light only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We can discern the character of God, and accept Christ by faith, only as we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this, the Holy Spirit is given without measure. In Christ "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him." Colossians 2:9, 10.  {Mar 117.6}
[Mar 118.1]       Chap. 110 - God's Call to Reform         He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17.  {Mar 118.1}
[Mar 118.2]           John the Baptist went forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord and to turn the people to the wisdom of the just. He was a representative of those living in these last days to whom God has entrusted sacred truths to present before the people to prepare the way for the second appearing of Christ. . . .  {Mar 118.2}
[Mar 118.3]          Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ's first advent. The great subject of reform is to be agitated, and the public mind is to be stirred. Temperance in all things is to be connected with the message, to turn the people of God from their idolatry, their gluttony, and their extravagance in dress and other things.  {Mar 118.3}
[Mar 118.4]          The self-denial, humility, and temperance required of the righteous, whom God especially leads and blesses, is to be presented to the people in contrast to the extravagant, health-destroying habits of those who live in this degenerate age. God has shown that health reform is as closely connected with the third angel's message as the hand is with the body. There is nowhere to be found so great a cause of physical and moral degeneracy as a neglect of this important subject. Those who indulge appetite and passion, and close their eyes to the light for fear they will see sinful indulgences which they are unwilling to forsake, are guilty before God. . . .  {Mar 118.4}
[Mar 118.5]          Providence has been leading the people of God out from the extravagant habits of the world, away from the indulgence of appetite and passion, to take their stand upon the platform of self-denial and temperance in all things. The people whom God is leading will be peculiar. They will not be like the world. But if they follow the leadings of God they will accomplish His purposes, and will yield their will to His will. Christ will dwell in the heart. . . . Your body, says the apostle, is the temple of the Holy Ghost.  {Mar 118.5}
[Mar 119.1]       Chap. 111 - Promote Healthful Living         I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1.  {Mar 119.1}
[Mar 119.2]           It is impossible for a man to present his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, while continuing to indulge habits that are depriving him of physical, mental, and moral vigor. Again the apostle says, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2.  {Mar 119.2}
[Mar 119.3]         We are in a world that is opposed to righteousness or purity of character, and especially to growth in grace. Wherever we look, we see defilement and corruption, deformity and sin. How opposed is all this to the work that must be accomplished in us just previous to receiving the gift of immortality! God's elect must stand untainted amid the corruptions teeming around them in these last days. Their bodies must be made holy, their spirits pure. If this work is to be accomplished, it must be undertaken at once, earnestly and understandingly. The Spirit of God should have perfect control, influencing every action.  {Mar 119.3}
[Mar 119.4]          The health reform is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord. . . . Men and women cannot violate natural law by indulging depraved appetites and lustful passions, without violating the law of God. Therefore He has permitted the light of health reform to shine upon us, that we may realize the sinfulness of breaking the laws which He has established in our very being. . . .  {Mar 119.4}
[Mar 119.5]          To make natural law plain, and to urge obedience to it, is a work that accompanies the third angel's message. . . . He ［God］ designs that the subject shall be agitated, and the public mind deeply stirred to investigate it; for it is impossible for men and women, while under the power of sinful, health-destroying, brain-enervating habits, to appreciate sacred truth. . . .  {Mar 119.5}
[Mar 119.6]          He who cherishes the light which God has given him upon health reform, has an important aid in the work of becoming sanctified through the truth, and fitted for immortality.  {Mar 119.6}
[Mar 120.1]       Chap. 112 - Virtue of Self-Forgetfulness         I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20.  {Mar 120.1}
[Mar 120.2]           By faith Paul appropriated the grace of Christ, and this grace supplied the necessities of his soul. By faith he received the heavenly gift, and imparted it to souls longing for light. This is the experience we need. . . . Pray for this faith. Strive for it. Believe that God will give it to you.  {Mar 120.2}
[Mar 120.3]          There is a great work to be done in our world. This is no dreamland. Before us are living realities. On every hand are to be seen the manifestations of Satan's power. Let us co-operate with Him who works to restore and uplift. And let us not forget that he who works for Christ must recruit his strength at the source of all strength. . . . Christians need power of thought, firmness of will, and knowledge that comes from the study of God's Word. They cannot afford to fill their minds with trifles. Every day they must be renewed in spiritual power.  {Mar 120.3}
[Mar 120.4]         Learn of Him who has said, "I am meek and lowly in heart." Learning of Him, you will find rest. Day by day you will gain an experience in the things of God, day by day realize the greatness of His salvation and the glory of a union with Him. Constantly you will learn better how to live Christlike, and constantly you will grow more like the Saviour.  {Mar 120.4}
[Mar 120.5]          If we will die to self, if we will enlarge our idea of what Christ can be to us and what we can be to Him, if we will unite with one another in the bonds of Christian fellowship, God will work through us with mighty power. Then we shall be sanctified through the truth. We shall indeed be chosen by God and controlled by His Spirit. Every day of life will be precious to us, because we shall see in it an opportunity to use our entrusted gifts for the blessing of others.  {Mar 120.5}
[Mar 120.6]          We must forget self in loving service for others. . . . We may not remember some act of kindness which we do, . . . but eternity will bring out in all its brightness every act done for the salvation of souls, every word spoken for the comfort of God's children; and these deeds done for Christ's sake will be a part of our joy through all eternity.  {Mar 120.6}
[Mar 121.1]       Chap. 113 - The Youth, God's Instruments         It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Lamentations 3:27.  {Mar 121.1}
[Mar 121.2]           God calls young men in the vigor and strength of their youth to share with Him self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering. If they accept the call, He will make them His instruments to save souls for whom He died. But He would have them count the cost and enter upon their work with a full knowledge of the conditions upon which they serve a crucified Redeemer. . . .  {Mar 121.2}
[Mar 121.3]          Our first work should be to bring our own hearts into harmony with God, and then we are prepared to labor for others. In former days there was great searching of heart among our earnest workers. They counseled together and united in humble, fervent prayer for divine guidance. . . . Christ's coming is nearer than when we believed. Every passing day leaves us one less to proclaim the message of warning to the world. Would that there were today more earnest intercession with God, greater humility, greater purity, and greater faith.  {Mar 121.3}
[Mar 121.4]          We have a grand work to do for the Master, to open the word of God to those who are in the darkness of error. Young friends, act as though you had a sacred charge. You should be Bible students, ever ready to give to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. By your true Christian dignity give evidence that you know you have a truth that it is for the interest of the people to hear. If this truth is inwrought in the soul, it will manifest itself in the countenance and demeanor, in a calm, noble self-possession and peace which the Christian alone can possess. Those who have genuine humility, and whose minds have been expanded by the truths unfolded in the gospel, will have an influence that will be felt. They will make an impression upon minds and hearts.  {Mar 121.4}
[Mar 121.5]          I have no higher wish than to see our youth imbued with the spirit of pure religion which will lead them to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Go forth, young disciples of Christ, controlled by principle, clad in the robes of purity and righteousness. Your Saviour will guide you into the position best suited to your talents and where you can be most useful. In the path of duty you may be sure of receiving grace sufficient for your day.  {Mar 121.5}
[Mar 122.1]       Chap. 114 - A Work for All Ages         I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 2:14, R.S.V.  {Mar 122.1}
[Mar 122.2]           There are many lines in which the youth can find opportunity for helpful effort. . . . In this closing work of the gospel there is a vast field to be occupied; and, more than ever before, the work is to enlist helpers from the common people. Both the youth and those older in years will be called from the field, from the vineyard, and from the workshop, and sent forth by the Master to give His message. Many of these may have had little opportunity for education, but Christ sees in them qualifications that will enable them to fulfill His purpose. If they put their hearts into the work and continue to be learners, He will fit them to labor for Him. . . .  {Mar 122.2}
[Mar 122.3]          However large, however small, your talents, remember that what you have is yours only in trust. Thus God is testing you, giving you an opportunity to prove yourself true. To Him you are indebted for all your capabilities. To Him belong your powers of body, mind, and soul, and for Him these powers are to be used. Your time, your influence, your capabilities, your skill--all must be accounted for to Him who gives all.  {Mar 122.3}
[Mar 122.4]          The youth who finds joy and happiness in reading the word of God and in the hour of prayer is constantly refreshed by drafts from the Fountain of life. He will attain a height of moral excellence and a breadth of thought of which others cannot conceive. . . . Those who thus connect their souls with God are acknowledged by Him as His sons and daughters. They are constantly reaching higher and still higher, obtaining clearer views of God and of eternity, until the Lord makes them channels of light and wisdom to the world.  {Mar 122.4}
[Mar 122.5]          With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come--the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!  {Mar 122.5}
[Mar 123.1]       Chap. 115 - Why so Many Idlers?         You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8, R.S.V.  {Mar 123.1}
[Mar 123.2]           In the trust given to the first disciples, believers in every age have shared. Everyone who has received the gospel has been given sacred truth to impart to the world. God's faithful people have always been aggressive missionaries, consecrating their resources to the honor of His name, and wisely using their talents in His service. . . .  {Mar 123.2}
[Mar 123.3]          The members of God's church are to be zealous of good works, separating from worldly ambition, and walking in the footsteps of Him who went about doing good. With hearts filled with sympathy and compassion, they are to minister to those in need of help, bringing to sinners a knowledge of the Saviour's love. Such work calls for laborious effort, but it brings a rich reward. Those who engage in it with sincerity of purpose will see souls won to the Saviour. . . .  {Mar 123.3}
[Mar 123.4]          "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come." Revelation 22:17. The charge to give this invitation includes the entire church. Everyone who has heard the invitation is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying, "Come.". . .  {Mar 123.4}
[Mar 123.5]          Hundreds, yea, thousands, who have heard the message of salvation, are still idlers in the market place, when they might be engaged in some line of active service. To these Christ is saying, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" and He adds, "Go ye also into the vineyard." Matthew 20:6, 7. Why is it that many more do not respond to the call? Is it because they think themselves excused in that they do not stand in the pulpit? Let them understand that there is a large work to be done outside the pulpit by thousands of consecrated lay members.  {Mar 123.5}
[Mar 123.6]          Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that everyone shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned, and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14.  {Mar 123.6}
[Mar 124.1]       Chap. 116 - All Our Treasures for God         Freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8.  {Mar 124.1}
[Mar 124.2]           All that men receive of God's bounty still belongs to God. Whatever He has bestowed in the valuable and beautiful things of earth is placed in our hands to test us, to sound the depths of our love for Him and our appreciation of His favors. Whether it be the treasures of wealth or of intellect, they are to be laid, a willing offering, at the feet of Jesus.  {Mar 124.2}
[Mar 124.3]          In commissioning His disciples to go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Christ assigned to men the work of extending the knowledge of His grace. But while some go forth to preach, He calls upon others . . . for offerings with which to support His cause in the earth.  {Mar 124.3}
[Mar 124.4]          Not all can make large offerings, not all can do great works, magnificent deeds; but all can practice self-denial, all can reveal the unselfishness of the Saviour. Some can bring large gifts to the Lord's treasury; others can bring only mites; but every gift brought in sincerity is accepted by the Lord.  {Mar 124.4}
[Mar 124.5]          Many would be surprised to see how much could be saved for the cause of God by acts of self-denial. The small sums saved by deeds of sacrifice will do more for the upbuilding of the cause of God than larger gifts will accomplish that have not called for denial of self.  {Mar 124.5}
[Mar 124.6]          The spirit of liberality is the spirit of heaven. Christ's self-sacrificing love is revealed upon the cross. That man might be saved, He gave all that He had and then gave Himself. The cross of Christ appeals to the benevolence of every follower of the blessed Saviour. The principle there illustrated is to give, give. . . . The principle of worldlings is to get, get. . . .  {Mar 124.6}
[Mar 124.7]          The light of the gospel shining from the cross of Christ rebukes selfishness. . . . Many of God's people are in danger of being ensnared by worldliness and covetousness. They should understand that it is His mercy that multiplies the demands for their means. . . . He thus makes man the medium through which to distribute His blessings on earth. God planned the system of beneficence in order that man might become like his Creator, benevolent and unselfish in character, and finally be a partaker with Christ of the eternal, glorious reward.  {Mar 124.7}
[Mar 125.1]       Chap. 117 - A Twofold Life         Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3.  {Mar 125.1}
[Mar 125.2]           Nothing is more needed in our work than the practical results of communion with God. We should show by our daily lives that we have peace and rest in the Saviour. His peace in the heart will shine forth in the countenance. . . . Communion with God will ennoble the character and the life. Men will take knowledge of us, as of the first disciples, that we have been with Jesus. This will impart to the worker a power that nothing else can give. Of this power he must not allow himself to be deprived. We must live a twofold life--a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work.  {Mar 125.2}
[Mar 125.3]          All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. . . . We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life's intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men's hearts.  {Mar 125.3}
[Mar 125.4]         Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ's loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work.  {Mar 125.4}
[Mar 125.5]          These workers can never attain the highest success until they learn the secret of strength. They must give themselves time to think, to pray, to wait upon God for a renewal of physical, mental, and spiritual power. They need the uplifting influence of His Spirit. Receiving this, they will be quickened by fresh life.  {Mar 125.5}
[Mar 126.1]       Chap. 118 - Mistaken Zeal         For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Romans 10:2.  {Mar 126.1}
[Mar 126.2]           There is a noisy zeal, without aim or purpose, which is not according to knowledge, which is blind in its operations and destructive in its results. This is not Christian zeal. Christian zeal is controlled by principle and is not spasmodic. It is earnest, deep, and strong, engaging the whole soul and arousing to exercise the moral sensibilities.  {Mar 126.2}
[Mar 126.3]          The salvation of souls and the interests of the kingdom of God are matters of the highest importance. What object is there that calls for greater earnestness than the salvation of souls and the glory of God? There are considerations here which cannot be lightly regarded. They are as weighty as eternity. Eternal destinies are at stake. Men and women are deciding for weal or woe. Christian zeal will not exhaust itself in talk, but will feel and act with vigor and efficiency. Yet Christian zeal will not act for the sake of being seen. Humility will characterize every effort and be seen in every work. Christian zeal will lead to earnest prayer and humiliation, and to faithfulness in home duties. In the family circle will be seen the gentleness and love, benevolence and compassion, which are ever the fruits of Christian zeal. . . .  {Mar 126.3}
[Mar 126.4]          Oh, how few feel the worth of souls! How few are willing to sacrifice to bring souls to the knowledge of Christ! There is much talking, much professed love for perishing souls; but talk is cheap stuff. It is earnest Christian zeal that is wanted--a zeal that will be manifested by doing something. All must now work for themselves, and when they have Jesus in their hearts they will confess Him to others. No more could a soul who possesses Christ be hindered from confessing Him than could the waters of Niagara be stopped from flowing over the falls.  {Mar 126.4}
[Mar 126.5]          Eternal life should engage the deepest interest of every Christian. To be a co-worker with Christ and the heavenly angels in the great plan of salvation! What work can bear any comparison with this! From every soul saved there comes to God a revenue of glory to be reflected upon the one saved and also upon the one instrumental in his salvation.  {Mar 126.5}
[Mar 127.1]       Chap. 119 - A Sure Foundation         Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19.  {Mar 127.1}
[Mar 127.2]           The Lord will have a people as true as steel, and with faith as firm as the granite rock. They are to be His witnesses in the world, His instrumentalities to do a special, a glorious work in the day of His preparation. . . .  {Mar 127.2}
[Mar 127.3]         Ministers who have preached the truth with all zeal and earnestness may apostatize and join the ranks of our enemies, but does this turn the truth of God into a lie? "Nevertheless," says the apostle, "the foundation of God standeth sure." The faith and feelings of men may change; but the truth of God, never. . . .  {Mar 127.3}
[Mar 127.4]          It is as certain that we have the truth as that God lives; and Satan, with all his arts and hellish power, cannot change the truth of God into a lie. While the great adversary will try his utmost to make of none effect the word of God, truth must go forth as a lamp that burneth.  {Mar 127.4}
[Mar 127.5]          The Lord has singled us out and made us subjects of His marvelous mercy. Shall we be charmed with the pratings of the apostate? Shall we choose to take our stand with Satan and his host? Shall we join with the transgressors of God's law? Rather let it be our prayer: "Lord, put enmity between me and the serpent." If we are not at enmity with his works of darkness, his powerful folds encircle us, and his sting is ready at any moment to be driven to our hearts. We should count him a deadly foe. We should oppose him in the name of Christ. Our work is still onward. . . . Let all who name the name of Christ clothe themselves with the armor of righteousness. . . .  {Mar 127.5}
[Mar 127.6]          The time has come when we must know for ourselves why we believe as we do. . . . Let us lay up for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life. We must labor, not in our own strength, but in the strength of our risen Lord. What will we do and dare for Jesus?  {Mar 127.6}
[Mar 128.1]       Chap. 120 - Heaven is Waiting for You         As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21.  {Mar 128.1}
[Mar 128.2]           Of the apostles it is written, "They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Mark 16:20. As Christ sent forth His disciples, so today He sends forth the members of His church. The same power that the apostles had is for them. If they will make God their strength, He will work with them, and they shall not labor in vain. Let them realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed His signet. God said to Jeremiah, "Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee." Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched His servant's mouth, saying, "Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." Jeremiah 1:7-9. And He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.  {Mar 128.2}
[Mar 128.3]          Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member should be a channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's love. All heaven is waiting for men and women through whom God can reveal the power of Christianity.  {Mar 128.3}
[Mar 128.4]          The church is God's agency for the proclamation of truth, empowered by Him to do a special work; and if she is loyal to Him, obedient to all His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellency of divine grace. If she will be true to her allegiance, if she will honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her.  {Mar 128.4}
[Mar 128.5]          Zeal for God and His cause moved the disciples to bear witness to the gospel with mighty power. Should not a like zeal fire our hearts with a determination to tell the story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified? It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of the Saviour.  {Mar 128.5}
[Mar 129.1]       Chap. 121 - God will Guide His People         When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2.  {Mar 129.1}
[Mar 129.2]           God has a church upon the earth, who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments. He is leading, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people.  {Mar 129.2}
[Mar 129.3]          There is no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed. God is at the head of the work, and He will set everything in order. If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port.  {Mar 129.3}
[Mar 129.4]          When I voyaged from Portland, Maine, to Boston, many years ago, a storm came upon us, and the great waves dashed us to and fro. The chandeliers fell, and the trunks were rolled from side to side, like balls. The passengers were frightened, and many were screaming, waiting in expectation of death.  {Mar 129.4}
[Mar 129.5]          After a while the pilot came on board. The captain stood near the pilot as he took the wheel, and expressed fear about the course in which the ship was directed. "Will you take the wheel?" asked the pilot. The captain was not ready to do that, for he knew that he lacked experience. Then some of the passengers grew uneasy, and said they feared the pilot would dash them upon the rocks. "Will you take the wheel?" asked the  pilot; but they knew that they could not manage the wheel.  {Mar 129.5}
[Mar 129.6]          When you think that the work is in danger, pray, "Lord, stand at the wheel. Carry us through the perplexity. Bring us safely into port." Have we not reason to believe that the Lord will bring us through triumphantly? . . .  {Mar 129.6}
[Mar 129.7]          You cannot with your finite minds understand the working of all the providences of God. Let God take care of His own work.  {Mar 129.7}
[Mar 130.1]       Chap. 122 - Satan Redoubles His Efforts         The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Psalm 34:7.  {Mar 130.1}
[Mar 130.2]           The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly alarm us were it not that we may find shelter and deliverance in the superior power of our Redeemer. We carefully secure our houses with bolts and locks to protect our property and our lives from evil men; but we seldom think of the evil angels who are constantly seeking access to us, and against whose attacks we have, in our own strength, no method of defense. If permitted, they can distract our minds, disorder and torment our bodies, destroy our possessions and our lives. Their only delight is in misery and destruction. Fearful is the condition of those who resist the divine claims and yield to Satan's temptations, until God gives them up to the control of evil spirits. But those who follow Christ are ever safe under His watchcare. Angels that excel in strength are sent from heaven to protect them. The wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about His people.  {Mar 130.2}
[Mar 130.3]         The great controversy between Christ and Satan, that has been carried forward for nearly six thousand years, is soon to close; and the wicked one redoubles his efforts to defeat the work of Christ in man's behalf and to fasten souls in his snares. To hold the people in darkness and impenitence till the Saviour's mediation is ended, and there is no longer a sacrifice for sin, is the object which he seeks to accomplish.  {Mar 130.3}
[Mar 130.4]          When there is no special effort made to resist his power, when indifference prevails in the church and the world, Satan is not concerned; for he is in no danger of losing those whom he is leading captive at his will. But when the attention is called to eternal things, and souls are inquiring, "What must I do to be saved?" he is on the ground, seeking to match his power against the power of Christ. . . . He is in attendance when men assemble for the worship of God. Though hidden from sight, he is working with all diligence to control the minds of the worshipers.  {Mar 130.4}
[Mar 131.1]       Chap. 123 - Momentous Struggle Before Us         We ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29.  {Mar 131.1}
[Mar 131.2]           A great crisis awaits the people of God. A crisis awaits the world. The most momentous struggle of all the ages is just before us. . . . The question of enforcing Sunday observance has become one of national interest and importance. We well know what the result of this movement will be. But are we ready for the issue? Have we faithfully discharged the duty which God has committed to us of giving the people warning of the danger before them? . . .  {Mar 131.2}
[Mar 131.3]          There are many who have never understood the claims of the Bible Sabbath and the false foundation upon which the Sunday institution rests. Any movement in favor of religious legislation is really an act of concession to the papacy, which for so many ages has steadily warred against liberty of conscience. Sunday observance owes its existence as a so-called Christian institution to "the mystery of iniquity"; and its enforcement will be a virtual recognition of the principles which are the very cornerstone of Romanism. When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism. . . .  {Mar 131.3}
[Mar 131.4]          If popery or its principles shall again be legislated into power, the fires of persecution will be rekindled against those who will not sacrifice conscience and the truth in deference to popular errors. This evil is on the point of realization.  {Mar 131.4}
[Mar 131.5]          When God has given us light showing the dangers before us, how can we stand clear in His sight if we neglect to put forth every effort in our power to bring it before the people? Can we be content to leave them to meet this momentous issue unwarned? . . .  {Mar 131.5}
[Mar 131.6]          When the laws of earthly rulers are brought into opposition to the laws of the Supreme Ruler of the universe, then those who are God's loyal subjects will be true to Him.  {Mar 131.6}
[Mar 132.1]       Chap. 124 - Wresting the Scriptures         They that are unlearned and unstable wrest. . . the . . . scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16.  {Mar 132.1}
[Mar 132.2]           The position that it is of no consequence what men believe is one of Satan's most successful deceptions. He knows that the truth, received in the love of it, sanctifies the soul of the receiver; therefore he is constantly seeking to substitute false theories, fables, another gospel. . . .  {Mar 132.2}
[Mar 132.3]          The vague and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, and the many conflicting theories concerning religious faith, that are found in the Christian world are the work of our great adversary to confuse minds so that they shall not discern the truth. And the discord and division which exist among the churches of Christendom are in a great measure due to the prevailing custom of wresting the Scriptures to support a favorite theory. Instead of carefully studying God's word with humility of heart to obtain a knowledge of His will, many seek only to discover something odd or original.  {Mar 132.3}
[Mar 132.4]          In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian practices, some will seize upon passages of Scripture separated from the context, perhaps quoting half of a single verse as proving their point, when the remaining portion would show the meaning to be quite the opposite. With the cunning of the serpent they entrench themselves behind disconnected utterances construed to suit their carnal desires. Thus do many willfully pervert the word of God. Others, who have an active imagination, seize upon the figures and symbols of Holy Writ, interpret them to suit their fancy, with little regard to the testimony of Scripture as its own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as the teachings of the Bible.  {Mar 132.4}
[Mar 132.5]          Whenever the study of the Scriptures is entered upon without a prayerful, humble, teachable spirit, the plainest and simplest as well as the most difficult passages will be wrested from their true meaning. . . . The Word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth. "Light is sown for the righteous." Psalm 97:11. And no church can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking for truth as for hid treasure.  {Mar 132.5}
[Mar 133.1]      Chap. 125 - False Theories About God         Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21.  {Mar 133.1}
[Mar 133.2]           The theory that God is an essence pervading all nature, is one of Satan's most subtle devices. It misrepresents God, and is a dishonor to His greatness and majesty.  {Mar 133.2}
[Mar 133.3]          Pantheistic theories are not sustained by the Word of God. The light of His truth shows that these theories are soul-destroying agencies. Darkness is their element, sensuality their sphere. They gratify the natural heart, and give license to inclination. Separation from God is the result of accepting them. . . .  {Mar 133.3}
[Mar 133.4]          There is but one power that can break the hold of evil from the hearts of men, and that is the power of God in Jesus Christ. Only through the blood of the Crucified One is there cleansing from sin. His grace alone can enable us to resist and subdue the tendencies of our fallen nature. This power the spiritualistic theories concerning God make of no effect. If God is an essence pervading all nature, then He dwells in all men; and in order to attain holiness, man has only to develop the power that is within him.  {Mar 133.4}
[Mar 133.5]          These theories, followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole Christian economy. They do away with the necessity for the atonement, and make man his own savior. These theories regarding God make His Word of no effect, and those who accept them are in great danger of being led finally to look upon the whole Bible as a fiction. They may regard virtue as better than vice; but God being removed from His position of sovereignty, they place their dependence upon human power, which, without God, is worthless. The unaided human will has no real power to resist and overcome evil. The defenses of the soul are broken down. Man has no barrier against sin. When once the restraints of God's Word and His Spirit are rejected, we know not to what depths one may sink.  {Mar 133.5}
[Mar 133.6]          Those who continue to hold these spiritualistic theories will surely spoil their Christian experience, sever their connection with God, and lose eternal life.  {Mar 133.6}
[Mar 134.1]       Chap. 126 - The Perils of False Science         O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. 1 Timothy 6:20.  {Mar 134.1}
[Mar 134.2]           In New Hampshire there were those who were active in disseminating false ideas in regard to God. Light was given me that these men were making the truth of no effect by their ideas, some of which led to free-lovism. I was shown that these men were seducing souls by presenting speculative theories regarding God. . . .  {Mar 134.2}
[Mar 134.3]          Among other views, they held that those once sanctified could not sin, and this they were presenting as gospel food. Their false theories, with their burden of deceptive influence, were working great harm to themselves and to others. They were gaining a spiritualistic power over those who could not see the evil of these beautifully clothed theories. Great evils had already resulted. The doctrine that all were holy had led to the belief that the affections of the sanctified were never in danger of leading astray. The result of this belief was the fulfillment of the evil desires of hearts which, though professedly sanctified, were far from purity of thought and practice.  {Mar 134.3}
[Mar 134.4]          This is only one of the instances in which I was called upon to rebuke those who were presenting the doctrine of an impersonal god diffused through nature, and the doctrine of holy flesh.  {Mar 134.4}
[Mar 134.5]          In the future, truth will be counterfeited by the precepts of men. Deceptive theories will be presented as safe doctrines. False science is one of the agencies that Satan used in the heavenly courts, and it is used by him today. . . .  {Mar 134.5}
[Mar 134.6]          I beseech those who are laboring for God not to accept the spurious for the genuine. We have a whole Bible full of the most precious truth. We have no need for supposition or false excitement. In the golden censer of truth, as presented in Christ's teachings, we have that which will convict and convert souls. Present in the simplicity of Christ the truths that He came to this world to proclaim, and the power of your message will make itself felt. Do not present theories or tests that have no foundation in the Bible.  {Mar 134.6}
[Mar 135.1]       Chap. 127 - A Masterpiece of Satan's Deceptions         The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29.  {Mar 135.1}
[Mar 135.2]           Human knowledge of both material and spiritual things is partial and imperfect; therefore many are unable to harmonize their views of science with Scripture statements. Many accept mere theories and speculations as scientific facts, and they think that God's word is to be tested by the teachings of "science falsely so called." 1 Timothy 6:20. The Creator and His works are beyond their comprehension; and because they cannot explain these by natural laws, Bible history is regarded as unreliable. Those who doubt the reliability of the records of the Old and New Testaments too often go a step further and doubt the existence of God and attribute infinite power to nature. Having let go their anchor, they are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.  {Mar 135.2}
[Mar 135.3]          Thus many err from the faith and are seduced by the devil. . . . Human philosophy has attempted to search out and explain mysteries which will never be revealed through the eternal ages. If men would but search and understand what God has made known of Himself and His purposes, they would obtain such a view of the glory, majesty, and power of Jehovah that they would realize their own littleness and would be content with that which has been revealed. . . .  {Mar 135.3}
[Mar 135.4]          It is a masterpiece of Satan's deceptions to keep the minds of men searching and conjecturing in regard to that which God has not made known and which He does not intend that we shall understand. It was thus that Lucifer lost his place in heaven. He became dissatisfied because all the secrets of God's purposes were not confided to him, and he entirely disregarded that which was revealed concerning his own work in the lofty position assigned him. By arousing the same discontent in the angels under his command, he caused their fall. Now he seeks to imbue the minds of men with the same spirit and to lead them also to disregard the direct commands of God.  {Mar 135.4}
[Mar 136.1]       Chap. 128 - The Times and Seasons         He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Acts 1:7.  {Mar 136.1}
[Mar 136.2]           The times and seasons God has put in His own power. And why has not God given us this knowledge?--Because we would not make a right use of it if He did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. . . . Jesus has told His disciples to "watch," but not for definite time. His followers are to be in the position of those who are listening for the orders of their Captain; they are to watch, wait, pray, and work, as they approach the time for the coming of the Lord; but no one will be able to predict just when that time will come; for "of that day and hour knoweth no man." You will not be able to say that He will come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years. . . . We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.  {Mar 136.2}
[Mar 136.3]          I was pointed to some who are in the great error of believing that it is their duty to go to Old Jerusalem, ［WRITTEN IN THE EARLY 1850'S WHEN "THE AGE-TO-COME" ADVOCATES TAUGHT THAT OLD JERUSALEM WOULD BE BUILT UP AS A CENTER OF CHRISTIAN WITNESS FULFILLING CERTAIN PROPHECIES OF THE O.T.］ and think they have a work to do there before the Lord comes. Such a view is calculated to take the mind and interest from the present work of the Lord, under the message of the third angel; for those who think that they are yet to go to Jerusalem will have their minds there, and their means will be withheld from the cause of present truth to get themselves and others there. I saw that such a mission would accomplish no real good, that it would take a long while to make a very few of the Jews believe even in the first advent of Christ, much more to believe in His second advent.  {Mar 136.3}
[Mar 137.1]      Chap. 129 - "As it was in the Days of Noe"         As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. Luke 17:26.  {Mar 137.1}
[Mar 137.2]           I was shown that a terrible condition of things exists in our world. The angel of mercy is folding her wings, ready to depart. . . . The law of God is made void. We see and hear of confusion and perplexity, want and famine, earthquakes and floods; terrible outrages will be committed by men; passion, not reason, bears sway. The wrath of God is upon the inhabitants of the world, who are fast becoming as corrupt as were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Already fire and flood are destroying thousands of lives and the property that has been selfishly accumulated by the oppression of the poor. The Lord is soon to cut short His work and put an end to sin. Oh, that the scenes which have come before me of the iniquities practiced in these last days, might make a deep impression on the minds of God's professing people.  {Mar 137.2}
[Mar 137.3]          As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of man shall be revealed. The Lord is removing His restrictions from the earth, and soon there will be death and destruction, increasing crime, and cruel, evil working against the rich who have exalted themselves against the poor. Those who are without God's protection will find no safety in any place or position. Human agents are being trained and are using their inventive power to put in operation the most powerful machinery to wound and to kill. . . .  {Mar 137.3}
[Mar 137.4]          My brethren and sisters . . . , I make my appeal to you. . . . The lives of many are too delicate and dainty. . . . They think themselves Christians, but they do not know what practical Christian life signifies. What does it mean to be a Christian? It means to be Christlike. . . . Co-operate with God by working in harmony with Him. Expel from the soul-temple everything that assumes the form of an idol. Now is God's time, and His time is your time. Fight the good fight of faith, refusing to think or to talk unbelief. The world is to hear the last warning message.  {Mar 137.4}
[Mar 138.1]       Chap. 130 - A Great Terror Soon to Come         We are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men. 1 Corinthians 4:9, Bible in Basic English.  {Mar 138.1}
[Mar 138.2]           The world is a theater; the actors, its inhabitants, are preparing to act their part in the last great drama. With the great masses of mankind there is no unity, except as men confederate to accomplish their selfish purposes. God is looking on. His purposes in regard to His rebellious subjects will be fulfilled. The world has not been given into the hands of men, though God is permitting the elements of confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A power from beneath is working to bring about the last great scenes in the drama--Satan coming as Christ, and working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies. Those who are yielding to the passion for confederation are working out the plans of the enemy. The cause will be followed by the effect.  {Mar 138.2}
[Mar 138.3]          Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise. . . .  {Mar 138.3}
[Mar 138.4]          Are we as a people asleep? Oh, if the young men and young women in our institutions who are now unready for the Lord's appearing, unfitted to become members of the Lord's family, could only discern the signs of the times, what a change would be seen in them! The Lord Jesus is calling for self-denying workers to follow in His footsteps, to walk and work for Him, to lift the cross, and to follow where He leads the way.  {Mar 138.4}
[Mar 138.5]          Many are readily satisfied with offering the Lord trifling acts of service. Their Christianity is feeble. Christ gave Himself for sinners. With what anxiety for the salvation of souls we should be filled as we see human beings perishing in sin! These souls have been bought at an infinite price. The death of the Son of God on Calvary's cross is the measure of their value. Day by day they are deciding whether they will have eternal life or eternal death.  {Mar 138.5}
[Mar 139.1]       Chap. 131 - Youth and the Drug Syndrome         Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9.  {Mar 139.1}
[Mar 139.2]           Satan was the first rebel in the universe, and ever since his expulsion from heaven he has been seeking to make every member of the human family an apostate from God, even as he is himself. He laid his plans to ruin man, and through the unlawful indulgence of appetite, led him to transgress the commandments of God. He tempted Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit, and so accomplished their fall, and their expulsion from Eden. How many say, "If I had been in Adam's place, I would never have transgressed on so simple a test." But you who make this boast have a grand opportunity of showing your strength of purpose, your fidelity to principle under trial. . . . Does God see no sin in your life? . . .  {Mar 139.2}
[Mar 139.3]          On every side, Satan seeks to entice the youth into the path of perdition; and if he can once get their feet set in the way, he hurries them on in their downward course, leading them from one dissipation to another, until his victims lose their tenderness of conscience, and have no more the fear of God before their eyes. They exercise less and less self-restraint. They become addicted to the use of wine and alcohol, tobacco and opium, and go from one stage of debasement to another. They are slaves to appetite. Counsel which they once respected, they learn to despise. They put on swaggering airs, and boast of liberty when they are the servants of corruption. They mean by liberty that they are slaves to selfishness, debased appetite, and licentiousness. . . .  {Mar 139.3}
[Mar 139.4]          Satan is determined to have the human race as his subjects, but Christ has paid an infinite price that man may be redeemed from the enemy, and that the moral image of God may be restored to the fallen race. . . . Fallen men may through Christ find access to the Father, may have grace to enable them to be overcomers through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour.  {Mar 139.4}
[Mar 140.1]       Chap. 132 - External Parade of Heathen Power         The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. 2 Timothy 4:3.  {Mar 140.1}
[Mar 140.2]           Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen, restlessly waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are watching and waiting and working for our Lord's appearing; while the other party are rapidly falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. They look for a God in humanity, and Satan personifies the one they seek. Multitudes will be so deluded through their rejection of truth, that they will accept the counterfeit. Humanity is hailed as God.  {Mar 140.2}
[Mar 140.3]          As we near the close of time, there will be greater and still greater external parade of heathen power; heathen deities will manifest their signal power, and will exhibit themselves before the cities of the world; and this delineation has already begun to be fulfilled. By a variety of images the Lord Jesus represented to John the wicked character and seductive influence of those who have been distinguished for their persecution of God's people. All need wisdom carefully to search out the mystery of iniquity that figures so largely in the winding up of this earth's history. . . . In the very time in which we live, the Lord has called His people and has given them a message to bear. He has called them to expose the wickedness of the man of sin who has made the Sunday law a distinctive power, who has thought to change times and laws, and to oppress the people of God who stand firmly to honor Him by keeping the only true Sabbath, the Sabbath of creation. . . .  {Mar 140.3}
[Mar 140.4]          The perils of the last days are upon us, and in our work we are to warn the people of the danger they are in. Let not the solemn scenes which prophecy has revealed be left untouched. If our people were half awake, if they realized the nearness of the events portrayed in the Revelation, a reformation would be wrought in our churches, and many more would believe the message. We have no time to lose; God calls upon us to watch for souls as they that must give an account.  {Mar 140.4}
[Mar 141.1]       Chap. 133 - Turmoil in the Cities         Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:13.  {Mar 141.1}
[Mar 141.2]           It was not God's purpose that His people should be crowded into cities, huddled together in terraces and tenements. In the beginning He placed our first parents in a garden amidst the beautiful sights and attractive sounds of nature, and these sights and sounds He desires men to rejoice in today.  {Mar 141.2}
[Mar 141.3]          Light has been given me that the cities will be filled with confusion, violence, and crime, and that these things will increase till the end of this earth's history.  {Mar 141.3}
[Mar 141.4]          It is time for our people to take their families from the cities into more retired localities, else many of the youth, and many also of those older in years, will be ensnared and taken by the enemy.  {Mar 141.4}
[Mar 141.5]          "Out of the cities; out of the cities!"--this is the message the Lord has been giving me.  {Mar 141.5}
[Mar 141.6]          The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God's planning, but the planning of a power that we should in no wise acknowledge. God's word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned.  {Mar 141.6}
[Mar 141.7]          We are now to use all our entrusted capabilities in giving the last warning message to the world. In this work we are to preserve our individuality. We are not to unite with secret societies or with trade-unions. We are to stand free in God, looking constantly to Christ.  {Mar 141.7}
[Mar 141.8]          The ungodly cities of our world are to be swept away by the besom of destruction. In the calamities that are now befalling immense buildings and large portions of cities God is showing us what will come upon the whole earth. He has told us: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it ［the coming of the Son of man］ is near, even at the doors." Matthew 24:32, 33.  {Mar 141.8}
[Mar 142.1]       Chap. 134 - Prejudice on the Increase         Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1 John 3:13, 14.  {Mar 142.1}
[Mar 142.2]           He who is closely connected with Christ is lifted above the prejudice of color or caste. His faith takes hold of eternal realities. The divine Author of truth is to be uplifted. Our hearts are to be filled with the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The work of the good Samaritan is the example that we are to follow.  {Mar 142.2}
[Mar 142.3]          It will be impossible to adjust all matters regarding the color question in accordance with the Lord's order until those who believe the truth are so closely united with Christ that they are one with Him. Both the white and the colored members of our churches need to be converted. There are some of both classes who are unreasonable, and when the color question is agitated, they manifest unsanctified, unconverted traits of character. Quarrelsome elements are easily aroused in those who, because they have never learned to wear the yoke of Christ, are opinionated and obstinate. In such, self clamors with an unsanctified determination for the supremacy.  {Mar 142.3}
[Mar 142.4]          As time advances, and race prejudices increase, it will become almost impossible, in many places, for white workers to labor for the colored people. Sometimes the white people who are not in sympathy with our work will unite with colored people to oppose it, claiming that our teaching is an effort to break up churches and bring in trouble over the Sabbath question. White ministers and colored ministers will make false statements, arousing in the minds of the people such a feeling of antagonism that they will be ready to destroy and to kill.  {Mar 142.4}
[Mar 142.5]          The powers of hell are working with all their ingenuity to prevent the proclamation of the last message of mercy among the colored people. Satan is working to make it most difficult for the gospel minister and teacher to ignore the prejudice that exists between the white and the colored people.  {Mar 142.5}
[Mar 142.6]          Let us follow the course of wisdom. Let us do nothing that will unnecessarily arouse opposition--nothing that will hinder the proclamation of the gospel message.  {Mar 142.6}
[Mar 143.1]       Chap. 135 - The Lust for Nakedness         Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28.  {Mar 143.1}
[Mar 143.2]           Many of the young are eager for books. They read everything they can obtain. Exciting love stories and impure pictures have a corrupting influence. Novels are eagerly perused by many, and, as the result, their imagination becomes defiled. In the cars, photographs of females in a state of nudity are frequently circulated for sale. These disgusting pictures are . . . hung upon the walls of those who deal in engravings. This is an age when corruption is teeming everywhere. The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding and by reading. The heart is corrupted through the imagination. The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes which awaken the lower and baser passions. These vile images, seen through defiled imagination, corrupt the morals and prepare the deluded, infatuated beings to give loose rein to lustful passions. Then follow sins and crimes which drag beings formed in the image of God down to a level with the beasts, sinking them at last in perdition. Avoid reading and seeing things which will suggest impure thoughts. Cultivate the moral and intellectual powers. Let not these noble powers become enfeebled and perverted by much reading of even storybooks. . . .  {Mar 143.2}
[Mar 143.3]          It is impossible for the youth to possess a healthy tone of mind and correct religious principles unless they enjoy the perusal of the word of God. This book contains the most interesting history, points out the way of salvation through Christ, and is their guide to a higher and better life. They would all pronounce it the most interesting book they ever perused, if their imagination had not become perverted by exciting stories of a fictitious character. You who are looking for your Lord to come the second time to change your mortal bodies, and to fashion them like unto His most glorious body, must come up upon a higher plane of action. You must work from a higher standpoint than you have hitherto done, or you will not be of that number who will receive the finishing touch of immortality.  {Mar 143.3}
[Mar 144.1]       Chap. 136 - The Criers of Peace         Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. Isaiah 56:12.  {Mar 144.1}
[Mar 144.2]           The evil servant says in his heart, "My lord delayeth his coming." He does not say that Christ will not come. He does not scoff at the idea of His second coming. But in his heart and by his actions and words he declares that the Lord's coming is delayed. He banishes from the minds of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay. They are confirmed in their worldliness and stupor. Earthly passions, corrupt thoughts, take possession of the mind. The evil servant eats and drinks with the drunken, unites with the world in pleasure seeking. He smites his fellow servants, accusing and condemning those who are faithful to their Master. . . .  {Mar 144.2}
[Mar 144.3]         The advent of Christ will surprise the false teachers. They are saying, "Peace and safety." Like the priests and teachers before the fall of Jerusalem, they look for the church to enjoy earthly prosperity and glory. The signs of the times they interpret as foreshadowing this. But what saith the Word of Inspiration? "Sudden destruction cometh upon them." . . .  {Mar 144.3}
[Mar 144.4]          Men are putting afar off the coming of the Lord. They laugh at warnings. The proud boast is made, "All things continue as they were from the beginning." "Tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant." 2 Peter 3:4; Isaiah 56:12. We will go deeper into pleasure loving. But Christ says, "Behold, I come as a thief." Revelation 16:15. At the very time when the world is asking in scorn, "Where is the promise of his coming?" the signs are fulfilling. While they cry, "Peace and safety," sudden destruction is coming. When the scorner, the rejecter of truth, has become presumptuous; when the routine of work in the various money-making lines is carried on without regard to principle; when the student is eagerly seeking knowledge of everything but his Bible, Christ comes as a thief.  {Mar 144.4}
[Mar 145.1]      Chap. 137 - Sights and Sounds and Criminality         I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. Psalm 101:3, 4.  {Mar 145.1}
[Mar 145.2]           There is reason for deep solicitude on your part for your children, who have temptations to encounter at every advance step. It is impossible for them to avoid contact with evil associates. . . . They will see sights, hear sounds, and be subjected to influences which are demoralizing and which, unless they are thoroughly guarded, will imperceptibly but surely corrupt the heart and deform the character. . . .  {Mar 145.2}
[Mar 145.3]         Some fathers and mothers are so indifferent, so careless, that they think it makes no difference whether their children attend a church school or a public school. "We are in the world," they say, "and we cannot get out of it." But, parents, we can get a good way out of the world, if we choose to do so. We can avoid seeing many of the evils that are multiplying so fast in these last days....  {Mar 145.3}
[Mar 145.4]          To the active minds of children and youth the scenes pictured in imaginary revelations of the future are realities. As revolutions are predicted and all manner of proceedings described that break down the barriers of law and self-restraint, many catch the spirit of these representations. They are led to the commission of crimes even worse, if possible, than these sensational writers depict. Through such influences as these society is becoming demoralized. The seeds of lawlessness are sown broadcast. None need marvel that a harvest of crime is the result. . .  {Mar 145.4}
[Mar 145.5]          Say firmly: "I will not spend precious moments in reading that which will be of no profit to me, and which only unfits me to be of service to others. I will devote my time and my thoughts to acquiring a fitness for God's service. I will close my eyes to frivolous and sinful things. My ears are the Lord's, and I will not listen to the subtle reasoning of the enemy. My voice shall not in any way be subject to a will that is not under the influence of the Spirit of God. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and every power of my being shall be consecrated to worthy pursuits."  {Mar 145.5}
[Mar 146.1]       Chap. 138 - Spiritism and Revolution         He answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10:27.  {Mar 146.1}
[Mar 146.2]           As the youth go out into the world to encounter its allurements to sin--the passion for money getting, for amusement and indulgence, for display, luxury, and extravagance, the overreaching, fraud, robbery, and ruin--what are the teachings there to be met?  {Mar 146.2}
[Mar 146.3]          Spiritualism asserts that men are unfallen demigods; that "each mind will judge itself"; that "true knowledge places men above all law"; that "all sins committed are innocent"; for "whatever is, is right," and "God doth not condemn." The basest of human beings it represents as in heaven, and highly exalted there. Thus it declares to all men, "It matters not what you do; live as you please, heaven is your home." Multitudes are thus led to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself.  {Mar 146.3}
[Mar 146.4]          With such teaching given at the very outset of life, when impulse is strongest, and the demand for self-restraint and purity is most urgent, where are the safeguards of virtue? what is to prevent the world from becoming a second Sodom?  {Mar 146.4}
[Mar 146.5]          All the same time anarchy is seeking to sweep away all law, not only divine, but human. The centralizing of wealth and power; the vast combinations for the enriching of the few at the expense of the many; the combinations of the poorer classes for the defense of their interests and claims; . . . the world-wide dissemination of the same teachings that led to the French Revolution--all are tending to involve the whole world in a struggle similar to that which convulsed France.  {Mar 146.5}
[Mar 146.6]          Such are the influences to be met by the youth of today. To stand amidst such upheavals they are now to lay the foundations of character.  {Mar 146.6}
[Mar 146.7]          In every generation and in every land the true foundation and pattern for character building have been the same. The divine law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbour as thyself" (Luke 10:27), the great principle made manifest in the character and life of our Saviour, is the only secure foundation and the only sure guide.  {Mar 146.7}
[Mar 147.1]       Chap. 139 - Beware of Man-Made Tests         Beware . . . of evil workers. . . . For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Philippians 3:2, 3.  {Mar 147.1}
[Mar 147.2]           There are those who need in their hearts the touch of the divine Spirit. Then the message for this time will be their burden. They will not search for human tests, for something new and strange. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the test for this time.  {Mar 147.2}
[Mar 147.3]          The commandment of God that has been almost universally made void, is the testing truth for this time. . . . The time is coming when all those who worship God will be distinguished by this sign. They will be known as the servants of God, by this mark of their allegiance to Heaven. But all man-made tests will divert the mind from the great and important doctrines that constitute the present truth.  {Mar 147.3}
[Mar 147.4]          It is the desire and plan of Satan to bring in among us those who will go to great extremes--people of narrow minds, who are critical and sharp, and very tenacious in holding their own conceptions of what the truth means. They will be exacting, and will seek to enforce rigorous duties, and go to great lengths in matters of minor importance, while they neglect the weightier matters of the law--judgment and mercy and the love of God. Through the work of a few of this class of persons, the whole body of Sabbathkeepers will be designated as bigoted . . . and fanatical. . . .  {Mar 147.4}
[Mar 147.5]          God has a special work for the men of experience to do. They are to guard the cause of God. They are to see that the work of God is not committed to men who feel it their privilege to move out on their own independent judgment, to preach whatever they please, and to be responsible to no one for their instructions or work. Let this spirit of self-sufficiency once rule in our midst, and there will be no harmony of action, no unity of spirit, no safety for the work, and no healthful growth in the cause....Christ prayed that His followers might be one as He and the Father were one. Those who desire to see this prayer answered, should seek to discourage the slightest tendency to division, and try to keep the spirit of unity and love among brethren.  {Mar 147.5}
[Mar 148.1]       Chap. 140 - Healing can be from the Devil         Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.  {Mar 148.1}
[Mar 148.2]           The fallacies of Satan are now being multiplied, and those who swerve from the path of truth will lose their bearings. Having nothing to which to anchor, they will drift from one delusion to another, blown about by the winds of strange doctrines. Satan has come down with great power. Many will be deceived by his miracles.  {Mar 148.2}
[Mar 148.3]          I am instructed to say that in the future great watchfulness will be needed. There is to be among God's people no spiritual stupidity. Evil spirits are actively engaged in seeking to control the minds of human beings. Men are binding up in bundles, ready to be consumed by the fires of the last days. Those who discard Christ and His righteousness will accept the sophistry that is flooding the world. Christians are to be sober and vigilant, steadfastly resisting their adversary the devil, who is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles. . . .  {Mar 148.3}
[Mar 148.4]          We need not be deceived. Wonderful scenes, with which Satan will be closely connected, will soon take place. God's Word declares that Satan will work miracles. He will make people sick, and then will suddenly remove from them his satanic power. They will then be regarded as healed. These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test. . . .  {Mar 148.4}
[Mar 148.5]          If those through whom cures are performed, are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God, and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver. He is a transgressor of the moral law, and employs every device that he can master to blind men to its true character. We are warned that in the last days he will work with signs and lying wonders. And he will continue these wonders until the close of probation, that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness.  {Mar 148.5}
[Mar 149.1]       Chap. 141 - The Violent Earth         I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake. Revelation 6:12.  {Mar 149.1}
[Mar 149.2]           Prophecy not only foretells the manner and object of Christ's coming, but presents tokens by which men are to know when it is near. . . . The revelator thus describes the first of the signs to precede the second advent: "There was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood."  {Mar 149.2}
[Mar 149.3]          These signs were witnessed before the opening of the nineteenth century. In fulfilment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded. Though commonly known as the earthquake of Lisbon, it extended to the greater part of Europe, Africa, and America. It was felt in Greenland, in the West Indies, in the island of Madeira, in Norway and Sweden, Great Britain and Ireland. It pervaded an extent of not less than four million square miles. In Africa the shock was almost as severe as in Europe. A great part of Algiers was destroyed; and a short distance from Morocco, a village containing eight or ten thousand inhabitants was swallowed up. A vast wave swept over the coast of Spain and Africa, engulfing cities, and causing great destruction.  {Mar 149.3}
[Mar 149.4]          It was in Spain and Portugal that the shock manifested its extreme violence. At Cadiz the inflowing wave was said to be sixty feet high. Mountains, "some of the largest in Portugal, were impetuously shaken, as it were, from their very foundations." . . .--Sir Charles Lyell, Principles of Geology, p. 495. . . . "The earthquake happened on a holy day, when the churches and convents were full of people, very few of whom escaped."-- Encyclopedia Americana, art. "Lisbon," note (ed. 1831). . . It has been estimated that ninety thousand persons lost their lives on that fatal day.  {Mar 149.4}
[Mar 149.5]          How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces of nature, wholly beyond the control of man; but in them all, God's purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.  {Mar 149.5}
[Mar 150.1]       Chap. 142 - Signs in the Heavens         The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. Joel 2:31.  {Mar 150.1}
[Mar 150.2]           In the Saviour's conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church--the 1260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened--He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: "In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light." The 1260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased. Following this persecution, according to the words of Christ, the sun was to be darkened. On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled.  {Mar 150.2}
[Mar 150.3]          "Almost if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind, . . . stands the dark day of May 19, 1780--a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England."-- R. M. Devens, Our First Century, p. 89. . . .  {Mar 150.3}
[Mar 150.4]          The intense darkness of the day was succeeded, an hour or two before evening, by a partially clear sky, and the sun appeared, though it was still obscured by the black, heavy mist. "After sundown, the clouds came again overhead, and it grew dark very fast." "Nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day; notwithstanding there was almost a full moon, no object was discernible but by the help of some artificial light. . . ."--Isaiah Thomas, Massachusetts Spy: or, American Oracle of Liberty, vol. 10, No. 472 (May 25, 1780). . . .  {Mar 150.4}
[Mar 150.5]          The description of this event, as given by eyewitnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by the prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfilment: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come."  {Mar 150.5}
[Mar 150.6]          Christ had bidden His people watch for the signs of His advent, and rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their coming King.  {Mar 150.6}
[Mar 151.1]       Chap. 143 - The Stars of Heaven Fall         The stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Matthew 24:29.  {Mar 151.1}
[Mar 151.2]           In 1833, . . . the last of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His second advent. Said Jesus, "The stars shall fall from heaven." And John in the Revelation declared, as he beheld in vision the scenes that should herald the day of God, "The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfilment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; "the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion! No celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with such intense admiration by one class in the community, or with so much dread and alarm by another." "Its sublimity and awful beauty still linger in many minds. . . . Never did rain fall much thicker than the meteors fell toward the earth; east, west, north, and south, it was the same. In a word, the whole heavens seemed in motion. . . . The display, as described in Professor Silliman's Journal, was seen all over North America. . . . From two o'clock until broad daylight, . . . an incessant play of dazzlingly brilliant luminosities was kept up in the whole heavens."--R. M. Devens, American Progress; or, The Great Events of the Greatest Century, ch. 28, pars. 1-5. . . .  {Mar 151.2}
[Mar 151.3]          Thus was displayed the last of those signs of His coming, concerning which Jesus bade His disciples, "When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." After these signs, John beheld, as the great event next impending, the heavens departing as a scroll, while the earth quaked, mountains and islands removed out of their places, and the wicked in terror sought to flee from the presence of the Son of man.  {Mar 151.3}
[Mar 151.4]          But the day and the hour of His coming Christ has not revealed. . . . The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God's mystery.  {Mar 151.4}
[Mar 152.1]       Chap. 144 - Ottoman Empire in Prophecy         Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. Revelation 9:14, 15.  {Mar 152.1}
[Mar 152.2]           The history of nations that one after another have occupied their allotted time and place, unconsciously witnessing to the truth of which they themselves knew not the meaning, speaks to us. To every nation and to every individual of today God has assigned a place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being measured by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes. . . .  {Mar 152.2}
[Mar 152.3]          All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order.  {Mar 152.3}
[Mar 152.4]          In the year 1840, another remarkable fulfilment of prophecy excited widespread interest. Two years before, Josiah Litch, one of the leading ministers preaching the second advent, published an exposition of Revelation 9, predicting the fall of the Ottoman empire. According to his calculations, this power was to be overthrown "in A.D. 1840, sometime in the month of August;" and only a few days previous to its accomplishment he wrote: "Allowing the first period, 150 years, to have been exactly fulfilled before Deacozes ascended the throne by permission of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at the close of the first period, it will end on the 11th of August, 1840, when the Ottoman power in Constantinople may be expected to be broken. And this, I believe, will be found to be the case."--Josiah Litch, in Signs of the Times, and Expositor of Prophecy, Aug. 1, 1840.  {Mar 152.4}
[Mar 152.5]          At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. The event exactly fulfilled the prediction. . . . A wonderful impetus was given to the advent movement.  {Mar 152.5}
[Mar 153.1]       Chap. 145 - Low State of Morals         Fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. Ephesians 5:3.  {Mar 153.1}
[Mar 153.2]           There is an alarming commonness in conversation at the present day, which shows a low state of thoughts and morals. True dignity of character is very rare. True modesty and reserve are seldom seen. There are but few who are pure and undefiled. . . .  {Mar 153.2}
[Mar 153.3]          Polluted thoughts harbored become habit, and the soul is scarred and defiled. Once do a wrong action and a blot is made which nothing can heal but the blood of Christ; and if the habit is not turned from with firm determination, the soul is corrupted and the streams flowing from this defiling fountain corrupt others.  {Mar 153.3}
[Mar 153.4]          There are men and women who invite temptation; they place themselves in positions where they will be tempted, where they cannot but be tempted, when they place themselves in society that is objectionable. The best way to keep safe from sin is to move with due consideration at all times and under all circumstances, never to move or act from impulse. Move with the fear of God ever before you and you will be sure to act right.  {Mar 153.4}
[Mar 153.5]          The moral dangers to which all, both old and young, are exposed are daily increasing. Moral derangement, which we call depravity, finds ample room to work, and an influence is exerted by men, women, and youth professing to be Christians that is low, sensual, devilish. . . .  {Mar 153.5}
[Mar 153.6]          Those who have learned the truth and do not have works corresponding with their profession of faith are subject to Satan's temptations. They encounter danger at every step they advance. They are brought into contact with evil, they see sights, they hear sounds, that will awaken their unsubdued passions; they are subjected to influences that lead them to choose the evil rather than the good, because they are not sound at heart. . . .  {Mar 153.6}
[Mar 153.7]          There is no training we need so much now as the preparing of young men and women to have moral rectitude and to cleanse their souls of every spot and stain of moral defilement.  {Mar 153.7}
[Mar 154.1]       Chap. 146 - Fanaticism and Tongues Speaking         The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:32, 33.  {Mar 154.1}
[Mar 154.2]           A spirit of fanaticism has ruled a certain class of Sabbathkeepers. . . . They have sipped but lightly at the fountain of truth and are unacquainted with the spirit of the message of the third angel. Nothing can be done for this class until their fanatical views are corrected. . . .  {Mar 154.2}
[Mar 154.3]         Some of these persons have exercises which they call gifts and say that the Lord has placed them in the church. They have an unmeaning gibberish which they call the unknown tongue, which is unknown not only by man but by the Lord and all heaven. Such gifts are manufactured by men and women, aided by the great deceiver. Fanaticism, false excitement, false talking in tongues, and noisy exercises have been considered gifts which God has placed in the Church. Some have been deceived here. The fruits of all this have not been good. . . .  {Mar 154.3}
[Mar 154.4]          There are many restless spirits who will not submit to discipline, system, and order. They think that their liberties would be abridged were they to lay aside their own judgment and submit to the judgment of those of experience. The work of God will not progress unless there is a disposition to submit to order and expel the reckless, disorderly spirit of fanaticism from their meetings. Impressions and feelings are no sure evidence that a person is led by the Lord. Satan will, if he is unsuspected, give feelings and impressions. These are not safe guides. All should thoroughly acquaint themselves with the evidences of our faith, and the great study should be how they can adorn their profession and bear fruit to the glory of God. . . . A trifling, joking, reckless spirit should be rebuked. It is no evidence of the grace of God upon the heart for persons to talk and pray with talent in meeting, and then give up to a rough, careless manner of talking and acting when out of meeting. . . .  {Mar 154.4}
[Mar 154.5]          The truth of God will never degrade, but will elevate the receiver, refine his taste, sanctify his judgment, and perfect him for the company of the pure and holy angels in the kingdom of God.  {Mar 154.5}
[Mar 155.1]       Chap. 147 - Prove All Things         Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15.  {Mar 155.1}
[Mar 155.2]           In the work in which my husband and I were called by the providence of God to act a part, even from its very beginning in 1843 and 1844, we have had the Lord to devise and plan for us, and He has worked out His plans through His living agents. False paths have been so often pointed out to us, and the true and safe paths so clearly defined in all the enterprises connected with the work given us to do, that I can say of a truth I am not ignorant of Satan's devices, nor of the ways and works of God. We have had to tax every power of mind, relying upon wisdom from God to guide us in our investigations, as we have had to review the different theories brought to our attention, weighing their merits and defects in the light shining from the Word of God and the things God has revealed to me through His Word and the testimonies, in order that we might not be deceived nor deceive others. We surrendered our will and way to God, and most earnestly supplicated His aid; and we never sought in vain. Many years of painful experience in connection with the work of God have made me acquainted with all kinds of false movements. Many times I have been sent to different places with the message, "I have a work for you to do in that place; I will be with you." When the occasion came, the Lord gave me a message for those who were having false dreams and visions, and in the strength of Christ I bore my testimony at the Lord's bidding. . . .  {Mar 155.2}
[Mar 155.3]          During the past forty-five years, I have had to meet persons claiming to have from God messages of reproof to others. This phase of religious fanaticism has sprung up again and again since 1844. Satan has worked in many ways to establish error. Some things spoken in these visions came to pass; but many things--in regard to the time of Christ's coming, the end of probation, and the events to take place--proved utterly false. . . .  {Mar 155.3}
[Mar 155.4]          "Take heed therefore how ye hear" (Luke 8:18), is an admonition of Christ. . . . Examine closely, "prove all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). . . . This is the counsel of God; shall we heed it?  {Mar 155.4}
[Mar 156.1]       Chap. 148 - Counterfeits!         To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20.  {Mar 156.1}
[Mar 156.2]           The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God's work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested. . . .  {Mar 156.2}
[Mar 156.3]          The man who makes the working of miracles the test of his faith will find that Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform wonders that will appears to be genuine miracles.  {Mar 156.3}
[Mar 156.4]          Satan is a cunning worker, and he will bring in subtle fallacies to darken and confuse the mind and root out the doctrines of salvation. Those who do not accept the Word of God just as it reads, will be snared in his trap.  {Mar 156.4}
[Mar 156.5]          Evil angels are upon our track every moment. . . . They assume new ground and work marvels and miracles in our sight. . . .  {Mar 156.5}
[Mar 156.6]          Some will be tempted to receive these wonders as from God. The sick will be healed before us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for the trial which awaits us when the lying wonders of Satan shall be more fully exhibited? Will not many souls be ensnared and taken? By departing from the plain precepts and commandments of God, and giving heed to fables, the minds of many are preparing to receive these lying wonders. We must all now seek to arm ourselves for the contest in which we must soon engage. Faith in God's word, prayerfully studied and practically applied, will be our shield from Satan's power and will bring us off conquerors through the blood of Christ.  {Mar 156.6}
[Mar 157.1]       Chap. 149 - Watch Out for the Dividers!         It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! Luke 17:1.  {Mar 157.1}
[Mar 157.2]           God is bringing out a people and preparing them to stand as one, united, to speak the same things, and carry out the prayer of Christ for his disciples. . . . "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. . . ."  {Mar 157.2}
[Mar 157.3]          There are little companies continually arising who believe that God is only with the very few, the very scattered, and their influence is to tear down and scatter that which God's servants build up. . . . The people who are putting forth every effort in accordance with God's word to be one, who are established in the message of the third angel, they look upon with suspicion, for the reason that they are extending their labor, and are gathering souls into the truth. They look upon them as being worldly, because they have influence in the world. . . .  {Mar 157.3}
[Mar 157.4]          One man arises, claiming to be led of God, who advocates the heresy of the non-resurrection of the wicked. . . . Another cherishes erroneous views in regard to the future age. . . . They all want full religious liberty, and each one goes independent of the others, and yet claims that God is especially at work among them. . . . These people are not sane; they are carried away with a false excitement, and we know that they do not have the truth. . . . Would to God they would be reformed or give up the Sabbath. They would not then stand in the way of unbelievers. . . .  {Mar 157.4}
[Mar 157.5]          God is angry with those who pursue a course to make the world hate them. If a Christian is hated because of his good works, and for following Christ, he will have a reward. But if he is hated because he does not take a course to be loved, hated because of his uncultivated manners, and because he makes the truth a matter of quarrel with his neighbors, and because he has taken a course to make the Sabbath as annoying as possible to them, he is a stumbling-block to sinners, a reproach to the sacred truth, and unless he repents it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and he cast into the sea.  {Mar 157.5}
[Mar 158.1]       Chap. 150 - The Results of False Visions         Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:19, 20.  {Mar 158.1}
[Mar 158.2]           Several now living ［1890］ are skeptics, have no belief in the gifts of the church, no faith in the truth, no religion at all. Such, I have been shown, is the sure result of spurious visions. . . .  {Mar 158.2}
[Mar 158.3]          Satan is . . . constantly pressing in the spurious--to lead away from the truth.  {Mar 158.3}
[Mar 158.4]          The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony. He will bring in spurious visions to mislead, and will mingle the false with the true, and so disgust people that they will regard everything that bears the name of visions as a species of fanaticism; but honest souls, by contrasting false and true, will be enabled to distinguish between them. . . .  {Mar 158.4}
[Mar 158.5]          There is nothing more detrimental to the soul's interest, its purity, its true and holy conceptions of God, and of sacred and eternal things, than constantly giving heed to and exalting that which is not from God. It poisons the heart, and degrades the understanding. Pure truth can be traced to its divine Source, by its elevating, refining, sanctifying influence upon the character of the receiver. The Author of all truth prayed to His Father, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:20, 21).  {Mar 158.5}
[Mar 158.6]          Things will be constantly arising to cause disunion, to draw away from the truth. This questioning, criticizing, denouncing, passing judgment on others, is not an evidence of the grace of Christ in the heart. It does not produce unity. Such work has been carried on in the past by persons claiming to have wonderful light, when they were deep in sin.  {Mar 158.6}
[Mar 159.1]       Chap. 151 - Moving into Line         The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. Psalm 69:32.  {Mar 159.1}
[Mar 159.2]           It is your privilege to be glad in the Lord, and to rejoice in the knowledge of His sustaining grace. Let His love take possession of mind and heart. Guard against becoming overwearied, careworn, depressed. Bear an uplifting testimony. Turn your eyes away from that which is dark and discouraging, and behold Jesus, our great Leader, under whose watchful supervision the cause of present truth, to which we are giving our lives and our all, is destined to triumph gloriously. . . .  {Mar 159.2}
[Mar 159.3]         Oh, let it be seen . . . that Jesus is abiding in the heart, sustaining, strengthening, comforting. It is your privilege to be endowed, from day to day, with a rich measure of His Holy Spirit, and to have broadened views of the importance and scope of the message we are proclaiming to the world. The Lord is willing to reveal to you wondrous things out of His law. Wait before Him with humility of heart. Pray most earnestly for an understanding of the times in which we live, for a fuller conception of His purpose, and for increased efficiency in soulsaving. . . .  {Mar 159.3}
[Mar 159.4]          It will be well for us to consider what is soon to come upon the earth. This is no time for trifling or self-seeking. If the times in which we are living fail to impress our minds seriously, what can reach us? . . .  {Mar 159.4}
[Mar 159.5]          Men of clear understanding are needed now. God calls upon those who are willing to be controlled by the Holy Spirit to lead out in a work of thorough reformation. I see a crisis before us, and the Lord calls for His laborers to come into line. Every soul should now stand in a position of deeper, truer consecration to God than during the years that have passed. . . .  {Mar 159.5}
[Mar 159.6]          I have been deeply impressed by scenes that have recently passed before me in the night season. There seemed to be a great movement--a work of revival--going forward in many places. Our people were moving into line, responding to God's call. . . . Shall we not heed His voice? Shall we not trim our lamps, and act like men who look for their Lord to come? The time is one that calls for light bearing, for action.  {Mar 159.6}
[Mar 160.1]       Chap. 152 - Coming Events Clearly Revealed         The Lord God does nothing without giving to his servants the prophets knowledge of his plans. Amos 3:7, N.E.B.  {Mar 160.1}
[Mar 160.2]           The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.  {Mar 160.2}
[Mar 160.3]          As we near the close of this world's history, the prophecies relating to the last days especially demand our study. The last book of the New Testament scriptures is full of truth that we need to understand.  {Mar 160.3}
[Mar 160.4]          The solemn messages that have been given in their order in the Revelation are to occupy the first place in the minds of God's people. . . .  {Mar 160.4}
[Mar 160.5]          Precious time is rapidly passing, and there is danger that many will be robbed of the time which should be given to the proclamation of the messages that God has sent to a fallen world. Satan is pleased to see the diversion of minds that should be engaged in a study of the truths which have to do with eternal realities.  {Mar 160.5}
[Mar 160.6]          The testimony of Christ, a testimony of the most solemn character, is to be borne to the world. All through the book of Revelation there are the most precious, elevating promises, and there are also warnings of the most fearfully solemn import. Will not those who profess to have a knowledge of the truth read the testimony given to John by Christ? Here is no guesswork, no scientific deception. Here are the truths that concern our present and future welfare. What is the chaff to the wheat?  {Mar 160.6}
[Mar 160.7]          Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only?  {Mar 160.7}
[Mar 161.1]       Chap. 153 - Preparation for what Lies Ahead         Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Zephaniah 2:3.  {Mar 161.1}
[Mar 161.2]           Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. God's people should be preparing for what is to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.  {Mar 161.2}
[Mar 161.3]          The "time of trouble, such as never was," is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God. "Though Noah, Daniel, and Job" were in the land, "as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness." Ezekiel 14:20.  {Mar 161.3}
[Mar 161.4]          The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we are now entering--a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah, between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition.  {Mar 161.4}
[Mar 161.5]          We should study the great waymarks that point out the times in which we are living. . . . We should now pray most earnestly that we may be prepared for the struggles of the great day of God's preparation.  {Mar 161.5}
[Mar 161.6]          Those who place themselves under God's control, to be led and guided by Him, will catch the steady tread of the events ordained by Him to take place. Inspired with the Spirit of Him who gave His life for the life of the world, they will no longer stand still in impotency, pointing to what they cannot do. Putting on the armor of heaven, they will go forth to the warfare, willing to do and dare for God, knowing that His omnipotence will supply their need.  {Mar 161.6}
[Mar 162.1]       Chap. 154 - Satan's Groundwork for the Final Conflict         He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25, R.V.  {Mar 162.1}
[Mar 162.2]           During the Christian dispensation, the great enemy of man's happiness has made the Sabbath of the fourth commandment an object of special attack. Satan says, "I will work at cross purposes with God. I will empower my followers to set aside God's memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath. Thus I will show the world that the day sanctified and blessed by God has been changed. That day shall not live in the minds of the people. I will obliterate the memory of it. I will place in its stead a day that does not bear the credentials of God, a day that cannot be a sign between God and His people. I will lead those who accept this day to place upon it the sanctity that God placed upon the seventh day.  {Mar 162.2}
[Mar 162.3]         "Through my vicegerent, I will exalt myself. The first day will be extolled, and the Protestant world will receive this spurious sabbath as genuine. Through the nonobservance of the Sabbath that God instituted, I will bring His law into contempt. The words, "A sign between me and you throughout your generations,' I will make to serve on the side of my sabbath.  {Mar 162.3}
[Mar 162.4]          "Thus the world will become mine. I will be the ruler of the earth, the prince of the world. I will so control the minds under my power that God's Sabbath shall be a special object of contempt. A sign? I will make the observance of the seventh day a sign of disloyalty to the authorities of earth. Human laws will be made so stringent that men and women will not dare to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. For fear of wanting food and clothing, they will join with the world in transgressing God's law. The earth will be wholly under my dominion."  {Mar 162.4}
[Mar 162.5]          The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not.  {Mar 162.5}
[Mar 163.1]       Chap. 155 - The Devil's Strategy Against Sabbathkeepers         Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. Psalm 94:20, 21.  {Mar 163.1}
[Mar 163.2]           As the people of God approach the perils of the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith....  {Mar 163.2}
[Mar 163.3]         Says the great deceiver: "... The Sabbath is the great question which is to decide the destiny of souls. We must exalt the sabbath of our creating. We have caused it to be accepted by both worldlings and church members; now the church must be led to unite with the world in its support. We must work by signs and wonders to blind their eyes to the truth, and lead them to lay aside reason and the fear of God and follow custom and tradition.  {Mar 163.3}
[Mar 163.4]          "I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their hearers from the commandments of God....  {Mar 163.4}
[Mar 163.5]          "But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbathkeepers. We must excite popular indignation against them. We will enlist great men and worldly-wise men upon our side, and induce those in authority to carry out our purposes. Then the sabbath which I have set up shall be enforced by laws the most severe and exacting. Those who disregard them shall be driven out from the cities and villages, and made to suffer hunger and privation. When once we have the power, we will show what we can do with those who will not swerve from their allegiance to God. . . . Now that we are bringing the Protestant churches and the world into harmony with this right arm of our strength, we will finally have a law to exterminate all who will not submit to our authority. When death shall be made the penalty of violating our sabbath, then many who are now ranked with commandment keepers will come over to our side.  {Mar 163.5}
[Mar 163.6]          "But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must . . . ensnare those who honor the true Sabbath. We can separate many from Christ by worldliness, lust, and pride. They may think themselves safe because they believe the truth, but indulgence of appetite or the lower passions, which will confuse judgment and destroy discrimination, will cause their fall."  {Mar 163.6}
[Mar 164.1]       Chap. 156 - The Image to the Beast Set Up         ［He］ deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast. Revelation 13:14.  {Mar 164.1}
[Mar 164.2]           The image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided....  {Mar 164.2}
[Mar 164.3]          In Revelation 13 this subject is plainly presented: "I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Then the miracle-working power is revealed: "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."  {Mar 164.3}
[Mar 164.4]          This is the test that the people of God must have before they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin, and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast....  {Mar 164.4}
[Mar 164.5]          While John was shown the last great struggles of the church with earthly powers, he was also permitted to behold the final victory and deliverance of the faithful.... Looking beyond the smoke and din of the battle, he beheld a company upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, having, instead of the mark of the beast, the "Father's name written in their foreheads."  {Mar 164.5}
[Mar 165.1]       Chap. 157 - Apostasy Prepares the Way         Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Thessalonians 2:3.  {Mar 165.1}
[Mar 165.2]           When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of "heresy."...  {Mar 165.2}
[Mar 165.3]          Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Protestant churches that have followed in the steps of Rome by forming alliance with worldly powers have manifested a similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience. An example of this is given in the long-continued persecution of dissenters by the Church of England. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, thousands of nonconformist ministers were forced to flee from their churches, and many, both of pastors and people, were subjected to fine, imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom.  {Mar 165.3}
[Mar 165.4]          It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy--the beast. Said Paul: "There" shall "come a falling away..., and that man of sin be revealed." 2 Thessalonians 2:3. So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast.  {Mar 165.4}
[Mar 165.5]          Satan will work with all power and "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10. His working is plainly revealed by the rapidly increasing darkness, the multitudinous errors, heresies, and delusions of these last days. Not only is Satan leading the world captive, but his deceptions are leavening the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. The great apostasy will develop into darkness deep as midnight. To God's people it will be a night of trial, a night of weeping, a night of persecution for the truth's sake. But out of that night of darkness God's light will shine.  {Mar 165.5}
[Mar 166.1]       Chap. 158 - Spiritualism's Role in Deception         Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1.  {Mar 166.1}
[Mar 166.2]           Many will be ensnared through the belief that spiritualism is a merely human imposture; when brought face to face with manifestations which they cannot but regard as supernatural, they will be deceived, and will be led to accept them as the great power of God.  {Mar 166.2}
[Mar 166.3]          As the teachings of spiritualism are accepted by the churches, the restraint imposed upon the carnal heart is removed, and the profession of religion will become a cloak to conceal the basest iniquity. A belief in spiritual manifestations opens the door to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and thus the influence of evil angels will be felt in the churches.  {Mar 166.3}
[Mar 166.4]          The popular ministry cannot successfully resist spiritualism. They have nothing wherewith to shield their flocks from its baleful influence. Much of the sad result of spiritualism will rest upon ministers of this age; for they have trampled the truth under their feet, and in its stead have preferred fables.  {Mar 166.4}
[Mar 166.5]          Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden: "Ye shall not surely die." "In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4, 5. Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. Says the prophet: "I saw three unclean spirits like frogs....They are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Revelation 16:13, 14. Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion. The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.  {Mar 166.5}
[Mar 167.1]       Chap. 159 - The Spirits and the Sunday Law Issue         To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20.  {Mar 167.1}
[Mar 167.2]           The miracle-working power manifested through spiritualism will exert its influence against those who choose to obey God rather than men. Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God. They will lament the great wickedness in the world and second the testimony of religious teachers that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday. Great will be the indignation excited against all who refuse to accept their testimony.  {Mar 167.2}
[Mar 167.3]          Those who oppose the teachings of spiritualism are assailing, not men alone, but Satan and his angels. They have entered upon a contest against principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high places. Satan will not yield one inch of ground except as he is driven back by the power of heavenly messengers. The people of God should be able to meet him, as did our Saviour, with the words: "It is written." Satan can quote Scripture now as in the days of Christ, and he will pervert its teachings to sustain his delusions. Those who would stand in this time of peril must understand for themselves the testimony of the Scriptures.  {Mar 167.3}
[Mar 167.4]          Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.  {Mar 167.4}
[Mar 167.5]          Satanic agencies in human form will take part in this last great conflict to oppose the building up of the kingdom of God. And heavenly angels in human guise will be on the field of action. The two opposing parties will continue to exist till the closing up of the last great chapter in this world's history.  {Mar 167.5}
[Mar 168.1]       Chap. 160 - The False Revival         Then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 9.  {Mar 168.1}
[Mar 168.2]           Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, points to the special working of Satan in spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the second advent of Christ. Speaking of Christ's second coming, he declares that it is "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2 Thessalonians 2:9.  {Mar 168.2}
[Mar 168.3]          Before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord's second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God's special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.  {Mar 168.3}
[Mar 168.4]          Young men and women will be lifted up, and will regard themselves as wonderfully favored, called to do some great thing. There will be conversions many, after a peculiar order, but they will not bear the divine signature. Immorality will come in, and extravagance, and many will make shipwreck of faith.  {Mar 168.4}
[Mar 169.1]       Chap. 161 - How the Image to the Beast Evolves         He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Revelation 13:12.  {Mar 169.1}
[Mar 169.2]           In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends. . . .  {Mar 169.2}
[Mar 169.3]          The "image to the beast" represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas. . . .  {Mar 169.3}
[Mar 169.4]          When Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the  world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome--"the mark of the beast." And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive "the mark of the beast.". . .  {Mar 169.4}
[Mar 169.5]          In the issue of the contest all Christendom will be divided into two great classes--those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel "all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond" (Revelation 13:16), to receive "the mark of the beast," yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beholds "them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God" and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2, 3.  {Mar 169.5}
[Mar 170.1]      Chap. 162 - The Sabbath Proclaimed More Fully         I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Revelation 14:6, 7.  {Mar 170.1}
[Mar 170.2]           At the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.  {Mar 170.2}
[Mar 170.3]          "The commencement of that time of trouble," here mentioned, does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the "latter rain," or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.  {Mar 170.3}
[Mar 170.4]          ［The angel of Revelation 14］ presents a message that is to be proclaimed to the world just before Christ comes in the clouds of heaven. . . . Just prior to this time, then, the attention of the people is to be called to the down-trodden law of God, which is contained in the ark of the testament. . . .  {Mar 170.4}
[Mar 170.5]          They see that instead of observing the seventh day, the day that God sanctified, and commanded to be observed as the Sabbath, they are keeping the first day of the week. But they honestly desire to do God's will, and they begin to search the Scriptures to find the reason for the change. Failing to find any scriptural authority for the custom, the question arises, Shall we accept a truth that has become unpopular, and obey the commandments of God, or shall we continue with the world, and obey the commandments of men? With open Bibles they weep, and pray, and compare scripture with scripture, until, convinced of the truth, they conscientiously take their stand as keepers of the commandments of God.  {Mar 170.5}
[Mar 171.1]       Chap. 163 - Second Angel's Message to be Repeated         There followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8.  {Mar 171.1}
[Mar 171.2]           The second angel's message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that "Babylon is fallen,... because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." She has not yet made all nations do this.  {Mar 171.2}
[Mar 171.3]          God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they partake not of her sins and "receive not of her plagues."  {Mar 171.3}
[Mar 171.4]          This is the same message that was given by the second angel. Babylon is fallen, "because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." What is that wine?--her false doctrines. She has given to the world a false sabbath  instead of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and has repeated the falsehood that Satan first told to Eve in Eden--the natural immortality of the soul. Many kindred errors she has spread far and wide, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.". . .  {Mar 171.4}
[Mar 171.5]          In the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." And in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."  {Mar 171.5}
[Mar 172.1]       Chap. 164 - Sabbath vs Sunday Issue Joins         The third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. Revelation 14:9, 10.  {Mar 172.1}
[Mar 172.2]           Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third angel's message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd. . . . But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before. . . .  {Mar 172.2}
[Mar 172.3]          Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power --all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. . . . As the people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so? the ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears and quiet the awakened conscience. But since many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men and demand a plain "Thus saith the Lord," the popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.  {Mar 172.3}
[Mar 172.4]          As the controversy extends into new fields and the minds of the people are called to God's downtrodden law, Satan is astir. The power attending the message will only madden those who oppose it. The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions. The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and, in this work, papists and  Protestants unite.  {Mar 172.4}
[Mar 173.1]       Chap. 165 - Symbolism of the Three Angels' Messages         Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Malachi 4:5.  {Mar 173.1}
[Mar 173.2]           To prepare a people to stand in the day of God, a great work of reform was to be accomplished ［by the Advent Movement］. God saw that many of His professed people were not building for eternity, and in His mercy He was about to send a message of warning to arouse them from their stupor and lead them to make ready for the coming of the Lord.  {Mar 173.2}
[Mar 173.3]          This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14. Here is a threefold message represented as proclaimed by heavenly beings and immediately followed by the coming of the Son of man to reap "the harvest of the earth."  {Mar 173.3}
[Mar 173.4]          The angels are represented as flying in the midst of heaven, proclaiming to the world a message of warning, and having a direct bearing upon the people living in the last days of this earth's history. No one hears the voice of these angels, for they are a symbol to represent the people of God who are working in harmony with the universe of heaven.  {Mar 173.4}
[Mar 173.5]          The three angels' messages are to be combined, giving their threefold light to the world. In the Revelation, John says, "I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory."... This represents the giving of the last and threefold message of warning to the world.  {Mar 173.5}
[Mar 173.6]          Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6-12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world; and it will accomplish its work. When those that "believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:12), shall be left to receive strong delusion and to believe a lie, then the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of the Lord that remain in Babylon will heed the call: "Come out of her, my people" (Revelation 18:4).  {Mar 173.6}
[Mar 174.1]      Chap. 166 - Armed Conflict in the Last Days         Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. Jeremiah 25:32.  {Mar 174.1}
[Mar 174.2]           Soon grievous troubles will rise among the nations-- trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him.  {Mar 174.2}
[Mar 174.3]          The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.  {Mar 174.3}
[Mar 174.4]          Soon strife among the nations will break out with an intensity that we do not now anticipate. The present is a time of  overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they realize that something great and decisive is about to take place, that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.  {Mar 174.4}
[Mar 174.5]          A moment of respite has been graciously given us of God. Every power lent us of Heaven is now to be used in working for those perishing in ignorance. There must be no delay. The truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of the earth. . . . A great work is to be done, and to those who know the truth for this time, this work has been entrusted.  {Mar 174.5}
[Mar 174.6]          In the last scenes of this earth's history, war will rage. There will be pestilence, plague, and famine. The waters of the deep will overflow their boundaries. Property and life will be destroyed by fire and flood. We should be preparing for the  mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for them that love Him. There is a rest from earth's conflict.  {Mar 174.6}
[Mar 175.1]       Chap. 167 - Troublous Times Right Upon Us         After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. Revelation 7:1.  {Mar 175.1}
[Mar 175.2]           Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible destruction is forbidden to come in full. The ... winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one deadly combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible power of Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.  {Mar 175.2}
[Mar 175.3]          The signs of the times give evidence that the judgments of heaven are being poured out, that the day of the Lord is at hand. The daily papers are full of indications of an intense conflict in the future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed by demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. All these things testify that the Lord's coming is near.  {Mar 175.3}
[Mar 175.4]          The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes, storms, tempests, disasters by sea and by land, follow one another in quick succession. The signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other than the true cause. . . .  {Mar 175.4}
[Mar 175.5]          The time is right upon us when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. Even before the last great destruction comes upon the world, the flattering monuments of man's greatness will be crumbled in the dust. God's retributive judgments will fall on those who in the face of great light have continued in sin. Costly buildings, supposed to be fireproof, are erected. But as Sodom perished in the flames of God's vengeance, so will these proud structures become ashes. I have seen vessels which cost immense sums of money wrestling with the mighty ocean, seeking to breast the angry billows. But with all their treasures of gold and silver, and with all their human freight, they sank into a watery grave.... But amid the tumult of excitement, with confusion in every place, there is a work to be done for God in the world.  {Mar 175.5}
[Mar 176.1]       Chap. 168 - Calamities Blamed on God's People         Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12.  {Mar 176.1}
[Mar 176.2]           As men depart further and further from God, Satan is permitted to have power over the children of disobedience. He hurls destruction among men. There is calamity by land and sea. Property and life are destroyed by fire and flood. Satan resolves to charge this upon those who refuse to bow to the idol which he has set up. His agents point to Seventh-day Adventists as the cause of the trouble. "These people stand out in defiance of law," they say. "They desecrate Sunday. Were they compelled to obey the law for Sunday observance, there would be a cessation of these terrible judgments."  {Mar 176.2}
[Mar 176.3]          Calamities will come--calamities most awful, most unexpected; and these destructions will follow one after another. If there will be a heeding of the warnings that God has given, and if churches will repent, returning to their allegiance, then other cities may be spared for a time. But if men who have been deceived continue in the same way in which they have been walking, disregarding the law of God and presenting falsehoods before the people, God allows them to suffer calamity, that their senses may be awakened.  {Mar 176.3}
[Mar 176.4]          The judgments will be according to the wickedness of the people and the light of truth that they have had. If they have had the truth, according to that light will be the punishment.  {Mar 176.4}
[Mar 176.5]          Satan puts his interpretation upon events, and they ［leading men］ think, as he would have them, that the calamities which fill the land are a result of Sunday-breaking. Thinking to appease the wrath of God, these influential men make laws enforcing Sunday observance. They think that by exalting this false rest-day higher, and still higher, compelling obedience to the Sunday law, the spurious sabbath, they are doing God service. Those who honor God by observing the true Sabbath are looked upon as disloyal to God, when it is really those who thus regard them who are themselves disloyal, because they are trampling under foot the Sabbath originated in Eden.  {Mar 176.5}
[Mar 177.1]       Chap. 169 - Wisdom Needed by Sabbathkeepers         Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16.  {Mar 177.1}
[Mar 177.2]           When the practices of the people do not come in conflict with the law of God, you may conform to them. If the workers fail to do this, they will not only hinder their own work, but they will place stumbling blocks in the way of those for whom they labor, and hinder them from accepting the truth. On Sunday there is the very best opportunity for those who are missionaries to hold Sunday schools, and come to the people in the simplest manner possible, telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners, and educating them in the Scriptures. . . .  {Mar 177.2}
[Mar 177.3]          At present Sunday-keeping is not the test. The time will come when men will not only forbid Sunday work, but they will try to force men to labor on the Sabbath, and to subscribe to Sunday observance or forfeit their freedom and their lives. But the time for this has not yet come, for the truth must be presented more fully before the people as a witness....  {Mar 177.3}
[Mar 177.4]          The light that I have is that God's servants should go quietly to work, preaching the grand, precious truths of the Bible-- Christ and Him crucified. His love and infinite sacrifice--showing that the reason why Christ died is because the law of God is immutable, unchangeable, eternal. The Sabbath must be taught in a decided manner, but be cautious how you deal with the idol Sunday. A word to the wise is sufficient....  {Mar 177.4}
[Mar 177.5]          Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast; and where this will advance the interests of the work, it should be done. We should not go out of our way to work on Sunday. . . .  {Mar 177.5}
[Mar 177.6]          When those who hear and see the light on the Sabbath take their stand upon the truth to keep God's holy day, difficulties will arise; for efforts will be brought to bear against them to compel men and women to transgress the law of God. Here they must stand firm, that they will not violate the law of God; and if the opposition and persecution are determinedly kept up, let them heed the words of Christ: "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.  {Mar 177.6}
[Mar 178.1]       Chap. 170 - Sunday Missionary Work         Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2, R.S.V.  {Mar 178.1}
[Mar 178.2]           To defy the Sunday laws will but strengthen in their persecution the religious zealots who are seeking to enforce them. Give them no occasion to call you lawbreakers. If they are left to rein up men who fear neither God nor man, the reining up will soon lose its novelty for them, and they will see that it is not consistent nor convenient for them to be strict in regard to the observance of Sunday. Keep right on with your missionary work, with your Bibles in your hands, and the enemy will see that he has worsted his own cause. One does not receive the mark of the beast because he shows that he realizes the wisdom of keeping the peace by refraining from work that gives offense, doing at the same time a work of the highest importance.  {Mar 178.2}
[Mar 178.3]          When we devote Sunday to missionary work, the whip will be taken out of the hands of the arbitrary zealots who would be well pleased to humiliate Seventh-day Adventists....  {Mar 178.3}
[Mar 178.4]          Sunday can be used for carrying forward various lines of work that will accomplish much for the Lord. On this day open- air meetings and cottage meetings can be held. House-to-house work can be done. Those who write can devote this day to writing their articles. Whenever it is possible, let religious services be held on Sunday. Make these meetings intensely interesting. Sing genuine revival hymns, and speak with power and assurance of the Saviour's love. Speak on temperance and on true religious experience. You will thus learn much about how to work, and will reach many souls....  {Mar 178.4}
[Mar 178.5]          The law for the observance of the first day of the week is the production of an apostate Christendom. Sunday is a child of the Papacy, exalted by the Christian world above the sacred day of God's rest. In no case are God's people to pay it homage. But I wish them to understand that they are not doing God's will by braving opposition when He wishes them to avoid it.  {Mar 178.5}
[Mar 178.6]          Wonderful scenes are opening before us; and at this time a living testimony is to be borne in the lives of God's professed people, so that the world may see that in this age, when evil reigns on every side, there is yet a people who are laying aside their will and are seeking to do God's will--a people in whose hearts and lives God's law is written.  {Mar 178.6}
[Mar 179.1]       Chap. 171 - God's Law Made Void in America         It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. Psalm 119:126.  {Mar 179.1}
[Mar 179.2]           A time is coming when the law of God is, in a special sense, to be made void in our land ［the United States］. The rulers of our nation will, by legislative enactments, enforce the Sunday law, and thus God's people will be brought into great peril. When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land.  {Mar 179.2}
[Mar 179.3]         When the land which the Lord provided as an asylum for His people, that they might worship Him according to the dictates of their own consciences, the land over which for long years the shield of Omnipotence has been spread, the land which God has favored by making it the depository of the pure religion of Christ--when that land shall, through its legislators, abjure the principles of Protestantism, and give countenance to Romish apostasy in tampering with God's law--it is then that the final work of the man of sin will be revealed. Protestants will throw their whole influence and strength on the side of the Papacy; by a national act enforcing the false sabbath, they will give life and vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, reviving her tyranny and oppression of conscience. Then it will be time for God to work in mighty power for the vindication of His truth.  {Mar 179.3}
[Mar 179.4]          The prophet says: "I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. . . . And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation. Then the extremity of God's people is His opportunity to show who is the governor of heaven and earth. As a Satanic power is stirring up the elements from beneath, God will send light and power to His people, that the message of truth may be proclaimed to all the world.  {Mar 179.4}
[Mar 180.1]       Chap. 172 - The Sign to Leave Large Cities         When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. Matthew 24:15, 16.  {Mar 180.1}
[Mar 180.2]           The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation ［the United States］ in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.  {Mar 180.2}
[Mar 180.3]          For years I have been given special light that we are not to center our work in the cities. The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God's planning, but the planning of a power that we should in no wise acknowledge. God's Word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned.  {Mar 180.3}
[Mar 180.4]          The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities. . . . Educate our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children. . . .  {Mar 180.4}
[Mar 180.5]          Erelong there will be such strife and confusion in the cities, that those who wish to leave them will not be able.  {Mar 180.5}
[Mar 180.6]          We are not to locate ourselves where we will be forced into close relations with those who do not honor God. . . . A crisis is soon to come in regard to the observance of Sunday. . . .  {Mar 180.6}
[Mar 180.7]          The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its false claims, and this will mean oppression to those who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. . . .  {Mar 180.7}
[Mar 180.8]          If in the providence of God we can secure places away from the cities, the Lord would have us do this. There are troublous times before us.  {Mar 180.8}
[Mar 181.1]       Chap. 173 - Food and Lands in the Last Days         Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is evil thereof. Matthew 6:34.  {Mar 181.1}
[Mar 181.2]           The Lord has shown me in vision, repeatedly, that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw that if the saints have food laid up by them, or in the fields, in the time of trouble when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it will be taken from them by violent hands, and strangers would reap their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our bread and water would be sure at that time, and we should not lack, or suffer hunger. The Lord has shown me that some of His children would fear when they see the price of food rising, and they would buy food and lay it by for the time of trouble. Then in a time of need, I saw them go to their food and look at it, and it had bred worms, and was full of living creatures, and not fit for use.  {Mar 181.2}
[Mar 181.3]          Houses and lands will be of no use to the saints in the time of trouble, for they will then have to flee before infuriated mobs, and at that time their possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the cause of present truth. . . .  {Mar 181.3}
[Mar 181.4]          I saw that if any held on to their property and did not inquire of the Lord as to their duty, He would not make duty known, and they would be permitted to keep their property, and in the time of trouble it would come up before them like a mountain to crush them, and they would try to dispose of it, but would not be able. . . . But if they desired to be taught, He would teach them, in a time of need, when to sell and how much to sell.  {Mar 181.4}
[Mar 181.5]          In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. . . . But to the obedient is given the promise, "He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Isaiah 33:16. By this promise the children of God will live.  {Mar 181.5}
[Mar 182.1]       Chap. 174 - Labor Unions and Trusts         Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. James 5:7.  {Mar 182.1}
[Mar 182.2]           The trades unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble such as has not been since the world began.  {Mar 182.2}
[Mar 182.3]          In all our great cities there will be a binding up in bundles by the confederacies and unions formed. Men will rule other men and demand much of them. The lives of those who refuse to unite with these unions, will be in peril.  {Mar 182.3}
[Mar 182.4]          The work of the people of God is to prepare for the events of the future, which will soon come upon them with blinding force. In the world gigantic monopolies will be formed. Men will bind themselves together in unions that will wrap them in the folds of the enemy. A few men will combine to grasp all the means to be obtained in certain lines of business. Trades unions will be formed, and those who refuse to join these unions will be marked men. . . .  {Mar 182.4}
[Mar 182.5]          These unions are one of the signs of the last days. Men are binding up in bundles ready to be burned. They may be church members, but while they belong to these unions, they cannot possibly keep the commandments of God; for to belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue.  {Mar 182.5}
[Mar 182.6]          "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." . . . How can men obey these words, and form combinations that rob the poorer classes of the advantages which justly belong to them, preventing them from buying or selling, except under certain conditions.  {Mar 182.6}
[Mar 182.7]          Those who claim to be the children of God are in no case to bind up with the labor unions that are formed or that shall be formed. This the Lord forbids. Cannot those who study the prophecies see and understand what is before us?  {Mar 182.7}
[Mar 182.8]          Important issues must soon be met, and we wish to be hid in the cleft of the rock, that we may see Jesus, and be quickened by His Holy Spirit. We have no time to lose, not a moment.  {Mar 182.8}
[Mar 183.1]       Chap. 175 - Forbidden to Buy or Sell         And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:17.  {Mar 183.1}
[Mar 183.2]           The time is coming when we cannot sell at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him that hath the mark of the beast.  {Mar 183.2}
[Mar 183.3]          In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell.  {Mar 183.3}
[Mar 183.4]          Religious powers, allied to heaven by profession, and claiming to have the characteristics of a lamb, will show by their acts that they have the heart of a dragon and that they are instigated and controlled by Satan. The time is coming when God's people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day.  {Mar 183.4}
[Mar 183.5]          There is a time coming when commandment-keepers can neither buy nor sell. Make haste to dig out your buried talents. If God has intrusted you with money, show yourselves faithful to your trust; unwrap your napkin, and send your talents to the exchangers, that when Christ shall come, He may receive His own with interest. In the last extremity, before this work shall close, thousands will be cheerfully laid upon the altar. Men and women will feel it a blessed privilege to share in the work of preparing souls to stand in the great day of God, and they will give hundreds as readily as dollars are given now. If the love of Christ were burning in the hearts of His professed people, we would see the same spirit manifested today. Did they but realize how near is the end of all work for the salvation of souls, they would sacrifice their possessions as freely as did the members of the early church. They would work for the advancement of God's cause as earnestly as worldly men labor to acquire riches. Tact and skill would be exercised, and earnest and unselfish labor put forth to acquire means, not to hoard, but to pour into the treasury of the Lord.  {Mar 183.5}
[Mar 184.1]      Chap. 176 - Work the Cities from Outposts         Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 2 Corinthians 6:17.  {Mar 184.1}
[Mar 184.2]           As God's commandment-keeping people, we must leave the cities. As did Enoch, we must work in the cities but not dwell in them.  {Mar 184.2}
[Mar 184.3]          As far as possible, our institutions should be located away from the cities. . . . It is not God's will that His people shall settle in the cities, where there is constant turmoil and confusion. Their children should be spared this; for the whole system is demoralized by the hurry and rush and noise. The Lord desires His people to move into the country, where they can settle on the land, and raise their own fruit and vegetables, and where their children can be brought in direct contact with the works of God in nature. Take your families away from the cities is my message.  {Mar 184.3}
[Mar 184.4]          The truth must be spoken, whether men will hear, or whether men will forbear. The cities are filled with temptation. We should plan our work in such a way as to keep our young people as far as possible from this contamination.  {Mar 184.4}
[Mar 184.5]          The cities are to be worked from outposts. Said the messenger of God, "Shall not the cities be warned? Yes; not by God's people living in them, but by their visiting them, to warn them of what is coming upon the earth."  {Mar 184.5}
[Mar 184.6]          When iniquity abounds in a nation, there is always to be heard some voice giving warning and instruction, as the voice of Lot was heard in Sodom. Yet Lot could have preserved his family from many evils had he not made his home in this wicked, polluted city. All that Lot and his family did in Sodom could have been done by them, even if they had lived in a place some distance away from the city. Enoch walked with God, and yet he did not live in the midst of any city polluted with every kind of violence and wickedness, as did Lot in Sodom.  {Mar 184.6}
[Mar 184.7]         He ［Enoch］ did not make his abode with the wicked. . . . He placed himself and his family where the atmosphere would be as pure as possible. Then at times he went forth to the inhabitants of the world with his God-given message. . . . After proclaiming his message, he always took back with him to his place of retirement some who had received the warning.  {Mar 184.7}
[Mar 185.1]       Chap. 177 - Relief of Physical Suffering         And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7, 8.  {Mar 185.1}
[Mar 185.2]           Perilous times are before us. The whole world will be involved in perplexity and distress, disease of every kind will be upon the human family, and such ignorance as now prevails concerning the laws of health would result in great suffering and the loss of many lives that might be saved. . . .  {Mar 185.2}
[Mar 185.3]          As religious aggression subverts the liberties of our nation, those who would stand for freedom of conscience will be placed in unfavorable positions. For their own sake, they should, while they have opportunity, become intelligent in regard to disease, its causes, prevention, and cure. And those who do this will find a field of labor anywhere. There will be suffering ones, plenty of them, who will need help, not only among those of our own faith, but largely among those who know not the truth.  {Mar 185.3}
[Mar 185.4]          The medical work done in connection with the giving of the third angel's message, is to accomplish wonderful results. It is to be a sanctifying, unifying work, corresponding to the work which the great Head of the church sent forth the first disciples to do.  {Mar 185.4}
[Mar 185.5]          Calling these disciples together, Christ gave them their commission: . . . "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Matthew 10:7, 8, 16.  {Mar 185.5}
[Mar 185.6]          It is well for us to read this chapter and let its instruction prepare us for our labors. The early disciples were going forth on Christ's errands, under His commission. His spirit was to prepare the way before them. They were to feel that with such a message to give, such blessings to impart, they should receive a welcome in the homes of the people.  {Mar 185.6}
[Mar 185.7]          God reaches hearts through the relief of physical suffering. A seed of truth is dropped into the mind, and is watered by God. Much patience may be required before this seed shows signs of life, but at last it springs up, and bears fruit unto eternal life.  {Mar 185.7}
[Mar 185.8]          How slow men are to understand God's preparation for the day of His power!  {Mar 185.8}
[Mar 186.1]       Chap. 178 - The Sunday Law is Invoked         Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Matthew 24:9.  {Mar 186.1}
[Mar 186.2]           As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith. But their steadfast answer is: "Show us from the word of God our error." . . . Those who are arraigned before the courts make a strong vindication of the truth, and some who hear them are led to take their stand to keep all the commandments of God. Thus light will be brought before thousands who otherwise would know nothing of these truths.  {Mar 186.2}
[Mar 186.3]          Conscientious obedience to the word of God will be treated as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise harshness and severity toward the believing child; the master or mistress will oppress the commandment-keeping servant. Affection will be alienated; children will be disinherited and driven from home. The words of Paul will be literally fulfilled: "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12. As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sunday-sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as slaves. . . .  {Mar 186.3}
[Mar 186.4]          In this time of persecution the faith of the Lord's servants will be tried. They have faithfully given the warning, looking to God and to His word alone. God's Spirit, moving upon their hearts, has constrained them to speak. . . . Yet when the storm of opposition and reproach bursts upon them, some, overwhelmed with consternation, will be ready to exclaim: "Had we foreseen the consequences of our words, we would have held our peace." They are hedged in with difficulties. Satan assails them with fierce temptations. The work which they have undertaken seems far beyond their ability to accomplish. They are threatened with destruction. The enthusiasm which animated them is gone; yet they cannot turn back. Then, feeling their utter helplessness, they flee to the Mighty One for strength.  {Mar 186.4}
[Mar 187.1]       Chap. 179 - Protestantism Unites with the Papacy         And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. Revelation 17:12, 13.  {Mar 187.1}
[Mar 187.2]           As we approach the last crisis, it is of vital moment that harmony and unity exist among the Lord's instrumentalities. The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head--the papal power--the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses.  {Mar 187.2}
[Mar 187.3]          What is it that gives its kingdom to this power? Protestantism, a power which, while professing to have the temper and spirit of a lamb and to be allied to Heaven, speaks with the voice of a dragon. It is moved by a power from beneath.  {Mar 187.3}
[Mar 187.4]          "These have one mind." There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan's forces. "And shall give their power and strength unto the beast." Thus is manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty, freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, as was manifested by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted those who dared to refuse to conform with the religious rites and ceremonies of Romanism.  {Mar 187.4}
[Mar 187.5]          In the warfare to be waged in the last days there will be united, in opposition to God's people, all the corrupt powers that have apostatized from allegiance to the law of Jehovah. In this warfare the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will be the great point at issue; for in the Sabbath commandment the great Lawgiver identifies Himself as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.  {Mar 187.5}
[Mar 187.6]          Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.  {Mar 187.6}
[Mar 188.1]       Chap. 180 - Two Great Classes of Christians         I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. Revelation 13:3.  {Mar 188.1}
[Mar 188.2]           In homage to the Papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion, is still far from being destroyed.  {Mar 188.2}
[Mar 188.3]          In the last conflict the Sabbath will be the special point of controversy throughout all Christendom. Secular rulers and religious leaders will unite to enforce the observance of the Sunday; and as milder measures fail, the most oppressive laws will be enacted. It will be urged that the few who stand in opposition to an institution of the church and a law of the land ought not to be tolerated. . . . Romanism in the Old World, and apostate Protestantism in the New, will pursue a similar course toward those who honor the divine precepts.  {Mar 188.3}
[Mar 188.4]          The so-called Christian world is to be the theater of great and decisive actions. Men in authority will enact laws controlling the conscience, after the example of the Papacy. Babylon will make all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Every nation will be involved. ［Revelation 18:3-7 quoted.］  {Mar 188.4}
[Mar 188.5]          The warning of the third angel ［of Revelation 14］ . . . is represented in the prophecy as being proclaimed with a loud voice, by an angel flying in the midst of heaven; and it will command the attention of the world.  {Mar 188.5}
[Mar 188.6]          In the issue of the contest all Christendom will be divided into two great classes--those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel "all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond" (Revelation 13:16), to receive "the mark of the beast," yet the people of God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beholds "them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God" and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2, 3.  {Mar 188.6}
[Mar 189.1]       Chap. 181 - Confusion of Many Voices         And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Revelation 18:4.  {Mar 189.1}
[Mar 189.2]           In the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." And in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."  {Mar 189.2}
[Mar 189.3]          As God called the children of Israel out of Egypt, that they might keep His Sabbath, so He calls His people out of Babylon, that they may not worship the beast or his image. . . .  {Mar 189.3}
[Mar 189.4]          After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, "Lo, here is Christ, Lo, He is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light." Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law. . . . But while Satan works with his lying wonders, the time will be fulfilled foretold in the Revelation, and the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory, will proclaim the fall of Babylon, and call upon God's people to forsake her.  {Mar 189.4}
[Mar 189.5]          When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation. Then the extremity of God's people is His opportunity to show who is the governor of heaven and earth. As a Satanic power is stirring up the elements from beneath, God will send light and power to His people, that the message of truth may be proclaimed to all the world.  {Mar 189.5}
[Mar 190.1]       Chap. 182 - The Threefold Union of Religion         And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Revelation 16:13, 14.  {Mar 190.1}
[Mar 190.2]           By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation ［the United States］ will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.  {Mar 190.2}
[Mar 190.3]          Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience. . . .  {Mar 190.3}
[Mar 190.4]          Papists, Protestants, and worldling will alike accept the form of godliness without the power, and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.  {Mar 190.4}
[Mar 190.5]          When our nation ［the United States］ shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism.  {Mar 190.5}
[Mar 191.1]       Chap. 183 - Satan and the Threefold Union         And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast. Revelation 13:4.  {Mar 191.1}
[Mar 191.2]           "He had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." Though professing to be followers of the Lamb of God, men become imbued with the spirit of the dragon. They profess to be meek and humble but they speak and legislate with the spirit of Satan, showing by their actions that they are the opposite of what they profess to be. This lamb-like power unites with the dragon in making war upon those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. And Satan unites with Protestants and Papists, acting in consort with them as the god of this world, dictating to men as if they were the subjects of his kingdom, to be handled and governed and controlled as he pleases. If men will not agree to trample under foot the commandments of God, the spirit of the dragon is revealed. They are imprisoned, brought before councils, and fined. "He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." "He had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Thus Satan usurps the prerogatives of Jehovah. The man of sin sits in the seat of God, proclaiming himself to be God, and acting above God.  {Mar 191.2}
[Mar 191.3]          There is a marked contrast between those who bear the seal of God and those who worship the beast and his image. The Lord's faithful servants will receive the bitterest persecution from false teachers, who will not hear the word of God, and who prepare stumbling blocks to put in the way of those who would hear. But God's people are not to fear. Satan cannot go beyond his limit. The Lord will be the defense of His people. He regards the injury done to His servants for the truth's sake as done to Himself. When the last decision has been made, when all have taken sides, either for Christ and the commandments or for the great apostate, God will arise in His power, and the mouths of those who have blasphemed against Him will be forever stopped. Every opposing power will receive its punishment.  {Mar 191.3}
[Mar 192.1]       Chap. 184 - The Corruption of Truth         Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. Matthew 24:23.  {Mar 192.1}
[Mar 192.2]           Before the last developments of the work of apostasy there will be a confusion of faith. There will not be clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God. One truth after another will be corrupted.  {Mar 192.2}
[Mar 192.3]          After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying. "Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light." Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law.  {Mar 192.3}
[Mar 192.4]          In the future, deception of every kind is to arise, and we want solid ground for our feet. We want solid pillars for the building. Not one pin is to be removed from that which the Lord has established. The enemy will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which there will be a departing from the faith.  {Mar 192.4}
[Mar 192.5]          There will be false dreams and false visions, which have some truth, but lead away from the original faith. The Lord has given men a rule by which to detect them: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).  {Mar 192.5}
[Mar 192.6]          As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error. We need to make every effort to keep the way of the Lord. We must in no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man. The Lord's angels are appointed to keep strict watch over those who put their faith in the Lord, and these angels are to be our special help in every time of need. Every day we are to come to the Lord with full assurance of faith, and to look to Him for wisdom. . . . Those who are guided by the Word of the Lord will discern with certainty between falsehood and truth, between sin and righteousness.  {Mar 192.6}
[Mar 193.1]       Chap. 185 - The United States in Prophecy         I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Revelation 13:11.  {Mar 193.1}
[Mar 193.2]           One nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America.  {Mar 193.2}
[Mar 193.3]          Here is a striking figure of the rise and growth of our own nation. And the lamb-like horns, emblems or innocence and gentleness, well represent the character of our government, as expressed in its two fundamental principles, Republicanism and Protestantism.  {Mar 193.3}
[Mar 193.4]          The Lord has done more for the United States than for any other country upon which the sun shines. Here He provided an asylum for His people, where they could worship Him according to the dictates of conscience. Here Christianity has progressed in its purity. The life-giving doctrine of the one Mediator between God and man has been freely taught. God designed that this country should ever remain free for all people to worship Him in accordance with the dictates of conscience. He designed that its civil institutions, in their expansive productions, should represent the freedom of gospel privileges.  {Mar 193.4}
[Mar 193.5]          But the enemy of all righteousness has designs upon God's purpose for this country. He will bring in enterprises that will lead men to forget that there is a God. Worldliness and covetousness, which is idolatry, will prevail through the working of the archdeceiver, till the law of God, in all its bearings, shall be made void.  {Mar 193.5}
[Mar 193.6]          I have been shown that Satan is stealing a march upon us. The law of God, through the agency of Satan, is to be made void. In our land of boasted freedom, religious liberty will come to an end.  {Mar 193.6}
[Mar 193.7]          When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land; and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin.  {Mar 193.7}
[Mar 194.1]       Chap. 186 - Persecution by Protestants and Catholics         Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22.  {Mar 194.1}
[Mar 194.2]           There is no necessity for thinking that we cannot endure persecution; we shall have to go through terrible times.  {Mar 194.2}
[Mar 194.3]          The persecutions of Protestants by Romanism, by which the religion of Jesus Christ was almost annihilated, will be more than rivaled when Protestantism and popery are combined.  {Mar 194.3}
[Mar 194.4]          The commandment-keeping people of God erelong will be placed in a most trying position; but all those who have walked in the light, and diffused the light, will realize that God interposes in their behalf. When everything looks most forbidding, then the Lord will reveal His power to His faithful ones. When the nation for which God has worked in such a marvelous manner, and over which He has spread the shield of Omnipotence, abandons Protestant principles, and through its legislature gives countenance and support to Romanism in limiting religious liberty, then God will work in His own power for His people that are true. The tyranny of Rome will be exercised, but Christ is our refuge.  {Mar 194.4}
[Mar 194.5]          When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.  {Mar 194.5}
[Mar 194.6]          The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the time-serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world. In this time of peril we can stand only as we have the truth and the power of God. . . . The prospect of being brought into personal danger and distress, need not cause despondency, but should quicken the vigor and hopes of God's people; for the time of their peril is the season for God to grant them clearer manifestations of his power.  {Mar 194.6}
[Mar 195.1]       Chap. 187 - Persecuted for Christ's Sake         All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12.  {Mar 195.1}
[Mar 195.2]           As Christ was hated without cause, so will His people be hated because they are obedient to the commandments of God. If He who was pure, holy, and undefiled, who did good and only good in our world, was treated as a base criminal and condemned to death, His disciples must expect but similar treatment, however faultless may be their life and blameless their character.  {Mar 195.2}
[Mar 195.3]          Human enactments, laws manufactured by satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted, while God's holy commandments are despised and trampled underfoot. And all who prove their loyalty by obedience to the law of Jehovah must be prepared to be arrested, to be brought before councils that have not for their standard the high and holy law of God.  {Mar 195.3}
[Mar 195.4]          Those who live during the last days of this earth's history will know what it means to be persecuted for the truth's sake. In the courts injustice will prevail. The judges will refuse to listen to the reasons of those who are loyal to the commandments of God, because they know that arguments in favor of the fourth commandment are unanswerable. They will say, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die." God's law is nothing to them. "Our law" with them is supreme. Those who respect this human law will be favored, but those who will not bow to the idol sabbath will have no favors shown them.  {Mar 195.4}
[Mar 195.5]          In summer there is no noticeable difference between evergreens and other trees; but when the blasts of winter come, the evergreens remain unchanged, while other trees are stripped of their foliage. So the falsehearted professor may not now be distinguished from the real Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference will be apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of prosperity.  {Mar 195.5}
[Mar 196.1]       Chap. 188 - Former Brethren Worst Persecutors         Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Matthew 24:10.  {Mar 196.1}
[Mar 196.2]           As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.  {Mar 196.2}
[Mar 196.3]          The season of distress before God's people will call for a faith that will not falter. His children must make it manifest that He is the only object of their worship, and that no consideration, not even that of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to false worship.  {Mar 196.3}
[Mar 196.4]          At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. . . . Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness.  {Mar 196.4}
[Mar 196.5]          Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. . . . In the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan's supreme effort is made to cause "all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones . . . will "shine as lights in the world." . . . Philippians 2:15. The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine.  {Mar 196.5}
[Mar 197.1]       Chap. 189 - Betrayed by Friends and Relatives         A man's foes shall be they of his own household. Matthew 10:36.  {Mar 197.1}
[Mar 197.2]           When the law of God is made void, and the church is sifted by the fiery trials that are to try all that live upon the earth, a great proportion of those who are supposed to be genuine will give heed to seducing spirits, and will turn traitors and betray sacred trusts. They will prove our very worst persecutors. "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them;" and many will give heed to seducing spirits.  {Mar 197.2}
[Mar 197.3]         Those who apostatize in time of trial will bear false witness and betray their brethren, to secure their own safety. They will tell where their brethren are concealed, putting the wolves on their track. Christ has warned us of this, that we may not be surprised at the cruel, unnatural course pursued by friends and relatives.  {Mar 197.3}
[Mar 197.4]          We shall find that we must let loose of all hands except the hand of Jesus Christ. Friends will prove treacherous, and will betray us. Relatives, deceived by the enemy, will think they do God service in opposing us and putting forth the utmost efforts to bring us into hard places, hoping we will deny our faith. But we may trust our hand in the hand of Christ amid darkness and peril.  {Mar 197.4}
[Mar 197.5]          The followers of Christ must expect to encounter sneers. They will be reviled; their words and their faith will be misrepresented. Coldness and contempt may be harder to endure than martyrdom. . . .  {Mar 197.5}
[Mar 197.6]          Parents will turn harshly against their children who accept unpopular truth. Those who conscientiously serve God will be accused of rebellion. Property that was willed to children or other relatives who believe the present truth will be given into other hands. Guardians will rob orphans and widows of their just dues. Those who depart from evil will make themselves a prey through laws enacted to compel the conscience. Men will take to themselves property to which they have no right. The words of the apostle will be verified in the near future: "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  {Mar 197.6}
[Mar 198.1]       Chap. 190 - Under Threat of Death         For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14.  {Mar 198.1}
[Mar 198.2]           Wonderful events are soon to open before the world. The end of all things is at hand. The time of trouble is about to come upon the people of God. Then it is that the decree will go forth forbidding those who keep the Sabbath of the Lord to buy or sell, threatening them with punishment, and even death, if they do not observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath.  {Mar 198.2}
[Mar 198.3]         The decree which is to go forth against the people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews in the time of Esther. . . . Satan instigated the scheme in order to rid the earth of those who preserved the knowledge of the true God. But his plots were defeated by a counterpower that reigns among the children of men. . . .  {Mar 198.3}
[Mar 198.4]         The Protestant world today see in the little company keeping the Sabbath a Mordecai in the gate. His character and conduct, expressing reverence for the law of God, are a constant rebuke to those who have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling upon His Sabbath; the unwelcome intruder must by some means be put out of the way.  {Mar 198.4}
[Mar 198.5]          The same masterful mind that plotted against the faithful in ages past is still seeking to rid the earth of those who fear God and obey His law. Satan will excite indignation against the humble minority who conscientiously refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God. . . . Not having a "Thus saith the Scriptures" to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. . . . On this battlefield comes the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the days of Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.  {Mar 198.5}
[Mar 199.1]       Chap. 191 - Martyrs in the Last Days         They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. John 16:2.  {Mar 199.1}
[Mar 199.2]           Every individual in our world will be arrayed under one of two banners.  {Mar 199.2}
[Mar 199.3]          The two armies will stand distinct and separate, and this distinction will be so marked that many who shall be convinced of truth will come on the side of God's commandment-keeping people. When this grand work is to take place in the battle, prior to the last closing conflict, many will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ's sake in standing in defense of the truth.  {Mar 199.3}
[Mar 199.4]         By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation ［the United States］ will disconnect herself fully from righteousness....  {Mar 199.4}
[Mar 199.5]          As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation's iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return. The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress which prophets have described as the time of Jacob's trouble. The cries of the faithful, persecuted ones ascend to heaven. And as the blood of Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying to God from martyrs' graves, from the sepulchers of the sea, from mountain  caverns, from convents vaults: "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  {Mar 199.5}
[Mar 199.6]          When the fifth seal was opened, John the Revelator in vision saw beneath the altar the company that were slain for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. After this came the scenes described in the eighteenth of Revelation, when those who are faithful and true are called out from Babylon.  {Mar 199.6}
[Mar 199.7]          Christ will restore the life taken; for He is the Life-giver: He will beautify the righteous with immortal life.  {Mar 199.7}
[Mar 200.1]       Chap. 192 - The Shaking Time         And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:12.  {Mar 200.1}
[Mar 200.2]           Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads--it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved--just as soon as God's people are sealed and  prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming.  {Mar 200.2}
[Mar 200.3]          The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. There will be gods many and lords many. Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. . . .  {Mar 200.3}
[Mar 200.4]          The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness.  {Mar 200.4}
[Mar 200.5]          But there are men who will receive the truth, and these will take the places made vacant by those who become offended and leave the truth....  {Mar 200.5}
[Mar 200.6]          Men of true Christian principle will take their place, and will become faithful, trustworthy householders, to advocate the word of God in its true bearings, and in its simplicity. The Lord will work so that the disaffected ones will be separated from the true and loyal ones.... The ranks will not be diminished. Those who are firm and true will close up the vacancies that are made by those who become offended and apostatize.  {Mar 200.6}
[Mar 201.1]       Chap. 193 - A View of the Shaking         For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel. Ezekiel 38:19.  {Mar 201.1}
[Mar 201.2]           I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads....  {Mar 201.2}
[Mar 201.3]          Evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon them to shut out Jesus from their view, that their eyes might be drawn to the darkness that surrounded them, and thus they be led to distrust God and murmur against Him. Their only safety was in keeping their eyes directed upward. Angels of God had charge over His people, and as the poisonous atmosphere of evil angels was pressed around these anxious ones, the heavenly angels were continually wafting their wings over them to scatter the thick darkness.  {Mar 201.3}
[Mar 201.4]          As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from Jesus came to them, to encourage their hearts and light up their countenances. Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed  indifferent and careless.... The angels of God... went to the aid of the earnest, praying ones. . . . But His angels left those who made no effort to help themselves, and I lost sight of them.  {Mar 201.4}
[Mar 201.5]          I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness of the Laodiceans. . . .  {Mar 201.5}
[Mar 201.6]          My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. . . . The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. . . .  {Mar 201.6}
[Mar 201.7]          I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect....I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, "It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel."  {Mar 201.7}
[Mar 202.1]       Chap. 194 - Unity and Separation Under the Loud Cry         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. Isaiah 60:1, 2.  {Mar 202.1}
[Mar 202.2]           As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us. Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and will depart from the faith. But, on the other hand, when the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd's voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted greatest. No one of the true believers will say: "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas." The testimony of one and all will be: "I cleave unto Christ; I rejoice in Him as my personal Saviour."  {Mar 202.2}
[Mar 202.3]          As the third angel's message swells into a loud cry, great power and glory will attend its proclamation. The faces of God's people will shine with the light of heaven.  {Mar 202.3}
[Mar 202.4]          Many of the rulers are those whom Satan controls; but... God has His agents, even among the rulers. And some of them will yet be converted to the truth....A few of God's agents will have power to bear down a great mass of evil. Thus the work will go on until the third message has done its work, and at the loud cry of the third angel, these agents will have an opportunity to receive the truth, and some of them will be converted, and endure with the saints through the time of trouble.  {Mar 202.4}
[Mar 203.1]       Chap. 195 - The Church Appears About to Fall         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. Isaiah 49:14, 15.  {Mar 203.1}
[Mar 203.2]           Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths.... The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy.  {Mar 203.2}
[Mar 203.3]          I know that the Lord loves His church. It is not to be disorganized or broken up into independent atoms. There is not the least consistency in this; there is not the least evidence that such a thing will be. Those who shall heed this false message and try to leaven others will be deceived and prepared to receive advanced delusions, and they will come to nought.  {Mar 203.3}
[Mar 203.4]          I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end.  {Mar 203.4}
[Mar 203.5]          We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any new organization; for this would mean apostasy from the truth.  {Mar 203.5}
[Mar 203.6]          The church, soon to enter upon her most severe conflict, will be the object most dear to God upon earth. The confederacy of evil will be stirred with power from beneath, and Satan will cast all the reproach possible upon the chosen ones whom he cannot deceive and delude with his satanic inventions and falsehoods. But exalted "to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins," will Christ, our representative and head, close His heart, or withdraw His hand, or falsify His promise? No; never, never.  {Mar 203.6}
[Mar 204.1]       Chap. 196 - The Purification of the Church         And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3.  {Mar 204.1}
[Mar 204.2]           The time is upon us when the miracle-working power of the archdeceiver will be more decidedly revealed. And his deceptions will increase in their delusive attraction, so that they will perplex, and if possible, deceive, the very elect. The prince of darkness with his evil angels is working upon the Christian world, inducing those who profess the name of Christ to stand under the banner of darkness, to make war with those who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus.  {Mar 204.2}
[Mar 204.3]          An apostate church will unite with the powers of earth and hell to place upon the forehead or in the hand, the mark of the beast, and prevail upon the children of God to worship the beast and his image. They will seek to compel them to renounce their allegiance to God's law, and yield homage to the papacy. Then will come the times which will try men's souls; for the confederacy of apostasy will demand that the loyal subjects of God shall renounce the law of Jehovah, and repudiate the truth of His word. Then will the gold be separated from the dross, and it will be made apparent who are the godly, who are the loyal and true, and who are the disloyal, the dross and the tinsel. What clouds of chaff will then be borne away by the fan of God! Where now our eyes can discover only rich floors of wheat, will be chaff blown away with the fan of God. Every one who is not centered in Christ will fail to stand the test and ordeal of that day. While those who are clothed with Christ's righteousness will stand firm to truth and duty, those who have trusted in their own righteousness will be ranged under the black banner of the prince of darkness. Then it will be seen whether the choice is for Christ or Belial.  {Mar 204.3}
[Mar 204.4]          Those who have been self-distrustful, who have been so circumstanced that they have not dared to face stigma and reproach, will at last openly declare themselves for Christ and His law; while many who have appeared to be flourishing trees, but who have borne no fruit, will go with the multitude to do evil, and will receive the mark of apostasy in the forehead or in the hand.  {Mar 204.4}
[Mar 205.1]       Chap. 197 - Satan Personates Christ--I         Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. Luke 21:8.  {Mar 205.1}
[Mar 205.2]           "In this age antichrist will appear as the true Christ, and then the law of God will be fully made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion against God's holy law will be fully ripe. But the true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed as an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the sentence will go forth, `Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.'"  {Mar 205.2}
[Mar 205.3]          Disguised as an angel of light, he ［Satan］ will walk the earth as a wonder-worker. In beautiful language he will present lofty sentiments. Good words will be spoken by him, and good deeds performed. Christ will be personified, but on one point there will be a marked distinction. Satan will turn the people from the law of God.  {Mar 205.3}
[Mar 205.4]          He will declare that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day of the week; and as lord of the first day of the week he will present this spurious sabbath as a test of loyalty to him.  {Mar 205.4}
[Mar 205.5]          It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions of the past are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. God's people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles that will be wrought. God's tried and tested people will find their power in the sign spoken of in Exodus 31:12-18. They are to take their stand on the living word: "It is written." This is the only foundation upon which they can stand securely.  {Mar 205.5}
[Mar 206.1]       Chap. 198 - Satan Personates Christ--II         And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14.  {Mar 206.1}
[Mar 206.2]           Satan is preparing his deceptions that in his last campaign against the people of God, they may not understand that it is he. "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." . . . Satan will go to the extent of his power to harass, tempt, and mislead God's people.  {Mar 206.2}
[Mar 206.3]          He who dared to face, and tempt, and taunt our Lord, and who had power to take Him in his arms and carry Him to a pinnacle of the temple, and up into an exceeding high mountain, will exercise his power to a wonderful degree upon the present generation, who are far inferior in wisdom to their Lord, and who are almost wholly ignorant of his subtlety and strength.  {Mar 206.3}
[Mar 206.4]          In a marvelous manner will he affect the bodies of those who are naturally inclined to do his bidding.  {Mar 206.4}
[Mar 206.5]          He will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ.  {Mar 206.5}
[Mar 206.6]          We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we do?--Tell them that Christ has warned us against just such a foe, who is man's worst enemy, yet who claims to be God; and that when Christ shall make His appearance, it will be with power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand angels and thousands of thousands; and that when He shall come, we shall know His voice.  {Mar 206.6}
[Mar 206.7]          The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation.  {Mar 206.7}
[Mar 206.8]          Satan is determined to keep up the warfare to the end. Coming as an angel of light, claiming to be the Christ, he will deceive the world. But his triumph will be short. No storm or tempest can move those whose feet are planted on the principles of eternal truth. They will be able to stand in this time of almost universal apostasy.  {Mar 206.8}
[Mar 207.1]       Chap. 199 - Satanic Miracles--I         There shall be arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24.  {Mar 207.1}
[Mar 207.2]           The enemy is preparing to deceive the whole world by his miracle-working power. He will assume to personate the angels of light, to personate Jesus Christ.  {Mar 207.2}
[Mar 207.3]          So far as his power extends, he will perform actual miracles. Says the Scripture: "He . . . deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do," not merely those which he pretends to do. Something more than mere impostures is brought to view in this scripture. But there is a limit beyond which Satan cannot go, and here he calls deception to his aid and counterfeits the work which he has not power actually to perform. In the last days he will appear in such a manner as to make men believe him to be Christ come the second time into the world. He will indeed transform himself into an angel of light.  {Mar 207.3}
[Mar 207.4]          He will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ.  {Mar 207.4}
[Mar 207.5]          Just before us is "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Revelation 3:10. All whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of God will be deceived and overcome. Satan works "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness" to gain control of the children of men, and his deceptions will continually increase. But he can gain his object only as men voluntarily yield to his temptations. Those who are earnestly seeking a knowledge of the truth and are striving to purify their souls through obedience, thus doing what they can to prepare for the conflict, will find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee" (verse 10), is the Saviour's promise. He would sooner send every angel out of heaven to protect His people than leave one soul that trusts in Him to be overcome by Satan.  {Mar 207.5}
[Mar 208.1]      Chap. 200 - Satanic Miracles--II         And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13.  {Mar 208.1}
[Mar 208.2]           As the people of God approach the perils of the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith. He sees that the popular churches are already lulled to sleep by his deceptive power. By pleasing sophistry and lying wonders he can continue to hold them under his control. Therefore he directs his angels to lay their snares especially for those who are looking for the second advent of Christ and endeavoring to keep all the commandments of God.  {Mar 208.2}
[Mar 208.3]          We are warned that in the last days he will work with signs and lying wonders. And he will continue these wonders until the close of probation, that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness.  {Mar 208.3}
[Mar 208.4]          Satan will come in to deceive if possible the very elect. He claims to be Christ, and he is coming in, pretending to be the great medical missionary. He will cause fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men to prove that he is God.  {Mar 208.4}
[Mar 208.5]          It is the lying wonders of the devil that will take the world captive, and he will cause fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men. He is to work miracles; and this wonderful, miracle-working power is to sweep in the whole world.  {Mar 208.5}
[Mar 208.6]          Some will be tempted to receive these wonders as from God. The sick will be healed before us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for the trial which awaits us when the lying wonders of Satan shall be more fully exhibited? Will not many souls be ensnared and taken? By departing from the plain precepts and commandments of God, and giving heed to fables, the minds of many are preparing to receive these lying wonders. We must all now seek to arm ourselves for the contest in which we must soon engage. Faith in God's word, prayerfully studied and practically applied, will be our shield from Satan's power and will bring us off conquerors through the blood of Christ.  {Mar 208.6}
[Mar 209.1]       Chap. 201 - God's People Brought to the Test         Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:22, 23.  {Mar 209.1}
[Mar 209.2]           We need not be deceived. Wonderful scenes, with which Satan will be closely connected, will soon take place. God's Word declares that Satan will work miracles. He will make people sick, and then will suddenly remove from them his satanic power. They will then be regarded as healed. These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test. Many who have had great light will fail to walk in the light, because they have not become one with Christ.  {Mar 209.2}
[Mar 209.3]          I saw our people in great distress, weeping, and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were all around us, mocking us, and threatening to destroy us. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with words calculated to cut deep. They charged us with taking an independent position from all the rest of the world. They had cut off our resources so that we could not buy nor sell, and referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without the world; we were dependent upon the world, and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world whom the Lord favored the appearances were awfully against us. They declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them, that angels from heaven talked with them, and walked with them, that great power, and signs and wonders were performed among them, and this was the Temporal Millennium, which they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in defiance of the laws of the land, and the laws of God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the earth.  {Mar 209.3}
[Mar 209.4]          God's people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan would counterfeit any miracle that might be worked.... They are to take their stand on the living Word--"It is written."  {Mar 209.4}
[Mar 210.1]       Chap. 202 - Sights of a Supernatural Character         Great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. Luke 21:11.  {Mar 210.1}
[Mar 210.2]           As we near the close of time, there will be greater and still greater external parade of heathen power; heathen deities will manifest their signal power, and will exhibit themselves before the cities of the world; and this delineation has already begun to be fulfilled.  {Mar 210.2}
[Mar 210.3]          The Saviour's prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible desolation was but a faint shadow. In the fate of the chosen city we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God's mercy and trampled upon His law.  {Mar 210.3}
[Mar 210.4]          Signs and wonders appeared, foreboding disaster and doom. In the midst of the night an unnatural light shone over the temple and the altar. Upon the clouds at sunset were pictured chariots and men of war gathering for battle.  {Mar 210.4}
[Mar 210.5]          Last Friday morning ［August 24, 1906］, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable.  {Mar 210.5}
[Mar 210.6]          Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world's Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.  {Mar 210.6}
[Mar 211.1]       Chap. 203 - The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast         Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. Isaiah 8:16.  {Mar 211.1}
[Mar 211.2]           The living righteous will receive the seal of God prior to the close of probation.  {Mar 211.2}
[Mar 211.3]          The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord's memorial of creation. . . . The mark of the beast is the opposite of this--the observance of the first day of the week.  {Mar 211.3}
[Mar 211.4]          Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth causing men to worship this idol sabbath. The time will come when this day will be the test, but that time has not come yet.  {Mar 211.4}
[Mar 211.5]          No one has yet received the mark of the beast. The testing time has not yet come. There are true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned until they have had the light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. But when the decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel shall warn men against the worship of the beast and his image, the line will be clearly drawn between the false and the true. Then those who still continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast.  {Mar 211.5}
[Mar 211.6]          If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to keep holy the Sabbath which God calls "my holy day," you receive the mark of the beast. When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God.  {Mar 211.6}
[Mar 211.7]          In a little while every one who is a child of God will have His seal placed upon him. O that it may be placed upon our foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when the angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their foreheads?  {Mar 211.7}
[Mar 212.1]       Chap. 204 - The Sealing and the Latter Rain         Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19.  {Mar 212.1}
[Mar 212.2]           Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God's people is finished, we shall receive the outpouring of the Spirit of God. Angels from heaven will be in our midst.  {Mar 212.2}
[Mar 212.3]          Our heavenly Father claims not at our hands that which we cannot perform. He desires His people to labor earnestly to carry out His purpose for them. They are to pray for power, expect power, and receive power, that they may grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.  {Mar 212.3}
[Mar 212.4]          Not all members of the church are cultivating personal piety; therefore they do not understand their personal responsibility. They do not realize that it is their privilege and duty to reach the high standard of Christian perfection. . . . Are we looking forward to the latter rain, confidently hoping for a better day, when the church shall be endued with power from on high and thus fitted for work? The latter rain will never refresh and invigorate the indolent, who do not use the powers God has given them.  {Mar 212.4}
[Mar 212.5]          We are in great need of the pure, life-giving atmosphere that nurtures and invigorates the spiritual life. We need greater earnestness. The solemn message given us to give to the world is to be proclaimed with greater fervency, even with an intensity that will impress unbelievers, leading them to see that the Most High is working with us, that He is the source of our efficiency and strength. . . .  {Mar 212.5}
[Mar 212.6]          Are you using all your powers in an effort to bring the lost sheep back to the fold? There are thousands upon thousands in ignorance who might be warned. Pray as you have never prayed before for the power of Christ. Pray for the inspiration of His Spirit, that you may be filled with a desire to save those who are perishing. Let the prayer ascend to heaven, "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations" (Psalm 67:1, 2).  {Mar 212.6}
[Mar 213.1]      Chap. 205 - The Remnant and the Sealing         And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Zechariah 3:2.  {Mar 213.1}
[Mar 213.2]           The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects; he has gained control of the apostate churches. But here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God. All will be required to render obedience to human edicts in violation of the divine law. Those who will be true to God and to duty will be menaced, denounced, and proscribed. They will be betrayed "both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends."  {Mar 213.2}
[Mar 213.3]          Their only hope is in the mercy of God; their only defense will be prayer. As Joshua was pleading before the Angel, so the remnant church, with brokenness of heart and earnest faith, will plead for pardon and deliverance through Jesus their Advocate. . . .  {Mar 213.3}
[Mar 213.4]          Satan urges before God his accusations against them, declaring that they have by their sins forfeited the divine protection, and claiming the right to destroy them as transgressors. . . .  {Mar 213.4}
[Mar 213.5]          But while the followers of Christ have sinned, they have not given themselves to the control of evil. They have put away their sins, and have sought the Lord in humility and contrition, and the divine Advocate pleads in their behalf. . . .  {Mar 213.5}
[Mar 213.6]          The people of God are sighing and crying for the abominations done in the land. With tears they warn the wicked of their danger in trampling upon the divine law, and with unutterable sorrow they humble themselves before the Lord on account of their own transgressions. The wicked mock their sorrow, ridicule their solemn appeals, and sneer at what they term their weakness. But the anguish and humiliation of God's people is unmistakable evidence that they are regaining the strength and nobility of character lost in consequence of sin. . . .  {Mar 213.6}
[Mar 213.7]          While Satan was urging his accusations, holy angels, unseen, were passing to and fro, placing upon them the seal of the living God.  {Mar 213.7}
[Mar 214.1]       Chap. 206 - All Nations Follow America's Lead         When all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Daniel 3:7.  {Mar 214.1}
[Mar 214.2]           History will be repeated. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan's plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation.  {Mar 214.2}
[Mar 214.3]          The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world.  {Mar 214.3}
[Mar 214.4]          As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example.  {Mar 214.4}
[Mar 214.5]          Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world.  {Mar 214.5}
[Mar 214.6]          Nations will be stirred to their very center. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim God's only standard of righteousness, the only sure test of character. And all who will not bow to the decree of the national councils and obey the national laws to exalt the sabbath instituted by the man of sin, to the disregard of God's holy day, will feel, not the oppressive power of popery alone, but of the Protestant world, the image of the beast.  {Mar 214.6}
[Mar 214.7]          The season of distress before God's people will call for a faith that will not falter. His children must make it manifest that He is the only object of their worship, and that no consideration, not even that of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to false worship. To the loyal heart the commands of sinful, finite men will sink into insignificance beside the word of the eternal God. Truth will be obeyed though the result be imprisonment or exile or death.  {Mar 214.7}
[Mar 215.1]       Chap. 207 - The Beginning of the End         Evil on evil! says the Lord the Eternal--it is coming, the hour has come, the hour is striking, and striking at you, the hour and the end! Ezekiel 7:5, 6, Moffatt.  {Mar 215.1}
[Mar 215.2]           Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that all, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," shall conform to the customs of the church by observance of the false sabbath. All who refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of death. On the other hand, the law of God enjoining the Creator's rest day demands obedience, and threatens wrath against all who transgress its precepts.  {Mar 215.2}
[Mar 215.3]          With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whosoever shall trample upon God's law to obey a human enactment, receives the mark of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to the power which he chooses to obey instead of God. . . .  {Mar 215.3}
[Mar 215.4]          The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of an allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God's law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.  {Mar 215.4}
[Mar 215.5]          Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third angel's message have been often regarded as mere alarmists. . . . But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before.  {Mar 215.5}
[Mar 216.1]       Chap. 208 - National Ruin Follows National Apostasy         The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Isaiah 24:5.  {Mar 216.1}
[Mar 216.2]           The people of the United States have been a favored people; but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full, and "national apostasy" will be registered in the books of heaven. The result of this apostasy will be national ruin.  {Mar 216.2}
[Mar 216.3]          By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.  {Mar 216.3}
[Mar 216.4]          Through spiritualism, Satan appears as a benefactor of the race, healing the diseases of the people, and professing to present a new and more exalted system of religious faith; but at the same time he works as a destroyer. . . .  {Mar 216.4}
[Mar 216.5]          While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. . . .  {Mar 216.5}
[Mar 216.6]          And then the great deceiver will persuade men that those who serve God are causing these evils.  {Mar 216.6}
[Mar 216.7]          As men depart further and further from God, Satan is permitted to have power over the children of disobedience. He hurls destruction among men. There is calamity by land and sea. Property and life are destroyed by fire and flood. Satan resolves to charge this upon those who refuse to bow to the idol which he has set up. His agents point to Seventh-day Adventists as the cause of the trouble. "These people stand out in defiance of law," they say. "They desecrate Sunday. Were they compelled to obey the law for Sunday observance, there would be a cessation of these terrible judgments."  {Mar 216.7}
[Mar 217.1]       Chap. 209 - The World Against God's People         The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.  {Mar 217.1}
[Mar 217.2]           Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy of notice, but a change will come. The Christian world is now making movements which will necessarily bring commandment-keeping people into prominence.  {Mar 217.2}
[Mar 217.3]          The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed.  {Mar 217.3}
[Mar 217.4]          Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world's great men will be brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world's greatest men, it will be done.  {Mar 217.4}
[Mar 217.5]          We must individually know for ourselves what is truth, and be prepared to give a reason of the hope that we have with meekness and fear, not in a proud, boasting, self-sufficiency, but with the spirit of Christ. We are nearing the time when we shall stand individually alone to answer for our belief.  {Mar 217.5}
[Mar 217.6]          We shall be attacked on every point; we shall be tried to the utmost. We do not want to hold our faith simply because it was handed down to us by our fathers. Such a faith will not stand the terrible test that is before us. We want to know why we are Seventh-day Adventists, what real reason we have for coming out from the world as a separate and distinct people. . . .  {Mar 217.6}
[Mar 217.7]          The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly treasure, and who have not cared to understand God's dealings with His people, will be ready victims. No power but a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, will ever make us steadfast; but with this, one may chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight.  {Mar 217.7}
[Mar 218.1]       Chap. 210 - The Angel of Revelation 18         And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Revelation 18:1.  {Mar 218.1}
[Mar 218.2]           The prophecies in the eighteenth of Revelation will soon be fulfilled. During the proclamation of the third angel's message, "another angel" is to "come down from heaven, having great power," and the earth is to be "lightened with his glory." The Spirit of the Lord will so graciously bless consecrated human instrumentalities that men, women, and children will open their lips in praise and thanksgiving, filling the earth with the knowledge of God, and with His unsurpassed glory, as the waters cover the sea.  {Mar 218.2}
[Mar 218.3]          Those who have held the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end will be wide-awake during the time that the third angel's message is proclaimed with great power. During the loud cry, the church, aided by the providential interpositions of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of salvation. So abundantly will the renewing Spirit of God have crowned with success the intensely active agencies, that the light of present truth will be seen flashing everywhere.  {Mar 218.3}
[Mar 218.4]          There is to be, at this period, a series of events which will reveal that God is Master of the situation. The truth will be proclaimed in clear, unmistakable language. As a people, we must prepare the way of the Lord, under the overruling guidance of the Holy Spirit. The gospel is to be given in its purity. The stream of living water is to deepen and widen in its course. In all fields, nigh and afar off, men will be called from the plow and from the more common commercial business vocations that largely occupy the mind, and will be educated in connection with men of experience. As they learn to labor effectively, they will proclaim the truth with power. Through most wonderful workings of divine providence, mountains of difficulties will be removed, and cast into the sea. The message that means so much to the dwellers upon the earth will be heard and understood. Men will know what is truth. Onward, and still onward the work will advance, until the whole earth shall have been warned. And then shall the end come.  {Mar 218.4}
[Mar 219.1]       Chap. 211 - The Early and the Latter Rain         Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. Joel 2:23.  {Mar 219.1}
[Mar 219.2]           There is to be in the churches a wonderful manifestation of the power of God, but it will not move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the Lord, and opened the door of their heart by confession and repentance. In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. "Why," they say, "should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?" Because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties, of the messages of God, but persistently said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing."  {Mar 219.2}
[Mar 219.3]          Talent, long experience, will not make men channels of light unless they place themselves under the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and are called, and chosen, and prepared by the endowment of the Holy Spirit. When men who handle sacred things will humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, the Lord will lift them up. He will make them men of discernment--men rich in the grace of His Spirit. Their strong, selfish traits of character and their stubbornness will be seen in the light shining from the Light of the world. "I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." If you seek the Lord with all your heart, He will be found of you.  {Mar 219.3}
[Mar 219.4]          There must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.  {Mar 219.4}
[Mar 220.1]       Chap. 212 - High Time to Awake!         And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:11, 12.  {Mar 220.1}
[Mar 220.2]           The great controversy is nearing its end. Every report of calamity by sea or land is a testimony to the fact that the end of all things is at hand. Wars and rumors of wars declare it. Is there a Christian whose pulse does not beat with quickened action as he anticipates the great events opening before us? The Lord is coming. We hear the footsteps of an approaching God.  {Mar 220.2}
[Mar 220.3]          This knowledge of the nearness of Christ's coming should not be allowed to lose its force, and we become careless and inattentive, and fall into slumber--into an insensibility and indifference to realities. In slumber we are in an unreal world, and not sensible of the things which are taking place around us. . . .  {Mar 220.3}
[Mar 220.4]          There are those who have the blazing light of truth shining all around them, and yet are insensible to it. They are enchanted by the enemy, held under a spell by his bewitching power. They are not preparing for that great day which is soon to come to our world. They seem utterly insensible to religious truth.  {Mar 220.4}
[Mar 220.5]          Are there not some youth who are awake? Those who see that the night cometh, and also the morning, should work with untiring energy to arouse their sleeping associates. Can they not feel their peril, pray for them, and show them by their own life and character that they believe themselves that Christ is soon to come? . . . The rapidly diminishing space of time between us and eternity should more deeply impress us. Every day that passes makes one less left us to complete our work of perfecting character. . . .  {Mar 220.5}
[Mar 220.6]          As long as there are many asleep, many sporting away the precious hours in careless indifference, as it were, upon the very brink of the eternal world, those who do believe must be sober, must be awake, must be earnest and diligent, and watch unto prayer. . . .  {Mar 220.6}
[Mar 220.7]          Have you, dear youth, your lamps trimmed and burning?  {Mar 220.7}
[Mar 221.1]       Chap. 213 - "In These Hours of Probation"         I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2.  {Mar 221.1}
[Mar 221.2]           We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us.  {Mar 221.2}
[Mar 221.3]          We embrace the truth of God with our different faculties, and as we come under the influence of that truth, it will accomplish the work for us which is necessary to give us a moral fitness for the kingdom of glory and for the society of the heavenly angels. We are now in God's workshop. Many of us are rough stones from the quarry. But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatever nature. Thus we are prepared to see the King in His beauty and finally to unite with the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. It is here that this work is to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are to be fitted for immortality.  {Mar 221.3}
[Mar 222.1]       Chap. 214 - The Substance of Moral Character         Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you. 2 Corinthians 10:15.  {Mar 222.1}
[Mar 222.2]           You should keep off from Satan's enchanted ground and not allow your minds to be swayed from allegiance to God. Through Christ you may and should be happy and should acquire habits of self-control. Even your thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God and your feelings under the control of reason and religion. Your imagination was not given you to be allowed to run riot and have its own way without any effort at restraint or discipline. If the thoughts are wrong the feelings will be wrong, and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character. . . . If you yield to your impressions and allow your thoughts to run in a channel of suspicion, doubt, and repining you will be among the most unhappy of mortals. . . .  {Mar 222.2}
[Mar 222.3]          Dear Sister F, you have a diseased imagination; and you dishonor God by allowing your feelings to have complete control of your reason and judgment. You have a determined will, which causes the mind to react upon the body, unbalancing the circulation and producing congestion in certain organs; and you are sacrificing health to your feelings.  {Mar 222.3}
[Mar 222.4]          You are making a mistake, which, if not corrected, will not end with wrecking your own happiness merely. You are doing positive injury, not only to yourself, but to the other members of your family. . . . You have . . . let your highly wrought imagination control reason. . . . Had you no power over your feelings, this would not be sin; but it will not answer thus to yield to the enemy. Your will needs to be sanctified and subdued instead of being arrayed in opposition to that of God. . . .  {Mar 222.4}
[Mar 222.5]          Man has been placed in a world of sorrow, care, and perplexity. He is placed here to be tested and proved, as were Adam and Eve, that he may develop a right character and bring harmony out of discord and confusion. There is much for us to do that is essential. . . . And there is much for us to enjoy. Through Christ we are brought into connection with God. His mercies place us under continual obligation; feeling unworthy of His favors, we are to appreciate even the least of them.  {Mar 222.5}
[Mar 223.1]       Chap. 215 - Character a Quality of the Soul         No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. Job 28:18.  {Mar 223.1}
[Mar 223.2]           A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. . . .  {Mar 223.2}
[Mar 223.3]          Mental ability and genius are not character, for these are often possessed by those who have the very opposite of a good character. Reputation is not character. True character is a quality of the soul, revealing itself in the conduct.  {Mar 223.3}
[Mar 223.4]          A good character is a capital of more value than gold or silver. It is unaffected by panics or failures, and in that day when earthly possessions shall be swept away, it will bring rich returns. Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible--a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity.  {Mar 223.4}
[Mar 223.5]          Strength of character consists of two things--power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by his powers to subdue his feelings, not by the power of his feelings to subdue him. The strongest man is he who, while sensitive to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies.  {Mar 223.5}
[Mar 223.6]          If it were considered as important that the young possess a beautiful character and amiable disposition as it is that they imitate the fashions of the world in dress and deportment, we would see hundreds where there is one today coming upon the stage of active life prepared to exert an ennobling influence upon society.  {Mar 223.6}
[Mar 224.1]       Chap. 216 - Christ Our Helper and Redeemer         As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:19.  {Mar 224.1}
[Mar 224.2]           Because man fallen could not overcome Satan with his human strength, Christ came from the royal courts of heaven to help him with His human and divine strength combined. Christ knew that Adam in Eden, with his superior advantages, might have withstood the temptations of Satan, and conquered him. He also knew that it was not possible for man, out of Eden, separated from the light and love of God since the Fall, to resist the temptations of Satan in his own strength. In order to bring hope to man, and save him from complete ruin, He humbled Himself to take man's nature, that, with His divine power combined with the human, He might reach man where he is. He obtains for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that strength which it is impossible for them to gain for themselves, that in His name they may overcome the temptations of Satan. . . .  {Mar 224.2}
[Mar 224.3]          Adam and Eve in Eden were placed under most favorable circumstances. . . . They were without the condemnation of sin. . . . The Author of their existence was their teacher. But they fell beneath the power and temptations of the artful foe. Four thousand years had Satan been at work against the government of God, and he had obtained strength and experience from determined practice. Fallen men had not the advantages of Adam in Eden. They had been separating from God for four thousand years. The wisdom to understand, and power to resist, the temptations of Satan had become less and less, until Satan seemed to reign triumphant in the earth. Appetite and passion, the love of the world and presumptuous sins, were the great branches of evil out of which every species of . . . corruption grew.  {Mar 224.3}
[Mar 224.4]          Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory--character--of Christ, will be received into the Paradise of God.  {Mar 224.4}
[Mar 224.5]          Everyone who by faith obeys God's commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression.  {Mar 224.5}
[Mar 225.1]       Chap. 217 - High Spiritual State Attainable         Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24.  {Mar 225.1}
[Mar 225.2]           Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. . . .  {Mar 225.2}
[Mar 225.3]          By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.  {Mar 225.3}
[Mar 225.4]          Through the plan of redemption, God has provided means for subduing every sinful trait, and resisting every temptation, however strong.  {Mar 225.4}
[Mar 225.5]          The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel any one to sin. The will must consent, the heart must yield, or passion cannot overbear reason, nor iniquity triumph over righteousness.  {Mar 225.5}
[Mar 225.6]          If you will stand under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel, faithfully doing His service, you need never yield to temptation; for One stands by your side who is able to keep you from falling.  {Mar 225.6}
[Mar 225.7]          We need not retain one sinful propensity. . . . ［Ephesians 2:1-6 quoted.］ . . .  {Mar 225.7}
[Mar 225.8]          As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan's temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus.  {Mar 225.8}
[Mar 226.1]       Chap. 218 - Reaching the Height of Christian Perfection         Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20.  {Mar 226.1}
[Mar 226.2]           If you make God your strength, you may, under the most discouraging circumstances, attain a height and breadth of Christian perfection which you hardly think it possible to reach Your thoughts may be elevated, you may have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, and purposes of action which shall raise you above all sordid motives.  {Mar 226.2}
[Mar 226.3]          Both thought and action will be necessary if you would attain to perfection of character. While brought in contact with the world, you should be on your guard that you do not seek too ardently for the applause of men and live for their opinion. . . . Cultivate the grace of humility, and hang your helpless souls upon Christ. . . . In the midst of confusion and temptation in the worldly crowd you may, with perfect sweetness, keep the independence of the soul.  {Mar 226.3}
[Mar 226.4]          If you are in daily communion with God you will learn to place His estimate upon men, and the obligations resting upon you to bless suffering humanity will meet with a willing response. You are not your own; your Lord has sacred claims upon your supreme affections and the very highest services of your life. He has a right to use you, in your body and in your spirit, to the fullest extent of your capabilities, for His own honor and glory. Whatever crosses you may be required to bear, ... you are to accept without a murmur. . . .  {Mar 226.4}
[Mar 226.5]          Many are without God and without hope in the world. They are guilty, corrupt, and degraded, enslaved by Satan's devices. Yet these are the ones whom Christ came from heaven to redeem. They are subjects for tenderest pity, sympathy, and tireless effort; for they are on the verge of ruin. They suffer from ungratified desires, disordered passions, and the condemnation of their own consciences; they are miserable in every sense of the word, for they are losing their hold on this life and have no prospect for the life to come.  {Mar 226.5}
[Mar 226.6]          You have an important field of labor, and you should be active and vigilant, rendering cheerful and unqualified obedience to the Master's calls.  {Mar 226.6}
[Mar 227.1]       Chap. 219 - Perfection in the Human Sphere         Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48.  {Mar 227.1}
[Mar 227.2]           Our Saviour understood all about human nature, and He says to every human being. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." As God is perfect in His sphere, so man is to be perfect in his sphere. Those who receive Christ are among the number to whom the words so full of hope are spoken. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." These words declare to us that we should be content with nothing less than the best and highest character, a character formed after the divine similitude. When such a character is possessed, the life, the faith, the purity of the religion, is an instructive example to others.  {Mar 227.2}
[Mar 227.3]          But those who are waiting to behold a magical change in their characters without determined effort on their part to overcome sin, will be disappointed. We have no reason to fear while looking to Jesus, no reason to doubt but that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him; but we may constantly fear lest our old nature will again obtain the supremacy, that the enemy shall devise some snare whereby we shall again become his captives. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. With our limited powers we are to be as holy in our sphere as God is holy in His sphere. To the extent of our ability, we are to make manifest the truth and love and excellence of the divine character. As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ.  {Mar 227.3}
[Mar 227.4]          We are to grow daily in spiritual loveliness. We shall fail often in our efforts to copy the divine pattern. We shall often have to bow down to weep at the feet of Jesus, because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged; we are to pray more fervently, believe more fully, and try again with more steadfastness to grow into the likeness of our Lord. As we distrust our own power, we shall trust the power of our Redeemer, and render praise to God, who is the health of our countenance, and our God.  {Mar 227.4}
[Mar 228.1]       Chap. 220 - Honorable in Motive and Action         Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32.  {Mar 228.1}
[Mar 228.2]           Principle, right, honesty, should ever be cherished. Honesty will not tarry where policy is harbored. They will never agree; one is of Baal, the other of God. The Master requires His servants to be honorable in motive and action. . . . Those who choose honesty as their companion will embody it in all their acts. To a large class, these men are not pleasing, but to God they are beautiful.  {Mar 228.2}
[Mar 228.3]          Satan is working to crowd himself in everywhere. He would put asunder very friends. There are men who are ever talking and gossiping and bearing false witness, who sow the seeds of discord and engender strife. Heaven looks upon this class as Satan's most efficient servants. But the man who is injured is in a far less dangerous position than when fawned upon and extolled for a few of his efforts which appear successful. The commendation of apparent friends is more dangerous than reproach.  {Mar 228.3}
[Mar 228.4]          Every man who praises himself brushes the luster from his best efforts. A truly noble character will not stoop to resent the false accusations of enemies; every word spoken falls harmless, for it strengthens that which it cannot overthrow. The Lord would have His people closely united with Himself, the God of patience and love. All should manifest in their lives the love of Christ. Let none venture to belittle the reputation or the position of another; this is egotism. . . .  {Mar 228.4}
[Mar 228.5]          Never speak disparagingly of any man, for he may be great in the sight of the Lord, while those who feel great may be lightly esteemed of God because of the perversity of their hearts. Our only safety is to lie low at the foot of the cross, be little in our own eyes, and trust in God; for He alone has power to make us great. . . .  {Mar 228.5}
[Mar 228.6]          The judgment and ability of all are needed now. Every man's work is of sufficient importance to demand that it be performed with care and fidelity. One man cannot do the work of all. Each has his respective place and his special work, and each should realize that the manner in which his work is done must stand the test of the judgment.  {Mar 228.6}
[Mar 229.1]      Chap. 221 - Overcoming Bad Habits         Keep thyself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22.  {Mar 229.1}
[Mar 229.2]           To know what constitutes purity of mind, soul, and body is an important part of education.  {Mar 229.2}
[Mar 229.3]          When the character is lacking in purity, when sin has become a part of the character, it has a bewitching power that is equal to the intoxicating glass of liquor. The power of self-control and reason is overborne by practices that defile the whole being; and if these sinful practices are continued, the brain is enfeebled and diseased, and loses its balance. Such ones are a curse to themselves and to all who have any connection with them. . . .  {Mar 229.3}
[Mar 229.4]          Bad habits are more easily formed than good habits, and the bad habits are given up with more difficulty. The natural  depravity of the heart accounts for this well-known fact--that it takes far less labor to demoralize the youth, to corrupt their ideas of moral and religious character, than to engraft upon their character the enduring, pure, and uncorrupted habits of righteousness and truth. Self-indulgence, love of pleasure, enmity, pride, self-esteem, envy, jealousy, will grow spontaneously, without example and teaching. In our present fallen state all that is needed is to give up the mind and character to its natural tendencies. In the natural world, give up a field to itself and you will see it covered with briers and thorns; but if it yields precious grain or beautiful flowers, care and unremitting labor must be applied.  {Mar 229.4}
[Mar 229.5]          Now we present before you the necessity of constant resistance to evil. All heaven is interested in men and women whom God has valued so much as to give His beloved Son to die to redeem them. No other creature that God has made is  capable of such improvement, such refinement, such nobility as man. Then when men become blunted by their own debasing passions, sunken in vice, what a specimen for God to look upon! Man cannot conceive what he may be and what he may become. Through the grace of Christ he is capable of constant mental progress. Let the light of truth shine into his mind and the love of God be shed abroad in his heart and he may, through the grace Christ has died to impart to him, be a man of power--a child of earth but an heir of immortality.  {Mar 229.5}
[Mar 230.1]       Chap. 222 - Sanctification of the Whole Man         Be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:23, 24.  {Mar 230.1}
[Mar 230.2]           The truth must sanctify the whole man--his mind, his thoughts, his heart, his strength. His vital powers will not be consumed upon his own lustful practices. These must be overcome, or they will overcome him. . . . The thoughts need purifying. What might not men and women have been had they realized that the treatment of the body has everything to do with the vigor and purity of mind and heart.    {Mar 230.2}
[Mar 230.3]          The true Christian obtains an experience which brings holiness. He is without a spot of guilt upon the conscience, or a taint of corruption upon the soul. The spirituality of the law of God, with its limiting principles, is brought into his life. The light of truth irradiates his understanding. A glow of perfect love for the Redeemer clears away the miasma which has interposed between his soul and God. The will of God has become his will, pure, elevated, refined, and sanctified. His countenance reveals the light of heaven. His body is a fit temple for the Holy Spirit. Holiness adorns his character. God can commune with him; for soul and body are in harmony with God. . . .  {Mar 230.3}
[Mar 230.4]          God would have us realize that He has a right to mind, soul, body, and spirit--to all that we possess. We are His by creation and by redemption. As our Creator, He claims our entire service. As our Redeemer, He has a claim of love as well as of right--of love without a parallel. This claim we should realize every moment of our existence. . . . Our bodies, our souls, our lives, are His, not only because they are His free gift, but because He constantly supplies us with His benefits, and gives us strength to use our faculties. . . . He says, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.". . .  {Mar 230.4}
[Mar 230.5]          Those who are sons of God will represent Christ in character. Their works will be perfumed by the infinite tenderness, compassion, love, and purity of the Son of God. And the more completely mind and body are yielded to the Holy Spirit, the greater  will be the fragrance of our offering to Him.  {Mar 230.5}
[Mar 231.1]       Chap. 223 - In Harmony with His Law         Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Psalm 119:34.  {Mar 231.1}
[Mar 231.2]           In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and  rebellion to obedience and loyalty. . . .  {Mar 231.2}
[Mar 231.3]         Erroneous theories of sanctification, . . . springing from neglect or rejection of the divine law, have a prominent place in the religious movements of the day. These theories are both false in doctrine and dangerous in practical results; and the fact that they are so generally finding favor, renders it doubly  essential that all have a clear understanding of what the Scriptures teach upon this point.  {Mar 231.3}
[Mar 231.4]          True sanctification is a Bible doctrine. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonian church, declares: "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." And he prays: "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23). The Bible clearly teaches what sanctification is and how it is to be attained. The Saviour prayed for His disciples: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17, 19). And Paul teaches that believers are to be "sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:16). What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told His disciples: "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). And the psalmist says: "Thy law is the truth." By the Word and the Spirit of God are opened to men the great principles of righteousness embodied in His law. And since the law of God is "holy, and just, and good," a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is a perfect example of such a character. He says: "I have kept my Father's commandments." "I do always those things that please him" (John 15:10; 8:29). The followers of Christ are to become like Him--by the grace of God to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law. This is Bible sanctification.  {Mar 231.4}
[Mar 231.5]         This work can be accomplished only through faith in Christ, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.  {Mar 231.5}
[Mar 232.1]       Chap. 224 - Counterfeit Sanctification         He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 1 John 2:4, 5.  {Mar 232.1}
[Mar 232.2]           The sanctification now gaining prominence in the religious world carries with it a spirit of self-exaltation and a disregard for the law of God that mark it as foreign to the religion of the Bible. Its advocates teach that sanctification is an instantaneous work, by which, through faith alone, they attain to perfect holiness. "Only believe," say they, "and the blessing is yours." No further effort on the part of the receiver is supposed to be required. At the same time they deny the authority of the law of God, urging that they are released from obligation to keep the commandments. But is it possible for men to be holy, in accord with the will and character of God, without coming into harmony with the principles which are an expression of His nature and will . . . ?  {Mar 232.2}
[Mar 232.3]          The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine; but what saith the word of God? Says the apostle James: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? . . . Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? . . ."  {Mar 232.3}
[Mar 232.4]          The testimony of the word of God is against this ensnaring doctrine of faith without works. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions upon which mercy is to be granted, it is presumption; for genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.  {Mar 232.4}
[Mar 232.5]          Let none deceive themselves with the belief that they can become holy while willfully violating one of God's requirements. The commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God. . . . "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected" (1 John 2:4, 5).  {Mar 232.5}
[Mar 233.1]       Chap. 225 - Impressions, Feelings, and Drugs         Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Psalm 119:104.  {Mar 233.1}
[Mar 233.2]           There are many restless spirits who will not submit to discipline, system, and order. They think that their liberties would be abridged were they to lay aside their own judgment and submit to the judgment of those of experience. The work of God will not progress unless there is a disposition to submit to order and expel the reckless, disorderly spirit of fanaticism from their meetings.  {Mar 233.2}
[Mar 233.3]         Impressions and feelings are no sure evidence that a person is led by the Lord. Satan will, if he is unsuspected, give feelings and impressions. These are not safe guides. All should thoroughly acquaint themselves with the evidences of our faith, and the great study should be how they can adorn their profession and bear fruit to the glory of God. . . .  {Mar 233.3}
[Mar 233.4]          For some time he ［a patient at the Battle Creek Sanitarium］ had thought he was obtaining new light. He was very ill, and must soon die. . . . Those to whom he presented his views listened to him eagerly, and some thought him inspired. . . . To many his reasoning seemed to be without a flaw. They told of his powerful exhortations in his sickroom. Most wonderful views passed before him. But what was the source of his inspiration? It was the morphine given him to relieve his pain.  {Mar 233.4}
[Mar 233.5]          The poisons contained in many so-called remedies create habits and appetites that mean ruin to both soul and body. Many of the popular nostrums called patent medicines, and even some of the drugs dispensed by physicians, act a part in laying the foundation of the liquor habit, the opium habit, the morphine habit, that are so terrible a curse to society.  {Mar 233.5}
[Mar 233.6]          If the blessing that those who claim to be sanctified have received, leads them to rely upon some particular emotion, and they declare there is no need of searching the Scriptures that they may know God's revealed will, then the supposed blessing is a counterfeit, for it leads its possessors to place value on their own unsanctified emotions and fancies, and to close their ears to the voice of God in His word.  {Mar 233.6}
[Mar 234.1]       Chap. 226 - Drums, Dancing and Noise         Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40.  {Mar 234.1}
[Mar 234.2]           The things you have described . . . the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.  {Mar 234.2}
[Mar 234.3]          The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. . . . A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of Satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit's working. . . . Those participating in the supposed revival receive impressions which lead them adrift. They cannot tell what they formerly knew regarding Bible principles.  {Mar 234.3}
[Mar 234.4]          No encouragement should be given to this kind of worship. The same kind of influence came in after the passing of the time in 1844. The same kind of representations were made. Men became excited, and were worked by a power thought to be the power of God. . . .  {Mar 234.4}
[Mar 234.5]          Men and women, supposed to be guided by the Holy Spirit, held meetings in a state of nudity. They talked about holy flesh. They said they were beyond the power of temptation, and they sang, and shouted, and made all manner of noisy demonstrations. . . . Satan was moulding the work, and sensuality was the result. The cause of God was dishonored. Truth, sacred truth, was leveled in the dust by human agencies. . . .  {Mar 234.5}
[Mar 234.6]          I bore my testimony, declaring that these fanatical movements, this din and noise, were inspired by the spirit of Satan, who was working miracles to deceive if possible the very elect.  {Mar 234.6}
[Mar 234.7]          We need to be on our guard, to maintain a close connection with Christ, that we be not deceived by Satan's devices. The Lord desires to have in His service order and discipline, not excitement and confusion.  {Mar 234.7}
[Mar 235.1]       Chap. 227 - No Room for Boasting         Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 6:5.  {Mar 235.1}
[Mar 235.2]           Those who experience the sanctification of the Bible will manifest a spirit of humility. Like Moses, they have had a view of the awful majesty of holiness, and they see their own unworthiness in contrast with the purity and exalted perfection of the Infinite One.  {Mar 235.2}
[Mar 235.3]          The prophet Daniel was an example of true sanctification. His long life was filled up with noble service for his Master. He was a man "greatly beloved" (Daniel 10:11) of Heaven. Yet instead of claiming to be pure and holy, this honored prophet identified himself with the really sinful of Israel as he pleaded before God in behalf of his people: "We do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies." "We have sinned, we have done wickedly." He declares: "I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people. . . . "(Daniel 9:18, 15, 20).  {Mar 235.3}
[Mar 235.4]          When Job heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind, he exclaimed: "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). It was when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, and heard the cherubim crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts," that he cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone" (Isaiah 6:3, 5). Paul, after he was caught up into the third heaven and heard things which it was not possible for a man to utter, speaks of himself as "less than the least of all saints" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4, margin; Ephesians 3:8). It was the beloved John, who leaned on Jesus' breast and beheld His glory, that fell as one dead before the feet of the angel (Revelation 1:17).  {Mar 235.4}
[Mar 235.5]          There can be no self-exaltation, no boastful claim to freedom from sin, on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary's cross. They feel that it was their sin which caused the agony that broke the heart of the Son of God, and this thought will lead them to self-abasement. Those who live nearest to Jesus discern most clearly the frailty and sinfulness of humanity, and their only hope is in the merit of a crucified and risen Saviour.  {Mar 235.5}
[Mar 236.1]       Chap. 228 - Salvation Day by Day         Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12.  {Mar 236.1}
[Mar 236.2]           Peter's fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master. Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation. . . . Only he who endures the trial will receive the crown of life (James 1:12).  {Mar 236.2}
[Mar 236.3]         Those who accept Christ, and in their first confidence say, I am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves. . . . We are admonished, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). Our only safety is in constant distrust of self, and dependence on Christ.  {Mar 236.3}
[Mar 236.4]          There are many who profess Christ, but who never become mature Christians. They admit that man is fallen, that his faculties are weakened, that he is unfitted for moral achievement, but they say that Christ has borne all the burden, all the suffering, all the self-denial, and they are willing to let Him bear it. They say that there is nothing for them to do but to believe; but Christ said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). . . .  {Mar 236.4}
[Mar 236.5]          We are never to rest in a satisfied condition, and cease to make advancement, saying, "I am saved." When this idea is entertained, the motives for watchfulness, for prayer, for earnest endeavor to press onward to higher attainments, cease to exist. No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the gates into the city of God. Then, with the utmost propriety, we may give glory to God and to the Lamb for eternal deliverance.  {Mar 236.5}
[Mar 237.1]       Chap. 229 - The Meaning of Conversion         If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17.  {Mar 237.1}
[Mar 237.2]           The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ. When men who claim to be Christians retain all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appreciate the truth as a sanctifier, a refiner. They have not been born again. . . .  {Mar 237.2}
[Mar 237.3]          A genuine conversion changes hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. The religion of God is a firm fabric, composed of innumerable threads, and woven together with tact and skill. Only the wisdom which comes from God can make this fabric complete. There are a great many kinds of cloth which at first have a fine appearance, but they cannot endure the test. They wash out. The colors are not fast. Under the heat of summer they fade away and are lost. The cloth cannot endure rough handling.  {Mar 237.3}
[Mar 237.4]          So it is with the religion of many. When the warp and woof of character will not stand the test of trial, the material of which it is composed is worthless. The efforts made to patch the old with a new piece do not better the condition of things; for the old, flimsy material breaks away from the new, leaving the rent much larger than before. Patching will not do. The only way is to discard the old garment altogether, and procure one entirely new.  {Mar 237.4}
[Mar 237.5]          Christ's plan is the only safe one. He declares, "Behold, I make all things new." "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." . . . The patchwork religion is not of the least value with God. He requires the whole heart.  {Mar 237.5}
[Mar 237.6]          Jesus gave His life . . . for us, and shall we not give Him our best affections, our holiest aspirations, our fullest service?  {Mar 237.6}
[Mar 238.1]       Chap. 230 - Sanctification is for Sabbathkeepers         Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. . . . The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. Exodus 20:8-10.  {Mar 238.1}
[Mar 238.2]           God has declared in His Word that the seventh day is a sign between Him and His chosen people--a sign of their loyalty. . . .  {Mar 238.2}
[Mar 238.3]          The seventh day is God's chosen day. He has not left this matter to be remodeled by priest or ruler. It is of too great importance to be left to human judgment. God saw that men would study their own convenience, and choose a day best suited to their inclinations, a day bearing no divine authority; and He has stated plainly that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord.  {Mar 238.3}
[Mar 238.4]          Every man in God's world is under the laws of His government. God has placed the Sabbath in the bosom of the Decalogue, and has made it the criterion of obedience. Through it we may learn of His power, as displayed in His works and His Word. . . .  {Mar 238.4}
[Mar 238.5]          Men could not place themselves more decidedly in opposition to God's work and to His law than by upholding a day that is without one evidence of sanctity, and professing to worship Him on that day. Those who have corrupted the law by substituting a false sabbath for the holy Sabbath of God, and who compel the observance of this false sabbath, exalt themselves above God, and honor the spurious above the genuine.  {Mar 238.5}
[Mar 238.6]          Sanctification is claimed by professed Christians who ignore God's holy rest day for a spurious sabbath. But God declares that the sanctification coming from Him is bestowed on those only who honor Him by obeying His commands. The sanctification claimed by those who continue in transgression is a spurious sanctification. Thus the religious world is deceived by the enemy of God and man. . . .  {Mar 238.6}
[Mar 238.7]          Men have sought out many inventions. They have taken a common day, upon which God has placed no sanctity, and have clothed it with sacred prerogatives. They have declared it to be a holy day, but this does not give it a vestige of sanctity. They dishonor God by accepting human institutions and presenting to the world as the Christian Sabbath a day which has no "Thus saith the Lord" for its authority.  {Mar 238.7}
[Mar 239.1]       Chap. 231 - Sound the Note of Alarm         In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6.  {Mar 239.1}
[Mar 239.2]           In all our ways we should acknowledge God, and He will direct our paths. We should consult His Word with humble hearts, ask His counsel, and give up our will to His. We can do nothing without God.  {Mar 239.2}
[Mar 239.3]          There is the highest reason for us to prize the true Sabbath and stand in its defense, for it is the sign which distinguishes the people of God from the world. The commandment that the world makes void is the one to which, for this very reason, God's people will give greater honor. It is when the unbelieving cast contempt upon the Word of God that the faithful Calebs are called for. It is then that they will stand firm at the post of duty, without parade, and without swerving because of reproach. The unbelieving spies stood ready to destroy Caleb. He saw the stones in the hands of those who had brought a false report, but this did not deter him; he had a message, and he would bear it. The same spirit will be manifested today by those who are true to God.  {Mar 239.3}
[Mar 239.4]          The psalmist says, "They have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold" (Psalm 119:126, 127). When men press close to the side of Jesus, when Christ is abiding in their hearts by faith, their love for the commandments of God grows stronger in proportion to the contempt which the world heaps upon His holy precepts. It is at this time that the true Sabbath must be brought before the people by both pen and voice. As the fourth commandment and those who observe it are ignored and despised, the faithful feel that it is the time not to hide their faith but to exalt the law of Jehovah by unfurling the banner on which is inscribed the message of the third angel, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.  {Mar 239.4}
[Mar 239.5]         Let not those who have the truth as it is in Jesus give sanction, even by their silence, to the work of the mystery of iniquity. Let them never cease to sound the note of alarm. . . . The truth must not be hid, it must not be denied or disguised, but fully avowed, and boldly proclaimed.  {Mar 239.5}
[Mar 240.1]       Chap. 232 - The Pure Mark of Truth         The Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Ezekiel 9:4.  {Mar 240.1}
[Mar 240.2]           Mark this point with care: Those who receive the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a mark by the man in linen, are those "that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done" in the church.  {Mar 240.2}
[Mar 240.3]          The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God. . . .  {Mar 240.3}
[Mar 240.4]          Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master's will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. . . .  {Mar 240.4}
[Mar 240.5]          Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples. . . .  {Mar 240.5}
[Mar 240.6]          What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth--these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.  {Mar 240.6}
[Mar 240.7]          Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God--candidates for heaven.  {Mar 240.7}
[Mar 241.1]       Chap. 233 - Who Receive the Seal?         And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:5.  {Mar 241.1}
[Mar 241.2]           Only those who receive the seal of the living God will have the passport through the gates of the Holy City. . . .  {Mar 241.2}
[Mar 241.3]          The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character.  {Mar 241.3}
[Mar 241.4]          As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ.  {Mar 241.4}
[Mar 241.5]          Many will not receive the seal of God because they do not keep His commandments or bear the fruits of righteousness.  {Mar 241.5}
[Mar 241.6]          The great mass of professing Christians will meet with bitter disappointment in the day of God. They have not upon their foreheads the seal of the living God. Lukewarm and halfhearted, they dishonor God far more than the avowed unbeliever. They grope in darkness, when they might be walking in the noonday light of the Word, under the guidance of One who never errs. . . .  {Mar 241.6}
[Mar 241.7]          Those whom the Lamb shall lead by the fountains of living waters, and from whose eyes He shall wipe away all tears, will be those now receiving the knowledge and understanding revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. . . .  {Mar 241.7}
[Mar 241.8]          We are to copy no human being. There is no human being wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to good purpose. We may safely look to Him; for He is all-wise. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed within, the hope of glory.  {Mar 241.8}
[Mar 241.9]          Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.  {Mar 241.9}
[Mar 242.1]       Chap. 234 - Time of Sealing Soon Over         I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4.  {Mar 242.1}
[Mar 242.2]           The sealing time is very short, and will soon be over. Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election sure.  {Mar 242.2}
[Mar 242.3]          I was pointed down to the time when the third angel's message was closing. The power of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them.  {Mar 242.3}
[Mar 242.4]          They had received the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living testimony had been revived. The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth who would not receive the message.  {Mar 242.4}
[Mar 242.5]          I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a writer's inkhorn by his side returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered and sealed. Then I saw Jesus . . . throw down the censer. He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, "It is done."  {Mar 242.5}
[Mar 242.6]          I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.  {Mar 242.6}
[Mar 242.7]          I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of "refreshing" and the "latter rain" to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter!  {Mar 242.7}
[Mar 242.8]          When Jesus leaves the sanctuary, then they who are holy and righteous will be holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted out, and they will be sealed with the seal of the living God. But those that are unjust and filthy will be unjust and filthy still; for then there will be no Priest in the sanctuary to offer their sacrifices, their confessions, and their prayers before the Father's throne. Therefore what is done to rescue souls from the coming storm of wrath must be done before Jesus leaves the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.  {Mar 242.8}
[Mar 243.1]       Chap. 235 - Angels can Read God's Mark         I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:2, 3.  {Mar 243.1}
[Mar 243.2]           Everything in the world is in an unsettled state. The nations are angry, and great preparations for war are being made. Nation is plotting against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The great day of God is hasting greatly. But although the nations are mustering their forces for war and bloodshed, the command to the angels is still in force, that they hold the four winds until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.  {Mar 243.2}
[Mar 243.3]          As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. How carefully we should improve the little remaining period of our probation!  {Mar 243.3}
[Mar 243.4]          Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change. . . . The thoughts must be centered upon God. Now is the time to put forth earnest effort to overcome the natural tendencies of the carnal heart.  {Mar 243.4}
[Mar 243.5]          Just before we entered it ［the time of trouble］, we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.  {Mar 243.5}
[Mar 243.6]          What is the seal of the living God, which is placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark which angels, but not human eyes, can read; for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption. The intelligent mind has seen the sign of the cross of Calvary in the Lord's adopted sons and daughters. The sin of the transgression of the law of God is taken away. They have on the wedding garment, and are obedient and faithful to all God's commands.  {Mar 243.6}
[Mar 243.7]          The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.  {Mar 243.7}
[Mar 244.1]       Chap. 236 - A Sign that Distinguishes God's People         Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. Ezekiel 20:12.  {Mar 244.1}
[Mar 244.2]           As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God's people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest.  {Mar 244.2}
[Mar 244.3]          The observance of the Sabbath is the means ordained by God of preserving a knowledge of Himself and of distinguishing between His loyal subjects and the transgressors of His law.  {Mar 244.3}
[Mar 244.4]          It ［the Sabbath］ belongs to Christ. . . . Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, "I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them"--make them holy. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God. . . .  {Mar 244.4}
[Mar 244.5]          To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.  {Mar 244.5}
[Mar 244.6]          The Sabbath is a golden clasp that unites God and His people.  {Mar 244.6}
[Mar 245.1]       Chap. 237 - Importance and Glory of the Sabbath         I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:14.  {Mar 245.1}
[Mar 245.2]           Sabbath we had a sweet, glorious time. . . . We were made to rejoice and glorify God for His exceeding goodness unto us. . . . I was taken off in vision. . . .  {Mar 245.2}
[Mar 245.3]          I saw that we sensed and realized but little of the importance of the Sabbath, to what we yet should realize and know of its importance and glory. I saw we knew not what it was yet to ride upon the high places of the earth and to be fed with the heritage of Jacob. But when the refreshing and latter rain shall come from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power we shall know what it is to be fed with the heritage of Jacob and ride upon the high places of the earth. Then shall we see the Sabbath more in its importance and glory. But we shall not see it in all its glory and importance until the covenant of peace is made with us at the voice of God, and the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem are thrown open and swing back on their glittering hinges and the glad and joyful voice of the lovely Jesus is heard richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear bidding us enter. ［I saw］ that we had a perfect right in the city for we had kept the commandments of God, and heaven, sweet heaven is our home.  {Mar 245.3}
[Mar 245.4]          I saw the ten commandments written on them ［the tables of stone］ with the finger of God. On one table were four, and on the other six. The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name. The holy Sabbath looked glorious--a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath commandment was not nailed to the cross. If it was, the other nine commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all, as well as to break the fourth. . . .  {Mar 245.4}
[Mar 245.5]          I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God's dear, waiting saints.  {Mar 245.5}
[Mar 246.1]       Chap. 238 - The Sabbath is God's Mark         Hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:20.  {Mar 246.1}
[Mar 246.2]           The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were God's property. So the children of God in this age will bear the signature God has appointed. They will place themselves in harmony with God's holy law. A mark is placed upon every one of God's people just as verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the general ruin. God declares, "I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them."  {Mar 246.2}
[Mar 246.3]          Every soul in our world is the Lord's property, by creation and by redemption. Each individual soul is on trial for his life. Has he given to God that which belongs to Him? Has he surrendered to God all that is His as His purchased possession? All who cherish the Lord as their portion in this life will be under His control, and will receive the sign, the mark of God, which shows them to be God's special possession. Christ's righteousness will go before them, and the glory of the Lord will be their rereward. The Lord protects every human being who bears His sign.  {Mar 246.3}
[Mar 246.4]          "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. . . . Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.  {Mar 246.4}
[Mar 246.5]          This recognition of God is of the highest value to every human being. All who love and serve Him are very precious in His sight. He would have them stand where they are worthy representatives of the truth as it is in Jesus.  {Mar 246.5}
[Mar 247.1]       Chap. 239 - Study the Subject of the Sanctuary         And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Daniel 8:14.  {Mar 247.1}
[Mar 247.2]           We should be earnest students of prophecy; we should not rest until we become intelligent in regard to the subject of the sanctuary, which is brought out in the visions of Daniel and John. This subject sheds great light on our present position and work, and gives us unmistakable proof that God has led us in our past experience. It explains our disappointment in 1844, showing us that the sanctuary to be cleansed was not the earth, as we had supposed, but that Christ then entered into the most holy apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and is there performing the closing work of His priestly office, in fulfillment of the words of the angel to the prophet Daniel.  {Mar 247.2}
[Mar 247.3]          The 2300 days had been found to begin when the commandment of Artaxerxes for the restoration and building of Jerusalem, went into effect, in the autumn of 457 B.C. Taking this as the starting point, there was perfect harmony in the application of all the events foretold in the explanation of that period in Daniel 9:25-27. . . . The seventy weeks, or 490 years, were to pertain especially to the Jews. At the expiration of this period, the nation sealed its rejection of Christ by the persecution of His disciples, and the apostles turned to the Gentiles, A.D. 34. The first 490 years of the 2300 having then ended, 1810 years would remain. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. "Then," said the angel, "shall the sanctuary be cleansed."  {Mar 247.3}
[Mar 247.4]          Our faith in reference to the messages of the first, second, and third angels was correct. The great waymarks we have passed are immovable. Although the hosts of hell may try to tear them from their foundation, and triumph in the thought that they have succeeded, yet they do not succeed. These pillars of truth stand firm as the eternal hills, unmoved by all the efforts of men combined with those of Satan and his host. We can learn much, and should be constantly searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so.  {Mar 247.4}
[Mar 248.1]       Chap. 240 - Cleansing of the Sanctuary         I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Daniel 7:13.  {Mar 248.1}
[Mar 248.2]           After His ascension, our Saviour began His work as our high priest. Says Paul, "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Hebrews 9:24. . . .  {Mar 248.2}
[Mar 248.3]          For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ's work for the redemption of men is completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time . . . our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His solemn work--to cleanse the sanctuary. . . .  {Mar 248.3}
[Mar 248.4]          The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14; the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of days, as presented in Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by Malachi, are descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25.  {Mar 248.4}
[Mar 248.5]          The cleansing of the sanctuary . . . involves a work of investigation--a work of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his works.  {Mar 248.5}
[Mar 248.6]          In the day of final reckoning, position, rank, or wealth will not alter by a hair's breadth the case of any one. By the all-seeing God, men will be judged by what they are in purity, in nobility, in love for Christ.  {Mar 248.6}
[Mar 249.1]       Chap. 241 - Instruction from the Sanctuary in Heaven         Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Hebrews 10:22.  {Mar 249.1}
[Mar 249.2]           "And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." Daniel 7:13. . . . The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of days in heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God . . . to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.  {Mar 249.2}
[Mar 249.3]          May the Lord give us to see the need of drinking from the living fountain of the water of life. Its pure streams will refresh and heal us and refresh all connected with us. Oh, if the hearts were only subdued by the Spirit of God! If the eye were single to God's glory, what a flood of heavenly light would pour upon the soul. He who spake as never man spake was an educator upon earth. After His resurrection He was an educator to the lonely, disappointed disciples traveling to Emmaus, and to those assembled in the upper chamber. He opened to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and caused their hearts to bound with a holy, new and sacred hope and joy.  {Mar 249.3}
[Mar 249.4]          From the Holy of Holies, there goes on the grand work of instruction. The angels of God are communicating to men. Christ officiates in the sanctuary. We do not follow Him into the sanctuary as we should. Christ and angels work in the hearts of the children of men. The church above united with the church below is warring the good warfare upon the earth. There must be a purifying of the soul here upon the earth, in harmony with Christ's cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven.  {Mar 249.4}
[Mar 249.5]          God's people are now to have their eyes fixed on the heavenly sanctuary, where . . . our great High Priest . . . is interceding for His people.  {Mar 249.5}
[Mar 250.1]       Chap. 242 - Judging the Cases of the Living         Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Revelation 3:3.  {Mar 250.1}
[Mar 250.2]           At the time appointed for the judgment--the close of the 2300 days, in 1844--began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 20:12.  {Mar 250.2}
[Mar 250.3]          Said the Judge: "All will be justified by their faith and judged by their works."  {Mar 250.3}
[Mar 250.4]          Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned, and blotted out of the books of record, but will stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God. . . .  {Mar 250.4}
[Mar 250.5]          There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet He will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Every one must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  {Mar 250.5}
[Mar 250.6]          The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon--none know how soon--it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour's admonition, "Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." Mark 13:33. "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Revelation 3:3.  {Mar 250.6}
[Mar 251.1]       Chap. 243 - The Investigative Judgment         Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. 1 Timothy 5:24.  {Mar 251.1}
[Mar 251.2]           The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. . . . When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be.  {Mar 251.2}
[Mar 251.3]          All are to be judged according to the things written in the books, and to be rewarded as their works have been. This judgment does not take place at death.  {Mar 251.3}
[Mar 251.4]          In the typical service the high priest, having made the atonement for Israel, came forth and blessed the congregation. So Christ, at the close of His work as mediator, will appear, "without sin unto salvation," to bless His waiting people with eternal life. As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary, confessed them upon the head of the scapegoat, so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin. The scapegoat, bearing the sins of Israel, was sent away "unto a land not inhabited;" so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit, will be for a thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate, without inhabitant, and he will at last suffer the full penalty of sin in the fires that shall destroy all the wicked.  {Mar 251.4}
[Mar 251.5]          A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number who people the earth will be saved unto life eternal, while the masses who have not perfected their souls in obeying the truth will be appointed to the second death.  {Mar 251.5}
[Mar 251.6]          While the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth.  {Mar 251.6}
[Mar 252.1]       Chap. 244 - Standing Before Courts and Councils         I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. Psalm 119:46.  {Mar 252.1}
[Mar 252.2]           In the great closing work we shall meet with perplexities that we know not how to deal with, but let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to pass.  {Mar 252.2}
[Mar 252.3]         The time will come when we shall be brought before councils and before thousands for His name's sake, and each one will have to give the reason of his faith.  {Mar 252.3}
[Mar 252.4]          Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world's great men will be brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world's greatest men, it will be done.  {Mar 252.4}
[Mar 252.5]          The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not by reasoning overcome satanic delusions, will bear an affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly learned men. Words will come from the lips of the unlearned with such convincing power and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth. Thousands will be converted under their testimony.  {Mar 252.5}
[Mar 252.6]          Why should the illiterate man have this power, which the learned man has not? The illiterate one, through faith in Christ, has come into the atmosphere of pure, clear truth, while the learned man has turned away from the truth. The poor man is Christ's witness. He cannot appeal to histories or to so-called high science, but he gathers from the Word of God powerful evidence. The truth that he speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit, is so pure and remarkable and carries with it a power so indisputable, that his testimony cannot be gainsaid.  {Mar 252.6}
[Mar 253.1]       Chap. 245 - Witnessing Before the Great Men of the Earth         And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. Matthew 10:18.  {Mar 253.1}
[Mar 253.2]           The time is not far off when the people of God will be called upon to give their testimony before the rulers of the earth. Not one in twenty has a realization of what rapid strides we are making toward the great crisis in our history. . . . There is no time for vanity, for trifling, for engaging the mind in unimportant matters.  {Mar 253.2}
[Mar 253.3]          Kings, governors, and great men will hear of you through the reports of those who are at enmity with you, and your faith and character will be misrepresented before them. But those who are falsely accused will have an opportunity to appear in the presence of their accusers to answer for themselves. They will have the privilege of bringing the light before those who are called the great men of the earth, and if you have studied the Bible, if you are ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, your enemies will not be able to gainsay your wisdom.  {Mar 253.3}
[Mar 253.4]          You now have an opportunity to attain to the greatest intellectual power through the study of the Word of God. But if you are indolent, and fail to dig deep in the mines of truth, you will not be ready for the crisis that is soon to come upon us. O that you would realize that each moment is golden. If you live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, you will not be found unprepared.  {Mar 253.4}
[Mar 253.5]          You know not where you may be called upon to give your witness of truth. Many will have to stand in the legislative courts; some will have to stand before kings and before the learned of the earth, to answer for their faith. Those who have only a superficial understanding of truth will not be able clearly to expound the Scriptures, and give definite reasons for their faith. They will become confused, and will not be workmen that need not to be ashamed. Let no one imagine that he has no need to study, because he is not to preach in the sacred desk. You know not what God may require of you.  {Mar 253.5}
[Mar 254.1]       Chap. 246 - Prepare to Meet Thy God         Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Amos 4:12.  {Mar 254.1}
[Mar 254.2]           Many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.  {Mar 254.2}
[Mar 254.3]          Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth.  {Mar 254.3}
[Mar 254.4]          I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of "refreshing" and the "latter rain" to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God.  {Mar 254.4}
[Mar 254.5]          Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. . . .  {Mar 254.5}
[Mar 254.6]          I saw that none could share the "refreshing" unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.  {Mar 254.6}
[Mar 255.1]       Chap. 247 - Promise of Divine Help         But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. Matthew 10:19.  {Mar 255.1}
[Mar 255.2]           The servants of Christ are to prepare no set speech to present when brought to trial for their faith. Their preparation is to be made day by day, in treasuring up in their hearts the precious truths of God's Word, in feeding upon the teaching of Christ, and through prayer strengthening their faith; then, when brought into trial, the Holy Spirit will bring to their remembrance the very truths that will reach the hearts of those who shall come to hear. God will flash the knowledge obtained by diligent searching of the Scriptures, into their memory at the very time when it is needed.  {Mar 255.2}
[Mar 255.3]          You are now to get ready for the time of trial. Now you are to know whether your feet are planted on the Eternal Rock. You must have an individual experience, and not depend upon others for your light. When you are brought to the test, how do you know that you will not be alone, with no earthly friend at your side? Will you then be able to realize that Christ is your support? Will you be able to recall the promise, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world"? There will be invisible ones all about you bent upon your destruction. Satan and his agents will seek in every way to make you waver from your steadfastness to God and His truth. But if you have an eye single to His glory, you need not take thought as to how you shall witness for His truth.  {Mar 255.3}
[Mar 255.4]          Young men and women, are you growing up to the full stature of men and women in Christ, so that when the crisis comes, you cannot be separated from the Source of your strength? If we would stand during the time of test, we must now, in the time of peace, be gaining a living experience in the things of God. We must now learn to understand what are the deep movings of the Spirit of God. Christ must be our all and in all, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.  {Mar 255.4}
[Mar 256.1]       Chap. 248 - Another Pentecost Coming!         I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26.  {Mar 256.1}
[Mar 256.2]           Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God's church. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. . . . But near the close of earth's harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain.  {Mar 256.2}
[Mar 256.3]          The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. . . .  {Mar 256.3}
[Mar 256.4]          Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.  {Mar 256.4}
[Mar 256.5]          The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. . . . Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord's side.  {Mar 256.5}
[Mar 257.1]       Chap. 249 - The Battle of Armageddon Joins         These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:14.  {Mar 257.1}
[Mar 257.2]           We need to study the pouring out of the seventh vial. The powers of evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle. But Providence has a part to act in the battle of Armageddon. When the earth is lighted with the glory of the angel of Revelation eighteen, the religious elements, good and evil, will awake from slumber, and the armies of the living God will take the field.  {Mar 257.2}
[Mar 257.3]          Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.  {Mar 257.3}
[Mar 257.4]          Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps. . . .  {Mar 257.4}
[Mar 257.5]          The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us, and the Captain of the Lord's host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us.  {Mar 257.5}
[Mar 258.1]       Chap. 250 - Future Events Come in Order         But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4.  {Mar 258.1}
[Mar 258.2]           I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silence no longer, but pour out His wrath on those who have rejected His truth. I saw that the anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead were separate and distinct, one following the other, also that Michael had not stood up, and that the time of trouble, such as never was, had not yet commenced. The nations are now getting angry, but when our High Priest has finished His work in the sanctuary, He will stand up, put on the garments of vengeance, and then the seven last plagues will be poured out.  {Mar 258.2}
[Mar 258.3]          I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the voice of God.  {Mar 258.3}
[Mar 258.4]          Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb. . . . But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious death. . . . So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed.  {Mar 258.4}
[Mar 259.1]       Chap. 251 - A Little Time of Peace         For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3.  {Mar 259.1}
[Mar 259.2]           While the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the "latter rain," or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.  {Mar 259.2}
[Mar 259.3]          I was shown the inhabitants of the earth in the utmost confusion. War, bloodshed, privation, want, famine, and pestilence were abroad in the land. As these things surrounded God's people, they began to press together, and to cast aside their little difficulties. Self-dignity no longer controlled them; deep humility took its place. Suffering, perplexity, and privation caused reason to resume its throne, and the passionate and unreasonable man became sane, and acted with discretion and wisdom.  {Mar 259.3}
[Mar 259.4]          My attention was then called from the scene. There seemed to be a little time of peace. Once more the inhabitants of the earth were presented before me; and again everything was in the utmost confusion. Strife, war, and bloodshed, with famine and pestilence, raged everywhere. Other nations were engaged in this war and confusion. War caused famine. Want and bloodshed caused pestilence. And then men's hearts failed them for fear, "and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth."  {Mar 259.4}
[Mar 259.5]          Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture. . . .  {Mar 259.5}
[Mar 259.6]          A moment of respite has been graciously given us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for those who are perishing in ignorance.  {Mar 259.6}
[Mar 260.1]       Chap. 252 - The Peace and Safety Cry         They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Jeremiah 6:14.  {Mar 260.1}
[Mar 260.2]           Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will . . . see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.  {Mar 260.2}
[Mar 260.3]          "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. When the reasoning of philosophy has banished the fear of God's judgments; when religious teachers are pointing forward to long ages of peace and prosperity, and the world are absorbed in their rounds of business and pleasure, planting and building, feasting and merrymaking, rejecting God's warnings and mocking His messengers--then it is that sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3.  {Mar 260.3}
[Mar 260.4]          Like the dwellers in the vale of Siddim, the people are dreaming of prosperity and peace. "Escape for thy life," is the warning from the angels of God; but other voices are heard saying, "Be not excited; there is no cause for alarm." The multitudes cry, "Peace and safety," while Heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the transgressor. On the night prior to their destruction, the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure and derided the fears and warnings of the messenger of God; but those scoffers perished in the flames; that very night the door of mercy was forever closed to the wicked, careless inhabitants of Sodom. God will not always be mocked; He will not long be trifled with. "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." Isaiah 13:9. The great mass of the world will reject God's mercy, and will be overwhelmed in swift and irretrievable ruin. But those who heed the warning shall dwell "in the secret place of the most High," and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty." His truth shall be their shield and buckler.  {Mar 260.4}
[Mar 261.1]       Chap. 253 - God's Work is Finished         And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14.  {Mar 261.1}
[Mar 261.2]           The solemn, sacred message of warning must be proclaimed in the most difficult fields and in the most sinful cities, in every place where the light of the great threefold gospel message has not yet dawned. Every one is to hear the last call to the marriage supper of the Lamb. From town to town, from city to city, from country to country, the message of present truth is to be proclaimed, not with outward display, but in the power of the Spirit.  {Mar 261.2}
[Mar 261.3]          The message of the renewing power of God's grace will be carried to every country and clime, until the truth shall belt the world. Of the number of them that shall be sealed will be those who have come from every nation and kindred and tongue and people. From every country will be gathered men and women who will stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb, crying, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Revelation 7:10.  {Mar 261.3}
[Mar 261.4]          The whole earth is to be illuminated with the glory of God's truth. The light is to shine to all lands and all peoples. And it is from those who have received the light that it is to shine forth. The daystar has risen upon us, and we are to flash its light upon the pathway of those in darkness.  {Mar 261.4}
[Mar 261.5]          A crisis is right upon us. We must now by the Holy Spirit's power proclaim the great truths for these last days. It will not be long before everyone will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come.  {Mar 261.5}
[Mar 261.6]          The truth contained in the first, second, and third angel's messages must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; it must lighten the darkness of every continent, and extend to the islands of the sea. There must be no delay in this work.  {Mar 261.6}
[Mar 261.7]          Our watchword is to be, Onward, ever onward! Angels of heaven will go before us to prepare the way. Our burden for the regions beyond can never be laid down till the whole earth is lightened with the glory of the Lord.  {Mar 261.7}
[Mar 262.1]       Chap. 254 - God Intervenes on Behalf of His People         Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. Micah 1:2, 3.  {Mar 262.1}
[Mar 262.2]           It is in a crisis that character is revealed. . . . The great final test comes at the close of human probation, when it will be too late for the soul's need to be supplied.  {Mar 262.2}
[Mar 262.3]          God keeps a reckoning with the nations. Through every century of this world's history evil workers have been treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath; and when the time fully comes that iniquity shall have reached the stated boundary of God's mercy, His forbearance will cease. When the accumulated figures in heaven's record books shall mark the sum of transgression complete, wrath will come, unmixed with mercy, and then it will be seen what a tremendous thing it is to have worn out the divine patience. This crisis will be reached when the nations shall unite in making void God's law.  {Mar 262.3}
[Mar 262.4]          The days will come when the righteous will be stirred to zeal for God because of the abounding iniquity. None but divine power can stay the arrogance of Satan united with evil men; but in the hour of the church's greatest danger most fervent prayer will be offered in her behalf by the faithful remnant, and God will hear and answer at the very time when the guilt of the transgressor has reached its height. He will "avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them.  {Mar 262.4}
[Mar 262.5]          The substitution of the false for the true is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. When the laws of men are exalted above the laws of God, when the powers of this earth try to force men to keep the first day of the week, know that the time has come for God to work. He will arise in His majesty, and will shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity. The earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.  {Mar 262.5}
[Mar 263.1]       Chap. 255 - Human Probation Closes         He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11.  {Mar 263.1}
[Mar 263.2]           When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven.  {Mar 263.2}
[Mar 263.3]          Scoffers pointed to the things of nature--to the unvarying succession of the seasons, to the blue skies that had never poured out rain, to the green fields refreshed by the soft dews of night--and they cried out: "Doth he not speak parables?" In contempt they declared the preacher of righteousness to be a wild enthusiast; and they went on, more eager in their pursuit of pleasure, more intent upon their evil ways, than before. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. God bore long with their wickedness, giving them ample opportunity for repentance; but at the appointed time His judgments were visited upon the rejecters of His mercy.  {Mar 263.3}
[Mar 263.4]          Christ declares that there will exist similar unbelief concerning His second coming. As the people of Noah's day "knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so," in the words of our Saviour, "shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:39. When the professed people of God are uniting with the world, living as they live, and joining with them in forbidden pleasures; when the luxury of the world becomes the luxury of the church; when the marriage bells are chiming, and all are looking forward to many years of worldly prosperity--then, suddenly as the lightning flashes from the heavens, will come the end of their bright visions and delusive hopes.  {Mar 263.4}
[Mar 263.5]          The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.  {Mar 263.5}
[Mar 264.1]       Chap. 256 - Close of Probation Passes Unnoticed         But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2.  {Mar 264.1}
[Mar 264.2]           The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state--men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. Before the flood, after Noah entered the ark, God shut him in, and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life, and mocked the warnings of impending judgment. "So," says the Saviour, "shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man's destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy's offer to guilty men.  {Mar 264.2}
[Mar 264.3]          The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.  {Mar 264.3}
[Mar 264.4]          The Lord in judgment will at the close of time walk through the earth, the fearful plagues will begin to fall. Then those who have despised God's word, those who have lightly esteemed it, shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it. . . . The ministers of God will have done their last work, offered their last prayers, shed their last bitter tear for a rebellious church and an ungodly people.  {Mar 264.4}
[Mar 264.5]          The eye of Jesus, looking down the ages, was fixed upon our time when He said, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!" It is still thy day, O church of God, whom He has made the depositary of His law. This day of trust and probation is drawing to a close. The sun is fast westering. Can it be that it will set and thou wilt not know "the things which belong unto thy peace!"? Must the irrevocable sentence be passed, "But now they are hid from thine eyes" (Luke 19:42)?  {Mar 264.5}
[Mar 265.1]       Chap. 257 - A Time of Trouble Such as Never Was         And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1.  {Mar 265.1}
[Mar 265.2]           When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received "the latter rain," "the . . . refreshing . . . from the presence of the Lord," and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, "It is done." . . .  {Mar 265.2}
[Mar 265.3]          When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God's long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.  {Mar 265.3}
[Mar 265.4]          Those only who have clean hands and pure hearts will stand in that trying time. . . . Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to make our calling and election sure.  {Mar 265.4}
[Mar 266.1]       Chap. 258 - The Four Winds Loosed         Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:3.  {Mar 266.1}
[Mar 266.2]           Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his claims to supremacy, made because of the vast multitude of his adherents. We hear not the voices, we see not with the natural sight the work of these angels, but their hands are linked about the world, and with sleepless vigilance they are keeping the armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God's people shall be accomplished.  {Mar 266.2}
[Mar 266.3]          John sees the elements of nature--earthquake, tempest, and political strife--represented as being held by four angels. These winds are under control until God gives the word to let them go. There is the safety of God's church. The angels of God do His bidding, holding back the winds of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree, until the servants of God should be sealed in their foreheads.  {Mar 266.3}
[Mar 266.4]          The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they realize that something great and decisive is about to take place--that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.  {Mar 266.4}
[Mar 266.5]          Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture. . . .  {Mar 266.5}
[Mar 266.6]          A moment of respite has been graciously given us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for those who are perishing in ignorance. The warning message is to be sounded in all parts of the world. . . . A great work is to be done, and this work has been entrusted to those who know the truth for this time.  {Mar 266.6}
[Mar 267.1]       Chap. 259 - Seven Last Plagues Begin to Fall         And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. Revelation 16:1.  {Mar 267.1}
[Mar 267.2]           When Christ ceases His intercession in the sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened against those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark (Revelation 14:9, 10), will be poured out. The plagues upon Egypt when God was about to deliver Israel were similar in character to those more terrible and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world just before the final deliverance of God's people. Says the revelator, in describing those terrific scourges: "There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." The sea "became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea." And "the rivers and fountains of waters . . .became blood." Terrible as these inflictions are, God's justice stands fully vindicated. The angel of God declares: "Thou art righteous, O Lord, . . . because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy." Revelation 16:2-6. By condemning the people of God to death, they have as truly incurred the guilt of their blood as if it had been shed by their hands. . . .  {Mar 267.2}
[Mar 267.3]          In the plague that follows, power is given to the sun "to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat." Verse 8, 9. . . .  {Mar 267.3}
[Mar 267.4]         These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most awful scourges that have ever been known to mortals. All the judgments upon men, prior to the close of probation, have been mingled with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ has shielded the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt; but in the final judgment, wrath is poured out unmixed with mercy.  {Mar 267.4}
[Mar 267.5]          The bolts of God's wrath are soon to fall, and when He shall begin to punish the transgressors, there will be no period of respite until the end. The storm of God's wrath is gathering, and those only will stand who are sanctified through the truth in the love of God. They shall be hid with Christ in God till the desolation shall be overpast.  {Mar 267.5}
[Mar 268.1]       Chap. 260 - The Death Decree Issued         And he had power to . . . cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Revelation 13:15.  {Mar 268.1}
[Mar 268.2]           When Jesus leaves the most holy, His restraining Spirit is withdrawn from rulers and people. They are left to the control of evil angels. Then such laws will be made by the counsel and direction of Satan, that unless time should be very short, no flesh could be saved.  {Mar 268.2}
[Mar 268.3]          I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's trouble.  {Mar 268.3}
[Mar 268.4]          I saw the leading men of the earth consulting together, and Satan and his angels busy around them. I saw a writing, copies of which were scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints should yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first day of the week, the people were at liberty after a certain time to put them to death.  {Mar 268.4}
[Mar 268.5]          Though a general decree has fixed the time when commandment keepers may be put to death, their enemies will in some cases anticipate the decree, and before the time specified, will endeavor to take their lives. But none can pass the mighty guardians stationed about every faithful soul. Some are assailed in their flight from the cities and villages; but the swords raised against them break and fall powerless as a straw. Others are defended by angels in the form of men of war.  {Mar 268.5}
[Mar 268.6]          Could men see with heavenly vision, they would behold companies of angels that excel in strength stationed about those who have kept the word of Christ's patience. With sympathizing tenderness, angels have witnessed their distress and have heard their prayers. They are waiting the word of their Commander to snatch them from their peril. But they must wait yet a little longer. The people of God must drink of the cup and be baptized with the baptism.  {Mar 268.6}
[Mar 269.1]       Chap. 261 - Marked for Death         The letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day. Esther 3:13.  {Mar 269.1}
[Mar 269.2]           The decree that will finally go forth against the remnant people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews.  {Mar 269.2}
[Mar 269.3]          When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honor the law of God, there will be, in different lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction. As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the people will conspire to root out the hated sect. It will be determined to strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall utterly silence the voice of dissent and reproof.  {Mar 269.3}
[Mar 269.4]          The decree will go forth that they must disregard the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and honor the first day, or lose their lives; but they will not yield, and trample under their feet the Sabbath of the Lord, and honor an institution of papacy. Satan's host and wicked men will surround them, and exult over them, because there will seem to be no way of escape for them.  {Mar 269.4}
[Mar 269.5]          When this time of trouble comes, every case is decided; there is no longer probation, no longer mercy for the impenitent. The seal of the living God is upon His people. This small remnant, unable to defend themselves in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth that are marshaled by the dragon host, make God their defense. The decree has been passed by the highest earthly authority that they shall worship the beast and receive his mark under pain of persecution and death.  {Mar 269.5}
[Mar 269.6]          I saw the saints suffering great mental anguish. They seemed to be surrounded by the wicked inhabitants of the earth. Every appearance was against them. Some began to fear that God had at last left them to perish by the hand of the wicked. . . .  {Mar 269.6}
[Mar 269.7]          It was an hour of fearful, terrible agony to the saints. Day and night they cried unto God for deliverance. To outward appearance, there was no possibility of their escape. The wicked had already begun to triumph, crying out, "Why doesn't your God deliver you out of our hands? Why don't you go up and save your lives?" But the saints heeded them not.  {Mar 269.7}
[Mar 270.1]       Chap. 262 - Angelic Protection in the Time of Trouble         Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. Isaiah 26:20.  {Mar 270.1}
[Mar 270.2]           In the day of fierce trial He ［Christ］ will say, "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." What are the chambers in which they are to hide? They are the protection of Christ and holy angels. The people of God are not at this time all in one place. They are in different companies, and in all parts of the earth.  {Mar 270.2}
[Mar 270.3]          I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst.  {Mar 270.3}
[Mar 270.4]          During the night a very impressive scene passed before me. There seemed to be great confusion and the conflict of armies. A messenger from the Lord stood before me, and said, "Call your household. I will lead you; follow me." He led me down a dark passage, through a forest, then through the clefts of mountains, and said, "Here you are safe." There were others who had been led to this retreat. The heavenly messenger said. "The time of trouble has come as a thief in the night, as the Lord warned you it would come."  {Mar 270.4}
[Mar 270.5]          In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God's law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.  {Mar 270.5}
[Mar 270.6]          In the closing period of earth's history the Lord will work mightily in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for the right. . . . In the midst of the time of trouble--trouble such as has not been since there was a nation--His chosen ones will stand unmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God's saints. Angels that excel in strength will protect them, and in their behalf Jehovah will reveal Himself as a "God of gods," able to save to the uttermost those who have put their trust in Him.  {Mar 270.6}
[Mar 271.1]       Chap. 263 - The Wicked During the Plagues         Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. Amos 8:11, 12.  {Mar 271.1}
[Mar 271.2]           And as mercy's sweet voice died away, fear and horror seized the wicked. With terrible distinctness they heard the words, "Too late! too late!"  {Mar 271.2}
[Mar 271.3]          Christ ［on the cross］ felt much as sinners will feel when the vials of God's wrath shall be poured out upon them. Black despair like the pall of death will gather about their guilty souls, and then they will realize to the fullest extent the sinfulness of sin.  {Mar 271.3}
[Mar 271.4]          Those who had not prized God's Word were hurrying to and fro, wandering from sea to sea, and from the north to the east, to seek the Word of the Lord. Said the angel, "They shall not find it. There is a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord. What would they not give for one word of approval from God! . . .  {Mar 271.4}
[Mar 271.5]          Many of the wicked were greatly enraged as they suffered the effects of the plagues. It was a scene of fearful agony. Parents were bitterly reproaching their children, and children their parents, brothers their sisters, and sisters their brothers. . . . The people turned upon their ministers with bitter hate and reproached them, saying, "You have not warned us. You told us that all the world was to be converted, and cried, Peace, peace, to quiet every fear that was aroused. You have not told us of this hour; and those who warned us of it you declared to be fanatics and evil men, who would ruin us." But I saw that the ministers did not escape the wrath of God. Their suffering was tenfold greater than that of their people.  {Mar 271.5}
[Mar 271.6]          In the time when God's judgments are falling without mercy, oh, how enviable to the wicked will be the position of those who abide "in the secret place of the most High"--the pavilion in which the Lord hides all who have loved Him and have obeyed His commandments!  {Mar 271.6}
[Mar 272.1]       Chap. 264 - The Time of Jacob's Trouble         Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah 30:7.  {Mar 272.1}
[Mar 272.2]           I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's trouble.  {Mar 272.2}
[Mar 272.3]          As Satan influenced Esau to march against Jacob, so he will stir up the wicked to destroy God's people in the time of trouble. And as he accused Jacob, he will urge his accusations against the people of God. He numbers the world as his subjects; but the little company who keep the commandments of God are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. He sees that holy angels are guarding them, and he infers that their sins have been pardoned; but he does not know that their cases have been decided in the sanctuary above. He has an accurate knowledge of the sins which he has tempted them to commit, and he presents these before God in the most exaggerated light, representing this people to be just as deserving as himself of exclusion from the favor of God. He declares that the Lord cannot in justice forgive their sins and yet destroy him and his angels. He claims them as his prey and demands that they be given into his hands to destroy.  {Mar 272.3}
[Mar 272.4]          As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness, will be severely tested. As they review the past, their hopes sink; for in their whole lives they can see little good. They are fully conscious of their weakness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless, that the stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God.  {Mar 272.4}
[Mar 273.1]       Chap. 265 - Why the Time of Trouble         God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1.  {Mar 273.1}
[Mar 273.2]           Though God's people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth's sake; they fear that every sin has not been repented of, and that through some fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour's promise: I "will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world." Revelation 3:10. If they could have the assurance of pardon they would not shrink from torture or death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own defects of character, then God's holy name would be reproached.  {Mar 273.2}
[Mar 273.3]         On every hand they hear the plottings of treason and see the active working of rebellion; and there is aroused within them an intense desire, an earnest yearning of soul, that this great apostasy may be terminated and the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end. But while they plead with God to stay the work of rebellion, it is with a keen sense of self-reproach that they themselves have no more power to resist and urge back the mighty tide of evil. They feel that had they always employed all their ability in the service of Christ, going forward from strength to strength, Satan's forces would have less power to prevail against them.  {Mar 273.3}
[Mar 273.4]          They afflict their souls before God, pointing to their past repentance of their many sins, and pleading the Saviour's promise: "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." Isaiah 27:5. Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. Though suffering the keenest anxiety, terror, and distress, they do not cease their intercessions. They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the Angel; and the language of their souls is: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."  {Mar 273.4}
[Mar 273.5]          The time of trouble is the crucible that is to bring out Christlike characters. It is designed to lead the people of God to renounce Satan and his temptations.  {Mar 273.5}
[Mar 274.1]       Chap. 266 - God's Eye is Upon His People         Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Luke 18:7, 8.  {Mar 274.1}
[Mar 274.2]           In the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out, and they cannot bring them to remembrance. . . .  {Mar 274.2}
[Mar 274.3]          Those professed Christians who come up to that last fearful conflict unprepared will, in their despair, confess their sins in words of burning anguish, while the wicked exult over their distress. . . .  {Mar 274.3}
[Mar 274.4]          Jacob's history is also an assurance that God will not cast off those who have been deceived and tempted and betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance. While Satan seeks to destroy this class, God will send His angels to comfort and protect them in the time of peril. The assaults of Satan are fierce and determined, his delusions are terrible; but the Lord's eye is upon His people, and His ear listens to their cries. Their affliction is great, the flames of the furnace seem about to consume them; but the Refiner will bring them forth as gold tried in the fire. God's love for His children during the period of their severest trial is as strong and tender as in the days of their sunniest prosperity; but it is needful for them to be placed in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected.  {Mar 274.4}
[Mar 274.5]          The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger--a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. . . . All who will lay hold of God's promises, as he ［Jacob］ did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded.  {Mar 274.5}
[Mar 275.1]       Chap. 267 - The Great Time of Trouble         In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. Mark 13:19.  {Mar 275.1}
[Mar 275.2]           The time of trouble such as never was, is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess, and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. And now, while the precious Saviour is making an atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. God's providence is the school in which we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we would choose, which is easier and pleasanter to us, but the true aims of life. None can neglect or defer this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls.  {Mar 275.2}
[Mar 275.3]          The apostle John in vision heard a loud voice in Heaven exclaiming, "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Fearful are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from the heavenly voice. The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction reaches its culmination in the time of trouble. God's long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation, and the Lord withdraws His protection, and leaves them to the mercy of the leader they have chosen. Satan will have power over those who have yielded themselves to his control, and he will plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.  {Mar 275.3}
[Mar 275.4]          In the midst of the time of trouble--trouble such as has not been since there was a nation--His ［God's］ chosen ones will stand unmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God's saints.  {Mar 275.4}
[Mar 276.1]       Chap. 268 - The Crowning Act of Deception         Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Revelation 3:10.  {Mar 276.1}
[Mar 276.2]           As the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ draws near, satanic agencies are moved from beneath. Satan will not only appear as a human being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and the world who has rejected the truth will receive him as the Lord of lords and King of kings.  {Mar 276.2}
[Mar 276.3]          The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination in the time of trouble. . . .  {Mar 276.3}
[Mar 276.4]          As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is "the great power of God." Acts 8:10.  {Mar 276.4}
[Mar 276.5]         But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures.  {Mar 276.5}
[Mar 277.1]       Chap. 269 - No Martyrs After Probation Closes         He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. Psalm 91:15.  {Mar 277.1}
[Mar 277.2]           The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. . . .  {Mar 277.2}
[Mar 277.3]         Yet to human sight it will appear that the people of God must soon seal their testimony with their blood as did the martyrs before them. They themselves begin to fear that the Lord has left them to fall by the hand of their enemies. It is a time of fearful agony. Day and night they cry unto God for deliverance. . . .  {Mar 277.3}
[Mar 277.4]          The eye of God, looking down the ages, was fixed upon the crisis which His people are to meet, when earthly powers shall be arrayed against them. Like the captive exile, they will be in fear of death by starvation or by violence. But the Holy One who divided the Red Sea before Israel, will manifest His mighty power and turn their captivity. "They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Malachi 3:17. If the blood of Christ's faithful witnesses were shed at this time, it would not, like the blood of the martyrs, be as seed sown to yield a harvest for God. Their fidelity would not be a testimony to convince others of the truth; for the obdurate heart has beaten back the waves of mercy until they return no more. If the righteous were now left to fall a prey to their  enemies, it would be a triumph for the prince of darkness. Says the psalmist: "In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me." Psalm 27:5. Christ has spoken: "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity." Isaiah 26:20, 21. Glorious will be the deliverance of those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose names are written in the book of life.  {Mar 277.4}
[Mar 278.1]      Chap. 270 - God's People Delivered         Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. Isaiah 49:25.  {Mar 278.1}
[Mar 278.2]           When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honor the law of God, there will be, in  different lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction. As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the people will conspire to root out the hated sect. It will be determined to strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall utterly silence the voice of dissent and reproof.  {Mar 278.2}
[Mar 278.3]          The people of God--some in prison cells, some hidden in solitary retreats in the forests and the mountains--still plead for divine protection, while in every quarter companies of armed men, urged on by hosts of evil angels, are preparing for the work of death. It is now, in the hour of utmost extremity, that the God of Israel will interpose for the deliverance of His chosen. . . .  {Mar 278.3}
[Mar 278.4]          With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness, deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying company. The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their mocking cries die away. The objects of their murderous rage are forgotten. With fearful forebodings they gaze upon the symbol of God's covenant and long to be shielded from its overpowering brightness.  {Mar 278.4}
[Mar 278.5]          By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard saying, "Look up," and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they behold the bow of promise. The black, angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they look up steadfastly into heaven and see the glory of God and the Son of man seated upon His throne.  {Mar 278.5}
[Mar 278.6]          While all the world is plunged in darkness, there will be light in every dwelling of the saints. They will catch the first light of His second appearing.  {Mar 278.6}
[Mar 279.1]       Chap. 271 - Midnight Deliverance         In a moment shall they ［the wicked］ die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. Job 34:20.  {Mar 279.1}
[Mar 279.2]           He ［God］ has always chosen extremities, when there seemed no possible chance for deliverance from Satan's workings, for the manifestation of His power.  {Mar 279.2}
[Mar 279.3]          It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens  of their deliverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: "It is done." Revelation 16:17.  {Mar 279.3}
[Mar 279.4]          The powers of heaven will be shaken at the voice of God. Then the sun, moon, and stars will be moved out of their places. They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice of God.  {Mar 279.4}
[Mar 279.5]          Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could look up through the open space in Orion, whence came the voice of God.  {Mar 279.5}
[Mar 279.6]          Now in regard to the coming of the Son of man, this will not take place until after the mighty earthquake shakes the earth after the people have heard the voice of God. They are in despair and trouble such as never was since there was a nation, and in this the people of God will suffer affliction. The clouds of heaven will clash and there will be darkness. Then that voice comes from heaven and the clouds begin to roll back like a scroll, and there is the bright, clear sign of the Son of man. The children of God know what that cloud means.  {Mar 279.6}
[Mar 279.7]          The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God.  {Mar 279.7}
[Mar 279.8]          When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict of life.  {Mar 279.8}
[Mar 279.9]          The day of wrath to the enemies of God is the day of final deliverance to His church.  {Mar 279.9}
[Mar 280.1]       Chap. 272 - God Overturns Nature         And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. Revelation 16:17, 18.  {Mar 280.1}
[Mar 280.2]           We need to study the pouring out of the seventh vial. The  powers of evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle.  {Mar 280.2}
[Mar 280.3]          In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: "It is done." Revelation 16:17.  {Mar 280.3}
[Mar 280.4]          That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." Verses 17, 18. The firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from the throne of God seems flashing through. The mountains shake like a reed in the wind, and ragged rocks are scattered on every side. There is a roar as of a coming tempest. The sea is lashed into fury. There is heard the shriek of a hurricane like the voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves and swells like the  waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up. Its very foundations seem to be giving away. Mountain chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The seaports that have become like Sodom for wickedness are swallowed up by the angry waters. Babylon the great has come in remembrance before God, "to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." Great hailstones, every one "about the weight of a talent," are doing their work of destruction. Verses 19, 21. The proudest cities of the earth are laid low. The lordly palaces, upon which the world's great men have lavished their wealth in order to glorify themselves, are crumbling to ruin before their eyes. Prison walls are rent asunder, and God's people, who have been held in bondage for their faith, are set free.  {Mar 280.4}
[Mar 281.1]      Chap. 273 - The Special Resurrection         And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2.  {Mar 281.1}
[Mar 281.2]           It was at midnight that God chose to deliver His people. As the wicked were mocking around them, suddenly the sun appeared, shining in his strength, and the moon stood still. . . . Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, shaking the heavens and  the earth. There was a mighty earthquake. The graves were opened, and those who had died in faith under the third angel's message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, glorified, to hear the covenant of peace that God was to make with those who had kept His law.  {Mar 281.2}
[Mar 281.3]          Those who sleep in Jesus will be called from their prison house . . . to a glorious immortality. . . . He has risen, dear friends, and in your despondency you may know . . . that Jesus is by your side to give you peace.  {Mar 281.3}
[Mar 281.4]          I know what I am talking about. I have seen the time when I thought the waves were going over my head; in that time I felt my Saviour precious to me. When my eldest son was taken from me I felt my grief was very great, but Jesus came to my side and I felt His peace in my soul. The cup of consolation was placed to my lips.  {Mar 281.4}
[Mar 281.5]          And then he who had stood by my side for thirty-six years . . . was taken. We had labored together side by side in the ministry, but we had to fold the hands of the warrior and lay him down to rest in the silent grave. Again my grief seemed very great, but after all came the cup of consolation. Jesus is precious to me. He walked by my side . . . and He will walk by your side. When our friends go into the grave they are beautiful to us. It may be our father or mother that we lay away: when they come forth those wrinkles are all gone but the figure is there, and we know them. . . .  {Mar 281.5}
[Mar 281.6]          We want to be prepared to meet these dear friends as they come forth in the resurrection morning. . . . Shall we lay hold upon the hope set before us in the gospel that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is?  {Mar 281.6}
[Mar 282.1]       Chap. 274 - The Special Resurrection of the Unjust         Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7.  {Mar 282.1}
[Mar 282.2]           "They also which pierced him" (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.  {Mar 282.2}
[Mar 282.3]          ［At His trial］, Caiaphas, raising his right hand toward heaven, addressed Jesus in the form of a solemn oath: "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God." . . .  {Mar 282.3}
[Mar 282.4]          Every ear was bent to listen, and every eye was fixed on His face as He answered, "Thou hast said." A heavenly light seemed to illuminate His pale countenance as He added, "Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."  {Mar 282.4}
[Mar 282.5]          For a moment the divinity of Christ flashed through His guise of humanity. The high priest quailed before the penetrating eyes of the Saviour. . . . For a moment he felt as if standing before the eternal Judge, whose eye, which sees all things, was reading his soul, bringing to light mysteries supposed to be hidden with the dead.  {Mar 282.5}
[Mar 282.6]          The scene passed from the priest's vision. . . . Rending his robe, . . . he demanded that . . . the prisoner be condemned for blasphemy. "What further need have we of witnesses?" he said; "behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye?" And they all condemned Him.  {Mar 282.6}
[Mar 282.7]          Thus the Jewish leaders made their choice. Their decision was registered in the book which John saw in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, the book which no man could open. In all its vindictiveness this decision will appear before them in the day when this book is unsealed by the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  {Mar 282.7}
[Mar 282.8]          When Christ comes the second time, not as a prisoner  surrounded by a rabble will they see Him. They will see Him as heaven's King. . . . Then the priests and rulers will remember distinctly the scene in the judgment hall. Every circumstance will appear before them as if written in letters of fire.  {Mar 282.8}
[Mar 283.1]       Chap. 275 - The Elements Melt with Fervent Heat         The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10.  {Mar 283.1}
[Mar 283.2]           In the day of the Lord, just before the coming of Christ, God will send lightnings from Heaven in His wrath, which will unite with fire in the earth. The mountains will burn like a furnace, and will pour forth terrible streams of lava, destroying gardens and fields, villages and cities; and as they pour their melted ore, rocks and heated mud into the rivers, will cause them to boil like a pot, and send forth massive rocks and scatter their broken fragments upon the land with indescribable violence. Whole rivers will be dried up. The earth will be convulsed, and there will be dreadful eruptions and earthquakes everywhere. God will plague the wicked inhabitants of the earth until they are destroyed from off it.  {Mar 283.2}
[Mar 283.3]          The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and be removed as a cottage. The elements shall be in flames, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.  {Mar 283.3}
[Mar 283.4]          The earth's crust will be rent by the outbursts of the elements concealed in the bowels of the earth. These elements, once broken loose, will sweep away the treasures of those who for years have been adding to their wealth by securing large possessions at starvation prices from those in their employ.  {Mar 283.4}
[Mar 283.5]          The great general conflagration is but just ahead, when all this wasted labor of life will be swept away in a night and day.  {Mar 283.5}
[Mar 283.6]          There will be . . . great destruction of human life. But as in the days of the great deluge Noah was preserved in the ark that God had prepared for him, so in these days of destruction and calamity, God will be the refuge of His believing ones. Through the psalmist He declares, "Because thou has made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion. . . ." Then shall we not make the Lord our surety and our defense?  {Mar 283.6}
[Mar 283.7]          We should be preparing for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for them that love Him. There is a rest from earth's conflict.  {Mar 283.7}
[Mar 284.1]       Chap. 276 - A Graphic Illustration of the Seventh Plague         Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble? Job 38:22, 23.  {Mar 284.1}
[Mar 284.2]           Byron Belden, Sarah Belden, and Sister May Lacey accompanied me to my appointment at Prospect ［Australia］. As we left the ［meeting］ house we saw a storm coming . . . so portentous that we drove fast with our colts as we dared. When we were almost home the fury of the gale struck. Large hailstones began to fall--as large as a hen's egg. . . . ［They］ frightened the young horse, for they were striking her with terrible force.  {Mar 284.2}
[Mar 284.3]          I said, "Byron, get out at once. . . . Go to her head; talk to her. Let the horses know it is not you that are beating them." He jumped out at this suggestion. I said, "May Lacey and Sarah, get out." They did. . . . I got out next, May and Sarah helping me. . . . The wind was blowing with such force that hats were taken from our heads and cushions were blown from the wagon. The heavy carriage cushions, umbrellas, and heavy carriage robes were blown into the field, and were flying in every direction. . . .  {Mar 284.3}
[Mar 284.4]          What a scene! Sister Belden, May Lacey, and I reached the house hatless. . . . Byron was with the poor terror-stricken new horse. . . . We could only lift up our hearts to God for His help. . . .  {Mar 284.4}
[Mar 284.5]          This is the sharpest experience I have ever had in a carriage in a storm. . . . I thought of the day when the judgment of God would be poured out upon the world, when blackness and horrible darkness would clothe the heavens as sackcloth of hair. . . . My imagination anticipated what it must be in that period when the Lord's mighty voice shall give commission to His angels, "Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth." . . .  {Mar 284.5}
[Mar 284.6]          Revelation 6 and 7 are full of meaning. Terrible are the judgments of God revealed. The seven angels stood before God to receive their commission. To them were given seven trumpets. The Lord was going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth. . . .  {Mar 284.6}
[Mar 284.7]         When the plagues of God shall come upon the earth hail will fall upon the wicked about the weight of a talent.  {Mar 284.7}
[Mar 285.1]       Chap. 277 - The Earth Flees from its Maker         Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up. Isaiah 13:13, 14.  {Mar 285.1}
[Mar 285.2]           Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now and then breaks through, appearing like the avenging eye of Jehovah. Fierce lightnings leap from the heavens, enveloping the earth in a sheet of flame. Above the terrific roar of thunder, voices, mysterious and awful, declare the doom of the wicked. The words spoken are not comprehended by all; but they are distinctly understood by the false teachers. Those who a little before were so reckless, so boastful and defiant, so exultant in their cruelty to God's commandment-keeping people, are now overwhelmed with consternation and shuddering in fear. Their wails are heard above the sound of the elements. Demons acknowledge the deity of Christ and tremble before His power, while men are supplicating for mercy and groveling in abject terror. . . .  {Mar 285.2}
[Mar 285.3]          Through a rift in the clouds there beams a star whose brilliancy is increased fourfold in contrast with the darkness. It speaks hope and joy to the faithful, but severity and wrath to the transgressors of God's law. Those who have sacrificed all for Christ are now secure, hidden as in the secret of the Lord's pavilion. They have been tested, and before the world and the despisers of truth they have evinced their fidelity to Him who died for them. A marvelous change has come over those who have held fast their integrity in the very face of death. They have been suddenly delivered from the dark and terrible tyranny of men transformed to demons. Their faces, so lately pale, anxious, and haggard, are now aglow with wonder, faith, and love. Their voices rise in triumphant song: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-3.  {Mar 285.3}
[Mar 286.1]      Chap. 278 - God's Law Appears in the Heavens         The heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Psalm 50:6.  {Mar 286.1}
[Mar 286.2]           The clouds sweep back, and the starry heavens are seen, unspeakably glorious in contrast with the black and angry firmament on either side. The glory of the celestial city streams from the gates ajar.  {Mar 286.2}
[Mar 286.3]         In the temple will be seen the ark of the testament in which were placed the two tables of stone, on which are written God's law. These tables of stone will be brought forth from their hiding place, and on them will be seen the Ten Commandments engraved by the finger of God. These tables of stone now lying in the ark of the testament will be a convincing testimony to the truth and binding claims of God's law.  {Mar 286.3}
[Mar 286.4]          Sacrilegious minds and hearts have thought they were mighty enough to change the times and laws of Jehovah; but, safe in the archives of heaven, in the ark of God, are the original commandments, written upon the two tables of stone. No potentate of earth has power to draw forth those tables from their sacred hiding place beneath the mercy seat.  {Mar 286.4}
[Mar 286.5]          There appears against the sky a hand holding two tables of stone folded together. Says the prophet: "The heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself." Psalm 50:6. That holy law, God's righteousness, that amid thunder and flame was proclaimed from Sinai as the guide of life, is now revealed to men as the rule of judgment. The hand opens the tables, and there are seen the precepts of the Decalogue, traced as with a pen of fire. The words are so plain that all can read them. Memory is aroused, the darkness of superstition and heresy is swept from every mind, and God's ten words, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, are presented to the view of all the inhabitants of the earth.  {Mar 286.5}
[Mar 286.6]         It is impossible to describe the horror and despair of those who have trampled upon God's holy requirements. . . .  {Mar 286.6}
[Mar 286.7]          The enemies of God's law, from the ministers down to the least among them, have a new conception of truth and duty. Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God.  {Mar 286.7}
[Mar 287.1]       Chap. 279 - The Day and Hour of Christ's Coming Announced         But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36.  {Mar 287.1}
[Mar 287.2]           The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus' coming, and delivering everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth.  {Mar 287.2}
[Mar 287.3]          He spoke one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upward, listening to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah and rolled through the earth like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. At the end of every sentence the saints shouted, "Glory! Hallelujah!"  {Mar 287.3}
[Mar 287.4]          The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.  {Mar 287.4}
[Mar 287.5]          The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when the blessing is pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory.  {Mar 287.5}
[Mar 287.6]          Then commenced the jubilee, when the land should rest.  {Mar 287.6}
[Mar 287.7]          A glorious light shone upon them ［the saints］. How beautiful they then looked! All marks of care and weariness were gone, and health and beauty were seen in every countenance. Their enemies, the heathen around them, fell like dead men; they could not endure the light that shone upon the delivered, holy ones. This light and glory remained upon them, until Jesus was seen in the clouds of heaven.  {Mar 287.7}
[Mar 287.8]          And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood. Then Jesus . . . took His place on the cloud which carried Him to the East, where it first appeared to the saints on earth--a small black cloud which was the sign of the Son of man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the East, which took a number of days, the synagogue of Satan worshipped at the saints' feet.  {Mar 287.8}
[Mar 288.1]      Chap. 280 - Gleams of the Golden Morning         For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:27.  {Mar 288.1}
[Mar 288.2]           While all the world is plunged in darkness, there will be light in every dwelling of the saints. They will catch the first light of His second appearing.  {Mar 288.2}
[Mar 288.3]          Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man's hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a "man of sorrows," to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. "Faithful and True," "in righteousness he doth judge and make war." And "the armies which were in heaven" (Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light." Habakkuk 3:3, 4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head; but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." Revelation 19:16.  {Mar 288.3}
[Mar 288.4]          With uplifted heads, with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shining upon them, with rejoicing that their redemption draweth nigh, they ［the living saints］, go forth to meet the Bridegroom, saying. "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us."  {Mar 288.4}
[Mar 289.1]       Chap. 281 - The Second Coming of Christ         Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Psalm 50:3, 4.  {Mar 289.1}
[Mar 289.2]           Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man's hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man.  {Mar 289.2}
[Mar 289.3]         When it first appeared in the distance, this cloud looked very small. The angel said that it was the sign of the Son of man. As it drew nearer the earth, we could behold the excellent glory and majesty of Jesus as He rode forth to conquer.  {Mar 289.3}
[Mar 289.4]          His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon his head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, "Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?" Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: "Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you." At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth.  {Mar 289.4}
[Mar 289.5]          The earth trembled before Him, the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains."  {Mar 289.5}
[Mar 290.1]       Chap. 282 - In the Dens and Caves of the Earth         And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Isaiah 2:19.  {Mar 290.1}
[Mar 290.2]           The hidden ones have been scattered because of man's enmity against the law of Jehovah. They have been oppressed by all the powers of the earth. They have been scattered in the dens and caves of the earth through the violence of their adversaries, because they are true and obedient to Jehovah's laws. But deliverance comes to the people of God. To their enemies God will show Himself a God of just retribution. . . .  {Mar 290.2}
[Mar 290.3]          From the dens and the caves of the earth, that have been the secret hiding places of God's people, they are called forth as His witnesses, true and faithful.  {Mar 290.3}
[Mar 290.4]          The people who have braved out their rebellion will fulfill the description given in Revelation 6:15-17. In these very caves and dens they find the very statement of truth in the letters and in the publications as witness against them. The shepherds who lead the sheep in false paths will hear the charge made against them, "It was you who made light of truth. It was you who told us that God's law was abrogated, that it was a yoke of bondage. It was you who voiced the false doctrines when I was convicted that these Seventh-day Adventists had the truth. The blood of our souls is upon your priestly garments. . . . Now will you pay the ransom for my soul? . . . What shall we do who listened to your garbling of the Scriptures and your turning into a lie the truth which if obeyed would have saved us?"  {Mar 290.4}
[Mar 290.5]          When Christ comes to take vengeance on those who have educated and trained the people to trample on God's Sabbath, to tear down His memorial, and tread down with their feet the feed of His pastures, lamentations will be in vain. Those who trusted in the false shepherds had the word of God to search for themselves, and they find that God will judge every man who has had the truth and turned from the light because it involved self-denial and the cross. Rocks and mountains cannot screen them from the indignation of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.  {Mar 290.5}
[Mar 291.1]       Chap. 283 - Christ's Appearance at His Second Coming         We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20, 21.  {Mar 291.1}
[Mar 291.2]           Christ had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. The disciples had beheld the cloud receive Him. The same Jesus who had walked and talked and prayed with them; who had broken bread with them; who had been with them in their boats on the lake; and who had that very day toiled with them up the ascent of Olivet--the same Jesus had now gone to share His Father's throne. And the angels had assured them that the very One whom they had seen go up into heaven, would come again even as He had ascended.  {Mar 291.2}
[Mar 291.3]          The glory of Christ's humanity did not appear when He was upon the earth. . . . That same humanity now appears as He descends from heaven, robed in glory, triumphant, exalted.  {Mar 291.3}
[Mar 291.4]          Christ will come in His own glory, in the glory of His Father, and in the glory of the holy angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, the beautiful, triumphant sons of God, possessing surpassing loveliness and glory, will escort Him on His way. In the place of a crown of thorns, He will wear a crown of glory--a crown within a crown. In the place of that old purple robe, He will be clothed in a garment of whitest white, "so as no fuller on earth can white" (Mark 9:3) it. And on His vesture and on His thigh a name will be written, "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." Revelation 19:16.  {Mar 291.4}
[Mar 291.5]          All heaven will be emptied of the angels, while the waiting saints will be looking for Him and gazing into heaven, as were the men of Galilee when He ascended from the Mount of Olivet. Then only those who are holy, those who have followed fully the meek Pattern, will with rapturous joy exclaim as they behold Him, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." And they will be changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"--that trump which wakes the sleeping saints, and calls them forth from their dusty beds, clothed with glorious immortality, and shouting, "Victory! Victory over death and the grave!"  {Mar 291.5}
[Mar 292.1]       Chap. 284 - Judgment at the Second Advent         I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:1.  {Mar 292.1}
[Mar 292.2]           The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as "holy, and just, and good." Then every case will be decided, and sentence will be passed upon all. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all its hideous magnitude.  {Mar 292.2}
[Mar 292.3]          No human language can portray the scenes of the second coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. He is to come with His own glory, and with the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. He will come clad in the robe of light, which He has worn from the days of eternity. Angels will accompany Him. Ten thousand times ten thousand will escort Him on His way. The sound of the trumpet will be heard, calling the sleeping dead from the grave. The voice of Christ will penetrate the tomb, and pierce the ears of the dead, "and all that are in the graves . . . shall come forth."  {Mar 292.3}
[Mar 292.4]          "And before him shall be gathered all nations." The very One who died for man is to judge him in the last day: for the Father "hath committed all judgment unto the Son: . . . and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." What a day that will be, when those who rejected Christ will look upon Him whom their sins have pierced.  {Mar 292.4}
[Mar 292.5]          At His second coming, conviction will be brought to every heart. Those who have turned from Him to the trivial things of this earth, seeking selfish interests and worldly honor, will in the day of His coming acknowledge their mistake. These are the ones spoken of by the Revelator as "all kindreds of the earth," who "shall wail because of him." . . .  {Mar 292.5}
[Mar 292.6]          "And they also which pierced him." These words apply not only to the men who pierced Christ when He hung on the cross of Calvary, but to those who by evil-speaking and wrong-doing are piercing Him today.  {Mar 292.6}
[Mar 293.1]      Chap. 285 - They that Pierced Him         Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:62.  {Mar 293.1}
[Mar 293.2]           As they ［the Jewish rulers］ gaze upon His glory, there flashes before their minds the memory of the Son of Man clad in the garb of humanity. They remember how they treated Him, how they refused Him, and pressed close to the side of the great apostate. The scenes of Christ's life appear before them in all their clearness. All He did, all He said, the humiliation to which He descended to save them from the taint of sin, rises before them in condemnation.  {Mar 293.2}
[Mar 293.3]          They behold Him riding into Jerusalem, and see Him break into an agony of tears over the impenitent city that would not receive His message. His voice, which was heard in invitation, in entreaty, in tones of tender solicitude, seems again to fall upon their ears. The scene in the garden of Gethsemane rises before them, and they hear Christ's amazing prayer, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me."  {Mar 293.3}
[Mar 293.4]          Again they hear the voice of Pilate, saying, "I find in him no fault at all." They see the shameful scene in the judgment hall, when Barabbas stood by the side of Christ, and they had the privilege of choosing the guiltless One. They hear again the words of Pilate, "Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?" They hear the response, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." To the question of Pilate, "What shall I do then with Jesus?" the answer comes, "Let him be crucified."  {Mar 293.4}
[Mar 293.5]          Again they see their Sacrifice bearing the reproach of the cross. They hear the loud, triumphant tones tauntingly exclaim, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." "He saved others; himself he cannot save."  {Mar 293.5}
[Mar 293.6]          Now they behold Him not in the garden of Gethsemane, not in the judgment hall, not on the cross of Calvary. The signs of His humiliation have passed away, and they look upon the face of God--the face they spit upon, the face which priests and rulers struck with the palms of their hands. Now the truth in all its vividness is revealed to them.  {Mar 293.6}
[Mar 294.1]       Chap. 286 - The Wicked Slay Each Other         I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. Ezekiel 38:21.  {Mar 294.1}
[Mar 294.2]           The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their sinful neglect of God and their fellow men, but because God has conquered. They lament that the result is what it is; but they do not repent of their wickedness. They would leave no means untried to conquer if they could. . . .  {Mar 294.2}
[Mar 294.3]          Ministers and people see that they have not sustained the right relation to God. They see that they have rebelled against the Author of all just and righteous law. The setting aside of the divine precepts gave rise to thousands of springs of evil, discord, hatred, iniquity, until the earth became one vast field of strife, one sink of corruption. This is the view that now appears to those who rejected truth and chose to cherish error. No language can express the longing which the disobedient and disloyal feel for that which they have lost forever--eternal life. Men whom the world has worshiped for their talents and eloquence now see these things in their true light. They realize what they have forfeited by transgression, and they fall at the feet of those whose fidelity they have despised and derided, and confess that God has loved them.  {Mar 294.3}
[Mar 294.4]          The people see that they have been deluded. They accuse one another of having led them to destruction; but all unite in heaping their bitterest condemnation upon the ministers. Unfaithful pastors have prophesied smooth things; they have led their hearers to make void the law of God and to persecute those who would keep it holy. Now, in their despair, these teachers confess before the world their work of deception. The multitudes are filled with fury. "We are lost!" they cry, "and you are the cause of our ruin"; and they turn upon the false shepherds. The very ones that once admired them most will pronounce the most dreadful curses upon them. The very hands that once crowned them with laurels will be raised for their destruction. The swords which were to slay God's people are now employed to destroy their enemies. Everywhere there is strife and bloodshed.  {Mar 294.4}
[Mar 295.1]       Chap. 287 - The Wrath of the Lamb         The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. Revelation 6:15, 16.  {Mar 295.1}
[Mar 295.2]           The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are hushed into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, "with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood" (Isaiah 9:5), is stilled. Nought now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of weeping and lamentation. The cry bursts forth from lips so lately scoffing: "The great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom they have despised and rejected.  {Mar 295.2}
[Mar 295.3]          That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they know. How often have its plaintive, tender tones called them to repentance. How often has it been heard in the touching entreaties of a friend, a brother, a Redeemer. To the rejecters of His grace no other could be so full of condemnation, so burdened with denunciation, as that voice which has so long pleaded: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Ezekiel 33:11. Oh, that it were to them the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: "I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." Proverbs 1:24, 25. That voice awakens memories which they would fain blot out--warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted. . . .  {Mar 295.3}
[Mar 295.4]          In the lives of all who reject truth there are moments when conscience awakens, when memory presents the torturing recollection of a life of hypocrisy and the soul is harassed with vain regrets. But what are these compared with the remorse of that day . . . when "destruction cometh as a whirlwind"! Proverbs 1:27. Those who would have destroyed Christ and His faithful people now witness the glory which rests upon them.  {Mar 295.4}
[Mar 296.1]       Chap. 288 - God Intervenes in Armageddon         A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 25:31.  {Mar 296.1}
[Mar 296.2]           For six thousand years the great controversy has been in progress; the Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in conflict with the power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decisions; the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now the controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. "The Lord hath a controversy with the nations"; "He will give them that are wicked to the sword."  {Mar 296.2}
[Mar 296.3]          The mark of deliverance has been set upon those "that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done." Now the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel's vision by the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is given: "Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary." Says the prophet: "They began at the ancient men which were before the house." Ezekiel 9:1-6. The work of destruction begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people. The false watchmen are the first to fall. There are none to pity or to spare. Men, women, maidens, and little children perish together.  {Mar 296.3}
[Mar 296.4]          "The Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isaiah 26:21. . . . In the mad strife of their own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of God's unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants of the earth--priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and low. "And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried." Jeremiah 25:33.  {Mar 296.4}
[Mar 297.1]       Chap. 289 - The Nature of the Final Battle         The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation. Jeremiah 50:25.  {Mar 297.1}
[Mar 297.2]           At His own will God summons the forces of nature to overthrow the might of His enemies--"fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word." Psalm 148:8. When the heathen Amorites had set themselves to resist His purposes, God interposed, casting down "great stones from heaven" upon the enemies of Israel. We are told of a greater battle to take place in the closing scenes of earth's history, when Jehovah "hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation." Jeremiah 50:25. "Hast thou," he inquires, "entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" Job 38:22, 23.  {Mar 297.2}
[Mar 297.3]         The revelator describes the destruction that is to take place when the "great voice out of the temple of heaven" announces, "It is done." He says, "There fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent." Revelation 16:17, 21.  {Mar 297.3}
[Mar 297.4]          In the last scenes of this earth's history, war will rage.  {Mar 297.4}
[Mar 297.5]          The powers of evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle. But Providence has a part to act in the battle of Armageddon.  {Mar 297.5}
[Mar 297.6]          The Captain of the Lord's host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle.  {Mar 297.6}
[Mar 297.7]          He on whose vesture is written the name, King of kings and Lord of lords, leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen, clean and white.  {Mar 297.7}
[Mar 297.8]          When He shall come to the earth again, He will shake "not the earth only, but also heaven." "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage." "The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll"; "the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." But "the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Hebrews 12:26; Isaiah 24:20; 34:4; 2 Peter 3:10; Joel 3:16.  {Mar 297.8}
[Mar 298.1]      Chap. 290 - Be Ye Also Ready         Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:44.  {Mar 298.1}
[Mar 298.2]           Suppose that today Christ should appear in the clouds of heaven, who . . . would be ready to meet Him? Suppose we should be translated into the kingdom of heaven just as we are. Would we be prepared to unite with the saints of God, to live in harmony with the royal family, the children of the heavenly King? What preparation have you made for the judgment? Have you made your peace with God? . . . Are you seeking to help those around you, those in your home, those in your neighborhood, those with whom you come in contact that are not keeping the commandments of God? . . . Remember that profession is worthless without a practice that enters into the daily life. God knows whether we are keeping His law in truth. He knows just what we are doing, just what we are thinking and saying. Are we getting ready to meet the King? When He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, will you be able to say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us" (Isaiah 25:9)? To those who can say this Christ will say, "Come up higher. Upon this earth you have loved Me. You have loved to do My will. You can now enter the Holy City and receive the crown of everlasting life."  {Mar 298.2}
[Mar 298.3]          If it were possible for us to be admitted into heaven as we are, how many of us would be able to look upon God? How many of us have on the wedding garment? How many of us are without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? . . .  {Mar 298.3}
[Mar 298.4]          This is our washing and ironing time--the time when we are to cleanse our robes of character in the blood of the Lamb. John says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).... Shall we not let our sins go? . . .  {Mar 298.4}
[Mar 298.5]          I entreat you, brethren and sisters, to labor earnestly to secure the crown of everlasting life. The reward will be worth the conflict, worth the effort. . . . In the race in which we are running, everyone may receive the reward offered--a crown of everlasting life. I want this crown; I mean by God's help to have it. I mean to hold fast to the truth, that I may see the King in His beauty.  {Mar 298.5}
[Mar 299.1]       Chap. 291 - The General Resurrection of the Righteous         Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah 26:19.  {Mar 299.1}
[Mar 299.2]           The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place. . . .  {Mar 299.2}
[Mar 299.3]          Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: "Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!" Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.  {Mar 299.3}
[Mar 299.4]          All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered the tomb. . . . But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth. . . . The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. . . .  {Mar 299.4}
[Mar 299.5]          The living righteous are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Angels "gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  {Mar 299.5}
[Mar 299.6]          As the little infants come forth immortal from their dusty beds, they immediately wing their way to their mothers' arms.  {Mar 299.6}
[Mar 299.7]          Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God.  {Mar 299.7}
[Mar 300.1]       Chap. 292 - Victory of the Sleeping Saints         Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation John 5:28, 29.  {Mar 300.1}
[Mar 300.2]           The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.  {Mar 300.2}
[Mar 300.3]          "The hour is coming," Christ said, "in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth." That voice is to resound through all the habitations of the dead; and every saint who sleeps in Jesus will awake and leave his prisonhouse. Then the virtue of character we have received from Christ's righteousness will ally us to true greatness of the highest order.  {Mar 300.3}
[Mar 300.4]         The victory of the sleeping saints will be glorious on the morning of the resurrection. . . . The Life-giver will crown with immortality all who come forth from the grave.  {Mar 300.4}
[Mar 300.5]          There stands the risen host. The last thought was of death and its pangs. The last thoughts they had were of the grave and the tomb, but now they proclaim, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" . . . Here they stand and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them and they go up to meet their Lord in the air. . . . There are the columns of angels on either side; . . . then the angelic choir strike the note of victory and the angels in the two columns take up the song and the redeemed host join as though they had been singing the song on the earth, and they have been. Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious note. Every voice proclaims, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." He sees the travail of His soul, and is satisfied.  {Mar 300.5}
[Mar 301.1]       Chap. 293 - Mysteries of the Resurrection         For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. Job 19:25-27.  {Mar 301.1}
[Mar 301.2]           Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection every man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. The same form will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect. It lives again bearing the same individuality of features, so that friend will recognize friend. There is no law of God in nature which shows that God gives back the same identical particles of matter which composed the body before death. God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him.  {Mar 301.2}
[Mar 301.3]          Paul illustrates this subject by the kernel of grain sown in the field. The planted kernel decays, but there comes forth a new kernel. The natural substance in the grain that decays is never raised as before, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him. A much finer material will compose the human body, for it is a new creation, a new birth. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  {Mar 301.3}
[Mar 301.4]          He ［the believer］ may die, as Christ died, but the life of the Saviour is in him. His life is hid with Christ in God. "I am come that they might have life," Jesus said, "and that they might have it more abundantly." He carries on the great process by which believers are made one with Him in this present life, to be one with Him throughout all eternity. . . .  {Mar 301.4}
[Mar 301.5]          At the last day He will raise them as a part of Himself. . . . Christ became one with us in order that we might become one with Him in divinity.  {Mar 301.5}
[Mar 302.1]       Chap. 294 - Life Eternal Begins Now         This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 John 5:11.  {Mar 302.1}
[Mar 302.2]           The resurrection of Jesus was a sample of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him.  {Mar 302.2}
[Mar 302.3]          He ［the Christian］ may die; but the life of Christ is in him, and at the resurrection of the just he will rise to newness of life.  {Mar 302.3}
[Mar 302.4]          "In him ［Christ］ was life; and the life was the light of men." It is not physical life that is here specified, but immortality, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life. Physical life is something which each individual receives. It is not eternal or immortal; for God, the Life-giver, takes it again. Man has no control over his life. But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. "I lay it down of myself," He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man. He can possess it only through Christ.  {Mar 302.4}
[Mar 302.5]          While bearing human nature, He ［Christ］ was dependent upon the Omnipotent for His life. In His humanity, He laid hold of the divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of doing. . . .  {Mar 302.5}
[Mar 302.6]          If we repent of our transgression, and receive Christ as the Life-giver, . . . we become one with Him, and our will is brought into harmony with the divine will. We become partakers of the life of Christ, which is eternal. We derive immortality from God by receiving the life of Christ, for in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. This life is the mystical union and cooperation of the divine with the human.  {Mar 302.6}
[Mar 302.7]          Christ became one flesh with us, in order that we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from the grave--not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but because, through faith, His life has become ours. Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.  {Mar 302.7}
[Mar 303.1]       Chap. 295 - We shall Recognize Each Other         Then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12.  {Mar 303.1}
[Mar 303.2]           We shall know our friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their identity will be perfectly preserved. . . . In the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, we shall recognize the lineaments of those we love.  {Mar 303.2}
[Mar 303.3]          The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directed to the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! "I was a sinner," it will be said, "without God and without hope in the world, and you came to me and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope. . . ." Others will say, "I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends and comfortable home and came to teach me how to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only true God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God, and now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love. . . ."  {Mar 303.3}
[Mar 303.4]          Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. "When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me," they say, "to speak words of hope and comfort. You brought me food for my physical necessities, and you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother. You sympathized with me in my sorrows, and restored my bruised and wounded soul, so that I could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached out to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a Father in heaven who cared for me. You read to me the precious promises of God's Word. You inspired in me the faith that He would save me. My heart was softened, subdued, broken, as I contemplated the sacrifice which Christ had made for me. . . . I am here, saved, eternally saved, ever to live in His presence and to praise Him who gave His life for me."  {Mar 303.4}
[Mar 303.5]          What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed ones meet and greet those who have had a burden in their behalf! And those who have lived, not to please themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate who have so few blessings--how their hearts will thrill with satisfaction!  {Mar 303.5}
[Mar 304.1]       Chap. 296 - The Blessed Hope         Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.  {Mar 304.1}
[Mar 304.2]           Jesus said He would go away and prepare mansions for us, that where He is there we may be also. We shall ever dwell with and enjoy the light of His precious countenance. My heart leaps with joy at the cheering prospect. We are almost home. Heaven, sweet heaven! It is our eternal home. I am glad every moment that Jesus lives, and because He lives we shall live also. My soul says, Praise the Lord. There is a fullness in Jesus, a supply for each, for all, and why should we die for bread or starve in foreign lands?  {Mar 304.2}
[Mar 304.3]          I hunger, I thirst for salvation, for entire conformity to the will of God. We have a good hope through Jesus. It is sure and steadfast and entereth into that within the veil. It yields us consolation in affliction, it gives us joy amid anguish, disperses the gloom around us, and causes us to look through it all to immortality and eternal life. . . . Earthly treasures are no inducement to us, for while we have this hope it reaches clear above the treasures of earth that are passing away and takes hold of the immortal inheritance, the treasures that are durable, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fade not away. . . .  {Mar 304.3}
[Mar 304.4]          Our mortal bodies may die and be laid away in the grave. Yet the blessed hope lives on until the resurrection, when the voice of Jesus calls forth the sleeping dust. We shall then enjoy the fullness of the blessed, glorious hope. We know in whom we have believed. We have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. A rich, a glorious reward is before us; it is the prize for which we run, and if we persevere with courage we shall surely obtain it. . . .  {Mar 304.4}
[Mar 304.5]          There is salvation for us, and why do we stay away from the fountain? Why not come and drink that our souls may be refreshed, invigorated, and may flourish in God? Why do we cling so closely to earth? There is something better than earth for us to talk about and think of. We can be in a heavenly frame of mind. Oh, let us dwell upon Jesus' lovely, spotless character, and by beholding we shall become changed to the same image. Be of good courage. Have faith in God.  {Mar 304.5}
[Mar 305.1]       Chap. 297 - Translation of the Righteous         For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.  {Mar 305.1}
[Mar 305.2]           Soon appeared the great white cloud. It looked more lovely than ever before. On it sat the Son of man. At first we did not see Jesus on the cloud, but as it drew near the earth we could behold His lovely person. . . . The voice of the Son of God called forth the sleeping saints, clothed with glorious immortality. The living saints were changed in a moment and were caught up with them into the cloudy chariot. It looked all over glorious as it rolled upward. On either side of the chariot were wings, and beneath it wheels. And as the chariot rolled upward, the wheels cried, "Holy," and the wings, as they moved, cried, "Holy," and the retinue of holy angels around the cloud cried, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" And the saints in the cloud cried, "Glory! Alleluia!"  {Mar 305.2}
[Mar 305.3]          We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns. And they were all clothed with a glorious white mantle from their shoulders to their feet. Angels were all about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate, swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to us, "You have washed your robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in." We all marched in and felt that we had a perfect right in the city.  {Mar 305.3}
[Mar 305.4]          A voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, will be heard saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."  {Mar 305.4}
[Mar 306.1]       Chap. 298 - The Earth Depopulated         I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. Jeremiah 4:23-25.  {Mar 306.1}
[Mar 306.2]           At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face of the whole earth--consumed with the spirit of His mouth and destroyed by the brightness of His glory. Christ takes His people to the City of God, and the earth is emptied of its inhabitants. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." "The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word." "Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned." Isaiah 24:1, 3, 5, 6.  {Mar 306.2}
[Mar 306.3]          The whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness. The ruins of cities and villages destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted trees, ragged rocks thrown out by the sea or torn out of the earth itself, are scattered over its surface, while vast caverns mark the spot where the mountains have been rent from their foundations.  {Mar 306.3}
[Mar 306.4]          Now the event takes place foreshadowed in the last solemn service of the Day of Atonement. When the ministration in the holy of holies had been completed, and the sins of Israel had been removed from the sanctuary by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, then the scapegoat was presented alive before the Lord; and in the presence of the congregation the high priest confessed over him "all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat." Leviticus 16:21. In like manner when the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary has been completed then in the presence of God and heavenly angels and the host of the redeemed the sins of God's people will be placed upon Satan; he will be declared guilty of all the evil which he has caused them to commit.  {Mar 306.4}
[Mar 307.1]       Chap. 299 - Satan is Bound         And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. Revelation 20:1, 2.  {Mar 307.1}
[Mar 307.2]           The revelator foretells the banishment of Satan and the condition of chaos and desolation to which the earth is to be reduced, and he declares that this condition will exist for a thousand years. After presenting the scenes of the Lord's second coming and the destruction of the wicked, the prophecy continues: "I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." Revelation 20:1-3.  {Mar 307.2}
[Mar 307.3]          That the expression "bottomless pit" represents the earth in a state of confusion and darkness is evident from other scriptures. Concerning the condition of the earth "in the beginning," the Bible record says that it "was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." Genesis 1:2. Prophecy teaches that it will be brought back, partially at least, to this condition. Looking forward to the great day of God, the prophet Jeremiah declares: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down." Jeremiah 4:23-26.  {Mar 307.3}
[Mar 307.4]          Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to other worlds to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen. It is in this sense that he is bound: there are none remaining, upon whom he can exercise his power. He is wholly cut off from the work of deception and ruin which for so many centuries has been his sole delight.  {Mar 307.4}
[Mar 308.1]       Chap. 300 - Families will be Reunited         Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border. Jeremiah 31:16, 17.  {Mar 308.1}
[Mar 308.2]           Christ is coming with clouds and with great glory. A multitude of shining angels will attend Him. He will come to raise the dead, and to change the living saints from glory to glory. He will come to honor those who have loved Him, and kept His commandments, and to take them to Himself. He has not forgotten them nor His promise. There will be a relinking of the family chain.  {Mar 308.2}
[Mar 308.3]          The day of God will reveal how much the world owes to godly mothers. . . .  {Mar 308.3}
[Mar 308.4]          When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened; when the "well done" of the great Judge is pronounced, and the crown of immortal glory is placed upon the brow of the victor, many will raise their crowns in sight of the assembled universe, and pointing to their mother say: "She made me all I am through the grace of God. Her instruction, her prayers, have been blessed to my eternal salvation."  {Mar 308.4}
[Mar 308.5]          With joy unutterable, parents see the crown, the robe, the harp, given to their children. The days of hope and fear are ended. The seed sown with tears and prayers may have seemed to be sown in vain, but their harvest is reaped with joy at last. Their children have been redeemed.  {Mar 308.5}
[Mar 308.6]          Oh, wonderful redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated with eager anticipation, but never fully understood.  {Mar 308.6}
[Mar 308.7]          To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and familiar friend. They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. Upon them the glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty. They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.  {Mar 308.7}
[Mar 309.1]       Chap. 301 - Crowns Being Prepared for the Faithful         I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7, 8.  {Mar 309.1}
[Mar 309.2]           When the Lord makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be looked upon with pleasure. Angels are employed in making crowns for such ones, and upon these star-gemmed crowns will be reflected, with splendor, the light which radiates from the throne of God.  {Mar 309.2}
[Mar 309.3]          Talk of heavenly things. Talk of Jesus, His loveliness and glory, and of His undying love for you, and let your heart flow out in love and gratitude to Him, who died to save you. O, get ready to meet your Lord in peace. Those who are ready will soon receive an unfading crown of life, and will dwell forever in the kingdom of God, with Christ, with angels, and with those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.  {Mar 309.3}
[Mar 309.4]          A crown of glory . . . is laid up for us who wait, and love, and long for, the appearing of the Saviour.  {Mar 309.4}
[Mar 309.5]          It is the waiting ones who are to be crowned with glory, honor, and immortality. You need not talk . . . of the honors of the world, or the praise of its great ones. They are all vanity. Let but the finger of God touch them, and they would soon go back to dust again. I want honor that is lasting, honor that is immortal, honor that will never perish; a crown that is richer than any crown that ever decked the brow of a monarch.  {Mar 309.5}
[Mar 309.6]          In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and His Son. The angels of heaven, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King, and those who are the trophies of His victory--those who have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and self-sacrifice has not been in vain.  {Mar 309.6}
[Mar 310.1]       Chap. 302 - A Crown for Every Child of God         Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12.  {Mar 310.1}
[Mar 310.2]           I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns--a crown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for the crowns, angels presented them to Him, and with His own right hand the lovely Jesus placed the crowns on the heads of the saints. In the same manner the angels brought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The commanding angels first struck the note, and then every voice was raised in grateful, happy praise, and every hand skillfully swept over the strings of the harp, sending forth melodious music in rich and perfect strains. . . .  {Mar 310.2}
[Mar 310.3]         Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them, He said, with His rich, musical voice, "I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." . . .  {Mar 310.3}
[Mar 310.4]          I then saw Jesus leading His people to the tree of life. . . . Upon the tree of life was most beautiful fruit, of which the saints could partake freely; in the city was a most glorious throne, from which proceeded a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. On each side of this river was the tree of life, and on the banks of the river were other beautiful trees bearing fruit. . . .  {Mar 310.4}
[Mar 310.5]         Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, "Oh, what love! what wondrous love!" The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour's love.  {Mar 310.5}
[Mar 311.1]       Chap. 303 - Our Redemption Draweth Nigh         When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28.  {Mar 311.1}
[Mar 311.2]           The coming of Christ is nearer than when we first believed. The great controversy is nearing its end. The judgments of God are in the land. They speak in solemn warning, saying: "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:44. . . .  {Mar 311.2}
[Mar 311.3]          We are living in the closing scenes of this earth's history. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The hours of probation are fast passing. We have no time--not a moment--to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard. Let no one say in his heart or by his works: "My lord delayeth his coming." Let the message of Christ's soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. . . .  {Mar 311.3}
[Mar 311.4]          The Lord is soon to come, and we must be prepared to meet Him in peace. Let us be determined to do all in our power to impart light to those around us. We are not to be sad, but cheerful, and we are to keep the Lord Jesus ever before us. He is soon coming, and we must be ready and waiting for His appearing. Oh, how glorious it will be to see Him and be welcomed as His redeemed ones! Long have we waited, but our hope is not to grow dim. If we can but see the King in His beauty we shall be forever blessed. I feel as if I must cry aloud: "Homeward bound!" We are nearing the time when Christ will come in power and great glory to take His ransomed ones to their eternal home. . . .  {Mar 311.4}
[Mar 311.5]          Long have we waited for our Saviour's return. But nonetheless sure is the promise. Soon we shall be in our promised home. There Jesus will lead us beside the living stream flowing from the throne of God and will explain to us the dark providences through which on this earth He brought us in order to perfect our characters. There we shall behold with undimmed vision the beauties of Eden restored. Casting at the feet of the Redeemer the crowns that He has placed on our heads, and touching our golden harps, we shall fill all heaven with praise to Him that sitteth on the throne.  {Mar 311.5}
[Mar 312.1]       Chap. 304 - His Reward is with Him         Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12.  {Mar 312.1}
[Mar 312.2]           Our work here is soon to close, and every man will receive his reward according to his own labor. I was shown the saints' reward, the immortal inheritance, and saw that those who had endured the most for the truth's sake will not think they have had a hard time, but will count heaven cheap enough.  {Mar 312.2}
[Mar 312.3]          Every day bears its burden of record of unfulfilled duties, of neglect, of selfishness, of deception, of fraud, of overreaching. What an amount of evil works is accumulating for the final judgment! When Christ shall come, "His reward is with him, and his work before him," to render to every man according as his works have been. What a revelation will then be made! What confusion of face to some as the acts of their lives are revealed upon the pages of history.  {Mar 312.3}
[Mar 312.4]          Every good and every wrong act, and its influence upon others, is traced out by the Searcher of hearts, to whom every secret is revealed. And the reward will be according to the motives which prompted the action.  {Mar 312.4}
[Mar 312.5]          The coming of Christ is near and hasteth greatly. The time in which to labor is short, and men and women are perishing. . . .  {Mar 312.5}
[Mar 312.6]          We need the converting power of God to take hold of us, that we may understand the needs of a perishing world. The burden of my message to you is: Get ready, get ready to meet the Lord. Trim your lamps, and let the light of truth shine forth into the byways and the hedges. There is a world to be warned of the near approach of the end of all things. . . .  {Mar 312.6}
[Mar 312.7]          Let us seek a new conversion. We need the presence of the Holy Spirit of God with us, that our hearts may be softened and that we may not bring a harsh spirit into the work. I pray that the Holy Spirit may take full possession of our hearts. Let us act like children of God who are looking to Him for counsel, ready to work out His plans wherever presented. God will be glorified by such a people, and those who witness our zeal will say: Amen and amen.  {Mar 312.7}
[Mar 313.1]       Chap. 305 - The Captivity of Satan and His Angels         The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 6.  {Mar 313.1}
[Mar 313.2]           The earth looked like a desolate wilderness. Cities and villages, shaken down by the earthquake, lay in heaps. Mountains had been moved out of their places, leaving large caverns. Ragged rocks, thrown out by the sea, or torn out of the earth itself, were scattered all over its surface. Large trees had been uprooted and were strewn over the land. Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years.  {Mar 313.2}
[Mar 313.3]          Here he will be confined, to wander up and down over the broken surface of the earth and see the effects of his rebellion against God's law. For a thousand years he can enjoy the fruit of the curse which he has caused. Limited alone to the earth, he will not have the privilege of ranging to other planets, to tempt and annoy those who have not fallen. During this time, Satan suffers extremely. Since his fall his evil traits have been in constant exercise. But he is then to be deprived of his power, and left to reflect upon the part which he has acted since his fall, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future, when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done and be punished for all the sins that he has caused to be committed.  {Mar 313.3}
[Mar 313.4]          I heard shouts of triumph from the angels and from the redeemed saints, which sounded like ten thousand musical instruments, because they were to be no more annoyed and tempted by Satan and because the inhabitants of other worlds were delivered from his presence and his temptations.  {Mar 313.4}
[Mar 313.5]          To God's people the captivity of Satan will bring gladness and rejoicing. Says the prophet: "It shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon ［here representing Satan］, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! . . . Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained." Verses 3-6, R.V.  {Mar 313.5}
[Mar 314.1]      Chap. 306 - We shall Meet Our Guardian Angels         He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalm 91:11.  {Mar 314.1}
[Mar 314.2]           Not until the providences of God are seen in the light of eternity shall we understand what we owe to the care and interposition of His angels. Celestial beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared in garments that shone as the lightning; they have come as men, in the garb of wayfarers. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes; they acted as guides to benighted travelers. They have thwarted the spoiler's purpose and turned aside the stroke of the destroyer.  {Mar 314.2}
[Mar 314.3]         Though the rulers of this world know it not, yet often in their councils angels have been spokesmen. Human eyes have looked upon them. Human ears have listened to their appeals. In the council hall and the court of justice, heavenly messengers have pleaded the cause of the persecuted and oppressed. They have defeated purposes and arrested evils that would have brought wrong and suffering to God's children. To the students in the heavenly school, all this will be unfolded.  {Mar 314.3}
[Mar 314.4]          Every redeemed one will understand the ministry of angels in his own life. The angel who was his guardian from his earliest moment; the angel who watched his steps, and covered his head in the day of peril; the angel who was with him in the valley of the shadow of death, who marked his resting place, who was the first to greet him in the resurrection morning--what will it be to hold converse with him, and to learn the history of divine interposition in the individual life, of heavenly co-operation in every work for humanity!  {Mar 314.4}
[Mar 314.5]          With the word of God in his hands, every human being, wherever his lot in life may be cast, may have such companionship as he shall choose. In its pages he may hold converse with the noblest and best of the human race, and may listen to the voice of the Eternal as He speaks with men. As he studies and meditates upon the themes into which "the angels desire to look" (1 Peter 1:12), he may have their companionship.  {Mar 314.5}
[Mar 315.1]       Chap. 307 - Welcome to the City of God         His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:23.  {Mar 315.1}
[Mar 315.2]           With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to the joy of their Lord. The Saviour's joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these still others, all brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns at Jesus' feet and praise Him through the endless cycles of eternity.  {Mar 315.2}
[Mar 315.3]          As the ransomed ones are welcomed to the City of God, there rings out upon the air an exultant cry of adoration. The two Adams are about to meet. The Son of God is standing with outstretched arms to receive the father of our race--the being whom He created, who sinned against his Maker, and for whose sin the marks of the crucifixion are borne upon the Saviour's form. As Adam discerns the prints of the cruel nails, he does not fall upon the bosom of his Lord, but in humiliation casts himself at His feet, crying: "Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain!" Tenderly the Saviour lifts him up and bids him look once more upon the Eden home from which he has so long been exiled.  {Mar 315.3}
[Mar 315.4]          After his expulsion from Eden, Adam's life on earth was filled with sorrow. Every dying leaf, every victim of sacrifice, every blight upon the fair face of nature, every stain upon man's purity, was a fresh reminder of his sin. . . . With patient humility he bore, for nearly a thousand years, the penalty of transgression. Faithfully did he repent of his sin and trust in the merits of the promised Saviour, and he died in the hope of a resurrection. The Son of God redeemed man's failure and fall; and now, through the work of the atonement, Adam is reinstated in his first dominion.  {Mar 315.4}
[Mar 316.1]       Chap. 308 - Unspeakable Gladness         Jesus . . . for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2, R.S.V.  {Mar 316.1}
[Mar 316.2]           "These things have I spoken unto you," said Christ, "that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11.  {Mar 316.2}
[Mar 316.3]          Ever before Him, Christ saw the result of His mission. His earthly life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by the thought that He would not have all this travail for nought. By giving His life for the life of men, He would restore in humanity the image of God. He would lift us up from the dust, reshape the character after the pattern of His own character, and make it beautiful with His own glory.  {Mar 316.3}
[Mar 316.4]          Christ saw of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. He viewed the expanse of eternity and saw the happiness of those who through His humiliation should receive pardon and everlasting life. He was wounded for their transgressions, bruised for their iniquities. The chastisement of their peace was upon Him, and with His stripes they were healed. He heard the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Although the baptism of blood must first be received, although the sins of the world were to weigh upon His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon Him; yet for the joy that was set before Him He chose to endure the cross and despised the shame.  {Mar 316.4}
[Mar 316.5]          This joy all His followers are to share. However great and glorious hereafter, our reward is not all to be reserved for the time of final deliverance. Even here we are by faith to enter into the Saviour's joy.  {Mar 316.5}
[Mar 316.6]          To those who receive Him, He gives power to become the sons of God, that at last God may receive them as His, to dwell with Him throughout eternity. If, during this life, they are loyal to God, they will at last "see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads." Revelation 22:4. And what is the happiness of heaven but to see God? What greater joy could come to the sinner saved by the grace of Christ than to look upon the face of God and know Him as Father?  {Mar 316.6}
[Mar 317.1]       Chap. 309 - The Gratitude of the Redeemed         The King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40.  {Mar 317.1}
[Mar 317.2]           Every action of ours in befriending God's people will be rewarded as done unto Himself.  {Mar 317.2}
[Mar 317.3]          What satisfaction will every reaper have, when the clear, musical voice of Jesus shall be heard, saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord."  {Mar 317.3}
[Mar 317.4]          The Redeemer is glorified because He has not died in vain. With glad, rejoicing hearts, those who have been colaborers with God see of the travail of their soul for perishing, dying sinners, and are satisfied. The anxious hours they have spent, the perplexing circumstances they have had to meet, the sorrow of heart because some refused to see and receive the things which make for their peace, are forgotten. The self-denial they have practiced in order to support the work, is remembered no more. As they look upon the souls they sought to win to Jesus, and see them saved, eternally saved--monuments of God's mercy and of a Redeemer's love--there ring through the arches of heaven shouts of praise and thanksgiving.  {Mar 317.4}
[Mar 317.5]          There is a heaven before us, and among its inhabitants there will be no strife. . . .  {Mar 317.5}
[Mar 317.6]          We shall greet the holy family of the redeemed, and hear the words of Christ, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." We shall touch our golden harps, and heaven will ring with rich music. We shall cast our glittering crowns at His feet, and give glory to Him who has overcome in our behalf.  {Mar 317.6}
[Mar 317.7]          There may be some things here that we do not understand. Some things in the Bible may appear to us mysterious, because they are beyond our finite comprehension. But as our Saviour leads us by the living waters, He will make clear to our minds that which was not before clearly understood.  {Mar 317.7}
[Mar 318.1]       Chap. 310 - Heaven is Cheap Enough         He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. Isaiah 53:10, 11.  {Mar 318.1}
[Mar 318.2]           The love of God is without measure, without comparison! It is infinite. . . . When we contemplate the dignity and glory of Christ we see how great was that love that prompted the sacrifice made upon the cross of Calvary for the redemption of a lost world. This theme will fill the saints with wonder and amazement through eternal ages, and why should we not meditate upon it here in this world? . . .  {Mar 318.2}
[Mar 318.3]          O the mystery of godliness--God manifest in the flesh! This mystery increases as we try to comprehend it. It is incomprehensible, and yet human beings will allow worldly, earthly things to intercept the faint view it is possible for mortals to have of Jesus and His matchless love. . . . How can we be enthusiastic over earthly, common things and not be stirred with this picture --the cross of Calvary, the love that is revealed in the death of God's dear Son . . . ?  {Mar 318.3}
[Mar 318.4]          All this humiliation and anguish were endured to bring back the wanderers, guilty and thankless, to the Father's house. O the home of the blest--I cannot afford to lose it! I shall, if saved in the kingdom of God, be constantly discerning new depths in the plan of salvation. All the redeemed saints will see and appreciate as never before the love of the Father and the Son, and songs of praise will burst forth from immortal tongues. He loved us, He gave His life for us. With glorified bodies, with enlarged capacities, with hearts made pure, with lips undefiled, we shall sing the riches of redeeming love. There will be no suffering ones in heaven, no skeptics whom we must labor to convince of the reality of eternal things, no prejudices to uproot, but all will be susceptible to that love which passeth knowledge. Rest, thank God, there is a rest for the people of God, where Jesus will lead the redeemed into green pastures, by the streams of living waters which make glad the city of our God. Then the prayer of Jesus to His Father will be answered: "I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am."  {Mar 318.4}
[Mar 319.1]       Chap. 311 - Home at Last!         Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21.  {Mar 319.1}
[Mar 319.2]           As your senses delight in the attractive loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of His glory. It is written, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.  {Mar 319.2}
[Mar 319.3]          By and by the gates of heaven will be thrown open to admit God's children, and from the lips of the King of glory the benediction will fall on their ears like richest music, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34.  {Mar 319.3}
[Mar 319.4]          Then the redeemed will be welcomed to the home that Jesus is preparing for them.  {Mar 319.4}
[Mar 319.5]          Then I saw Jesus lead the redeemed company to the gate of the city. He laid hold of the gate and swung it back on its glittering hinges and bade the nations that had kept the truth enter in. Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them. He said, with His rich, musical voice, "I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." . . .  {Mar 319.5}
[Mar 319.6]          Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, "Oh, what love! what wondrous love!" The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour's love.  {Mar 319.6}
[Mar 320.1]       Chap. 312 - Surprises When We Get to Heaven         The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7.  {Mar 320.1}
[Mar 320.2]           Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself. . . . Many will be in heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart.  {Mar 320.2}
[Mar 320.3]          Some among the redeemed will have laid hold of Christ in the last hours of life, and in heaven instruction will be given to these, who, when they died, did not understand perfectly the plan of salvation.  {Mar 320.3}
[Mar 320.4]          To Jesus in His agony on the cross there came one gleam of comfort. It was the prayer of the penitent thief. . . . In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Saviour. "Lord, remember me," he cries, "when thou comest into thy kingdom." Quickly the answer came. . . . Verily I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in paradise.  {Mar 320.4}
[Mar 320.5]          Such faith may be represented by the eleventh hour laborers who receive as much reward as do those who have labored for many hours. The thief asked in faith, in penitence, in contrition. He asked in earnestness, as if he fully realized that Jesus could save him if He would.  {Mar 320.5}
[Mar 320.6]          Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. . . . Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.  {Mar 320.6}
[Mar 320.7]          How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear from the lips of the Saviour, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"! How glad will be the heart of Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise and joy at His words of approval!  {Mar 320.7}
[Mar 321.1]       Chap. 313 - Satisfying Answers         As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9.  {Mar 321.1}
[Mar 321.2]           Our plans are not always God's plans. . . .  {Mar 321.2}
[Mar 321.3]          In His loving care and interest for us, often He who understands us better than we understand ourselves refuses to permit us selfishly to seek the gratification of our own ambition. . . . Often our plans fail that God's plans for us may succeed. . . .  {Mar 321.3}
[Mar 321.4]          In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.  {Mar 321.4}
[Mar 321.5]          We are not now sufficiently advanced in spiritual attainments to comprehend the mysteries of God. But when we shall compose the family of heaven, these mysteries will be unfolded before us. . . .  {Mar 321.5}
[Mar 321.6]          Then much will be revealed in explanation of matters upon which God now keeps silence because we have not gathered up and appreciated that which has been made known of the eternal mysteries. The ways of Providence will be made clear; the mysteries of grace through Christ will be unfolded. That which the mind cannot now grasp, which is hard to be understood, will be explained. We shall see order in that which has seemed unexplainable; wisdom in everything withheld; goodness and gracious mercy in everything imparted. Truth will be unfolded to the mind, free from obscurity, in a single line, and its brightness will be endurable. The heart will be made to sing for joy. Controversies will be forever ended, and all difficulties will be solved.  {Mar 321.6}
[Mar 321.7]          All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.  {Mar 321.7}
[Mar 322.1]       Chap. 314 - Set Your Affections on Things Above         Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2.  {Mar 322.1}
[Mar 322.2]           When God's people take their eyes off the things of this world and place them on heaven and heavenly things they will be a peculiar people, because they will see the mercy and goodness and compassion that God has shown to the children of men. His love will call forth a response from them, and their lives will show to those around them that the Spirit of God is controlling them, that they are setting their affections on things above, not on the things of the earth.  {Mar 322.2}
[Mar 322.3]          In thinking of heaven, we may put our imagination to the utmost stretch and think the loftiest thoughts that we are capable of thinking, and our minds will grow weary in the effort to comprehend the breadth and depth and height of the subject. It is impossible for our minds to take in the great themes of eternity. It is impossible for us even to make an effort to understand these things without the effort affecting our whole character for good and having an uplifting influence on our minds. As we think of how Christ came to our world to die for fallen man, we understand something of the price that was paid for our redemption, and we realize that there is no true goodness or greatness apart from God.  {Mar 322.3}
[Mar 322.4]          Only by the light shining from the cross of Calvary can we know to what depths of sin and degradation the human race has fallen through sin. Only by the length of the chain let down from heaven to draw us up can we know the depths to which we had sunk. And it is only by keeping the unseen realities in view that we can understand anything of the wonderful theme of redemption.  {Mar 322.4}
[Mar 322.5]          We are almost home; we shall soon hear the voice of the Saviour richer than any music, saying, Your warfare is accomplished. Enter into the joy of thy Lord. Blessed, blessed benediction; I want to hear it from His immortal lips. I want to praise Him; I want to honor Him that sitteth on the throne. I want my voice to echo and re-echo through the courts of heaven. Will you be there? . . . God help us, and fill us with all fullness and power, and then we can taste of the joys of the world to come.  {Mar 322.5}
[Mar 323.1]       Chap. 315 - The Reward of the Redeemed         If any man's work abide. . . , he shall receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:14.  {Mar 323.1}
[Mar 323.2]           Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful workers gather about the throne of God and of the Lamb. When John in his mortal state beheld the glory of God, he fell as one dead; he was not able to endure the sight. But when the children of God shall have put on immortality, they will "see him as he is." 1 John 3:2. They will stand before the throne, accepted in the Beloved. All their sins have been blotted out, all their transgressions borne away. Now they can look upon the undimmed glory of the throne of God. They have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity.  {Mar 323.2}
[Mar 323.3]          In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and the Son. The angels, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King and His trophies of victory. . . .A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts, accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and sacrifice has not been in vain. . . .  {Mar 323.3}
[Mar 323.4]          There are homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for the righteous, with crowns of glory and palms of victory. All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.  {Mar 323.4}
[Mar 323.5]          I urge you to prepare for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. . . . Prepare for the judgment, that when Christ shall come, to be admired in all them that believe, you may be among those who will meet Him in peace.  {Mar 323.5}
[Mar 324.1]       Chap. 316 - Eye Hath Not Seen, Nor Ear Heard         Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9.  {Mar 324.1}
[Mar 324.2]           Those who truly love God will desire so to improve the talents that He has given them, that they may be a blessing to others. And by and by the gates of heaven will be thrown wide open to admit them, and from the lips of the King of Glory the benediction will fall upon their ear like richest music, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Thus the redeemed will be welcomed to the mansions that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth, but those who through divine aid have formed perfect characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection, has been removed by the blood of Christ; and the excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun in its meridian splendor, is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His character, shines through them in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault before the great white throne, sharing the dignity and privileges of the angels.  {Mar 324.2}
[Mar 324.3]          "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." In view of the glorious inheritance which may be his, "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). He may be poor; yet he possesses in himself a wealth and dignity that the world could never bestow. The soul, redeemed and cleansed from sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth.  {Mar 324.3}
[Mar 324.4]          To dwell forever in this home of the blest, to bear in soul, body, and spirit, not the dark traces of sin and curse, but the perfect likeness of our Creator, and through ceaseless ages to advance in wisdom, in knowledge, and in holiness, ever exploring new fields of thought, ever finding new wonders and new glories, ever increasing in capacity to know and to enjoy and to love, and knowing that there is still beyond us joy and love and wisdom infinite--such is the object to which the Christian's hope is pointing.  {Mar 324.4}
[Mar 325.1]       Chap. 317 - Life-Giving Fruit         In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2.  {Mar 325.1}
[Mar 325.2]           The fruit of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden possessed supernatural virtue. To eat of it was to live forever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. . . .  {Mar 325.2}
[Mar 325.3]          After the entrance of sin the heavenly Husbandman transplanted the tree of life to the Paradise above.  {Mar 325.3}
[Mar 325.4]          The redeemed saints, who have loved God and kept His commandments here, will enter in through the gates of the city, and have right to the tree of life. They will eat freely of it as our first parents did before their fall. The leaves of that immortal widespread tree will be for the healing of the nations. All their woes will then be gone. Sickness, sorrow, and death they will never again feel, for the leaves of the tree of life have healed them. Jesus will then see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied, when the redeemed, who have been subject to sorrow, toil, and afflictions, who have groaned beneath the curse, are gathered up around that tree of life to eat of its immortal fruit, that our first parents forfeited all right to, by breaking God's commands. There will be no danger of their ever losing right to the tree of life again, for he that tempted our first parents to sin will be destroyed by the second death.  {Mar 325.4}
[Mar 325.5]          Obedience to all the commandments of God was the condition of eating of the tree of life. Adam fell by disobedience. . . .  {Mar 325.5}
[Mar 325.6]          Obedience through Jesus Christ gives to man perfection of character and a right to that tree of life. The conditions of again partaking of the fruit of the tree are plainly stated in the testimony of Jesus Christ to John: "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."  {Mar 325.6}
[Mar 325.7]          Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will "grow up" to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. The last lingering traces of the curse of sin will be removed, and Christ's faithful ones will appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God," in mind and soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord. Oh, wonderful redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated with eager anticipation, but never fully understood.  {Mar 325.7}
[Mar 326.1]       Chap. 318 - The Bow-Circled Throne         Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. Revelation 4:2, 3.  {Mar 326.1}
[Mar 326.2]           In the rainbow above the throne is an everlasting testimony that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." . . .  {Mar 326.2}
[Mar 326.3]          As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; men could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God. It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation complete. . . .  {Mar 326.3}
[Mar 326.4]          Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is satisfied to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. If we were defective in character, we could not pass the gates that mercy has opened to the obedient; for justice stands at the entrance, and demands holiness in all who would see God.  {Mar 326.4}
[Mar 326.5]          Were justice extinct, and were it possible for divine mercy to open the gates to the whole race, irrespective of character, there would be a worse condition of disaffection and rebellion in heaven than before Satan was expelled. The peace, happiness, and harmony of heaven would be broken. The change from earth to heaven will not change men's character; the happiness of the redeemed in heaven results from the character formed in this life after the image of Christ. The saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth.  {Mar 326.5}
[Mar 326.6]          The salvation that Christ made such a sacrifice to gain for man is that which is alone of value; for it is that which saves from sin. . . . Thus the law of God is not weakened by the gospel, but the power of sin is broken, and the scepter of mercy is extended to the penitent sinner. . . . God will never forget His people in their struggle against evil. Let Jesus be our theme.  {Mar 326.6}
[Mar 327.1]       Chap. 319 - We shall See the King         Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Isaiah 33:17.  {Mar 327.1}
[Mar 327.2]           If we desire to see the King in His beauty we must here behave worthily. We must outgrow our childishness. When provocation comes let us be silent. There are times when silence is eloquence. We are to reveal the patience and kindness and forbearance that will make us worthy of being called sons and daughters of God. We are to trust Him, and believe on Him, and rely upon Him. We are to follow in Christ's steps. "If any man will come after me," He says, "let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). . . . It may be a heavy cross to keep silent when you ought to. It may be a painful discipline, but let me assure you that silence does much more to overcome evil than a storm of angry words.  {Mar 327.2}
[Mar 327.3]          Here in this world we are to learn what we must be in order to have a place in the heavenly courts. We are to learn the lessons that Christ desires to teach us, that we may be prepared to be taken to the higher school in the courts above, where the Saviour will lead us beside the river of life, explaining to us many things that here we could not comprehend. . . . There we shall see the glory of God as we have never seen it here. We get but a glimpse of the glory now, because we do not follow on to know the Lord.  {Mar 327.3}
[Mar 327.4]          Every right principle, every truth learned in an earthly school, will advance us just that much in the heavenly school. As Christ walked and talked with His disciples during His ministry on this earth, so will He teach us in the school above, leading us beside the river of living waters, and revealing to us truths that in this life must remain hidden mysteries because of the limitations of the human mind, so marred by sin. In the heavenly school we shall have opportunity to attain, step by step, to the greatest heights of learning. There, as children of the heavenly King, we shall ever dwell with the members of the royal family; there we shall see the King in His beauty, and behold His matchless charms.  {Mar 327.4}
[Mar 327.5]          Long have we waited, but our hope is not to grow dim. If we can but see the King in His beauty we shall be forever blessed.  {Mar 327.5}
[Mar 328.1]       Chap. 320 - The One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand         I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. Revelation 14:1.  {Mar 328.1}
[Mar 328.2]           Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as it were mingled with fire--so resplendent is it with the glory of God--are gathered the company that have "gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." With the Lamb upon Mount Zion, "having the harps of God," they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, "the voice of harpers harping with their harps." And they sing "a new song" before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb--a song of deliverance.  {Mar 328.2}
[Mar 328.3]          None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience--an experience such as no other company have ever had. "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." These, having been translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as "the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." Revelation 15:2, 3; 14:1-5. "These are they which came out of great tribulation;" they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob's trouble; they have stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring of God's judgments. But they have been delivered, for they have "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." "In their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault" before God. "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them."  {Mar 328.3}
[Mar 328.4]         They have seen the earth wasted with famine and pestilence, the sun having power to scorch men with great heat, and they themselves have endured suffering, hunger, and thirst. But "they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat." Revelation 7:14-16.  {Mar 328.4}
[Mar 329.1]       Chap. 321 - The Great Multitude of the Redeemed         After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Revelation 7:9.  {Mar 329.1}
[Mar 329.2]           All classes, all nations and kindreds and people and tongues will stand before the throne of God and the Lamb with their spotless robes and jeweled crowns. Said the angel, These are they that have come up through great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white, while the lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, the self-indulgent and disobedient, have lost both worlds. They have neither the things of this life nor the immortal life.  {Mar 329.2}
[Mar 329.3]          That triumphant throng, with songs of victory and with crowns and harps, have trodden in the fiery furnace of earthly affliction when it was heated and intensely hot. From destitution, from hunger and torture, they come, from deep self-denial and bitter disappointments. Look upon them now as conquerors, no longer poor, no longer in sorrow, in affliction and hated of all men for Christ's sake. Behold their heavenly garments, white and shining, richer than any kingly robe. Look by faith upon their jeweled crowns; never did such a diadem deck the brow of any earthly monarch.  {Mar 329.3}
[Mar 329.4]          Listen to their voices as they sing loud hosannas and as they wave the palm branches of victory. Rich music fills heaven as their voices sing forth these words: "Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain and rose again forevermore. Salvation unto our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." And the angelic host, angels and archangels, covering cherub and glorious seraph, echo back the refrain of that joyous, triumphant song saying, "Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever" (Revelation 7:12).  {Mar 329.4}
[Mar 329.5]          Oh, in that day it will be discovered that the righteous were the wise ones, while the sinful and disobedient were fools. . . . Shame and everlasting contempt is their portion. Those who have been colaborers for Christ will then be near the throne of God, girt with purity and the garments of eternal righteousness.  {Mar 329.5}
[Mar 330.1]       Chap. 322 - The Soul Winner's Reward         They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:3.  {Mar 330.1}
[Mar 330.2]           When I think of those words of Daniel, I find myself waking up in the night and repeating them over and over: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Look at the sun and the stars marshaled in the heavens, and known by their names. The Lord says, They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever.  {Mar 330.2}
[Mar 330.3]          In order to determine how important are the interests involved in the conversion of the soul from error to truth, we must appreciate the value of immortality; we must realize how terrible are the pains of the second death; we must comprehend the honor and glory awaiting the ransomed, and understand what it is to live in the presence of Him who died that He might elevate and ennoble man, and give to the overcomer a royal diadem.  {Mar 330.3}
[Mar 330.4]          The worth of a soul cannot be fully estimated by finite minds. How gratefully will the ransomed and glorified ones remember those who were instrumental in their salvation! No one will then regret his self-denying efforts and persevering labors, his patience, forbearance, and earnest heart yearnings for souls that might have been lost had he neglected his duty or become weary in well-doing.  {Mar 330.4}
[Mar 330.5]          Now these white-robed ones are gathered into the fold of the Great Shepherd. The faithful worker and the soul saved through his labor are greeted by the Lamb in the midst of the throne, and are led to the tree of life and to the fountain of living waters. With what joy does the servant of Christ behold these redeemed ones, who are made to share the glory of the Redeemer! How much more precious is heaven to those who have been faithful in the work of saving souls! "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars."  {Mar 330.5}
[Mar 330.6]          What is done through the cooperation of men with God is a work that shall never perish, but endure through the eternal ages.  {Mar 330.6}
[Mar 331.1]       Chap. 323 - Think on Heavenly Things         These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14.  {Mar 331.1}
[Mar 331.2]           John, while in vision, saw a company clothed in white robes. . . . They were seen in the temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the merits of Christ and wash their robes in His blood. Every provision has been made so that we can sit with Christ upon His throne, but the condition is that we be in harmony with the law of God. . . .  {Mar 331.2}
[Mar 331.3]          We cannot afford to lose heaven. We ought to have our conversation on heavenly things. There there is no death nor pain. Why are we so reluctant to talk of these things? Why do we dwell upon earthly things? The apostle exhorts us to have our conversation in heaven. "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). . . . Christ will soon return to gather those who are prepared, and take them to this glorious place. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).  {Mar 331.3}
[Mar 331.4]          Do we love to think of this event or do we want to put it off? . . . The more we talk of Jesus, the more we shall reflect His divine image. By beholding we become transformed. We need to bring Christ into our religious experience. When you assemble together, let the conversation be on Christ and His salvation. . . . The more we talk of Jesus the more of His matchless charms we shall behold.  {Mar 331.4}
[Mar 331.5]          Those who take no pleasure in thinking and talking of God in this life, will not enjoy the life that is to come, where God is ever present, dwelling among His people. But those who love to think of God will be in their element, breathing in the atmosphere of heaven. Those who on earth love the thought of heaven will be happy in its holy associations and pleasures. . . . "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads" (Revelation 22:3, 4).  {Mar 331.5}
[Mar 332.1]       Chap. 324 - The Glories of the Heavenly World         Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Isaiah 64:4.  {Mar 332.1}
[Mar 332.2]           Many have longed to penetrate into the glories of the future world and to have the secrets of eternal mysteries disclosed to them, but they knock in vain. That which is revealed is for us and for our children. . . . The Great Revealer hath opened to our intelligence many things that are essential in order that we may understand the heavenly attractions and have respect to the recompense of the reward. . . .  {Mar 332.2}
[Mar 332.3]          The unfoldings of Jesus in reference to heavenly things are of a character that only the spiritual mind can appreciate. The imagination may summon its utmost powers in order to picture the glories of heaven, but "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). The heavenly intelligences are all around us. . . . Angels of light create a heavenly atmosphere about the soul, lifting us toward the unseen and eternal. We cannot behold their forms with our natural sight; only by the spiritual vision can we discern heavenly things. Our human powers would be extinguished by the inexpressible glory of the angels of light. The spiritual ear alone can distinguish the harmony of heavenly voices. It is not Christ's plan to excite the emotions by brilliant descriptions. . . . He has with sufficient distinctness presented Himself, the way, the truth, and the life, as the only means whereby salvation is to be obtained. No more than this is really required.  {Mar 332.3}
[Mar 332.4]          He might bring the human soul to the threshold of heaven, and through the open door show us its inner glory flooding the heavenly sanctuary and shining out through its portals; but we must behold it by faith, not with the natural eyes. He does not forget that we are His human agents, to work the works of God in a world all seared and marred with the curse. It is in this world, that is clothed with moral darkness like the pall of death, where darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, that we are to walk in the light of heaven.  {Mar 332.4}
[Mar 333.1]       Chap. 325 - Look at Things Eternal         We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18.  {Mar 333.1}
[Mar 333.2]           If the church will put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, withdrawing from all allegiance with the world, there is before her the dawn of a bright and glorious day. God's promise to her will stand fast forever. . . . Truth, passing by those who despise and reject it, will triumph. Although at times apparently retarded, its progress has never been checked. . . . Endowed with divine energy, it will cut its way through the strongest barriers and triumph over every obstacle.  {Mar 333.2}
[Mar 333.3]          What sustained the Son of God during His life of toil and sacrifice? He saw the results of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. Looking into eternity, He beheld the happiness of those who through His humiliation had received pardon and everlasting life. His ear caught the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.  {Mar 333.3}
[Mar 333.4]          We may have a vision of the future, the blessedness of heaven. In the Bible are revealed visions of the future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, and these are dear to His church. By faith we may stand on the threshold of the eternal city, and hear the gracious welcome given to those who in this life co-operate with Christ, regarding it as an honor to suffer for His sake. As the words are spoken, "Come, ye blessed of my Father," they cast their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. . . . Honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Matthew 25:34; Revelation 5:12, 13.  {Mar 333.4}
[Mar 333.5]          There the redeemed greet those who led them to the Saviour, and all unite in praising Him who died that human beings might have the life that measures with the life of God. The conflict is over. Tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill all heaven as the ransomed ones take up the joyful strain, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again, a triumphant conqueror.  {Mar 333.5}
[Mar 334.1]       Chap. 326 - Blessed are they that Wash their Robes         Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14, R.V.  {Mar 334.1}
[Mar 334.2]           Do we expect to get to heaven at last and join the heavenly choir? Just as we go into the grave we will come up, as far as the character is concerned. . . . Now is the time for washing and ironing. . . .  {Mar 334.2}
[Mar 334.3]          John saw the throne of God and around that throne a company, and he inquired, Who are these? The answer came, "These are they which . . . have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). Christ leads them to the fountains of living waters, and there is the tree of life and there is the precious Saviour. Here is presented to us a life that measures with the life of God. There is no pain, sorrow, sickness, or death there. All is peace and harmony and love. . . .  {Mar 334.3}
[Mar 334.4]          Now is the time to receive grace and strength and power to combine with our human efforts that we can form characters for everlasting life. When we do this we will find that the angels of God will minister unto us, and we shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. And when the last trump shall sound, and the dead shall be called from their prison house and changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the crowns of immortal glory shall be placed upon the heads of the overcomers. The pearly gates will swing back for the nations that have kept the truth and they will enter in. The conflict is ended.  {Mar 334.4}
[Mar 334.5]          "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Do we want this benediction? I do, and I believe you do. May God help you that you may fight the battles of this life and gain a victory day by day and at last be among the number that shall cast their crowns at Jesus' feet and touch the golden harps and fill all heaven with sweetest music. I want you to love my Jesus. . . . Do not reject my Saviour, for He has paid an infinite price for you. I see in Jesus matchless charms, and I want you to see these charms.  {Mar 334.5}
[Mar 335.1]       Chap. 327 - The Millennial Judgment         Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:3.  {Mar 335.1}
[Mar 335.2]           During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection the judgment of the wicked takes place. The apostle Paul points to this judgment as an event that follows the second advent. "Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 1 Corinthians 4:5. Daniel declares that when the Ancient of Days came, "judgment was given to the saints of the most High." Daniel 7:22. At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." "They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:4, 6. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, "the saints shall judge the world." 1 Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death.  {Mar 335.2}
[Mar 335.3]          Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people. Says Paul: "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" Verse 3. And Jude declares that "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Jude 6.  {Mar 335.3}
[Mar 335.4]         At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead and appear before God for the execution of "the judgment written." Thus the revelator, after describing the resurrection of the righteous, says: "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Revelation 20:5. And Isaiah declares, concerning the wicked: "They shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." Isaiah 24:22.  {Mar 335.4}
[Mar 336.1]       Chap. 328 - Christ Again Returns to the Earth         Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all. Jude 14, 15.  {Mar 336.1}
[Mar 336.2]           At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in terrific majesty He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death.  {Mar 336.2}
[Mar 336.3]          Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim: "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!" It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips. As the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth with the same enmity to Christ and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation in which to remedy the defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained by this. A lifetime of transgression has not softened their hearts. A second probation, were it given them, would be occupied as was the first in evading the requirements of God and exciting rebellion against Him.  {Mar 336.3}
[Mar 336.4]          Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the promise of His return. Says the prophet: "The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof, . . . and there shall be a very great valley." "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one." Zechariah 14:5, 4, 9. As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven, it rests upon the place purified and made ready to receive it, and Christ, with His people and the angels, enters the Holy City.  {Mar 336.4}
[Mar 337.1]       Chap. 329 - Satan Loosed from His Prison         When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. Revelation 20:7, 8.  {Mar 337.1}
[Mar 337.2]           At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead and appear before God for the execution of "the judgment written." Thus the revelator, after describing the resurrection of the righteous, says: "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Revelation 20:5. And Isaiah declares, concerning the wicked: "They shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." Isaiah 24:22.  {Mar 337.2}
[Mar 337.3]          Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans. The wicked are Satan's captives. In rejecting Christ they have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. They are ready to receive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves and that he is about to rescue them from the most cruel tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints and to take possession of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points to the unnumbered millions who have been raised from the dead and declares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city and regain his throne and his kingdom.  {Mar 337.3}
[Mar 338.1]       Chap. 330 - The Wicked Prepare to Attack the New Jerusalem         Satan . . . shall go out to deceive the nations . . . to gather them together to battle. Revelation 20:7, 8.  {Mar 338.1}
[Mar 338.2]           In that vast throng are multitudes of the long-lived race that existed before the Flood; men of lofty stature and giant intellect, who, yielding to the control of fallen angels, devoted all their skill and knowledge to the exaltation of themselves; men whose wonderful works of art led the world to idolize their genius, but whose cruelty and evil inventions, defiling the earth and defacing the image of God, caused Him to blot them from the face of His creation. There are kings and generals who conquered nations, valiant men who never lost a battle, proud, ambitious warriors whose approach made kingdoms tremble. In death these experienced no change. As they come up from the grave, they resume the current of their thoughts just where it ceased. They are actuated by the same desire to conquer that ruled them when they fell.  {Mar 338.2}
[Mar 338.3]          Satan consults with his angels, and then with these kings and conquerors and mighty men. They look upon the strength and numbers on their side, and declare that the army within the city is small in comparison with theirs, and that it can be overcome. They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem. All immediately begin to prepare for battle. Skillful artisans construct implements of war. Military leaders, famed for their success, marshal the throngs of warlike men into companies and divisions.  {Mar 338.3}
[Mar 338.4]          At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on--an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this final struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. With military precision the serried ranks advance over the earth's broken and uneven surface to the City of God. By command of Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city and make ready for the onset.  {Mar 338.4}
[Mar 339.1]       Chap. 331 - The Last Judgment         I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: . . . and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12.  {Mar 339.1}
[Mar 339.2]           Now Christ again appears to the view of His enemies. Far above the city, upon a foundation of burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray. The glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The brightness of His presence fills the City of God, and flows out beyond the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance.  {Mar 339.2}
[Mar 339.3]          Nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burning, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion. Next are those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their faith. And beyond is the "great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, . . . before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." Revelation 7:9. . . .  {Mar 339.3}
[Mar 339.4]          The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and reechoes through the vaults of heaven: "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Verse 10. And angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. . . .  {Mar 339.4}
[Mar 339.5]         In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people. . . .  {Mar 339.5}
[Mar 339.6]          As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed.  {Mar 339.6}
[Mar 340.1]       Chap. 332 - Every Work will be Brought into Judgment         God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14.  {Mar 340.1}
[Mar 340.2]           In the case of each individual there is a process going forward which is far more wonderful than that which transfers the features to the polished plate of the artist. The art of the photographer merely imprints the likeness on perishable substance; but in the life-record the character is faithfully delineated, and this record, however dark, can never be effaced except by the blood of the atoning Sacrifice.  {Mar 340.2}
[Mar 340.3]          Angels of God are taking a daguerreotype of the character just as accurately as the artist takes the likeness of the human features; and . . . it is from this that we are to be judged!  {Mar 340.3}
[Mar 340.4]          When the Judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, there will be many astonishing disclosures. Men will not then appear as they appear to the human eyes and finite judgments. Secret sins will then be laid open to the view of all. Motives and intentions which have been hidden in the dark chambers of the heart will be revealed.  {Mar 340.4}
[Mar 340.5]          All will appear as a real life-picture.  {Mar 340.5}
[Mar 340.6]          In that solemn and awful hour the unfaithfulness of the husband will be opened to the wife, and the unfaithfulness of the wife, to the husband. Parents will then learn, for the first time, what was the real character of their children, and children will see the errors and mistakes that marked the lives of their parents. The man who robbed his neighbor through false representations, is not to escape with his ill-gotten gains. God has an exact record in His books, of every unjust account and every unfair dealing.  {Mar 340.6}
[Mar 340.7]          Memory will be true and vivid in condemnation of the guilty one, who in that day is found wanting. The mind will recall all the thoughts and acts of the past; the whole life will come in review like the scenes in a panorama.  {Mar 340.7}
[Mar 341.1]       Chap. 333 - Christ is Judge         The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. John 5:22.  {Mar 341.1}
[Mar 341.2]           In His teachings, Christ sought to impress men with the certainty of the coming judgment, and with its publicity. This is not the judgment of a few individuals, or even of a nation, but of a whole world of human intelligences, of accountable beings. It is to be held in the presence of other worlds, that the love, the integrity, the service, of man for God, may be honored to the highest degree. There will be no lack of glory and honor. . . . The law of God will be revealed in its majesty; and those who have stood in defiant rebellion against its holy precepts will understand that the law that they have discarded, and despised, and trampled underfoot is God's standard of character. . . .  {Mar 341.2}
[Mar 341.3]          In this speck of a world, the heavenly universe manifests the greatest interest; for Jesus paid an infinite price for the souls of its inhabitants. . . .  {Mar 341.3}
[Mar 341.4]          God has committed all judgment unto the Son, for without controversy He is God manifest in the flesh.  {Mar 341.4}
[Mar 341.5]          God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; . . . He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of the cross--He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. He who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowledged by all the heavenly universe as the King of saints. He has undertaken the work of salvation, and shown before unfallen worlds and the heavenly family that the work He has begun He is able to complete. . . .  {Mar 341.5}
[Mar 341.6]          In the day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living. . . . Solemn will be the day of final decision. . . . Probationary time is granted us, opportunities and privileges are given us, to make our calling and election sure. How we should prize this precious time, and improve every talent God has given, that we may be faithful stewards over ourselves.  {Mar 341.6}
[Mar 342.1]       Chap. 334 - Rewards and Punishments         Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34.  {Mar 342.1}
[Mar 342.2]           The Saviour presents before us the scene of the last judgment when the reward is given to those upon His right hand, and the sentence of condemnation to those upon His left hand. The righteous are represented as wondering what they have done for which they are to be so liberally rewarded. They had had the abiding presence of Christ in their hearts; they had been imbued with His Spirit, and without conscious effort on their part; they had been serving Christ in the person of His saints, and had thereby gained the sure reward. But they had not had in view the reward they were to receive, and the expectation of it had been no part of the motive that had actuated their service. What they did was done from love to Christ and to their fellow-men, and Christ identifies Himself with suffering humanity, and accounts that all deeds done in sympathy and compassion and love to men, are done to Him. . . .  {Mar 342.2}
[Mar 342.3]          In a subordinate sense we should all have respect unto the recompense of the reward. But while we appreciate the promise of blessing, we should have perfect confidence in Jesus Christ, believing that He will do right, and give us reward according as our works have been. The gift of God is eternal life, but Jesus would have us not so anxious concerning rewards, as that we may do the will of God because it is right to do it, irrespective of all gain. . . .  {Mar 342.3}
[Mar 342.4]          Those who will receive the most abundant reward will be those who have mingled with their activity and zeal, gracious, tender pity for the poor, the orphan, the oppressed, and the afflicted. . . . There are about us those who have a meek and lowly spirit, the spirit of Christ, who do many little things to help those around them, and who think nothing of it; they will be astonished at last to find that Christ has noticed the kind word spoken to the disheartened, and taken account of the smallest gift given for the relief of the poor, that cost the giver some self-denial. The Lord measures the spirit, and rewards accordingly, and the pure, humble, childlike spirit of love makes the offering precious in His sight.  {Mar 342.4}
[Mar 343.1]       Chap. 335 - The Panoramic Scene Above the Holy City         We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10.  {Mar 343.1}
[Mar 343.2]           Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption. The Saviour's lowly birth; His early life of simplicity and obedience; His baptism in Jordan; the fast and temptation in the wilderness; His public ministry, unfolding to men heaven's most precious blessings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, the nights of prayer and watching in the solitude of the mountains; the plottings of envy, hate, and malice which repaid His benefits; the awful, mysterious agony in Gethsemane beneath the crushing weight of the sins of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands of the murderous mob; the fearful events of that night of horror--the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by His best-loved disciples, rudely hurried through the streets of Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before Annas, arraigned in the high priest's palace, in the judgment hall of Pilate, before the cowardly and cruel Herod, mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to die--all are vividly portrayed.  {Mar 343.2}
[Mar 343.3]          And now before the swaying multitude are revealed the final scenes--the patient Sufferer treading the path to Calvary; the Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; the haughty priests and the jeering rabble deriding His expiring agony; the supernatural darkness; the heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open graves, marking the moment when the world's Redeemer yielded up His life.  {Mar 343.3}
[Mar 343.4]          The awful spectacle appears just as it was. Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture of their own work. Each actor recalls the part which he performed. . . . All behold the enormity of their guilt. They vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty of His countenance, outshining the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their crowns at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming: "He died for me!"  {Mar 343.4}
[Mar 344.1]       Chap. 336 - Historical Persons Present at the Judgment         I have sworn by myself, . . . That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. Isaiah 45:23, 24.  {Mar 344.1}
[Mar 344.2]           Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John, and their truehearted brethren, and with them the vast host of martyrs; while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing, are those by whom they were persecuted, imprisoned, and slain. There is Nero, that monster of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy and exaltation of those whom he once tortured, and in whose extremest anguish he found satanic delight. His mother is there to witness the result of her own work; to see how the evil stamp of character transmitted to her son, the passions encouraged and developed by her influence and example, have borne fruit in crimes that caused the world to shudder.  {Mar 344.2}
[Mar 344.3]          There . . . ［is］ the proud, ambitious Napoleon, whose approach had caused kingdoms to tremble.  {Mar 344.3}
[Mar 344.4]          There are papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be Christ's ambassadors, yet employed the rack, the dungeon, and the stake to control the consciences of His people. There are the proud pontiffs who exalted themselves above God and presumed to change the law of the Most High. Those pretended fathers of the church have an account to render to God from which they would fain be excused. Too late they are made to see that the Omniscient One is jealous of His law and that He will in no wise clear the guilty. They learn now that Christ identifies His interest with that of His suffering people; and they feel the force of His own words; "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40.  {Mar 344.4}
[Mar 344.5]          The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them.  {Mar 344.5}
[Mar 345.1]       Chap. 337 - The Wicked Acknowledge God's Justice         We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Romans 14:10, 11.  {Mar 345.1}
[Mar 345.2]           As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the divine law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed. They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and adoration from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the multitudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, "Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints" (Revelation 15:3); and, falling prostrate, they worship the Prince of life.  {Mar 345.2}
[Mar 345.3]          Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence he has fallen. A shining seraph, "son of the morning;" how changed, how degraded! From the council where once he was honored, he is forever excluded. He sees another now standing near to the Father, veiling His glory. He has seen the crown placed upon the head of Christ by an angel of lofty stature and majestic presence, and he knows that the exalted position of this angel might have been his.  {Mar 345.3}
[Mar 345.4]          Memory recalls the home of his innocence and purity. . . . As Satan looks upon his kingdom, the fruit of his toil, he sees only failure and ruin. . . .  {Mar 345.4}
[Mar 345.5]          The time has now come when the rebellion is to be finally defeated and the history and character of Satan disclosed. In his last great effort to dethrone Christ, destroy His people, and take possession of the City of God, the archdeceiver has been fully unmasked. Those who have united with him see the total failure of his cause. . . . He is the object of universal abhorrence.  {Mar 345.5}
[Mar 345.6]          Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence.  {Mar 345.6}
[Mar 346.1]       Chap. 338 - God's Character Vindicated         Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Revelation 15:3.  {Mar 346.1}
[Mar 346.2]           Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him. God's wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all His dealings in the great controversy have been conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He has created. . . . The history of sin will stand to all eternity as a witness that with the existence of God's law is bound up the happiness of all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."  {Mar 346.2}
[Mar 346.3]         Before the universe has been clearly presented the great sacrifice made by the Father and the Son in man's behalf. The hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position and is glorified above principalities and powers and every name that is named. It was for the joy that was set before Him--that He might bring many sons unto glory--that He endured the cross and despised the shame. And inconceivably great as was the sorrow and the shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the redeemed, renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the likeness of their King. He beholds in them the result of the travail of His soul, and He is satisfied. Then, in a voice that reaches the assembled multitudes of the righteous and the wicked, He declares: "Behold the purchase of My blood! For these I suffered, for these I died, that they might dwell in My presence throughout eternal ages." And the song of praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Revelation 5:12.  {Mar 346.3}
[Mar 347.1]       Chap. 339 - Sin and Sinners Destroyed         Behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1.  {Mar 347.1}
[Mar 347.2]           Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God's justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with frenzy, he determines not to yield the great controversy. The time has come for a last desperate struggle against the King of heaven. He rushes into the midst of his subjects and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury and arouse them to instant battle. But of all the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end. The wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires Satan; but they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot prevail against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them.  {Mar 347.2}
[Mar 347.3]          Saith the Lord: "Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit." "I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. . . . I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. . . . I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. . . . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." Ezekiel 28:6-8, 16-19. . . .  {Mar 347.3}
[Mar 347.4]          Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up.  {Mar 347.4}
[Mar 348.1]       Chap. 340 - Only One Reminder of Sin         Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner. Proverbs 11:31.  {Mar 348.1}
[Mar 348.2]           The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. Proverbs 11:31. They "shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts." Malachi 4:1. Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished "according to their deeds." The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch--Satan the root, his followers the branches.  {Mar 348.2}
[Mar 348.3]          Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. . . . Then "the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be "; "they shall be as though they had not been." Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16.  {Mar 348.3}
[Mar 348.4]         The justice of God is satisfied, and the saints and all the angelic host say with a loud voice, Amen.  {Mar 348.4}
[Mar 348.5]          While the earth is wrapped in the fire of God's vengeance, the righteous abide safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. (Revelation 20:6.) While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield. (Psalm 84:11.)  {Mar 348.5}
[Mar 348.6]         The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.  {Mar 348.6}
[Mar 348.7]          One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. . . .  {Mar 348.7}
[Mar 348.8]          All that was lost by sin has been restored. . . . God's original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed. "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever." Psalm 37:29.  {Mar 348.8}
[Mar 349.1]      Chap. 341 - We Belong to the Royal Family         Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2.  {Mar 349.1}
[Mar 349.2]           Can any earthly promotion confer honor equal to this--to be sons of God, children of the heavenly King, members of the royal family? . . . The nobility of earth are but men; they die, and return to dust; and there is no lasting satisfaction in their praise and honor. But the honor that comes from God is lasting. To be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, is to be entitled to unsearchable riches--treasures of such value that in comparison with them the gold and silver, the gems and precious stones of earth, sink into insignificance.  {Mar 349.2}
[Mar 349.3]          To have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is to be ennobled and elevated, and made a partaker of joys unspeakable and full of glory. Food, clothing, station, and wealth may have their value; but to have a connection with God and to be a partaker of His divine nature is of priceless value. Our lives should be hid with Christ in God; and although it "doth not yet appear what we shall be," "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear," "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." The princely dignity of the Christian character will shine forth as the sun, and the beams of light from the face of Christ will be reflected upon those who have purified themselves even as He is pure. The privilege of becoming sons of God is cheaply purchased, even at the sacrifice of everything we possess, be it life itself.  {Mar 349.3}
[Mar 349.4]          When John in his mortal state beheld the glory of God, he fell as one dead; he was not able to endure the sight. But when the children of God shall have put on immortality, they will "see him as he is." They will stand before the throne, accepted in the Beloved. All their sins have been blotted out, all their transgressions borne away. Now they can look upon the undimmed glory of the throne of God. They have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity.  {Mar 349.4}
[Mar 350.1]       Chap. 342 - Satisfying Employment         My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. John 5:17.  {Mar 350.1}
[Mar 350.2]           Heaven is a place of interested activity; yet to the weary and heavy laden, to those who have fought the good fight of faith, it will be a glorious rest; for the youth and vigor of immortality will be theirs, and against sin and Satan they will no longer have to contend. To these energetic workers a state of eternal indolence would be irksome. It would be no heaven to them.  {Mar 350.2}
[Mar 350.3]          To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care of the garden, "to dress it and to keep it." Their occupation was not wearisome, but pleasant and invigorating. God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical activity Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence. . . .  {Mar 350.3}
[Mar 350.4]          Those who regard work as a curse, attended though it be with weariness and pain, are cherishing an error. The rich often look down with contempt upon the working classes, but this is wholly at variance with God's purpose in creating man. What are the possessions of even the most wealthy in comparison with the heritage given to the lordly Adam? Yet Adam was not to be idle. Our Creator, who understands what is for man's happiness, appointed Adam his work. The true joy of life is found only by the working men and women.  {Mar 350.4}
[Mar 350.5]          Work is constantly being done in heaven. There are no idlers there. "My Father worketh hitherto," said Christ, "and I work." We cannot suppose that when the final triumph shall come, and we have the mansions prepared for us, idleness will be our portion--that we shall rest in a blissful, do-nothing state.  {Mar 350.5}
[Mar 350.6]          God designs that all shall be workers. The toiling beast of burden answers the purpose of its creation better than does the indolent man. God is a constant worker. The angels are workers; they are ministers of God to the children of men. Those who look forward to a heaven of inactivity will be disappointed, for the economy of heaven provides no place for the gratification of indolence. But to the weary and heavy-laden rest is promised. It is the faithful servant who will be welcomed from his labors to the joy of his Lord.  {Mar 350.6}
[Mar 351.1]       Chap. 343 - The New Heavens and the New Earth         What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3:11-13.  {Mar 351.1}
[Mar 351.2]           The feet of the wicked will never desecrate the earth made new. Fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them--burn them up root and branch. Satan is the root, and his children are the branches.  {Mar 351.2}
[Mar 351.3]          The same fire from God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken, ragged mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all the stubble was consumed. Then our inheritance opened before us, glorious and beautiful, and we inherited the whole earth made new.  {Mar 351.3}
[Mar 351.4]          "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.  {Mar 351.4}
[Mar 351.5]          The sea divides friends. It is a barrier between us and those whom we love. Our associations are broken up by the broad, fathomless ocean. In the new earth there will be no more sea, and there shall pass there "no galley with oars." In the past many who have loved and served God have been bound by chains to their seats in galleys, compelled to serve the purpose of cruel, hardhearted men. The Lord has looked upon their suffering in sympathy and compassion. Thank God, in the earth made new there will be no fierce torrents, no engulfing ocean, no restless, murmuring waves.  {Mar 351.5}
[Mar 351.6]          Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home--that world of beauty which no artist can picture, no mortal tongue describe. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  {Mar 351.6}
[Mar 352.1]       Chap. 344 - No More Death--Ever!         God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4.  {Mar 352.1}
[Mar 352.2]           As we enter the kingdom of God, there to spend eternity, the trials and the difficulties and the perplexities that we have had here will sink into insignificance.  {Mar 352.2}
[Mar 352.3]          In the home of the redeemed there will be no tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning, "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isaiah 33:24. One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen as eternity rolls on. . . .  {Mar 352.3}
[Mar 352.4]          Let us consider most earnestly the blessed hereafter. Let our faith pierce through every cloud of darkness and behold Him who died for the sins of the world. He has opened the gates of paradise to all who receive and believe on Him. To them He gives power to become the sons and daughters of God. Let the afflictions which pain us so grievously become instructive lessons, teaching us to press forward toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ. Let us be encouraged by the thought that the Lord is soon to come. Let this hope gladden our hearts. . . .  {Mar 352.4}
[Mar 352.5]          We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us hath builded for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the city of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections, will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of God.  {Mar 352.5}
[Mar 352.6]          It will not be long till we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His presence, all the trials and sufferings of this life will be as nothingness. . . . Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase. Let this faith guide you along the narrow path that leads through the gates of the city of God into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for the redeemed.  {Mar 352.6}
[Mar 353.1]       Chap. 345 - Inheritance of the Saved         My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18.  {Mar 353.1}
[Mar 353.2]           In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called "a country." Hebrews 11:14-16. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. . . .  {Mar 353.2}
[Mar 353.3]          There, "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree." "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . and a little child shall lead them." "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain," saith the Lord. Isaiah 35:1; 55:13; Isaiah 11:6, 9. There man will be restored to his lost kingship, and the lower order of beings will again recognize his sway; the fierce will become gentle, and the timid trustful.  {Mar 353.3}
[Mar 353.4]         Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. There will be no more tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. "There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying: . . . for the former things are passed away." "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 33:24.  {Mar 353.4}
[Mar 353.5]          There the Eden life will be lived, the life in garden and field. "They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isaiah 65:21, 22.  {Mar 353.5}
[Mar 354.1]       Chap. 346 - Garden of Eden Restored         To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7.  {Mar 354.1}
[Mar 354.2]           The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God. Here they renewed their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished them from Eden. When the tide of iniquity overspread the world, and the wickedness of men determined their destruction by a flood of waters, the hand that had planted Eden withdrew it from the earth. But in the final restitution, when there shall be "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1), it is to be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.  {Mar 354.2}
[Mar 354.3]          Then they that have kept God's commandments shall breathe in immortal vigor beneath the tree of life; and through unending ages the inhabitants of sinless worlds shall behold, in that garden of delight, a sample of the perfect work of God's creation, untouched by the curse of sin--a sample of what the whole earth would have become, had man but fulfilled the Creator's glorious plan.  {Mar 354.3}
[Mar 354.4]          Adam is reinstated in his first dominion. Transported with joy, he beholds the trees that were once his delight--the very trees whose fruit he himself had gathered in the days of his innocence and joy. He sees the vines that his own hands have trained, the very flowers that he once loved to care for. His mind grasps the reality of the scene; he comprehends that this is indeed Eden restored.  {Mar 354.4}
[Mar 354.5]          Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will "grow up" (Malachi 4:2) to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. The last lingering traces of the curse of sin will be removed, and Christ's faithful ones will appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God," in mind and soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord. Oh, wonderful redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated with eager anticipation, but never fully understood.  {Mar 354.5}
[Mar 355.1]       Chap. 347 - Glories of the Eternal World         Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11.  {Mar 355.1}
[Mar 355.2]           The glory of the eternal world has been opened before me. I want to tell you that Heaven is worth winning. It should be the aim of your life to fit yourself for association with the redeemed, with holy angels, and with Jesus, the world's Redeemer. If we could have but one view of the celestial city, we would never wish to dwell on earth again. There are beautiful landscapes on earth, and I enjoy all these prospects of loveliness in nature. I associate them with the Creator. But I know that if I love God, and keep His commandments, there is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory reserved in Heaven for me.  {Mar 355.2}
[Mar 355.3]         This earth,... purified with fire, then ... will be much more beautiful. The grass will be living green, and will never wither. There will be roses and lilies, and all kinds of flowers there. They will never blight or fade, or lose their beauty and fragrance.  {Mar 355.3}
[Mar 355.4]          The lion, we should much dread and fear here, will then lie down with the lamb, and everything in the New Earth will be peace and harmony. The trees of the New Earth will be straight and lofty, without deformity.  {Mar 355.4}
[Mar 355.5]          The saints will have crowns of glory upon their heads, and harps of gold in their hands. They will play upon the golden harp, and sing redeeming love, and make melody unto God. Their former trials and suffering in this world will be forgotten and lost amid the glories of the New Earth.  {Mar 355.5}
[Mar 355.6]         Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home--that world of beauty which no artist can picture and no mortal tongue describe. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray.  {Mar 355.6}
[Mar 355.7]          Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it.  {Mar 355.7}
[Mar 356.1]       Chap. 348 - At Home in the New Jerusalem         Be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. Isaiah 65:18.  {Mar 356.1}
[Mar 356.2]           There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified new earth, "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." "Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." "The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." Saith the Lord: "I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people." . . .  {Mar 356.2}
[Mar 356.3]          In the City of God "there shall be no night." None will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close. "And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light." The light of the sun will be superseded by a radiance which is not painfully dazzling, yet which immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide. The glory of God and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfading light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual day.  {Mar 356.3}
[Mar 356.4]          "I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." The people of God are privileged to hold open communion with the Father and the Son. "Now we see through a glass, darkly." We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then we shall see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. We shall stand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance.  {Mar 356.4}
[Mar 356.5]          There we shall know even as also we are known. There the loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages, the sacred fellowship that binds together "the whole family in heaven and earth"--all are among the experiences of the hereafter.  {Mar 356.5}
[Mar 357.1]       Chap. 349 - The Immortal Inheritance         Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:12, R.S.V.  {Mar 357.1}
[Mar 357.2]           The ransom has been paid, and it is possible for all to come to God, and through a life of obedience to attain unto everlasting life. Then how sad it is that men turn from the immortal inheritance, and live for the gratification of pride, for selfishness and display, and . . . lose the blessing which they might have both in this life and in the life to come. They might enter into the palaces of heaven, and associate on terms of freedom and equality with Christ and heavenly angels, and with the princes of God; and yet, incredible as it may seem, they turn from heavenly attractions.  {Mar 357.2}
[Mar 357.3]          The Creator of all worlds proposes to love those who believe in His only-begotten Son as their personal Saviour, even as He loves His Son. Even here and now His gracious favor is bestowed upon us to this marvelous extent. He has given to men the gift of the Light and Majesty of heaven, and with Him He has bestowed all the treasures of heaven. Much as He has promised us for the life to come, He also bestows princely gifts upon us in this life, and as subjects of His grace, He would have us enjoy everything that will ennoble, expand, and elevate our characters. It is His design to fit us for the heavenly courts above.  {Mar 357.3}
[Mar 357.4]          But Satan is contending for the souls of men.... He would not have them catch a glimpse of the future honor, the eternal glories, laid up for those who shall be inhabitants of heaven, or have a taste of the experience that gives a foretaste of the happiness of heaven....  {Mar 357.4}
[Mar 357.5]          Those who accept Christ as their Saviour have the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.... The lowliest disciple of Christ may become an inhabitant of heaven, an heir of God to an inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away. O that every one might make choice of the heavenly gift, become an heir of God to that inheritance whose title is secure from any destroyer, world without end! O, choose not the world, but choose the better inheritance! Press, urge your way toward the mark for the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.  {Mar 357.5}
[Mar 358.1]       Chap. 350 - The Church Triumphant         I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Revelation 15:2.  {Mar 358.1}
[Mar 358.2]           Now the church is militant. Now we are confronted with a world in darkness, almost wholly given over to idolatry. But the day is coming when the battle will have been fought, the victory won. The will of God is to be done on earth as it is done in heaven. The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving--the robe of Christ's righteousness. All nature, in its surpassing loveliness, will offer to God a tribute of praise and adoration. The world will be bathed in the light of heaven. The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold greater than it is now. The years will move on in gladness. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, "There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death."...  {Mar 358.2}
[Mar 358.3]          Stand on the threshold of eternity and hear the gracious welcome given to those who in this life have co-operated with Christ, regarding it as a privilege and an honor to suffer for His sake. With the angels, they cast their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.... Honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Revelation 5:12, 13.  {Mar 358.3}
[Mar 358.4]          There the redeemed ones greet those who directed them to the uplifted Saviour. They unite in praising Him who died that human beings might have the life that measures with the life of God. The conflict is over. All tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill all heaven, as the redeemed stand around the throne of God. All take up the joyful strain, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" and hath redeemed us to God.  {Mar 358.4}
[Mar 359.1]       Chap. 351 - Unexpected Recompense         Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord. Ephesians 6:8.  {Mar 359.1}
[Mar 359.2]           In this life our work for God often seems to be almost fruitless. Our efforts to do good may be earnest and persevering, yet we may not be permitted to witness their results. To us the effort may seem to be lost. But the Saviour assures us that our work is noted in heaven, and that the recompense cannot fail.  {Mar 359.2}
[Mar 359.3]          The poor widow who cast her two mites into the Lord's treasury little knew what she was doing. Her example of self-sacrifice has acted and reacted upon thousands of hearts in every land and in every age. It has brought to the treasury of God gifts from the high and the low, the rich and the poor. It has helped to sustain missions, to establish hospitals, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and preach the gospel to the poor. Multitudes have been blessed through her unselfish deed. And the outworking of all these lines of influence she, in the day of God, will be permitted to see. So with Mary's precious gift to the Saviour. How many have been inspired to loving service by the memory of that broken alabaster box! And how she will rejoice as she beholds all this!  {Mar 359.3}
[Mar 359.4]          "Verily I say unto you," Christ declared, "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." Looking into the future, the Saviour spoke with certainty concerning His gospel. It was to be preached throughout the world. And as far as the gospel extended, Mary's gift would shed its fragrance, and hearts would be blessed through her unstudied act. Kingdoms would rise and fall; the names of monarchs and conquerors would be forgotten; but this woman's deed would be immortalized upon the pages of sacred history. Until time should be no more, that broken alabaster box would tell the story of the abundant love of God for a fallen race.  {Mar 359.4}
[Mar 359.5]          Every impulse of the Holy Spirit leading men to goodness and to God is noted in the books of heaven, and in the day of God everyone who has given himself as an instrument for the Holy Spirit's working will be permitted to behold what his life has wrought.  {Mar 359.5}
[Mar 360.1]       Chap. 352 - New Earth Activities         They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Isaiah 65:21, 22.  {Mar 360.1}
[Mar 360.2]           We cannot suppose that when the final triumph shall come, and we have the mansions prepared for us, idleness will be our portion--that we shall rest in a blissful, do-nothing state.  {Mar 360.2}
[Mar 360.3]          In the earth made new, the redeemed will engage in the occupations and pleasures that brought happiness to Adam and Eve in the beginning. The Eden life will be lived, the life in garden and field. "They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isaiah 65:21, 22.  {Mar 360.3}
[Mar 360.4]          There I saw most glorious houses, that had the appearance of silver, supported by four pillars set with pearls most glorious to behold. These were to be inhabited by the saints. In each was a golden shelf. I saw many of the saints go into the houses, take off their glittering crowns and lay them on the shelf, then go out into the field by the houses to do something with the earth; not as we have to do with the earth here; no, no. A glorious light shone all about their heads, and they were continually shouting and offering praises to God.  {Mar 360.4}
[Mar 360.5]          Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body.  {Mar 360.5}
[Mar 361.1]       Chap. 353 - Incomparable Music         The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10.  {Mar 361.1}
[Mar 361.2]           There will be music there, and song, such music and song as, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind conceived.  {Mar 361.2}
[Mar 361.3]          "As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there." "They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord." "For the Lord shall comfort Zion: . . . He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord: joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."  {Mar 361.3}
[Mar 361.4]          I have been shown the order, the perfect order, of heaven, and have been enraptured as I listened to the perfect music there. After coming out of vision, the singing here has sounded very harsh and discordant. I have seen companies of angels, who stood in a hollow square, everyone having a harp of gold. At the end of the harp was an instrument to turn to set the harp or change the tunes. Their fingers did not sweep over the strings carelessly, but they touched different strings to produce different sounds. There is one angel who always leads, who first touches the harp and strikes the note, then all join in the rich, perfect music of heaven. It cannot be described. It is melody, heavenly, divine, while from every countenance beams the image of Jesus, shining with glory unspeakable.  {Mar 361.4}
[Mar 361.5]         What a song that will be when the ransomed of the Lord meet . . .! All heaven is filled with rich music, and with songs of praise to the Lamb. Saved, everlastingly saved, in the kingdom of glory! To have a life that measures with the life of God--that is the reward.  {Mar 361.5}
[Mar 361.6]          Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, "Oh, what love! what wondrous love!" The most exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour's love.  {Mar 361.6}
[Mar 362.1]       Chap. 354 - Our Saviour's Highest Honor         And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Zechariah 13:6.  {Mar 362.1}
[Mar 362.2]           "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. . . .  {Mar 362.2}
[Mar 362.3]          One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: "He had bright beams coming out of his side: and there was the hiding of his power." Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God--there is the Saviour's glory, there "the hiding of his power." . . . And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and declare His power.  {Mar 362.3}
[Mar 362.4]          The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore--humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father's face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary's cross. That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer and behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as they behold His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in rapturous song: "Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His own most precious blood!"  {Mar 362.4}
[Mar 363.1]       Chap. 355 - The School of the Hereafter         Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them. Revelation 21:3, R.S.V.  {Mar 363.1}
[Mar 363.2]           Between the school established in Eden at the beginning and the school of the hereafter there lies the whole compass of this world's history--the history of human transgression and suffering, of divine sacrifice, and of victory over death and sin. Not all the conditions of that first school of Eden will be found in the school of the future life. No tree of knowledge of good and evil will afford opportunity for temptation. No tempter is there, no possibility of wrong. Every character has withstood the testing of evil, and none are longer susceptible to its power. . . . Restored to His presence, man will again, as at the beginning, be taught of God.  {Mar 363.2}
[Mar 363.3]          Our lifework here is a preparation for the life eternal. The education begun here will not be completed in this life; it will be going forward through all eternity--ever progressing, never completed.  {Mar 363.3}
[Mar 363.4]          Every right principle, every truth learned in an earthly school, will advance us just that much in the heavenly school. As Christ walked and talked with His disciples during His ministry on this earth, so will He teach us in the school above, leading us beside the river of living waters and revealing to us truths that in this life must remain hidden mysteries because of the limitations of the human mind, so marred by sin.  {Mar 363.4}
[Mar 363.5]          The history of the inception of sin; of fatal falsehood in its crooked working; of truth that ... has met and conquered error--all will be made manifest. The veil that interposes between the visible and the invisible world will be drawn aside, and wonderful things will be revealed.  {Mar 363.5}
[Mar 363.6]          Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body.  {Mar 363.6}
[Mar 364.1]       Chap. 356 - Christ will be Our Teacher         My people shall know my name: ... they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. Isaiah 52:6.  {Mar 364.1}
[Mar 364.2]           Restored to His presence, man will again, as at the beginning, be taught of God.  {Mar 364.2}
[Mar 364.3]          We have not the slightest idea of what will then be opened before us. With Christ we shall walk beside the living waters. He will unfold to us the beauty and glory of nature. He will reveal what He is to us, and what we are to Him. Truth we cannot know now, because of finite limitations, we shall know hereafter.  {Mar 364.3}
[Mar 364.4]          In the world to come Christ will lead the redeemed beside the river of life and will teach them wonderful lessons of truth. He will unfold to them the mysteries of nature. They will see that a master hand holds the world in position. They will behold the skill displayed by the great Artist in coloring the flowers of the field, and will learn of the purposes of the merciful Father, who dispenses every ray of light, and with the holy angels the redeemed will acknowledge in songs of grateful praise God's supreme love to an unthankful world.  {Mar 364.4}
[Mar 364.5]          There will be open to the student, history of infinite scope and of wealth inexpressible.... The history of the inception of sin; of fatal falsehood in its crooked working; of truth that, swerving not from its own straight lines, has met and conquered error--all will be made manifest. The veil that interposes between the visible and the invisible world will be drawn aside, and wonderful things will be revealed.  {Mar 364.5}
[Mar 364.6]          With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. And the years of eternity, as they roll, will continue to bring more glorious revelations. "Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20) will be, forever and forever, the impartation of the gifts of God.  {Mar 364.6}
[Mar 364.7]          We must get an education here that will enable us to live with God through the eternal ages. The education we begin here will be perfected in heaven. We will only just enter a higher grade.  {Mar 364.7}
[Mar 365.1]       Chap. 357 - Our Study in Ages to Come         That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7.  {Mar 365.1}
[Mar 365.2]           The science of redemption is the science of all sciences; the science that is the study of the angels, and of all the intelligences of the unfallen worlds; the science that engages the attention of our Lord and Saviour; the science that enters into the purpose brooded in the mind of the Infinite--"kept in silence through times eternal"; the science that will be the study of God's redeemed throughout the endless ages. This is the highest study in which it is possible for man to engage. As no other study can, it will quicken the mind, and uplift the soul....  {Mar 365.2}
[Mar 365.3]          The theme of redemption is one that angels desire to look into; it will be the science and the song of the redeemed throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Is it now worthy of careful thought and study now?...  {Mar 365.3}
[Mar 365.4]          The study of the incarnation of Christ, His atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, will employ the mind of the diligent student as long as time shall last; and, looking to heaven with its unnumbered years, he will exclaim, "Great is the mystery of godliness."  {Mar 365.4}
[Mar 365.5]          In eternity we shall learn that which, had we received the enlightenment that it was possible to obtain here, would have opened our understanding. The themes of redemption will employ the hearts and minds and tongues of the redeemed through the everlasting ages. They will understand the truths which Christ longed to open to His disciples, but which they did not have faith to grasp. Forever and forever new views of the perfection and glory of Christ will appear. Through endless ages the faithful Householder will bring forth from His treasures things new and old.  {Mar 365.5}
[Mar 365.6]         If it were possible for us to attain to a full understanding of God and His truth, there would be for us no further discovery of truth, no greater knowledge, no further development. . . . Thank God, it is not so. Since God is infinite, and in Him are all the treasures of wisdom, we may to all eternity be ever searching, ever learning, yet never exhaust the riches of His wisdom, His goodness, or His power.  {Mar 365.6}
[Mar 366.1]       Chap. 358 - Inexhaustible Themes         Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.... Which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:10-12.  {Mar 366.1}
[Mar 366.2]           In this life we can only begin to understand the wonderful theme of redemption. With our finite comprehension we may consider most earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and the death, the justice and the mercy, that meet in the cross; yet with the utmost stretch of our mental powers we fail to grasp its full significance. The length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of redeeming love are but dimly comprehended. The plan of redemption will not be fully understood, even when the ransomed see as they are seen and know as they are known; but through the eternal ages new truth will continually unfold to the wondering and delighted mind. Though the griefs and pains and temptations of earth are ended and the cause removed, the people of God will ever have a distinct, intelligent knowledge of what their salvation has cost....  {Mar 366.2}
[Mar 366.3]         The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In the light that streams from Calvary the attributes of God which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive. Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to blend with holiness, justice, and power. While we behold the majesty of His throne, high and lifted up, we see His character in its gracious manifestations, and comprehend, as never before, the significance of that endearing title, "Our Father."  {Mar 366.3}
[Mar 366.4]          It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could devise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of His son. The compensation for this sacrifice is the joy of peopling the earth with ransomed beings, holy, happy, and immortal. The result of the Saviour's conflict with the powers of darkness is joy to the redeemed, redounding to the glory of God throughout eternity. And such is the value of the soul that the Father is satisfied with the price paid; and Christ Himself, beholding the fruits of His great sacrifice, is satisfied.  {Mar 366.4}
[Mar 366.5]          Through all eternity the ransomed host will be His chief glory.  {Mar 366.5}
[Mar 367.1]       Chap. 359 - The Universe Our Field of Study         O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Psalm 104:24.  {Mar 367.1}
[Mar 367.2]           The knowledge of God's works and ways we can only begin to obtain in this world; the study will be continued throughout eternity. God has provided for man subjects of thought which will bring into activity every faculty of the mind. We may read the character of the Creator in the heavens above and the earth beneath, filling the heart with gratitude and thanksgiving. Every nerve and sense will respond to the expressions of God's love in His marvelous works.  {Mar 367.2}
[Mar 367.3]         There, when the veil that darkens our vision shall be removed, and our eyes shall behold that world of beauty of which we now catch glimpses through the microscope; when we look on the glories of the heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope; when, the blight of sin removed, the whole earth shall appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God," what a field will be open to our study! There the student of science may read the records of creation and discern no reminders of the law of evil. He may listen to the music of nature's voices and detect no note of wailing or undertone of sorrow. In all created things he may trace one handwriting--in the vast universe behold "God's name writ large," and not in earth or sea or sky one sign of ill remaining.  {Mar 367.3}
[Mar 367.4]          The redeemed throng will range from world to world, and much of their time will be employed in searching out the mysteries of redemption. And throughout the whole stretch of eternity, this subject will be continually opening to their minds. The privileges of those who overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony are beyond comprehension.  {Mar 367.4}
[Mar 367.5]          All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's children. With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. And the years of eternity, as they roll, will continue to bring more glorious revelations. "Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" will be, forever and forever, the impartation of the gifts of God.  {Mar 367.5}
[Mar 368.1]       Chap. 360 - Worlds Upon Worlds to be Visited         Thus saith the Lord. . . . I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. Isaiah 45:11, 12.  {Mar 368.1}
[Mar 368.2]           Many seem to have the idea that this world and the heavenly mansions constitute the universe of God. Not so.  {Mar 368.2}
[Mar 368.3]          God has worlds upon worlds that are obedient to His law. These worlds are conducted with reference to the glory of the Creator. As the inhabitants of these worlds see the great price that has been paid to ransom man, they are filled with amazement.  {Mar 368.3}
[Mar 368.4]          The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place.  {Mar 368.4}
[Mar 368.5]          I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was, "We have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God, and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth." Then I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the city. The fruit of both looked beautiful, but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending angel said to me, "None in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat, they would fall."  {Mar 368.5}
[Mar 368.6]          Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. . . . I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said, "It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to visit this place." He moved about the place as if perfectly at home.  {Mar 368.6}
[Mar 368.7]          I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, "You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God."  {Mar 368.7}
[Mar 369.1]       Chap. 361 - Speculations Concerning the New Earth         When they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. Mark 12:25.  {Mar 369.1}
[Mar 369.2]           There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth, but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the "sure word of prophecy." The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family.  {Mar 369.2}
[Mar 369.3]          I would say to those who hold views contrary to this plain declaration of Christ: Upon such matters silence is eloquence. It is presumption to indulge in suppositions and theories regarding matters that God has not made known to us in His word. We need not enter into speculation regarding our future state. . . .  {Mar 369.3}
[Mar 369.4]          "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season." Do not bring to the foundation wood, and hay, and stubble--your own surmisings and speculations, which can benefit no one.  {Mar 369.4}
[Mar 369.5]          Christ withheld no truths essential to our salvation. Those things that are revealed are for us and our children, but we are not to allow our imagination to frame doctrines concerning things not revealed.  {Mar 369.5}
[Mar 369.6]          It is presented to me that spiritual fables are taking many captive. . . . To all who are indulging these unholy fancies I would say, Stop; for Christ's sake, stop right where you are. You are on forbidden ground.  {Mar 369.6}
[Mar 369.7]          The Lord has made every provision for our happiness in the future life. But He has made no revelations regarding these plans, and we are not to speculate concerning them. Neither are we to measure the conditions of the future life by the conditions of this life.  {Mar 369.7}
[Mar 370.1]       Chap. 362 - Christ's Kingdom of Love         The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High. Daniel 7:27.  {Mar 370.1}
[Mar 370.2]           The government of the kingdom of Christ is like no earthly government. It is a representation of the characters of those who compose the kingdom. . . . His court is one where holy love presides and whose offices and appointments are graced by the exercise of charity. He charges His servants to bring pity and loving-kindness, His own attributes, into all their office work. . . .  {Mar 370.2}
[Mar 370.3]          The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with Him of the new life in the kingdom of God. . . . In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind and give us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship.  {Mar 370.3}
[Mar 370.4]          "Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams. . . . For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us. . . . And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity" (Isaiah 33:20-24).  {Mar 370.4}
[Mar 370.5]          "Be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create," the Lord exhorts; "for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. . . . And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. . . . They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 65:18-25).  {Mar 370.5}
[Mar 371.1]       Chap. 363 - The Sabbath in the Hereafter         For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 66:22, 23.  {Mar 371.1}
[Mar 371.2]           In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested upon the Sabbath after Their work of creation. When "the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them" (Genesis 2:1), the Creator and all heavenly beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene. "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. . . . When there shall be a "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph's tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as "from one sabbath to another" (Isaiah 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb.  {Mar 371.2}
[Mar 371.3]          The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy. . . .  {Mar 371.3}
[Mar 371.4]          "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." "The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people."  {Mar 371.4}
[Mar 371.5]          So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. "From one sabbath to another" the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:23.  {Mar 371.5}
[Mar 372.1]       Chap. 364 - Eternal Security         The Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. Zechariah 14:9.  {Mar 372.1}
[Mar 372.2]           The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God's favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God's original purpose in its creation is accomplished. "The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" (Daniel 7:18).  {Mar 372.2}
[Mar 372.3]          "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3). "In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one." "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:9). . . . "All His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever" (Psalm 111:7, 8). The sacred statutes which Satan has hated and sought to destroy, will be honored throughout a sinless universe.  {Mar 372.3}
[Mar 372.4]         Through Christ's redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The Omnipotent One is made known as the God of love. Satan's charges are refuted, and his character unveiled. Rebellion can never again arise. Sin can never again enter the universe. Through eternal ages all are secure from apostasy. By love's self-sacrifice, the inhabitants of earth and heaven are bound to their Creator in bonds of indissoluble union. . . .  {Mar 372.4}
[Mar 372.5]          In the place where sin abounded, God's grace much more abounds. The earth itself, the very field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. Our little world, under the curse of sin the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered and died--here, when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, "and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." And through endless ages as the redeemed walk in the light of the Lord, they will praise Him for His unspeakable Gift-- Immanuel, "God with us."  {Mar 372.5}
[Mar 373.1]       Chap. 365 - What Eternity Holds for the Redeemed         With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91:16.  {Mar 373.1}
[Mar 373.2]           All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar--worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God's handiwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation--suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator's name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.  {Mar 373.2}
[Mar 373.3]         And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise.  {Mar 373.3}
[Mar 373.4]          "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Revelation 5:13.  {Mar 373.4}
[Mar 373.5]          The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.  {Mar 373.5}
[1MCP 0.1]         1MCP - Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 1 (1977)      FOREWORD         IN ELLEN G. WHITE'S LIFETIME (1827-1915) PSYCHOLOGY, THE SCIENCE WHICH TREATS OF THE MIND AND ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, WAS IN ITS INFANCY. YET THERE EMERGES THROUGHOUT HER WRITINGS A DISTINCTIVE PHILOSOPHY IN WHICH GUIDELINES IN THIS SCIENCE AND TO MENTAL HEALTH ARE CLEARLY PORTRAYED.       THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPILATION IS TO BRING THE ELLEN G. WHITE STATEMENTS IN THIS BROAD, IMPORTANT, AND SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL FIELD TOGETHER FOR CONVENIENT STUDY. SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS AND OTHERS WITH THEIR CONVICTION THAT ELLEN G. WHITE WROTE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD TREASURE GUIDANCE IN A FIELD SO VITAL TO ALL HUMANITY AT A TIME WHEN SCHOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THOUGHT ARE VARIED AND CHANGING.       THE SOUNDNESS OF ELLEN  WHITE'S VIEWS IN THE AREAS OF PHYSIOLOGY, NUTRITION, AND EDUCATION, AS WELL AS IN OTHER FIELDS, HAS ALREADY BEEN DEMONSTRATED. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AS RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRESSES, HER REPUTATION FOR SETTING FORTH SOUND PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES WILL BE STILL MORE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED. TO THE DEVOUT ADVENTIST THIS WORK, MIND, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY, WILL SUPPLY MANY ANSWERS. WE ARE CERTAIN THAT AS TRUTH UNFOLDS, THE POSITIONS TAKEN HERE WILL APPEAL MORE AND MORE TO ALL THOUGHTFUL READERS.       IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE OCCASIONAL APPEARANCE OF SUCH EXPRESSIONS AS "I SAW," "I WAS SHOWN," "I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED," ARE NOT ONLY UNDERSTOOD, BUT ARE WELCOMED FOR THE ASSURANCE THEY GIVE THAT THE CONCEPTS PORTRAYED ORIGINATED WITH HIM WHO SHAPED THE HUMAN MIND.       IN ASSEMBLING THIS MATERIAL IN THE WHITE ESTATE OFFICES THERE HAS BEEN NO ATTEMPT TO SELECT PASSAGES THAT SUPPORT VIEWS ADVOCATED BY VARIOUS AUTHORITIES IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY. NO PRECONCEIVED VIEWS HELD BY THE COMPILERS ARE REPRESENTED HERE. RATHER, AN EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ALLOW ELLEN WHITE TO FREELY PROPOUND HER VIEWS. THIS HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY DRAWING FROM THE VAST STORE OF HER PUBLISHED WRITINGS, PENNED THROUGH SIX DECADES, AS THEY APPEAR IN CURRENT OR OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, HER THOUSANDS OF PERIODICAL ARTICLES, AND IN HER VOLUMINOUS MANUSCRIPT AND CORRESPONDENCE FILES HOUSED IN THE WHITE ESTATE VAULT.       A LARGE PORTION OF MIND, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY PRESENTS GENERAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES. THIS IS INTERSPERSED AND SUPPLEMENTED WITH MATERIALS SETTING FORTH PRACTICAL ADMONITIONS AND COUNSELS IN THE SETTING OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT, THE MINISTER AND THE PARISHIONER, THE PHYSICIAN AND THE PATIENT, OR THE PARENT AND THE CHILD.       THE COUNSELS IN SCORES OF INSTANCES ADDRESSED TO AN EXECUTIVE, MINISTER, PHYSICIAN, TEACHER, EDITOR, HUSBAND, HOUSEWIFE, OR YOUTH, MAY IN THEIR REVELATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND ADVICE GIVEN, PARTAKE SOMEWHAT OF THE FORM OF CASE HISTORIES. ATTENTION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PRINCIPLE INVOLVED.       OBVIOUSLY ELLEN WHITE DID NOT WRITE AS A PSYCHOLOGIST. SHE DID NOT EMPLOY TERMINOLOGY IN COMMON USAGE IN THE FIELD OF PSYCHOLOGY TODAY. IN FACT, THE READER MUST EVEN APPROACH HER USES OF THE TERMS "PSYCHOLOGY", "PHRENOLOGY," ETC., WITH UNDERSTANDING. THE KNOWLEDGEABLE READER, HOWEVER, WILL BE DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY HER UNUSUAL INSIGHT INTO BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY, WHICH THESE WRITINGS EVINCE. THE ELLEN G. WHITE STATEMENTS ON THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE MIND, ITS VITAL PLACE IN THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, ITS POTENTIALS, AND THE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO ITS OPTIMUM FUNCTIONING AS DRAWN TOGETHER IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE YIELD A CHOICE ADDITION TO THE ELLEN G. WHITE BOOKS ISSUED POSTHUMOUSLY. THESE HELP US TO COMPREHEND WHAT MAN IS AND TO UNDERSTAND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO HIS EARTHLY ENVIRONMENT, TO GOD, AND TO THE UNIVERSE.       TEN YEARS AGO, WHEN WORK WAS BEGUN ON THIS COMPILATION, IT WAS THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD HAVE ITS WIDEST APPEAL TO THOSE STUDYING PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH. HENCE, AN ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN FOLLOWED THAT WOULD MAKE STATEMENTS READILY AVAILABLE TO THOSE CONSIDERING CLASSIFIED AREAS. THE RESEARCHER SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE AN ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO AVOID REDUNDANCY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, A FEW KEY STATEMENTS ARE REPEATED IN DIFFERENT CHAPTERS BECAUSE THE STUDENT WOULD EXPECT TO FIND THEM UNDER DIFFERENT APPROPRIATE HEADINGS. IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THIS COMPILATION IS OF VITAL INTEREST TO ALL ADVENTISTS AND TO THEIR FRIENDS AS WELL, FOR ALL OF US ARE INVOLVED IN THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND.       THE WORK OF THE COMPILERS HAS BEEN CONFINED TO THE SELECTION OF THE MATERIALS, PLACING THESE IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE A LOGICAL SEQUENCE, AND SUPPLYING THE HEADINGS, INCLUDING THE SIDE HEADINGS THAT INTRODUCE THE ITEMS CHOSEN. AN ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO INCLUDE ALL ESSENTIAL STATEMENTS ON THE SUBJECTS PRESENTED, PENNED THROUGH THE YEARS OF ELLEN WHITE'S ACTIVE SERVICE, THUS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF APPROACHING A GIVEN POINT FROM ALL ANGLES AND PRESENTING THE WIDEST POSSIBLE COVERAGE. IN SO DOING THERE IS HERE AND THERE REPETITION OF THOUGHT IN GENERAL BASIC LINES THAT THE CASUAL READER MAY FIND SOMEWHAT IRRITATING. THE CAREFUL STUDENT, HOWEVER, WILL WELCOME EACH PHRASE THAT MAKES A CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUBJECT UNDER DISCUSSION. THUS MIND, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY IS SOMEWHAT ENCYCLOPEDIC.       EACH QUOTATION CARRIES A SPECIFIC CREDIT TO ITS SOURCE IN THE ELLEN G. WHITE MATERIALS, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE READER IN MANY CASES TO TURN TO THE FULL ORIGINAL CONTEXT IF DESIRED. IN THE INTEREST OF CONSERVING SPACE, THE COMMONLY ACCEPTED ABBREVIATIONS TO THE E. G. WHITE WRITINGS ARE EMPLOYED IN THE SOURCE REFERENCES. A KEY TO THESE ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOWS IN THE INTRODUCTORY PAGES. IN ALL CASES THE DATE OF WRITING OR OF FIRST PUBLICATION IS SUPPLIED. THE ORIGINAL SOURCES ARE GIVEN AS PRIMARY REFERENCES, AND IF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN BOOK FORM, THE APPROPRIATE CURRENT PUBLISHED REFERENCES APPEAR. CREDITS TO THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BIBLE COMMENTARY ARE TO THE E. G. WHITE SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENTS APPEARING AT THE CLOSE OF EACH OF THE COMMENTARY VOLUMES, OR IN VOLUME 7A OF THE SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY.       LIMITATION OF SPACE HAS PRECLUDED THE INCLUSION IN THESE VOLUMES OF SOME MIND-RELATED TOPICS AS "INSANITY", ETC., FOR WHICH THE READER IS REFERRED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE INDEX TO THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE.       THIS COMPILATION HAS BEEN PREPARED IN THE OFFICES OF THE ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AS AUTHORIZED BY ELLEN WHITE IN HER WILL. UNLIKE MOST COMPILATIONS OF ELLEN G. WHITE MATERIALS IT WAS FIRST RELEASED IN TEMPORARY FORM UNDER THE TITLE OF GUIDELINES TO MENTAL HEALTH, FOR CLASSROOM TESTING AND FOR CRITICAL READING BY ADVENTIST EDUCATORS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND PSYCHIATRISTS. IT WAS THE DESIRE OF THE WHITE ESTATE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT ALL KNOWN STATEMENTS RELEVANT TO THE TOPICS REPRESENTED WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND THAT THE ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIALS WAS ACCEPTABLE.       THE FAVORABLE RESPONSE FROM THE CLASSROOM USE AND OF OTHERS ENSURES THE PLACE OF THIS WORK WITH THE MANY OTHER ELLEN G. WHITE BOOKS OF POSTHUMOUS PUBLICATION. AS NOW ISSUED IN TWO PARTS, IT BECOMES A SEGMENT OF THE POPULAR CHRISTIAN HOME LIBRARY.       IN ITS PRESENT FROM IT REPRESENTS SOMEWHAT OF A REVISION IN THE SELECTION OF ITEMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE ORDER OF THEIR APPEARANCE. A CHAPTER TITLED "LOVE AND SEXUALITY IN THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE" HAS BEEN ADDED. ADDITIONS HAVE ROUNDED OUT CERTAIN CHAPTERS, AND SOME DELETIONS HAVE ELIMINATED UNNECESSARY REPETITION. PAGING IS CONTINUOUS THROUGH THE TWO PARTS, AND THE SCRIPTURE AND SUBJECT INDEXES TO THE ENTIRE WORK ARE AT THE CLOSE.       THAT THE CLEARLY TRACED PICTURE OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE FORCES OF GOOD AND EVIL FOR THE CONTROL OF THE HUMAN MIND MAY WARN AND ENLIGHTEN ALL READERS AND PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS AND DIRECTION FOR CHOOSING THAT WHICH WILL GIVE SAFE GUIDANCE TODAY AND ENSURE A FUTURE INHERITANCE IN THE LIFE TO COME IS THE EARNEST HOPE OF                                   THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE                                   ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE    WASHINGTON, D.C.  MARCH 22, 1977  {1MCP 0.1}
[1MCP 0.2]     Table of Contents                                     Volume I    Section I            The Study of the Mind     1.  Its Importance .............................................. 3     2.  The Christian and Psychology ................................ 10     3.  Dangers in Psychology ....................................... 18     4.  Spiritual Influences and the Mind ........................... 27     5.  The Fanatical Mind........................................... 38     6.  A Healthy Normality.......................................... 48    Section II            Basic Relationships     7.  Disease That Begins in the Mind ............................. 59     8.  Religion and the Mind ....................................... 65     9.  Mind, the Citadel ........................................... 72    10.  Understanding ............................................... 78    Section III           Development of the Mind    11.  Bible Study and the Mind .................................... 89    12.  Diligence ................................................... 99    13.  Food for the Mind .......................................... 107    14.  Exercise ................................................... 115    15.  Emotional Factors .......................................... 123    Section IV             The Growing Personality    16.  Prenatal Influences ........................................ 131    17.  Heredity and Environment ................................... 142    18.  Security in the Home ....................................... 152    19.  Parental Influences ........................................ 163    20.  The Home Atmosphere ........................................ 174    21.  Christ Deals With Minds .................................... 181    22.  The School and the Teacher ................................. 187    Section V              Life's Energizing Force    23.  Love--a Divine, Eternal Principle .......................... 205    24.  Love in the Home ........................................... 211    25.  Love and Sexuality in the Human Experience ................. 218    26.  Brotherly Love ............................................. 240    27.  God's Love ................................................. 247    Section VI             Selfishness and Self-Respect    28.  Self-respect ............................................... 255    29.  Dependence and Independence ................................ 261    30.  Selfishness and Self-centeredness .......................... 271    Section VII            Adolescence and Youth    31.  Problems of Youth .......................................... 281    32.  Infatuation and Blind Love ................................. 295    33.  Dangers Facing Youth ....................................... 308    34.  Conscience ................................................. 319    Section VIII           Guiding Principles in Education    35.  The Influence of Perception ................................ 331    36.  Principles of Motivation ................................... 341    37.  Principles of Study and Learning ........................... 350    38.  Balance in Education ....................................... 359  {1MCP 0.2}
[1MCP 3.1]     Chap. 1 - Its Importance         The Nicest Work.--To deal with minds is the nicest work in which men ever engaged.--3T 269 (1873).  {1MCP 3.1}
[1MCP 3.2]         To Know the Laws That Govern Mind and Body.-- It is the duty of every person, for his own sake and for the sake of humanity, to inform himself in regard to the laws of life and conscientiously to obey them. All need to become acquainted with that most wonderful of all organisms, the human body. They should understand the functions of the various organs and the dependence of one upon another for the healthy action of all. They should study the influence of the mind upon the body and of the body upon the mind, and the laws by which they are governed.--MH 128 (1905).  {1MCP 3.2}
[1MCP 3.3]         Train and Discipline the Mind.--No matter who you are . . . the Lord has blessed you with intellectual faculties capable of vast improvement. Cultivate your talents with persevering earnestness. Train and discipline the mind by study, by observation, by reflection. You cannot meet the mind of God unless you put to use every power. The mental faculties will strengthen and develop if you will go to work in the fear of God, in humility, and with     4     earnest prayer. A resolute purpose will accomplish wonders. --LS 275 (1915).  {1MCP 3.3}
[1MCP 4.1]          Potential of the Disciplined Mind.--Self-discipline must be practiced. . . . An ordinary mind, well disciplined, will accomplish more and higher work than will the most highly educated mind and the greatest talents without self-control.--COL 335 (1900).  {1MCP 4.1}
[1MCP 4.2]          To Deal With Minds a Paramount Work.--The future of society is indexed by the youth of today. In them we see the future teachers and lawmakers and judges, the leaders and the people, that determine the character and destiny of the nation. How important, then, the mission of those who are to form the habits and influence the lives of the rising generation.  {1MCP 4.2}
[1MCP 4.3]          To deal with minds is the greatest work ever committed to men. The time of parents is too valuable to be spent in the gratification of appetite or the pursuit of wealth or fashion. God has placed in their hands the precious youth, not only to be fitted for a place of usefulness in this life but to be prepared for the heavenly courts.--HS 209, 1886. (Te 270.)  {1MCP 4.3}
[1MCP 4.4]          Teacher's Usefulness Depends Upon a Trained Mind.--The teacher's usefulness depends not so much upon the actual amount of his acquirements as upon the standard at which he aims. The true teacher is not content with dull thoughts, and indolent mind, or a loose memory. He constantly seeks higher attainments and better methods. His life is one of continual growth. In the work of such a teacher there is a freshness, a quickening power, that awakens and inspires his pupils.--Ed 278 (1903).  {1MCP 4.4}
[1MCP 4.5]          He Will Strive for the Highest Mental and Moral Excellence.--To know oneself is a great knowledge. The teacher who rightly estimates himself will let God mold                                                             5     and discipline his mind. And he will acknowledge the source of his power. . . . Self-knowledge leads to humility and to trust in God, but it does not take the place of efforts for self-improvement. He who realizes his own deficiencies will spare no pains to reach the highest possible standard of physical, mental, and moral excellence. No one should have a part in the training of youth who is satisfied with a lower standard.--SpTEd 50, May 15, 1896. (CT 67.)  {1MCP 4.5}
[1MCP 5.1]          Prepares for Eternity.--In all your work you must do as the husbandman does in laboring for the fruits of the earth. Apparently he throws away the seed; but, buried in the soil, the seed germinates. The power of the living God gives it life and vitality, and there is seen "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear" (Mark 4:28). Study this wonderful process. Oh, there is so much to learn, so much to understand! If we improve our minds to the utmost of our ability we shall through the eternal ages continue to study the ways and works of God and to know more and more of Him.--CT 252 (1913).  {1MCP 5.1}
[1MCP 5.2]          Science of Christianity and the Mind.--There is a science of Christianity to be mastered--a science as much deeper, broader, higher, than any human science as the heavens are higher than the earth. The mind is to be disciplined, educated, trained; for men are to do service for God in ways that are not in harmony with inborn inclination. Often the training and education of a lifetime must be discarded that one may become a learner in the school of Christ. The heart must be educated to become steadfast in God. Old and young are to form habits of thought that will enable them to resist temptation. They must learn to look upward. The principles of the Word of God --principles that are as high as heaven and that compass eternity--are to be understood in their bearing on the daily life. Every act, every word, every thought, is to be in accord with these principles.--CT 20 (1913).     6  {1MCP 5.2}
[1MCP 6.1]          Advancement Only Through Conflict.--No other science is equal to that which develops in the life of the student the character of God. Those who become followers of Christ find that new motives of action are supplied, new thoughts arise, and new actions must result. But they can make advancement only through conflict, for there is an enemy who ever contends against them, presenting temptations to cause the soul to doubt and sin. There are hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil that must be overcome. Appetite and passion must be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. There is no end to the warfare this side of eternity. But while there are constant battles to fight, there are also precious victories to gain; and the triumph over self and sin is of more value than the mind can estimate.--CT 20 (1913).  {1MCP 6.1}
[1MCP 6.2]          The Duty of Every Christian to Develop Mind.-- It is the duty of every Christian to acquire habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch. There is no excuse for slow bungling at work of any character. When one is always at work and the work is never done, it is because mind and heart are not put into the labor. The one who is slow and who works at a disadvantage should realize that these are faults to be corrected. He needs to exercise his mind in planning how to use the time so as to secure the best results. By tact and method, some will accomplish as much in five hours as others do in ten.  {1MCP 6.2}
[1MCP 6.3]          Some who are engaged in domestic labor are always at work, not because they have so much to do but because they do not plan so as to save time. By their slow, dilatory ways they make much work out of very little. But all who will may overcome these fussy, lingering habits. In their work let them have a definite aim. Decide how long a time is required for a given task, and then bend every effort toward accomplishing the work in the given time. The exercise of the willpower will make the hands move deftly.--COL 344 (1903).                                                             7  {1MCP 6.3}
[1MCP 7.1]          To Train Every Power of Mind and Body.--God has given to every human being a brain. He desires that it shall be used to His glory. . . . We have none too much brain power or reasoning faculties. We are to educate and train every power of mind and body--the human mechanism that Christ has bought--in order that we may put it to the best possible use. We are to do all we can to strengthen these powers, for God is pleased to have us become more and still more efficient colaborers with Him.--Sermon at St. Helena Sanitarium, Jan 23, 1904. (1SM 100.)  {1MCP 7.1}
[1MCP 7.2]          The Cultivated Mind Measures the Man.--Never think that you have learned enough and that you may now relax your efforts. The cultivated mind is the measure of the man. Your education should continue during your lifetime; every day you should be learning and putting to practical use the knowledge gained.--MH 499 (1905).  {1MCP 7.2}
[1MCP 7.3]          The similarity between an uncultivated field and an untrained mind is striking. Children and youth already have in their minds and hearts corrupt seed, ready to spring up and bear its perverting harvest; and the greatest care and watchfulness are needed in cultivating and storing the mind with precious seeds of Bible truth.-- RH, Nov 9, 1886. (HC 202.)  {1MCP 7.3}
[1MCP 7.4]          Acquiring Knowledge and Mental Culture.--Upon the right improvement of our time depends our success in acquiring knowledge and mental culture. The cultivation of the intellect need not be prevented by poverty, humble origin, or unfavorable surroundings. . . . A resolute purpose, persistent industry, and careful economy of time will enable men to acquire knowledge and mental discipline which will qualify them for almost any position of influence and usefulness.--COL 343, 344 (1900).     8  {1MCP 7.4}
[1MCP 8.1]          Understanding Minds of Great Value in Dealing With the Sick.--Great wisdom is needed in dealing with diseases caused through the mind. A sore, sick heart, a discouraged mind, needs mild treatment. . . . Sympathy and tact will often prove a greater benefit to the sick than will the most skillful treatment given in a cold, indifferent way.--MH 244 (1905).  {1MCP 8.1}
[1MCP 8.2]          Understanding Minds and Human Nature Aids in Work of Salvation.--Be determined to become as useful and efficient as God calls you to be. Be thorough and faithful in whatever you undertake. Procure ever advantage within your reach for strengthening the intellect. Let the study of books be combined with useful manual labor, and by faithful endeavor, watchfulness, and prayer secure the wisdom that is from above. This will give you an all-round education. Thus you may rise in character, and gain an influence over other minds, enabling you to lead them in the path of uprightness and holiness.--COL 334 (1900).  {1MCP 8.2}
[1MCP 8.3]          Mechanics, lawyers, merchants, men of all trades and professions, educate themselves that they may become masters of their business. Should the followers of Christ be less intelligent, and while professedly engaged in His service be ignorant of the ways and means to be employed? The enterprise of gaining everlasting life is above every earthly consideration. In order to lead souls to Jesus there must be a knowledge of human nature and a study of the human mind. Much careful thought and fervent prayer are required to know how to approach men and women upon the great subject of truth.--4T 67 (1876).  {1MCP 8.3}
[1MCP 8.4]          Cultivated Powers Increase Demand for Our Services.--Through lack of determination to take themselves in hand and reform, persons can become stereo-typed in a wrong course of action; or by cultivating their                                                             9     powers they may acquire ability to do the very best of service. Then they will find themselves in demand anywhere and everywhere. They will be appreciated for all that they are worth.--COL 344 (1900).  {1MCP 8.4}
[1MCP 9.1]          We May Attain Almost the Excellence of Angels.-- The Lord has given man capacity for continual improvement, and has granted him all possible aid in the work. Through the provisions of divine grace we may attain almost to the excellence of the angels.--RH, June 20, 1882. (HC 218.)  {1MCP 9.1}
[1MCP 10.1]       Chap. 2 - The Christian and Psychology         Laws of the Mind Ordained by God.--He who created the mind and ordained its laws, provided for its development in accordance with them. ［NOTE: THERE IS PERFECT HARMONY BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND TRUE SCIENCE. PSYCHOLOGY IS THE SCIENCE AND STUDY OF THE MIND AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR.--COMPILERS.］--Ed 41 (1903).  {1MCP 10.1}
[1MCP 10.2]         True Principles of Psychology in Scriptures.--The true principles of psychology are found in the Holy Scriptures. Man knows not his own value. He acts according to his unconverted temperament of character because he does not look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of his faith. He who comes to Jesus, he who believes on Him and makes Him his Example, realizes the meaning of the words "To them gave He power to become the sons of God." . . .  {1MCP 10.2}
[1MCP 10.3]          Those who pass through the experience of true conversion will realize, with keenness of perception, their responsibility to God to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, their responsibility to make complete their recovery from the leprosy of sin. Such an experience will lead them humbly and trustfully to place their dependence upon God.--MS 121, 1902. (ML 176.)                                                           11  {1MCP 10.3}
[1MCP 11.1]         Mind Devoted to God Develops Harmoniously.-- God takes men as they are and educates them for His service if they will yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God, received into the soul, quickens all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God develops harmoniously, and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and His disciples that the Christian becomes like his master in character. He has clearer, broader views. His discernment is more penetrative, his judgment better balanced. So quickened is he by the life-giving power of the Sun of righteousness that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the glory of God.--GW 285, 286 (1915).  {1MCP 11.1}
[1MCP 11.2]         The Science of a Pure Christian Life.--The science of a pure, wholesome, consistent Christian life is obtained by studying the Word of the Lord. This is the highest education that any earthly being can obtain. These are the lessons that the students in our schools are to be taught, that they may come forth with pure thoughts and clean minds and hearts, prepared to ascend the ladder of progress and to practice the Christian virtues. This is why we wish our schools connected with our sanitariums and our sanitariums with our schools. These institutions are to be conducted in the simplicity of the gospel given in the Old Testament and in the New.--MS 86, 1905.  {1MCP 11.2}
[1MCP 11.3]          Surrounded With an Atmosphere of Peace.--All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God.... We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God." . . . Amid the hurrying throngs and     12     the strain of life's intense activities he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength.--MH 58 (1905).  {1MCP 11.3}
[1MCP 12.1]          The Religion of Christ an Effectual Remedy.-- Satan is the originator of disease; and the physician is warring against his work and power. Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. . . . Infidels have made the most of these unfortunate cases ［in which home troubles, remorse for sin, fear of an eternally burning hell, have unbalanced the mind］, attributing insanity to religion; but this is a gross libel and one which they will not be pleased to meet by and by. The religion of Christ, so far from being the cause of insanity, is one of its most effectual remedies; for it is a potent soother of the nerves. --5T 443, 444 (1885).  {1MCP 12.1}
[1MCP 12.2]          Entering the Region of Peace.--When temptations assail you, when care, perplexity, and darkness seem to surround your soul, look to the place where you last saw the light. Rest in Christ's love and under His protecting care. . . . Entering into communion with the Saviour, we enter the region of peace.--MH 250 (1905).  {1MCP 12.2}
[1MCP 12.3]         All Undue Anxieties Dismissed.-- When men go forth to their daily toil, as when they engage in prayer; when they lie down at night, and when they rise in the morning; when the rich man feasts in his palace, or when the poor man gathers his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly watched by the heavenly Father. No tears are shed that God does not notice. There is no smile that He does not mark.  {1MCP 12.3}
[1MCP 12.4]          If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now; for everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God, who is not perplexed by the multiplicity of                                                           13     cares or overwhelmed by their weight. We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long been strangers.--SC 86 (1892).  {1MCP 12.4}
[1MCP 13.1]          Training the Soul by Discipline.--Christians, is Christ revealed in us? We must labor to have sound bodies and strong minds that are not easily enfeebled, minds that look beyond self to the cause and result of every movement made. Then we are in a fair way to endure hardness as good soldiers. We need minds that can see difficulties and go through with them with the wisdom that comes from God, that can wrestle with hard problems and conquer them. The hardest problem is to crucify self, to endure hardness in spiritual experiences, training the soul by severe discipline. This will not, perhaps, bring the very best satisfaction at the first, but the aftereffect will be peace and happiness.--Lt 43, 1899.  {1MCP 13.1}
[1MCP 13.2]          Christ Has Power to Invigorate and Restore.-- And while Christ opens heaven to man, the life which He imparts opens the heart of man to heaven. Sin not only shuts us away from God but destroys in the human soul both the desire and the capacity for knowing Him. All this work of evil it is Christ's mission to undo. The faculties of the soul, paralyzed by sin, the darkened mind, the perverted will, He has power to invigorate and to restore. He opens to us the riches of the universe, and by Him the power to discern and to appropriate these treasures is imparted.--Ed 28, 29 (1903).  {1MCP 13.2}
[1MCP 13.3]          Either God or Satan Controls.--Satan takes control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God.--Lt 57, 1895 (TM 79).  {1MCP 13.3}
[1MCP 13.4]          Every Sin Cherished Weakens the Character.--And let none flatter themselves that sins cherished for a time can easily be given up by and by. This is not so. Every sin cherished weakens the character and strengthens habit;     14     and physical, mental, and moral depravity is the result. You may repent of the wrong you have done, and set your feet in right paths; but the mold of your mind and your familiarity with evil will make it difficult for you to distinguish between right and wrong. Through the wrong habits formed, Satan will assail you again and again.-- COL 281 (1900).  {1MCP 13.4}
[1MCP 14.1]          The Teacher's Psychological Qualifications.-- The habits and principles of a teacher should be considered of even greater importance than his literary qualifications. If he is a sincere Christian, he will feel the necessity of having an equal interest in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual education of his scholars.  {1MCP 14.1}
[1MCP 14.2]          In order to exert the right influence he should have perfect control over himself, and his own heart should be richly imbued with love for his pupils, which will be seen in his looks, words, and acts. He should have firmness of character, and then he can mold the minds of his pupils as well as instruct them in the sciences. The early education of youth generally shapes their characters for life. Those who deal with the young should be very careful to call out the qualities of the mind, that they may better know how to direct its powers so that they may be exercised to the very best account.--3T 135 (1872).  {1MCP 14.2}
[1MCP 14.3]          Man to Become a New Creature.--Men are to become the subjects of Christ's kingdom. Through the divine power imputed to them they are to return to their allegiance. By laws and resources God has ordained a heavenly communication with man's spiritual life that in its action is as mysterious as the science and operation of the wind (John 3:7, 8). Christ declared, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). While it imprints its influence upon earthly governments, it cannot take the slightest imprint from them without marring the divine similitude.  {1MCP 14.3}
[1MCP 14.4]          So spiritual is the character of God's work upon the                                                         15     human heart that receives it that it makes every one a new creature without destroying or weakening any capability God has given to man. It purifies every attribute fit for connection with the divine nature. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, and when man is born from above, a heavenly peace pervades the soul.--MS 1, 1897. (SpTBC ［No. 3］ 8, 9.)  {1MCP 14.4}
[1MCP 15.1]          Right Excludes Wrong.--Parents, you are the ones to decide whether the minds of your children shall be filled with ennobling thoughts or with vicious sentiments. You cannot keep their active minds unoccupied, neither can you frown away evil. Only by the inculcation of right principles can you exclude wrong thoughts. Unless parents plant the seeds of truth in the hearts of their children, the enemy will sow tares. Good, sound instruction is the only preventive of the evil communications that corrupt good manners. Truth will protect the soul from the endless temptations that must be encountered.--CT 121 (1913).  {1MCP 15.1}
[1MCP 15.2]          Only One Day Is Mine.--Day by day we are all to be trained, disciplined, and educated for usefulness in this life. Only one day at a time--think of this. One day is mine. I will in this one day do my best. I will use my talent of speech to be a blessing to some other one, a helper, a comforter, an example which the Lord my Saviour shall approve. I will exercise myself in patience, kindness, forbearance, that the Christian virtues may be developed in me today.  {1MCP 15.2}
[1MCP 15.3]          Every morning dedicate yourself, soul, body, and spirit, to God. Establish habits of devotion and trust more and more in your Saviour. You may believe with all confidence that the Lord Jesus loves you and wishes you to grow up to His stature of character. He wishes you to grow in His love, to increase and strengthen in all the fullness of divine love. Then you will gain a knowledge of the highest value for time and for eternity.--Lt 36, 1901. (HP 227.)     16  {1MCP 15.3}
[1MCP 16.1]          How Well-balanced Minds May Be Developed.-- Labor is a blessing. It is impossible for us to enjoy health without labor. All the faculties should be called into use that they may be properly developed and that men and women may have well-balanced minds.--3T 154, 155 (1872).  {1MCP 16.1}
[1MCP 16.2]          Knowledge and Science Must Be Vitalized by the Holy Spirit.--It is only when brought under the full control of the Spirit of God that the talents of an individual are rendered useful to the fullest extent. The precepts and principles of religion are the first steps in the acquisition of knowledge and lie at the very foundation of true education. Knowledge and science must be vitalized by the Spirit of God in order to serve the noblest purposes.  {1MCP 16.2}
[1MCP 16.3]          The Christian alone can make the right use of knowledge. Science, in order to be fully appreciated, must be viewed from a religious standpoint. Then all will worship the God of science. The heart which is ennobled by the grace of God can best comprehend the real value of education. The attributes of God as seen in His created works can be appreciated only as we have a knowledge of the Creator.  {1MCP 16.3}
[1MCP 16.4]          The teachers must be acquainted not only with the theory of the truth but must have an experimental knowledge of the way of holiness in order to lead the youth to the fountains of truth, to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Knowledge is power for good only when united with true piety. A soul emptied of self will be noble. Christ abiding in the heart by faith will make us wise in God's sight.--MS 44, 1894.  {1MCP 16.4}
[1MCP 16.5]          Whole Being Open to Healing Agencies of Heaven.-- Christ is the wellspring of life. That which many need is to have a clearer knowledge of Him; they need to be patiently and kindly, yet earnestly, taught how the whole being may be thrown open to the healing agencies of heaven. When the sunlight of God's love illuminates the                                                           17     darkened chambers of the soul, restless weariness and dissatisfaction will cease and satisfying joys will give vigor to the mind and health and energy to the body.-- MH 247 (1905).  {1MCP 16.5}
[1MCP 17.1]          Graces Not Developed in a Moment.--The precious graces of the Holy Spirit are not developed in a moment. Courage, fortitude, meekness, faith, unwavering trust in God's power to save, are acquired by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the children of God are to seal their destiny.-- MH 454 (1905).  {1MCP 17.1}
[1MCP 18.1]       Chap. 3 - Dangers in Psychology           Satan a Student of the Mind.--For thousands of years Satan has been experimenting upon the properties of the human mind, and he has learned to know it well. By his subtle workings in these last days he is linking the human mind with his own, imbuing it with his thoughts; and he is doing this work in so deceptive a manner that those who accept his guidance know not that they are being led by him at his will. The great deceiver hopes so to confuse the minds of men and women that none but his voice will be heard.--Lt 244, 1907. (MM 111.)  {1MCP 18.1}
[1MCP 18.2]          Satan Master of Subtle Arts.--Satan is continually seeking to influence human minds by his subtle arts. His is a mastermind, given of God, but prostituted with all its noble capabilities to oppose and to make of no effect the counsels of the Most High.--ST, Sept. 18, 1893. (HC 210.)  {1MCP 18.2}
[1MCP 18.3]          He Comes in Disguise.--Satan's plans and devices are soliciting us on every hand. We should ever remember that he comes to us in disguise, covering his motives and the character of his temptations. He comes in garments of light, clad apparently in pure angel robes, that we may not discern that it is he. We need to use great caution, to closely                                                              19     investigate his devices, lest we be deceived.--MS 34, 1897. (HC 88.)  {1MCP 18.3}
[1MCP 19.1]          Misuse of Sciences Pertaining to the Mind.--In these days when skepticism and infidelity so often appear in a scientific garb, we need to be guarded on every hand. Through this means our great adversary is deceiving thousands and leading them captive according to his will. The advantage he takes of the sciences, sciences which pertain to the human mind, is tremendous. Here, serpent-like, he imperceptibly creeps in to corrupt the work of God.  {1MCP 19.1}
[1MCP 19.2]          This entering in of Satan through the sciences is well devised. Through the channel of phrenology, psychology, and mesmerism, ［NOTE: IN THIS STATEMENT AS PUBLISHED IN THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, NOV. 6, 1884, MRS. WHITE DREW HEAVILY FROM, AND SOMEWHAT CLARIFIED A STATEMENT PUBLISHED ORIGINALLY IN, THE REVIEW AND HERALD OF FEB. 18, 1862, NOW IN TESTIMONIES FOR THE CHURCH, VOL. 1, PP. 290-302.        THE REFERENCE TO PHRENOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND MESMERISM, AS HERE COMBINED, DESCRIBING THE MANNER IN WHICH SATAN TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE HUMAN MIND, MAY SEEM A BIT OBSCURE TO ONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LITERATURE OF THE TIME AND ITS EMPHASIS. SCIENTIFIC WORKS DEVOTED TO PHYSIOLOGY AND THE CARE OF THE SICK CARRIED ADVERTISING LISTS AT THE BACK INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF LITERATURE AVAILABLE. ONE SUCH WORK, THE WATER CURE MANUAL (284 PAGES), PUBLISHED IN 1850 BY FOWLERS AND WELLS, CARRIES A LIST OF SIXTY-FIVE DIFFERENT WORKS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND OF THESE, TWENTY-THREE ARE DEVOTED TO PHRENOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, MESMERISM, AND CLAIRVOYANCE. WE REPRODUCE HERE A FEW ITEMS:        ELEMENTS OF ANIMAL MAGNETISM; OR, PROCESS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR RELIEVING HUMAN SUFFERING. $.12 1/2        FAMILIAR LESSONS ON PHRENOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY. MUSLIN, IN ONE VOLUME. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. $2.00        FASCINATION; OR THE PHILOSOPHY OF CHARMING (MAGNETISM). ILLUSTRATING THE PRINCIPLES OF LIFE. ILLUSTRATED. $.40        LECTURES ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF MESMERISM AND CLAIRVOYANCE. WITH INSTRUCTION IN ITS PROCESS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION. $.25        PSYCHOLOGY, OR THE SCIENCE OF THE SOUL. WITH ENGRAVINGS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. BY JOSEPH HADDOCK, MD. $.25        PHRENOLOGY AND THE SCRIPTURES (SHOWING THEIR HARMONY). BY REV. JOHN PIERPONT. $.12 1/2        PHILOSOPHY OF ELECTRICAL PSYCHOLOGY. BY JOHN BOVEE DODS. $.50        IN DR. SYLVESTER GRAHAM'S 650-PAGE LECTURES ON THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN LIFE (1865), WITH "A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR," MANY OF THE SAME WORKS ARE ADVERTISED, THIS TIME GROUPED AND PLACED UNDER SUCH HEADINGS AS "WORKS ON PHRENOLOGY," "HYDROPATHY; OR, WATER CURE," "MESMERISM-PSYCHOLOGY," ETC. IN CONNECTION WITH THE EIGHT-PAGE ACCOUNT OF "THE LIFE OF SYLVESTER GRAHAM" NEARLY A FULL PAGE IS DEVOTED TO "PHRENOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION." THUS ELLEN WHITE WAS WRITING OF MATTERS WHICH AT THAT TIME WERE VERY MUCH BEFORE THE PUBLIC.-- COMPILERS.］ he comes more directly to the people of this generation and works with that power which is to characterize his efforts near the close of probation. The minds of thousands have thus been poisoned and led into infidelity.     20  {1MCP 19.2}
[1MCP 20.1]         While it is believed that one human mind so wonderfully affects another, Satan, who is ready to press every advantage, insinuates himself and works on the right hand and on the left. And while those who are devoted to these sciences laud them to the heavens because of the great and good works which they affirm are wrought by them, they little know what a power for evil they are cherishing; but it is a power which will yet work with all signs and lying wonders--with all deceivableness of unrighteousness. Mark the influence of these sciences, dear reader, for the conflict between Christ and Satan is not yet ended.  {1MCP 20.1}
[1MCP 20.2]          Neglect of prayer leads men to rely on their own strength and opens the door to temptation. In many cases the imagination is captivated by scientific research, and men are flattered through the consciousness of their own powers. The sciences which treat of the human mind are very much exalted. They are good in their place, but they are seized upon by Satan as his powerful agents to deceive and destroy souls. His arts are accepted as from heaven, and he thus receives the worship which suits him well. The world, which is supposed to be benefited so much by phrenology and animal magnetism, never was so corrupt as now. Through these sciences, virtue is destroyed and the foundations of spiritualism are laid.--ST, Nov 6, 1884. (2SM 351, 352.)                                                           21  {1MCP 20.2}
[1MCP 21.1]          His Work to Divert the Mind of Man.--Satan has come right in and placed himself between God and man. It is his work to divert the human mind, and he throws his darkened shadow right athwart our pathways so that we cannot discern between God and the moral darkness and corruption and the mass of iniquity that is in our world. Then what are we going to do about the matter? Shall we let that darkness remain? No.  {1MCP 21.1}
[1MCP 21.2]          There is a power here for us that will bring in the light of heaven to our dark world. Christ has been in heaven, and He will bring the light of heaven, drive back the darkness, and let the sunlight of His glory in. Then we shall see, amid the corruption and pollution and defilement, the light of heaven.  {1MCP 21.2}
[1MCP 21.3]          We must not give up at the defilement that is in the human race, and ever keep that before the mind's eye. We must not look at that. . . . What then are we to do? What is our work? To "behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us" (1 John 3:1).--MS 7, 1888.  {1MCP 21.3}
[1MCP 21.4]          The Artful Insinuation Versus the Open, Bold Attack. --If Satan were to make an open and bold attack upon Christianity, it would bring the Christian at once to the feet of his Mighty Deliverer, who alone could put the adversary to flight. He does not generally do this. He is artful and knows that the most effectual way for him to accomplish his designs is to come to poor, fallen man in the form of an angel of light. In this disguise he works upon the mind to allure from the safe and right path. He has ever been ambitious to counterfeit the work of Christ and establish his own power and claims. He leads deceived mortals to account for the works and miracles of Christ upon scientific principles; he makes them appear as the result of human skill and power. In many minds he will thus eventually destroy all true faith in Christ as the Messiah, the Son of God.--ST, Nov 6, 1884.     22  {1MCP 21.4}
[1MCP 22.1]          Youthful Minds His Special Objective.--It is the special work of Satan in these last days to take possession of the minds of the youth, to corrupt their thoughts, and inflame their passions. All are free moral agents, and as such they must bring their thoughts to run in the right channel.--Und MS 93. (HC 337.)  {1MCP 22.1}
[1MCP 22.2]          Satan Controls Mind Not Directed by Holy Spirit. --Few believe that humanity has sunk so low as it has or that it is so thoroughly bad, so desperately opposed to God, as it is. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7).  {1MCP 22.2}
[1MCP 22.3]          When the mind is not under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, Satan can mold it as he chooses. All the rational powers which he controls he will carnalize. He is directly opposed to God in his tastes, views, preferences, likes and dislikes, choice of things and pursuits; there is no relish for what God loves or approves, but a delight in those things which He despises; therefore a course is maintained which is offensive to Him.  {1MCP 22.3}
[1MCP 22.4]          This leads to controversy with those who are trying to walk in the way of the Lord. They ［those who oppose truth］ will call light darkness, and darkness light; good evil, and evil good.--Lt 8, 1891.  {1MCP 22.4}
[1MCP 22.5]          From Adam's Day to Now.--Satan has been working at the wheel, turning it until he has the control of all the human minds who have received the lies with which he deceived Eve and then used her as his agent to entice Adam into sin. Satan has kept up his specious working upon human minds from that day to this.--MS 19, 1894.  {1MCP 22.5}
[1MCP 22.6]          Those Who Know the Truth Are Special Targets. --Satan is stealthily working to confuse the minds of those who know the truth by bringing in misleading sentiments and misleading examples. Unless they repent and are converted, those who are living divided lives,                                                            23     professedly serving the Lord but at the same time scheming to carry out their own plans--plans which retard the very work which Christ gave His life to accomplish--will be deceived by the enemy of souls.--Lt 248, 1907.  {1MCP 22.6}
[1MCP 23.1]          Satan Diverts Minds by Controversial Subjects.-- He ［the enemy］ would be delighted to have minds diverted to any subject by which he might create division of sentiment and lead our people into controversy.--MS 167, 1897.  {1MCP 23.1}
[1MCP 23.2]          One Mind Dominating Another.--Satan often finds a powerful agency for evil in the power which one human mind is capable of exerting on another human mind. This influence is so seductive that the person who is being molded by it is often unconscious of its power. God has bidden me speak warning against this evil.--Lt 244, 1907. (2SM 352.)  {1MCP 23.2}
[1MCP 23.3]          A Power for Good, a Power for Evil.--The influence of mind on mind, so strong a power for good when sanctified, is equally strong for evil in the hands of those opposed to God. This power Satan used in his work of instilling evil into the minds of the angels, and he made it appear that he was seeking the good of the universe. As the anointed cherub, Lucifer had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over them was strong. Many of them listened to his suggestions and believed his words. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven" (Revelation 12:8).--Lt 114, 1903. (7BC 973.)  {1MCP 23.3}
[1MCP 23.4]          One Man's Mind Not to Be Trusted.--One man's mind and one man's judgment was not to be trusted, for too great interests were at stake, and it was not free from human frailties and human errors. . . . There is not any     24     one man's mind so perfect that there is no danger of his moving from wrong motives, viewing things from a wrong standpoint.--Lt 41, 1891.  {1MCP 23.4}
[1MCP 24.1]          Satan Watching for Unguarded Minds.--Satan is watching that he may find the mind in an unguarded moment, and so get possession of it. We do not want to be ignorant of his devices, neither do we want to be overpowered by his devices. He is pleased with the pictures that represent him as having horns and hooves, for he has intelligence; he was once an angel of light.--MS 11, 1893.  {1MCP 24.1}
[1MCP 24.2]          Evil Angels Attempt to Destroy Man's Will.--If permitted, the evil angels will work ［captivate and control］ the minds of men until they have no mind or will of their own.--MS 64, 1904.  {1MCP 24.2}
[1MCP 24.3]          Only Safety in Resistance.--Our only safety is in giving no place to the devil; for his suggestions and purposes are ever to injure us and hinder us from relying upon God. He transforms himself into an angel of purity that he may, through his specious temptations, introduce his devices in such a manner that we may not discern his wiles. The more we yield, the more powerful will be his deceptions over us. It is unsafe to controvert or to parley with him. For every advantage we give the enemy, he will claim more.  {1MCP 24.3}
[1MCP 24.4]          Our only safety is to reject firmly the first insinuation to presumption. God has given us grace through the merits of Christ sufficient to withstand Satan, and be more than conquerors. Resistance is success. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Resistance must be firm and steadfast. We lose all we gain if we resist today only to yield tomorrow.--RH, Apr 8, 1880. (HC 95.)  {1MCP 24.4}
[1MCP 24.5]          Avoiding Presumptuous Acts.--There are those who recklessly place themselves in scenes of danger and peril                                                          25     and expose themselves to temptations, out of which it would require a miracle of God to bring them unharmed and untainted. These are presumptuous acts, with which God is not pleased. Satan's temptation to the Saviour of the world to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple was firmly met and resisted. The archenemy quoted a promise of God as security, that Christ might with safety do this on the strength of the promise. Jesus met this temptation with Scripture: "It is written, . . . Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." In the same way Satan urges men into places where God does not require them to go, presenting Scripture to justify his suggestions.--RH, Apr 8, 1880. (HC 95.)  {1MCP 24.5}
[1MCP 25.1]          Genuine Faith and Presumption.--The promises of God are not for us to claim rashly, to protect us while we rush on recklessly into danger, violating the laws of nature or disregarding prudence and the judgment God has given us to use. This would not be genuine faith but presumption. . . .  {1MCP 25.1}
[1MCP 25.2]          Satan comes to us with worldly honor, wealth, and the pleasures of life. These temptations are varied to meet men of every rank and degree, tempting them away from God to serve themselves more than their Creator. "All these things will I give Thee," said Satan to Christ. "All these things will I give thee," says Satan to man. "All this money, this land, all this power and honor and riches will I give thee"; and man is charmed, deceived, and treacherously allured on to his ruin. If we give ourselves up to worldliness of heart and of life, Satan is satisfied. --Lt 1a, 1872. (HC 93.)  {1MCP 25.2}
[1MCP 25.3]          Evil Angels or God's Angels Control Men's Minds. --Either the evil angels or the angels of God are controlling the minds of men. Our minds are given to the control of God or to the control of the powers of darkness; and it will be well for us to inquire where we are standing today --whether under the bloodstained banner of Prince     26     Emmanuel or under the black banner of the powers of darkness.--MS 1, 1890. (6BC 1120.)  {1MCP 25.3}
[1MCP 26.1]          Only If We Yield.--Satan cannot touch the mind or intellect unless we yield it to him.--MS 17, 1893. (6BC 1105.)  {1MCP 26.1}
[1MCP 26.2]          Clear Insight Needed.--Clear spiritual eyesight is needed to distinguish between the chaff and the wheat, between the science of Satan and the science of the Word of truth. Christ, the Great Physician, came to our world to give health and peace and perfection of character to all who will receive Him. His gospel does not consist of outward methods and performances through which the science of an evil work may be introduced as a great blessing afterward to prove a great curse.--Lt 130, 1901. (HC 109.)  {1MCP 26.2}
[1MCP 26.3]          Prayer Will Prevail Against Satan.--The prayer of faith is the great strength of the Christian and will assuredly prevail against Satan. This is why he insinuates that we have no need of prayer. The name of Jesus, our Advocate, he detests; and when we earnestly come to Him for help, Satan's host is alarmed. It serves his purpose well if we neglect the exercise of prayer, for then his lying wonders are more readily received. That which he failed to accomplish in tempting Christ he accomplishes by setting his deceitful temptations before man.--1T 296 (1862).  {1MCP 26.3}
[1MCP 27.1]       Chap. 4 - Spiritual Influences and the Mind  -         Religion and Health.--Personal religion is of the highest importance. John wrote to Gaius, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 2). Health of body depends largely upon health of soul; therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Personal religion is revealed by the deportment, the words, and the actions. It causes growth, till at last perfection claims the commendation of the Lord, "Ye are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10)--Lt 117, 1901.  {1MCP 27.1}
[1MCP 27.2]          Pure Religion Brings Serenity, Composure, and Strength.--Pure and undefiled religion is not a sentiment, but the doing of works of mercy and love. This religion is necessary to health and happiness. It enters the polluted soul temple and with a scourge drives out the sinful intruders. Taking the throne, it consecrates all by its presence, illuminating the heart with the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness. It opens the windows of the soul heavenward, letting in the sunshine of God's love. With it comes serenity and composure. Physical, mental, and moral strength increase, because the atmosphere of heaven as a living, active agency fills the soul. Christ is     28     formed within, the hope of glory.--RH, Oct 15, 1901. (WM 38.)  {1MCP 27.2}
[1MCP 28.1]          God Is the Source of Life and Joy.--God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Like rays of light from the sun, like the streams of water bursting from a living spring, blessings flow out from Him to all His creatures. And wherever the life of God is in the hearts of men, it will flow out to others in love and blessing.--SC 77 (1892).  {1MCP 28.1}
[1MCP 28.2]          All Receive Life From God.--All created things live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God. However able and talented, however large their capacities, they are replenished with life from the Source of all life. He is the spring, the fountain, of life. Only He who alone hath immortality, dwelling in light and life, could say, "I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again."-- MS 131, 1897. (5BC 1113.)  {1MCP 28.2}
[1MCP 28.3]          Satan Uses Influences of Mind on Mind.--Cast out of heaven, Satan set up his kingdom in this world, and ever since he has been untiringly striving to seduce human beings from their allegiance to God. He uses the same power that he used in heaven--the influence of mind on mind. Men become tempters of their fellowmen. The strong, corrupting sentiments of Satan are cherished, and they exert a masterly, compelling power. Under the influence of these sentiments, men bind up with one another in confederacies, in trade unions, and in secret societies. There are at work in the world agencies that God will not much longer tolerate.--Lt 114, 1903.  {1MCP 28.3}
[1MCP 28.4]          Satan's Studied Purpose to Employ Powers for Selfish Ends.--Satan has nets and snares, like the snares of the fowler, all prepared to entrap souls. It is his studied purpose that men shall employ their God-given powers for selfish ends rather than yield them to glorify God. God would have men engage in a work that will bring them                                                          29     peace and joy and will render them eternal profit; but Satan wants us to concentrate our efforts for that which profiteth not, for the things that perish with the using.--RH, Sept 1, 1910. (HC 200.)  {1MCP 28.4}
[1MCP 29.1]          Transgression Brought No New Order of Energies and Passions.--We are not to suppose that since the transgression of Adam, God has given to human beings a new order of energies and passions, for then it would appear that God had interfered to implant in the human race sinful propensities. Christ began His work of conversion as soon as man transgressed, that through obedience to the law of God and faith in Christ they might regain the lost image of God.--MS 60, 1905.  {1MCP 29.1}
[1MCP 29.2]          Each Must Choose One of Two Banners.--Here is the great issue. Here are the two great powers confronting each other, the Prince of God, Jesus Christ, and the prince of darkness, Satan. Here comes the open conflict. There are but two classes in the world, and every human being will range under one of the two banners, the banner of the prince of darkness or the banner of Jesus Christ.--Lt 38, 1894.  {1MCP 29.2}
[1MCP 29.3]          Sin Affects Entire Being.--Sin affects the entire being; so also does grace.--Lt 8, 1891.  {1MCP 29.3}
[1MCP 29.4]          It is the wayward heart that has dragged down the faculties of the soul. All who would learn the science of salvation must be submissive students in the school of Christ, that the soul temple may be the abiding place of the Most High. If we would learn of Christ, the soul must be emptied of all its proud possessions, that Christ may imprint His image on the soul.--Lt 5, 1898. (HC 105.)  {1MCP 29.4}
[1MCP 29.5]          The Cross Gives Proper Level to the Human Mind. --What gives the proper level to the human mind? It is the cross of Calvary. By looking unto Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, all the desire for self-glorification     30     is laid in the dust. There comes, as we see aright, a spirit of self-abasement that promotes lowliness and humbleness of mind. As we contemplate the cross, we are enabled to see the wonderful provision it has brought to every believer. God in Christ, . . . if seen aright, will level human exaltation and pride. There will be no self-exaltation, but there will be true humility.--Lt 20, 1897. (HC 114.)  {1MCP 29.5}
[1MCP 30.1]          Man Is Made Complete in Christ.--Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ and of His power to take away sin.--MS 111, 1903. (5BC 1148.)  {1MCP 30.1}
[1MCP 30.2]          God Alone Can Raise Man in Moral Worth.--The value of man as God estimates him is through his union with Christ, for God is the only One able to raise man in the scale of moral worth through the righteousness of Christ. Worldly honor and worldly greatness are of just that value that the Creator of man places upon them. Their wisdom is foolishness, their strength weakness.--Lt 9, 1873. (HC 149.)  {1MCP 30.2}
[1MCP 30.3]          Selfishness and Its Fruit.--Selfishness is the essence of depravity, and because human beings have yielded to its power, the opposite of allegiance to God is seen in the world today. Nations, families, and individuals are filled with a desire to make self a center. Man longs to rule over his fellowmen. Separating himself in his egotism from God and his fellow beings, he follows his unrestrained inclinations. He acts as if the good of others depended on their subjection to his supremacy.--RH, June 25, 1908. (CS 24.)  {1MCP 30.3}
[1MCP 30.4]          The Victory May Be Gained.--Through the cultivation of righteous principles, man may gain the victory                                                             31     over the bias to evil. If he is obedient to the law of God, the senses are no longer warped and twisted; the faculties are no longer perverted and wasted by being exercised on objects that are of a character to lead away from God. In and through the grace bestowed by Heaven, the words, the thoughts, and the energies may be purified; a new character may be formed, and the debasement of sin overcome.--MS 60, 1905.  {1MCP 30.4}
[1MCP 31.1]          Wavering Mind Beginning of Temptation.--The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is ever watching for a chance to misrepresent God and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden.  {1MCP 31.1}
[1MCP 31.2]          If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind.  {1MCP 31.2}
[1MCP 31.3]          The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome.... Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ.--RH, June 14, 1892. (HC 87.)  {1MCP 31.3}
[1MCP 31.4]          None Need Despair Because of Inherited Tendencies. --Satan is ever on the alert to deceive and mislead. He is using every enchantment to allure men into the broad road of disobedience. He is working to confuse the senses with erroneous sentiments and remove the landmarks by placing his false inscription on the signposts which God has established to point the right way. It is because these evil agencies are striving to eclipse every ray of light from the soul that heavenly beings are appointed to do their work of ministry, to guide, guard, and     32     control those who shall be heirs of salvation. None need despair because of the inherited tendencies to evil, but when the Spirit of God convicts of sin, the wrongdoer must repent and confess and forsake the evil. Faithful sentinels are on guard to direct souls in right paths.-- MS 8, 1900. (6BC 1120.)  {1MCP 31.4}
[1MCP 32.1]          Partaker of Sin Through Association.--The soul that has been misled by wrong influences and has become a partaker of sin through association with others, to do contrary to the mind and character of God, need not despair. "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26). Christ is not only priest and intercessor for our sins, but the offering. He offered Himself once for all.--Lt 11, 1897.  {1MCP 32.1}
[1MCP 32.2]          Satan's Work to Discourage; Christ's to Inspire Hope.--Do not for a moment acknowledge Satan's temptations as being in harmony with your own mind. Turn from them as you would from the adversary himself. Satan's work is to discourage the soul. Christ's work is to inspire the heart with faith and hope. Satan seeks to unsettle our confidence. He tells us that our hopes are built upon false premises rather than upon the sure, immutable word of Him who cannot lie.--MS 31, 1911. (HC 85.)  {1MCP 32.2}
[1MCP 32.3]          A Remedy for Every Class of Temptation.--For every class of temptations there is a remedy. We are not left to ourselves to fight the battle against self and our sinful natures in our own finite strength. Jesus is a mighty helper, a never-failing support. . . . None need fail or become discouraged when such ample provision has been made for us.--RH, Apr 8, 1884. (HC 88.)  {1MCP 32.3}
[1MCP 32.4]          Christ's Blood the Only Remedy.--The law of Jehovah is exceedingly broad. Jesus... plainly declared to His                                                                 33     disciples that this holy law of God may be violated in even the thoughts and feelings and desires, as well as in the word and deed. The heart that loves God supremely will not in any way be inclined to narrow down His precepts to the very smallest possible claims, but the obedient, loyal soul will cheerfully render full spiritual obedience when the law is seen in its spiritual power. Then will the commandments come home to the soul in their real force. Sin will appear exceedingly sinful. . . . There is no longer self-righteousness, self-esteem, self-honor. Self-security is gone. Deep conviction of sin and self-loathing is the result, and the soul in its desperate sense of peril lays hold on the blood of the Lamb of God as his only remedy.--Lt 51, 1888. (HC 140.)  {1MCP 32.4}
[1MCP 33.1]          Meeting the Tempter's Challenge.--Satan will come to you saying, You are a sinner. But do not let him fill your mind with the thought that because you are sinful, God has cast you off. Say to him, Yes, I am a sinner, and for that reason I need a Saviour. I need forgiveness and pardon, and Christ says that if I come to Him I shall not perish. In His letter to me I read, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). I will believe the word He has left for me. I will obey His commands. When Satan tells you that you are lost, answer, Yes, but Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. The greater my sin, the greater my need of a Saviour.--Lt 98b, 1896.  {1MCP 33.1}
[1MCP 33.2]          Attention Turned From Confusion to God's Handiwork. --God calls upon His creatures to turn their attention from the confusion and perplexity around them and admire His handiwork. The heavenly bodies are worthy of contemplation. God has made them for the benefit of man, and as we study His works, angels of God will be by our side to enlighten our minds and guard them from satanic deception.--MS 96, 1899. (4BC 1145.)     34  {1MCP 33.2}
[1MCP 34.1]          What Religion Does.--True religion ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and makes its possessor a partaker of the purity and the holiness of Heaven. It brings angels near and separates us more and more from the spirit and influence of the world. It enters into all the acts and relations of life and gives us the "spirit of a sound mind," and the result is happiness and peace.--ST, Oct 23, 1884. (CH 629, 630.)  {1MCP 34.1}
[1MCP 34.2]          Increases Intellectual Capabilities.--As in the case of Daniel, in exact proportion as the spiritual character is developed, the intellectual capabilities are increased.-- RH, Mar 22, 1898. (4BC 1168.)  {1MCP 34.2}
[1MCP 34.3]          It Improves the Physical Health.--Let the mind become intelligent and the will be placed on the Lord's side, and there will be a wonderful improvement in the physical health.--Medical Missionary, Nov-Dec, 1892. (CH 505.)  {1MCP 34.3}
[1MCP 34.4]          Right Doing the Best Medicine.--The consciousness of right doing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is health and strength. One whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is on the highway to health. To have the consciousness that the eye of the Lord is upon us and that His ear is open to our prayers is a satisfaction indeed. To know that we have a never-failing friend to whom we can confide all the secrets of the soul is a happiness which words can never express.--ST, Oct 23, 1884. (CH 628.)  {1MCP 34.4}
[1MCP 34.5]          Love of Jesus Surrounds Souls With Fragrant Atmosphere.--The souls of those who love Jesus will be surrounded with a pure, fragrant atmosphere. There are those who hide their soul hunger. These will be greatly helped by a tender word or a kind remembrance. The heavenly gifts, freely and richly bestowed by God, are in                                                           35     turn to be freely bestowed by us upon all who come within the sphere of our influence. Thus we reveal a love that is heaven-born and which will increase as it is freely used in blessing others. Thus we glorify God.--MS 17, 1899. (HC 231.)  {1MCP 34.5}
[1MCP 35.1]          Results of One Moment of Thoughtlessness.--One safeguard removed from conscience, the indulgence of one evil habit, a single neglect of the high claims of duty, may be the beginning of a course of deception that will pass you into the ranks of those who are serving Satan, while you are all the time professing to love God and His cause. A moment of thoughtlessness, a single misstep, may turn the whole current of your lives in the wrong direction.-- 5T 398 (1885).  {1MCP 35.1}
[1MCP 35.2]          God Works No Miracle to Prevent Harvest.--The Lord sends us warning, counsel, and reproof that we may have opportunity to correct our errors before they become second nature. But if we refuse to be corrected, God does not interfere to counteract the tendencies of our own course of action. He works no miracle that the seed sown may not spring up and bear fruit.  {1MCP 35.2}
[1MCP 35.3]          That man who manifests an infidel hardihood or a stolid indifference to divine truth is but reaping the harvest which he has himself sown. Such has been the experience of many. They listen with stoical indifference to the truths which once stirred their very souls. They sowed neglect, indifference, and resistance to the truth; and such is the harvest which they reap. The coldness of ice, the hardness of iron, the impenetrable, unimpressible nature of rock--all these find a counterpart in the character of many a professed Christian.  {1MCP 35.3}
[1MCP 35.4]          It was thus that the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. God spoke to the Egyptian king by the mouth of Moses, giving him the most striking evidences of divine power; but the monarch stubbornly refused the light which would have brought him to repentance. God did not     36     send a supernatural power to harden the heart of the rebellious king, but as Pharaoh resisted the truth the Holy Spirit was withdrawn, and he was left to the darkness and unbelief which he had chosen. By persistent rejection of the Spirit's influence, men cut themselves off from God. He has in reserve no more potent agency to enlighten their minds. No revelation of His will can reach them in their unbelief.--RH, June 20, 1882. (3BC 1151.)  {1MCP 35.4}
[1MCP 36.1]          Molding Our Surroundings Instead of Being Molded by Them.--There are evils which man may lessen but can never remove. He is to overcome obstacles and make his surroundings instead of being molded by them. He has room to exercise his talents in bringing order and harmony out of confusion. In this work he may have divine aid if he will claim it. He is not left to battle with temptations and trials in his own strength. Help has been laid upon One who is mighty. Jesus left the royal courts of heaven and suffered and died in a world degraded by sin that He might teach man how to pass through the trials of life and overcome its temptations. Here is a pattern for us.--5T 312 (1885).  {1MCP 36.1}
[1MCP 36.2]          God Desires the Mind to Be Renovated.--The rubbish of questionable principles and practices is to be swept away. The Lord desires the mind to be renovated and the heart filled with the treasures of truth.--MS 24, 1901. (HC 106.)  {1MCP 36.2}
[1MCP 36.3]          To Deal Judiciously With Different Minds.--We all need to study character and manner that we may know how to deal judiciously with different minds, that we may use our best endeavors to help them to a correct understanding of the Word of God and to a true Christian life. We should read the Bible with them and draw their minds away from temporal things to their eternal interests. It is the duty of God's children to be missionaries for Him, to become acquainted with those who need help. If one is                                                             37     staggering under temptation, his case should be taken up carefully and managed wisely; for his eternal interest is at stake, and the words and acts of those laboring for him may be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death.--4T 69 (1876).  {1MCP 36.3}
[1MCP 37.1]          Unbending Principle Marks Students of Jesus.-- Unbending principle will mark the course of those who sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him.--RH, June 20, 1882. (HC 160.)  {1MCP 37.1}
[1MCP 38.1]       Chap. 5 - The Fanatical Mind    ［NOTE: WEBSTER DEFINES FANATICISM AS "EXCESSIVE ENTHUSIASM" OR "UNREASONING ZEAL."--COMPILERS.］         Fanatics and Fanaticism Will Press In.--We are living in a time when every phase of fanaticism will press its way in among believers and unbelievers. Satan will come in, speaking lies in hypocrisy. Everything that he can invent to deceive men and women will be brought forward.--Lt 121, 1901. (MM 114.)  {1MCP 38.1}
[1MCP 38.2]          How Satan Does It.--We have found in our experience that if Satan cannot keep souls bound in the ice of indifference, he will try to push them into the fire of fanaticism. When the Spirit of the Lord comes among His people, the enemy seizes his opportunity to work also upon different minds and lead them to mingle their own peculiar traits of character with the work of God. Thus there is always danger that they may allow their own spirit to mingle with the work and that unwise moves may be made. Many carry on a work of their own devising that is not prompted by God.--Lt 34, 1889. (Similar to 5T 644.)  {1MCP 38.2}
[1MCP 38.3]          Result of Cherishing Defective Tendencies.--There are some who will not hear. So long have they chosen to                                                             39     follow their own way and their own wisdom, so long have they cherished defective hereditary and cultivated tendencies of character, that they are blind and cannot see afar off. By them, principles are perverted, false standards are raised, tests are made that bear not the signature of Heaven. . . . Some of these very ones make their boasts in the Lord as a people who do righteousness and forsake not the ordinances of their God.--MS 138, 1902.  {1MCP 38.3}
[1MCP 39.1]          Bereft of a Healthy Mental Attitude.--Those taken in Satan's snare have not yet come to a healthy mental attitude. They are dazed, self-important, self-sufficient. Oh, with what sorrow the Lord looks upon them and hears their great swelling words of vanity. They are puffed up with pride. The enemy is looking on with surprise at their being taken captive so easily.--Lt. 126, 1906.  {1MCP 39.1}
[1MCP 39.2]          Spurious Humility.--Much fitful, spurious humility is seen among professed Christians. Some, determined to conquer self, place themselves as low as possible; but they try only in their own strength, and the next wave of praise or flattery carries them up out of sight. They are not willing to submit wholly to God, and He cannot work through them.  {1MCP 39.2}
[1MCP 39.3]          Take no glory whatever to yourself. Do not work with a divided mind, trying to serve God and self at the same time. Keep self out of sight. Let your words lead the weary and heavy-laden to Jesus, the compassionate Saviour. Work as seeing Him who is at your right hand, ready to give you strength for service. Your only safety is in entire dependence upon Christ.--RH, May 11, 1897.  {1MCP 39.3}
[1MCP 39.4]          Too Much Made of a Happy Flight of Feeling.--Some are not satisfied with a meeting unless they have a powerful and happy time. They work for this and get up an excitement of feeling. But the influence of such meetings is not beneficial. When the happy flight of feeling is gone, they sink lower than before the meeting because their     40     happiness did not come from the right source. The most profitable meetings for spiritual advancement are those which are characterized with solemnity and deep searching of heart; each seeking to know himself and earnestly, and in deep humility, seeking to learn of Christ.--1T 412 (1864).  {1MCP 39.4}
[1MCP 40.1]          Strange Exercises.--By such fanaticism as we have lately had among us in California in peculiar exercises and the claim of power to cast out devils, Satan is seeking to deceive if possible the very elect. These persons, claiming to have a special message for our people, would charge one and another with being possessed of an evil spirit. Then after praying with them they would declare the devil cast out. The result of their work testified of its character. I was bidden to say to our people that the Lord was not in these strange exercises but that such exhibitions would deceive souls to their ruin unless they were warned, and Bible truth would be perverted.--Lt 12, 1909.  {1MCP 40.1}
[1MCP 40.2]          Naturally Combative.--Some are naturally combative. They do not care whether they harmonize with their brethren or not. They would like to enter into controversy, would like to fight for their particular ideas; but they should lay this aside, for it is not developing the Christian graces. Work with all your power to answer the prayer of Christ, that His disciples may be one, as He is one with the Father. Not a soul of us is safe unless we learn of Christ daily, His meekness and lowliness.  {1MCP 40.2}
[1MCP 40.3]          In your labor do not be dictatorial, do not be severe, do not be antagonistic. Preach the love of Christ, and this will melt and subdue hearts. Seek to be of one mind and one judgment with your brethren and to speak the same things. This talking about divisions because all do not have the same ideas as present themselves to your mind is not the work of God but of the enemy. Talk the simple truth wherein you can agree. Talk of unity; do not become narrow                                                               41     and conceited; let your mind broaden.--MS 111, 1894.  {1MCP 40.3}
[1MCP 41.1]         Following a Self-established Standard.--Many, many are trusting to their own righteousness. They set up a standard for themselves and do not submit to the will of Christ and allow Him to clothe them with the robe of His righteousness. They form characters according to their own will and pleasure. Satan is well pleased with their religion. They misrepresent the perfect character--the righteousness--of Christ. Themselves deceived, they deceive others. They are not accepted of God. They are liable to lead other souls into false paths. They will at last receive their reward with the great deceiver--Satan.--MS 138, 1902.  {1MCP 41.1}
[1MCP 41.2]          Reaction of a Fanatic.--A few years since, a man named N, of Red Bluff, California, came to me to deliver his message. . . . He thought God had passed all the leading workers and given him the message. I attempted to show him that he was mistaken. . . . When we told him our reasons and set the matter before him, that he was in error, he had great power come upon him, and he certainly gave a loud cry. . . . We had much trouble with him; his mind became unbalanced, and he had to be placed in the insane asylum.--Lt 16, 1893. (2SM 64.)  {1MCP 41.2}
[1MCP 41.3]          How to Meet the Fanatic.--God calls upon His servants to study His mind and will. Then when men come with their curiously invented theories, enter not into controversy with them, but affirm what you know. "It is written" is to be your weapon. There are men who will try to spin out their fine threads of false theories. Thank God that there are those also who have been taught of Him and who know what is truth.--Lt 191, 1905.  {1MCP 41.3}
[1MCP 41.4]          Guard Expressions and Attitudes.--This is a time when we need to be very watchful and to guard carefully     42     the character of the work done. Some will seek to bring in false theories and will come with false messages. Satan will stir human minds to create fanaticism in our ranks. We have seen something of this in the year 1908. The Lord desires His people to move carefully, guarding the expressions and even the attitude. Satan will use peculiarities of attitude and voice to cause excitement and to work on human minds to deceive.--Lt 12, 1909.  {1MCP 41.4}
[1MCP 42.1]          Avoid Tests of Human Invention.--New and strange things will continually arise to lead God's people into false excitement, religious revivals, and curious developments; but our people should not be subjected to any tests of human invention that will create controversy in any line.--MS 167, 1897.  {1MCP 42.1}
[1MCP 42.2]          Beware of "New." "Wonderful," So-called Advanced Light.--My soul is much burdened, for I know what is before us. Every conceivable deception will be brought to bear upon those who have not a daily, living connection with God. Satan's angels are wise to do evil, and they will create that which some will claim to be advanced light and will proclaim it as new and wonderful; yet while in some respects the message may be truth, it will be mingled with human inventions and will teach for doctrine the commandments of men. If there was ever a time when we should watch and pray in real earnest, it is now.  {1MCP 42.2}
[1MCP 42.3]          Many apparently good things will need to be carefully considered with much prayer; for they are specious devices of the enemy to lead souls in a path which lies so close to the path of truth that it will be scarcely distinguishable from it. But the eye of faith may discern that it is diverging, though almost imperceptibly, from the right path. At first it may be thought positively right, but after a while it is seen to be widely divergent from the way which leads to holiness and heaven. My brethren, I warn you to make straight paths for your feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way.--MS 82, 1894.                                                                 43  {1MCP 42.3}
[1MCP 43.1]         Fanaticism Hard to Quench.--Fanaticism, once started and left unchecked, is as hard to quench as a fire which has obtained hold of a building. Those who have entered into and sustained this fanaticism ［holy flesh］ might far better be engaged in secular labor, for by their inconsistent course of action they are dishonoring the Lord and imperiling His people. Many such movements will arise at this time when the Lord's work should stand elevated, pure, unadulterated with superstition and fables. We need to be on our guard, to maintain a close connection with Christ, that we be not deceived by Satan's devices.--GCB, Apr 23, 1901. (2SM 35.)  {1MCP 43.1}
[1MCP 43.2]          Fine-drawn Theories That Fill the Mind.--Satan is working in many ways that the very men who ought to preach the message may be occupied with fine-drawn theories which he will cause to appear of such magnitude and importance as to fill the whole mind; and while they think they are making wonderful strides in experience, they are idolizing a few ideas, and their influence is injured and tells but little on the Lord's side.  {1MCP 43.2}
[1MCP 43.3]          Let every minister make earnest efforts to ascertain what is the mind of Christ. There are those who pick out from the Word of God, and also from the Testimonies, detached paragraphs or sentences that may be interpreted to suit their ideas, and they dwell upon these and build themselves up in their own positions, when God is not leading them. Now all this pleases the enemy. We should not needlessly take a course that will make differences or cause dissension. We should not give the impression that if our particular ideas are not followed, it is because the ministers are lacking in comprehension.  {1MCP 43.3}
[1MCP 43.4]          There are in the lessons of Christ subjects in abundance that you can speak upon, and mysteries which neither you nor your hearers can understand or explain might better be left alone. Give the Lord Jesus Christ Himself room to teach; let Him by the influence of His Spirit open to the     44     understanding the wonderful plan of salvation.--MS 111, 1894.  {1MCP 43.4}
[1MCP 44.1]          Turn Away From the Negative Side (counsel to a minister).--If you could see the result of always occupying the negative side, as you have done for years to a greater or less extent, you would have a better understanding of the words of the Saviour, recorded in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. The disciples came to Jesus with the question, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!" (Matthew 18:1-7).  {1MCP 44.1}
[1MCP 44.2]          My brother, cast away all evil thinking. Humble your heart before God. Then, your eyes being opened, you will no longer stand on the negative side. "If thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire" (Matthew 18:8). Cut away your defective attributes, however painful to human nature it may be to do this. "And if thine eye"--so sharp to see something to criticize or oppose--"offend thee, pluck it out, and cast if from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire" (verse 9).--Lt 93, 1901.  {1MCP 44.2}
[1MCP 44.3]         Faith Overcomes Negativism.--We shall have success if we move forward in faith, determined to do the work of God                                                              45     intelligently. We must not allow ourselves to be hindered by men who love to stand on the negative side, showing very little faith. God's missionary work is to be carried forward by men of much faith and is steadily to grow in force and efficiency.--Lt 233, 1904.  {1MCP 44.3}
[1MCP 45.1]          The Peril of Individual Independence.--There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising, for he who does this despises the voice of God.--AA 163, 164 (1911).  {1MCP 45.1}
[1MCP 45.2]          Peace Found in Cherishing Meekness.--The soul finds rest only in cherishing meekness and lowliness of heart. The peace of Christ is never found where selfishness reigns. The soul cannot grow in grace when it is self-centered and proud. Jesus assumed the position that man must take in order that the peace of Christ may abide in the heart. Those who have offered themselves to Christ to become His disciples must deny self daily, must lift up the cross and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. They must go where His example leads the way.--Lt 28, 1888.  {1MCP 45.2}
[1MCP 45.3]          The Virtue of Christian Courtesy.--Paul, though firm as a rock to principle, yet ever preserved his courtesy. He was zealous for the vital points and was not regardless of the grace and politeness due to social life. The man of God did not absorb the man of humanity.--Lt 25, 1870. (HC 236.)  {1MCP 45.3}
[1MCP 45.4]          Some persons speak in a harsh, uncourteous manner that wounds the feelings of others, and then they justify     46     themselves by saying, "It is my way; I always tell just what I think"; and they exalt this wicked trait of character as a virtue. Their uncourteous deportment should be firmly rebuked.--RH, Sept 1, 1885. (HC 229.)  {1MCP 45.4}
[1MCP 46.1]          The Author Called to Meet Every Phase of Fanaticism.--In 1844 we had to meet fanaticism on every hand, but always the word came to me: A great wave of excitement is an injury to the work. Keep your feet in the footprints of Christ. I was given a message to meet every phase of fanaticism. I was instructed to show the people that under a wave of excitement a strange work is done. There are those who improve the opportunity to bring in superstitions. Thus the door is closed to the promulgation of sound doctrine.--Lt 17, 1902.  {1MCP 46.1}
[1MCP 46.2]          An Impending Danger.--As the end draws near, the enemy will work with all his power to bring in fanaticism among us. He would rejoice to see Seventh-day Adventists going to such extremes that they would be branded by the world as a body of fanatics. Against this danger I am bidden to warn ministers and lay members. Our work is to teach men and women to build on a true foundation, to plant their feet on a plain "Thus saith the Lord."--GW 316 (1915).  {1MCP 46.2}
[1MCP 46.3]          Mind Control One Form of Fanaticism.--I have spoken distinctly regarding the dangerous science which says that one person shall give up his mind to the control of another. This science is the devil's own.  {1MCP 46.3}
[1MCP 46.4]          This is the character of the fanaticism we had to meet in 1845. I did not then know what it meant, but I was called upon to bear a most decided testimony against anything of the kind.--Lt 130 1/2, 1901.  {1MCP 46.4}
[1MCP 46.5]          Cherish an Impartial, Optimistic Outlook.--There is no reason for us to fix our eyes upon error, to grieve and complain, and lose precious time and opportunities in                                                               47     lamenting the faults of others.... Would it not be more pleasing to God to take an impartial outlook and see how many souls are serving God and resisting temptation and glorifying and honoring Him with their talents of means and intellect? Would it not be better to consider the wonderful, miracle-working power of God in the transformation of poor, degraded sinners, who have been full of moral pollution, who become so transformed that they are Christlike in character?--Lt 63, 1893. (HC 248.)  {1MCP 46.5}
[1MCP 48.1]       Chap. 6 - A Healthy Normality           The Source of True Happiness.--There are persons with a diseased imagination to whom religion is a tyrant, ruling them as with a rod of iron. Such are constantly mourning over their depravity and groaning over supposed evil. Love does not exist in their hearts; a frown is ever upon their countenances. They are chilled with the innocent laugh from the youth or from anyone. They consider all recreation or amusement a sin and think that the mind must be constantly wrought up to just such a stern, severe pitch. This is one extreme.  {1MCP 48.1}
[1MCP 48.2]          Others think that the mind must be ever on the stretch to invent new amusements and diversions in order to gain health. They learn to depend on excitement, and are uneasy without it. Such are not true Christians. They go to another extreme.  {1MCP 48.2}
[1MCP 48.3]          The true principles of Christianity open before all a source of happiness, the height and depth, the length and breadth of which are immeasurable. It is Christ in us a well of water springing up into everlasting life. It is a continual wellspring from which the Christian can drink at will and never exhaust the fountain.--1T 565, 566 (1867).                                                                  49  {1MCP 48.3}
[1MCP 49.1]          Zeal Which Quickly Fades.--We are not to encourage a spirit of enthusiasm that brings zeal for a while but soon fades away, leaving discouragement and depression. We need the Bread of life that comes down from heaven to give life to the soul. Study the Word of God. Do not be controlled by feeling. All who labor in the vineyard of the Lord must learn that feeling is not faith. To be always in a state of elevation is not required. But it is required that we have firm faith in the Word of God as the flesh and blood of Christ.--Lt 17, 1902. (Ev 138.)  {1MCP 49.1}
[1MCP 49.2]          Neither Cold Orthodoxy Nor Careless Liberalism. --The progress of reform depends upon a clear recognition of fundamental truth. While, on the one hand, danger lurks in a narrow philosophy and a hard, cold orthodoxy, on the other hand there is great danger in a careless liberalism. The foundation of all enduring reform is the law of God. We are to present in clear, distinct lines the need of obeying this law. Its principles must be kept before the people. They are as everlasting and inexorable as God Himself.-- MH 129 (1905).  {1MCP 49.2}
[1MCP 49.3]          Well-balanced Minds Needed.--Much is said in the Epistles of being sound in the faith. This should teach us the necessity of caution. We must not weave into our experience our own inclinations and strong traits of character. This will misrepresent the precious, elevating, ennobling principles of truth and lead others astray. Soundness in the faith means more than many discern. It means to correct every error that exists in our thoughts and actions, lest we corrupt the Word of God.  {1MCP 49.3}
[1MCP 49.4]          There are needed for this time well-balanced minds, healthy, wholesome Christians. Many of those who profess Christ have a sickly experience. They cannot bear anything unfavorable. They lose heart if they think they are in any way slighted or hurt, if their brethren have not been as tender with them as they think they should be. The Great Physician would, by His infinite skill, restore them to     50     sound moral health; but the patient refuses to take the prescription He offers. These persons may apply the Word of God to their case for a short time, but they do not become doers of that Word. They soon come under influences which suit their natural tastes and counteract all they have gained.--RH, July 28, 1896.  {1MCP 49.4}
[1MCP 50.1]          All Faculties to Be Cultivated.--If certain faculties are used to the neglect of others, the design of God is not fully carried out in us, for all the faculties have a bearing and are dependent, in a great measure, upon one another. One cannot be effectually used without the operation of all, that the balance may be carefully preserved. If all the attention and strength are given to one, while others lie dormant, the development is strong in that one and will lead to extremes, because all the powers have not been cultivated. Some minds are dwarfed and not properly balanced. All minds are not naturally constituted alike. We have varied minds; some are strong upon certain points and very weak upon others. These deficiencies, so apparent, need not and should not exist.  {1MCP 50.1}
[1MCP 50.2]          If those who possess them would strengthen the weak points in their character by cultivation and exercise, they would become strong.--3T 33 (1872).  {1MCP 50.2}
[1MCP 50.3]          Call All Powers of Mind Into Use.--All the powers of the mind should be called into use and developed in order for men and women to have well-balanced minds. The world is full of one-sided men and women who have become such because one set of their faculties was cultivated while others were dwarfed from inaction.  {1MCP 50.3}
[1MCP 50.4]          The education of most youth is a failure. They overstudy, while they neglect that which pertains to practical business life. Men and women become parents without considering their responsibilities, and their offspring sink lower in the scale of human deficiency than they themselves. Thus the race is fast degenerating.  {1MCP 50.4}
[1MCP 50.5]          The constant application to study, as the schools are                                                             51     now conducted ［1872］, is unfitting youth for practical life. The human mind will have action. If it is not active in the right direction, it will be active in the wrong. In order to preserve the balance of the mind, labor and study should be united in the schools.--3T 152, 153 (1872).  {1MCP 50.5}
[1MCP 51.1]          Means of Improvement Within Reach of All.--Young men are wanted who are men of understanding, who appreciate the intellectual faculties that God has given them and cultivate them with the utmost care. Exercise enlarges these faculties, and if heart-culture is not neglected, the character will be well-balanced. The means of improvement are within the reach of all. Then let none disappoint the Master, when He comes seeking for fruit, by presenting nothing but leaves. A resolute purpose, sanctified by the grace of Christ, will do wonders.--MS 122, 1899.  {1MCP 51.1}
[1MCP 51.2]          Body, Mind, Heart, Under God's Control.--He who truly loves and fears God, striving with a singleness of purpose to do His will, will place his body, his mind, his heart, his soul, his strength, under service to God. Thus it was with Enoch. He walked with God. . . . Those who are determined to make the will of God their own must serve and please God in everything. Then the character will be harmonious and well-balanced, consistent, cheerful, and true.--Lt 128, 1897. (HP 190.)  {1MCP 51.2}
[1MCP 51.3]          Faculties of Mind to Rule the Body.--True education includes the whole being. It teaches the right use of one's self. It enables us to make the best use of brain, bone, and muscle, of body, mind, and heart. The faculties of the mind, as the higher powers, are to rule the kingdom of the body. The natural appetites and passions are to be brought under the control of the conscience and the spiritual affections. Christ stands at the head of humanity, and it is His purpose to lead us, in His service, into high and holy paths of purity. By the wondrous working of His grace, we are to be made complete in Him.--MH 398, 399 (1905).     52  {1MCP 51.3}
[1MCP 52.1]          Well-developed Minds and Broad Characters.--God's workmen must labor to be many-sided men; that is, to have a breadth of character, not to be one-idea men, stereotyped in one manner of working, getting into a groove, and unable to see and sense that their words and their advocacy of truth must vary with the class of people they are among and the circumstances that they have to meet. All should be constantly seeking for well-developed minds and to overcome ill-balanced characters. This must be your constant study, if you make a useful, successful laborer.--Lt 12, 1887. (Ev 106.)  {1MCP 52.1}
[1MCP 52.2]          Commonplace, Trivial Matters Dwarf the Mind.-- Upon the mind of every student should be impressed the thought that education is a failure unless the understanding has learned to grasp the truths of divine revelation and unless the heart accepts the teachings of the gospel of Christ. The student who, in the place of the broad principles to the Word of God, will accept common ideas and will allow the time and attention to be absorbed in commonplace, trivial matters, will find his mind becoming dwarfed and enfeebled. He has lost the power of growth. The mind must be trained to comprehend the important truths that concern eternal life,--RH, Nov 11, 1909.(FE 536.)  {1MCP 52.2}
[1MCP 52.3]          Minds Not to Be Crowded With Useless Things.--Education, as it is conducted in the schools of today ［1897］, is one-sided, and therefore a mistake. As the purchase of the Son of God, we are His property, and everyone should have an education in the school of Christ. Wise teachers should be chosen for our schools. Teachers have to deal with human minds, and they are responsible to God to impress upon those minds the necessity of knowing Christ as a personal Saviour. But no one can truly educate God's purchased possession unless he himself has learned in the school of Christ how to teach.  {1MCP 52.3}
[1MCP 52.4]          I must tell you from the light given me by God, I know                                                          53     that much time and money are spent by students in acquiring a knowledge that is as chaff to them; for it does not enable them to help their fellowmen to form characters that will fit them to unite with saints and angels in the higher school. In the place of crowding youthful minds with a mass of things that are distasteful and that in many cases will never be of any use to them, a practical education should be given. Time and money are spent in gaining useless knowledge. The mind should be carefully and wisely taught to dwell upon Bible truth. The main object of education should be to gain a knowledge of how we can glorify God, whose we are by creation and by redemption. The result of education should be to enable us to understand the voice of God. . . .  {1MCP 52.4}
[1MCP 53.1]          Like the branches of the True Vine, the Word of God presents unity in diversity. There is in it a perfect, superhuman, mysterious unity. It contains divine wisdom, and that is the foundation of all true education; but this Book has been treated indifferently.  {1MCP 53.1}
[1MCP 53.2]          Now, as never before, we need to understand the true science of education. If we fail to understand this, we shall never have a place in the kingdom of God. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). If this is the price of heaven, shall not our education be conducted on these lines?--Christian Educator, Aug, 1897.  {1MCP 53.2}
[1MCP 53.3]          Making Iron Rule for Others Dishonors God.--God will not vindicate any device whereby man shall in the slightest degree rule or oppress his fellowman. As soon as a man begins to make an iron rule for other men, he dishonors God and imperils his own soul and the souls of his brethren.--7T 181 (1902).  {1MCP 53.3}
[1MCP 53.4]          Balance of Differing Minds Necessary.--Here we are brought together--of different minds, different education, and different training--and we do not expect that every mind will run right in the same channel; but the     54     question is, Are we, the several branches, grafted into the parent Vine? That is what we want to inquire, and we want to ask teachers as well as students. We want to understand whether we are really grafted into the parent Vine. If we are, we may have different manners, different tones, and different voices. You may view things from one standpoint, and we have ideas different from one another in regard to the Scriptures, not in opposition to the Scriptures, but our ideas may vary. My mind may run in the lines most familiar to it, and another may be thinking and taking a view according to his traits of character, and see a very deep interest in one side of it that others do not see.--MS 14, 1894.  {1MCP 53.4}
[1MCP 54.1]          The Hyssop, the Cedar, and the Palm.--In all the Lord's arrangements there is nothing more beautiful than His plan of giving to men and women a diversity of gifts. The church is His garden, adorned with a variety of trees, plants, and flowers. He does not expect the hyssop to assume the proportions of the cedar, nor the olive to reach the height of the stately palm. Many have received but a limited religious and intellectual training, but God has a work for this class to do if they will labor in humility, trusting in Him.--Lt 122, 1902. (Ev 98, 99).  {1MCP 54.1}
[1MCP 54.2]          Characters as Varied as the Flowers.--From the endless variety of plants and flowers, we may learn an important lesson. All blossoms are not the same in form or color. Some possess healing virtues. Some are always fragrant. There are  professing Christians who think it their duty to make every other Christian like themselves. This is man's plan, not the plan of God. In the church of God there is room for characters as varied as are the flowers in a garden. In His spiritual garden there are many varieties of flowers.--Lt 95, 1902. (Ev 99.)  {1MCP 54.2}
[1MCP 54.3]          Powers of Mind and Body--the Gift of God.--The requirements of God must be brought home to the conscience.                                                             55     Men and women must be awakened to the duty of self-mastery, the need of purity, freedom from every depraving appetite and defiling habit. They need to be impressed with the fact that all their powers of mind and body are the gift of God and are to be preserved in the best possible condition for His service.--MH 130 (1905).  {1MCP 54.3}
[1MCP 55.1]          God Desires Symmetrical Characters.--God reproves men because He loves them. He wants them to be strong in His strength, to have well-balanced minds and symmetrical characters; then they will be examples to the flock of God, leading them by precept and example nearer to heaven. Then they will build up a holy temple for God.--MS 1, 1883. (1SM 48.)  {1MCP 55.1}
[1MCP 59.1]       Chap. 7 - Disease That Begins in the Mind  ［SEE CHAPTER 75,  "IMAGINATION AND ILLNESS."］           Too Little Thought Given to Causative Factors.--Far too little thought is given to the causes underlying the mortality, the disease and degeneracy, that exist today even in the most civilized and favored lands. The human race is deteriorating.--MH 380 (1905).  {1MCP 59.1}
[1MCP 59.2]          Nine Tenths of Diseases Originate in Mind.--Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here. Perhaps some living home trouble is, like a canker, eating to the very soul and weakening the life-forces. Remorse for sin sometimes undermines the constitution and unbalances the mind. There are erroneous doctrines also, as that of an eternally burning hell and the endless torment of the wicked that, by giving exaggerated and distorted views of the character of God, have produced the same result upon sensitive minds.--5T 444 (1885).  {1MCP 59.2}
[1MCP 59.3]          Mind Affects Body.--The relation which exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the     60     mind affects the health of the physical system. If the mind is free and happy, from a consciousness of right doing and a sense of satisfaction in causing happiness to others, it creates a cheerfulness that will react upon the whole system, causing a freer circulation of the blood and a toning up of the entire body. The blessing of God is a healing power, and those who are abundant in benefiting others will realize that wondrous blessing in both heart and life.--CTBH 13, 1890. (CH 28; see also 4T 60, 61 ［1876］.)  {1MCP 59.3}
[1MCP 60.1]          A Well-nourished and Healthy Brain.--The brain is the organ and instrument of the mind, and controls the whole body. In order for the other parts of the system to be healthy, the brain must be healthy. And in order for the brain to be healthy, the blood must be pure. If by correct habits of eating and drinking the blood is kept pure, the brain will be properly nourished.--MS 24, 1900. (MM 291.)  {1MCP 60.1}
[1MCP 60.2]          Far-reaching Influence of the Imagination.-- Disease is sometimes produced, and is often greatly aggravated, by the imagination. Many are lifelong invalids who might be well if they only thought so. Many imagine that every slight exposure will cause illness, and the evil effect is produced because it is expected. Many die from disease the cause of which is wholly imaginary. --MH 241 (1905).  {1MCP 60.2}
[1MCP 60.3]          Electric Power of Brain Vitalizes System.--The influence of the mind on the body, as well as of the body on the mind, should be emphasized. The electric power of the brain, promoted by mental activity, vitalizes the whole system, and is thus an invaluable aid in resisting disease. This should be made plain. The power of the will and the importance of self-control, both in the preservation and in the recovery of health, the depressing and even ruinous effect of anger, discontent, selfishness, or impurity, and                                                         61     on the other hand the marvelous life-giving power to be found in cheerfulness, unselfishness, gratitude, should also be shown.--Ed 197 (1903).  {1MCP 60.3}
[1MCP 61.1]          Some Sick Because They Lack Willpower.--In journeying I have met many who were really sufferers through their imaginations. They lacked willpower to rise above and combat disease of body and mind; and, therefore, they were held in suffering bondage. . . .  {1MCP 61.1}
[1MCP 61.2]          I frequently turn from the bedside of these self-made invalids, saying to myself, Dying by inches, dying of indolence, a disease which no one but themselves can cure.--HR, Jan, 1871. (MM 106, 107.)  {1MCP 61.2}
[1MCP 61.3]          Importance of Sound Minds in Sound Bodies.-- Mental and moral power is dependent upon the physical health. Children should be taught that all pleasures and indulgences are to be sacrificed which will interfere with health. If the children are taught self-denial and self-control, they will be far happier than if allowed to indulge their desires for pleasure and extravagance in dress. . . .  {1MCP 61.3}
[1MCP 61.4]          Good health, sound minds, and pure hearts are not made of the first importance in households. Many parents do not educate their children for usefulness and duty. They are indulged and petted, until self-denial to them becomes almost an impossibility. They are not taught that to make a success of Christian life, the development of sound minds in sound bodies is of the greatest importance.--RH, Oct 31, 1871.  {1MCP 61.4}
[1MCP 61.5]          Children Who Are Pressed Too Hard Too Early.--In the schoolroom the foundation has been too surely laid for diseases of various kinds. But, more especially, the most delicate of all organs, the brain, has often been permanently injured by too great exercise. . . . And the lives of many have been thus sacrificed by ambitious mothers. Of those children who have apparently had sufficient force     62     of constitution to survive this treatment, there are very many who carry the effects of it through life. The nervous energy of the brain becomes so weakened, that after they come to maturity, it is impossible for them to endure much mental exercise. The force of some of the delicate organs of the brain seems to be expended. And not only has the physical and mental health of children been endangered by being sent to school at too early a period, but they have been the losers in a moral point of view.--HL 43, 44, 1865. (2SM 436.)  {1MCP 61.5}
[1MCP 62.1]          Disease Sometimes Caused by Self-centeredness.-- Many are diseased physically, mentally, and morally because their attention is turned almost exclusively to themselves. They might be saved from stagnation by the healthy vitality of younger and varying minds and the restless energy of children.--2T 647 (1871).  {1MCP 62.1}
[1MCP 62.2]          Very few realize the benefits of the care, responsibility, and experience that children bring to the family. . . . A childless house is a desolate place. The hearts of the inmates are in danger of becoming selfish, of cherishing a love for their own ease, and consulting their own desires and conveniences. They gather sympathy to themselves but have little to bestow upon others. Care and affection for dependent children removes the roughness from our natures, makes us tender and sympathetic, and has an influence to develop the nobler elements of our character.--2T 647 (1871).  {1MCP 62.2}
[1MCP 62.3]          Depressing Emotions Injurious to Health.--It is the duty of everyone to cultivate cheerfulness instead of brooding over sorrow and troubles. Many not only make themselves wretched in this way, but they sacrifice health and happiness to a morbid imagination. There are things in their surroundings that are not agreeable, and their countenances wear a continual frown that more plainly than words expresses discontent. These depressing                                                       63     emotions are a great injury to them healthwise, for by hindering the process of digestion they interfere with nutrition. While grief and anxiety cannot remedy a single evil, they can do great harm; but cheerfulness and hope, while they brighten the pathway of others, "are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (Proverbs 4:22).--ST, Feb 12, 1885.  {1MCP 62.3}
[1MCP 63.1]          In Treating Sick, Study Minds. ［SEE CHAPTER 42, "MIND AND HEALTH."］ --In the treatment of the sick the effect of mental influence should not be overlooked. Rightly used, this influence affords one of the most effective agencies for combating disease.--MH 241 (1905).  {1MCP 63.1}
[1MCP 63.2]         Sickness Originates in the Mind.--A great deal of the sickness which afflicts humanity has its origin in the mind and can only be cured by restoring the mind to health. There are very many more than we imagine who are sick mentally. Heart sickness makes many dyspeptics, for mental trouble has a paralyzing influence upon the digestive organs.--3T 184 (1872).  {1MCP 63.2}
[1MCP 63.3]          Christ Heals.--There is a soul sickness no balm can reach, no medicine heal. Pray for these, and bring them to Jesus Christ.--MS 105, 1898. (WM 71.)  {1MCP 63.3}
[1MCP 63.4]          Atmosphere Provides Health and Vigor.--Above all things, parents should surround their children with an atmosphere of cheerfulness, courtesy, and love. A home where love dwells and where it finds expression in looks, in words, in acts, is a place where angels delight to dwell. Parents, let the sunshine of love, cheer, and happy content enter your own hearts, and let its sweet influence pervade the home. Manifest a kindly, forbearing spirit, and encourage the same in your children, cultivating all those graces that will brighten the home life. The     64     atmosphere thus created will be to the children what air and sunshine are to the vegetable world, promoting health and vigor of mind and body.--CT 115 (1913).  {1MCP 63.4}
[1MCP 65.1]       Chap. 8 - Religion and the Mind  ［SEE CHAPTER  43, "MIND AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH."］           The Love of Christ Vitalizes the Whole Being.--The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part--the brain, the heart, the nerves--it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are aroused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life-forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy--joy in the Holy Spirit--health-giving, life-giving joy.--MH 115 (1905).  {1MCP 65.1}
[1MCP 65.2]          Christ's Work Is to Heal the Brokenhearted.-- God's healing power runs all through nature. If a tree is cut, if a human being is wounded or breaks a bone, nature begins at once to repair the injury. Even before the need exists, the healing agencies are in readiness; and as soon as a part is wounded, every energy is bent to the work of restoration. So it is in the spiritual realm. Before sin created the need, God had provided the remedy. Every soul that yields to temptation is wounded, bruised, by the adversary; but wherever there is sin, there is the     66     Saviour. It is Christ's work "to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, . . . to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18).--Ed 113 (1903).  {1MCP 65.2}
[1MCP 66.1]          The Saviour's Prescription for Mental and Spiritual Ills.--Our Saviour's words, "Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him.--MH 115 (1905).  {1MCP 66.1}
[1MCP 66.2]          Gospel Versus Science and Literature.--Science and literature cannot bring into the darkened mind of men the light which the glorious gospel of the Son of God can bring. The Son of God alone can do the great work of illuminating the soul. No wonder Paul exclaims, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). The gospel of Christ becomes personality in those who believe, and makes them living epistles, known and read of all men. In this way the leaven of godliness passes into the multitude. The heavenly intelligences are able to discern the true elements of greatness in character, for only goodness is esteemed as efficiency with God.--RH, Dec 15, 1891. (FE 199, 200.)  {1MCP 66.2}
[1MCP 66.3]          Gospel Alone Can Cure Evils Cursing Society.-- The only remedy for the sins and sorrows of men is Christ. The gospel of His grace alone can cure the evils that curse society. The injustice of the rich toward the poor, the hatred of the poor toward the rich, alike have their root in selfishness, and this can be eradicated only through submission to Christ. He alone, for the selfish heart of sin, gives the new heart of love. Let the servants of Christ preach the gospel with the Spirit sent down from heaven and work as He did for the benefit of men. Then such results                                                          67     will be manifest in the blessing and uplifting of mankind as are wholly impossible of accomplishment by human power.--COL 254 (1900).  {1MCP 66.3}
[1MCP 67.1]          Only Through Harmonious Development Can Perfection Be Attained.--The improvement of the mind is a duty which we owe to ourselves, to society, and to God. But we should never devise means for the cultivation of the intellect at the expense of the moral and the spiritual. And it is only by the harmonious development of both the mental and the moral faculties that the highest perfection of either can be attained.--CT 541 (1913).  {1MCP 67.1}
[1MCP 67.2]          The Divine Leaven Changes the Mind.--In the parable the woman placed the leaven in the meal. It was necessary to supply a want. . . . Thus the divine leaven does its work. . . . The mind is changed; the faculties are set to work. Man is not supplied with new faculties, but the faculties he has are sanctified. The conscience hitherto dead is aroused. But man cannot make this change himself. It can be made only by the Holy Spirit. . . .  {1MCP 67.2}
[1MCP 67.3]          When our minds are controlled by the Spirit of God, we shall understand the lesson taught by the parable of the leaven. Those who open their hearts to receive the truth will realize that the Word of God is the great instrumentality in the transformation of character.--RH, July 25, 1899.  {1MCP 67.3}
[1MCP 67.4]          Gospel Truth Provides Steadfast Purpose.--Every one of us needs to have a deep insight into the teachings of the Word of God. Our minds must be prepared to stand every test and to resist every temptation, whether from without or from within. We must know why we believe as we do, why we are on the Lord's side. The truth must keep watch in our hearts, ready to sound an alarm and summon us to action against every foe. The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly     68     treasure, and who have not cared to understand God's dealings with His people will be ready victims. No power but a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus will ever make us steadfast; but with this, one may chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight.--RH, Apr 29, 1884. (HC 332.)  {1MCP 67.4}
[1MCP 68.1]          Committing Ourselves to Christ Brings Peace.--All our future rests with our individual action in opening our heart to receive the Prince of peace. Our minds can find quiet and rest in and through committing ourselves to Christ, in whom is efficiency of power. Having secured that peace, that comfort, that hope, which He offers to your soul, your heart will be rejoicing in God our Saviour for the great and wondrous hope presented to you as an individual who recognizes the Great Gift. Then you will be so thankful that you will praise God for the great love and grace bestowed upon you.  {1MCP 68.1}
[1MCP 68.2]          Behold your Helper, Jesus Christ. Welcome Him, and invite His gracious presence. Your mind may be renewed day by day, and it is your privilege to accept peace and rest, rise above worries, and praise God for your blessings. Do not erect barriers of objectionable things to keep Jesus away from your soul. Change your voice; repine not; let gratitude be expressed for the great love of Christ that has been and is still being shown toward you.--Lt 294, 1906.  {1MCP 68.2}
[1MCP 68.3]          Dwelling Upon Christ Provides Stimulus.--If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus and support in fighting the battles of the Lord. Pride and love of the world will lose their power as we contemplate the glories of that better land so soon to be our home. Beside the loveliness of Christ all earthly attractions will seem of little worth.--RH, Nov 15, 1887.  {1MCP 68.3}
[1MCP 68.4]          Knowledge Strengthens Mind and Soul.--What we need is knowledge that will strengthen mind and soul, that                                                        69     will make us better men and women. Heart education is of far more importance than mere book learning. It is well, even essential, to have a knowledge of the world in which we live; but if we leave eternity out of our reckoning, we shall make a failure from which we can never recover. --MH 450 (1905).  {1MCP 68.4}
[1MCP 69.1]         The Mind and Spiritual Warfare.--Our improvement in moral purity depends on right thinking and right acting. "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man" (Matthew 15:11, 19, 20).  {1MCP 69.1}
[1MCP 69.2]          Evil thoughts destroy the soul. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts. Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace cannot reveal itself in the life. The mind must engage in the spiritual warfare. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God's control.--Lt 123 1904.  {1MCP 69.2}
[1MCP 69.3]          Preoccupation of Mind a Safeguard Against Evil. --As a safeguard against evil, the preoccupation of the mind with good is worth more than unnumbered barriers of law and discipline.--Ed 213 (1903).  {1MCP 69.3}
[1MCP 69.4]          A Perverted Imagination Produces Darkness.--If the eye of the mind beholds the excellence of the mystery of godliness, the advantage of spiritual riches over worldly riches, the whole body will be full of light. If the imagination is perverted by the fascination of earthly pomp and splendor until gain seems godliness, the whole body will be full of darkness. When the powers of the mind are concentrated upon the treasures of earth, they are debased and belittled.--RH, Sept 18, 1888.     70  {1MCP 69.4}
[1MCP 70.1]          Mind Directed to Creator, Not Self-exaltation.--Were this principle ［working for God's glory］ given the attention which its importance demands, there would be a radical change in some of the current methods of education. Instead of appealing to pride and selfish ambition, kindling a spirit of emulation, teachers would endeavor to awaken the love for goodness and truth and beauty--to arouse the desire for excellence.... Instead of being directed to mere earthly standards or being actuated by the desire for self-exaltation, which in itself dwarfs and belittles, the mind would be directed to the Creator, to know Him and to become like Him.--PP 595, 596 (1890).  {1MCP 70.1}
[1MCP 70.2]         Living Water Versus Broken Cisterns.--Jesus knew the wants of the soul. Pomp, riches, and honor cannot satisfy the heart. "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me." The rich, the poor, the high, the low, are alike welcome. He promises to relieve the burdened mind, to comfort the sorrowing, and to give hope to the despondent.  {1MCP 70.2}
[1MCP 70.3]          Many of those who heard Jesus were mourners over disappointed hopes, many were nourishing a secret grief, many were seeking to satisfy their restless longing with the things of the world and the praise of men; but when all was gained, they found that they had toiled only to reach a broken cistern, from which they could not quench their thirst. Amid the glitter of the joyous scene they stood, dissatisfied and sad.  {1MCP 70.3}
[1MCP 70.4]          That sudden cry, "If any man thirst," startled them from their sorrowful meditation, and as they listened to the words that followed, their minds kindled with a new hope. The Holy Spirit presented the symbol before them until they saw in it the offer of the priceless gift of salvation.--DA 454 (1898).  {1MCP 70.4}
[1MCP 70.5]          Union of Divine and Human Endeavor Necessary. --The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every emergency--amid the unfriendliness of relatives, the hatred of the world, and the                                                             71     realization of their own imperfections and mistakes. A union of divine and human endeavor, a close connection first, last, and ever, with God, the source of all strength--this is absolutely necessary.--RH, May 19, 1904. (HC 151.)  {1MCP 70.5}
[1MCP 72.1]       Chap. 9 - Mind, the Citadel           The Capital of the Body.--Every organ of the body was made to be servant to the mind. The mind is the capital of the body.--3T 136 (1872).  {1MCP 72.1}
[1MCP 72.2]          The mind controls the whole man. All our actions, good or bad, have their source in the mind. It is the mind that worships God and allies us to heavenly beings. Yet many spend all their lives without becoming intelligent in regard to the casket ［jewel case］ that contains this treasure.--SpTED 33, May 11, 1896. (FE 426.)  {1MCP 72.2}
[1MCP 72.3]          Brain Controls the Body.--There are many invalids today who will ever remain so because they cannot be convinced that their experience is not reliable. The brain is the capital of the body, the seat of all the nervous forces and of mental action. The nerves proceeding from the brain control the body. By the brain nerves, mental impressions are conveyed to all the nerves of the body as by telegraph wires, and they control the vital action of every part of the system. All the organs of motion are governed by the communications they receive from the brain.--3T 69 (1872).                                                              73  {1MCP 72.3}
[1MCP 73.1]          The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate to man and affect his inmost life.--2T 347 (1870).  {1MCP 73.1}
[1MCP 73.2]          Satan Strikes at the Perceptive Faculties. ［SEE CHAPTER 35, "THE INFLUENCE OF PERCEPTION."］--Satan comes to man with his temptations as an angel of light, as he came to Christ. He has been working to bring man into a condition of physical and moral weakness that he may overcome him with his temptations and then triumph over his ruin. And he has been successful in tempting man to indulge appetite, regardless of the result. He well knows that it is impossible for man to discharge his obligations to God and to his fellowmen while he impairs the faculties God has given him. The brain is the capital of the body. If the perceptive faculties become benumbed through intemperance of any kind, eternal things are not discerned.--RH, Sept 8, 1874. (MYP 236.)  {1MCP 73.2}
[1MCP 73.3]         The Tyranny of Custom.--The strength or the weakness of the mind has very much to do with our usefulness in this world and with our final salvation. The ignorance that has prevailed in regard to God's law in our physical nature is deplorable. Intemperance of any kind is a violation of the laws of our being. Imbecility is prevailing to a fearful extent. Sin is made attractive by the covering of light which Satan throws over it, and he is well pleased when he can hold the Christian world in their daily habits under the tyranny of custom, like the heathen, and allow appetite to govern them.--RH, Sept 8, 1874. (MYP 237.)  {1MCP 73.3}
[1MCP 73.4]          Guarding the Citadel.--All should feel the necessity of keeping the moral nature braced by constant watchfulness. Like faithful sentinels, they should guard the citadel of the soul, never feeling that they may relax their vigilance for a moment.--SpTPH 65, 1879. (CH 411.)     74  {1MCP 73.4}
[1MCP 74.1]          The Mind Rightly Trained Wavers Not.--The mind must be trained through daily tests to habits of fidelity, to a sense of the claims of right and duty above inclination and pleasure. Minds thus trained do not waver between right and wrong, as the reed trembles in the wind; but as soon as matters come before them, they discern at once that principle is involved, and they instinctively choose the right without long debating the matter. They are loyal because they have trained themselves in habits of faithfulness and truth.-- 3T 22 (1872).  {1MCP 74.1}
[1MCP 74.2]          The Unguarded Citadel.--By beholding we become changed. Though formed in the image of his Maker, man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him. As he ceases to watch and pray, he ceases to guard the citadel, the heart, and engages in sin and crime. The mind is debased, and it is impossible to elevate it from corruption while it is being educated to enslave the moral and intellectual powers and bring them in subjection to grosser passions. Constant war against the carnal mind must be maintained; and we must be aided by the refining influence of the grace of God, which will attract the mind upward and habituate it to meditate upon pure and holy things.--2T 479 (1870).  {1MCP 74.2}
[1MCP 74.3]          Source of the Issues of Life or Death.--"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). The heart is the citadel of the man. From it are the issues of life or death. Until the heart is purified, a person is unfit to have any part in the fellowship of the saints. Does not the Heart Searcher know who are lingering in sin, regardless of their souls? Has there not been a witness to the most secret things in the life of everyone?  {1MCP 74.3}
[1MCP 74.4]          I was compelled to hear the words spoken by some men to women and girls--words of flattery, words that would deceive and infatuate. Satan uses all these means to destroy souls. Some of you may thus have been his agents; and if so, you will have to meet these things in the judgment.                                                             75     The angel said of this class. "Their hearts have never been given to God. Christ is not in them. Truth is not there. Its place is occupied by sin, deception, and falsehood. The Word of God is not believed and acted upon."--5T 536, 537 (1889).  {1MCP 74.4}
[1MCP 75.1]          Ease, Self-indulgence, Security--Traitors Within the Walls.--It was when the Israelites were in a condition of outward ease and security that they were led into sin. They failed to keep God ever before them, they neglected prayer and cherished a spirit of self-confidence. Ease and self-indulgence left the citadel of the soul unguarded, and debasing thoughts found entrance. It was the traitors within the walls that overthrew the strongholds of principle and betrayed Israel into the power of Satan.  {1MCP 75.1}
[1MCP 75.2]          It is thus that Satan still seeks to compass the ruin of the soul. A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.--PP 459 (1890).  {1MCP 75.2}
[1MCP 75.3]          Tobacco Benumbs the Sensibilities.--Tobacco, in whatever form it is used, tells upon the constitution. It is a slow poison. It affects the brain and benumbs the sensibilities so that the mind cannot clearly discern spiritual things, especially those truths which would have a tendency to correct this filthy indulgence.  {1MCP 75.3}
[1MCP 75.4]          Those who use tobacco in any form are not clear before God. In such a filthy practice it is impossible for them to glorify God in their bodies and spirits, which are His. And while they are using slow and sure poisons, which are ruining their health and debasing the faculties of the mind, God cannot approbate them. He may be merciful to them     76     while they indulge in this pernicious habit in ignorance of the injury it is doing them, but when the matter is set before them in its true light, then they are guilty before God if they continue to indulge this gross appetite.--4SG 126 (1864).  {1MCP 75.4}
[1MCP 76.1]          Slaves to Alcohol and Drugs.--On every side Satan seeks to entice the youth into the path of perdition; and if he can once get their feet set in the way, he hurries them on in their downward course, leading them from one dissipation to another, until his victims lose their tenderness of conscience and have no more the fear of God before their eyes. They exercise less and less self-restraint. They become addicted to the use of wine and alcohol, tobacco and opium, and go from one stage of debasement to another. They are slaves to appetite. Counsel which they once respected, they learn to despise. They put on swaggering airs and boast of liberty when they are the servants of corruption. They mean by liberty that they are slaves to selfishness, debased appetite, and licentiousness.--ST, June 22, 1891. (Te 274.)  {1MCP 76.1}
[1MCP 76.2]          Satan's Weapons.--The indulgence of fleshly lusts wars against the soul. The apostle in the most impressive manner, addresses Christians, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1). If the body is saturated with liquor and the defilement of tobacco, it is not holy and acceptable to God. Satan knows that it cannot be, and for this reason he brings his temptations to bear upon men upon the point of appetite, that he may bring them into bondage to this propensity and thus work their ruin.--RH, Sept 8, 1874.  {1MCP 76.2}
[1MCP 76.3]          The Deciding Factor of Passion and Appetite.--If men and women of intelligence have their moral powers benumbed through intemperance of any kind, they are, in many of their habits, elevated but little above the heathen.                                                              77     Satan is constantly drawing the people from saving light to custom and fashion, irrespective of physical, mental, and moral health. The great enemy knows that if appetite and passion predominate, health of body and strength of intellect are sacrificed upon the altar of self-gratification, and man is brought to speedy ruin. If enlightened intellect holds the reins, controlling the animal propensities, keeping them in subjection to the moral powers, Satan well knows that his power to overcome with his temptations is very small.--RH, Sept 8, 1874. (MYP 237.)  {1MCP 76.3}
[1MCP 77.1]          What Might Have Been.--If parents in past generations had, with firmness of purpose, kept the body servant to the mind and had not allowed the intellectual to be enslaved by animal passions, there would be in this age a different order of beings upon the earth.--HL (Part 2) 38, 1865. (2SM 431, 432.)  {1MCP 77.1}
[1MCP 77.2]          Choice of Mind or Body Control.--Every student needs to understand the relation between plain living and high thinking. It rests with us individually to decide whether our lives shall be controlled by the mind or by the body. The youth must, each for himself, make the choice that shapes his life; and no pains should be spared that he may understand the forces with which he has to deal and the influences which mold character and destiny.--Ed 202 (1903).  {1MCP 77.2}
[1MCP 77.3]          Teach the People.--Present before the people the need of resisting the temptation to indulge appetite. This is where many are failing. Explain how closely body and mind are related and show the need of keeping both in the very best condition.--Circular Lt to Physicians and Evangelists, 1910. (CH 543.)  {1MCP 77.3}
[1MCP 78.1]       Chap. 10 - Understanding           A Work Requiring Discernment and Discrimination. --It is the nicest and most critical work ever given to mortals to deal with minds. Those who engage in this work should have clear discernment and good powers of discrimination.  {1MCP 78.1}
[1MCP 78.2]          True independence of mind is an element entirely different from rashness. That quality of independence which leads to a cautious, prayerful, deliberate opinion should not be easily yielded, not until the evidence is sufficiently strong to make it certain that we are wrong. This independence will keep the mind calm and unchangeable amid the multitudinous errors which prevail, and will lead those in responsible positions to look carefully at the evidence on every side and not be swayed by the influence of others, or by the surroundings, to form conclusions without intelligent, thorough knowledge of all the circumstances.--3T 104, 105 (1872).  {1MCP 78.2}
[1MCP 78.3]          An Exacting Task.--Since man cost heaven so much, the price of God's dear Son, how carefully should ministers, teachers, and parents deal with the souls of those brought under their influence. It is nice work to deal with minds, and it should be entered upon with fear and trembling.                                                        79  {1MCP 78.3}
[1MCP 79.1]          The educators of youth should maintain perfect self-control. To destroy one's influence over a human soul through impatience or in order to maintain undue dignity and supremacy is a terrible mistake, for it may be the means of losing that soul for Christ. The minds of youth may become so warped by injudicious management that the injury done may never be entirely overcome. The religion of Christ should have a controlling influence on the education and training of the young.  {1MCP 79.1}
[1MCP 79.2]          The Saviour's example of self-denial, universal kindness, and long-suffering love is a rebuke to impatient ministers and teachers. He inquires of these impetuous instructors: "Is this the manner in which you treat the souls of those for whom I gave My life? Have you no greater appreciation of the infinite price I paid for their redemption?" --4T 419 (1880).  {1MCP 79.2}
[1MCP 79.3]          The Physician Encounters All Classes of Minds.--Dr. _____ should seek to add daily to his stock of knowledge and to cultivate courteousness and refinement of manners. ... He should bear in mind that he is associated with all classes of minds and that the impressions he gives will be extended to other states and will be reflected upon the Institute ［Battle Creek Sanitarium］.--3T 183, 184 (1872).  {1MCP 79.3}
[1MCP 79.4]          Patience and Wisdom Needed.--Ministers should be careful not to expect too much from those who are still groping in the darkness of error. They should do their work well, relying upon God to impart to inquiring minds the mysterious, quickening influence of His Holy Spirit, knowing that without this their labors will be unsuccessful. They should be patient and wise in dealing with minds, remembering how manifold are the circumstances that have developed such different traits in individuals. They should strictly guard themselves also, lest self get the supremacy and Jesus be left out of the question.--GW 381 (1915).  {1MCP 79.4}
[1MCP 79.5]          The Love of Christ Wins Its Way.--Only He who reads the heart knows how to bring men to repentance. Only His     80     wisdom can give us success in reaching the lost. You may stand up stiffly, feeling, "I am holier that thou," and it matters not how correct your reasoning or how true your words; they will never touch hearts. The love of Christ manifested in word and act will win its way to the soul when the reiteration of precept or argument would accomplish nothing.--MH 163 (1905).  {1MCP 79.5}
[1MCP 80.1]          With Compassion and Love.--All are not fitted to correct the erring. They have not wisdom to deal justly, while loving mercy. They are not inclined to see the necessity of mingling love and tender compassion with faithful reproofs. Some are ever needlessly severe and do not feel the necessity of the injunction of the apostle: "And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 22, 23).--3T 269, 270 (1873).  {1MCP 80.1}
[1MCP 80.2]          A Passionate Man Not to Deal With Minds.--A lack of firm faith and of discernment in sacred things should be regarded as sufficient to debar any man from connection with the work of God. So also the indulgence of a quick temper, a harsh, overbearing spirit, reveals that its possessor should not be placed where he will be called to decide weighty questions that affect God's heritage.  {1MCP 80.2}
[1MCP 80.3]          A passionate man should have no part to act in dealing with human minds. He cannot be trusted to shape matters which have a relation to those whom Christ has purchased at an infinite price. If he undertakes to manage men, he will hurt and bruise their souls; for he has not the fine touch, the delicate sensibility, which the grace of Christ imparts. His own heart needs to be softened, subdued by the Spirit of God; the heart of stone has not become a heart of flesh.--SpT Series A, No. 5, p 18, 1896. (TM 261.)  {1MCP 80.3}
[1MCP 80.4]          Qualities Needed in Understanding Minds (counsel to a literature evangelist).--There are more difficulties in this work that in some other branches of business; but the                                                             81     lessons learned, the tact and discipline acquired, will fit you for other fields of usefulness, where you can minister to souls. Those who poorly learn their lesson and are careless and abrupt in approaching persons would show the same want ［lack］ of tact and skill in dealing with minds should they enter the ministry.--Manual for Canvassers, pp. 41, 42, 1902. (CM 34.)  {1MCP 80.4}
[1MCP 81.1]          Meeting With Impulse, Impatience, Pride, and Self-esteem.--Dealing with human minds is the most delicate work ever entrusted to mortals, and teachers need constantly the help of the Spirit of God, that they may do their work aright. Among the youth attending school will be found great diversity of character and education. The teacher will meet with impulse, impatience, pride, selfishness, undue self-esteem. Some of the youth have lived in an element of arbitrary restraint and harshness, which has developed in them a spirit of obstinacy and defiance. Others have been treated as pets, allowed by overfond parents to follow their own inclinations. Defects have been excused until the character is deformed.--CT 264 (1913).  {1MCP 81.1}
[1MCP 81.2]          Patience, Tact, and Wisdom Needed.--To deal successfully with these different minds the teacher needs to exercise great tact and delicacy in management, as well as firmness in government. Dislike and even contempt for proper regulations will often be manifested. Some will exercise their ingenuity in evading penalties, while others will display a reckless indifference to the consequences of transgression. All this will call for patience and forbearance and wisdom on the part of those entrusted with the education of these youth.--CT 264 (1913).  {1MCP 81.2}
[1MCP 81.3]          A Course Which May Leave Irreparable Scars and Bruises.--A teacher may have sufficient education and knowledge in the sciences to instruct, but has it been ascertained that he has tact and wisdom to deal with human minds? If instructors have not the love of Christ abiding in     82     their hearts, they are not fit to bear the grave responsibilities placed upon those who educate the youth. Lacking the higher education themselves, they know not how to deal with human minds. Their own insubordinate hearts are striving for control; and to subject the plastic minds and characters of the children to such discipline is to leave upon the mind scars and bruises that will never be removed.--CT 193 (1913).  {1MCP 81.3}
[1MCP 82.1]          The Finest Discrimination Required.--The Lord has presented to me, in many ways and at various times, how carefully we should deal with the young--that it requires the finest discrimination to deal with minds. Everyone who has to do with the education and training of youth needs to live very close to the Great Teacher, to catch His spirit and manner of work. Lessons are to be given which will affect their character and lifework.--GW 333 (1915).  {1MCP 82.1}
[1MCP 82.2]          Personal Element Essential.--In all true teaching the personal element is essential. Christ in His teaching dealt with men individually. It was by personal contact and association that He trained the Twelve. It was in private, often to but one listener, that He gave His most precious instruction. To the honored rabbi at the night conference on the Mount of Olives, to the despised woman at the well of Sychar, He opened His richest treasures; for in these hearers He discerned the impressible heart, the open mind, the receptive spirit. Even the crowd that so often thronged His steps was not to Christ an indiscriminate mass of human beings. He spoke directly to every mind and appealed to every heart. He watched the faces of His hearers, marked the lighting up of the countenance, the quick, responsive glance, which told that truth had reached the soul; and there vibrated in His heart the answering chord of sympathetic joy.--Ed 231 (1903).  {1MCP 82.2}
[1MCP 82.3]          Overwork Unfits to Deal With Others.--The teachers themselves should give proper attention to the laws of                                                           83     health, that they may preserve their own powers in the best possible condition and by example as well as by precept may exert a right influence upon their pupils. The teacher whose physical powers are already enfeebled by disease or overwork should pay special attention to the laws of life. He should take time for recreation. He should not take upon himself responsibility outside of his school work, which will so tax him physically or mentally that his nervous system will be unbalanced; for in this case he will be unfitted to deal with minds and cannot do justice to himself or to his pupils.--CTBH 83, 1890. (FE 147.)  {1MCP 82.3}
[1MCP 83.1]          Understanding Different Needs.--I was shown that the physicians at our Institute should be men and women of faith and spirituality. They should make God their trust. There are many who come to the Institute who have by their own sinful indulgence brought upon themselves disease of almost every type.  {1MCP 83.1}
[1MCP 83.2]          This class do not deserve the sympathy that they frequently require. And it is painful to the physicians to devote time and strength to this class, who are debased physically, mentally, and morally.  {1MCP 83.2}
[1MCP 83.3]          But there is a class who have, through ignorance, lived in violation of nature's laws. They have worked intemperately and have eaten intemperately because it was the custom to do so. Some have suffered many things from many physicians but have not been made better, but decidedly worse. At length they are torn from business, from society, and from their families; and as their last resort they come to the Health Institute with some faint hope that they may find relief.  {1MCP 83.3}
[1MCP 83.4]          This class need sympathy. They should be treated with the greatest tenderness, and care should be taken to make clear to their understanding the laws of their being, that they may, be ceasing to violate them, and by governing themselves, avoid suffering and disease--the penalty of nature's violated law.--3T 178 (1872).     84  {1MCP 83.4}
[1MCP 84.1]          Truth Not to Be Spoken at All Times.--But few who have moved in the society of the world, and who view things from a worlding's standpoint are prepared to have a statement of facts in regard to themselves presented before them. The truth even is not to be spoken at all times. There is a fit time and opportunity to speak when words will not offend. The physicians should not be overworked and their nervous systems prostrated, for this condition of body will not be favorable to calm minds, steady nerves, and a cheerful, happy spirit.--3T 182 (1872).  {1MCP 84.1}
[1MCP 84.2]          Christ Understands.--He who took humanity upon Himself knows how to sympathize with the sufferings of humanity. Not only does Christ know every soul, and the peculiar needs and trials of that soul, but He knows all the circumstances that chafe and perplex the spirit. His hand is outstretched in pitying tenderness to every suffering child. Those who suffer most have most of His sympathy and pity. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and He desires us to lay our perplexities and troubles at His feet and leave them there.--MH 249 (1905).  {1MCP 84.2}
[1MCP 84.3]          Understanding Brings Closer Relationship to Christ.--Good deeds are the fruit that Christ requires us to bear--kind words; deeds of benevolence; of tender regard for the poor, the needy, the afflicted. When hearts sympathize with hearts burdened with discouragement and grief, when the hand dispenses to the needy, when the naked are clothed, the stranger made welcome to a seat in your parlor and a place in your heart, angels are coming very near, and an answering strain is responded to in heaven.  {1MCP 84.3}
[1MCP 84.4]          Every act of justice, mercy, and benevolence makes melody in heaven. The Father from His throne beholds those who do these acts of mercy and numbers them with His most precious treasures. "And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels" (Malachi 3:17). Every merciful act to the needy, the                                                           85     suffering, is regarded as though done to Jesus. When you succor the poor, sympathize with the afflicted and oppressed, and befriend the orphan, you bring yourselves into a closer relationship to Jesus.--2T 25 (1868).  {1MCP 84.4}
[1MCP 85.1]          Christ Calls for Tenderness and Compassion.--True sympathy between man and his fellowman is to be the sign distinguishing those who love and fear God from those who are unmindful of His law. How great the sympathy that Christ expressed in coming to this world to give His life a sacrifice for a dying world! His religion led to the doing of genuine medical missionary work. He was a healing power. "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," He said. This is the test that the Great Author of truth used to distinguish between true religion and false. God wants His medical missionaries to act with the tenderness and compassion that Christ would show were He in our world.--SpT MM 8, 1893. (MM 251.)  {1MCP 85.1}
[1MCP 85.2]          Sum of Life's Happiness.--A cultivated intellect is a great treasure; but without the softening influence of sympathy and sanctified love it is not of the highest value. We should have words and deeds of tender consideration for others. We can manifest a thousand little attentions in friendly words and pleasant looks, which will be reflected upon us again. Thoughtless Christians manifest by their neglect of others that they are not in union with Christ. It is impossible to be in union with Christ and yet be unkind to others and forgetful of their rights. Many long intensely for friendly sympathy.  {1MCP 85.2}
[1MCP 85.3]          God has given each of us an identity of our own, which cannot be merged in that of another; but our individual characteristics will be much less prominent if we are indeed Christ's and His will is ours. Our lives should be consecrated to the good and happiness of others, as was our Saviour's. We should be self-forgetful, ever looking out for opportunities--even in little things--to show gratitude for the favors we have received of others and watching for     86     opportunities to cheer others and lighten and relieve their sorrows and burdens by acts of tender kindness and little deeds of love. These thoughtful courtesies that, commencing in our families, extend outside the family circle, help make up the sum of life's happiness; and the neglect of these little things makes up the sum of life's bitterness and sorrow.--3T 539, 540 (1875).  {1MCP 85.3}
[1MCP 89.1]       Chap. 11 - Bible Study and the Mind           Foundation of All Study.--The Word of God is to be the foundation of all study, and the words of revelation, carefully studied, appeal to and strengthen the intellect as well as the heart. The culture of the intellect is required, that we may understand the revelation of the will of God to us. It cannot be neglected by those who are obedient to His commandment. God has not given us the faculties of the mind to be devoted to cheap and frivolous pursuits.--MS 16, 1896.  {1MCP 89.1}
[1MCP 89.2]          A Strength of Principle.--The truths of the Bible, received, will uplift mind and soul. If the Word of God were appreciated as it should be, both young and old would possess an inward rectitude, a strength of principle, that would enable them to resist temptation.--MH 459 (1905).  {1MCP 89.2}
[1MCP 89.3]          The Only True Guide.--A familiar acquaintance with the Scriptures sharpens the discerning powers and fortifies the soul against the attacks of Satan. The Bible is the sword of the Spirit, which will never fail to vanquish the adversary. It is the only true guide in all matters of faith and practice. The reason why Satan has so great control over the minds and hearts of men is that they have not     90     made the Word of God the man of their counsel, and all their ways have not been tried by the true test. The Bible will show us what course we must pursue to become heirs of glory.--RH Jan 4, 1881. (HC 31.)  {1MCP 89.3}
[1MCP 90.1]          Higher Education Defined.--There is no education to be gained higher than that given to the early disciples, and which is revealed to us through the Word of God. To gain the higher education means to follow this Word implicitly; it means to walk in the footsteps of Christ, to practice His virtues. It means to give up selfishness and to devote the life to the service of God.  {1MCP 90.1}
[1MCP 90.2]          Higher education calls for something greater, something more divine, than the knowledge to be obtained merely from books. It means a personal, experimental knowledge of Christ; it means emancipation from ideas, from habits and practices, that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness and which are opposed to loyalty to God. It means to overcome stubbornness, pride, selfishness, worldly ambition, and unbelief. It is the message of deliverance from sin.--CT 11, 12 (1913).  {1MCP 90.2}
[1MCP 90.3]          Inspires the Mind.--In the Word of God the mind finds subjects for the deepest thought, the loftiest aspirations. Here we may hold communion with patriarchs and prophets and listen to the voice of the Eternal as He speaks with men. Here we behold the Majesty of heaven as He humbled Himself to become our substitute and surety, to cope single-handed with the powers of darkness, and to gain the victory in our behalf. A reverent contemplation of such themes as these cannot fail to soften, purify, and ennoble the heart, and at the same time to inspire the mind with new strength and vigor.--CT 52, 53 (1913).  {1MCP 90.3}
[1MCP 90.4]          It Reveals the Purpose of Life.--But that which above all other considerations should lead us to prize the Bible is that in it is revealed to men the will of God. Here we learn the object of our creation and the means by which that                                                               91     object may be attained. We learn how to improve wisely the present life and how to secure the future life. No other book can satisfy the questionings of the mind or the cravings of the heart. By obtaining a knowledge of God's Word and giving heed thereto, men may rise from the lowest depths of degradation to become the sons of God, the associates of sinless angels.--CT 53, 54 (1913).  {1MCP 90.4}
[1MCP 91.1]          Parables to Impress and Awaken Minds.--God designs that our minds shall be impressed, awakened, and instructed by His sacred parables. He would have nature counteract the attempts made to divorce science from Bible Christianity. He desires that the things of nature that greet our senses shall hold the attention and imprint heavenly truths upon the mind.--YI, May 6, 1897.  {1MCP 91.1}
[1MCP 91.2]          The Bible Without a Rival.--As an educating power the Bible is without a rival. Nothing will so impart vigor to all the faculties as requiring students to grasp the stupendous truths of revelation. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. If occupied with commonplace matters only, to the exclusion of grand and lofty themes, it will become dwarfed and enfeebled. If never required to grapple with difficult problems or put to the stretch to comprehend important truths, it will after a time almost lose the power of growth.--5T 24 (1882).  {1MCP 91.2}
[1MCP 91.3]          Accept It With Simple Faith.--God desires man to exercise his reasoning powers, and the study of the Bible will strengthen and elevate the mind as no other study can do. It is the best mental as well as spiritual exercise for the human mind. Yet we are to beware of deifying reason, which is subject to the weakness and infirmity of humanity.  {1MCP 91.3}
[1MCP 91.4]          If we would not have the Scriptures clouded to our understanding so that the plainest truths shall not be comprehended, we must have the simplicity and faith of a little child, ready to learn and beseeching the aid of the Holy                                                                              92  Spirit. A sense of the power and wisdom of God and of our inability to comprehend His greatness, should inspire us with humility, and we should open His Word, as we would enter His presence, with holy awe. When we come to the Bible, reason must acknowledge an authority superior to itself, and heart and intellect must bow to the great I AM.--5T 703, 704 (1889).  {1MCP 91.4}
[1MCP 92.1]          Nothing to Be Studied That Clouds God's Word. --Jesus Christ is our spiritual touchstone. He reveals the Father. Nothing should be given as food to the brain that will bring before the mind any mist or cloud in regard to the Word of God. No careless inattention should be shown in regard to the cultivation of the soil of the heart. The mind must be prepared to appreciate the work and words of Christ, for He came from heaven to waken a desire and to give the bread of life to all who hunger for spiritual knowledge. --MS 15, 1898.  {1MCP 92.1}
[1MCP 92.2]          Scriptures Recognize Man's Moral Choice.--When we search the Word of God, angels are by our side, reflecting bright beams of light upon its sacred pages. The Scriptures appeal to man as having power to choose between right and wrong; they speak to him in warning, in reproof, in entreaty, in encouragement. The mind must be exercised on the solemn truths of God's Word, or it will grow weak.... We must examine for ourselves and learn the reasons of our faith by comparing scripture with scripture. Take the Bible, and on your knees plead with God to enlighten your mind.--RH, Mar 4, 1884.  {1MCP 92.2}
[1MCP 92.3]          Minds Find Noblest Development.--If the Bible were studied as it should be, men would become strong in intellect. The subjects treated upon in the Word of God, the dignified simplicity of its utterance, the noble themes which it presents to the mind, develop faculties in man which cannot otherwise be developed. In the Bible a boundless field is opened for the imagination. The student will come from a                                                             93     contemplation of its grand themes, from association with its lofty imagery, more pure and elevated in thought and feeling than if he had spent the time in reading any work of mere human origin, to say nothing of those of a trifling character.  {1MCP 92.3}
[1MCP 93.1]          Youthful minds fail to reach their noblest development when they neglect the highest source of wisdom--the Word of God. The reason why we have so few men of good mind, of stability and solid worth, is that God is not feared, God is not loved, the principles of religion are not carried out in the life as they should be.--CTBH 126, 1890. (FE 165.)  {1MCP 93.1}
[1MCP 93.2]          Search for Its Hidden Treasure.-The Bible, just as it reads, is to be our guide. Nothing is so calculated to enlarge the mind and strengthen the intellect as the study of the Bible. No other study will so elevate the soul and give vigor to the faculties as the study of the living oracles. The minds of thousands of ministers of the gospel are dwarfed because they are permitted to dwell upon commonplace things, and are not exercised in searching for the hidden treasure of the Word of God. As the mind is brought to the study of God's Word, the understanding will enlarge and the higher powers will develop for the comprehension of high and ennobling truth.  {1MCP 93.2}
[1MCP 93.3]          It is according to the character of the matter with which the mind becomes familiar that it is dwarfed or enlarged. If the mind is not raised up to make vigorous and persistent effort in seeking to comprehend truth by comparing scripture with scripture, it will surely become contracted and lose its tone. We should set our minds to the task of searching for truths that do not lie directly upon the surface.--RH, Sept 28, 1897.  {1MCP 93.3}
[1MCP 93.4]          Bible Directs the Life Aright.--The whole Bible is a revelation of the glory of God in Christ. Received, believed, obeyed, it is the great instrumentality in the transformation of character. It is the grand stimulus, the constraining force, that quickens the physical, mental, and spiritual     94     powers and directs the life into right channels.  {1MCP 93.4}
[1MCP 94.1]          The reason why the youth, and even those of mature years, are so easily led into temptation and sin is that they do not study the Word of God and meditate upon it as they should. The lack of firm, decided willpower, which is manifest in life and character, results from neglect of the sacred instruction of God's Word. They do not by earnest effort direct the mind to that which would inspire pure, holy thought and divert it from that which is impure and untrue.--MH 458 (1905).  {1MCP 94.1}
[1MCP 94.2]          It Reveals the Rules for Holy Living.--The Lord, in His great mercy, has revealed to us in the Scriptures His rules of holy living, His commandments, and His laws. He tells us therein the sins to shun; He explains to us the plan of salvation and points out the way to heaven. If they obey His injunction to "search the Scriptures," none need be  ignorant of these things.  {1MCP 94.2}
[1MCP 94.3]          The actual progress of the soul in virtue and divine knowledge is by the plan of addition--adding constantly the graces which Christ made an infinite sacrifice to bring within the reach of all. We are finite, but we are to have a sense of the infinite.  {1MCP 94.3}
[1MCP 94.4]          The mind must be taxed, contemplating God and His wonderful plan for our salvation. The soul will thus be lifted above commonplace things and fastened upon things that are eternal.  {1MCP 94.4}
[1MCP 94.5]          The thought that we are in God's world and in the presence of the great Creator of the universe, who made man in His own image, after His own likeness, will lift the mind into broader, higher fields for meditation than any fictitious story. The thought that God's eye is watching us, that He loves us and cared so much for fallen man as to give His dearly beloved Son to redeem us that we might not miserably perish, is a great one, and whoever opens his heart to the acceptance and contemplation of these great themes will never be satisfied with trivial, sensational subjects.--RH, Nov 9, 1886.                                                            95  {1MCP 94.5}
[1MCP 95.1]          A New Heart Means a New Mind.--The words "A new heart will I give you" mean, "A new mind will I give you." This change of heart is always attended by a clear conception of Christian duty, an understanding of truth. The clearness of our views of truth will be proportionate to our understanding of the Word of God. He who gives the Scriptures close, prayerful attention will gain clear comprehension and sound judgment, as if in turning to God he had reached a higher grade of intelligence.-RH, Nov 10, 1904.  {1MCP 95.1}
[1MCP 95.2]          Not to Be Casually Read.--It is not safe for us to turn from the Holy Scriptures with only a casual reading of their sacred pages. . . . Rein the mind up to the high task that has been set before it, and study with determined  interest, that you may understand divine truth. Those who do this will be surprised to find to what the mind can attain.--YI, June 29, 1893. (HC 35.)  {1MCP 95.2}
[1MCP 95.3]          Memory Training Aids the Mind.--The mind must be restrained and not allowed to wander. It should be trained to dwell upon the Scriptures and upon noble, elevating themes. Portions of Scripture, even whole chapters, may be committed to memory to be repeated when Satan comes in with his temptations. The fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah is a profitable one for this purpose. Wall the soul in with the restrictions and instructions given by inspiration of the Spirit of God.  {1MCP 95.3}
[1MCP 95.4]          When Satan would lead the mind to dwell upon earthly and sensual things, he is most effectually resisted with "It is written." . . . When he suggests doubts as to whether we are really the people whom God is leading, whom by tests and provings He is preparing to stand in the great day, be ready to meet his insinuations by presenting the clear evidence from the Word of God that this is the remnant people who are keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.--RH, Apr 8, 1884.  {1MCP 95.4}
[1MCP 95.5]         Bible Study Produces Well-balanced Minds.--Those who are under the training of the Holy Spirit will be able to     96     teach the Word intelligently. And when it is made the study book, with earnest supplication for the Spirit's guidance and a full surrender of the heart to be sanctified through the truth, it will accomplish all that Christ has promised.  {1MCP 95.5}
[1MCP 96.1]          The result of such Bible study will be well-balanced minds; for the physical, mental, and moral powers will be harmoniously developed. There will be no paralysis in spiritual knowledge. The understanding will be quickened, the sensibilities will be aroused, the conscience will become sensitive, the sympathies and sentiments will be purified, a better moral atmosphere will be created, and a new power to resist temptation will be imparted.--SpTEd 27, June 12, 1896. (FE 433, 434.)  {1MCP 96.1}
[1MCP 96.2]          An Antidote for Poisonous Insinuations.--When the mind is stored with Bible truth, its principles take deep root in the soul, and the preference and tastes become wedded to truth, and there is no desire for debasing, exciting literature that enfeebles the moral powers and wrecks the faculties God has bestowed for usefulness. Bible knowledge will prove an antidote for the poisonous insinuations received through unguarded reading.--RH, Nov 9, 1886. (HC 202.)  {1MCP 96.2}
[1MCP 96.3]          Protects From Superstition.--If the teachings of this Word were made the controlling influence in our lives, if mind and heart were brought under its restraining power, the evils that now exist in churches and families would find no place . . . . The teachings of the Word of God are to control mind and heart, that the home life may demonstrate the power of the grace of God. . . .  {1MCP 96.3}
[1MCP 96.4]          Without the Bible we should be bewildered by false theories. The mind would be subjected to the tyranny of superstition and  falsehood. But having in our possession an authentic history of the beginning of the world, we need not hamper ourselves with human conjectures and unreliable theories.--RH, Nov 10, 1904.                                                                 97  {1MCP 96.4}
[1MCP 97.1]          It Improves the Reasoning Faculties.--If the mind is set to the task of studying the Bible for information, the reasoning faculties will be improved. Under study of the Scriptures the mind expands and becomes more evenly balanced than if occupied in obtaining general information from the books that are used which have no connection with the Bible. No knowledge is so firm, so consistent and far-reaching, as that obtained from a study of the Word of God. It is the foundation of all true knowledge.  {1MCP 97.1}
[1MCP 97.2]          The Bible is like a fountain. The more you look into it, the deeper it appears. The grand truths of sacred history possess amazing strength and beauty and are as far-reaching as eternity. No science is equal to the science that reveals the character of God.  {1MCP 97.2}
[1MCP 97.3]          Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, yet he said, "Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your  understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."--RH, Feb 25, 1896. (FE 393.)  {1MCP 97.3}
[1MCP 97.4]          Endows the Faculties With Vigor.--Why should not this book--this precious treasure--be exalted and esteemed as a valued friend? This is our chart across the stormy sea of life. It is our guidebook showing us the way to the eternal mansions and the character we must have to inhabit them. There is no book the perusal of which will so elevate and strengthen the mind as the study of the Bible. Here the intellect will find themes of the most elevated character to call out its powers. There is nothing that will so endow with vigor all our faculties as bringing them in contact with the stupendous truths of revelation. The effort to grasp and measure these great thoughts expands the mind. We may dig down deep into the mine of truth and gather precious treasures with which to enrich the soul.     98     Here we may learn the true way to live, the safe way to die.--RH, Jan 4, 1881. (HC 31.)  {1MCP 97.4}
[1MCP 98.1]          Bible Study Will Enlarge the Mind.--The Bible is our guide in the safe paths that lead to eternal life. God has inspired men to write that which will present the truth to us, which will attract, and which, if practiced, will enable the receiver to obtain moral power to rank among the most highly educated minds. The minds of all who make the Word of God their study will enlarge. Far more than any other study its influence is calculated to increase the powers of comprehension and endow every faculty with a new power. It brings the mind in contact with broad, ennobling principles of truth. It brings all heaven into close connection with human minds, imparting wisdom and knowledge and understanding.--YI, Oct 13, 1898, (SD 70.)  {1MCP 98.1}
[1MCP 98.2]          Bible a Revelation of Jehovah.--Through all time this Book is to stand as a revelation of Jehovah. To human beings the divine oracles have been committed to be the power of God. The truths of the Word of God are not mere sentiment, but the utterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomes in every sense a new creature. He is not given new mental powers, but the darkness that through ignorance and sin have clouded the understanding is removed.--RH, Nov 10, 1904.  {1MCP 98.2}
[1MCP 99.1]       Chap. 12 - Diligence  ［SEE CHAPTER 65, "INDOLENCE."］           Strive and Achieve.-- It is hard study, hard toil,  persevering diligence, that obtain victories. Waste no hours, no moments. The results of work--earnest, faithful work--will be seen and appreciated. Those who wish for stronger minds can gain them by diligence. The mind increases in power and efficiency by use. It becomes strong by hard thinking. He who uses most diligently his mental and physical powers will achieve the greatest results. Every power of the being strengthens by action.--RH, Mar 10, 1903.  {1MCP 99.1}
[1MCP 99.2]          Attain Highest Possible Capacity.--The true object of education should be carefully considered. God has entrusted to each one capacities and powers, that they may be returned to Him enlarged and improved. All His gifts are granted to us to be used to the utmost. He requires every one of us to cultivate our powers and attain the highest possible capacity for usefulness, that we may do noble work for God and bless humanity. Every talent that we possess, whether of mental capacity, money, or influence, is of God, so that we may say with David, "All     100     things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee" (1 Chronicles 29:14).--RH, Aug 19, 1884. (FE 82.)  {1MCP 99.2}
[1MCP 100.1]          Fine Mental Qualities Not the Result of Accident. --True success in any line of work is not the result of chance or accident or destiny. It is the outworking of God's providences, the reward of faith and discretion, of virtue and perseverance. Fine mental qualities and a high moral tone are not the result of accident. God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them.--PK 486 (1917).  {1MCP 100.1}
[1MCP 100.2]          Mental Culture Is What We Need.--Mental culture is what we as a people need and what we must have in order to meet the demands of the time. Poverty, humble origin, and unfavorable surroundings need not prevent the cultivation of the mind. The mental faculties must be kept under the control of the will and the mind not allowed to wander or become distracted with a variety of subjects at a time, being thorough in none.  {1MCP 100.2}
[1MCP 100.3]          Difficulties will be met in all studies, but never cease through discouragement. Search, study, and pray; face every difficulty manfully and vigorously; call the power of will and the grace of patience to your aid, and then dig more earnestly till the gem of truth lies before you, plain and beautiful, all the more precious because of the difficulties involved in finding it.  {1MCP 100.3}
[1MCP 100.4]          Do not, then, continually dwell upon this one point, concentrating all the energies of the mind upon it, constantly urging it upon the attention of others, but take another subject, and carefully examine that. Thus mystery after mystery will be unfolded to your comprehension. Two valuable victories will be gained by this course. You have not only secured useful knowledge, but the exercise of the mind has increased mental strength and power. The key found to unlock one mystery may develop also other precious gems of knowledge heretofore undiscovered--4T 414 (1880).                                                              101  {1MCP 100.4}
[1MCP 101.1]          The Law of the Mind.--It is a law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar. The mental powers will surely become contracted and will lose their ability to grasp the deep meanings of the Word of God unless they are put vigorously and persistently to the task of searching for truth. The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible, comparing scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. Go below the surface; the richest treasures of thought are waiting for the skillful and diligent student.--RH, July 17, 1888. (MYP 262.)  {1MCP 101.1}
[1MCP 101.2]          Call Latent Powers to Action.--In the common walks of life there is many a toiler patiently treading the round of his daily tasks, unconscious of latent powers that, roused to action, would place him among the world's great leaders. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse and develop those dormant faculties. It was such men whom Jesus connected with Himself, and He gave them the advantages of three years' training under His own care. No course of study in the schools of the rabbis or the halls of philosophy could have equaled this in value.--CT 511 (1913).  {1MCP 101.2}
[1MCP 101.3]          Many Might Be Intellectual Giants.--Many of our laborers might today be intellectual giants had they not been content to meet a low level but been diligent and let their thoughts and investigations plow deep. Many of our young people are in danger of being superficial, of failing to grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. They consider that they have a sufficient degree of knowledge and understanding of subjects, and if they do not love study they will not plow deep to obtain all the treasures possible for them to acquire.--Lt 33, 1886.  {1MCP 101.3}
[1MCP 101.4]          Self-discipline Necessary.--God requires the training of the mental faculties. They need to be so cultivated     102     that we can, if necessary, set the truth before the highest earthly powers to the glory of God. The converting power of God upon heart and character is also needed every day. Self-discipline must be carried on by everyone who claims to be a child of God; for it is in this way that the mind and will are brought into subjection to the mind and will of God. Decided discipline in the cause of the Lord will accomplish more than eloquence and the most brilliant talents. An ordinary mind, well trained, will accomplish more and higher work than the most educated mind and the greatest talents, without self-control.--RH, July 28, 1896.  {1MCP 101.4}
[1MCP 102.1]          Angels Take Hold of Reasoning Minds.--The heavenly angels are . . .  at work to take hold of reasoning minds, and their power is mightier than the hosts of darkness. There are minds dealing with sacred things who are not in close connection with God and who do not discern the Spirit of God. Unless His grace transforms them into the image of Christ's likeness, His Spirit will leave them as water leaves a leaky vessel. Their only hope is to seek God with all their mind, heart, and soul. Then they will lawfully strive for the mastery. Satan will steal the imagination and affections if you give him a chance.--MS 11, 1893.  {1MCP 102.1}
[1MCP 102.2]          Highest Sanctified Ambition Demanded.--"My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9) is the assurance of the Great Teacher. Catch the inspiration of the words, and never, never talk doubt and unbelief. Be energetic. There is no half-and-half service in pure and undefiled religion. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (Mark 12:30). The very highest sanctified ambition is demanded of those who believe the Word of God.--SpTEd 30, June 12, 1896. (CT 360.)                                                       103  {1MCP 102.2}
[1MCP 103.1]          Stand in Your God-given Personality.--God has given us ability to think and to act, and it is by acting with carefulness, looking to Him for wisdom, that you will become capable of bearing burdens. Stand in your God-given personality. Be no other person's shadow. Expect that the Lord will work in and by and through you.--MH 498, 499 (1905).  {1MCP 103.1}
[1MCP 103.2]          The Blighting Mildew of the World (admonition to a minister who loved speculation).--You are a man who should not be a teacher of truth. You should be far in advance of where you are in experience and in the knowledge of God. You should be a man in understanding; for God has given you intellectual faculties which are susceptible of the highest cultivation. Had you divorced yourself from your speculating propensities, had you worked in the opposite direction, you would now be able to do acceptable service for God.  {1MCP 103.2}
[1MCP 103.3]          Had you cultivated your mind aright and used your powers to God's glory, you would have been fully qualified to bear the warning message to the world. But the mildew of the world has so affected your mind that it is not sanctified. You have not been cultivating the faculties that would make you a successful spiritual worker in the cause of God. You may carry forward the work of educating your mind in right lines. If you do not now become intelligent in regard to the truth, the fault will be all your own.--Lt 3, 1878.  {1MCP 103.3}
[1MCP 103.4]          Move Forward Steadily.--I want your ambition to be a sanctified ambition so that angels of God can inspire your heart with holy zeal, leading you to move forward steadily and solidly and making you a bright and shining light. Your perceptive faculties will increase in power and soundness if your whole being--body, soul, and spirit--is consecrated to the accomplishment of a holy work. Make every effort, in and through the grace of Christ, to attain to the high standard set before you. You     104     can be perfect in your sphere as God is perfect in His sphere. Has not Christ declared, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48)?--Lt 123, 1904.  {1MCP 103.4}
[1MCP 104.1]          Cultivate Every Power.--He desires that we shall constantly be growing in holiness, in happiness, in usefulness. All have capabilities which they must be taught to regard as sacred endowments, to appreciate as the Lord's gifts, and rightly to employ. He desires the youth to cultivate every power of their being and to bring every faculty into active exercise. He desires them to enjoy all that is useful and precious in this life, to be good and to do good, laying up a heavenly treasure for the future life.--MH 398 (1905).  {1MCP 104.1}
[1MCP 104.2]          Opportunities Within Reach of All.--There are opportunities and advantages which are within the reach of all to strengthen the moral and spiritual powers. The mind can be expanded and ennobled and should be made to dwell upon heavenly things. Our powers must be cultivated to the uttermost, else we shall fail of meeting God's standard.  {1MCP 104.2}
[1MCP 104.3]          Unless it ［the mind］ flows in a heavenward direction, it becomes an easy prey to the temptation of Satan to engage in worldly projects and enterprises that have no special connection with God. And all zeal and devotion and restless energy and feverish desire are brought into this work, and the devil stands by and laughs to see human effort wrestling so perseveringly for an object that it will never gain, which eludes its grasp. But if he can keep them infatuated with the baseless delusion that they will give strength of brain and bone and muscle to the objects they never will realize, he is gratified, for the powers of mind that belong to God, that God claims, are diverted from the right aim, the proper objects.--Lt 17, 1886.  {1MCP 104.3}
[1MCP 104.4]          Enemy Need Not Hinder Daily Improvement.-- Resolve to reach a high and holy standard; make your                                                        105     mark high; act with earnest purpose as did Daniel, steadily, perseveringly; and nothing that the enemy can do will hinder your daily improvement. Notwithstanding inconveniences, changes, perplexities, you may constantly advance in mental vigor and moral power.  {1MCP 104.4}
[1MCP 105.1]          None need to be ignorant unless they choose to be thus. Knowledge is to be constantly acquired; it is the food for the mind. With us who look for Christ's coming should be the resolve that we will not live this life constantly on the losing side of the question but in understanding in spiritual attainments. Be men of God, on the gaining side.  {1MCP 105.1}
[1MCP 105.2]          Knowledge is within the reach of all who desire it. God designs that the mind shall become strong, thinking deeper, fuller, clearer. Walk with God as did Enoch; make God your Counselor and you cannot but make improvement.--Lt 26d, 1887.  {1MCP 105.2}
[1MCP 105.3]          Take Hold of God and Move Forward.--God has given man intellect, and endowed him with capacities for improvement. Then let there be a strong taking hold upon God, a putting away of frivolity, amusement, and all uncleanness. Overcome all defects of character.  {1MCP 105.3}
[1MCP 105.4]          Although there is a natural tendency to pursue a downward course, there is a power that will be brought to combine with man's earnest effort. His willpower will have a counteracting tendency. If he will combine with this divine help, he may resist the voice of the tempter. But Satan's temptations harmonize with his defective, sinful tendencies, and urge him to sin. All he has to do is to follow the leader Jesus Christ who will tell him just what to do. God beckons to you from His throne in heaven, presenting to you a crown of immortal glory, and bids you to fight the good fight of faith and run the race with patience. Trust in God every moment. He is faithful that leadeth forward. --Lt 26d, 1887.  {1MCP 105.4}
[1MCP 105.5]          God's High Ideal for His Children.--Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for     106     His children. Godliness--godlikeness--is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth. --Ed 18, 19 ( 1903).  {1MCP 105.5}
[1MCP 107.1]       Chap. 13 - Food for the Mind           Wise Improvement Versus Abuse.--God bestows upon us talents for wise improvement, not for abuse. Education is but a preparation of the physical, intellectual, and moral powers for the best performance of all the duties of life. Improper reading gives an education that is false. The power of endurance and the strength and activity of the brain may be lessened or increased according to the manner in which they are employed.--4T 498 (1880).  {1MCP 107.1}
[1MCP 107.2]          Healthful Food for the Mind.--Pure healthful reading will be to the mind what healthful food is to the body. You will thus become stronger to resist temptation, to form right habits, and to act upon right principles.--RH, Dec 26, 1882. (SD 178.)  {1MCP 107.2}
[1MCP 107.3]          Guard the Avenues of the Soul.--We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.  {1MCP 107.3}
[1MCP 107.4]          The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest.     108     "Girding up the loins of your mind," says the apostle Peter, "be sober, . . . not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in . . . your ignorance: but like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living" (1 Peter 1:13-15, RV).  {1MCP 107.4}
[1MCP 108.1]          Says Paul, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8). This will require earnest prayer and unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit, which will attract the mind upward, and habituate it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we must give diligent study to the Word of God. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word." "Thy Word," says the psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119:9, 11).--PP 460 (1890).  {1MCP 108.1}
[1MCP 108.2]         Character Revealed by Choice of Reading.--The nature of one's religious experience is revealed by the character of the books one chooses to read in one's leisure moments. In order to have a healthy tone of mind and sound religious principles, the youth must live in communion with God through His Word. Pointing out the way of salvation through Christ, the Bible is our guide to a higher, better life. It contains the most interesting and the most instructive history and biography that were ever written. Those whose imagination has not become perverted by the reading of fiction will find the Bible the most interesting of books.--YI, Oct 9, 1902. (MYP 273, 274.)  {1MCP 108.2}
[1MCP 108.3]          Some Books Confuse the Mind.--Many of the books piled up in the great libraries of earth confuse the mind more than they aid the understanding. Yet men spend                                                        109     large sums of money in the purchase of such books, and years in their study, when they have within their reach a Book containing the words of Him who is the Alpha and Omega of wisdom. The time spent in a study of these books might better be spent in gaining a knowledge of Him whom to know aright is life eternal. Those only who gain this knowledge will at last hear the words, "Ye are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10).--(Pamphlet) Words of Counsel, 1903. (CH 369.)  {1MCP 108.3}
[1MCP 109.1]          Confused Understanding.--When the Word of God is laid aside for books that lead away from God and that confuse the understanding regarding the principles of the kingdom of heaven, the education given is a perversion of the name. Unless the student has pure mental food, thoroughly winnowed from the so-called higher education, which is mingled with infidel sentiments, he cannot truly know God. Only those who cooperate with heaven in the plan of salvation can know what true education in its simplicity means.--CT 15 (1913).  {1MCP 109.1}
[1MCP 109.2]          Despotic Power of Infidel Authors (words from the angel instructor).--Human minds are easily charmed by Satan's lies; and these works produce a distaste for the contemplation of the Word of God, which if received and appreciated, will ensure eternal life to the receiver. You are creatures of habit and should remember that right habits are blessings both in their effect on your own character and in their influence for good over others; but wrong habits, when once established, exercise a despotic power and bring minds into bondage. If you had never read one word in these books ［by infidel authors］ you would today be far better able to comprehend that Book which, above all other books, is worthy to be studied and which gives the only correct ideas regarding higher education.--6T 162 (1900).     110  {1MCP 109.2}
[1MCP 110.1]          Superficial Reading Produces Diseased Imagination. --There are many of our youth whom God has endowed with superior capabilities. He has given them the very best of talents; but their powers have been enervated, their minds confused and enfeebled, and for years they have made no growth in grace and in a knowledge of the reasons of our faith, because they have gratified a taste for story reading. They have as much difficulty to control the appetite for such superficial reading as the drunkard has to control his appetite for intoxicating drink.  {1MCP 110.1}
[1MCP 110.2]          These might today be connected with our publishing houses and be efficient workers to keep books, prepare copy for the press, or to read proof; but their talents have been perverted until they are mental dyspeptics, and consequently are unfitted for a responsible position anywhere. The imagination is diseased. They live an unreal life. They are unfitted for the practical duties of life; and that which is the most sad and discouraging is that they have lost all relish for solid reading.  {1MCP 110.2}
[1MCP 110.3]          They have become infatuated and charmed with just such food for the mind as the intensely exciting stories contained in Uncle Tom's Cabin. That book did good in its day to those who needed an awakening in regard to their false ideas of slavery; but we are standing upon the very borders of the eternal world, where such stories are not needed in the preparation for eternal life.--5T 518, 519 (1889).  {1MCP 110.3}
[1MCP 110.4]          Books That Enfeeble the Mind.--Love stories and frivolous, exciting tales constitute another class of books that is a curse to every reader. The author may attach a good moral and all through his work may weave religious sentiments, yet in most cases Satan is but clothed in angel robes the more effectually to deceive and allure. The mind is affected in a great degree by that upon which it feeds. The readers of frivolous, exciting tales become unfitted for the duties lying before them. They live                                                           111     an unreal life and have no desire to search the Scriptures, to feed upon the heavenly manna. The mind is enfeebled and loses its power to contemplate the great problems of duty and destiny.--7T 165 (1902).  {1MCP 110.4}
[1MCP 111.1]          Fiction and Sensual Thoughts.--The mental food for which he ［the fiction reader］ has acquired a relish is contaminating in its effects, and leads to impure and sensual thoughts. I have felt sincere pity for these souls as I have considered how much they are losing by neglecting opportunities to gain a knowledge of Christ, in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. How much precious time is wasted, in which they might be studying the Pattern of true goodness.--CTBH 123, 1890. (MYP 280.)  {1MCP 111.1}
[1MCP 111.2]          Mind Sinks Into Imbecility (words of caution to an invalid housewife).--For years your mind has been like a babbling brook, nearly filled with rocks and weeds, the water running to waste. Were your powers controlled by high purposes, you would not be the invalid that you now are. You fancy you must be indulged in your caprice of appetite and in your excessive reading.  {1MCP 111.2}
[1MCP 111.3]          I saw the midnight lamp burning in your room while you were poring over some fascinating story, thus stimulating your already overexcited brain. This course has been lessening your hold upon life and enfeebling you physically, mentally, and morally. Irregularity has created disorder in your house, and if continued, will cause your mind to sink into imbecility. Your God-given probation has been abused, your God-given time wasted.--4T 498 (1880).  {1MCP 111.3}
[1MCP 111.4]          Mental Inebriates.--Readers of frivolous, exciting tales become unfitted for the duties of practical life. They live in an unreal world. I have watched children who have been allowed to make a practice of reading such stories. Whether at home or abroad, they were restless, dreamy, unable to converse except upon the most commonplace     112     subjects. Religious thought and conversation was entirely foreign to their minds. With the cultivation of an appetite for sensational stories, the mental taste is perverted, and the mind is not satisfied unless fed upon this unwholesome food. I can think of no more fitting name for those who indulge in such reading than mental inebriates. Intemperate habits of reading have an effect upon the brain similar to that which intemperate habits of eating and drinking have upon the body.--CT 134, 135 (1913).  {1MCP 111.4}
[1MCP 112.1]          Excessive Indulgence That Is Sin.--Excessive indulgence in eating, drinking, sleeping, or seeing is sin. The harmonious healthy action of all the powers of body and mind results in happiness. . . . The powers of the mind should be exercised upon themes relating to our eternal interests. This will be conducive to health of body and mind.--4T 417 (1880).  {1MCP 112.1}
[1MCP 112.2]          Overtaxing the Mind.--The student who desires to put the work of two years into one should not be permitted to have his own way. To undertake to do double work means, with many, overtaxation of the mind and neglect of physical exercise. It is not reasonable to suppose that the mind can assimilate an oversupply of mental food; and it is as great a sin to overload the mind as it is to overload the digestive organs.--CT 296 (1913).  {1MCP 112.2}
[1MCP 112.3]          Investigate Also Your Conversational Food.--It is best for every soul to closely investigate what mental food is served up for him to eat. When those come to you who live to talk and who are all armed and equipped to say, "Report, and we will report it," stop and think if the conversation will give spiritual help, spiritual efficiency, that in spiritual communication you may eat of the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God. "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious" (1 Peter 2:4). These words express much.                                                            113  {1MCP 112.3}
[1MCP 113.1]          We are not to be tattlers, or gossipers, or talebearers; we are not to bear false witness. We are forbidden by God to engage in trifling, foolish conversation, in jesting, joking, or speaking any idle words. We must give an account of what we say to God. We will be brought into judgment for our hasty words that do no good to the speaker or to the hearer. Then let us all speak words that will tend to edification. Remember that you are of value with God. Allow no cheap, foolish talk or wrong principles to compose your Christian experience.--MS 68, 1897. (FE 458.)  {1MCP 113.1}
[1MCP 113.2]          A Woman Whose Sight of Eyes Perverted the Heart. --Sister_____, although possessing excellent natural qualities, is being drawn away from God by her unbelieving friends and relatives, who love not the truth and have no sympathy with the sacrifice and self-denial that must be made for the truth's sake. Sister_____has not felt the importance of separation from the world, as the command of God enjoins. The sight of her eyes and the hearing of her ears have perverted her heart.--4T 108 (1876).  {1MCP 113.2}
[1MCP 113.3]          Sounds, Sights, and Influences Which Demoralize. --There is reason for deep solicitude on your part for your children, who have temptations to encounter at every advance step. It is impossible for them to avoid contact with evil associates. . . . They will see sights, hear sounds, and be subjected to influences which are demoralizing and which, unless they are thoroughly guarded, will imperceptibly but surely corrupt the heart and deform the character.--Pacific Health Journal, June, 1890. (AH 406.)  {1MCP 113.3}
[1MCP 113.4]          Some Associations Like a Slow Poison.--Could my voice reach the parents all through the land, I would warn them not to yield to the desires of their children in choosing their companions or associates. Little do     114     parents consider that injurious impressions are far more readily received by the young than are divine impressions; therefore their associations should be the most favorable for the growth of grace and for the truth revealed in the Word of God to be established in the heart.  {1MCP 113.4}
[1MCP 114.1]          If children are with those whose conversation is upon unimportant, earthly things, their minds will come to the same level. If they hear the principles of religion slurred and our faith belittled, if sly objections to the truth are dropped in their hearing, these things will fasten in their minds and mold their characters.  {1MCP 114.1}
[1MCP 114.2]          If their minds are filled with stories, be they true or fictitious, there is no room for the useful information and scientific knowledge which should occupy them. What havoc has this love for light reading wrought with the mind! How it has destroyed the principles of sincerity and true godliness, which lie at the foundation of a symmetrical character. It is like a slow poison taken into the system, which will sooner or later reveal its bitter effects. When a wrong impression is left upon the mind in youth, a mark is made, not on sand, but on enduring rock.--5T 544, 545 (1889).  {1MCP 114.2}
[1MCP 114.3]          Eyes Fixed Upon Christ.--When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie--to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).--SC 72 (1892).  {1MCP 114.3}
[1MCP 115.1]       Chap. 14 - Exercise           The Law of Obedient Action.--All the heavenly beings are in constant activity, and the Lord Jesus, in His practical lifework, has given an example for every man. God has established in the heavens the law of obedient action. ［NOTE: THE LAW OF OBEDIENT ACTION IS WORTHY OF CAREFUL STUDY. ACTION NOT ONLY ADVANCES PHYSICAL HEALTH BUT BRINGS US INTO HARMONY WITH OTHERS AND WITH THE UNIVERSE.］ Silent but ceaseless, the objects of His creation do their appointed work. The ocean is in constant motion. The springing grass, "which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven," does its errand, clothing the fields with beauty. The leaves are stirred by the wind, and yet no hand is seen to touch them. The sun, moon, and stars are useful and glorious in fulfilling their appointed mission. And man, his mind and body created in God's own similitude, must be active in order to fill his appointed place. Man is not to be idle. Idleness is sin.--Lt 103, 1900. (SpT Series B, No. 1, pp 29, 30.)  {1MCP 115.1}
[1MCP 115.2]         Machinery of Body Must Continue Its Work.--Study the Lord's plan in regard to Adam, who was created pure, holy, and healthy. Adam was given something to do. He was to use the organs God had given him. He     116     could not have been idle. His brain must work, not in a mechanical way, like a mere machine. At all times the machinery of the body continues its work; the heart throbs, doing its regular, appointed task like a steam engine, forcing its crimson current unceasingly to all parts of the body. Action, action, is seen pervading the whole living machine. Each organ must do its appointed work. If physical inaction is continued, there will be less and less activity of the brain.--Lt 103, 1900.  {1MCP 115.2}
[1MCP 116.1]          Exercise in the Open Air.--The whole system needs the invigorating influence of exercise in the open air. A few hours of manual labor each day would tend to renew the bodily vigor and rest and relax the mind.--4T 264, 265 (1876).  {1MCP 116.1}
[1MCP 116.2]          Air, air, the precious boon of heaven which all may have, will bless you with its invigorating influence if you will not refuse it entrance. Welcome it, cultivate a love for it, and it will prove a precious soother of the nerves. Air must be in constant circulation to be kept pure. The influence of pure, fresh air is to cause the blood to circulate healthfully through the system. It refreshes the body and tends to render it strong and healthy, while at the same time its influence is decidedly felt upon the mind, imparting a degree of composure and serenity. It excites the appetite, renders the digestion of food more perfect, and induces sound and sweet sleep.--1T 702 (1868).  {1MCP 116.2}
[1MCP 116.3]          Inactivity a Fruitful Cause of Disease.--Inactivity is a fruitful cause of disease. Exercise quickens and equalizes the circulation of the blood, but in idleness the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in it, so necessary to life and health, do not take place. The skin, too, becomes inactive. Impurities are not expelled as they would be if the circulation had been quickened by vigorous                                                         117     exercise, the skin kept in a healthy condition, and the lungs fed with plenty of pure, fresh air. This state of the system throws a double burden on the excretory organs, and disease is the result.--MH 238 (1905).  {1MCP 116.3}
[1MCP 117.1]          Judicious Regulation of Exercise.--Well-directed physical exercise, using the strength but not abusing it, would prove an effective remedial agent.--MS 2, 1870.  {1MCP 117.1}
[1MCP 117.2]         Prevents the Mind From Becoming Overworked. --Physical labor will not prevent the cultivation of the intellect. Far from it. The advantages gained by physical labor will balance a person and prevent the mind from being overworked. The toil will come upon the muscles and relieve the wearied brain. There are many listless, useless girls who consider it unladylike to engage in active labor. But their characters are too transparent to deceive sensible persons in regard to their real worthlessness....  {1MCP 117.2}
[1MCP 117.3]          It does not require a frail, helpless, overdressed, simpering thing to make a lady. A sound body is required for a sound intellect. Physical soundness and a practical knowledge of all the necessary household duties will never be hindrances to a well-developed intellect; both are highly important for a lady.--3T 152 (1872).  {1MCP 117.3}
[1MCP 117.4]          Without Exercise, Mind Cannot Be in Working Order.--For a healthy young man, stern, severe exercise is strengthening to brain, bone, and muscle. And it is an essential preparation for the difficult work of a physician. Without such exercise the mind cannot be in working order. It cannot put forth the sharp, quick action that will give scope to its powers. It becomes inactive. Such a youth will never, never become what God designed he should be. He has established so many resting places that he becomes like a stagnant pool. The atmosphere surrounding him is charged with moral miasma.--Lt 103, 1900.     118  {1MCP 117.4}
[1MCP 118.1]          Mental Effort Restricted When Physical Exercise Neglected.--Those who are engaged in constant mental labor, whether in study or preaching, need rest and change. The earnest student is constantly taxing the brain, too often while neglecting physical exercise, and as the result, the bodily powers are enfeebled and mental effort is restricted. Thus the student fails of accomplishing the very work that he might have done had he labored wisely.--GW 173 (1893).  {1MCP 118.1}
[1MCP 118.2]          Equalize Mental and Physical Taxation.--Equalize the taxation of the mental and the physical powers, and the mind of the student will be refreshed. If he is diseased, physical exercise will often help the system to recover its normal condition. When students leave college, they should have better health and a better understanding of the laws of life than when they enter it. The health should be as sacredly guarded as the character.--CTBH 82, 83, 1890. (CG 343.)  {1MCP 118.2}
[1MCP 118.3]          Exercise Is a Remedial Agent.--When invalids have nothing to occupy their time and attention, their thoughts become centered upon themselves, and they grow morbid and irritable. Many times they dwell upon their bad feelings until they think themselves much worse than they really are and wholly unable to do anything.  {1MCP 118.3}
[1MCP 118.4]          In all these cases well-directed physical exercise would prove an effective remedial agent. In some cases it is indispensable to the recovery of health. The will goes with the labor of the hands, and what these invalids need is to have the will aroused. When the will is dormant, the imagination becomes abnormal, and it is impossible to resist disease.--MH 239 (1905).  {1MCP 118.4}
[1MCP 118.5]          The Do-Nothing System Is a Dangerous One.--The do-nothing system is a dangerous one in any case. The idea that those who have overtaxed their mental and                                                         119     physical powers, or who have broken down in body and mind, must suspend activity in order to regain health is a great error. There are cases where entire rest for a time will ward off serious illness, but in the case of confirmed invalids it is seldom necessary.--MS 2, 1870.  {1MCP 118.5}
[1MCP 119.1]         Inactivity Greatest Curse on Most Invalids.-- Inactivity is the greatest curse that could come upon most invalids. This is especially true of those whose troubles have been caused or aggravated by impure practices.  {1MCP 119.1}
[1MCP 119.2]          Light employment in the direction of useful labor, while it does not tax mind or body, has a happy influence upon both. It strengthens the muscles, improves the circulation, and gives the invalid the satisfaction of knowing that he is not wholly useless in this busy world. He may be able to do but little at first; but he will soon find his strength increasing, and the amount of work done can be increased accordingly.  {1MCP 119.2}
[1MCP 119.3]          Physicians often advise their patients to take an ocean voyage, to go to some mineral spring, or to visit different places for change of climate, in order to regain health, when in nine cases out of ten if they would eat temperately and take cheerful, healthful exercise, they would become well and would save time and money.--Und MS 90. (See MH 240 ［1905］.)  {1MCP 119.3}
[1MCP 119.4]          Exercise Must Be Systematic (counsel to an invalid mother).--The Lord has given you a work to do which He does not propose to do for you. You should move out from principle, in harmony with natural law, irrespective of feeling. You should begin to act upon the light that God has given you. You may not be able to do this all at once, but you can do much by moving out gradually in faith, believing that God will be your helper, that He will strengthen you.  {1MCP 119.4}
[1MCP 119.5]          You could exercise in walking and in performing duties requiring light labor in your family and not be so dependent upon others. The consciousness that you can do     120     will give you increased strength. If your hands were more employed and your brain less exercised in planning for others, your physical and mental strength would increase. Your brain is not idle, but there is not corresponding labor on the part of the other organs of the body.  {1MCP 119.5}
[1MCP 120.1]          Exercise, to be of decided advantage to you, should be systematized and brought to bear upon the debilitated organs that they may become strengthened by use. The movement cure ［massage］ is a great advantage to a class of patients who are too feeble to exercise. But for all who are sick to rely upon it, making it their dependence, while they neglect to exercise their muscles themselves, is a great mistake.--3T 76 (1872).  {1MCP 120.1}
[1MCP 120.2]          Present Flood of Corruption Result of Abused Bodies and Minds.--The flood of corruption that is sweeping over our world is the result of the misuse and abuse of the human machinery. Men, women, and children should be educated to labor with their hands. Then the brain will not be overtaxed, to the detriment of the whole organism. --Lt 145, 1897.  {1MCP 120.2}
[1MCP 120.3]          Taxation of Mind and Body Tends to Prevent Impure Thoughts.--The proportionate taxation of the powers of mind and body will prevent the tendency to impure thoughts and actions. Teachers should understand this. They should teach students that pure thoughts and actions are dependent on the way in which they conduct their studies. Conscientious actions are dependent on conscientious thinking. Exercise in agricultural pursuits and in the various branches of labor is a wonderful safeguard against undue brain taxation. No man, woman, or child who fails to use all the powers God has given him can retain his health. He cannot conscientiously keep the commandments of God. He cannot love God supremely and his neighbor as himself.--Lt 145, 1897.                                                          121  {1MCP 120.3}
[1MCP 121.1]          Some Manual Work Each Day.--The light given me is that if our ministers would do more physical labor, they would reap blessings healthwise.... It is a positive necessity to physical health and mental clearness to do some manual work during the day. Thus the blood is called from the brain to other portions of the body.--Lt 168, 1899. (Ev 660, 661.)  {1MCP 121.1}
[1MCP 121.2]         Every Student Should Exercise.--Every Student should devote a portion of each day to active labor. Thus habits of industry would be formed and a spirit of self-reliance encouraged, while the youth would be shielded from many evil and degrading practices that are so often the result of idleness. And this is all in keeping with the primary object of education, for in encouraging activity, diligence, and purity we are coming into harmony with the Creator.--PP 601 (1890).  {1MCP 121.2}
[1MCP 121.3]          The physical as well as the religious training practiced in the schools of the Hebrews may be profitably studied. The worth of such training is not appreciated. There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment the laws that control our physical being must be heeded. To secure a strong, well-balanced character, both the mental and the physical powers must be exercised and developed. What study can be more important for the young than that which treats of this wonderful organism that God has committed to us and of the laws by which it may be preserved in health?--PP 601 (1890).  {1MCP 121.3}
[1MCP 121.4]          Physical Exercise Gives Life.--When the body is inactive, the blood flows sluggishly, and the muscles decrease in size and strength....Physical exercise and a free use of air and sunlight--blessings which Heaven has abundantly bestowed on all--would give life and strength to many an emaciated invalid....     122  {1MCP 121.4}
[1MCP 122.1]          Work is a blessing, not a curse. Diligent labor keeps many, young and old, from the snares of him who "finds some mischief still or idle hands to do." Let no one be ashamed of work, for honest toil is ennobling. While the hands are engaged in the most common tasks, the mind may be filled with high and holy thoughts.--YI, Feb 27, 1902. (HC 223.)  {1MCP 122.1}
[1MCP 123.1]       Chap. 15 - Emotional Factors           Obedience to God Delivers From Passion and Impulse.--Obedience to God is liberty from the thralldom of sin, deliverance from human passion and impulse. Man may stand conqueror of himself, conqueror of his own inclinations, conqueror of principalities and powers, and of "the rulers of the darkness of this world," and of "spiritual wickedness in high places."--MH 131 (1905).  {1MCP 123.1}
[1MCP 123.2]          Emotions to Be Controlled by Will. ［SEE CHAPTER 76, "DECISION AND THE WILL."］--Your part is to put your will on the side of Christ. When you yield your will to His, He immediately takes possession of you, and works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Your nature is brought under the control of His Spirit. Even your thoughts are subject to Him.  {1MCP 123.2}
[1MCP 123.3]         If you cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire, you can control the will, and thus an entire change will be wrought in your life. When you yield up your will to Christ, your life is hid with Christ in God. It is allied to the power which is above all principalities and powers. You have a strength from God that     124     holds you fast to His strength; and a new life, even the life of faith, is possible to you.--CTBH 148 (ML 318.)  {1MCP 123.3}
[1MCP 124.1]         Emotions Controlled by Reason and Conscience. --The power of the truth should be sufficient to sustain and console in every adversity. It is in enabling its possessor to triumph over affliction that the religion of Christ reveals its true value. It brings the appetites, the passions, and the emotions under the control of reason and conscience, and disciplines the thoughts to flow in a healthful channel. And then the tongue will not be left to dishonor God by expressions of sinful repining.--5T 314 (1885).  {1MCP 124.1}
[1MCP 124.2]          Doing God's Will Versus Feeling and Emotions (counsel to a young man).--It is not your feelings, your emotions, that make you a child of God, but the doing of God's will. A life of usefulness is before you if your will becomes God's will. Then you may stand in your God-given manhood, an example of good works.  {1MCP 124.2}
[1MCP 124.3]          You will then help to maintain rules of discipline instead of helping to break them down. You will then help to maintain order instead of despising it and inciting to irregularity of life by your own course of action.  {1MCP 124.3}
[1MCP 124.4]          I tell you in the fear of God: I know what you may be if your will is placed on the side of God. "We are laborers together with God" (1 Corinthians 3:9). You may be doing your work for time and eternity in such a manner that it will stand the test of the judgment. Will you try? Will you now turn square about? You are the object of Christ's love and intercession. Will you now surrender to God and help those who are placed as sentinels to guard the interests of His work, instead of causing them grief and discouragement?--5T 515, 516 (1889).  {1MCP 124.4}
[1MCP 124.5]          Restlessness and Dissatisfaction Changed (assurance to one in the balance).--When you come to receive Christ as your personal Saviour, there will be a                                                        125     marked change in you; you will be converted, and the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit will stand by you. There will no longer be the restless uneasiness and dissatisfaction which you possess.  {1MCP 124.5}
[1MCP 125.1]          You love to talk. If your words were such as would glorify God, there would be no sin in them. But you do not realize peace and rest and enjoyment in the service of God. You certainly are not a converted man to do God's will, therefore you cannot feel the cheering, enlivening influence of His Holy Spirit.  {1MCP 125.1}
[1MCP 125.2]          When you decide that you cannot be a Christian and still do as you please, when you realize that you must surrender your will to God's will, then you can comply with the invitation of Christ, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).--MS 13, 1897.  {1MCP 125.2}
[1MCP 125.3]          Control of Inward Emotions.--You may be cheerful if you will bring even your thoughts into subjection to the will of Christ. You should make no delay but closely search your own heart and die to self daily.  {1MCP 125.3}
[1MCP 125.4]          You may inquire: How can I master my own actions and control my inward emotions?  {1MCP 125.4}
[1MCP 125.5]          Many who profess not the love of God do control their spirit to a considerable extent without the aid of the special grace of God. They cultivate self-control. This is indeed a rebuke to those who know that from God they may obtain strength and grace and yet do not exhibit the graces of the Spirit. Christ is our model. He was meek and lowly. Learn of Him and imitate His example. The Son of God was faultless. We must aim at this perfection and overcome as He overcame if we would have a seat at His right hand.--3T 336 (1873).     126  {1MCP 125.5}
[1MCP 126.1]          Emotions Are as Changeable as Clouds.--But shall we wait till we feel that we are cleansed? No; Christ has promised that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). You are proved of God through the Word of God. You are not to wait for wonderful emotions before you believe that God has heard you; feeling is not to be your criterion, for emotions are as changeable as the clouds. You must have something solid for the foundation of your faith. The word of the Lord is a word of infinite power upon which you may rely, and He has said, "Ask, and ye shall receive." Look to Calvary. Has not Jesus said that He is your advocate? Has He not said that if you ask anything in His name you shall receive? You are not to depend on your own goodness or good works. You are to come depending upon the Sun of righteousness, believing that Christ has taken away your sins and imputed to you His righteousness.--ST, Dec. 12, 1892. (1SM 328.)  {1MCP 126.1}
[1MCP 126.2]          Emotions No Sure Safeguard.--Feelings are often deceiving, emotions are no sure safeguard; for they are variable and subject to external circumstances. Many are deluded by relying on sensational impressions. The test is: What are you doing for Christ? What sacrifices are you making? What victories are you gaining? A selfish spirit overcome, a temptation to neglect duty resisted, passion subdued, and willing, cheerful obedience rendered to the will of Christ are far greater evidences that you are a child of God than spasmodic piety and emotional religion.--4T 188 (1876).  {1MCP 126.2}
[1MCP 126.3]          Christians Should Not Be Subject to Emotions. ［SEE APPENDIX A, P. 807, "COUNSEL TO A DEPRESSED MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN," AND APPENDIX B, P. 811, "IMPLICIT TRUST IRRESPECTIVE OF CHANGES IN EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE."］--God's children are not to be subject to feelings and                                                            127     emotions. When they fluctuate between hope and fear, the heart of Christ is hurt; for He has given them unmistakable evidence of His love. . . . He wants them to do the work He has given them; then their hearts will become in His hands as sacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to the One sent by God to take away the sins of the world.--Lt 2, 1914. (TM 518, 519.)  {1MCP 126.3}
[1MCP 127.1]         Christ Gives Mastery Over Natural Inclinations. --Christ came to this world and lived the law of God that man might have perfect mastery over the natural inclinations which corrupt the soul. The Physician of soul and body, He gives victory over warring lusts. He has provided every facility, that man may possess completeness of character.--MH 130, 131 (1905).  {1MCP 127.1}
[1MCP 127.2]          The Rapture of Feeling No Evidence of Conversion. --Satan leads people to think that because they have felt a rapture of feeling, they are converted. But their experience does not change. Their actions are the same as before. Their lives show no good fruit. They pray often and long and are constantly referring to the feelings they had at such a time. But they do not live the new life. They are deceived. Their experience goes no deeper than feeling. They build upon the sand, and when adverse winds come, their house is swept away.--YI, Sept. 26, 1901. (4BC 1164.)  {1MCP 127.2}
[1MCP 127.3]          Feelings of Unrest Sometimes Good.--Feelings of unrest and homesickness or loneliness may be for your good. Your heavenly Father means to teach you to find in Him the friendship and love and consolation that will satisfy your most earnest hopes and desires. . . . Your only safety and happiness are in making Christ your constant counselor. You can be happy in Him if you had not another friend in the wide world.--Lt 2b, 1874. (HC 259.)     128  {1MCP 127.3}
[1MCP 128.1]          The Lord Wants to Disturb Minds.--Christ sees men so absorbed in worldly cares and business perplexities that they have no time to become acquainted with Him. To them heaven is a strange place, for they have lost it out of their reckoning. Not familiar with heavenly things, they tire of hearing about them. They dislike to have their minds disturbed concerning their needs of salvation, preferring to engage in amusements. But the Lord wants to disturb their minds, that they may be led to take hold of eternal realities. He is in earnest with them. Very, very soon they will all know Him, whether they desire to or not.--MS 105, 1901.  {1MCP 128.1}
[1MCP 128.2]          Not to Be Absorbed in Self-study of Emotions.--It is not wise to look to ourselves and study our emotions. If we do this, the enemy will present difficulties and temptations that weaken faith and destroy courage. Closely to study our emotions and give way to our feelings is to entertain doubt and entangle ourselves in perplexity. We are to look away from self to Jesus.--MH 249 (1905).  {1MCP 128.2}
[1MCP 131.1]       Chap. 16 - Prenatal Influences           The Importance of Prenatal Influences.--The effect of prenatal influences is by many parents looked upon as a matter of little moment; but heaven does not so regard it. The message sent by an angel of God, and twice given in the most solemn manner, shows it to be deserving of our most careful thought.--MH 372 (1905).  {1MCP 131.1}
[1MCP 131.2]          A Contented Spirit Affects Offspring.--Every woman about to become a mother, whatever may be her surroundings, should encourage constantly a happy, cheerful, contented disposition, knowing that for all her efforts in this direction she will be repaid tenfold in the physical, as well as in the moral, character of her offspring. Nor is this all. By habit she can accustom herself to cheerful thinking, and thus encourage a happy state of mind and cast a cheerful reflection of her own happiness of spirit upon her family and those with whom she associates.  {1MCP 131.2}
[1MCP 131.3]          And in a very great degree her physical health will be improved. A force will be imparted to the lifesprings, the blood will not move sluggishly, as would be the case if she were to yield to despondency and gloom. Her mental and moral health are invigorated by the buoyancy of her spirits.--RH, July 25, 1899. (CH 79.)     132  {1MCP 131.3}
[1MCP 132.1]          Mother's Feelings Mold Disposition of Unborn Child. --The thoughts and feelings of the mother will have a powerful influence upon the legacy she gives her child. If she allows her mind to dwell upon her own feelings, if she indulges in selfishness, if she is peevish and exacting, the disposition of her child will testify to the fact. Thus many have received as a birthright almost unconquerable tendencies to evil.--ST, Sept 13, 1910. (Te 171.)  {1MCP 132.1}
[1MCP 132.2]          If the mother unswervingly adheres to right principles, if she is temperate and self-denying, if she is kind, gentle, and unselfish, she may give her child these same precious traits of character.--MH 373 (1905).  {1MCP 132.2}
[1MCP 132.3]          The Prenatal Influence of Peace.--She who expects to become a mother should keep her soul in the love of God. Her mind should be at peace; she should rest in the love of Jesus, practicing the words of Christ. She should remember that the mother is a laborer together with God. --ST, Apr 9, 1896. (AH 259.)  {1MCP 132.3}
[1MCP 132.4]          Father to Become Acquainted With Physical Law. --The strength of the mother should be tenderly cherished. Instead of spending her precious strength in exhausting labor, her care and burdens should be lessened. Often the husband and father is unacquainted with the physical laws which the well-being of his family requires him to understand. Absorbed in the struggle for a livelihood, or bent on acquiring wealth and pressed with cares and perplexities, he allows to rest upon the wife and mother burdens that overtax her strength at the most critical period and cause feebleness and disease.--MH 373 (1905).  {1MCP 132.4}
[1MCP 132.5]          Children Robbed of Mental Elasticity.--If the mother is deprived of the care and comforts she should have, if she is allowed to exhaust her strength through overwork or through anxiety and gloom, her children will be robbed of the vital force and of the mental elasticity and cheerful                                                            133     buoyancy they should inherit. Far better will it be to make the mother's life bright and cheerful, to shield her from want, wearing labor, and depressing care, and let the children inherit good constitutions so that they may battle their way through life with their own energetic strength.-- MH 375 (1905).  {1MCP 132.5}
[1MCP 133.1]          Mother's Needs Not to Be Neglected.--The mother's physical needs should in no case be neglected. Two lives are depending upon her, and her wishes should be tenderly regarded, her needs generously supplied. But at this time above all others she should avoid, in diet and in every other line, whatever would lessen physical or mental strength. By the command of God Himself she is placed under the most solemn obligation to exercise self-control.--MH 373 (1905).  {1MCP 133.1}
[1MCP 133.2]          Wife's Responsibility.--Women who possess principle and who are well instructed will not depart from simplicity of diet at this time ［pregnancy］ of all others. They will consider that another life is dependent upon them and will be careful in all their habits, and especially in diet.--2T 382 (1870).  {1MCP 133.2}
[1MCP 133.3]          Innocent Offspring Will Be Sufferers.--Diseased children are born because of the gratification of appetite by the parents. The system did not demand the variety of food upon which the mind dwelt. Because once in the mind it must be in the stomach is a great error which Christian women should reject. Imagination should not be allowed to control the wants of the system. Those who allow the taste to rule will suffer the penalty of transgressing the laws of their being. And the matter does not end here; their innocent offspring also will be sufferers.--2T 383 (1870).  {1MCP 133.3}
[1MCP 133.4]          Unwise advisers will urge upon the mother the gratification of every wish and impulse as essential to the well-being of her offspring. Such advice is false and     134     mischievous. By the command of God Himself the mother is placed under the most solemn obligation to exercise self-control. Whose voice shall we heed--the voice of divine wisdom or the voice of human superstition?--ST, Feb. 26, 1902.  {1MCP 133.4}
[1MCP 134.1]          Pregnant Mother to Form Habits of Self-denial.--The mother who is a fit teacher for her children must, before their birth, form habits of self-denial and self-control; for she transmits to them her own qualities, her own strong or weak traits of character. The enemy of souls understands this matter much better than do many parents. He will bring temptation upon the mother, knowing that if she does not resist him, he can through her affect her child. The mother's only hope is in God. She may flee to Him for grace and strength. She will not seek help in vain. He will enable her to transmit to her offspring qualities that will help them to gain success in this life and to win eternal life.--ST, Feb. 26, 1902. (CD 219.)  {1MCP 134.1}
[1MCP 134.2]          The Basis of Right Character.--The basis of a right character in the future man is made firm by habits of strict temperance in the mother prior to the birth of her child. . . . This lesson should not be regarded with indifference. --GH, Feb, 1880. (AH 258.)  {1MCP 134.2}
[1MCP 134.3]          Race Groaning Under Weight of Accumulated Woe. --The race is groaning under a weight of accumulated woe because of the sins of former generations. And yet with scarcely a thought or care, men and women of the present generation indulge intemperance by surfeiting and drunkenness and thereby leave, as a legacy for the next generation, disease, enfeebled intellects, and polluted morals.--4T 31 (1876).  {1MCP 134.3}
[1MCP 134.4]          Insatiable Cravings, Unholy Desires Transmitted to Young.--Both parents transmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to                                                          135     their children....Liquor drinkers and tobacco users may, and do, transmit their insatiable craving, their inflamed blood and irritable nerves, to their children. The licentious often bequeath their unholy desires, and even loathsome diseases, as a legacy to their offspring. And as the children have less power to resist temptation than had the parents, the tendency is for each generation to fall lower and lower.--PP 561 (1890).  {1MCP 134.4}
[1MCP 135.1]          As a rule, every intemperate man who rears children transmits his inclinations and evil tendencies to his offspring.--RH, Nov 21, 1882. (Te 170.)  {1MCP 135.1}
[1MCP 135.2]          Samson's Prenatal Life Regulated by God.--The words spoken to the wife of Manoah contain a truth that the mothers of today would do well to study. In speaking to this one mother, the Lord spoke to all the anxious, sorrowing mothers of that time and to all the mothers of succeeding generations. Yes, every mother may understand her duty. She may know that the character of her children will depend vastly more upon her habits before their birth and her personal efforts after their birth than upon external advantages or disadvantages.--ST, Feb 26, 1902. (CD 218.)  {1MCP 135.2}
[1MCP 135.3]          God had important work for the promised child of Manoah to do, and it was to secure for him the qualifications necessary for this work that the habits of both the mother and the child were to be so carefully regulated....The child will be affected for good or evil by the habits of the mother. She must herself be controlled by principle and must practice temperance and self-denial if she would seek the welfare of her child.--CTBH 38, 1890. (Te 90.)  {1MCP 135.3}
[1MCP 135.4]          Fathers as Well as Mothers Involved.--Fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility, and they too should seek earnestly for divine grace that their     136     influence may be such as God can approve. The inquiry of every father and mother should be, "What shall we do unto the child that shall be born?" By many the effect of prenatal influence has been lightly regarded; but the instruction sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents, and twice repeated in the most explicit and solemn manner, shows how the matter is looked upon by the Creator.--ST, Feb 26, 1902.  {1MCP 135.4}
[1MCP 136.1]          Parents' Own Stamp Given to Children.--Parents ... by indulgence have strengthened their animal passions. And as these have strengthened, the moral and intellectual faculties have become weak. The spiritual has been overborne by the brutish. Children are born with the animal propensities largely developed, the parents' own stamp of character having been given to them. . . . The brain force is weakened, and memory becomes deficient.... The sins of the parents will be visited upon their children because the parents have given them the stamp of their own lustful propensities.--2T 391 (1870).  {1MCP 136.1}
[1MCP 136.2]         Satan Seeks to Debase Minds.--I have been shown that Satan seeks to debase the minds of those who unite in marriage, that he may stamp his own hateful image upon their children....  {1MCP 136.2}
[1MCP 136.3]          He can mold their posterity much more readily than he could the parents, for he can so control the minds of the parents that through them he may give his own stamp of character to their children. Thus many children are born with the animal passions largely in the ascendancy while the moral faculties are but feebly developed.--2T 480 (1870).  {1MCP 136.3}
[1MCP 136.4]          Reason Should Control Number of Children.--Those who increase their number of children, when if they consulted reason, they must know that physical and mental weakness must be their inheritance, are transgressors of the last six precepts of God's law. . . . They do their part                                                          137     in increasing the degeneracy of the race and in sinking society lower, thus injuring their neighbor. If God thus regards the rights of neighbors, has He no care in regard to closer and more sacred relationship? If not a sparrow falls to the ground without His notice, will He be unmindful of the children born into the world, diseased physically and mentally, suffering in a greater or less degree, all their lives? Will He not call parents to an account, to whom He has given reasoning powers, for putting these higher faculties in the background and becoming slaves to passion, when, as the result, generations must bear the mark of their physical, mental, and moral deficiencies?--HL (Part 2) 30, 1865. (2SM 424.)  {1MCP 136.4}
[1MCP 137.1]          Diminished Energy Transmitted.--Men and women who have become sickly and diseased have often in their marriage connections selfishly thought only of their own happiness. They have not seriously considered the matter from the standpoint of noble, elevated principles, reasoning in regard to what they could expect of their posterity, but diminished energy of body and mind, which would not elevate society but sink it still lower.--HL (Part 2) 28, 1865. (2SM 423.)  {1MCP 137.1}
[1MCP 137.2]          Disease Passed From Generation to Generation. --Sickly men have often won the affections of women apparently healthy, and because they loved each other, they felt themselves at perfect liberty to marry. . . . If those who thus enter the marriage relation were alone concerned, the sin would not be so great. Their offspring are compelled to be sufferers by disease transmitted to them. Thus disease has been perpetuated from generation to generation.... They have thrown upon society an enfeebled race, and done their part to deteriorate the race, by rendering disease hereditary, and thus accumulating human suffering.--HL (Part 2) 28, 1865. (2SM 423.)     138  {1MCP 137.2}
[1MCP 138.1]          Age Difference a Factor.--Another cause of the deficiency of the present generation in physical strength and moral worth is men and women uniting in marriage whose ages widely differ. . . . The offspring of such unions in many cases, where ages widely differ, have not well-balanced minds. They have been deficient also in physical strength. In such families have frequently been manifested varied, peculiar, and often painful traits of character. They often die prematurely, and those who reach maturity, in many cases, are deficient in physical and mental strength and moral worth.  {1MCP 138.1}
[1MCP 138.2]          Thus a class of beings have been thrown upon the world as a burden to society. Their parents were accountable in a great degree for the characters developed by their children, which are transmitted from generation to generation.--HL (Part 2) 29, 30, 1865. (2SM 423, 424.)  {1MCP 138.2}
[1MCP 138.3]          God Will Hold Us Responsible for Prenatal Neglect. --Women have not always followed the dictates of reason instead of impulse. They have not felt in a high degree the responsibilities resting upon them to form such life connections as would not enstamp upon their offspring a low degree of morals and a passion to gratify debased appetites at the expense of health, and even life. God will hold them accountable in a large degree for the physical health and moral characters thus transmitted to future generations....  {1MCP 138.3}
[1MCP 138.4]          Very many of this class have married and left for an inheritance to their offspring the taints of their own physical debility and depraved morals. The gratification of animal passions and gross sensuality have been the marked characters of their posterity, which have descended from generation to generation, increasing human misery to a fearful degree and hastening the depreciation of the race.--HL (Part 2) 27, 28, 1865. (2SM 422, 423.)  {1MCP 138.4}
[1MCP 138.5]          Parents Provide Child's Life Equipment.--What the parents are, that to a great extent the children will be.                                                            139     The physical conditions of the parents, their dispositions and appetites, their mental and moral tendencies, are to a greater or less degree reproduced in their children.--MH 371 (1905).  {1MCP 138.5}
[1MCP 139.1]          Molding Society and Future.--The nobler the aims, the higher the mental and spiritual endowments, and the better developed the physical powers of the parents, the better will be the life equipment they give their children. In cultivating that which is best in themselves, parents are exerting an influence to mold society and to uplift future generations....  {1MCP 139.1}
[1MCP 139.2]          Through the indulgence of appetite and passion their energies are wasted, and millions are ruined for this world and for the world to come. Parents should remember that their children must encounter these temptations. Even before the birth of the child, the preparation should begin that will enable it to fight successfully the battle against evil.  {1MCP 139.2}
[1MCP 139.3]          Especially does responsibility rest upon the mother. She, by whose lifeblood the child is nourished and its physical frame built up, imparts to it also mental and spiritual influences that tend to the shaping of mind and character.--MH 371, 372 (1905).  {1MCP 139.3}
[1MCP 139.4]          Parents Have Given Children Their Own Stamp of Character.--Parents have given their children their own stamp of character; and if some traits are unduly developed in one child, and another reveals a different phase of character which is unlovely, who should be as patient and forbearing and kind as the parents? Who should be as earnest as they to cultivate in their children the precious graces of character revealed in Christ Jesus?  {1MCP 139.4}
[1MCP 139.5]          Mothers do not half appreciate their privileges and possibilities. They do not seem to understand that they can be in the highest sense missionaries, laborers together with God in aiding their children to build up a     140     symmetrical character. This is the great burden of the work given them of God. The mother is God's agent to Christianize her family.--RH, Sept 15, 1891.  {1MCP 139.5}
[1MCP 140.1]          The Responsibility of Parents for Prenatal Influence.--The first great object to be attained in the training of children is soundness of constitution which will prepare the way in a great measure for mental and moral training. Physical and moral health are closely united. What an enormous weight of responsibility rests upon parents when we consider that the course pursued by them before the birth of their children has very much to do with the development of their character after their birth.--HL (Part 2) 32, 1865. (2SM 426.)  {1MCP 140.1}
[1MCP 140.2]          What to Do About It.--Parents may have transmitted to their children tendencies. . . . which will make more difficult the work of educating and training these children to be strictly temperate and to have pure and virtuous habits. If the appetite for unhealthy food and for stimulants and narcotics has been transmitted to them as a legacy from their parents, what a fearfully solemn responsibility rests upon the parents to counteract the evil tendencies which they have given to their children! How earnestly and diligently should the parents work to do their duty, in faith and hope, to their unfortunate offspring!--3T 567, 568 (1875).  {1MCP 140.2}
[1MCP 140.3]          A Day of Reckoning for Parents.--When parents and children meet at the final reckoning, what a scene will be presented! Thousands of children who have been slaves to appetite and debasing vice, whose lives are moral wrecks, will stand face-to-face with the parents who made them what they are. Who but the parents must bear this fearful responsibility? Did the Lord make these youth corrupt? Oh, no! Who, then, has done this fearful work? Were not the sins of the parents transmitted to the children in perverted appetites and passions?                                                            141     And was not the work completed by those who neglected to train them according to the pattern which God has given? Just as surely as they exist, all these parents will pass in review before God.--CTBH 76, 77, 1890. (FE 140, 141.)  {1MCP 140.3}
[1MCP 141.1]          More Than Human Wisdom Needed.--Parents should remember that their children must encounter ... temptations. Even before the birth of the child, the preparation should begin that will enable it to fight successfully the battle against evil.--MH 371 (1905).  {1MCP 141.1}
[1MCP 141.2]          Happy Are Those Whose Lives Reflect the Divine. --Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine, so that the promises and commands of God awaken in the child gratitude and reverence; the parents whose tenderness and justice and long-suffering interpret to the child the love and justice and long-suffering of God; and who, by teaching the child to love and trust and obey them, are teaching him to love and trust and obey his Father in heaven. Parents who impart to a child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure more precious than the wealth of all the ages--a treasure as enduring as eternity.--MH 375, 376 (1905).  {1MCP 141.2}
[1MCP 142.1]       Chap. 17 - Heredity and Environment           The Power of Heredity.--Consider the power of heredity, the influence of evil associations and surroundings, the power of wrong habits. Can we wonder that under such influences many become degraded? Can we wonder that they should be slow to respond to efforts for their uplifting?--MH 168 (1905).  {1MCP 142.1}
[1MCP 142.2]          Children Often Inherit Disposition.--As a rule, children inherit the dispositions and tendencies of their parents and imitate their example so that the sins of the parents are practiced by the children from generation to generation. Thus the vileness and irreverence of Ham were reproduced in his posterity, bringing a curse upon them for many generations....  {1MCP 142.2}
[1MCP 142.3]          On the other hand, how richly rewarded was Shem's respect for his father; and what an illustrious line of holy men appears in his posterity!--PP 118 (1890).  {1MCP 142.3}
[1MCP 142.4]          Mothers Should Inform Themselves on Laws of Heredity.--In past generations, if mothers had informed themselves in regard to the laws of their being, they would have understood that their constitutional strength, as well as the tone of their morals and their                                                         143     mental faculties, would in a great measure be represented in their offspring. Their ignorance upon this subject, where so much is involved, is criminal.--HL (Part 2) 37, 1865. (2SM 431.)  {1MCP 142.4}
[1MCP 143.1]          Disease Transmitted From Parents to Children. --Through the successive generations since the Fall, the tendency has been continually downward. Disease has been transmitted from parents to children, generation after generation. Even infants in the cradle suffer from afflictions caused by the sins of the parents.  {1MCP 143.1}
[1MCP 143.2]          Moses, the first historian, gives quite a definite account of social and individual life in the early days of the world's history, but we find no record that an infant was born blind, deaf, crippled, or imbecile. Not an instance is recorded of a natural death in infancy, childhood, or early manhood. . . . It was so rare for a son to die before his father that such an occurrence was considered worthy of record: "Haran died before his father Terah." The patriarchs from Adam to Noah, with few exceptions, lived nearly a thousand years. Since then the average length of life has been decreasing.  {1MCP 143.2}
[1MCP 143.3]          At the time of Christ's first advent the race had already so degenerated that not only the old but the middle-aged and the young were brought from every city to the Saviour to be healed of their diseases.--CTBH 7, 8, 1890. (CD 117, 118.)  {1MCP 143.3}
[1MCP 143.4]          Children to Avoid Wrong Habits of Parents.-- Disease never comes without a cause. The way is prepared and disease invited by disregard of the laws of health. Many suffer in consequence of the transgression of their parents. While they are not responsible for what their parents have done, it is nevertheless their duty to ascertain what are and what are not violations of the laws of health. They should avoid the wrong habits of their parents and by correct living place themselves in better conditions.--MH 234 (1905).     144  {1MCP 143.4}
[1MCP 144.1]          Ancestors' Sins Filling World With Disease.--Our ancestors have bequeathed to us customs and appetites which are filling the world with disease. The sins of the parents, through perverted appetite, are with fearful power visited upon the children to the third and fourth generations. The bad eating of many generations, the gluttonous and self-indulgent habits of the people, are filling our poorhouses, our prisons, and our insane asylums. Intemperance in drinking tea and coffee, wine, beer, rum, and brandy and in using tobacco, opium, and other narcotics has resulted in great mental and physical degeneracy, and this degeneracy is constantly increasing. --RH, July 29, 1884. (CH 49.)  {1MCP 144.1}
[1MCP 144.2]          Inherited Appetite for Stimulants.--For some persons it is by no means safe to have wine or cider in the house. They have inherited an appetite for stimulants which Satan is continually soliciting them to indulge. If they yield to his temptations, they do not stop; appetite clamors for indulgence and is gratified to their ruin. The brain is benumbed and clouded; reason no longer holds the reins, but they are laid on the neck of lust.--5T 356, 357 (1885).  {1MCP 144.2}
[1MCP 144.3]          Evils of Tobacco Passed to Children.--Among children and youth the use of tobacco is working untold harm. The unhealthful practices of past generations affect the children and youth of today. Mental inability, physical weakness, disordered nerves, and unnatural cravings are transmitted as a legacy from parents to children. And the same practices, continued by the children, are increasing and perpetuating the evil results. To this cause in no small degree is owing the physical, mental, and moral deterioration which is becoming such a cause of alarm.--MH 328, 329 (1905).  {1MCP 144.3}
[1MCP 144.4]          Children Inherit Inclinations.--Children inherit inclinations to wrong, but they also have many lovely                                                         145     traits of character. These should be strengthened and developed, while the tendencies to evil should be carefully guarded against and repressed. Children should never be flattered, for flattery is poison to them; but parents should show a sanctified, tender regard for them, thus gaining their confidence and love.--RH, Jan 24, 1907.  {1MCP 144.4}
[1MCP 145.1]          Proper Words of Commendation.--Whenever the mother can speak a word of commendation for the good conduct of her children, she should do so. She should encourage them by words of approval and looks of love. These will be as sunshine to the heart of a child and will lead to the cultivation of self-respect and pride of character.--3T 532 (1889).  {1MCP 145.1}
[1MCP 145.2]          Quick Tempers Sometimes Inherited.--Some have had a quick temper transmitted to them, and their education in childhood has not taught them self-control. With this fiery temper, envy and jealousy are frequently united.--2T 74 (1868).  {1MCP 145.2}
[1MCP 145.3]          Satan Takes Advantage of Inherited Weakness.--In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us. Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being to take advantage of hereditary weakness and by his false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with Satan. . . . "Be of good cheer," He says; "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).--DA 122, 123 (1898).  {1MCP 145.3}
[1MCP 145.4]          Conversion Changes Inherited Tendencies.--A genuine conversion changes hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. The religion of God is a firm fabric,     146     composed of innumerable threads and woven together with tact and skill. Only the wisdom which comes from God can make this fabric complete. There are a great many kinds of cloth which at first have a fine appearance, but they cannot endure the test. They wash out. The colors are not fast. Under the heat of summer they fade away and are lost. The cloth cannot endure rough handling.--Lt 105, 1893. (6BC 1101.)  {1MCP 145.4}
[1MCP 146.1]          Not to Be Enslaved by Inheritance.--The question for us to consider is, Have we the attributes of Christ? Excuses are valueless. All circumstances, all appetites and passions, are to be servants to the God-fearing man, not rulers over him. The Christian is not to be enslaved by any hereditary or cultivated habits or tendency.--SpT Series A, No. 9, p 56, 1897. (TM 421.)  {1MCP 146.1}
[1MCP 146.2]          Angels Help Fight These Tendencies.--Angels are ever present where they are most needed. They are with those who have the hardest battles to fight, with those who must battle against inclination and hereditary tendencies, whose home surroundings are the most discouraging.--RH, Apr 16, 1895. (ML 303.)  {1MCP 146.2}
[1MCP 146.3]          Faith Purifies Inherited Imperfections.--Those who through an intelligent understanding of the Scriptures view the cross aright, those who truly believe in Jesus, have a sure foundation for their faith. They have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul from all its hereditary and cultivated imperfections.--6T 238 (1900).  {1MCP 146.3}
[1MCP 146.4]          Far-reaching Effects of Environment.--We are living in an atmosphere of satanic witchery. The enemy will weave a spell of licentiousness around every soul that is not barricaded by the grace of Christ. Temptations will come; but if we watch against the enemy and maintain the balance of self-control and purity, the                                                         147     seducing spirits will have no influence over us. Those who do nothing to encourage temptation will have strength to withstand it when it comes, but those who keep themselves in an atmosphere of evil will have only themselves to blame if they are overcome and fall from their steadfastness. In the future, good reasons will be seen for the warnings given regarding seducing spirits. Then will be seen the force of Christ's words, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).--CT 257 (1913).  {1MCP 146.4}
[1MCP 147.1]          Lot's Daughters Ruined by Evil Environment. --Lot dwelt but a short time in Zoar. Iniquity prevailed there as in Sodom, and he feared to remain, lest the city should be destroyed. Not long after, Zoar was consumed, as God had purposed. Lot made his way to the mountains and abode in a cave, stripped of all for which he had dared to subject his family to the influences of a wicked city. But the curse of Sodom followed him even here. The sinful conduct of his daughters was the result of the evil associations of that vile place. Its moral corruption had become so interwoven with their character that they could not distinguish between good and evil. Lot's only posterity, the Moabites and Ammonites, were vile, idolatrous tribes, rebels against God and bitter enemies of His people.--PP 167, 168 (1890).  {1MCP 147.1}
[1MCP 147.2]          Shun Evil Associations.--Few realize the importance of shunning, so far as possible, all associations unfriendly to religious life. In choosing their surroundings few make their spiritual prosperity the first consideration.  {1MCP 147.2}
[1MCP 147.3]          Parents flock with their families to the cities because they fancy it easier to obtain a livelihood there than in the country. The children, having nothing to do when not in school, obtain a street education. From evil associates they acquire habits of vice and dissipation. The parents see all this; but it will require a sacrifice to     148     correct their error, and they stay where they are until Satan gains full control of their children. Better sacrifice any and every worldly consideration than to imperil the precious souls committed to your care.--5T 232 (1882).  {1MCP 147.3}
[1MCP 148.1]          Dwell in Atmosphere of Heaven.--We are to be guided by true theology and common sense. Our souls are to be surrounded by the atmosphere of heaven. Men and women are to watch themselves; they are to be constantly on guard, allowing no word or act that would cause their good to be evil spoken of. He who professes to be a follower of Christ is to watch himself, keeping himself pure and undefiled in thought, word, and deed. His influence upon others is to be uplifting. His life is to reflect the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness.--CT 257, 258 (1913).  {1MCP 148.1}
[1MCP 148.2]          Childhood Bias Shapes Destiny.--At a very early age children become susceptible to demoralizing influences, but parents who profess to be Christians do not seem to discern the evil of their own course of management. Oh, that they might realize that the bias which is given to a child in its earliest years gives a tendency to character and shapes the destiny either for eternal life or eternal death! Children are susceptible to moral and spiritual impressions, and those who are wisely trained in childhood may be erring at times, but they will not go far astray.--ST, Apr 16, 1896. (CG 198.)  {1MCP 148.2}
[1MCP 148.3]          Parents Responsible in a Great Degree.--Parents are in a great degree responsible for the mold given to the characters of their children. They should aim at symmetry and proportion. There are few well-balanced minds because parents are wickedly negligent of their duty to stimulate weak traits and repress wrong ones. They do not remember that they are under the most solemn obligation to watch the tendencies of each child, that it is their duty to train their children to right habits and right ways of thinking.--5T 319 (1885).                                                             149  {1MCP 148.3}
[1MCP 149.1]          Begin in Infancy.--The parents' work must begin with the child in its infancy, that it may receive the right impress of character ere the world shall place its stamp on mind and heart.--RH, Aug 30, 1881.(CG 193.)  {1MCP 149.1}
[1MCP 149.2]          The Importance of the First Three Years of Life. --Mothers, be sure that you properly discipline your children during the first three years of their lives. Do not allow them to form their wishes and desires. The mother must be mind for her child. The first three years is the time in which to bend the tiny twig. Mothers should understand the importance attaching to this period. It is then that the foundation is laid.--MS 64, 1899. (CG 194.)  {1MCP 149.2}
[1MCP 149.3]          The First Seven Years Have Much to Do With Character Formation.--Too much importance cannot be placed on the early training of children. The lessons that the child learns during the first seven years of life have more to do with forming his character than all that it learns in future years.--MS 2, 1903. (CG 193.)  {1MCP 149.3}
[1MCP 149.4]          First Lessons Are Seldom Forgotten.--Neither infants, children, or youth should hear an impatient word from father, mother, or any member of the household; for they receive impressions very early in life, and what parents make them today, they will be tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. The first lessons impressed upon the child are seldom forgotten.... {1MCP 149.4}
[1MCP 149.5]         The impressions made on the heart early in life are seen in afteryears. They may be buried, but they will seldom be obliterated.--MS 57, 1897. (CG 193, 194.)  {1MCP 149.5}
[1MCP 149.6]          Early Physical Development.--During the first six or seven years of a child's life special attention should be given to its physical training, rather than the intellect. After this period, if the physical constitution is good, the education of both should receive attention. Infancy extends to the age of six or seven years. Up to this period     150     children should be left like little lambs, to roam around the house and in the yards, in the buoyancy of their spirits, skipping and jumping, free from care and trouble.  {1MCP 149.6}
[1MCP 150.1]          Parents, especially mothers, should be the only teachers of such infant minds. They should not educate from books. The children generally will be inquisitive to learn the things of nature. They will ask questions in regard to the things they see and hear, and parents should improve the opportunity to instruct and patiently answer these little inquiries. They can in this manner get the advantage of the enemy and fortify the minds of their children by sowing good seed in their hearts, leaving no room for the bad to take root. The mother's loving instructions at a tender age is what is needed by children in the formation of character.--HL (Part 2) 44. (2SM 437.)  {1MCP 150.1}
[1MCP 150.2]          Special Care for First Child.--The first child especially should be trained with great care, for he will educate the rest. Children grow according to the influence of those who surround them. If they are handled by those who are noisy and boisterous, they become noisy and almost unbearable.--MS 64, 1899. (CG 27.)  {1MCP 150.2}
[1MCP 150.3]          Different Environment for Differing Children. --There are some children who need more patient discipline and kindly training than others. They have received as a legacy unpromising traits of character, and because of this they need the more of sympathy and love. By persevering labor these wayward ones may be prepared for a place in the work of the Master. They may possess undeveloped powers, which when aroused, will enable them to fill places far in advance of those from whom more has been expected.--CT 115, 116 (1913).  {1MCP 150.3}
[1MCP 150.4]          Habits Are Seldom Changed in Later Life.--What the child sees and hears is drawing deep lines upon the tender mind, which no after circumstances in life can                                                        151     entirely efface. The intellect is now taking shape and the affections receiving direction and strength. Repeated acts in a given course become habits. These may be modified by severe training, in afterlife, but are seldom changed.--GH, Jan, 1880. (CG 199, 200.)  {1MCP 150.4}
[1MCP 151.1]          Healing Influence of Kindness.--Under the influence of meekness, kindness, and gentleness, an atmosphere is created that will heal and not destroy.--Lt 320, 1906. (ML 152.)  {1MCP 151.1}
[1MCP 152.1]       Chap. 18 - Security in the Home           Human Love Should Draw on Divine Love.--It is only in Christ that a marriage alliance can be safely formed. Human love should draw its closest bonds from divine love. ［SEE SECTION V, "LIFE'S ENERGIZING FORCE."］ Only where Christ reigns can there be deep, true, unselfish affection.--MH 358 (1905).  {1MCP 152.1}
[1MCP 152.2]         Reaching God's Ideal.--Men and women can reach God's ideal for them if they will take Christ as their helper. What human wisdom cannot do, His grace will accomplish for those who give themselves to Him in loving trust. His providence can unite hearts in bonds that are of heavenly origin. Love will not be a mere exchange of soft and flattering words. The loom of heaven weaves with warp and woof finer, yet more firm, than can be woven by the looms of earth. The result is not a tissue fabric but a texture that will bear wear and test and trial. Heart will be bound to heart in the golden bonds of a love that is enduring.--MH 362 (1905).  {1MCP 152.2}
[1MCP 152.3]          Weigh Every Sentiment in Contemplating Marriage.--Let those who are contemplating marriage                                                        153     weigh every sentiment and watch every development of character in the one with whom they think to unite their life destiny. Let every step toward a marriage alliance be characterized by modesty, simplicity, sincerity, and an earnest purpose to please and honor God. Marriage affects the afterlife both in this world and in the world to come. A sincere Christian will make no plans that God cannot approve.--MH 359 (1905).  {1MCP 152.3}
[1MCP 153.1]          Real Union Is the Work of Years.--However carefully and wisely marriage may have been entered into, few couples are completely united when the marriage ceremony is performed. The real union of the two in wedlock is the work of the afteryears.--MH 359, 360 (1905).  {1MCP 153.1}
[1MCP 153.2]          Romantic Imagination Disappears.--As life with its burden of perplexity and care meets the newly wedded pair, the romance with which imagination so often invests marriage disappears. Husband and wife learn each other's character as it was impossible to learn it in their previous association. This is a most critical period in their experience. The happiness and usefulness of their whole future life depend upon their taking a right course now. Often they discern in each other unsuspected weaknesses and defects, but the hearts that love has united will discern excellencies also heretofore unknown. Let all seek to discover the excellencies rather than the defects. Often it is our own attitude, the atmosphere that surrounds ourselves, which determines what will be revealed to us in another.  {1MCP 153.2}
[1MCP 153.3]          There are many who regard the expression of love as a weakness, and they maintain a reserve that repels others. This spirit checks the current of sympathy. As the social and generous impulses are repressed, they wither, and the heart becomes desolate and cold. We should beware of this error. Love cannot long exist without expression. Let not the heart of one connected with you starve for the want of kindness and sympathy.--MH 360 (1905).     154  {1MCP 153.3}
[1MCP 154.1]          Love Stimulates to Nobler Aims.--Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate that which is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. The consciousness of being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction. Sympathy and respect encourage the striving after excellence, and love itself increases as it stimulates to nobler aims.--MH 361 (1905).  {1MCP 154.1}
[1MCP 154.2]          Individuality Not to Be Merged.--Neither the husband nor the wife should merge his or her individuality in that of the other. Each has a personal relation to God. Of Him each is to ask, "What is right?" "What is wrong?" "How may I best fulfill life's purpose?" Let the wealth of your affection flow forth to Him who gave His life for you. Make Christ first and last and best in everything. As your love for Him becomes deeper and stronger your love for each other will be purified and strengthened.--MH 361 (1905).  {1MCP 154.2}
[1MCP 154.3]          We have an individuality of our own, and the wife's individuality is never to be sunk into that of her husband. God is our Creator. We are His by creation, and we are His by redemption. We want to see how much we can render back to God, because He gives us the moral power, He gives us the efficiency, He gives us the intellect; and He wants us to make the most of these precious gifts to His name's glory.--MS 12, 1895.  {1MCP 154.3}
[1MCP 154.4]          Entire Submission Only to Jesus.--God requires that the wife shall keep the fear and glory of God ever before her. Entire submission is to be made only to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has purchased her as His own child by the infinite price of His life.... Her individuality cannot be merged into that of her husband, for she is the purchase of Christ.--Lt 18b, 1891. (AH 116.)  {1MCP 154.4}
[1MCP 154.5]         Thought That Union Is a Mistake Not to Be Harbored.--Though difficulties, perplexities, and                                                            155     discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven.--MH 360 (1905).  {1MCP 154.5}
[1MCP 155.1]          Relationship Controlled by Reason.--Those who regard the marriage relation as one of God's sacred ordinances, guarded by His holy precept, will be controlled by the dictates of reason. They will consider carefully the result of every privilege the marriage relation grants. Such will feel that their children are precious jewels committed to their keeping by God, to remove from their natures the rough surface by discipline, that their luster may appear. They will feel under most solemn obligations to so form their characters that they may do good in their life, bless others with their light, and the world be better for their having lived in it, and they be finally fitted for the higher life, the better world, to shine in the presence of God and the Lamb forever.--HL (Part 2) 48, 1865.  {1MCP 155.1}
[1MCP 155.2]          A Well-organized Family.--The family firm should be well organized. Together the father and mother should consider their responsibilities. Together they should work for the highest good of their children. There is to be no variance between them. Never should they in the presence of their children criticize each other's plans or question each other's judgment. If the wife is inexperienced, she should try to find out where her work makes the work for her husband more difficult as he labors for the salvation of the children. And the husband should     156     hold up the hands of his wife, giving her wise counsel and loving encouragement.--RH, July 8, 1902.  {1MCP 155.2}
[1MCP 156.1]          Parents Must Govern Themselves.--Parents who successfully govern their families must first govern themselves. If they would only have pleasant words in their families, they must let their children hear only pleasant words from their lips. The planting of the seed will produce a like harvest. Parents have a solemn, sacred work to perform in educating their children by precept and example. They are under obligation to God to present their children to Him fitted at a very early period to receive an intelligent knowledge of what is comprehended in being a follower of Jesus Christ. If those who claim to be Bible Christians have children who do not fear and love God, in most cases it is because the parents' example has not been a correct one. False, spurious seeds have been sown which have produced a harvest of briers and thorns.--MS 59, 1900.  {1MCP 156.1}
[1MCP 156.2]          Gentle Words and Smiles for the Family.--It is not only our privilege but our duty to cultivate gentleness, to have the peace of Christ in the heart and as peacemakers and followers of Christ to sow precious seed that will produce a harvest unto eternal life. Professed followers of Christ may possess many good and useful qualities; but their characters are greatly marred by an unkind, fretful, faultfinding, harshly judging temper. The husband or the wife who cherishes suspicion and distrust creates dissension and strife in the home. Neither of them should keep his gentle words and smiles for strangers alone, and manifest irritability in the home, thus driving out peace and contentment.--Lt 34, 1894. (HC 179.)  {1MCP 156.2}
[1MCP 156.3]          Vulgar Speaking to Be Avoided.--Fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, I beseech you, do not indulge in low thought and vulgar speaking. Coarse sayings, low jests, want of courtesy in the homelife, will                                                        157     leave an impression upon you, and if frequently repeated will become second nature. The home is too sacred a place to be polluted with vulgarity, sensuality, and recrimination. There is a Witness who declares, "I know thy works." Let love, truth, kindness, and forbearance be the plants cultivated in the garden of the heart.--Lt 18b, 1891.  {1MCP 156.3}
[1MCP 157.1]          Never Manifest Rudeness or Unkindness.--Do you never manifest rudeness, unkindness, and impoliteness in the family circle? If you do manifest unkindness at your home, no matter how high may be your profession, you are breaking God's commandments.--RH, Mar 29, 1892.  {1MCP 157.1}
[1MCP 157.2]          Friends Not to Meddle in Homelife (counsel to a young man).--The home circle should be regarded as a sacred place, a symbol of heaven, a mirror in which to reflect ourselves. Friends and acquaintances we may have, but in the homelife they are not to meddle. A strong sense of proprietorship should be felt, giving a sense of ease, restfulness, trust.  {1MCP 157.2}
[1MCP 157.3]          But your association with other women and girls has been a source of temptation to them, leading them to take liberties and overstep the restraint which the marriage relation imposes on every man and woman. You have not perceived it, but your love of amusement and the spirit you have encouraged has not impressed others with the sacredness of the marriage relation.  {1MCP 157.3}
[1MCP 157.4]          Practical homelife is the great test of character. By his tender thoughtfulness in the home, by the exercise of patience, kindness, and love, a man determines his character.--Lt 17, 1895.  {1MCP 157.4}
[1MCP 157.5]          Wives Pine for Words of Love.--Many women pine for words of love and kindness and the common attentions and courtesies due them from their husbands who have selected them as their life companions. How much trouble     158     and what a tide of woe and unhappiness would be saved if men, and women also, would continue to cultivate the regard, attention, and kind words of appreciation and little courtesies of life which kept love alive and which they felt were necessary in gaining the companions of their choice.  {1MCP 157.5}
[1MCP 158.1]          If the husband and wife would only continue to cultivate these attentions which nourish love, they would be happy in each other's society and would have a sanctifying influence upon their families. They would have in themselves a little world of happiness and would not desire to go outside this world for new attractions and new objects of love. Many a wife has sickened and died prematurely for the want of encouraging words of sympathy and love manifested in kindly attentions and in words.--Lt 27, 1872.  {1MCP 158.1}
[1MCP 158.2]          Husband Can Shut the Door Against Disease.--The husband should manifest great interest in his family. Especially should he be very tender of the feelings of a feeble wife. He can shut the door against much disease. Kind, cheerful, and encouraging words will prove more effective than the most healing medicines. These will bring courage to the heart of the desponding and discouraged, and the happiness and sunshine brought into the family by kind acts and encouraging words will repay the effort tenfold.  {1MCP 158.2}
[1MCP 158.3]          The husband should remember that much of the burden of training his children rests upon the mother, that she has much to do with molding their minds. This should call into exercise his tenderest feelings, and with care should he lighten her burdens. He should encourage her to lean upon his large affections, and direct her mind to heaven, where there is strength and peace and a final rest for the weary.  {1MCP 158.3}
[1MCP 158.4]          He should not come into his home with a clouded brow, but should with his presence bring sunlight into the family and should encourage his wife to look up and believe in God. Unitedly they can claim the promises of God and bring His rich blessing into the family. Unkindness,                                                         159     complaining, and anger shut Jesus from the dwelling. I saw that angels of God will flee from a house where there are unpleasant words, fretfulness, and strife.--1T 306, 307 (1862).  {1MCP 158.4}
[1MCP 159.1]          Husband Head of Household.--The husband and father is the head of the household. The wife looks to him for love and sympathy and for aid in the training of the children; and this is right. The children are his as well as hers, and he is equally interested in their welfare. The children look to the father for support and guidance; he needs to have a right conception of life and of the influences and associations that should surround his family; above all, he should be controlled by the love and fear of God and by the teaching of His Word, that he may guide the feet of his children in the right way.--MH 390 (1905).  {1MCP 159.1}
[1MCP 159.2]          Wife a "Help Meet" for Husband.--God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided "an help meet for him"--a helper corresponding to him--one who was fitted to be his companion and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. --PP 46 (1890).  {1MCP 159.2}
[1MCP 159.3]          How to Create Peace in Home Circle.--When the husband has the nobility of character, purity of heart, elevation of mind, that every true Christian must possess, it will be made manifest in the marriage relation.... He will seek to keep his wife in health and courage. He will strive to speak words of comfort, to create an atmosphere of peace in the home circle.--MS 17, 1891. (AH 228.)     160  {1MCP 159.3}
[1MCP 160.1]          Husbands should study the pattern and seek to know what is meant by the symbol presented in Ephesians, the relation Christ sustains to the church. The husband is to be as a Saviour in his family. Will he stand in his noble, God-given manhood, ever seeking to uplift his wife and children? Will he breathe about him a pure, sweet atmosphere? Will he not as assiduously cultivate the love of Jesus, making it an abiding principle in his home, as he will assert his claims to authority.?--MS 17, 1891. (AH 117.)  {1MCP 160.1}
[1MCP 160.2]          Husband Not to Dwell on His Position.--It is no evidence of manliness in the husband for him to dwell, constantly upon his position as head of the family. It does not increase respect for him to hear him quoting Scripture to sustain his claims to authority. It will not make him more manly to require his wife, the mother of his children, to act upon his plans as if they were infallible.  {1MCP 160.2}
[1MCP 160.3]          The Lord has constituted the husband the head of the wife to be her protector; he is the house-band of the family, binding the members together, even as Christ is the head of the church and the Saviour of the mystical body. Let every husband who claims to love God, carefully study the requirements of God is his position. Christ's authority is exercised in wisdom, in all kindness and gentleness; so let the husband exercise his power and imitate the great Head of the church.--Lt 18b, 1891. (AH 215.)  {1MCP 160.3}
[1MCP 160.4]          Wife Cheerfully to Help Husband Maintain Dignity.--I have also been shown that there is often a great failure on the part of the wife. She does not put forth strong efforts to control her own spirit and make home happy. There is often fretfulness and unnecessary complaining on her part. The husband comes home from his labor weary and perplexed, and meets a clouded brow instead of cheerful, encouraging words. He is but human, and his affections become weaned from his wife, he loses the love of his home, his pathway is darkened, and his                                                   161     courage destroyed. He yields his self-respect and that dignity which God requires him to maintain.  {1MCP 160.4}
[1MCP 161.1]          The husband is the head of the family, as Christ is the head of the church; and any course which the wife may pursue to lessen his influence and lead him to come down from that dignified, responsible position is displeasing to God. It is the duty of the wife to yield her wishes and will to her husband. Both should be yielding, but the Word of God gives preference to the judgment of the husband. And it will not detract from the dignity of the wife to yield to him whom she has chosen to be her counselor, adviser, and protector. The husband should maintain his position in his family with all meekness, yet with decision.--1T 307, 308 (1862).  {1MCP 161.1}
[1MCP 161.2]          Man a Social Being.--Among all the creatures that God had made on the earth, there was not one equal to man. And "God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him" (Genesis 2:18). Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social being. Without companionship, the beautiful scenes and delightful employments of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness. Even communion with angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship. There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.--PP 46 (1890).  {1MCP 161.2}
[1MCP 161.3]          Harmony in Home Possible Only by God's Spirit. --We must have the Spirit of God, or we can never have harmony in the home. The wife, if she has the spirit of Christ, will be careful of her words; she will control her spirit, she will be submissive, and yet will not feel that she is bondslave, but a companion to her husband. If the husband is a servant of God, he will not lord it over his wife; he will not be arbitrary and exacting. We cannot cherish home affection with too much care; for the home, if the Spirit of the Lord dwells there, is a type of heaven.--Lt 18-b 1891. (AH 118.)     162  {1MCP 161.3}
[1MCP 162.1]          The Inner Circle Paramount.--All our powers are to be used for Christ. This is the debt we each owe to God. In forming a relationship with Christ, the renewed man is but coming back to his appointed relationship with God. He is a representative of Christ, and he is ever to pray and watch unto prayer. His duties lie around him, nigh and afar off. His first duty is to his children and his nearest relatives. Nothing can excuse him from neglecting the inner circle for the larger circle outside.  {1MCP 162.1}
[1MCP 162.2]         In the day of final reckoning, fathers and mothers will be required to answer in regard to their children. Parents will be asked what they did and said to secure the salvation of the souls they took upon themselves the responsibility of bringing into the world. Did they neglect their lambs, leaving them to the care of strangers? Fathers and mothers, are you allowing your children to grow up in impurity and sin? A great good done for others will not cancel the debt you owe to God to care for your children. The spiritual welfare of your family comes first. Take them with you to the cross of Calvary, laboring for them as those that must give an account.--MS 56, 1899.  {1MCP 162.2}
[1MCP 163.1]       Chap. 19 - Parental Influences           Controlled by Divine Principles.--There rests upon parents the most solemn obligation to train their children in the fear and love of God. In the home the purest morals are to be preserved. Strict obedience to Bible requirements is to be taught. The teachings of the Word of God are to control mind and heart of the homelife may demonstrate the power of the grace of God. Each member of the family is to be "polished after the similitude of a palace" (Psalm 144:12) by the divine principles and precepts. --RH, Nov 10, 1904.  {1MCP 163.1}
[1MCP 163.2]         Parents Need to Understand Children.-- Parents should not forget their childhood years, how much they yearned for sympathy and love and how unhappy they felt when censured and fretfully chided. They should be young again in their feelings and bring their minds down to understand the wants of their children. Yet with firmness, mixed with love, they should require obedience from their children. The parents' word should be implicitly obeyed.--1T 388 (1863).     164  {1MCP 163.2}
[1MCP 164.1]          God Has Appointed a Path.--Angels of God are watching the children with the deepest interest to see what characters they develop. If Christ dealt with us as we often deal with one another and with our children, we would stumble and fall through utter discouragement. I saw that Jesus knows our infirmities and has Himself shared our experience in all things but in sin; therefore He has prepared for us a path suited to our strength and capacity, and like Jacob, has marched softly and in evenness with the children as they were able to endure, that He might entertain us by the comfort of His company and be to us perpetual guide. He does not despise, neglect, or leave behind the children of the flock. He has not bidden us move forward and leave them. He has not traveled so hastily as to leave us with our children behind. Oh, no; but He has evened the path to life, even for children. And parents are required in His name to lead them along the narrow way. God has appointed us a path suited to the strength and capacity of children.--1T 388, 389 (1863).  {1MCP 164.1}
[1MCP 164.2]         Fretfulness Should Be Repressed.--Parents, when you feel fretful, you should not commit so great a sin as to poison the whole family with this dangerous irritability. At such times set a double watch over yourselves and resolve in your heart not to offend with your lips, that you will utter only pleasant, cheerful words. Say to yourselves: "I will not mar the happiness of my children by a fretful word." By thus controlling yourselves you will grow stronger. Your nervous system will not be so sensitive. You will be strengthened by the principles of right. The consciousness that you are faithfully discharging your duty will strengthen you. Angels of God will smile upon your efforts and help you.  {1MCP 164.2}
[1MCP 164.3]          When you feel impatient, you too often think the cause is in your children, and you blame them when they do not deserve it. At another time they might do the very same things, and all would be acceptable and right.                                                         165     Children know and mark and feel these irregularities, and they are not always the same. At times they are somewhat prepared to meet changeable moods, and at other times they are nervous and fretful, and cannot bear censure....  {1MCP 164.3}
[1MCP 165.1]          Some parents are of a nervous temperament, and when fatigued with labor or oppressed with care, they do not preserve a calm state of mind, but manifest to those who should be dearest to them on earth a fretfulness and lack of forbearance which displeases God and brings a cloud over the family. Children, in their troubles, should often be soothed with tender sympathy. Mutual kindness and forbearance will make home a paradise and attract holy angels into the family circle.--1T 386, 387 (1863).  {1MCP 165.1}
[1MCP 165.2]         Paralyzed Minds of Parents.--We have some knowledge of Satan's manner of working and how well he succeeds in it. From what has been shown me, he has paralyzed the minds of parents. They are slow to suspect that their own children can be wrong and sinful. Some of these children profess to be Christians, and parents sleep on, fearing no danger, while the minds and bodies of their children are becoming wrecked.  {1MCP 165.2}
[1MCP 165.3]          Some parents do not even take care to keep their children with them when in the house of God. Young girls attend meetings and take their seats, it may be, with their parents, but more frequently back in the congregation. They are in the habit of making an excuse to leave the house. Boys understand this and go out before or after the exit of the girls, and then, as the meeting closes, they accompany them home. Parents are none the wiser of this. Again, excuses are made to walk, and boys and girls assemble in the fairgrounds or some other secluded place, and there play and have a regular high time, with no experienced eye upon them to caution them.--2T 481, 482 (1870).  {1MCP 165.3}
[1MCP 165.4]          Diet and Parental Influences.--If parents had lived healthfully, being satisfied with simple diet, much     166     expense would have been saved. The father would not have been obliged to labor beyond his strength in order to supply the wants of his family. A simple nourishing diet would not have had an influence to unduly excite the nervous system and the animal passions, producing moroseness and irritability. If he had partaken only of plain food, his head would have been clear, his nerves steady, his stomach in a healthy condition, and with a pure system he would have had no loss of appetite, and the present generation would be in a much better condition than it now is.  {1MCP 165.4}
[1MCP 166.1]          But even now, in this late period, something can be done to improve our condition. Temperance in all things is necessary. A temperate father will not complain if he has no great variety upon his table. A healthful manner of living will improve the condition of the family in ever sense and will allow the wife and mother time to devote to her children.  {1MCP 166.1}
[1MCP 166.2]          The great study with the parents will be in what manner can they best train their children for usefulness in this world and for heaven hereafter. They will be content to see their children with neat, plain, but comfortable garments, free from embroidery and adornment. They will earnestly labor to see their children in the possession of the inward adorning, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.--HL (Part 2) 45, 1865. (2SM 437, 438.)  {1MCP 166.2}
[1MCP 166.3]          Father, the Family House-Band.--A Christian father is the house-band of his family, binding them close to the throne of God. Never is his interest in his children to flag. The father who has a family of boys should not leave these restless boys wholly to the care of the mother. This is too heavy a burden for her. He should make himself their companion and friend. He should exert himself to keep them from evil associates. It may be hard for the mother to exercise self-control. If the husband sees that his wife's weakness is endangering the                                                         167     safety of the children, he should take more of the burden upon himself, doing all in his power to lead his boys to God.--RH, July 8, 1902.  {1MCP 166.3}
[1MCP 167.1]          Mothers Not to Seek Excitement.--Mothers who have youthful minds to train and the characters of children to form should not seek the excitement of the world in order to be cheerful and happy. They have an important lifework, and they and theirs cannot afford to spend time in an unprofitable manner. Time is one of the important talents which God has entrusted to us and for which He will call us to account. A waste of time is a waste of intellect. The powers of the mind are susceptible of high cultivation. It is the duty of mothers to cultivate their minds and keep their hearts pure. They should improve every means within their reach for their intellectual and moral improvement that they may be qualified to improve the minds of their children.  {1MCP 167.1}
[1MCP 167.2]          Those who indulge their disposition to be in company will soon feel restless unless visiting or entertaining visitors. Such have not the power of adaptation to circumstances. The necessary, sacred home duties seem commonplace and uninteresting to them. They have no love for self-examination or self-discipline. The mind hungers for the varying, exciting scenes of worldly life; children are neglected for the indulgence of inclination; and the recording angel writes, "Unprofitable servants." God designs that our minds should not be purposeless but should accomplish good in this life.--3T 146, 147 (1872).  {1MCP 167.2}
[1MCP 167.3]          Nursing Mother to Preserve a Happy State.--The character also of the child is more or less affected by the nature of the nourishment received from the mother. How important, then, that the mother, while nursing her infant, should preserve a happy state of mind, having perfect control of her own spirit. By thus doing, the food of the child is not injured, and the calm,     168     self-possessed course the mother pursues in the treatment of her child has much to do in molding the mind of the infant. If it is nervous and easily agitated, the mother's careful, unhurried manner will have a soothing and correcting influence, and the health of the infant will be much improved.--RH, July 25, 1899. (CH 80.)  {1MCP 167.3}
[1MCP 168.1]          Mother Should Endeavor to Be Self-possessed.--The more quiet and simple the life of a child, the more favorable it will be to both physical and mental development. At all times the mother should endeavor to be quiet, calm, and self-possessed. Many infants are extremely susceptible to nervous excitement, and the mother's gentle, unhurried manner will have a soothing influence that will be of untold benefit to the child.--MH 381 (1905).  {1MCP 168.1}
[1MCP 168.2]          Sensitive Child Not to Be Wounded by Indifference. --Young children love society. They cannot, as a general thing, enjoy themselves alone, and the mother should feel that, in most cases, the place for her children, when they are in the house, is in the room she occupies. She can then have a general oversight of them; be prepared to set little differences right, when appealed to by them; correct wrong habits or the manifestation of selfishness or passion; and can give their minds a turn in the right direction. That which children enjoy, they think mother can be pleased with, and it is perfectly natural for them to consult mother in little matters of perplexity.  {1MCP 168.2}
[1MCP 168.3]          And the mother should not wound the heart of her sensitive child by treating the matter with indifference or by refusing to be troubled with such small matters. That which may be small to the mother is large to them. And a word of direction, or caution, at the right time will often prove of great value. An approving glance, a word of encouragement and praise from the mother, will often cast a sunbeam into their young hearts for a whole day.--HL (Part 2) 46, 47, 1865. (2SM 438, 439.)                                                           169  {1MCP 168.3}
[1MCP 169.1]          Deal Gently With Little Ones.--Mothers, deal gently with your little ones. Christ was once a little child. For His sake honor the children. Look upon them as a sacred charge, not to be indulged, petted, and idolized but to be taught to live pure, noble lives. They are God's property; He loves them and calls upon you to cooperate with Him in helping them to form perfect characters.--ST, Aug. 23, 1899. (AH 280.)  {1MCP 169.1}
[1MCP 169.2]          Your Child Is the Property of God.--My sister, can you be surprised that your daughter has little confidence in her mother's word? You have educated her to be untruthful; and the Lord is grieved to see one of His little ones led in the wrong path by her mother. Your child is not your own; you cannot do with her as you like, for she is the property of the Lord. Exercise a steady persevering control over her; teach her that she belongs to God. With such a training she will grow up to be a blessing to those around her. But clear, sharp discernment will be necessary in order that you may repress her inclination to rule you both, to have her own will and way, and to do as she pleases.--Lt 69, 1896.  {1MCP 169.2}
[1MCP 169.3]          Sunny Dispositions and Sweet Tempers.--Teach your children from the cradle to practice self-denial and self-control. Teach them to enjoy the beauties of nature, and in useful employment to exercise all the powers of mind and body. Bring them up to have sound constitutions and good morals, to have sunny dispositions and sweet tempers. Teach them that to yield to temptation is weak and wicked; to resist is noble and manly.--CT 127 (1913).  {1MCP 169.3}
[1MCP 169.4]          Mothers Are an Example.--If mothers would have their daughters come to womanhood with healthful bodies and virtuous characters, they must in their own lives set the example, guarding them against the health-destroying fashions of this age. Christian mothers have     170     resting upon them a responsibility which they do not realize. They should so train their children that they may have firm principle and moral health in this age of corruption.--MS 76, 1900.  {1MCP 169.4}
[1MCP 170.1]          When the Wish of Child Is Law.--In some families the wish of the child is law. Everything he desires is given him. Everything he dislikes, he is encouraged to dislike. Indulgence is supposed to make the child happy, but it only makes him restless and discontented. Indulgence has spoiled his appetite for plain, healthful food and for the plain use of his time; self-gratification has done the work of unsettling his character for time and for eternity.--RH, May 10, 1898.  {1MCP 170.1}
[1MCP 170.2]          Satan Seeks to Control Children's Minds.--Parents, you know something of the inducements by which Satan tries to lead your children into folly. He is working with all his powers to lead them astray. With a determination that many do not dream of he is seeking to gain control of their minds and to make the commandments of God of no effect in their lives.--MS 93, 1909.  {1MCP 170.2}
[1MCP 170.3]          Parents to Bind Children to Their Hearts.--Do not let your children see you with a clouded brow. If they yield to temptation, and afterward see and repent of their error, forgive them just as freely as you hope to be forgiven by your Father in heaven. Kindly instruct them and bind them to your hearts. It is a critical time for children. Influences will be thrown around them to wean them from you, which you must counteract. Teach them to make you their confidant. Let them whisper in your ear their trials and joys. By encouraging this, you will save them from many a snare that Satan has prepared for their inexperienced feet.  {1MCP 170.3}
[1MCP 170.4]          Do not treat your children only with sternness, forgetting your own childhood and forgetting that they are but children. Do not expect them to be perfect or try to                                                          171     make them men and women in their acts at once. By so doing you will close the door of access which you might otherwise have to them and will drive them to open a door for injurious influences, for others to poison their young minds before you awake to their danger.--1T 387 (1863).  {1MCP 170.4}
[1MCP 171.1]          Strong, Even Discipline.--The happiness of every child may be secured by strong, even discipline. A child's truest graces consist in modesty and obedience--in attentive ears to hear the words of direction, in willing feet and hands to walk and work in the path of duty. And a child's true goodness will bring its own reward, even in this life.  {1MCP 171.1}
[1MCP 171.2]          The early years are the time for the training process, not only that the child may become most serviceable and full of grace and truth in this life, but that he may secure the place prepared in the home above for all who are true and obedient. In our own training of children and in the training of the children of others, we have proved that they never love parents and guardians less for restraining them from doing evil.--RH, May 10, 1898.  {1MCP 171.2}
[1MCP 171.3]          Jesus Manifested a Peculiar Loveliness of Disposition.--As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy.  {1MCP 171.3}
[1MCP 171.4]          With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of His powers and beheld the impress of perfection upon His character. With delight she sought to encourage that bright, receptive mind. Through the Holy Spirit she received wisdom to cooperate with the heavenly agencies in the development of this child, who could claim only God as His Father.--DA 68, 69 (1898).     172  {1MCP 171.4}
[1MCP 172.1]          Preoccupation of Mind Rules Out Low Thoughts. --Educate the faculties and tastes of your dear ones; seek to preoccupy their minds so that there shall be no place for low, debasing thoughts or indulgences. The grace of Christ is the only antidote or preventive of evil. You may choose, if you will, whether the minds of your children shall be occupied with pure, uncorrupted thoughts or with the evils that are existing everywhere-- pride and forgetfulness of their Redeemer.--Lt 27, 1890. (CG 188.)  {1MCP 172.1}
[1MCP 172.2]          Surrounded by a Wall Not Easily Broken Down. --Every Christian home should have rules; and parents should, in their words and in their deportment toward each other, give to the children a precious living example of what they desire them to be. Purity in speech and true Christian courtesy should be constantly practiced. Let there be no encouragement of sin, no evil surmising or evil speaking.  {1MCP 172.2}
[1MCP 172.3]          Teach the children and youth to respect themselves, to be true to God, true to principle; teach them to respect and obey the law of God. Then these principles will control their lives and will be carried out in their association with others. They will love their neighbor as themselves. They will create a pure atmosphere, one that will have an influence to encourage weak souls in the path that leads to holiness and heaven. Let every lesson be of an elevating, ennobling character, and the records made in the books of heaven will be such as you will not be ashamed to meet in the judgment.  {1MCP 172.3}
[1MCP 172.4]          Children who receive this kind of instruction will not be a burden, a cause of anxiety, in our institutions ［educational, medical, publishing, etc.］; but they will be a strength, a support to those who bear responsibility. They will be prepared to fill places of trust and by precept and example will be constantly aiding others to do right. Those whose moral sensibilities have not been blunted will appreciate right principles and will practice                                                           173     them. They will put a right estimate upon their endowments and will make the best use of their physical, mental, and moral powers.  {1MCP 172.4}
[1MCP 173.1]          Such souls are constantly fortified against temptation; they are surrounded by a wall not easily broken down. All such characters are, with the blessing of God, light-bearers; their influence tends to elevate others for a practical Christian life. The mind may be so elevated that divine thoughts and contemplations come to be as natural as the breath.--Lt 74, 1896.  {1MCP 173.1}
[1MCP 174.1]       Chap. 20 - The Home Atmosphere           Home Influences Affect Society.--The heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation is the household. The well-being of society, the success of the church, the prosperity of the nation, depend upon home influences.--MH 349 (1905).  {1MCP 174.1}
[1MCP 174.2]          Effective Agencies for Formation of Character. --God designs that the families of earth shall be a symbol of the family in heaven. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God's plan, are among His most effective agencies for the formation of Christian character and for the advancement of His work.--6T 430 (1900).  {1MCP 174.2}
[1MCP 174.3]          Worship at Home.--I had pious parents, who in every way tried to acquaint us with our heavenly Father. Every morning and every evening we had family prayer. We sang the praises of God in our household. There were eight children in the family, and every opportunity was improved by our parents to lead us to give our hearts to Jesus.--MS 80, 1903.  {1MCP 174.3}
[1MCP 174.4]          Greater the Unity, Greater the Influence.--The more closely the members of a family are united in their work                                                        175     in the home, the more uplifting and helpful will be the influence that father and mother and sons and daughters will exert outside the home.--Lt 189, 1903. (AH 37.)  {1MCP 174.4}
[1MCP 175.1]          Authority With Firmness.--Authority must be maintained by a firm severity, or it will be received by many with mockery and contempt. The so-called tenderness, the coaxing and indulgence, used toward youth by parents and guardians is one of the worst evils which can come upon them. In every family, firmness, decision, positive requirements, are essential.--PK 236 (1917).  {1MCP 175.1}
[1MCP 175.2]          Home an Object Lesson.--God would have our families symbols of the family in heaven. Let parents and children bear this in mind every day, relating themselves to one another as members of the family of God. Then their lives will be of such a character as to give to the world an object lesson of what families who love God and keep His commandments may be. Christ will be glorified; His peace and grace and love will pervade the family circle like a precious perfume.--RH, Nov 17, 1896. (AH 17.)  {1MCP 175.2}
[1MCP 175.3]          The Peace Principle.--There is no fretfulness seen in the home if Christ is the peace principle exercised in your soul. There is no uncourteousness there. There is no roughness or sharp speech there. Why? Because we believe and act out that we are members of the Royal Family, children of the Heavenly King, bound to Jesus Christ by the strongest tie of love--that love which works by faith and purifies the soul. You love Jesus and you are constantly at work to overcome all selfishness and to be a blessing, and comfort, and strength, and a support to the souls He has purchased with His blood.  {1MCP 175.3}
[1MCP 175.4]          I cannot see why we should not the more earnestly try to bring the peace of Christ right into our family than to labor for those that have no living connection with us; but if we have religion in the home, it will extend outside of the home. You will have it everywhere.     176     You will carry it with you to the church. You can carry it with you when you go out to your work. It will be with you wherever you shall be. What we want is religion in the home. What we need is the peace principle which shall control our spirit and our life and character after the Christlife He has given as His example.--MS 36, 1891.  {1MCP 175.4}
[1MCP 176.1]          Love Revealed in Action.--From every Christian home a holy light should shine forth. Love should be revealed in action. It should flow out in all home intercourse, showing itself in thoughtful kindness, in gentle, unselfish courtesy. There are homes where this principle is carried out--homes where God is worshiped and truest love reigns. From these homes, morning and evening prayer ascends to God as sweet incense, and His mercies and blessings descend upon the suppliants like the morning dew.--PP 144 (1890).  {1MCP 176.1}
[1MCP 176.2]          Christianity in Home Shines Everywhere.--The effort to make the home what it should be--a symbol of the home in heaven--prepares us for work in a larger sphere. The education received by showing a tender regard for each other enables us to know how to reach hearts that need to be taught the principles of true religion. The church needs all the cultivated spiritual force which can be obtained, that all, and especially the younger members of the Lord's family, may be carefully guarded. The truth lived at home makes itself felt in disinterested labor abroad. He who lives Christianity in the home will be a bright and shining light everywhere. --ST, Sept 1, 1898. (AH 38, 39.)  {1MCP 176.2}
[1MCP 176.3]          Uplifting of Humanity Begins in Home.--The restoration and uplifting of humanity begins in the home. The work of parents underlies every other. Society is composed of families and is what the heads of families make it. Out of the heart are "the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).--MH 349 (1905).                                                              177  {1MCP 176.3}
[1MCP 177.1]          Things That Make Home Attractive.--Gentle manners, cheerful conversation, and loving acts will bind the hearts of children to their parents by the silken cords of affection and will do more to make home attractive than the rarest ornaments that can be bought for gold.--ST, Oct 2, 1884. (ML 200.)  {1MCP 177.1}
[1MCP 177.2]          Purity in the Home.--Order is heaven's first law, and the Lord desires His people to give in their homes a representation of the order and harmony that pervade the heavenly courts. Truth never places her delicate feet in a path of uncleanness or impurity. Truth does not make men and women coarse or rough and untidy. It raises all who accept it to a high level. Under Christ's influence a work of constant refinement goes on. . . .  {1MCP 177.2}
[1MCP 177.3]          He who was so particular that the children of Israel should cherish habits of cleanliness will not sanction any impurity in the homes of His people today. God looks with disfavor on uncleanness of any kind. How can we invite Him into our homes unless all is neat and clean and pure?--RH, June 10, 1902. (CH 101.)  {1MCP 177.3}
[1MCP 177.4]          Location of the Home.--Better than any other inheritance of wealth you can give to your children will be the gift of a healthy body, a sound mind, and a noble character. Those who understand what constitutes life's true success will be wise betimes. They will keep in view life's best things in their choice of a home.  {1MCP 177.4}
[1MCP 177.5]          Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen, where the sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, where turmoil and confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where you can look upon the works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty and quietude and peace of nature. Let the eye rest on the green fields, the groves, and the hills. Look up to the blue sky, unobscured by the city's dust and smoke, and breathe the invigorating air of heaven. Go where, apart from the distractions and dissipations of city life, you can     178     give your children your companionship, where you can teach them to learn of God through His works and train them for lives of integrity and usefulness.--MH 366, 367 (1905).  {1MCP 177.5}
[1MCP 178.1]          Fine Furniture Does Not Make a Home.--Four walls and costly furniture, velvet carpets, elegant mirrors, and fine pictures do not make a "home" if sympathy and love are wanting. That sacred word does not belong to the glittering mansion where the joys of domestic life are unknown. . . .  {1MCP 178.1}
[1MCP 178.2]          In fact the comfort and welfare of the children are the last things thought of in such a home. They are neglected by the mother, whose whole time is devoted to keeping up appearances and meeting the claims of fashionable society. Their minds are untrained; they acquire bad habits and become restless and dissatisfied. Finding no pleasure in their own homes, but only uncomfortable restrictions, they break away from the family circle as soon as possible. They launch out into the great world with little reluctance, unrestrained by home influence and the tender counsel of the hearthstone.--ST, Oct 2, 1884. (AH 155.)  {1MCP 178.2}
[1MCP 178.3]          Faultfinding Opens the Door for Satan.--Fathers and mothers, be on guard. Let your conversation in the home be pleasant and encouraging. Always speak kindly, as if in the presence of Christ. Let there be no faultfinding, no accusing. Words of this kind wound and bruise the soul. It is natural for human beings to speak sharp words. Those who yield to this inclination open the door for Satan to enter their hearts and to make them quick to remember the mistakes and errors of others. Their failings are dwelt upon, their deficiencies noted, and words are spoken that cause a lack of confidence in one who is doing his best to fulfill his duty as a laborer together with God. Often the seeds of distrust are sown because one thinks that he ought to have been favored but was not.--Lt 169, 1904.                                                             179  {1MCP 178.3}
[1MCP 179.1]          The Influence of Parental Defects.--It seems perfectly natural for some men to be morose, selfish, exacting, and overbearing. They have never learned the lesson of self-control and will not restrain their unreasonable feelings, let the consequences be what they may. Such men will be repaid by seeing their companions sickly and dispirited and their children bearing the peculiarities of their own disagreeable traits of character.--HL (Part 2) 36, 1865. (2SM 430.)  {1MCP 179.1}
[1MCP 179.2]          Angels Not Attracted to Discordant Home.--Angels are not attracted to the home where discord reigns supreme. Let fathers and mothers cease all faultfinding and murmuring. Let them educate their children to speak pleasant words, words that bring sunshine and joy. Shall we not now enter the home-school as Christ's students? Bring practical godliness into the home. Then see if the words you speak do not cause joy.  {1MCP 179.2}
[1MCP 179.3]          Parents, begin the work of grace in the church in your own home, so conducting yourselves that your children will see that you are cooperating with the heavenly angels. Be sure that you are converted every day. Train yourselves and your children for life eternal in the kingdom of God. Angels will be your strong helpers. Satan will tempt you, but do not yield. Do not speak one word of which the enemy can take an advantage.--MS 93, 1901.  {1MCP 179.3}
[1MCP 179.4]          A Plea for More Home Hospitality.--Even among those who profess to be Christians, true hospitality is little exercised. Among our own people the opportunity of showing hospitality is not regarded as it should be, as a privilege and blessing. There is altogether too little sociability, too little of a disposition to make room for two or three more at the family board without embarrassment or parade. Some plead that "it is too much trouble." It would not be if you would say, "We have made no special preparation, but you are welcome to     180     what we have." By the unexpected guest a welcome is appreciated far more than is the most elaborate preparation. --6T 343 (1900).  {1MCP 179.4}
[1MCP 180.1]          Things That Make a Happy Home.--Pleasant voices, gentle manners, and sincere affection that finds expression in all the actions, together with industry, neatness, and economy, make even a hovel the happiest of homes. The Creator regards such a home with approbation.--ST, Oct 2, 1884. (AH 422.)  {1MCP 180.1}
[1MCP 180.2]          Cultivation of True Refinement.--There is great need of the cultivation of true refinement in the home. This is a powerful witness in favor of the truth. In whomsoever they may appear, vulgarity of language and of demeanor indicate a vitiated heart. Truth of heavenly origin never degrades the receiver, never makes him coarse or rough. Truth is softening and refining in its influence. When received into the heart, it makes the youth respectful and polite. Christian politeness is received only under the working of the Holy Spirit. It does not consist in affectation or artificial polish, in bowing and simpering. This is the class of politeness possessed by those of the world, but they are destitute of true Christian politeness.  {1MCP 180.2}
[1MCP 180.3]          True polish, true politeness, is obtained only from a practical knowledge of the gospel of Christ. True politeness, true courtesy, is a kindness shown to all, high or low, rich or poor.--MS 74, 1900. (AH 422, 423.)  {1MCP 180.3}
[1MCP 181.1]       Chap. 21 - Christ Deals With Minds           Christ's Teaching to Be a Guide.--Christ's teaching, like His sympathies, embraced the world. Never can there be a circumstance of life, a crisis in human experience, which has not been anticipated in His teaching and for which its principles have not a lesson. The Prince of teachers, His words will be found a guide to His co-workers till the end of time.--Ed 81, 82 (1903).  {1MCP 181.1}
[1MCP 181.2]          He Identified Himself With the Interests of His Hearers.--He taught in a way that made them feel the completeness of His identification with their interests and happiness. His instruction was so direct, His illustrations were so appropriate, His words so sympathetic and cheerful, that His hearers were charmed.--MH 24 (1905).  {1MCP 181.2}
[1MCP 181.3]          He Understands the Hidden Working of the Human Mind.--He who has paid the infinite price to redeem men reads with unerring accuracy all the hidden workings of the human mind and knows just how to deal with every soul. And in dealing with men, He manifests the same principles that are manifest in the natural world.--SpT Series A, No. 3, p 17, 1895. (TM 189, 190.)     182  {1MCP 181.3}
[1MCP 182.1]          He Works Through Calm, Regular Operation of Laws.--God works through the calm, regular operation of His appointed laws. So it is in spiritual things. Satan is constantly seeking to produce effects by rude and violent thrusts, but Jesus found access to minds by the pathway of their most familiar associations. He disturbed as little as possible their accustomed train of thought, by abrupt actions or prescribed rules. He honored man with His confidence, and thus placed him on his honor. He introduced old truths in a new and precious light. Thus when only twelve years old He astonished the doctors of the law by His questions in the temple.--MS 44, 1894. (Ev 139, 140.)  {1MCP 182.1}
[1MCP 182.2]          Always Surrounded With Peace.--His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have attracted the large congregations that He did. The afflicted ones who came to Him felt that He linked His interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them continually.--DA 254, 255 (1898).  {1MCP 182.2}
[1MCP 182.3]          His Life Was Harmonious.--In His life Jesus of Nazareth differed from all other men. His entire life was characterized by disinterested benevolence and the beauty of holiness. In His bosom existed the purest love, free from every taint of selfishness and sin. His life was perfectly harmonious. He is the only true model of goodness and perfection. From the beginning of His ministry men                                                       183     began more clearly to comprehend the character of God.  {1MCP 182.3}
[1MCP 183.1]          Up to the time of Christ's first advent, men worshiped cruel, despotic gods. Even the Jewish mind was reached through fear and not love. Christ's mission on the earth was to reveal to men that God was not a despot but a heavenly Father, full of love and mercy for His children.--MS 132, 1902.  {1MCP 183.1}
[1MCP 183.2]         He Was Not Devoid of Warmth and Sunniness. --There are many who have an erroneous idea of the life and character of Christ. They think He was devoid of warmth and sunniness, that He was stern, severe, and joyless. In many cases the whole religious experience is colored by these gloomy views.--SC 120 (1892).  {1MCP 183.2}
[1MCP 183.3]          Infinite Possibilities in Every Human Being.--In every human being He discerned infinite possibilities. He saw men as they might be, transfigured by His grace--in "the beauty of the Lord our God" (Psalm 90:17). Looking upon them with hope, He inspired hope, Meeting them with confidence, He inspired trust. Revealing in Himself man's true ideal, He awakened, for its attainment, both desire and faith. In His presence souls despised and fallen realized that they still were men, and they longed to prove themselves worthy of His regard. In many a heart that seemed dead to all things holy were awakened new impulses. To many a despairing one  there opened the possibility of a new life.--Ed 80 (1903).  {1MCP 183.3}
[1MCP 183.4]         His Heart a Wellspring of Life.--It is often said that Jesus wept, but that He was never known to smile. Our Saviour was indeed a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, for He opened His heart to all the woes of men. But though His life was self-denying and shadowed with pain and care, His spirit was not crushed. His countenance did not wear an expression of grief and repining but ever one of peaceful serenity. His heart was a     184     well-spring of life, and wherever He went He carried rest and peace, joy and gladness.--SC 120 (1892).  {1MCP 183.4}
[1MCP 184.1]          Christ Was Never Passionate.--Christ carried out in His life His own divine teachings. His zeal never led Him to become passionate. He manifested consistency without obstinacy, benevolence without weakness, tenderness and sympathy without sentimentalism. He was highly social; yet He possessed a reserved dignity that did not encourage undue familiarity. His temperance never led to bigotry or austerity. He was not conformed to this world; yet He was not indifferent to the wants of the least among men. He was awake to the needs of all.--MS 132, 1902. (Ev 636.)  {1MCP 184.1}
[1MCP 184.2]          Tact to Meet Prejudiced Minds.--His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew "how to speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Isaiah 50:4); for grace was poured upon His lips that He might convey to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth. He had tact to meet the prejudiced minds and to surprise them with illustrations that won their attention.--DA 254 (1898).  {1MCP 184.2}
[1MCP 184.3]          He Reached to Depths of Human Woe.--He traversed every path where souls were straying. He reached to the very depths of human woe and misery.--Lt 50, 1897.  {1MCP 184.3}
[1MCP 184.4]          Combats Satan's Power Over Mind.--He ［Christ］ saw the power--the deceptive power--of Satan upon human minds, and He engaged ［bound Himself by a pledge］ to come to this earth. He lays aside the robes of His royalty, He lays off His royal crown, He lays off His high command, He steps down from the throne of His glory as High Commander in all heaven, and clothes His divinity with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity. That is what He came here for. He came right down to our earth to take upon Himself the nature of man, to pass through all the trials, all the afflictions and temptations wherewith                                                           185     man should be beset, and here He wrestled with these temptations, passing over the ground where Adam fell, that He might redeem the disgraceful failure and fall of Adam.  {1MCP 184.4}
[1MCP 185.1]          In human nature, as our substitute, as our surety, He laid hold upon the very hope that it is our privilege to take hold of, and that is infinite power. Through this, our Saviour overcame the temptations of the enemy and obtained the victory. For whom? Why, in our behalf. Why? That not one of the members of the human family need to stumble in the road that leads to everlasting life. Because He has traveled it before us, He knows every obstruction, He knows every difficulty that every soul upon the face of the earth must meet. He knows this, and therefore at His baptism, when He offered up His petition to heaven, that prayer cleaved directly through the hellish shadow of Satan that is thrown on your path, that is thrown on my path, and faith entered "into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:19).--MS 12, 1895.  {1MCP 185.1}
[1MCP 185.2]         Helps Seeker to Exercise Faith.--Christ knew every thought of her mind ［the woman who touched His garment］, and He was making His way to where she stood. He realized her great need, and He was helping her to exercise faith.--MH 60 (1905).  {1MCP 185.2}
[1MCP 185.3]          Divine Knowledge May Become Human Knowledge. --Divine knowledge may become human knowledge. Every minister should study closely the manner of Christ's teaching. They must take in His lessons. There is not one in twenty who knows the beauty, the real essence, of Christ's ministry. They are to find it out. Then they will become partakers of the rich fruit of His teachings. They will weave them so fully into their own life and practice that the ideas and principles that Christ brought into His lessons will be brought into their teaching. The truth will blossom and bear the noblest kind of fruit. And the worker's own heart will be warmed; yea it will burn with     186     the vivifying spiritual life which they infuse into the minds of others.--MS 104, 1898.  {1MCP 185.3}
[1MCP 186.1]          To Meet Varied Minds.--All who profess to be children of God should bear in mind that as missionaries they will be brought into contact with all classes of minds. There are the refined and the coarse, the humble and the proud, the religious and the skeptical, the educated and the ignorant, the rich and the poor. These varied minds cannot be treated alike; yet all need kindness and sympathy. By mutual contact our minds should receive polish and refinement. We are dependent upon one another, closely bound together by the ties of human brotherhood.--MH 495, 496 (1905).  {1MCP 186.1}
[1MCP 186.2]          Mind to Become One With His Mind.--When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.--COL 312 (1900).  {1MCP 186.2}
[1MCP 187.1]      Chap. 22 - The School and the Teacher           Awakening of Mental Powers.--True education is not the forcing of instruction on an unready and unreceptive mind. The mental powers must be awakened, the interest aroused. For this, God's method of teaching provided. He who created the mind and ordained its laws, provided for its development in accordance with them.  {1MCP 187.1}
[1MCP 187.2]          In the home and the sanctuary, through the things of nature and of art, in labor and in festivity, in sacred building and memorial stone, by methods and rites and symbols unnumbered, God gave to Israel lessons illustrating His principles and preserving the memory of His wonderful works. Then, as inquiry was made, the instruction given impressed mind and heart.--Ed 41 (1903).  {1MCP 187.2}
[1MCP 187.3]          Education to Impart Vitalizing Energy.--It is not the highest work of education to communicate knowledge merely, but to impart that vitalizing energy which is received through the contact of mind with mind and soul with soul. It is only life that can beget life.--DA 250 (1898).  {1MCP 187.3}
[1MCP 187.4]          The Highest Development of Mental Powers.--It is right for the youth to feel that they must reach the highest     188     development of their mental powers. We would not restrict the education to which God has set no limit. But our attainments avail nothing if not put to use for the honor of God and the good of humanity. It is not well to crowd the mind with studies that require intense application but that are not brought into use in practical life.--MH 449, 450 (1905).  {1MCP 187.4}
[1MCP 188.1]          Dangers of Some Schools.--Many youth come forth from institutions of learning with morals debased and physical powers enfeebled, with no knowledge of practical life and little strength to perform its duties.  {1MCP 188.1}
[1MCP 188.2]          As I have seen these evils, I have inquired, Must our sons and daughters become moral and physical weaklings in order to obtain an education in the schools? This should not be; it need not be, if teachers and students will but be true to the laws of nature, which are also the laws of God. All the powers of mind and body should be called into active exercise that the youth may become strong, well-balanced men and women.--ST, June 29, 1882. (FE 71.)  {1MCP 188.2}
[1MCP 188.3]          Education to Be Guarded.--The mind will be of the same character as that upon which it feeds, the harvest of the same nature as the seed sown. Do not these facts sufficiently show the necessity of guarding from the earliest years the education of the youth? Would it not be better for the youth to grow up in a degree of ignorance as to what is commonly accepted as education than for them to become careless in regard to the truth of God?--6T 194 (1900).  {1MCP 188.3}
[1MCP 188.4]          God's Relation to Man to Be Made Plain.--It is of the highest importance that every human being to whom God has given reasoning powers understand his relation to God. It is for his present and eternal good to inquire at every step, Is this the way of the Lord?...We need to call most earnestly upon every human being to compare                                                       189     his character with the law of God, the standard of character for all who would enter His kingdom, and become citizens of the heavenly country.--MS 67, 1898.  {1MCP 188.4}
[1MCP 189.1]          The Highest Education.--The science of a pure, wholesome, consistent Christian life is obtained by studying the Word of the Lord. This is the highest education that any earthly being can obtain. These are the lessons that the students in our schools are to be taught, that they may come forth with pure thoughts and clean minds and hearts, prepared to ascend the ladder of progress, and to practice the Christian virtues.--MS 86, 1905.  {1MCP 189.1}
[1MCP 189.2]          Teacher's Habits Exert Influence.--The principles and habits of the teacher should be considered of greater importance than even his literary qualifications. If the teacher is a sincere Christian, he will feel the necessity of having an equal interest in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual education of his scholars. In order to exert the right influence he should have perfect control over himself, and his own heart should be richly imbued with love for his pupils, which will be seen in his looks, words, and acts. He should have firmness of character; then can he mold the minds of his pupils, as well as instruct them in the sciences.  {1MCP 189.2}
[1MCP 189.3]          The early education of youth generally shapes their character for life. Those who deal with the young should be very careful to call out the qualities of the mind that they may better know how to direct their powers and that they may be exercised to the very best account.--RH, July 14, 1885.  {1MCP 189.3}
[1MCP 189.4]          Call Forth High Qualities of the Mind.--The greatest care should be taken in the education of youth to vary the manner of instruction so as to call forth the high and noble powers of the mind. Parents and teachers of schools are certainly disqualified to educate children properly if they have not first learned the lessons of     190     self-control, patience, forbearance, gentleness, and love. What an important position for parents, guardians, and teachers! There are very few who realize the most essential wants of the mind and how to direct the developing intellect, the growing thoughts and feelings of youth. --RH, July 14, 1885.  {1MCP 189.4}
[1MCP 190.1]          To Be Inspired by the Holy Spirit.--Dealing with human minds is the most delicate work that can be done, and teachers need to be inspired by the Spirit of God, that they may be able to do their work aright.--MS 8, 1899.  {1MCP 190.1}
[1MCP 190.2]          Coping With Misdoings.--Never educate them by giving publicity to the errors and misdoings of any scholar, for they will consider it a virtue in them to expose the wrongs of another. Never humiliate a scholar by presenting his grievances and mistakes and sins before the school: you cannot do a work more effectual to harden his heart and confirm him in evil than in doing this. Talk and pray with him alone, and show the same tenderness Christ has evidenced to you who are teachers. Never encourage any one student to criticize and talk of the faults of another. Hide a multitude of sins in every way possible by pursuing Christ's way to cure him. This kind of educating will be a blessing, made to tell in this life and stretching into the future immortal life.--MS 34, 1893.  {1MCP 190.2}
[1MCP 190.3]          Fully Qualified to Deal With Human Minds.--Every teacher needs Christ abiding in his heart by faith and to possess a true, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit for Christ's sake. One may have sufficient education and knowledge in science to instruct, but has it been ascertained that he has tact and wisdom to deal with human minds? If instructors have not the love of Christ abiding in the heart, they are not fit to be brought into connection with children, and to bear the grave responsibilities                                                        191     placed upon them, of educating these children and youth. They lack the higher education and training in themselves, and they know not how to deal with human minds. There is the spirit of their own insubordinate, natural hearts that is striving for the control, and to subject the plastic minds and characters of children to such a discipline is to leave scars and bruises upon the mind that will never be effaced.  {1MCP 190.3}
[1MCP 191.1]         If a teacher cannot be made to feel the responsibility and the carefulness he should ever reveal in dealing with human minds, his education has in some cases been very defective. In the home life the training has been harmful to the character, and it is a sad thing to reproduce this defective character and management in the children brought under his control.--CEd 145, 1893. (FE 260, 261.)  {1MCP 191.1}
[1MCP 191.2]          Responsibilities Not for the Inexperienced.--The church school in Battle Creek is an important part of the vineyard to be cultivated. Well-balanced minds and symmetrical characters are required as teachers in every line. Give not this work into the hands of young women and young men who know not how to deal with human minds. This has been a mistake, and it has wrought evil upon the children and youth under their charge. . . .  {1MCP 191.2}
[1MCP 191.3]          There are all kinds of characters to deal with in the children and youth. Their minds are impressible. Anything like a hasty, passionate exhibition on the part of the teacher may cut off her influence for good over the students whom she is having the name of educating. And will this education be for the present good and future eternal good of the children and youth? There is the correct influence to be exerted upon them for their spiritual good.--MS 34, 1893.  {1MCP 191.3}
[1MCP 191.4]          Counsel to a Quick-tempered Teacher.--Every teacher has his own peculiar trait of character to watch lest Satan should use him as his agent to destroy souls     192     by his own unconsecrated traits of character. The only safety for teachers is to learn daily in the school of Christ, His meekness, His lowliness of heart; then self will be hid in Christ, and he will meekly wear the yoke of Christ and consider he is dealing with His heritage.  {1MCP 191.4}
[1MCP 192.1]         I must state to you that I have been shown that the best methods have not always been practiced in dealing with the errors and mistakes of students, and the result has been that souls have been imperiled and some lost. Evil tempers in the teachers, unwise movements, self-dignity have done a bad work. There is no form of vice, worldliness, or drunkenness that will do a more baleful work upon the character, embittering the soul, and setting in train evils that overbear good, than human passions not under the control of the Spirit of God. Anger, getting touched ［being aroused］, stirred up, will never pay.  {1MCP 192.1}
[1MCP 192.2]          How many prodigals are kept out of the kingdom of God by the slovenly character of those whom claim to be Christians. Jealousy, envy, pride, uncharitable feelings, self-righteousness, being easily provoked, thinking evil, harshness, coldness, lack of sympathy--these are the attributes of Satan. Teachers will meet with these things in the student's characters. It is a terrible thing to have these things to deal with; but in seeking to cast out these evils, the worker has in many instances developed similar attributes which have marred the soul of the one with whom he is dealing.--Lt 50, 1893.  {1MCP 192.2}
[1MCP 192.3]          Need Well-balanced Mind.--The teachers who work in this part of the Lord's vineyard need to be self-possessed, to keep their temper and feelings under control and in subjection to the Holy Spirit. They should give evidence of having, not a one-sided experience, but a well-balanced mind, a symmetrical character.--CT 191 (1913).  {1MCP 192.3}
[1MCP 192.4]          Determination to Improve Important.--A teacher's advantages may have been limited so that he may not                                                            193     possess as high literary qualifications as might be desirable; yet if he has true insight into human nature; if he has a genuine love for his work, an appreciation of its magnitude, and a determination to improve; if he is willing to labor earnestly and perseveringly, he will comprehend the needs of his pupils, and by his sympathetic, progressive spirit will inspire them to follow as he seeks to lead them onward and upward.--Ed 279 (1913).  {1MCP 192.4}
[1MCP 193.1]          Faculties of Mind Not Half Used.--It is important that we should have intermediate schools and academies. . . . From home and abroad are coming many urgent calls for workers. Young men and women, the middle-aged, and in fact all who are able to engage in the Master's service, should be putting their minds to the stretch in an effort to prepare to meet these calls. From the light God has given me, I know that we do not use the faculties of the mind half as diligently as we should in an effort to fit ourselves for greater usefulness.--CT 209 (1903).  {1MCP 193.1}
[1MCP 193.2]          Combine Natural With Spiritual and Reach for Highest Attainments.--The natural and the spiritual are to be combined in the studies of our schools. The operations of agriculture illustrate the Bible lessons. The laws obeyed by the earth reveal the fact that it is under the masterly power of an infinite God. The same principles run through the spiritual and the natural world. Divorce God and His wisdom from the acquisition of knowledge, and you have a lame, one-sided education, dead to all the saving qualities which give power to man, so that he is incapable of acquiring immortality through faith in Christ. The author of nature is the author of the Bible. Creation and Christianity have one God.  {1MCP 193.2}
[1MCP 193.3]         All who engage in the acquisition of knowledge should aim to reach the highest round of progress. Let them advance as fast and as far as they can; let their field of study be as broad as their powers can compass,     194     making God their wisdom, clinging to Him who is infinite in knowledge, who can reveal the secrets hidden for ages, who can solve the most difficult problems for minds that believe in Him who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light that no man can approach unto. The living witness for Christ, following on to know the Lord, shall know that His goings forth are prepared as the morning. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). By honesty and industry, with a proper care of the body, applying every power of the mind to the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom in spiritual things, every soul may be complete in Christ, who is the perfect pattern of a complete man.--SpTEd April 22, 1895. (FE 375, 376.)  {1MCP 193.3}
[1MCP 194.1]          Correct Lessons Cannot Impress Minds Who Know Not the Truth of God's Word.--But the fallen race will not understand. The science of nature is supposed to control the God of nature. Correct lessons cannot impress the minds of those who know not truth or the Word of God. When the heart and mind is submitted to God, when man is willing to be instructed as a little child, the science of education will be found in the Word of God. Higher education of the world has proved itself a farce. When teachers and students come down from their stilts and enter Christ's school to learn of Him, they will talk intelligently of higher education because they will understand that it is that knowledge which enables men to understand the essence of science.--MS 45, 1898.  {1MCP 194.1}
[1MCP 194.2]          Visual Aids Needed.--The use of object lessons, blackboards, maps, and pictures will be an aid in explaining these ［spiritual］ lessons and fixing them in the memory. Parents and teachers should constantly seek for improved methods.--Ed 186 (1903).  {1MCP 194.2}
[1MCP 194.3]          Avoid Too Great a Variety of Mental Food.--God would have the mental faculties kept pure and clean.                                                            195     But often too great a variety of food is given to the mind. It is impossible for this to be properly taken care of and used. The brain should be relieved of all unnecessary burden. Only the studies which will be of the most use not only here but in the future life, which will provide the best instruction for body and soul, will be carried over into eternity.--MS 15, 1898.  {1MCP 194.3}
[1MCP 195.1]          Study and Practical Life.--It is not well to crowd the mind with a class of studies that require intense application and exertion but that are not brought into use in the practical life. An education of this kind will be a loss to the student, for these studies take away his desire and inclination for the studies which would fit him for usefulness and enable him to fulfill his appointed responsibilities as laborers together with God to help those whom he should by precept and example assist to secure immortality.--MS 15, 1898.  {1MCP 195.1}
[1MCP 195.2]          Need for Practical Training.--The study of Latin and Greek is of far less consequence to ourselves, to the world, and to God than the thorough study and use of the whole human machinery. It is a sin to study books to the neglect of how to become familiar with the various branches of usefulness in practical life. With some, close application to books is a dissipation. The physical machinery being untaxed leads to a great amount of activity in the brain. This becomes the devil's workshop. Never can the life that is ignorant of the house we live in be an all-around life.--Lt 103, 1897.  {1MCP 195.2}
[1MCP 195.3]          Textbooks and Thought Patterns. ［SEE CHAPTER 13, "FOOD FOR THE MIND."］--With solemn voice the Speaker continued: "Do you find with these ［infidel］ authors that which you can recommend as essential to true higher education? Would you dare recommend their study to students who are ignorant of     196     their true character? Wrong habits of thought, when once accepted, become a despotic power that fastens the mind as in a grasp of steel. If many who have received and read these books had never seen them but had accepted the words of the Divine Teacher in their place, they would be far in advance of where they now are in a knowledge of the divine truths of the Word of God, which make men wise unto salvation. These books have led thousands where Satan led Adam and Eve--to a knowledge that God forbade them to have. Through their teachings, students have turned from the Word of the Lord to fables."--RH, Mar 12, 1908.  {1MCP 195.3}
[1MCP 196.1]         Broad Principles of Bible to Control Concepts. ［SEE CHAPTER 11, "BIBLE STUDY AND THE MIND."］--Upon the mind of every student should be impressed the thought that education is a failure unless the understanding has learned to grasp the truths of divine revelation and unless the heart accepts the teachings of the gospel of Christ. The student who, in the place of the broad principles of the Word of God, will accept common ideas and will allow the time and attention to be absorbed in commonplace, trivial matters will find his mind will become dwarfed and enfeebled; he will lose the power of growth. The mind must be trained to comprehend the important truths that concern eternal life.--Lt 64, 1909.  {1MCP 196.1}
[1MCP 196.2]         Best Use of Parts Composing Human Machinery. --Had teachers been learning that lessons the Lord would have them learn, there would not be a class of students whose bills must be settled by someone or else they leave the college with a heavy debt hanging over them. Educators are not doing half their work when they know a young man to be devoting years of close application to the study of books, not seeking to earn means to pay his own way, and yet do nothing in the matter. Every case should be investigated, every youth kindly and interestedly                                                         197     inquired after, and his financial situation ascertained.  {1MCP 196.2}
[1MCP 197.1]          One of the studies put before him as most valuable should be the exercise of his God-given reason in harmony with his physical powers, head, body, hands, and feet. The right use of one's self is the most valuable lesson that can be learned. We are not to do brain work and stop there, or make physical exertions and stop there; but we are to make the very best use of the various parts composing the human machinery--brain, bone, and muscle, body, head, and heart. No man is fit for the ministry who does not understand how to do this.--Lt 103, 1897.  {1MCP 197.1}
[1MCP 197.2]          Teachers Cooperate in Recreation.--I see some things here in Switzerland ［NOTE: WRITTEN WHILE THE AUTHOR WAS VISITING EUROPE, 1885-1887.］ that I think are worthy of imitation. The teachers of the schools often go out with their pupils while they are at play and teach them how to amuse themselves and are at hand to repress any disorder or wrong. Sometimes they take their scholars out and have a long walk with them. I like this; I think there is less opportunity for the children to yield to temptation. The teachers seem to enter into the sports of the children and to regulate them.  {1MCP 197.2}
[1MCP 197.3]         I cannot in any way sanction the idea that children must feel that they are under a constant distrust and cannot act as children. But let the teachers join in the amusements of the children, be one with them, and show that they want them to be happy, and it will give the children confidence. They may be controlled by love, but not by following them at their meals and in their amusements with a stern, unbending severity.--5T 653 (1889).  {1MCP 197.3}
[1MCP 197.4]          Manifest Confidence in Pupils.--The wise educator, in dealing with his pupils, will seek to encourage confidence and to strengthen the sense of honor. Children and youth are benefited by being trusted. Many, even of the     198     little children, have a high sense of honor; all desire to be treated with confidence and respect, and this is their right. They should not be led to feel that they cannot go out or come in without being watched. Suspicion demoralizes, producing the very evils it seeks to prevent. Instead of watching continually, as if suspecting evil, teachers who are in touch with their pupils will discern the workings of the restless mind and will set to work influences that will counteract evil. Lead the youth to feel that they are trusted, and there are few who will not seek to prove themselves worthy of the trust.--Ed 289, 290 (1903).  {1MCP 197.4}
[1MCP 198.1]          Confidence of Pupils Essential.--The teacher must have aptness for his work. He must have the wisdom and tact required in dealing with minds. However great his scientific knowledge, however excellent his qualifications in other lines, if he does not gain the respect and confidence of his pupils, his efforts will be in vain.--Ed 278, 279 (1903).  {1MCP 198.1}
[1MCP 198.2]          Helping the Backward and Unpromising.--If you manifest kindness, love, tender thoughtfulness, to your students, you will reap the same in return. If teachers are severe, critical, overbearing, not sensitive of others' feelings, they will receive the same in return. A man who wishes to preserve his self-respect and dignity must be careful not to sacrifice the respect and dignity of others. This rule should be sacredly observed toward the dullest, the youngest, and most blundering scholars.  {1MCP 198.2}
[1MCP 198.3]          What God shall do with these apparently uninteresting youth, you do not know. God has accepted and chosen, in the past, just such specimens to do a great work for Him. His Spirit, operating upon the heart, has acted like an electric battery, arousing the apparently benumbed faculties to vigorous and persevering action. The Lord saw in these rough, uninteresting, unhewn stones precious metal that will endure the test of storm                                                        199     and tempest and the fiery ordeal of heat. God seeth not as man seeth, God judgeth not as man judgeth--He searcheth the heart.--MS 2, 1881.  {1MCP 198.3}
[1MCP 199.1]          Dealing With the Dull Scholar.--Teachers must consider that they are dealing with children, not men and women. They are children who have everything to learn, and it is much more difficult for some to learn than others. The dull scholar needs much more encouragement than he receives. If teachers are placed over these varied minds who naturally love to order and dictate and magnify themselves in their authority, who will deal with partiality, having favorites to whom they will show preferences while others are treated with exactitude and severity, it will create a state of confusion and insubordination.--CEd 154, 1893. (FE 269, 270.)  {1MCP 199.1}
[1MCP 199.2]          Schoolroom Atmosphere Affects Students.--The religious life of a large number who profess to be Christians is such as to show that they are not Christians. . . . Their own hereditary and cultivated traits of character are indulged as precious qualifications when they are death-dealing in the influence over other minds. In plain, simple words they walk in the sparks of their own kindling. They have a religion subject to, and controlled by, circumstances. If everything happens to move in a way that pleases them and there are no irritating circumstances that call to the surface their unsubdued, unchristlike natures, they are condescending and pleasant and will be very attractive. When there are things that occur in the family or in their association with others which ruffle their peace and provoke their tempers, if they lay every circumstance before God and continue their request, supplicating His grace before they shall engage in their daily work as teachers, and know for themselves the power and grace and love of Christ abiding in their own hearts before entering upon their labors, angels of God are brought with them into the schoolroom.     200  {1MCP 199.2}
[1MCP 200.1]          But if they go in a provoked, irritated spirit into the schoolroom, the moral atmosphere surrounding their souls is leaving its impression upon the children who are under their care, and in the place of being fitted to instruct the children, they need one to teach them the lessons of Jesus Christ.--CEd 149, 150, 1893. (FE 265, 266.)  {1MCP 200.1}
[1MCP 200.2]          Patience and Adaptability Needed (counsel to a teacher).--You do not make a success as a teacher because you have not patience and adaptability. You do not know how to deal with human minds or how to impart knowledge in the best way. If your expectations are not met, you are impatient. You have had every advantage of education, but nevertheless, you are not a wise teacher. It is very disagreeable to you to inculcate ideas into dull minds. In your youth you needed discipline and training. But the spirit which you manifested under correction has spoiled your life.--Lt 117, 1901.  {1MCP 200.2}
[1MCP 200.3]          Parents to Cooperate With Teachers.--A neglected field represents the neglected mind. Parents must come to view this master in a different light. They must feel it their duty to cooperate with the teacher, to encourage wise discipline, and to pray much for the one who is teaching their children. You will not help the children by fretting, censuring, or discouraging them; neither will you act a part to help them to rebel and to be disobedient and unkind and unlovable because of the spirit you develop.--MS 34, 1893.  {1MCP 200.3}
[1MCP 200.4]         Responsibility of the Religious Community.--There can be no more important work than the proper education of our youth. We must guard them, fighting back Satan, that he shall not take them out of our arms. When the youth come to our colleges, they should not be made to feel that they have come among strangers who do not care for their souls. There should be fathers and mothers in Israel who will watch for their souls as they that must give account.                                                        201  {1MCP 200.4}
[1MCP 201.1]          Brethren and sisters, do not hold yourselves aloof from the dear youth, as though you have no particular concern or responsibility for them. You who have long professed to be Christians have a work to do to patiently and kindly lead them in the right way. You should show them that you love them because they are younger members of the Lord's family, the purchase of His blood.--RH, Aug. 26, 1884. (FE 89, 90.)  {1MCP 201.1}
[1MCP 201.2]          Meeting Obdurate Hearts and Perverse Dispositions.--Our Redeemer had a broad comprehensive humanity. His heart was ever touched with the known helplessness of the little child that is subject to rough usage, for He loved children. The feeblest cry of human suffering never reached His ear in vain. And everyone who assumes the responsibility of instructing the youth will meet obdurate hearts, perverse dispositions, and his work is to cooperate with God in restoring the moral image of God in every child. Jesus, precious Jesus--a whole fountain of love was in His soul.--CEd 149, 1893. (FE 265.)  {1MCP 201.2}
[1MCP 205.1]       Chap. 23 - Love--a Divine, Eternal Principle           Love, the Principle of Action.--When the heavenly principle of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, . . . because love is the principle of action, and modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and elevates and ennobles the affections.--4T 223 (1876).  {1MCP 205.1}
[1MCP 205.2]          Distinct From Any Other Principle.--Pure love is simple in its operations and is distinct from any other principle of action.--2T 136 (1868).  {1MCP 205.2}
[1MCP 205.3]         A Tender Plant to Be Cultivated and Cherished. --Love is a tender plant, and it must be cultivated and cherished, and the roots of bitterness all have to be plucked up around it in order for it to have room to circulate, and then it will bring in under its influence all the powers of the mind, all the heart, so that we shall love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves.--MS 50, 1894. (HC 173.)  {1MCP 205.3}
[1MCP 205.4]          Satan's Substitution--Selfishness for Love. --Through disobedience man's powers were perverted,     206     and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened that it was impossible for him to resist the power of evil; and the tempter saw being fulfilled his purpose to thwart the divine plan of man's creation and fill the earth with misery and desolation.--CT 33 (1913).  {1MCP 205.4}
[1MCP 206.1]          Love Springs Forth Spontaneously When Self Is Submerged.--When self is submerged in Christ, true love springs forth spontaneously. It is not an emotion or an impulse but a decision of a sanctified will. It consists not in feeling but in the transformation of the whole heart, soul, and character, which is dead to self and alive unto God. Our Lord and Saviour asks us to give ourselves to Him. Surrendering self to God is all He requires, giving ourselves to Him to be employed as He sees fit. Until we come to this point of surrender, we shall not work happily, usefully, or successfully anywhere.--Lt 97, 1898. (6BC 1100, 1101.)  {1MCP 206.1}
[1MCP 206.2]          Love Not an Impulse but a Divine Principle.-- Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another--this is the best gift that our heavenly Father can bestow. This love is not an impulse but a divine principle, a permanent power. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. Only in the heart where Jesus reigns is it found. "We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action.--AA 551 (1911).  {1MCP 206.2}
[1MCP 206.3]          Love--Intellectual and Moral Strength.--Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it. The power of wealth has a tendency to corrupt and destroy; the power of force is strong to do hurt; but the excellence and value of pure love consist in its efficiency to do good, and to do nothing else than good. Whatsoever is done out of pure love, be it ever so little or contemptible in the                                                         207     sight of men, is wholly fruitful; for God regards more with how much love one worketh than the amount he doeth. Love is of God. The unconverted heart cannot originate or produce this plant of heavenly growth which lives and flourishes only where Christ reigns.--2T 135 (1868).  {1MCP 206.3}
[1MCP 207.1]          Love a Fragrant Atmosphere.--Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own--an atmosphere, it may be, charged with the life-giving power of faith, courage, and hope, and sweet with the fragrance of love. Or it may be heavy and chill with the gloom of discontent and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of cherished sin. By the atmosphere surrounding us every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected.--COL 339 (1900).  {1MCP 207.1}
[1MCP 207.2]          Uproots Selfishness and Strife.--The golden chain of love, binding the hearts of the believers in unity, in bonds of fellowship and love, and in oneness with Christ and the Father, makes the connection perfect and bears to the world a testimony of the power of Christianity that cannot be controverted.... Then will selfishness be uprooted and unfaithfulness will not exist. There will not be strife and divisions. There will not be stubbornness in anyone who is bound up with Christ. Not one will act out the stubborn independence of the wayward, impulsive child who drops the hand that is leading him and chooses to stumble on alone and walk in his own ways.--Lt 110, 1893. (HC 173.)  {1MCP 207.2}
[1MCP 207.3]          The Fruit of Pure Love.--"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matthew 7:12). Blessed results would appear as the fruit of such a course. "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (verse 2). Here are strong motives which should constrain us to love one another with a pure heart, fervently. Christ is our example. He went about doing good. He lived to bless others. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions.     208  {1MCP 207.3}
[1MCP 208.1]         We are not commanded to do to ourselves what we wish others to do unto us; we are to do unto others what we wish them to do to us under like circumstances. The measure we mete is always measured to us again. . . .  {1MCP 208.1}
[1MCP 208.2]          The love of influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered life and frequently a blameless conversation. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil. A selfish heart may perform generous actions, acknowledge the present truth, and express humility and affection in an outward manner, yet the motives may be deceptive and impure; the actions that flow from such a heart may be destitute of the savor of life and the fruits of true holiness, being destitute of the principles of pure love. Love should be cherished and cultivated, for its influence is divine.--2T 136 (1868).  {1MCP 208.2}
[1MCP 208.3]          Love Makes Concessions.--Christ's love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to all who will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. If this heaven-born love is an abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those we hold most dear in sacred relationship but to all with whom we come in contact. It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to perform deeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us to sympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy.--MS 17, 1899. (5BC 1140.)  {1MCP 208.3}
[1MCP 208.4]         Love Governs the Motives and Actions.--The most careful attention to the outward proprieties of life is not sufficient to shut out all fretfulness, harsh judgment, and unbecoming speech. True refinement will never be revealed so long as self is considered as the supreme object. Love must dwell in the heart. A thoroughgoing Christian draws his motives of action from his deep heart-love for his Master. Up through the roots of his affection for Christ springs an unselfish interest in his                                                        209     brethren. Love imparts to its possessor grace, propriety, and comeliness of deportment. It illuminates the countenance and subdues the voice; it refines and elevates the entire being.--GW 123 (1915).  {1MCP 208.4}
[1MCP 209.1]          Love Favorably Interprets Another's Motives. --Charity "doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:5). Christlike love places the most favorable construction on the motives and acts of others. It does not needlessly expose their faults; it does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but seeks rather to bring to mind the good qualities of others.--AA 319 (1911).  {1MCP 209.1}
[1MCP 209.2]          Love Sweetens the Entire Life.--Those who love God cannot harbor hatred or envy. When the heavenly principle of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others. . . .  {1MCP 209.2}
[1MCP 209.3]          This love is not contracted so as merely to include "me and mine" but is as broad as the world and as high as heaven, and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. This love cherished in the soul sweetens the entire life and sheds a refining influence on all around. Possessing it, we cannot but be happy, let fortune smile or frown.  {1MCP 209.3}
[1MCP 209.4]          If we love God with all the heart, we must love His children also. This love is the Spirit of God. It is the heavenly adorning that gives true nobility and dignity to the soul and assimilates our lives to that of the Master. No matter how many good qualities we may have, however honorable and refined we may consider ourselves, if the soul is not baptized with the heavenly grace of love to God and one another, we are deficient in true goodness and unfit for heaven, where all is love and unity.--4T 223, 224 (1876).  {1MCP 209.4}
[1MCP 209.5]          True Love Is Spiritual.--Love, lifted out of the realm of passion and impulse, becomes spiritualized and is     210     revealed in words and acts. A Christian must have a sanctified tenderness and love, in which there is no impatience or fretfulness; the rude, harsh manners must be softened by the grace of Christ.--5T 335 (1885).  {1MCP 209.5}
[1MCP 210.1]          Love Lives on Action.--Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it. Love will gain the victory when argument and authority are powerless. Love works not for profit nor reward; yet God has ordained that great gain shall be the certain result of every labor of love. It is diffusive in its nature and quiet in its operation, yet strong and mighty in its purpose to overcome great evils. It is melting and transforming in its influence and will take hold of the lives of the sinful and affect their hearts when every other means has proved unsuccessful.  {1MCP 210.1}
[1MCP 210.2]          Wherever the power of intellect, of authority, or of force is employed, and love is not manifestly present, the affections and will of those whom we seek to reach assume a defensive, repelling position, and their strength of resistance is increased. Jesus was the Prince of peace. He came into the world to bring resistance and authority into subjection to Himself. Wisdom and strength He could command, but the means He employed with which to overcome evil were the wisdom and strength of love.--2T 135, 136 (1868).  {1MCP 210.2}
[1MCP 210.3]          Evidences a New Principle of Life.--When men are bound together, not by force or self-interest, but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence that the image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new principle of life has been implanted. It shows that there is power in the divine nature to withstand the supernatural agencies of evil and that the grace of God subdues the selfishness inherent in the natural heart.--DA 678 (1898).  {1MCP 210.3}
[1MCP 211.1]       Chap. 24 - Love in the Home  ［SEE CHAPTER32, "INFATUATION AND BLIND LOVE."］           Source of True Human Affection.--Our affection for one another springs from our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another as He loved us. When compared with this true, sanctified, disciplined affection, the shallow courtesy of the world, the meaningless expression of effusive friendship, are as chaff to the wheat.--Lt 63, 1896. (SD 101.)  {1MCP 211.1}
[1MCP 211.2]          To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. . . . Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases its fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others.--MS 17, 1899. (SD 101.)  {1MCP 211.2}
[1MCP 211.3]          Love Binds Heart to Heart.--Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven. . . . Let each give love rather than exact it.--MH 360, 361 (1905).     212  {1MCP 211.3}
[1MCP 212.1]          Affection May Be Pure but Shallow.--Affection may be as clear as crystal and beauteous in its purity, yet it may be shallow because it has not been tested and tried. Make Christ first and last and best in everything. Constantly behold Him, and your love for Him will daily become deeper and stronger as it is submitted to the test of trial. And as your love for Him increases, your love for each other will grow deeper and stronger. "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).--7T 46 (1902).  {1MCP 212.1}
[1MCP 212.2]          Love Cannot Exist Without Expression.--As the social and generous impulses are repressed, they wither, and the heart becomes desolate and cold.... Love cannot long exist without expression. Let not the heart of one connected with you starve for the want of kindness and sympathy.--MH 360 (1905).  {1MCP 212.2}
[1MCP 212.3]          The Love Plant to Be Treated Tenderly.--The precious plant of love is to be treated tenderly, and it will become strong and vigorous and rich in fruit-bearing, giving expression to the whole character.--Lt 50, 1893.  {1MCP 212.3}
[1MCP 212.4]          Loving Impulses Not to Be Stifled.--Encourage the expression of love toward God and toward one another. The reason why there are so many hardhearted men and women in the world is that true affection has been regarded as weakness and has been discouraged and repressed. The better nature of these persons was stifled in childhood; and unless the light of divine love shall melt away their cold selfishness, their happiness will be forever ruined. If we wish our children to possess the tender spirit of Jesus and the sympathy that angels manifest for us, we must encourage the generous, loving impulses of childhood.--DA 516 (1898).  {1MCP 212.4}
[1MCP 212.5]         Love Not Passion.--Love is a plant of heavenly origin. It is not unreasonable; it is not blind. It is pure and holy.                                                         213     But the passion of the natural heart is another thing altogether. While pure love will take God into all its plans and will be in perfect harmony with the Spirit of God, passion will be headstrong, rash, unreasonable, defiant of all restraint, and will make the object of its choice an idol.  {1MCP 212.5}
[1MCP 213.1]          In all the deportment of one who possesses true love, the grace of God will be shown. Modesty, simplicity, sincerity, morality, and religion will characterize every step toward an alliance in marriage.--RH, Sept 25, 1888. (MYP 459.)  {1MCP 213.1}
[1MCP 213.2]          True Love Preparation for Successful Marriage. --True love is a high and holy principle, altogether different in character from that love which is awakened by impulse and which suddenly dies when severely tested. It is by faithfulness to duty in the parental home that the youth are to prepare themselves for homes of their own. Let them here practice self-denial and manifest kindness, courtesy, and Christian sympathy. Thus love will be kept warm in the heart, and he who goes out from such a household to stand at the head of a family of his own will know how to promote the happiness of her whom he has chosen as a companion for life. Marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be only its beginning.--PP 176 (1890).  {1MCP 213.2}
[1MCP 213.3]          Love and Self-discipline Bind Family Together.--Let parents seek, in their own character and in their homelife, to exemplify the love and beneficence of the heavenly Father. Let the home be full of sunshine. This will be worth far more to your children than lands or money. Let the home love be kept alive in their hearts, that they may look back upon the home of their childhood as a place of peace and happiness next to heaven. The members of the family do not all have the same stamp of character, and there will be frequent occasion for the exercise of patience and forbearance; but through love and     214     self-discipline all may be bound together in the closest union.--PP 176 (1890).  {1MCP 213.3}
[1MCP 214.1]          Characteristics of True Love (counsel to an opinionated husband).--True, pure love is precious. It is heavenly in its influence. It is deep and abiding. It is not spasmodic in its manifestations. It is not a selfish passion. It bears fruit. It will lead to a constant effort to make your wife happy. If you have this love, it will come natural to make this effort. It will not appear to be forced. If you go out for a walk or to attend a meeting, it will be as natural as your breath to choose your wife to accompany you and to seek to make her happy in your society. You regard her spiritual attainments as inferior to your own, but I saw that God was better pleased with her spirit than with that possessed by yourself.  {1MCP 214.1}
[1MCP 214.2]          You are not worthy of your wife. She is too good for you. She is a frail, sensitive plant; she needs to be cared for tenderly. She earnestly desires to do the will of God. But she has a proud spirit and is timid, shrinking from reproach. It is as death to her to be the subject of observation or remark. Let your wife be loved, honored, and cherished, in fulfillment of the marriage vow, and she will come out of that reticent, diffident position which is natural to her.--2T 416 (1870).  {1MCP 214.2}
[1MCP 214.3]          Soul Craves Higher Love.--Your wife should make strong efforts to come out of her retired, dignified reserve and cultivate simplicity in all her actions. And when the higher order of faculties is aroused in you and strengthened by exercise, you will better understand the wants of women; you will understand that the soul craves love of a higher, purer order than exists in the low order of the animal passions. These passions have been strengthened in you by encouragement and exercise. If now in the fear of God you keep your body under, and seek to meet your wife with pure, elevated love, the wants of her nature will be met. Take her to your heart; esteem her highly.--2T 415 (1870).                                                           215  {1MCP 214.3}
[1MCP 215.1]          Love Finds Expression in Words and Deeds.-- L_____ needs to cultivate love for his wife, love that will find expression in words and deeds. He should cultivate tender affection. His wife has a sensitive, clinging nature and needs to be cherished. Every word of tenderness, every word of appreciation and affectionate encouragement, will be remembered by her and will reflect back in blessings upon her husband. His unsympathizing nature needs to be brought into close contact with Christ, that that stiffness and cold reserve may be subdued and softened by divine love.  {1MCP 215.1}
[1MCP 215.2]          It will not be weakness or a sacrifice of manhood and dignity to give his wife expressions of tenderness and sympathy in words and acts; and let it not end with the family circle, but extend to those outside the family. L_____ has a work to do for himself that no one can do for him. He may grow strong in the Lord by bearing burdens in His cause. His affection and love should be centered upon Christ and heavenly things, and he should be forming a character for everlasting life.--3T 530, 531 (1875).  {1MCP 215.2}
[1MCP 215.3]          The Little Acts Which Reveal True Love.--Love can no more exist without revealing itself in outward acts than fire can be kept alive without fuel. You, Brother C, have felt that it was beneath your dignity to manifest tenderness by kindly acts and to watch for an opportunity to evince affection for your wife by words of tenderness and kind regard. You are changeable in your feelings and are very much affected by surrounding circumstances.... Leave your business cares and perplexities and annoyances when you leave your business. Come to your family with a cheerful countenance, with sympathy, tenderness, and love. This will be better than expending money for medicines or physicians for your wife. It will be health to the body and strength to the soul.--1T 695 (1868).     216  {1MCP 215.3}
[1MCP 216.1]          Let patience, gratitude, and love keep sunshine in the heart though the day may be ever so cloudy.--MH 393 (1905).  {1MCP 216.1}
[1MCP 216.2]          Power of Parents' Example.--The best way to educate children to respect their father and mother is to give them the opportunity of seeing the father offering kindly attentions to the mother and the mother rendering respect and reverence to the father. It is by beholding love in their parents that children are led to obey the fifth commandment and to heed the injunction, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right."--RH, Nov 15, 1892. (AH 198, 199.)  {1MCP 216.2}
[1MCP 216.3]          Love of Jesus Mirrored in Parents.--When the mother has gained the confidence of her children and taught them to love and obey her, she has given them the first lesson in the Christian life. They must love and trust and obey their Saviour as they love and trust and obey their parents. The love which in faithful care and right training the parent manifests for the child faintly mirrors the love of Jesus for His faithful people.--ST, Apr 4, 1911. (AH 199.)  {1MCP 216.3}
[1MCP 216.4]          Mother's Love Is Illustration of Love of Christ.--As the mother teaches her children to obey her because they love her, she is teaching them the first lessons in the Christian life. The mother's love represents to the child the love of Christ, and the little ones who trust and obey their mother are learning to trust and obey the Saviour.--DA 515 (1898).  {1MCP 216.4}
[1MCP 216.5]          Influence of Christian Home Never Forgotten.--The home that is beautified by love, sympathy, and tenderness is a place that angels love to visit and where God is glorified. The influence of a carefully guarded Christian home in the years of childhood and youth is the surest safeguard against the corruptions of the world. In the                                                          217     atmosphere of such a home the children will learn to love both their earthly parents and their heavenly Father.--MS 126, 1903. (AH 19.)  {1MCP 216.5}
[1MCP 217.1]          The family relationship should be sanctifying in its influence. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God's plan, are a wonderful help in forming Christian character. . . . Parents and children should unite in offering loving service to Him who alone can keep human love pure and noble.--MS 16, 1899. (AH 19.)  {1MCP 217.1}
[1MCP 218.1]       Chap. 25 - Love and Sexuality in the Human Experience           NOTE: ELLEN WHITE LIVED AND WORKED IN A DAY WHEN GREAT RESTRAINT WAS EXERCISED IN SPEAKING PUBLICLY OR WRITING ABOUT SEX AND THE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES.  {1MCP 218.1}
[1MCP 218.2]          SHE WAS MARRIED TO JAMES WHITE ON AUGUST 30, 1846, AFTER ASSURING HERSELF THROUGH PRAYER THAT THIS WAS A PROPER STEP. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SHE WAS WELL INTO HER MINISTRY, FOR SHE HAD FOR TWENTY MONTHS BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF VISIONS FROM THE LORD. AS A RESULT OF THIS UNION WITH JAMES WHITE SHE GAVE BIRTH TO FOUR SONS, BORN IN 1847, 1849, 1854, AND 1860.  {1MCP 218.2}
[1MCP 218.3]          IT WAS IN THE 1860'S--THE DECADE OF TWO BASIC HEALTH-REFORM VISIONS (JUNE 6, 1863, AND DECEMBER 25, 1865)--THAT ELLEN G. WHITE BEGAN TO DISCUSS MATTERS RELATING TO SEX. STATEMENTS IN LATER YEARS PROVIDED SOME ELABORATION. IN REFERRING TO SEXUAL INTERCOURSE IN MARRIAGE SHE EMPLOYED SUCH TERMS AS "PRIVILEGE OF THE MARRIAGE RELATION," "PRIVILEGE OF THE FAMILY RELATION," "SEXUAL PRIVILEGES."  {1MCP 218.3}
[1MCP 218.4]          TO GAIN AN ACCURATE AND BALANCED CONCEPT OF ELLEN WHITE'S TEACHING IN THIS DELICATE FIELD, STATEMENT SHOULD BE PLACED WITH STATEMENT. THE BALANCE REVEALED IN MANY OF THE STATEMENTS SHOULD BE OBSERVED. CAREFUL NOTE SHOULD BE TAKEN OF THE MEANING OF THE WORDS EMPLOYED.  {1MCP 218.4}
[1MCP 218.5]          TERMS SUCH AS "PASSION" AND "PROPENSITIES" ARE AT TIMES USED. THESE ARE OFTEN QUALIFIED BY SUCH WORDS AS BASER, ANIMAL, LUSTFUL, DEPRAVED, CORRUPT. THIS STRONG LANGUAGE COULD LEAD SOME READERS TO ASSUME THAT ALL PASSION IS CONDEMNED AND ALL SEXUAL ACTIVITY IS EVIL. THE FOLLOWING QUOTATIONS WOULD HARDLY SUSTAIN THIS:  {1MCP 218.5}
[1MCP 218.6]          Not only does God require you to control your thoughts, but also your passions and affections. . . . Passion and affection are powerful agents....Positively guard your thoughts, your passions, and your affections. Do not degrade these to minister to lust.                                                                      219     Elevate them ［passions and affections］ to purity, devote them to God.--2T 561, 564 (1870).  {1MCP 218.6}
[1MCP 219.1]         All animal propensities are to be subjected to the higher powers of the soul.--Ms 1, 1888. (AH 128.)  {1MCP 219.1}
[1MCP 219.2]          IN THE SAME CONTEXT IN WHICH SOME OF THE STRONG TERMS REFERRED TO ABOVE ARE USED, SHE URGES THAT THE PASSIONS ARE TO BE CONTROLLED BY WHAT SHE CALLED "HIGHER, NOBLER POWERS," "REASON," "MORAL RESTRAINT," AND "MORAL FACULTIES." SHE WRITES OF TEMPERANCE AND MODERATION AND AVOIDING EXCESS. IN MARRIAGE THOSE PASSIONS COMMON TO ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE TO BE SUBJECT TO CONTROL, THEY ARE TO BE GOVERNED. NOTE AGAIN:  {1MCP 219.2}
[1MCP 219.3]          Those who regard the marriage relation as one of God's sacred ordinances, guarded by His holy precept, will be controlled by the dictates of reason.--HL, No. 2, p. 48.  {1MCP 219.3}
[1MCP 219.4]          Very few feel it to be a religious duty to govern their passions. . . . The marriage covenant covers sin of the darkest hue. . . . Health and life are sacrificed upon the altar of base passion. The higher, nobler powers are brought into subjection to the animal propensities. . . . Love is a pure and holy principle; but lustful passion will not admit of restraint and will not be dictated to or controlled by reason.--2T 472, 473 (1870).  {1MCP 219.4}
[1MCP 219.5]         SHE WRITES OF THE MARRIAGE RELATION AS A "SACRED INSTITUTION" WHICH MAY BE "PERVERTED." SHE SPEAKS OF "SEXUAL PRIVILEGES" WHICH "ARE ABUSED." AGAIN, IT IS NOT PASSION THAT IS CONDEMNED, BUT "BASE" AND "LUSTFUL" PASSION. AND IT IS WORTH OBSERVING THAT ELLEN WHITE PICTURES THE INTIMACY OF MARRIAGE AS A "PRIVILEGE." THOUGH SHE WARNED AGAINST GROSS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN MARRIAGE, SHE WROTE OF A TIME WHEN AFFECTIONS HELD IN PROPER RESTRAINT CAN BE "UNFETTERED." ANOTHER ENLIGHTENING STATEMENT IS WORTHY OF CLOSE EXAMINATION:  {1MCP 219.5}
[1MCP 219.6]          In regard to marriage, I would say, Read the Word of God. Even in this time, the last days of this world's history, marriages take place among Seventh-day Adventists....We have, as a people, never forbidden marriage, except in cases where there were obvious reasons that marriage would be misery to both parties. And even then, we have only advised and counseled.--Lt 60, 1900.  {1MCP 219.6}
[1MCP 219.7]         AT ONE TIME WHEN BECAUSE OF THE DEMANDS OF THE WORK IN WHICH SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE ENGAGED A HALF A CONTINENT SEPARATED THEM, SHE CONFIDED IN A LETTER TO JAMES:  {1MCP 219.7}
[1MCP 219.8]          We feel every day a most earnest desire for a more sacred nearness to God. This is my prayer when I lie down, when I awake in the night, and when I arise in the morning, Nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee....     220  {1MCP 219.8}
[1MCP 220.1]          I sleep alone. This seems to be Mary's preference as well as mine. I can have a better opportunity for reflection and prayer. I prize my ［being］ all to myself unless graced with your presence. I want to share my bed only with you.--Lt 6, 1876.  {1MCP 220.1}
[1MCP 220.2]          AT NO TIME DID SHE PARTICIPATE IN OR CONDONE TEACHINGS WHICH CALLED FOR A SORT OF PLATONIC BROTHER AND SISTER RELATIONSHIP IN MARRIAGE. WHEN DEALING WITH SOME WHO PRESSED TEACHINGS OF THIS NATURE, ELLEN WHITE COUNSELED AGAINST URGING SUCH VIEWS. TO DWELL ON THEM, SHE WROTE, OPENED THE WAY FOR SATAN TO WORK "UPON THE IMAGINATION SO THAT IMPURITY" INSTEAD OF PURITY WOULD RESULT.--LT 103, 1894.  {1MCP 220.2}
[1MCP 220.3]          FOR EVERY LAWFUL, GOD-GIVEN PRIVILEGE, SATAN HAS A COUNTERFEIT TO SUGGEST. THE HOLY, PURE THOUGHT HE SEEKS TO REPLACE WITH THE IMPURE. FOR THE SANCTITY OF MARRIED LOVE HE WOULD SUBSTITUTE PERMISSIVENESS, UNFAITHFULNESS, EXCESS, AND PERVERSION; PREMARITAL SEX, ADULTERY, ANIMALISM IN AND OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE, AND HOMOSEXUALITY. ALL ARE REFERRED TO IN THIS CHAPTER.--COMPILERS.  {1MCP 220.3}
[1MCP 220.4]                              (A) The Positive                    (Words of Privilege and Counsel)            Jesus and the Family Relationship.--Jesus did not enforce celibacy upon any class of men. He came not to destroy the sacred relationship of marriage but to exalt it and restore it to its original sanctity. He looks with pleasure upon the family relationship where sacred and unselfish love bears sway.--MS 126, 1903. (AH 121.)  {1MCP 220.4}
[1MCP 220.5]          He ［Christ］ ordained that men and women should be united in holy wedlock, to rear families whose members, crowned with honor, should be recognized as members of the family above. --MH 356 (1905).  {1MCP 220.5}
[1MCP 220.6]          God's Purpose Fulfilled in Marriage.--All who enter into matrimonial relations with a holy purpose--the husband to obtain the pure affections of a woman's heart, the wife to soften and improve her husband's character and give it completeness--fulfill God's purpose for them.--MS 16, 1899. (AH 99.)                                                                  221  {1MCP 220.6}
[1MCP 221.1]          The Privilege of the Marriage Relation.--They ［Christians who have married］ should duly consider the result of every privilege of the marriage relation, and sanctified principle should be the basis of every action.--2T 380 (1870).  {1MCP 221.1}
[1MCP 221.2]          ［She wrote of］ "the fortifications preserving sacred the privacy and privileges of the family relation."--2T 90 (1868).  {1MCP 221.2}
[1MCP 221.3]          A Time When Affections May Be Unfettered.--The young affections should be restrained until the period arrives when sufficient age and experience will make it honorable and safe to unfetter them.--AM 8, 1864. (MYP 452.)  {1MCP 221.3}
[1MCP 221.4]          The Danger of Carrying the Lawful to Excess.--There is in itself no sin in eating and drinking or in marrying and giving in marriage. It was lawful to marry in the time of Noah, and it is lawful to marry now, if that which is lawful is properly treated and not carried to sinful excess....  {1MCP 221.4}
[1MCP 221.5]          In Noah's day it was the inordinate, excessive love of that which in itself was lawful, when properly used, that made marriage sinful before God. There are many who are losing their souls in this age of the world by becoming absorbed in the thoughts of marriage and in the marriage relation itself....  {1MCP 221.5}
[1MCP 221.6]          God has placed men in the world, and it is their privilege to eat, to drink, to trade, to marry, and to be given in marriage; but it is safe to do these things only in the fear of God. We should live in this world with reference to the eternal world.--RH, Sept 25, 1888.  {1MCP 221.6}
[1MCP 221.7]          Marriage No License for Giving Loose Rein to Lustful Passions.--Very few feel it to be a religious duty to govern their passions. They have united themselves in marriage to the object of their choice and therefore reason that marriage sanctifies the indulgence of the baser passions. Even     222     men and women professing godliness give loose rein to their lustful passions and have no thought that God holds them accountable for the expenditure of vital energy, which weakens their hold on life and enervates the entire system.  {1MCP 221.7}
[1MCP 222.1]          The marriage covenant covers sins of the darkest hue. Men and women professing godliness debase their own bodies through the indulgence of the corrupt passions and thus lower themselves beneath the brute creation. They abuse the powers which God has given them to be preserved in sanctification and honor. Health and life are sacrificed upon the altar of base passion. The higher, nobler powers are brought into subjection to the animal propensities. Those who thus sin are not acquainted with the result of their course.--2T 472 (1870).  {1MCP 222.1}
[1MCP 222.2]          The Delicate Balance Between Love and Lustful Passion.--It is not pure love which actuates a man to make his wife an instrument to minister to his lust. It is the animal passions which clamor for indulgence.  {1MCP 222.2}
[1MCP 222.3]          How few men show their love in the manner specified by the apostle: "Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might ［not pollute it but］ sanctify and cleanse it;... that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27). This is the quality of love in the marriage relation which God recognizes as holy.  {1MCP 222.3}
[1MCP 222.4]          Love is a pure and holy principle, but lustful passion will not admit of restraint and will not be dictated to or controlled by reason. It is blind to consequences; it will not reason from cause to effect.  {1MCP 222.4}
[1MCP 222.5]          Many women are suffering from great debility and settled disease because the laws of their being have been disregarded; nature's laws have been trampled upon. The brain nerve power is squandered by men and women, being called into unnatural action to gratify base passions; and this hideous monster--base, low passion--assumes the delicate name of love.--2T 473, 474 (1870).                                                           223  {1MCP 222.5}
[1MCP 223.1]          Love Versus the Passion of the Natural Human Heart.--Love ... is not unreasonable; it is not blind. It is pure and holy. But the passion of the natural heart is another thing altogether. While pure love will take God into all its plans and will be in perfect harmony with the Spirit of God, passion will be headstrong, rash, unreasonable, defiant of all restraint, and will make the object of its choice an idol. In all the deportment of one who possesses true love, the grace of God will be shown.--RH, Sept 25, 1888. (AH 50.)  {1MCP 223.1}
[1MCP 223.2]          Dictates of Reason to Control.--Those who regard the marriage relation as one of God's sacred ordinances, guarded by His holy precept, will be controlled by the dictates of reason.--HL, No. 2, p 48, 1865. (2SM 440.)  {1MCP 223.2}
[1MCP 223.3]          Keep Confidences Within the Sacred Family Circle. --Around every family there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle no other person has a right to come. Let not the husband or the wife permit another to share the confidences that belong solely to themselves.--MH 361 (1905).  {1MCP 223.3}
[1MCP 223.4]                           (B) The Negative                   (Words of Restraint and Caution)            Marriage Not Designed to Cover Sensuality and Base Practices.--God never designed that marriage should cover the multitude of sins that are practiced. Sensuality and base practices in a marriage relation are educating the mind and moral taste for demoralizing practices outside the marriage relation.--RH, May 24, 1887.  {1MCP 223.4}
[1MCP 223.5]          Sexual Excesses Endangering Health and Life.--It is not pure, holy love which leads the wife to gratify the animal propensities of her husband at the expense of health and life....     224  {1MCP 223.5}
[1MCP 224.1]          It may be necessary to humbly and affectionately urge, even at the risk of his displeasure, that she cannot debase her body by yielding to sexual excess. She should, in a tender, kind manner, remind him that God has the first and highest claim upon her entire being and that she cannot disregard this claim, for she will be held accountable in the great day of God.--2T 475 (1870).  {1MCP 224.1}
[1MCP 224.2]          Sexual excess will effectually destroy a love for devotional exercises, will take from the brain the substance needed to nourish the system, and will most effectively exhaust the vitality.--2T 477 (1870).  {1MCP 224.2}
[1MCP 224.3]          Perversion of a Sacred Institution.--Because they have entered into the marriage relation, many think that they may permit themselves to be controlled by animal passions. They are led on by Satan, who deceives them and leads them to pervert this sacred institution. He is well pleased with the low level which their minds take; for he has much to gain in this direction.  {1MCP 224.3}
[1MCP 224.4]          He knows that if he can excite the baser passions and keep them in the ascendancy, he has nothing to be troubled about in their Christian experience; for the moral and intellectual faculties will be subordinate, while the animal propensities will predominate and keep in the ascendancy; and these baser passions will be strengthened by exercise, while the nobler qualities will become weaker and weaker.--2T 480 (1870).  {1MCP 224.4}
[1MCP 224.5]          The Abuse in Marriage of Sexual Privileges.--The animal passions, cherished and indulged, become very strong in this age, and untold evils in the marriage life are the sure results. In the place of the mind being developed and having the controlling power, the animal propensities rule over the higher and nobler powers until they are brought into subjection to the animal propensities. What is the result? Women's delicate organs are worn out and become diseased; childbearing is no more safe; sexual privileges are abused.                                                           225  {1MCP 224.5}
[1MCP 225.1]          Men are corrupting their own bodies, and the wife has become a bed servant to their inordinate, base lusts until there is no fear of God before their eyes. To indulge impulse that degrades both body and soul is the order of the marriage life.--MS 14, 1888.  {1MCP 225.1}
[1MCP 225.2]          Prenatal Influences.--Satan seeks to debase the minds of those who unite in marriage that he may stamp his own hateful image upon their children. . . .  {1MCP 225.2}
[1MCP 225.3]          He can mold their posterity much more readily than he could the parents, for he can so control the minds of the parents that through them he may give his own stamp of character to their children. Thus many children are born with the animal passions largely in the ascendancy, while the moral faculties are but feebly developed. These children need the most careful culture to bring out, strengthen, and develop the moral and intellectual powers, that these may take the lead.--2T 480 (1870).  {1MCP 225.3}
[1MCP 225.4]          The Degrading Process.--The mind of a man or woman does not come down in a moment from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to transform the human to the divine or to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic.  {1MCP 225.4}
[1MCP 225.5]          By beholding we become changed. Though formed in the image of his Maker, man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him. As he ceases to watch and pray, he ceases to guard the citadel, the heart, and engages in sin and crime. The mind is debased, and it is impossible to elevate it from corruption while it is being educated to enslave the moral and intellectual powers and bring them in subjection to grosser passions.  {1MCP 225.5}
[1MCP 225.6]          Constant war against the carnal mind must be maintained; and we must be aided by the refining influence of the grace of God, which will attract the mind upward and habituate it to meditate upon pure and holy things.--2T 478, 479 (1870).     226  {1MCP 225.6}
[1MCP 226.1]          Counsel to Women.--I write with a distressed heart that the women in this age, both married and unmarried, too frequently do not maintain the reserve that is necessary. They act like coquettes. They encourage the attentions of single and married men, and those who are weak in moral power will be ensnared.  {1MCP 226.1}
[1MCP 226.2]          These things, if allowed, deaden the moral senses and blind the mind so that crime does not appear sinful. Thoughts are awakened that would not have been if woman had kept her place in all modesty and sobriety. She may have had no unlawful purpose or motive herself, but she has given encouragement to men who are tempted and who need all the help they can get from those associated with them.  {1MCP 226.2}
[1MCP 226.3]          By being circumspect, reserved, taking no liberties, receiving no unwarrantable attentions, but preserving a high moral tone and a becoming dignity, much evil might be avoided.--MS 4a, 1885. (AH 331, 332.)  {1MCP 226.3}
[1MCP 226.4]          Women as Tempters.--Shall not the women professing the truth keep strict guard over themselves lest the least encouragement be given to unwarrantable familiarity? They may close many a door of temptation if they will observe at all time strict reserve and propriety of deportment.--5T 602 (1889).  {1MCP 226.4}
[1MCP 226.5]          Women are too often tempters. On one pretense or another they engage the attention of men, married or unmarried, and lead them on till they transgress the law of God, till their usefulness is ruined, and their souls are in jeopardy.--5T 596 (1889).  {1MCP 226.5}
[1MCP 226.6]          Sympathetic Pastor.--Be men of God, on the gaining side. Knowledge is within the reach of all who desire it. God designs the mind shall become strong, thinking deeper, fuller, clearer. Walk with God as did Enoch; make God your counselor and you cannot but make improvement. . . .                                                            227  {1MCP 226.6}
[1MCP 227.1]          There are men who claim to keep God's commandments, who will visit the flock of God under their charge and lead unwary souls into a train of thought that results in shameless liberties and familiarities. . . .  {1MCP 227.1}
[1MCP 227.2]          He ［a minister］ will, as he visits families, begin to inquire the secrets of their married life. Do they live happily with their husbands? Do they feel that they are appreciated? Is there harmony in their married life? And thus the unsuspecting woman is led on by these ensnaring questions to open her secret life, her disappointments, her little trials and grievances, to a stranger as the Catholics do to their priests.  {1MCP 227.2}
[1MCP 227.3]          Then this sympathizing pastor puts in a chapter of his own experience; that his wife was not the woman of his choice; that there is no real affinity between them. He does not love his wife. She does not meet his expectations. The barrier is thus broken down, and women are seduced. They believe their life is one great disappointment, and this shepherd has great sympathy for his flock. Lovesick sentimentalism is encouraged, and the mind and soul is spoiled of its purity, if this kind of work does not result in the breaking of the seventh commandment.  {1MCP 227.3}
[1MCP 227.4]          Polluted thoughts harbored become habit, and the soul is scarred and defiled. Once do a wrong action and a blot is made which nothing can heal but the blood of Christ; and if the habit is not turned from with firm determination, the soul is corrupted and the streams flowing from this defiling fountain corrupt others. His influence is a curse. God will certainly destroy all those who continue this work. . . .  {1MCP 227.4}
[1MCP 227.5]          We must be elevated, ennobled, sanctified. We may have strength in Jesus to overcome; but when the character is lacking in purity, when sin has become a part of the character, it has a bewitching power that is equal to the intoxicating glass of liquor. The power of self-control and reason is overborne by practices that defile the whole being; and if these sinful practices are continued, the brain is enfeebled, diseased, and loses its balance.--Lt 26d, 1887.     228  {1MCP 227.5}
[1MCP 228.1]          Men, Women, and Youth Involved in Moral Depravity.--The moral dangers to which all, both old and young, are exposed are daily increasing. Moral derangement, which we call depravity, finds ample room to work, and an influence is exerted by men, women, and youth professing to be Christians that is low, sensual, devilish. --Lt 26d, 1887.  {1MCP 228.1}
[1MCP 228.2]         Satan is making masterly efforts to involve married men and women and children and youth in impure practices. His temptations find acceptance in many hearts, because they have not been elevated, purified, refined, and ennobled by the sacred truth which they claim to believe. Not a few have been low and vile in thought and common in talk and deportment so that when Satan's temptations come, they have no moral power to resist them and fall an easy prey.--Lt 26d, 1887. (HP 199.)  {1MCP 228.2}
[1MCP 228.3]          The Downward Steps.--Satan's constant temptations are designed to weaken man's government over his own heart, to undermine his power of self-control. He leads man to break the bands which connect him in holy, happy union with his Maker.  {1MCP 228.3}
[1MCP 228.4]          Then, when he is disconnected from God, passion obtains control over reason, and impulse over principle, and  he becomes sinful in thought and action, his judgment is perverted, his reason seems to be enfeebled, and he needs to be restored to himself by being restored to God by a correct view of himself in the light of God's word.--Lt 24, 1890.  {1MCP 228.4}
[1MCP 228.5]          Avoid Reading, Seeing, and Hearing Impurity. --Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without                                                        229     will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in  darkness.--AA 518 (1911).  {1MCP 228.5}
[1MCP 229.1]          You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul. The power of grace alone can accomplish this most desirable work.--2T 561 (1870).  {1MCP 229.1}
[1MCP 229.2]          Salacious Novels and Pornography.--Impure pictures have a corrupting influence. Novels are eagerly perused by many, and as the result, their imagination becomes defiled.  {1MCP 229.2}
[1MCP 229.3]          In the cars, photographs of females in a state of nudity are frequently circulated for sale. These disgusting pictures are also found in daguerrean saloons ［photographic studios］, and are hung upon the walls of those who deal in engravings. This is an age when corruption is teeming everywhere.  {1MCP 229.3}
[1MCP 229.4]          The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding and by reading. . . . The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes which awaken the lower and baser passions. These vile images, seen through defiled imagination, corrupt the morals and prepare the deluded, infatuated beings to give loose rein to lustful passions. Then follow sins and crimes which drag beings formed in the image of God down to a level with the beasts, sinking them at last in perdition. Avoid reading and seeing things which will suggest impure thoughts. Cultivate the moral and intellectual powers.--2T 410 (1870).  {1MCP 229.4}
[1MCP 229.5]          The Mind the Determining Factor.--Said Paul, "With my mind serve I the law of God." Becloud this mind through indulgence of animal appetite and passions, and the moral powers are weakened so that the sacred and common are placed upon a level.--Lt 2, 1873.     230  {1MCP 229.5}
[1MCP 230.1]          Masturbation. ［NOTE: THE AUTHOR TREATS THIS SUBJECT AT LENGTH IN TESTIMONIES, VOL. 2, PP. 346-353, 480-482, AND THE OUT-OF-PRINT PAMPHLET AN APPEAL TO MOTHERS (1864). SEE CHILD GUIDANCE, SECTION XVII, "PRESERVING MORAL INTEGRITY," PP. 439-468, FOR A COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE SUBJECT DRAWN FROM ALL PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED SOURCES.--COMPILERS.］--Youth and children of both sexes engage in moral pollution ［masturbation］ and practice this disgusting, soul-and-body-destroying vice.  {1MCP 230.1}
[1MCP 230.2]         Many professed Christians are so benumbed by the same practice that their moral sensibilities cannot be aroused to understand that it is sin, and that if continued its sure results will be utter shipwreck of body and mind. Man, the noblest being upon the earth, formed in the image of God, transforms himself into a beast! He makes himself gross and corrupt.  {1MCP 230.2}
[1MCP 230.3]          Every Christian will have to learn to restrain his passions and be controlled by principle. Unless he does this, he is unworthy of the Christian name.  {1MCP 230.3}
[1MCP 230.4]          Some who make high profession do not understand the sin of self-abuse and its sure results. Long-established habit has blinded their understanding. They do not realize the exceeding sinfulness of this degrading sin, which is enervating the system and destroying their brain nerve power.  {1MCP 230.4}
[1MCP 230.5]          Moral principle is exceedingly weak when it conflicts with established habit. Solemn messages from heaven cannot forcibly impress the heart that is not fortified against the indulgence of this degrading vice. The sensitive nerves of the brain have lost their healthy tone by morbid excitation to gratify an unnatural desire for sensual indulgence. The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate to man and affect his inmost life.  {1MCP 230.5}
[1MCP 230.6]          Whatever disturbs the circulation of the electric currents in the nervous system lessens the strength of the vital powers, and the result is a deadening of the sensibilities of the mind.--2T 347 (1870).                                                           231  {1MCP 230.6}
[1MCP 231.1]          Some children begin to practice self-pollution in their infancy; and as they increase in years the lustful passions grow with their growth and strengthen with their strength. Their minds are not at rest. Girls desire the society of boys, and boys that of the girls. Their deportment is not reserved and modest. They are bold and forward and take indecent liberties. The habit of self-abuse has debased their minds and tainted their souls.--2T 481 (1870).  {1MCP 231.1}
[1MCP 231.2]          Sexual Activity Before Marriage (counsel to a Seventh-day Adventist youth).--Few temptations are more dangerous or more fatal to young men than the temptation to sensuality, and none if yielded to will prove so decidedly ruinous to soul and body for time and eternity....  {1MCP 231.2}
[1MCP 231.3]          You were shown me in her ［N's］ society hours of the night; you know best in what manner these hours were spent. You called on me to speak whether you had broken God's commandments. I ask you, Have you not broken them?  {1MCP 231.3}
[1MCP 231.4]          How was your time employed hours together night after night? Were your position, your attitude, your affections such that you would want them all registered in the ledger of heaven? I saw, I heard things that would make angels blush.... No young man should do as you have done to N, unless married to her; and I was much surprised to see that you did not sense this matter more keenly.  {1MCP 231.4}
[1MCP 231.5]          Why I write now is to implore you for your soul's sake to dally with temptation no longer. Make short work in breaking this spell that like a fearful nightmare has brooded over you. Cut yourself loose now and forever, if you have any desire for the favor of God....  {1MCP 231.5}
[1MCP 231.6]          You have spent hours of the night in her company because you were both infatuated.... In the name of the Lord, cease your attention to N or marry her.... You might as well marry her as to be in her society and conduct yourselves as only man and wife should conduct themselves toward each other....  {1MCP 231.6}
[1MCP 231.7]         If through the period of your life you wish to enjoy the     232     society of N as you now appear to enjoy it and be fascinated with it, why not go a step farther than you already have and make yourself her lawful protector and have an undisputed right to devote the hours you choose in her company? ... Your acts and conversation are offensive to God.--Lt 3, 1879.  {1MCP 231.7}
[1MCP 232.1]         Sodom's Dissolute Morals.--We are not ignorant of the fall of Sodom because of the corruption of its inhabitants. The prophet has here ［Ezekiel 16:49］ specified the particular evils which led to dissolute morals. We see the very sins now existing in the world which were in Sodom and which brought upon her the wrath of God, even to her utter destruction.--HR, July, 1873. (4BC 1161.)  {1MCP 232.1}
[1MCP 232.2]         Sins of the Antediluvians and of Sodom on the Increase.--Everywhere are seen wrecks of humanity, neglected family altars, broken-up families. There is a strange abandonment of principle, a lowering of the standard of morality; the sins are fast increasing which caused the judgments of God to be poured upon the earth in the Flood and in the destruction of Sodom by fire.--5T 601 (1889).  {1MCP 232.2}
[1MCP 232.3]          Invading the Church Today.--Impurity is today widespread, even among the professed followers of Christ. Passion is unrestrained; the animal propensities are gaining strength by indulgence, while the moral powers are constantly becoming weaker....  {1MCP 232.3}
[1MCP 232.4]          The sins that destroyed the antediluvians and the cities of the plain exist today--not merely in heathen lands, not only among popular professors of Christianity, but with some who profess to be looking for the coming of the Son of man. If God should present these sins before you as they appear in His sight, you would be filled with shame and terror.--5T 218 (1882).  {1MCP 232.4}
[1MCP 232.5]          Shutting the Eyes to Light.--Indulgence of the baser passions will lead very many to shut their eyes to the light,                                                               233     for they fear that they will see sins which they are unwilling to forsake. All may see if they will. If they choose darkness rather than light, their criminality will be none the less.  {1MCP 232.5}
[1MCP 233.1]          Why do not men and women read and become intelligent upon these things which so decidedly affect their physical, intellectual, and moral strength? God has given you a habitation to care for and preserve in the best condition for His service and glory. Your bodies are not your own.--2T 352 (1885).  {1MCP 233.1}
[1MCP 233.2]                        (C) Balance and Victory                    (Words of Promise and Hope)            Sincere Repentance and Determined Effort Necessary.--Those who corrupt their own bodies cannot enjoy the favor of God until they sincerely repent, make an entire reform, and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord.--AM 29 (1864).  {1MCP 233.2}
[1MCP 233.3]          The only hope for those who practice vile habits is to forever leave them if they place any value upon health here and salvation hereafter. When these habits have been indulged in for quite a length of time, it requires a determined effort to resist temptation and refuse the corrupt indulgence.--AM 27 (1864).  {1MCP 233.3}
[1MCP 233.4]          Control the Imagination.--The imagination must be positively and persistently controlled if the passions and affections are made subject to reason, conscience, and character.--2T 562 (1870).  {1MCP 233.4}
[1MCP 233.5]          Subordinated to God's Will.--All who have any true sense of what is embraced in being a Christian know that the followers of Christ are under obligation as His disciples to bring all their passions, their physical powers and mental faculties into perfect subordination to His     234     will. Those who are controlled by their passions cannot be followers of Christ. They are too much devoted to the service of their master, the originator of every evil, to leave their corrupt habits and choose the service of Christ.-- AM 9, 10, 1864. (CG 445, 446.)  {1MCP 233.5}
[1MCP 234.1]          Thoughts a Crucial Factor.--Impure thoughts lead to impure actions. If Christ be the theme of contemplation, the thoughts will be widely separated from every subject which will lead to impure acts. The mind will strengthen by dwelling upon elevating subjects. If trained to run in the channel of purity and holiness, it will become healthy and vigorous. If trained to dwell upon spiritual themes, it will naturally take that turn. But this attraction of the thoughts to heavenly things cannot be gained without the exercise of faith in God and an earnest, humble reliance upon Him for that strength and grace which will be sufficient for every emergency.--2T 408 (1870).  {1MCP 234.1}
[1MCP 234.2]          The Sin of Fantasying.--You are responsible to God for your thoughts. If you indulge in vain imaginations, permitting your mind to dwell upon impure subjects, you are, in a degree, as guilty before God as if your thoughts were carried into action. All that prevents the action is the lack of opportunity.--2T 561 (1870).  {1MCP 234.2}
[1MCP 234.3]          Bring the Thoughts Under Control.--You should control your thoughts. This will not be an easy task; you cannot accomplish it without close and even severe effort. . . .  {1MCP 234.3}
[1MCP 234.4]          Not only does God require you to control your thoughts, but also your passions and affections. Your salvation depends upon your governing yourself in these things. Passion and affection are powerful agents. If misapplied, if set in operation through wrong motives, if misplaced, they are powerful to accomplish your ruin and leave you a miserable wreck, without God and without hope.--2T 561 (1870).                                                        235  {1MCP 234.4}
[1MCP 235.1]          Harbored Thoughts Become Habit.--Polluted thoughts harbored become habit, and the soul is scarred and defiled. Once do a wrong action and a blot is made which nothing can heal but the blood of Christ; and if the habit is not turned from with firm determination, the soul is corrupted, and the streams flowing from this defiling fountain corrupt others.--Lt 26d, 1887. (HP 197.)  {1MCP 235.1}
[1MCP 235.2]          Thoughts Rightly Controlled.--We need to place a high value upon the right control of our thoughts, for such control prepares the mind and soul to labor harmoniously for the Master. It is necessary for our peace and happiness in this life that our thoughts center in Christ. As a man thinketh, so is he. Our improvement in moral purity depends on right thinking and right acting. . . .  {1MCP 235.2}
[1MCP 235.3]          Evil thoughts destroy the soul. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts. Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace cannot reveal itself in the life. The mind must engage in the spiritual warfare. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God's control.  {1MCP 235.3}
[1MCP 235.4]          We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts and the damaging influence of evil thoughts. Let us place our thoughts upon holy things. Let them be pure and true, for the only security for any soul is right thinking. We are to use every means that God has placed within our reach for the government and cultivation of our thoughts. We are to bring our minds into harmony with His mind. His truth will sanctify us, body and soul and spirit, and we shall be enabled to rise above temptations.--Lt 123, 1904. (HP 164.)  {1MCP 235.4}
[1MCP 235.5]          Diet an Important Factor.--It cannot be too often repeated that whatever is taken into the stomach affects not only the body but ultimately the mind as well. Gross     236     and stimulating food fevers the blood, excites the nervous system, and too often dulls the moral perceptions so that reason and conscience are overborne by the sensual impulses. It is difficult, and often well-nigh impossible, for one who is intemperate in diet to exercise patience and self-control.--CTBH 134, 1890. (CG 461.)  {1MCP 235.5}
[1MCP 236.1]          Meat Excites and Strengthens Lower Passions.-- Meat should not be placed before our children. Its influence is to excite and strengthen the lower passions, and has a tendency to deaden the moral powers. Grains and fruits prepared free from grease and in as natural a condition as possible should be the food for the tables of all who claim to be preparing for translation to heaven. The less feverish the diet, the more easily can the passions be controlled. Gratification of taste should not be consulted irrespective of physical, intellectual, or moral health.--2T 352 (1869).  {1MCP 236.1}
[1MCP 236.2]          Put Temptation to Death.--The lower passions have their seat in the body and work through it. The words flesh or fleshly or carnal lusts embrace the lower, corrupt nature; the flesh of itself cannot act contrary to the will of God. We are commanded to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts. How shall we do it? Shall we inflict pain on the body? No; but put to death the temptation to sin.  {1MCP 236.2}
[1MCP 236.3]          The corrupt thought is to be expelled. Every thought is to be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. All animal propensities are to be subjected to the higher powers of the soul. The love of God must reign supreme; Christ must occupy an undivided throne. Our bodies are to be regarded as His purchased possession. The members of the body are to become the instruments of righteousness.-- MS 1, 1888. (AH 127, 128.)  {1MCP 236.3}
[1MCP 236.4]          Exchange Impure Suggestions for Pure, Elevating Thoughts.--The mind must be kept meditating upon                                                        237     pure and holy subjects. An impure suggestion must be dismissed at once, and pure, elevating thoughts, holy contemplation, be entertained, thus obtaining more and more knowledge of God by training the mind in the contemplation of heavenly things. God has simple means open to every individual case, sufficient to secure the great end, the salvation of the soul.  {1MCP 236.4}
[1MCP 237.1]          Resolve to reach a high and holy standard; make your mark high; act with earnest purpose, as did Daniel, steadily, perseveringly, and nothing that the enemy can do will hinder your improvement. Notwithstanding inconveniences, changes, perplexities, you may constantly advance in mental vigor and moral power.--Lt 26d, 1887. (HP 197.)  {1MCP 237.1}
[1MCP 237.2]          Don't Create an Emergency.--Every unholy passion must be kept under the control of sanctified reason through the grace abundantly bestowed of God in every emergency. But let no arrangement be made to create an emergency, let there be no voluntary act to place one where he will be assailed with temptation or give the least occasion for others to think him guilty of indiscretion.--Lt 18, 1891.  {1MCP 237.2}
[1MCP 237.3]          Keep Away From the Brink.--Do not see how close you can walk upon the brink of a precipice and be safe. Avoid the first approach to danger. The soul's interests cannot be trifled with. Your capital is your character. Cherish it as you would a golden treasure. Moral purity, self-respect, a strong power of resistance, must be firmly and constantly cherished. . . .  {1MCP 237.3}
[1MCP 237.4]          Let no one think he can overcome without the help of God. You must have the energy, the strength, the power, of an inner life developed within you. You will then bear fruit unto godliness and will have an intense loathing of vice. You need to constantly strive to work away from earthliness, from cheap conversation, from everything sensual, and aim for nobility of soul and a pure and     238     unspotted character. Your name may be kept so pure that it cannot justly be connected with anything dishonest or unrighteous but will be respected by all the good and pure, and it may be written in the Lamb's book of life.-- MS 4a, 1885. (MM 143, 144.)  {1MCP 237.4}
[1MCP 238.1]          Satan or Christ in Control.--When the mind is not under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, Satan can mold it as he chooses. All the rational powers which he controls he will carnalize. He is directly opposed to God in his tastes, views, preferences, likes and dislikes, choice of things and pursuits; there is no relish for what God loves or approves but a delight in those things which He despises. . . .  {1MCP 238.1}
[1MCP 238.2]          If Christ is abiding in the heart, He will be in all our thoughts. Our deepest thoughts will be of Him, His love, His purity. He will fill all the chambers of the mind. Our affections will center about Jesus. All our hopes and expectations will be associated with Him. To live the life we now live by faith in the Son of God, looking forward to and loving His appearing, will be the soul's highest joy. He will be the crown of our rejoicing.--Lt 8, 1891. (HP 163.)  {1MCP 238.2}
[1MCP 238.3]          A Lifelong Vigilance.--As long as life shall last there is need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. There is inward corruption, there are outward temptations, and wherever the work of God shall be advanced, Satan plans so to arrange circumstances that temptation shall come with overpowering force upon the soul. Not one moment can we be secure only as we are relying upon God, the life hid with Christ in God.--Lt 8b, 1891. (2BC 1032.)  {1MCP 238.3}
[1MCP 238.4]          God is Preparing a People.--God's people must not only know His will, but they must practice it. Many will be purged out from the numbers of those who know the truth because they are not sanctified by it. The truth                                                             239     must be brought into their hearts, sanctifying and cleansing them from all earthliness and sensuality in the most private life. The soul temple must be cleansed. Every secret act is as if we were in the presence of God and holy angels, as all things are open before God, and from Him nothing can be hid. . . .  {1MCP 238.4}
[1MCP 239.1]          God is purifying a people to have clean hands and pure hearts to stand before Him in the judgment. The standard must be elevated, the imagination purified; the infatuation clustering around debasing practices must be given up, and the soul uplifted to pure thoughts, holy practices. All who will stand the test and trial just before us will be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped, not participated in, the corruptions that are in the world through lust.--RH, May 24, 1887.  {1MCP 239.1}
[1MCP 240.1]       Chap. 26 - Brotherly Love           Love for Others Brings Joy.--I would say to my brethren everywhere: Cultivate the love of Christ! It should well up from the soul of the Christian like streams in the desert, refreshing and beautifying, bringing gladness, peace, and joy into his own life and into the lives of others.--5T 565 (1889).  {1MCP 240.1}
[1MCP 240.2]          Example of Unselfish Love Irresistible.--The more closely we resemble our Saviour in character, the greater will be our love toward those for whom He died. Christians who manifest a spirit of unselfish love for one another are bearing a testimony for Christ which unbelievers can neither gainsay nor resist. It is impossible to estimate the power of such an example. Nothing will so successfully defeat the devices of Satan and his emissaries, nothing will so build up the Redeemer's kingdom, as will the love of Christ manifested by the members of the church.--5T 167, 168 (1882).  {1MCP 240.2}
[1MCP 240.3]          Self May Obscure Love.--Love is an active principle; it keeps the good of others continually before us, thus restraining us from inconsiderate actions lest we fail of our object in winning souls to Christ. Love seeks not its                                                             241     own. It will not prompt men to seek their own ease and indulgence of self. It is the respect we render to I that so often hinders the growth of love.--5T 124 (1882).  {1MCP 240.3}
[1MCP 241.1]          Humility Outgrowth of Love.--Love vaunteth not itself. It is a humble element; it never prompts a man to boast, to exalt himself. Love for God and for our fellowmen will not be revealed in acts of rashness or lead us to be overbearing, faultfinding, or dictatorial. Love is not puffed up. The heart where love reigns will be guided to a gentle, courteous, compassionate course of conduct toward others, whether they suit our fancy or not, whether they respect us or treat us ill.--5T 123, 124 (1882).  {1MCP 241.1}
[1MCP 241.2]          True Love Self-effacing.--The devotion which God requires reveals itself in unfeigned love for the souls for whom Christ gave His life. Christ dwelling in the heart will be manifested by the love which He enjoins upon His disciples. His true children will prefer others to themselves. They do not seek for the lion's share at any time or in any place, because they do not look upon their talents as superior to those of their brethren. When this is indeed the case, the sign will be given in a revelation of the love which Christ manifested for the souls of men--an unselfish, unfeigned love, which preferred the welfare of others before His own.--MS 121, 1899.  {1MCP 241.2}
[1MCP 241.3]          Love Transforms Character.--To those who know not the truth, let the love of Jesus be presented, and it will work like leaven for the transformation of character.-- 8T 60 (1904).  {1MCP 241.3}
[1MCP 241.4]          Selfish Love.--God would have His children realize that in order to glorify Him their affection must be given to those who most need it. . . . No selfishness in look, word, or deed is to be manifested when dealing with those of like precious faith, . . . whether they be high or low, rich or poor. The love that gives kind words to only a few,     242     while others are treated with coldness and indifference, is not love but selfishness. It will not in any way work for the good of souls or the glory of God. Our love is not to be sealed up for special ones, to the neglect of others. Break the bottle, and the fragrance will fill the house.--MS 17, 1899. (HC 231.)  {1MCP 241.4}
[1MCP 242.1]          Ability No Substitute for Love.--Talk, Pharisaism, and self-praise are abundant; but these will never win souls to Christ. Pure, sanctified love, such love as was expressed in Christ's lifework, is as a sacred perfume. Like Mary's broken box of ointment, it fills the whole house with fragrance. Eloquence, knowledge of truth, rare talents, mingled with love, are all precious endowments. But ability alone, the choicest talents alone, cannot take the place of love.--6T 84 (1900).  {1MCP 242.1}
[1MCP 242.2]          Liberality a Proof of Love.--The proof of our love is given in a Christlike spirit, a willingness to impart the good things God has given us, a readiness to practice self-denial and self-sacrifice in order to help advance the cause of God and suffering humanity. Never should we pass by the object that calls for our liberality. We reveal that we have passed from death unto life when we act as faithful stewards of God's grace. God has given us His goods; He has given us His pledged word that if we are faithful in our stewardship, we shall lay up in heaven treasures that are imperishable.--RH, May 15, 1900.  {1MCP 242.2}
[1MCP 242.3]          Giving Genuine Love a Sign of Discipleship.--No matter how high the profession, he whose heart is not filled with love for God and his fellowmen is not a true disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith and have power even to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality; but should he, from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his                                                     243     zeal he might even meet a martyr's death, yet if not actuated by love, he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite.--AA 318, 319 (1911).  {1MCP 242.3}
[1MCP 243.1]          The Heart in Which Love Rules.--The heart in which love rules will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride and self-love would deem unbearable. Love is unsuspecting, ever placing the most favorable construction upon the motives and acts of others.--5T 168, 169 (1882).  {1MCP 243.1}
[1MCP 243.2]          The activity of Satan's army, the danger that surrounds the human soul, calls for the energies of every worker. But no compulsion shall be exercised. Man's depravity is to be met by the love, the patience, the long-suffering of God.--6T 237 (1900).  {1MCP 243.2}
[1MCP 243.3]          Corrects Peculiarities.--When man is a partaker of the divine nature, the love of Christ will be an abiding principle in the soul, and self and its peculiarities will not be exhibited.--6T 52 (1900).  {1MCP 243.3}
[1MCP 243.4]          Only Love of Christ Can Heal.--Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only he in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or as the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul.--Ed 114 (1903).  {1MCP 243.4}
[1MCP 243.5]          Prepares for Every Eventuality.--Everyone who truly loves God will have the spirit of Christ and a fervent love for his brethren. The more a person's heart is in communion with God, and the more his affections are centered in Christ, the less will he be disturbed by the roughness and hardships he meets in this life.--5T 483, 484 (1889).     244  {1MCP 243.5}
[1MCP 244.1]          Brotherhood Never Gained Through Compromise. --Those who love Jesus and the souls for whom He has died will follow after the things which make for peace. But they must take care lest in their efforts to prevent discord they surrender truth, lest in warding off division they sacrifice principle. True brotherhood can never be maintained by compromising principle. As Christians approach the Christlike model and become pure in spirit and action they will feel the venom of the serpent. The opposition of the children of disobedience is excited by a Christianity that is spiritual. . . . That peace and harmony which are secured by mutual concessions to avoid all differences of opinion are not worthy of the name. On points of feeling between man and man, concessions should sometimes be made; but never should one iota of principle be sacrificed to obtain harmony.--RH, Jan 16, 1900.  {1MCP 244.1}
[1MCP 244.2]          Divine Love Impartial.--Christ came to this earth with a message of mercy and forgiveness. He laid the foundation for a religion by which Jew and Gentile, black and white, free and bond, are linked together in one common brotherhood, recognized as equal in the sight of God. The Saviour has a boundless love for every human being. In each one He sees capacity for improvement. With divine energy and hope He greets those for whom He has given His life.--7T 225 (1902).  {1MCP 244.2}
[1MCP 244.3]          Enfolds Human Brotherhood in God's Embrace.-- Sanctified love for one another is sacred. In this great work Christian love for one another--far higher, more constant, more courteous, more unselfish, than has been seen--preserves Christian tenderness, Christian benevolence, and politeness, and enfolds the human brotherhood in the embrace of God, acknowledging the dignity with which God has invested the rights of man. This dignity Christians must ever cultivate for the honor and glory of God.--Lt 10, 1897. (5BC 1140, 1141.)                                                            245  {1MCP 244.3}
[1MCP 245.1]         Your Love for Souls Measures Your Love for God. --The love revealed in Christ's life of self-denial and self-sacrifice is to be seen in the lives of His followers. We are called "so to walk, even as He walked.". . .  It is our privilege to stand with the light of heaven upon us. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. It was no easier for Enoch to live a righteous life than it is for us at the present time. The world in his time was no more favorable to growth in grace and holiness than it is now. . . . We are living in the perils of the last days, and we must receive our strength from the same source. We must walk with God. . . .  {1MCP 245.1}
[1MCP 245.2]          God calls upon you to put all your strength into the work. You will have to render an account for the good you might have done had you been standing in the right position. It is time you were co-workers with Christ and the heavenly angels. Will you awake? There are souls among you who need your help. Have you felt a burden to bring them to the cross? Bear in mind that just the degree of love you have for God you will reveal for your brethren, and for souls who are lost and undone, out of Christ.-- RH, Jan 9, 1900.  {1MCP 245.2}
[1MCP 245.3]          Perfect Love in the Church, the Aim of Christ.-- Jesus could have flashed bright beams of light on the darkest mysteries of science, but He would not spare a moment from teaching the knowledge of the science of salvation. His time, His knowledge, His faculties, His life itself, were appreciated only as the means of working out the salvation of the souls of men. O what love, what matchless love!  {1MCP 245.3}
[1MCP 245.4]          Contrast our tame, lifeless, half-paralyzed efforts with the work of the Lord Jesus. Listen to His words, to His prayer to the Father, "I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:26). What language is this! How deep, how broad, how full! The Lord Jesus desires to shed abroad His love     246     through every member of the body, His church, that the vitality of that love may circulate through every part of the body and dwell in us as it dwells in Him. The Lord then can love fallen man as He does His own Son; and He declares that He will be satisfied with nothing less than this in our behalf.--MS 11, 1892.  {1MCP 245.4}
[1MCP 247.1]       Chap. 27 - God's Love           God Is Love.--"God is love" (1 John 4:16). His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. "The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity" (Isaiah 57:15), whose "ways are everlasting" (Habakkuk 3:6), changeth not. With Him "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  {1MCP 247.1}
[1MCP 247.2]          Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing to all created beings. . . .  {1MCP 247.2}
[1MCP 247.3]          The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of God's unchanging love.-- PP 33 (1890).  {1MCP 247.3}
[1MCP 247.4]          God's Love Demonstrated in Nature.--Nature and revelation alike testify of God's love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator's love.     248     It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. . . .  {1MCP 247.4}
[1MCP 248.1]          "God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green-- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.--SC 9, 10 (1892).  {1MCP 248.1}
[1MCP 248.2]          Commandments Based on Principle of Love.--The precepts of the Decalogue are adapted to all mankind, and they were given for the instruction and government of all. Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellowman; and all ［are］ based upon the great fundamental principle of love.--PP 305 (1890).  {1MCP 248.2}
[1MCP 248.3]          Jesus and the Law of Sympathetic Love.--The law of God was changeless in its character, and therefore Christ gave Himself a sacrifice in behalf of fallen man, and Adam lost Eden and was placed with all his posterity upon probation.  {1MCP 248.3}
[1MCP 248.4]          Had the law of God been changed in one precept since the expulsion of Satan from heaven, he would have gained on earth after his fall that which he could not gain in heaven before his fall. He would have received all that he asked for. We know that he did not. . . . The law . . . remains unalterable as the throne of God, and the salvation of every soul is determined by obedience or disobedience. . . .  {1MCP 248.4}
[1MCP 248.5]          Jesus, by the law of sympathetic love, bore our sins, took our punishment, and drank the cup of the wrath of God apportioned to the transgressor. . . . He bore the cross of self-denial and self-sacrifice for us, that we might have life, eternal life. Will we bear the cross for Jesus?--Lt 110, 1896. (KH 289.)                                                                249  {1MCP 248.5}
[1MCP 249.1]          Sensitive, Loving Nature of Christ.--His life, from its beginning to its close, was one of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Upon the cross of Calvary He made the great sacrifice of Himself in behalf of all men that the whole world might have salvation if they would. Christ was hid in God, and God stood revealed to the world in the character of His Son. . . .  {1MCP 249.1}
[1MCP 249.2]          Love for a lost world was manifested every day, in every act of His life. Those who are imbued by His spirit will work in the same lines as those in which Christ worked. In Christ the light and love of God were manifested in human nature. No human being has ever possessed so sensitive a nature as did the sinless, Holy One of God, who stood as head and representative of what humanity may become through the imparting of the divine nature.--YI, Aug 16, 1894. (KH 288.)  {1MCP 249.2}
[1MCP 249.3]          God's Love a Living Spring.--The love of God is something more than a mere negation; it is a positive and active principle, a living spring, ever flowing to bless others. If the love of Christ dwells in us, we shall not only cherish no hatred toward our fellows, but we shall seek in every way to manifest love toward them.--MB 58 (1896).  {1MCP 249.3}
[1MCP 249.4]          Universe Expresses God's Love.--Would that everyone could rightly estimate the precious gift our heavenly Father has made to our world. The disciples felt that they could not express the love of Christ. They could only say, "Herein is love." The entire universe gives expression to this love and to God's unbounded benevolence.  {1MCP 249.4}
[1MCP 249.5]          God might have sent His Son into the world to condemn the world. But amazing grace! Christ came to save, not to destroy. The apostles never touched this theme without their hearts glowing with the inspiration of the matchless love of the Saviour. The apostle John cannot find words to express his feelings. He exclaims, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed     250     upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not" (1 John 3:1). How much the Father loved us we can never compute. There is no standard with which to compare it.--Lt 27, 1901.  {1MCP 249.5}
[1MCP 250.1]          Satan Responsible for Conception of a Harsh, Stern God.-- Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice--one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men that He may visit judgments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.--SC 11 (1892).  {1MCP 250.1}
[1MCP 250.2]          Love Between the Father and the Son a Type.-- However much a shepherd may love his sheep, he loves his sons and daughters more. Jesus is not only our shepherd; He is our "everlasting Father." And He says, "I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father" (John 10:14, RV). What a statement is this!--the only-begotten Son, He who is in the bosom of the Father, He whom God has declared to be "the man that is my fellow" (Zechariah 13:7)--the communion between Him and the eternal God is taken to represent the communion between Christ and His children on the earth!--DA 483 (1898).  {1MCP 250.2}
[1MCP 250.3]          God loves the followers of Christ as He loves His only-begotten Son.--MS 67, 1894.  {1MCP 250.3}
[1MCP 250.4]          Christ's Love Is a Vitalizing, Healing Energy.--The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part--the brain, the heart, the nerves--it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care,                                                           251     that crush the life-forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul joy that nothing earthly can destroy--joy in the Holy Spirit--health-giving,  life-giving joy.--MH 115 (1905).  {1MCP 250.4}
[1MCP 251.1]          Reviewing God's Love.--Thank God for the bright pictures which He has presented to us. Let us group together the blessed assurances of His love that we may look upon them continually: The Son of God leaving His Father's throne, clothing His divinity with humanity, that He might rescue man from the power of Satan; His triumph in our behalf, opening heaven to men, revealing to human vision the presence chamber where the Deity unveils His glory; the fallen race uplifted from the pit of ruin into which sin had plunged it, and brought again into connection with the infinite God, and having endured the divine test through faith in our Redeemer, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and exalted to His throne--these are the pictures which God would have us contemplate.--SC 118 (1892).  {1MCP 251.1}
[1MCP 251.2]          Love Makes Our Heaven.--It is the love of Christ that makes our heaven. But when we seek to tell of this love, language fails us. We think of His life on earth, of His sacrifice for us; we think of His work in heaven as our advocate, of the mansions He is preparing for those who love Him; and we can but exclaim, "Oh, the heights and depths of the love of Christ!" As we linger beneath the cross, we gain a faint conception of the love of God, and we say, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). But in our contemplation of Christ, we are only lingering round the edge of a love that is measureless. His love is like a vast ocean, without bottom or shore.--RH, May 6, 1902.  {1MCP 251.2}
[1MCP 251.3]          God's Love Infinite, Exhaustless.--All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation     252     through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more.--5T 740 (1889).  {1MCP 251.3}
[1MCP 252.1]         God's Love Progressive.--The years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character.--GC 678 (1911).  {1MCP 252.1}
[1MCP 255.1]       Chap. 28 - Self-respect           Developing Self-respect.--If we wish to do good to souls, our success with these souls will be in proportion to their belief in our belief in, and appreciation of, them. Respect shown to the struggling human soul is the sure means through Christ Jesus of the restoration of the  self-respect the man has lost. Our advancing ideas of what he may become are a help we cannot ourselves fully appreciate. --Lt 50, 1893. (FE 281.)  {1MCP 255.1}
[1MCP 255.2]          Respect for the Dignity of Man as Man.--Wherever principle is not compromised, consideration of others will lead to compliance with accepted customs; but true courtesy requires no sacrifice of principle to conventionality. It ignores caste. It teaches self-respect, respect for the dignity of man as man, a regard for every member of the great human brotherhood.--Ed 240 (1903).  {1MCP 255.2}
[1MCP 255.3]          Maintain Self-respect.--Some with whom you are brought in contact may be rough and uncourteous, but do not, because of this, be less courteous yourself. He who wishes to preserve his own self-respect must be careful not to wound needlessly the self-respect of others. This rule should be sacredly observed toward the dullest, the     256     most blundering. What God intends to do with these apparently unpromising ones, you do not know. He has in the past accepted persons no more promising or attractive to do a great work for Him. His Spirit, moving upon the heart, has roused every faculty to vigorous action. The Lord saw in these rough, unhewn stones precious material, which would stand the test of storm and heat and pressure. God does not see as man sees. He does not judge from appearances, but searches the heart and judges righteously.--GW 122, 123 (1915).  {1MCP 255.3}
[1MCP 256.1]          Conscientiousness Engenders Self-respect.--Men of principle need not the restriction of locks and keys; they do not need to be watched and guarded. They will deal truly and honorably at all times--alone, with no eye upon them, as well as in public. They will not bring a stain upon their souls for any amount of gain or selfish advantage. They scorn a mean act. Although no one else might know it, they would know it themselves, and this would destroy their self-respect. Those who are not conscientious and faithful in little things would not be reformed, were there laws and restrictions and penalties upon the point.--SpTPH 62, 1879. (CH 410.)  {1MCP 256.1}
[1MCP 256.2]          Self-respect Must Be Firmly Cherished.--Moral purity, self-respect, a strong power of resistance, must be firmly and constantly cherished. There should not be one departure from reserve. One act of familiarity, one indiscretion, may jeopardize the soul by opening the door to temptation and thus weakening the power of resistance. --HPMMW 26, 1885. (CH 295.)  {1MCP 256.2}
[1MCP 256.3]          Respect for Others Measured by Self-respect.-- Through indulgence in sin, self-respect is destroyed; and when that is gone, respect for others is lessened; we think that others are as unrighteous as we are ourselves.--6T 53 (1900).                                                           257  {1MCP 256.3}
[1MCP 257.1]          By Wrong Habits the Student Destroys Self-respect. --By wrong habits he loses his power of self-appreciation. He loses self-control. He cannot reason correctly about matters that concern him most closely. He is reckless and irrational in his treatment of mind and body. By wrong habits he makes of himself a wreck. Happiness he cannot have, for his neglect to cultivate pure, healthful principles places him under the control of habits that ruin his peace. His years of taxing study are lost, for he has destroyed himself. He has misused his physical and mental powers, and the temple of the body is in ruins. He is ruined for this life and for the life to come. By acquiring earthly knowledge he thought to gain a treasure, but by laying his Bible aside he sacrificed a treasure worth everything else.--COL 108, 109 (1900).  {1MCP 257.1}
[1MCP 257.2]          Impatient Words Injure Self-respect.--Those who indulge in such language ［impatient words］ will experience shame, loss of self-respect, loss of self-confidence, and will have bitter remorse and regret that they allowed themselves to lose self-control and speak in this way. How much better would it be if words of this character were never spoken. How much better to have the oil of grace in the heart, to be able to pass by all provocation, and bear all things with Christlike meekness and forbearance.-- RH, Feb 27, 1913. (MYP 327.)  {1MCP 257.2}
[1MCP 257.3]          Parents Never to Forfeit Self-respect by Thoughtless Words.--Let not one word of fretfulness, harshness, or passion escape your lips. The grace of Christ awaits your demand. His Spirit will take control of your heart and conscience, presiding over your words and deeds. Never forfeit your self-respect by hasty, thoughtless words. See that your words are pure, your conversation holy. Give your children an example of that which you wish them to be. . . . Let there be peace, pleasant words, and cheerful countenances.--Lt 28, 1890. (CG 219.)     258  {1MCP 257.3}
[1MCP 258.1]          Self-respect Destroyed by Masturbation. ［SEE CHILD GUIDANCE, PP. 439-468.］--The effect of such debasing habits is not the same upon all minds. There are some children who have the moral powers largely developed, who, by associating with children that practice self-abuse, become initiated into this vice. The effect upon such will be too frequently to make them melancholy, irritable, and jealous; yet such may not lose their respect for religious worship and may not show special infidelity in regard to spiritual things. They will at times suffer keenly from feelings of remorse, and will feel degraded in their own eyes and lose their self-respect.--2T 392 (1870).  {1MCP 258.1}
[1MCP 258.2]         Do Not Destroy Self-respect.--When one at fault becomes conscious of his error, be careful not to destroy his self-respect. Do not discourage him by indifference or distrust. Do not say, "Before giving him my confidence, I will wait to see whether he will hold out." Often this very distrust causes the tempted one to stumble.-- MH 167, 168 (1905).  {1MCP 258.2}
[1MCP 258.3]          Self-support Increases Self-respect.--Those who are endeavoring to reform should be provided with employment. None who are able to labor should be taught to expect food and clothing and shelter free of cost. For their own sake, as well as for the sake of others, some way should be devised whereby they may return an equivalent for what they receive. Encourage every effort toward self-support. This will strengthen self-respect and a noble independence. And occupation of mind and body in useful work is essential as a safeguard against temptation.--MH 177 (1905).  {1MCP 258.3}
[1MCP 258.4]          Ownership Aids Poor to Gain Self-respect.--The sense of being owners of their own homes would inspire them ［the poor］ with a strong desire for improvement.                                                            259     They would soon acquire skill in planning and devising for themselves; their children would be educated to habits of industry and economy, and the intellect would be greatly strengthened. They would feel that they are men, not slaves, and would be able to regain to a great degree their lost self-respect and moral independence.--HS 165, 166, 1886. (AH 373.)  {1MCP 258.4}
[1MCP 259.1]          Self-culture and Dignity.--It is important for ministers of Christ to see the necessity of self-culture in order to adorn their profession and maintain a becoming dignity. Without mental training they will certainly fail in everything they undertake.--2T 500, 501 (1870).  {1MCP 259.1}
[1MCP 259.2]          Beware of Self-pity.--We need to beware of self-pity. Never indulge the feeling that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your efforts are not appreciated, that your work is too difficult. Let the memory of what Christ has endured for us silence every murmuring thought. We are treated better than was our Lord. "Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). --MH 476 (1905).  {1MCP 259.2}
[1MCP 259.3]          Christ Restores Self-respect.--It should not be difficult to remember that the Lord desires you to lay your troubles and perplexities at His feet, and leave them there. Go to Him, saying, "Lord, my burdens are too heavy for me to carry. Wilt Thou bear them for me?" And He will answer, "I will take them. 'With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.' I will take your sins and will give you peace. Banish no longer your self-respect; for I have bought you with the price of My own blood. You are Mine. Your weakened will I will strengthen. Your remorse for sin I will remove."--Lt 2, 1914 (TM 519, 520.)  {1MCP 259.3}
[1MCP 259.4]          Counsel to One Who Had Lost Self-respect.--Jesus loves you, and He has given me a message for you. His     260     great heart of infinite tenderness yearns over you. He sends you the message that you may recover yourself from the snare of the enemy. You may regain your self-respect. You may stand where you regard yourself, not as a failure, but as a conqueror, in and through the uplifting influence of the Spirit of God. Take hold of the hand of Christ and do not let it go.--Lt 228, 1903. (MM 43.)  {1MCP 259.4}
[1MCP 260.1]         Cultivate Self-respect.--It is not pleasing to God that you should demerit yourself. You should cultivate self-respect by living so that you will be approved by your own conscience and before men and angels. . . . It is your privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). While we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, the Word of God does not condemn a proper self-respect. As sons and daughters of God, we should have a conscious dignity of character, in which pride and self-importance have no part.--RH, Mar 27, 1888. (HC 143.)  {1MCP 260.1}
[1MCP 261.1]       Chap. 29 - Dependence and Independence                (A) Dependence Upon God, Not Man          Dependence Upon God Is Absolute.--God would have every soul for whom Christ has died become a part of the vine, connected with the parent stock, drawing nourishment from it. Our dependence on God is absolute and should keep us very humble; and because of our dependence on Him, our knowledge of Him should be greatly increased. God would have us put away every species of selfishness and come to Him, not as the owner of ourselves, but as the Lord's purchased possession.--SpT Series A, No. 8, pp 8, 9, 1897. (TM 324, 325.)  {1MCP 261.1}
[1MCP 261.2]          Depend Upon God, Not Man.--God desires to bring men into direct relation with Himself. In all His dealings with human beings He recognizes the principle of personal responsibility. He seeks to encourage a sense of personal dependence and to impress the need of personal guidance. He desires to bring the human into association with the divine that men may be transformed into the divine likeness. Satan works to thwart this purpose. He seeks to encourage dependence upon men. When minds are turned away from God, the tempter can bring them     262     under his rule. He can control humanity.--MH 242, 243 (1905).  {1MCP 261.2}
[1MCP 262.1]          Make God your entire dependence. When you do otherwise, then it is time for a halt to be called. Stop right where you are and change the order of things. . . . In sincerity, in soul-hunger, cry after God. Wrestle with the heavenly agencies until you have the victory. Put your whole being into the Lord's hands--soul, body, and spirit--and resolve to be His loving, consecrated agency, moved by His will, controlled by His mind, infused by His Spirit; . . . then you will see heavenly things clearly.--MS 24, 1891. (SD 105.)  {1MCP 262.1}
[1MCP 262.2]          Make God Your Counselor.--In the place of bearing your perplexities to a brother or a minister, take them to the Lord in prayer. Do not place the minister where God should be but make him a subject of your prayers. We have all erred on this point. The minister of Christ is like other men. True, he bears more sacred responsibilities than a common businessman, but he is not infallible. He is compassed with infirmity, and needs grace and divine enlightenment. He needs the heavenly unction to do his work with exactitude and success, giving full proof of his ministry. There are those who are ignorant of the way of life and salvation, and these will find in the godly minister one who will teach them what they shall do to be saved.  {1MCP 262.2}
[1MCP 262.3]          Those who know how to pray, who know what are the invitations of the gospel of Christ, who know the immutability of His promises, show dishonor to God when they lay their burden upon finite men. It is right, always, to counsel together. It is right to converse together. It is right to make the difficulties that present themselves in any enterprise plain before your brethren and your minister. But do not so greatly dishonor God as to depend on man for wisdom. Seek God for the wisdom that cometh from above. Ask your fellow laborers to pray with you,                                                          263     and the Lord will fulfill His word, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).--MS 23, 1899.  {1MCP 262.3}
[1MCP 263.1]                 (B) Dependence and Independence in                      Working Relationships            One Man's Mind.--It is a mistake to make men believe that the workers for Christ should make no move save that which has first been brought before some responsible man. Men must not be educated to look to men as to God. While it is necessary that there be a counseling together and a unity of action among the laborers, one man's mind and one man's judgment must not be the controlling power.--RH, Aug 7, 1894.  {1MCP 263.1}
[1MCP 263.2]          To Grow in Efficiency.--God is the ruler of His people, and He will teach those who give their minds to Him how to use their brains. As they employ their executive ability, they will grow in efficiency. The Lord's heritage is made up of vessels large and small, but each one has his individual work. The mind of one man, or the minds of two or three men, are not to be depended on as certain to be safe for all to follow. Let all look to God, trust in Him, and believe fully in His power. Yoke up with Christ and not with men, for men have no power to keep you from falling.--Lt 88, 1896.  {1MCP 263.2}
[1MCP 263.3]          Counsel to an Executive.--Your dependence must be in God. You are not to let other men empty their minds into your mind. You are not to allow them by their persuasions to lead you into false paths. Put your trust wholly in Him who declares, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).--Lt 92, 1903.  {1MCP 263.3}
[1MCP 263.4]          Dependence Upon God Builds Confidence.--When men cease to depend upon men, when they make God     264     their efficiency, then there will be more confidence manifested one in another. Our faith in God is altogether too feeble and our confidence in one another altogether too meager.--SpT Series A, No. 3, p 48, 1895. (TM 214.)  {1MCP 263.4}
[1MCP 264.1]          Self-dependence Leads to Temptation.--By earnest prayer and dependence upon God, Solomon obtained the wisdom which excited the wonder and admiration of the world. But when he turned from the Source of his strength and went forward relying upon himself, he fell a prey to temptation. Then the marvelous powers bestowed on this wisest of kings only rendered him a more effective agent of the adversary of souls.--GC 509 (1911).  {1MCP 264.1}
[1MCP 264.2]          Dependence on Others May Mean Immaturity.-- Men who ought to be as true in every emergency as the needle to the pole have become inefficient by their efforts to shield themselves from censure and by evading responsibilities for fear of failure. Men of giant intellect are babes in discipline because they are cowardly in regard to taking and bearing the burdens they should. They are neglecting to become efficient. They have too long trusted one man to plan for them and to do the thinking which they are highly capable of doing themselves in the interest of the cause of God. Mental deficiencies meet us at every point.  {1MCP 264.2}
[1MCP 264.3]          Men who are content to let others plan and do their thinking for them are not fully developed. If they were left to plan for themselves, they would be found judicious, close-calculating men. But when brought into connection with God's cause, it is entirely another thing to them; they lose this faculty almost altogether. They are content to remain as incompetent and inefficient as though others must do the planning and much of the thinking for them. Some men appear to be utterly unable to hew out a path for themselves. Must they ever rely upon others to do their planning and their studying, and to be mind and judgment for them? God is ashamed of such soldiers. He                                                           265     is not honored by their having any part to act in His work while they are mere machines.--3T 495, 496 (1875).  {1MCP 264.3}
[1MCP 265.1]          Independent Men Are Needed.--Independent men of earnest endeavor are needed, not men as impressible as putty. Those who want their work made ready to their hand, who desire a fixed amount to do and a fixed salary, and who wish to prove an exact fit without the trouble of adaptation or training are not the men whom God calls to work in His cause. A man who cannot adapt his abilities to almost any place if necessity requires is not the man for this time.  {1MCP 265.1}
[1MCP 265.2]          Men whom God will connect with His work are not limp and fiberless, without muscle or moral force of character. It is only by continued and persevering labor that men can be disciplined to bear a part in the work of God. These men should not become discouraged if circumstances and surroundings are the most unfavorable. They should not give up their purpose as a complete failure until they are convinced beyond a doubt that they cannot do much for the honor of God and the good of souls.-- 3T 496 (1875).  {1MCP 265.2}
[1MCP 265.3]          Unsanctified Independence Springs From Selfishness.-- The evils of self-esteem and an unsanctified independence, which most impair our usefulness and which will prove our ruin if not overcome, spring from selfishness. "Counsel together" is the message which has been again and again repeated to me by the angel of God. By influencing one man's judgment, Satan may endeavor to control matters to suit himself. He may succeed in misleading the minds of two persons; but when several consult together, there is more safety. Every plan will be more closely criticized; every advance move more carefully studied. Hence there will be less danger of precipitate, ill-advised moves, which would bring confusion, perplexity, and defeat. In union there is strength. In division there is weakness and defeat.--5T 29, 30 (1882).     266  {1MCP 265.3}
[1MCP 266.1]                    (C) Independence of Spirit          The Hazards of Personal Independence.--Ever remember what is due to our Christian profession as God's peculiar people; and beware lest in the exercise of personal independence your influence may work against the purposes of God, and you, through Satan's devices, become a stumbling block, directly in the way of those who are weak and halting. There is danger of giving our enemies occasion to blaspheme God and heap scorn upon believers in the truth.--5T 477, 478 (1889).  {1MCP 266.1}
[1MCP 266.2]          Independence of Spirit.--There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power, which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising; for he who does this despises the voice of God.--AA 163, 164 (1911).  {1MCP 266.2}
[1MCP 266.3]          Concert of Action.--One point will have to be guarded, and that is individual independence. As soldiers in Christ's army, there should be concert of action in the various departments of the work. . . . Each laborer should act with reference to the others. Followers of Jesus Christ will not act independently one of another. Our strength must be in God, and it must be husbanded, to be put forth in noble, concentrated action. It must not be wasted in meaningless movements.--5T 534, 535 (1889).  {1MCP 266.3}
[1MCP 266.4]          Self-sufficiency Exposes Us to Wiles of Satan.-- We are living amid the perils of the last days, and if we                                                        267     have a spirit of self-sufficiency and independence, we shall be exposed to the wiles of Satan and be overcome. --3T 66 (1872).  {1MCP 266.4}
[1MCP 267.1]                     (D) Moral Independence          The Law of Mutual Dependence.--We are all woven together in the great web of humanity, and whatever we can do to benefit and uplift others will reflect in blessing upon ourselves. The law of mutual dependence runs through all classes of society. The poor are not more dependent upon the rich than are the rich upon the poor. While the one class ask a share in the blessings which God has bestowed upon their wealthier neighbors, the other need the faithful service, the strength of brain and bone and muscle, that are the capital of the poor.--PP 534, 535 (1890).  {1MCP 267.1}
[1MCP 267.2]          Duty to Obey Individual Religious Convictions.-- Many are the ways by which Satan works through human influence to bind his captives. He secures multitudes to himself by attaching them by the silken cords of affection to those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. Whatever this attachment may be--parental, filial, conjugal, or social--the effect is the same; the opposers of truth exert their power to control the conscience, and the souls held under their sway have not sufficient courage or independence to obey their own convictions of duty.-- GC 597 (1911).  {1MCP 267.2}
[1MCP 267.3]          Individual Judgment Stifled.--Though reason and conscience are convinced, these deluded souls ［professors of religion in the popular churches］ dare not think differently from the minister; and their individual judgment, their eternal interests, are sacrificed to the unbelief, the pride and prejudice, of another.-- GC 597 (1911).     268  {1MCP 267.3}
[1MCP 268.1]          Independently to Stand for Right.--It will require courage and independence to rise above the religious standard of the Christian world. They do not follow the Saviour's example of self-denial; they make no sacrifice; they are constantly seeking to evade the cross which Christ declares to be the token of discipleship.--5T 78 (1882).  {1MCP 268.1}
[1MCP 268.2]          Moral Independence When Opposing the World.-- Moral independence will be wholly in place when opposing the world. By conforming entirely to the will of God, we shall be placed upon vantage ground and shall see the necessity of decided separation from the customs and practices of the world. We are not to elevate our standard just a little above the world's  standard; but we are to make the line of demarcation decidedly apparent. --RH, Jan 9, 1894. (FE 289.)  {1MCP 268.2}
[1MCP 268.3]          Moral Independence a Virtue.--Our only safety is to stand as God's peculiar people. We must not yield one inch to the customs and fashions of this degenerate age but stand in moral independence, making no compromise with its corrupt and idolatrous practices.--5T 78 (1882.)  {1MCP 268.3}
[1MCP 268.4]                    (E) Independence of Mind          True Independence Not Stubbornness.--True independence of mind is not stubbornness. It leads the youth to form their opinions on the Word of God, irrespective of what others may say or do. If in the company of the unbelieving, the atheist, or the infidel, it leads them to acknowledge and defend their belief in the sacred truths of the gospel against the cavilings and witticisms of their ungodly associates. If they are with those who think it is a virtue to parade the faults of professed Christians and then scoff at religion, morality, and virtue, real independence                                                         269     of mind will lead them courteously yet boldly to show that ridicule is a poor substitute for sound argument. It will enable them to look beyond the caviler to the one who influences him, the adversary of God and man, and to resist him in the person of his agent.--RH, Aug 26, 1884. (FE 88, 89.)  {1MCP 268.4}
[1MCP 269.1]          Individual Independence Needed.--There are men who flatter themselves that they might do something great and good if they were only circumstanced differently, while they make no use of the faculties they already have by working in the positions where Providence has placed them. Man can make his circumstances, but circumstances should never make the man. Man should seize circumstances as his instruments with which to work. He should master circumstances, but should never allow circumstances to master him. Individual independence and individual power are the qualities now needed. Individual character need not be sacrificed, but it should be modulated, refined, elevated.--3T 496, 497 (1875).  {1MCP 269.1}
[1MCP 269.2]          How Far to Go in Independence.--God would have His people disciplined and brought into harmony of action that they may see eye to eye and be of the same mind and of the same judgment. In order to bring about this state of things, there is much to be done. . . . The Lord would not have us yield up our individuality. But what man is a proper judge of how far this matter of individual independence should be carried? . . .  {1MCP 269.2}
[1MCP 269.3]          Peter exhorts his brethren: "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." The apostle Paul also exhorts his Philippian brethren to unity and humility: "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of     270     one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."--3T 360 (1875).  {1MCP 269.3}
[1MCP 270.1]          God's Power Our Dependence.--Brethren, I entreat you to move with an eye single to the glory of God. Let His power be your dependence, His grace your strength. By study of the Scriptures and earnest prayer seek to obtain clear conceptions of your duty, and then faithfully perform it. It is essential that you cultivate faithfulness in little things, and in so doing you will acquire habits of integrity in greater responsibilities. The little incidents of everyday life often pass without our notice, but it is these things that shape the character. Every event of life is great for good or for evil. The mind needs to be trained by daily tests that it may acquire power to stand in any difficult position. In the days of trial and of peril you will need to be fortified to stand firmly for the right, independent of every opposing influence.--4T 561 (1881).  {1MCP 270.1}
[1MCP 271.1]       Chap. 30 - Selfishness and Self-centeredness           By Nature We Are Self-centered.--Naturally we are self-centered and opinionated. But when we learn the lessons that Christ desires to teach us, we become partakers of His nature; henceforth we live His life. The wonderful example of Christ, the matchless tenderness with which He entered into the feelings of others, weeping with those who wept, rejoicing with those who rejoiced, must have a deep influence upon the character of all who follow Him in sincerity. By kindly words and acts they will try to make the path easy for weary feet.-- MH 157, 158 (1905).  {1MCP 271.1}
[1MCP 271.2]          Selfishness Contracts the Intellect.--Selfish interest must ever be made subordinate; for if given room to act, it becomes a controlling power which contracts the intellect, hardens the heart, and weakens the moral power. Then disappointment comes. The man has divorced himself from God and sold himself to unworthy pursuits. He cannot be happy, for he cannot respect himself. He has lowered himself in his own estimation. He is an intellectual failure.--MS 21, 1899.  {1MCP 271.2}
[1MCP 271.3]          Selfishness the Cause of Human Guilt.--Selfishness is the want ［lack］ of Christlike humility, and its     272     existence is the bane of human happiness, the cause of human guilt, and it leads those who cherish it to make shipwreck of faith.--Lt 28, 1888.  {1MCP 271.3}
[1MCP 272.1]          Confuses the Senses.--Today, as in Christ's day, Satan rules the minds of many. Oh, that his terrible, fearful work could be discerned and resisted! Selfishness has perverted principles, selfishness has confused the senses and clouded the judgment. It seems so strange that notwithstanding all the light that is shining from God's blessed Word, there should be such strange ideas held, such a departure from the spirit and practice of truth.  {1MCP 272.1}
[1MCP 272.2]          The desire to grasp large wages, with a determination to deprive others of their God-given rights, has its origin in Satan's mind, and by their obedience to his will and way men place themselves under his banner. Little dependence can be placed on those that have been taken in this snare, unless they are thoroughly converted and renovated; for they have been leavened by wrong principles which they could not perceive were deleterious in their effect.--SpT Series A, No. 10, p 26, Feb 6, 1896. (TM 392, 393.)  {1MCP 272.2}
[1MCP 272.3]          Talk Less of Self (counsel to one who was overbearing and dictatorial).--Let your heart be softened and melted under the divine influence of the Spirit of God. You should not talk so much about yourself, for this will strengthen no one. You should not make yourself a center and imagine that you must be constantly caring for yourself and leading others to care for you. Get your mind off from yourself into a more healthy channel. Talk of Jesus, and let self go; let it be submerged in Christ, and let this be the language of your heart: "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). Jesus will be to you a present help in every time of need. He will not leave you to battle with the powers of darkness alone. Oh, no; He has laid help upon One that is mighty to save to the uttermost.--2T 320, 321 (1869).                                                             273  {1MCP 272.3}
[1MCP 273.1]         Beware of Self-sympathy.--Cease sympathizing with yourself, and remember the world's Redeemer. Consider the infinite sacrifice He has made in behalf of man, and think of His disappointment that after He has made such a sacrifice in man's behalf, man should choose to ally himself with those who hate Christ and righteousness and should become one with them in the indulgence of perverted appetite, thus bringing eternal ruin to his soul.--5T 508 (1889).  {1MCP 273.1}
[1MCP 273.2]          Living for Self Dishonors God.--The perils of the last days are upon us. Those who live to please and gratify self are dishonoring the Lord. He cannot work through them, for they would misrepresent Him before those who are ignorant of the truth. . . . God may see that you are fostering pride. He may see that it is necessary to remove from you blessings which, instead of improving, you have used for the gratification of selfish pride.--MS 24, 1904. (1SM 87.)  {1MCP 273.2}
[1MCP 273.3]          Self-complacency Indicates Spiritual Need.--Some are not willing to do self-denying work. They show real impatience when urged to take some responsibility. "What need is there," say they, "of an increase of knowledge and experience?"  {1MCP 273.3}
[1MCP 273.4]          This explains it all. They feel that they are "rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," while Heaven pronounces them poor, miserable, blind, and naked. To these the True Witness says, "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see" (Revelation 3:17, 18). Your very self-complacency shows you to be in need of everything. You are spiritually sick and need Jesus as your physician.--5T 265 (1882).  {1MCP 273.4}
[1MCP 273.5]          Dangers in Self-flattery.--It is difficult for us to understand ourselves, to have a correct knowledge of our own     274     characters. The Word of God is plain, but often there is an error in applying it to one's self. There is liability to self-deception and to think its warnings and reproofs do not mean me. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Self-flattery may be construed into Christian emotion and zeal. Self-love and confidence may give us assurance that we are right when we are far from meeting the requirements of God's Word.--5T 332 (1885).  {1MCP 273.5}
[1MCP 274.1]          Ruinous Influence of Self-exaltation on Mind.-- So deep is the impression of self-exaltation in the human heart, so great the desire for human power, that with many mind and heart and soul become absorbed with the idea of ruling and commanding. Nothing can destroy this ruinous influence upon the human mind but seeking the Lord for heavenly eyesight. Only the power of divine grace can make man understand his true position and accomplish for him the work essential to be wrought in the heart.--Lt 412, 1907.  {1MCP 274.1}
[1MCP 274.2]          Avoiding Extremes of Self-confidence (counsel to an executive).--If you form too high an opinion of yourself, you will think that your labors are of more real consequence than they are, and you will plead individual independence which borders on arrogance. If you go to the other extreme and form too low an opinion of yourself, you will feel inferior and will leave an impression of inferiority which will greatly limit the influence that you might have for good. You should avoid either extreme. Feeling should not control you; circumstances should not affect you. You may form a correct estimate of yourself, one which will prove a safeguard from both extremes. You may be dignified without vain self-confidence; you may be condescending and yielding without sacrificing self-respect or individual independence, and your life may be of great influence with those in the higher as well as the lower walks of life.--3T 506 (1875).                                                        275  {1MCP 274.2}
[1MCP 275.1]          Self-centeredness Fosters Disease (a personal message).--Your efforts should be earnest and thorough and persevering in order for you to succeed. You must learn as a follower of Christ to control every expression of fretfulness and passion. Your mind is too much centered upon yourself. You talk too much of yourself, of your infirmities of body.  {1MCP 275.1}
[1MCP 275.2]          Your own course is daily bringing upon you disease through your own wrong habits. The apostle entreats his brethren to consecrate their bodies to God. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:1, 2).--Lt 27, 1872.  {1MCP 275.2}
[1MCP 275.3]          Self-centeredness Affects Perception (another personal message).--You can help us, my brother, in many ways. But I am commissioned of the Lord to say to you that you are not to be self-centered. Take heed how you hear, how you understand, and how you appropriate the Word of God. The Lord will bless you in drawing in even lines with your brethren. Those whom He has sent forth to proclaim the third angel's message have been working in unison with the heavenly intelligences. The Lord does not lay upon you a burden to proclaim a message that will bring discord into the ranks of believers. I repeat, He is not leading anyone by His Holy Spirit to frame a theory that will unsettle faith in the solemn messages He has given His people to bear to our world.--MS 32, 1896. (2SM 115).  {1MCP 275.3}
[1MCP 275.4]          The Grace of Self-forgetfulness to Be Taught Every Child.--One of the characteristics that should be especially cherished and cultivated in every child is that self-forgetfulness which imparts to the life such an     276     unconscious grace. Of all excellences of character this is one of the most beautiful, and for every true lifework it is one of the qualifications most essential.--Ed 237 (1903).  {1MCP 275.4}
[1MCP 276.1]          Self-forgetfulness the Basis of True Greatness.-- It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding the little one in His arms, He said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness.--DA 437 (1898).  {1MCP 276.1}
[1MCP 276.2]          Self-expiation the Principle of Prayer in False Religions.--The heathen looked upon their prayers as having in themselves merit to atone for sin. Hence the longer the prayer the greater the merit. If they could become holy by their own efforts, they would have something in themselves in which to rejoice, some ground for boasting. This idea of prayer is an outworking of the principle of self-expiation which lies at the foundation of all systems of false religion. The Pharisees had adopted this pagan idea of prayer, and it is by no means extinct in our day, even among those who profess to be Christians. The repetition of set, customary phrases when the heart feels no need of God is of the same character as the "vain repetitions" of the heathen.--MB 86 (1896).  {1MCP 276.2}
[1MCP 276.3]          No Self-assertion in the Life of Christ.--In His life no self-assertion was to be mingled. The homage which the world gives to position, to wealth, and to talent was to be foreign to the Son of God. None of the means that men employ to win allegiance or to command homage was the Messiah to use. His utter renunciation of                                                           277     self was foreshadowed in the words: "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench."--PK 692, 693 (1917).  {1MCP 276.3}
[1MCP 277.1]          God's Remedy for Selfishness and Self-exaltation.-- There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his brother, to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit. The ordinance ［foot washing］ preceding the Lord's Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring man out of his selfishness, down from his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead him to serve his brother.  {1MCP 277.1}
[1MCP 277.2]          The Holy Watcher from heaven is present at this season to make it one of soul searching, of conviction of sin, and of the blessed assurance of sins forgiven. Christ in the fullness of His grace is there to change the current of the thoughts that have been running in selfish channels. The Holy Spirit quickens the sensibilities of those who follow the example of their Lord.  {1MCP 277.2}
[1MCP 277.3]          As the Saviour's humiliation for us is remembered, thought links with thought; a chain of memories is called up, memories of God's great goodness and of the favor and tenderness of earthly friends. Blessings forgotten, mercies abused, kindnesses slighted, are called to mind. Roots of bitterness that have crowded out the precious plant of love are made manifest. Defects of character, neglect of duties, ingratitude to God, coldness toward our brethren, are called to remembrance. Sin is seen in the light in which God views it. Our thoughts are not thoughts of self-complacency but of severe self-censure and humiliation. The mind is energized to break down every barrier that has caused alienation. Evil-thinking and evilspeaking are put away. Sins are confessed, they are forgiven. The subduing grace of Christ comes into the soul, and the love of Christ draws hearts together in a blessed unity.--DA 650, 651 (1898).  {1MCP 277.3}
[1MCP 281.1]       Chap. 31 - Problems of Youth           Youth Are Receptive and Hopeful.--The youth are receptive, fresh, ardent, hopeful. When once they have tasted the blessedness of self-sacrifice, they will not be satisfied unless they are constantly learning of the Great Teacher. The Lord will open ways before those who will respond to His call.--6T 471 (1900).  {1MCP 281.1}
[1MCP 281.2]          Youth Must Choose Life Destiny.--By the thoughts and feelings cherished in early years every youth is determining his own life history. Correct, virtuous, manly habits formed in youth will become a part of the character and will usually mark the course of the individual through life. The youth may become vicious or virtuous, as they choose. They may as well be distinguished for true and noble deeds as for great crime and wickedness. --ST, Oct 11, 1910. (CG 196.)  {1MCP 281.2}
[1MCP 281.3]          Training That Produces Mental and Moral Weakness. --The severe training of youth--without properly directing them to think and act for themselves as their own capacity and turn of mind will allow, that by this means they may have growth of thought, feelings of self-respect, and confidence in their own ability to perform--     282     will ever produce a class who are weak in mental and moral power. And when they stand in the world to act for themselves, they will reveal the fact that they were trained like the animals, and not educated. Their wills, instead of being guided, were forced into subjection by the harsh discipline of parents and teachers.--3T 133 (1872).  {1MCP 281.3}
[1MCP 282.1]          The Mind to Be Educated to Rule the Life.--Children have an intelligent will, which should be directed to control all their powers. Dumb animals need to be trained, for they have not reason and intellect. But the human mind must be taught self-control. It must be educated to rule the human being, while animals are controlled by a master and are trained to be submissive to him. The master is mind, judgment, and will for his beast. A child may be so trained as to have, like the beast, no will of his own. Even his individuality may be merged in the one who superintends his training; his will, to all intents and purposes, is subject to the will of the teacher.  {1MCP 282.1}
[1MCP 282.2]          Children who are thus educated will ever be deficient in moral energy and individual responsibility. They have not been taught to move from reason and principle; their wills have been controlled by another, and the mind has not been called out, that it might expand and strengthen by exercise. They have not been directed and disciplined with respect to their peculiar constitutions and capabilities of mind to put forth their strongest powers when required. Teachers should not stop here but should give special attention to the cultivation of the weaker faculties, that all the powers may be brought into exercise and carried forward from one degree of strength to another, that the mind may attain due proportions.--3T 132 (1872).  {1MCP 282.2}
[1MCP 282.3]          Many Incapable of Thinking for Themselves. --There are many families of children who appear to be well trained while under the training discipline; but                                                           283     when the system which has held them to set rules is broken up, they seem to be incapable of thinking, acting, or deciding for themselves. These children have been so long under iron rule--not allowed to think and act for themselves in those things in which it was highly proper that they should--that they have no confidence in themselves to move out upon their own judgment, having an opinion of their own.  {1MCP 282.3}
[1MCP 283.1]          And when they go out from their parents to act for themselves, they are easily led by others' judgment in the wrong direction. They have not stability of character. They have not been thrown upon their own judgment as fast and as far as practicable, and therefore their minds have not been properly developed and strengthened. They have so long been absolutely controlled by their parents that they rely wholly upon them; their parents are mind and judgment for them.--3T 132, 133 (1872).  {1MCP 283.1}
[1MCP 283.2]          The Results of Controlling Through Force or Fear. --Those parents and teachers who boast of having complete control of the minds and wills of the children under their care would cease their boastings could they trace out the future lives of the children who are thus brought into subjection by force or through fear. These are almost wholly unprepared to share in the stern responsibilities of life. When these youth are no longer under their parents and teachers, and are compelled to think and act for themselves, they are almost sure to take a wrong course and yield to the power of temptation. They do not make this life a success, and the same deficiencies are seen in their religious life.--3T 133, 134 (1872).  {1MCP 283.2}
[1MCP 283.3]          Discipline Which Stimulates and Strengthens.-- Beyond the discipline of the home and the school, all have to meet the stern discipline of life. How to meet this wisely is a lesson that should be made plain to every child and to every youth. It is true that God loves us, that He is working for our happiness, and that, if His law had     284     always been obeyed, we should never have known suffering; and it is no less true that in this world--as the result of sin--suffering, trouble, burdens, come to every life. We may do the children and the youth a lifelong good by teaching them to meet bravely these troubles and burdens. While we should give them sympathy, let it never be such as to foster self-pity. What they need is that which stimulates and strengthens rather than weakens.--Ed 295 (1903).  {1MCP 283.3}
[1MCP 284.1]          Reaction to Ironclad Rules.--Into your discipline bring not a particle of harshness. Lay no rigid injunctions on the youth. It is these ironclad rules and commands that sometimes lead them to feel that they must and will do the thing they are charged not to do. When giving caution or reproof to the youth, do it as one who has a special interest in them. Let them see that you have an earnest desire for them to make a good record in the books of heaven.--Lt 67, 1902. (MM 180).  {1MCP 284.1}
[1MCP 284.2]          Hard for Youth to Bear Burdens.--The young can exert a powerful influence if they will give up their pride and selfishness and devote themselves to God; but as a general thing they will not bear burdens for others. They have to be carried themselves. The time has come when God requires a change in this respect. He calls upon young and old to be zealous and repent. If they continue in their state of lukewarmness, He will spew them out of His mouth. Says the True Witness, "I know thy works." Young man, young woman, your works are known, whether they be good or whether they be evil. Are you rich in good works? Jesus comes to you as a counselor: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see" (Revelation 3:18).--1T 485 (1867).                                                           285  {1MCP 284.2}
[1MCP 285.1]          Thoughts Become Habits.--We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual. If we will, we may turn away from all that is cheap and inferior and rise to a high standard; we may be respected by men and beloved of God.--MH 491 (1905).  {1MCP 285.1}
[1MCP 285.2]          Sad Examples From History.--The character of Napoleon Bonaparte was greatly influenced by his training in childhood. Unwise instructors inspired him with a love for conquest, forming mimic armies and placing him at their head as commander. Here was laid the foundation for his career of strife and bloodshed. Had the same care and effort been directed to making him a good man, imbuing his young heart with the spirit of the gospel, how widely different might have been his history.  {1MCP 285.2}
[1MCP 285.3]          It is said that Hume, the skeptic, was in early life a conscientious believer in the Word of God. Being connected with a debating society, he was appointed to present the arguments in favor of infidelity. He studied with earnestness and perseverance, and his keen and active mind became imbued with the sophistry of skepticism. Erelong he came to believe its delusive teachings, and his whole afterlife bore the dark impress of infidelity.--ST, Oct 11, 1910. (CG 196.)  {1MCP 285.3}
[1MCP 285.4]          The Influence of Reading. ［SEE CHAPTER 13,  "FOOD FOR THE MIND."］--Many youth are eager for books. They read anything that they can obtain. I appeal to the parents of such children to control their desire for reading. Do not permit upon your tables the magazines and newspapers in which are found love     286     stories. Supply their place with books that will help the youth to put into their character building the very best material--the love and fear of God, the knowledge of Christ. Encourage your children to store the mind with valuable knowledge, to let that which is good occupy the soul and control its powers, leaving no place for low, debasing thoughts. Restrict the desire for reading matter that does not furnish good food for the mind. The money expended for story magazines may not seem much, but it is too much to spend for that which gives so much that is misleading and so little that is good in return.--CT 133 (1913).  {1MCP 285.4}
[1MCP 286.1]         Mind Takes Level of Things It Observes.--The understanding takes the level of the things with which it becomes familiar. If all would make the Bible ［SEE CHAPTER 11, "BIBLE STUDY AND THE MIND."］ their study, we should see a people further developed, capable of thinking more deeply, and showing a greater degree of intelligence than the most earnest efforts in studying merely the sciences and histories of the world could make them. The Bible gives the true seeker an advanced mental discipline, and he comes from contemplation of divine things with his faculties enriched; self is humbled, while God and His revealed truth are exalted.-- RH, Aug 21, 1888. (FE 130.)  {1MCP 286.1}
[1MCP 286.2]         Value of Personal Religious Experience.--God should be the highest object of our thoughts. Meditating upon Him and pleading with Him elevate the soul and quicken the affections. A neglect of meditation and prayer will surely result in a declension in religious interests. Then will be seen carelessness and slothfulness.  {1MCP 286.2}
[1MCP 286.3]          Religion is not merely an emotion, a feeling. It is a principle which is interwoven with all the daily duties and transactions of life. Nothing will be entertained, no                                                        287     business engaged in, which will prevent the accompaniment of this principle. To retain pure and undefiled religion, it is necessary to be workers, persevering in effort.  {1MCP 286.3}
[1MCP 287.1]          We must do something ourselves. No one else can do our work. None but ourselves can work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This is the very work which the Lord has left for us to do.--2T 505, 506 (1870).  {1MCP 287.1}
[1MCP 287.2]          Youth Need Discipline of Labor.--And now, as in the days of Israel, every youth should be instructed in the duties of practical life. Each should acquire a knowledge of some branch of manual labor by which, if need be, he may obtain a livelihood. This is essential, not only as a safeguard against the vicissitudes of life, but from its bearing upon physical, mental, and moral development. Even if it were certain that one would never need to resort to manual labor for his support, still he should be taught to work. Without physical exercise, no one can have a sound constitution and vigorous health; and the discipline of well-regulated labor is no less essential to the securing of a strong and active mind and a noble character.--PP 601 (1890).  {1MCP 287.2}
[1MCP 287.3]          Idleness Is a Sin.--The idea that ignorance of useful employment is an essential characteristic of the true gentleman or lady is contrary to the design of God in the creation of man. Idleness is a sin, and ignorance of common duties is the result of folly, which afterlife will give ample occasion to bitterly regret.--ST, June 29, 1882. (FE 75.)  {1MCP 287.3}
[1MCP 287.4]          Training in Domestic Duties Not to Be Neglected.-- In childhood and youth practical and literary training should be combined. Children should be taught to have a part in domestic duties. They should be instructed how to help father and mother in the little things that they can do. Their minds should be trained to think, their     288     memories taxed to remember their appointed work; and in the training to habits of usefulness in the home they are being educated in doing practical duties appropriate to their age. If children have proper home training, they will not be found upon the streets, receiving the haphazard education that so many receive. Parents who love their children in a sensible way will not permit them to grow up with lazy habits and ignorant of how to do home duties.--CT 149 (1913).  {1MCP 287.4}
[1MCP 288.1]          What Every Woman Should Know.--Many ladies, accounted well-educated, having graduated with honors at some institution of learning, are shamefully ignorant of the practical duties of life. They are destitute of the qualifications necessary for the proper regulation of the family, and hence essential to its happiness. They may talk of woman's elevated sphere and of her rights, yet they themselves fall far below the true sphere of woman.  {1MCP 288.1}
[1MCP 288.2]          It is the right of every daughter of Eve to have a thorough knowledge of household duties, to receive training in every department of domestic labor. Every young lady should be so educated that if called to fill the position of wife and mother, she may preside as a queen in her own domain. She should be fully competent to guide and instruct her children....  {1MCP 288.2}
[1MCP 288.3]          It is her right to understand the mechanism of the human body and the principles of hygiene, the matters of diet and dress, labor and recreation, and countless others that intimately concern the well-being of her household. It is her right to obtain such a knowledge of the best methods of treating disease that she can care for her children in sickness, instead of leaving her precious treasures in the hands of stranger nurses and physicians.-- ST, June 29, 1882. (FE 75.)  {1MCP 288.3}
[1MCP 288.4]          When Women Failed to Train Mind.--Woman professing godliness generally fail to train the mind. They leave it uncontrolled, to go where it will. This is a great                                                        289     mistake. Many seem to have no mental power. They have not educated the mind to think; and because they have not done this, they suppose they cannot. Meditation and prayer are necessary to a growth in grace.  {1MCP 288.4}
[1MCP 289.1]          Why there is no more stability among women is because of so little mental culture, so little reflection. Leaving the mind in a state of inaction, they lean upon others to do the brain work, to plan, and think, and remember for them, and thus grow more and more inefficient. Some need to discipline the mind by exercise. They should force it to think. While they depend upon someone to think for them, to solve their difficulties, and they refuse to tax the mind with thought, the inability to remember, to look ahead and discriminate, will continue. Efforts must be made by every individual to educate the mind.-- 2T 187, 188 (1868).  {1MCP 289.1}
[1MCP 289.2]          Women's Dress an Index of the Mind.--Dress is an index of the mind and heart. That which is hung upon the outside is the sign of what is within. It does not require intellect or a cultivated mind to overdress. The very fact that women can hang upon their persons such an amount of needless articles of clothing shows that they cannot have time to cultivate their intellects and store their minds with useful knowledge.--MS 76, 1900.  {1MCP 289.2}
[1MCP 289.3]          Need for Purity in Thought and Action.--I urge upon you the necessity of purity in every thought, in every word, in every action. We have an individual accountability to God, an individual work which no one can do for us. It is to make the world better by precept, personal effort, and example. While we should cultivate sociability, let it not be merely for amusement but for a purpose. There are souls to save.--RH, Nov 10, 1885. (Ev 495.)     290  {1MCP 289.3}
[1MCP 290.1]          Masturbation Debases the Mind. ［ SEE CHILD GUIDANCE, PP. 439-468.］-- Some children begin to practice self-pollution in their infancy; and as they increase in years, the lustful passions grow with their growth and strengthen with their strength. Their minds are not at rest. Girls desire the society of boys, and boys that of the girls. Their deportment is not reserved and modest. They are bold and forward, and take indecent liberties. The habit of self-abuse has debased their minds and tainted their souls. Vile thoughts, and the reading of novels, love stories, and vile books excite their imagination, and just such suit their depraved minds.  {1MCP 290.1}
[1MCP 290.2]         They do not love work, and when engaged in labor they complain of fatigue; their backs ache, their heads ache. Is there not sufficient cause? Are they fatigued because of their labor? No, no! Yet the parents indulge these children in their complaints and release them from labor and responsibility. This is the very worst thing that they can do for them. They are thus removing almost the only barrier that prevents Satan from having free access to their weakened minds. Useful labor would in some measure be a safeguard from his decided control of them. --2T 481 (1870).  {1MCP 290.2}
[1MCP 290.3]          The Youth Will Use Energies.--Youthful talent, well organized and well trained, is needed in our churches. The youth will do something with their overflowing energies. Unless these energies are directed into right channels, they will be used by the youth in a way that will hurt their own spirituality and prove an injury to those with whom they associate.--GW 211 (1915).  {1MCP 290.3}
[1MCP 290.4]          Youth Need Activity.--The young naturally desire activity, and if they find no legitimate scope for their pent-up energies after the confinement of the schoolroom, they become restless and impatient of control and thus are led to engage in the rude, unmanly sports that                                                           291     disgrace so many schools and colleges and even to plunge into scenes of actual dissipation. Many of the youth who left their homes innocent are corrupted by their associations at school.--ST, June 29, 1882, (FE 72.)  {1MCP 290.4}
[1MCP 291.1]          Respond to Suggestion.--No recreation helpful only to themselves will prove so great a blessing to the children and youth as that which makes them helpful to others. Naturally enthusiastic and impressible, the young are quick to respond to suggestion. In planning for the culture of plants, let the teacher seek to awaken an interest in beautifying the school grounds and the schoolroom. A double benefit will result. That which the pupils seek to beautify they will be unwilling to have marred or defaced. A refined taste, a love of order, and a habit of caretaking will be encouraged; and the spirit of fellowship and cooperation developed will prove to the pupils a lifelong blessing.--Ed 212, 213 (1903).  {1MCP 291.1}
[1MCP 291.2]          Sometimes Fail to See God as a Loving Father.-- The young generally conduct themselves as though the precious hours of probation, while mercy lingers, were one grand holiday and they were placed in this world merely for their own amusement, to be gratified with a continued round of excitement. Satan has been making special efforts to lead them to find happiness in worldly amusements and to justify themselves by endeavoring to show that these amusements are harmless, innocent, and even important for health. The impression has been given by some physicians that spirituality and devotion to God are detrimental to health. This suits the adversary of souls.--1T 501 (1867).  {1MCP 291.2}
[1MCP 291.3]          Diseased Imaginations Misrepresent God.--There are persons with diseased imaginations who do not rightly represent the religion of Christ; such have not the pure religion of the Bible. Some are scourging themselves all through life because of their sins; all they can     292     see is an offended God of justice. Christ and His redeeming power through the merits of His blood they fail to see. Such have not faith. This class are generally those who have not well-balanced minds.  {1MCP 291.3}
[1MCP 292.1]          Through disease transmitted to them from their parents and an erroneous education in youth, they have contracted wrong habits which injure the constitution and the brain, causing the moral organs to become diseased and making it impossible for them to think and act rationally upon all points. They have not well-balanced minds. Godliness and righteousness are not destructive to health, but are health to the body and strength to the soul.--1T 501, 502 (1867).  {1MCP 292.1}
[1MCP 292.2]          Need for Restraint.--Always act from principle, never from impulse. Temper the natural impetuosity of your nature with meekness and gentleness. Indulge in no lightness or trifling. Let no low witticism escape your lips. Even the thoughts are not to be allowed to run riot. They must be restrained, brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Let them be placed upon holy things. Then, through the grace of Christ, they will be pure and true.--MH 491 (1905).  {1MCP 292.2}
[1MCP 292.3]          Keeping Sentimentalism Out of the Life.--You are now in your student's life; let your mind dwell upon spiritual subjects. Keep all sentimentalism apart from your life. Give to yourself vigilant self-instruction and bring yourself under self-control. You are now in the formative period of character; nothing with you is to be considered trivial or unimportant which will detract from your highest, holiest interest, your efficiency in the preparation to do the work God has assigned you.  {1MCP 292.3}
[1MCP 292.4]          Preserve ever simplicity of action but make your standard high for the harmonious manifestation and improvement of your mental faculties. Be determined to correct every fault. Hereditary tendencies may be overcome--the quick, violent outbursts of temper so                                                        293     changed that these manifestations will be, through the grace of Christ, entirely overcome. We are, individually, to consider that we are in God's workshop.--Lt 23, 1893.  {1MCP 292.4}
[1MCP 293.1]          Facing the Need for Counsel.--The young should not be left to think and act independently of the judgment of their parents and teachers. Children should be taught to respect experienced judgment and to be guided by their parents and teachers. They should be so educated that their minds will be united with the minds of their parents and teachers, and so instructed that they can see the propriety of heeding their counsel. Then when they go forth from the guiding hand of their parents and teachers, their characters will not be like the reed trembling in the wind.--3T 133 (1872).  {1MCP 293.1}
[1MCP 293.2]          The Highest Training Expected.--The Lord desires us to obtain all the education possible, with the object in view of imparting our knowledge to others. None can know where or how they may be called to labor or to speak for God. Our heavenly Father alone sees what He can make of men. There are before us possibilities which our feeble faith does not discern. Our minds should be so trained that if necessary we can present the truths of His word before the highest earthly authorities in such a way as to glorify His name. We should not let slip even one opportunity of qualifying ourselves intellectually to work for God.--COL 333, 334 (1900).  {1MCP 293.2}
[1MCP 293.3]          The Mind Ever Active.--The mind will never cease to be active. It is open to influences, good or bad. As the human countenance is stamped by the sunbeam on the polished plate of the artist, so are thoughts and impressions stamped on the mind of the child; and whether these impressions are of the earth earthy or moral and religious, they are well-nigh ineffaceable.  {1MCP 293.3}
[1MCP 293.4]          When reason is awakening, the mind is most susceptible, and so the very first lessons are of great importance.     294     These lessons have a powerful influence in the formation of character. If they are of the right stamp, and if, as the child advances in years, they are followed up with patient perseverance, the earthly and the eternal destiny will be shaped for good. This is the word of the Lord: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). --SpTEd 71, c1897. (CT 143.)  {1MCP 293.4}
[1MCP 294.1]          Youth the Time of Opportunity.--The hearts of youth are now like impressible wax, and you may lead them to admire the Christian character; but in a few years the wax may become granite.--RH, Feb 21, 1878. (FE 51.)  {1MCP 294.1}
[1MCP 294.2]          It is in youth that the affections are most ardent, the memory most retentive, and the heart most susceptible to divine impressions; and it is during youth that the mental and physical powers should be set to the task in order that great improvements may be made in view of the world that now is and that which is to come.--YI, Oct 25, 1894. (SD 78.)  {1MCP 294.2}
[1MCP 295.1]       Chap. 32 - Infatuation and Blind Love  ［SEESECTION V, "LIFE'S ENERGIZING FORCE."］           Courtship--Good Common Sense Needed.--The youth trust altogether too much to impulse. They should not give themselves away too easily or be captivated too readily by the winning exterior of the lover. Courtship, as carried on in this age, is a scheme of deception and hypocrisy, with which the enemy of souls has far more to do than the Lord. Good common sense is needed here if anywhere; but the fact is, it has little to do in the matter.--RH, Jan 26, 1886. (MYP 450.)  {1MCP 295.1}
[1MCP 295.2]          Noblest Traits to Be Developed.--The ideas of courtship have their foundation in erroneous ideas concerning marriage. They follow impulse and blind passion. The courtship is carried on in a spirit of flirtation. The parties frequently violate the rules of modesty and reserve and are guilty of indiscretion, if they do not break the law of God. The high, noble, lofty design of God in the institution of marriage is not discerned; therefore the purest affections of the heart, the noblest traits of character, are not developed.--MS 4a, 1885. (MM 141.)     296  {1MCP 295.2}
[1MCP 296.1]          Pure Affection More Heavenly Than Earthly.-- Not one word should be spoken, not one action performed, that you would not be willing the holy angels should look upon and register in the books above. You should have an eye single to the glory of God. The heart should have only pure, sanctioned affection, worthy of the followers of Jesus Christ, exalting in its nature, and more heavenly than earthly. Anything different from this is debasing, degrading in courtship; and marriage cannot be holy and honorable in the sight of a pure and holy God unless it is after the exalted Scriptural principle.--MS 4a, 1885. (MM 141.)  {1MCP 296.1}
[1MCP 296.2]          Danger of Late Hours.--The habit of sitting up late at night is customary; but it is not pleasing to God, even if you are both Christians. These untimely hours injure health, unfit the mind for the next day's duties, and have an appearance of evil. My brother, I hope you will have self-respect enough to shun this form of courtship. If you have an eye single to the glory of God you will move with deliberate caution. You will not suffer love-sick sentimentalism to so blind your vision that you cannot discern the high claims that God has upon you as a Christian. --3T 44, 45 (1872).  {1MCP 296.2}
[1MCP 296.3]          Infatuation a Poor Ground for Marriage.--These hours of midnight dissipation, in this age of depravity, frequently lead to the ruin of both parties thus engaged. Satan exults and God is dishonored when men and women dishonor themselves. The good name of honor is sacrificed under the spell of this infatuation, and the marriage of such persons cannot be solemnized under the approval of God. They are married because passion moved them, and when the novelty of the affair is over, they will begin to realize what they have done.--RH, Sept 25, 1888. (AH 56.)  {1MCP 296.3}
[1MCP 296.4]          Counterfeit Love Uncontrollable.--That love which has no better foundation than mere sensual gratification                                                        297     will be headstrong, blind, and uncontrollable. Honor, truth, and every noble, elevated power of the mind are brought under the slavery of passions. The man who is bound in the chains of this infatuation is too often deaf to the voice of reason and conscience; neither argument nor entreaty can lead him to see the folly of his course.-- ST, July 1, 1903. (AH 51.)  {1MCP 296.4}
[1MCP 297.1]          Unsanctified Love Misleads.--Unsanctified human affection always misleads, for it beckons in other paths than the way God has pointed out.--Lt 34, 1891.  {1MCP 297.1}
[1MCP 297.2]          Repetition of Sin Lessens Powers of Resistance.-- He who has once yielded to temptation will yield more readily the second time. Every repetition of the sin lessens his power of resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction. Every seed of indulgence sown will bear fruit. God works no miracle to prevent the harvest.-- PP 268 (1890).  {1MCP 297.2}
[1MCP 297.3]          Passion Destroys Everything.--The words of Christ should ever be borne in mind: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank" (Luke 17:26, 27). Appetite bears sway over mind and conscience in this age. Gluttony, winebibbing, liquor drinking, tobacco using prevail, but Christ's followers will be temperate in eating and drinking. They will not indulge appetite at the expense of health and spiritual growth.  {1MCP 297.3}
[1MCP 297.4]          "They married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all" (verse 27). We see the same manifestation now in regard to marriage. Youth, and even men and women who ought to be wise and discerning, act as if bewitched upon this question. A satanic power seems to take possession of them. The most indiscreet marriages are formed. God is not consulted. Human feelings, desires, and passions bear down     298     everything before them, until the die is cast. Untold misery is the result of this state of things, and God is dishonored. The marriage vow covers every kind of lustful abomination. Shall there not be a decided change in reference to this matter?--Lt 74, 1896. (SpTMWI 41.)  {1MCP 297.4}
[1MCP 298.1]         Blind Love Affects Every Faculty.--Every faculty of those who become affected by this contagious disease-- blind love--is brought in subjection to it. They seem to be devoid of good sense, and their course of action is disgusting to all who behold it. My brother, you have made yourself a subject of talk and have lowered yourself in the estimation of those whose approval you should prize.  {1MCP 298.1}
[1MCP 298.2]          With many the crisis of the disease is reached in an immature marriage, and when the novelty is past and the bewitching power of lovemaking is over, one or both parties awake to their true situation. They then find themselves ill-mated, but united for life.  {1MCP 298.2}
[1MCP 298.3]          Bound to each other by the most solemn vows, they look with sinking hearts upon the miserable life they must lead. They ought then to make the best of their situation; but many will not do this. They will either prove false to their marriage vows or make the yoke which they persisted in placing upon their own necks so very galling that not a few cowardly put an end to their existence.--5T 110, 111 (1882).  {1MCP 298.3}
[1MCP 298.4]          Early Teenage Love.--Satan controls the minds of the youth in general. Your daughters are not taught self-denial and self-control. They are petted, and their pride is fostered. They are allowed to have their own way until they become headstrong and self-willed, and you are put to your wit's end to know what course to pursue to save them from ruin. Satan is leading them on to be a proverb in the mouth of unbelievers because of their boldness, their lack of reserve and womanly modesty.  {1MCP 298.4}
[1MCP 298.5]          The young boys are likewise left to have their own way. They have scarcely entered their teens before they                                                            299     are by the side of little girls of their own age, accompanying them home and making love to them. And the parents are so completely in bondage through their own indulgence and mistaken love for their children that they dare not pursue a decided course to make a change and restrain their too-fast children in this fast age.--2T 460 (1870).  {1MCP 298.5}
[1MCP 299.1]          Clandestine Courtships.--The young have many lessons to learn, and the most important one is to learn to know themselves. They should have correct ideas of their obligations and duties to their parents and should be constantly learning in the school of Christ to be meek and lowly of heart. While they are to love and honor their parents, they are also to respect the judgment of men of experience with whom they are connected in the church.  {1MCP 299.1}
[1MCP 299.2]          A young man who enjoys the society and wins the friendship of a young lady, unbeknown to her parents, does not act a noble Christian part toward her or toward her parents. Through secret communications and meetings he may gain an influence over her mind; but in so doing he fails to manifest that nobility and integrity of soul which every child of God will possess. In order to accomplish their ends they act a part that is not frank and open and according to the Bible standard, and prove themselves untrue to those who love them and try to be faithful guardians over them. Marriages contracted under such influences are not according to the Word of God. He ［a young man］ who would lead a daughter away from duty, who would confuse her ideas of God's plain and positive commands to obey and honor her parents, is not one who would be true to the marriage obligations.-- RH, Jan 26, 1886. (FE 101, 102.)  {1MCP 299.2}
[1MCP 299.3]          Not to Trifle With Hearts.--To trifle with hearts is a crime of no small magnitude in the sight of a holy God. And yet some will show preference for young ladies and call out their affections, and then go their way and forget     300     all about the words they have spoken and their effect. A new face attracts them, and they repeat the same words, devote to another the same attentions.--RH, Nov 4, 1884. (AH 57.)  {1MCP 299.3}
[1MCP 300.1]          Talk of Subjects Upon Which Minds Run.--With many young ladies the boys are the theme of conversation; with the young men, it is the girls. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). They talk of those subjects upon which their minds mostly run. The recording angel is writing the words of these professed Christian boys and girls. How will they be confused and ashamed when they meet them again in the day of God! Many children are pious hypocrites. The youth who have not made a profession of religion stumble over these hypocritical ones and are hardened against any effort that may be made by those interested in their salvation.--2T 460 (1870).  {1MCP 300.1}
[1MCP 300.2]          Why Youth Prefer Company of Youth.--Why the young feel more liberty when the older ones are absent is: they are with those of their kind. Each thinks he is as good as the other. All fail of the mark but measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves, and neglect the only perfect and true standard. Jesus is the True Pattern. His self-sacrificing life is our example.--1T 154, 155 (1857).  {1MCP 300.2}
[1MCP 300.3]          A Young Lady Counseled to Guard the Affections.-- You are altogether too free with your affections and would, if left to your own course of action, make a lifelong mistake. Do not sell yourself at a cheap market. Do not be free with any gentleman student. Consider that you are preparing to do a work for the Master, that in order to act well your part, and render back the talents to Him who has given them to you, and to hear the precious commendation from His lips, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23), you must take heed and not be careless of your associations.                                                             301  {1MCP 300.3}
[1MCP 301.1]          In order to act your part in the service of God you must go forth with the advantages of as thorough an intellectual training as possible. You need a vigorous, symmetrical development of the mental capabilities, a graceful, Christian, many-sided development of culture, to be a true worker for God. You need your taste and your imagination chastened and refined and all your aspirations made pure by habitual self-control. You need to move from high, elevated motives. Gather all the efficiency you can, making the most of your opportunities for the education and training of the character to fill any position which the Lord may assign you. You need so much a balance wheel in judicious counsel. Do not despise advice.--Lt 23, 1893.  {1MCP 301.1}
[1MCP 301.2]          Discipline Yourself.--You will be inclined to accept the attention of those who are your inferiors in everything. You must be made wiser through the grace of Christ. You must consider every step in the light ［of the fact］ that you are not your own; you are bought with a price. May the Lord be your Counselor. Do nothing to impair or cripple your efficiency. Deal faithfully with yourself; with painstaking effort discipline yourself. The grace of Jesus Christ will help you at every step if you will be teachable and considerate.  {1MCP 301.2}
[1MCP 301.3]          I write you this now, and will write again erelong, for as the mistake of your past life has been set before me, I dare not withhold most earnest entreaties that you hold yourself strictly to discipline. . . .  {1MCP 301.3}
[1MCP 301.4]          Be not led astray into any false paths and do not show a preference for the society of young men, for you will not only injure your own reputation and future prospects, but you will raise hopes and expectations in the minds of those to whom you show preference, and they will become as if bewitched with love-sick sentimentalism and spoil their student life. You and they are at the school for the purpose of obtaining an education to qualify you in intellect and character for greater usefulness in this life and for the future immortal life. Make no mistake in     302     receiving attentions or giving encouragement to any young man. The Lord has designated that He has a work for you to do. Let it be your motive to answer the mind and will of God, and not to follow your own inclination and be bound up in future destiny with cords like bands of steel.--Lt 23, 1893.  {1MCP 301.4}
[1MCP 302.1]          Wrong Attachments Can Impair Mental Powers (counsel to a girl of eighteen).--You have no right to place your affections on any young man without your father's and your mother's full sanction. You are but a child, and for you to show a preference for any young man without the full knowledge and sanction of your father is to dishonor him. Your attachment to this young man is robbing you of a peaceful mind and of healthful sleep. It is filling your mind with foolish fancies and with sentimentalism. It is retarding you in your studies and is working serious evil to your mental and physical powers. If opposed, you become irritable and low spirited.-- Lt 9, 1904.  {1MCP 302.1}
[1MCP 302.2]          School Regulations.--The rules of this college ［at College City in northern California］ strictly guard the association of young men and young women during the school term. It is only when these rules are temporarily suspended, as is sometimes the case, that gentlemen are permitted to accompany ladies to and from public gatherings.  {1MCP 302.2}
[1MCP 302.3]          Our own college at Battle Creek has similar regulations, though not so stringent. Such rules are indispensable to guard the youth from the danger of premature courtship and unwise marriage. Young people are sent to school by their parents to obtain an education, not to flirt with the opposite sex. The good of society, as well as the highest interest of the students, demands that they shall not attempt to select a life partner while their own character is yet undeveloped, their judgment immature, and while they are at the same time deprived of parental care and guidance.--ST, Mar 2, 1882. (FE 62.)                                                          303  {1MCP 302.3}
[1MCP 303.1]          Factors of Age, Conditions, and Turn of Mind.--In all our dealings with students, age and character must be taken into account. We cannot treat the young and the old just alike. There are circumstances under which men and women of sound experience and good standing may be granted some privileges not given to the younger students. The age, the conditions, and the turn of mind must be taken into consideration. We must be wisely considerate in all our work. But we must not lessen our firmness and vigilance in dealing with students of all ages or our strictness in forbidding the unprofitable and unwise association of young and immature students.-- CT 101 (1913).  {1MCP 303.1}
[1MCP 303.2]          Perils of Infatuation.--Some of those who attend the college do not properly improve their time. Full of the buoyancy of youth, they spurn the restraint that is brought to bear upon them. Especially do they rebel against the rules that will not allow young gentlemen to pay their attentions to young ladies. Full well is known the evil of such a course in this degenerate age.  {1MCP 303.2}
[1MCP 303.3]          In a college where so many youth are associated, imitating the customs of the world in this respect would turn the thoughts in a channel that would hinder them in their pursuit of knowledge and in their interest in religious things. The infatuation on the part of both young men and women in thus placing the affections upon each other during school days shows a lack of good judgment. As in your own case, blind impulse controls reason and judgment. Under this bewitching delusion the momentous responsibility felt by every sincere Christian is laid aside, spirituality dies, and the judgment and eternity lose their awful significance.--5T 110 (1882).  {1MCP 303.3}
[1MCP 303.4]          When Human Loves Come First.--With many, the love for the human eclipses the love for the divine. They take the first step in backsliding by venturing to disregard     304     the Lord's express command; and complete apostasy is too often the result. It has ever proved a dangerous thing for men to carry out their own will in opposition to the requirements of God. Yet it is a hard lesson for men to learn that God means what He says. As a rule, those who choose for their friends and companions, persons who reject Christ and trample upon God's law eventually become of the same mind and spirit.--ST, May 19, 1881. (SD 165.)  {1MCP 303.4}
[1MCP 304.1]          Mixed Marriages.--If you, my brother, are allured to unite your life interest with a young, inexperienced girl, who is really deficient in education in the common, practical, daily duties of life, you make a mistake; but this deficiency is small compared with her ignorance in regard to her duty to God. She has not been destitute of light; she has had religious privileges, and yet she has not felt her wretched sinfulness without Christ. If, in your infatuation, you can repeatedly turn from the prayer meeting--where God meets with His people--in order to enjoy the society of one who has no love for God and who sees no attractions in the religious life, how can you expect God to prosper such a union?--3T 44 (1872).  {1MCP 304.1}
[1MCP 304.2]          Marriage of Christians With Unbelievers.--There is in the Christian world an astonishing, alarming indifference to the teaching of God's Word in regard to the marriage of Christians with unbelievers. Many who profess to love and fear God choose to follow the bent of their own minds rather than take counsel of Infinite Wisdom. In a matter which vitally concerns the happiness and well-being of both parties for this world and the next, reason, judgment, and the fear of God are set aside, and blind impulse, stubborn determination, is allowed to control.  {1MCP 304.2}
[1MCP 304.3]          Men and women who are otherwise sensible and conscientious close their ears to counsel; they are deaf to the appeals and entreaties of friends and kindred and of                                                           305     the servants of God. The expression of a caution or warning is regarded as impertinent meddling, and the friend who is faithful enough to utter a remonstrance is treated as an enemy. All this is as Satan would have it. He weaves his spell about the soul, and it becomes bewitched, infatuated. Reason lets fall the reins of self-control upon the neck of lust; unsanctified passion bears sway, until, too late, the victim awakens to a life of misery and bondage. This is not a picture drawn by the imagination but a recital of facts. God's sanction is not given to unions which He has expressly forbidden.--5T 365, 366 (1885).  {1MCP 304.3}
[1MCP 305.1]          Definition of an Unbeliever.--Though the companion of your choice were in all other respects worthy (which he is not), yet he has not accepted the truth for this time; he is an unbeliever, and you are forbidden of Heaven to unite yourself with him. You cannot, without peril to your soul, disregard this divine injunction.-- 5T 364 (1885).  {1MCP 305.1}
[1MCP 305.2]          The Forbidden Ground of Unholy Fancies (counsel to a minister).--You have been represented to me as being in great peril. Satan is on your track, and at times he has whispered to you pleasing fables and has shown you charming pictures of one whom he represents as a more suitable companion for you than the wife of your youth, the mother of your children.  {1MCP 305.2}
[1MCP 305.3]          Satan is working stealthily, untiringly, to effect your downfall through his specious temptations. He is determined to become your teacher, and you need now to place yourself where you can get strength to resist him. He hopes to lead you into the mazes of spiritualism. He hopes to wean your affections from your wife and to fix them upon another woman. He desires that you will allow your mind to dwell upon this woman until through unholy affection she becomes your god.  {1MCP 305.3}
[1MCP 305.4]          The enemy of souls has gained much when he can lead     306     the imagination of one of Jehovah's chosen watchmen to dwell upon the possibilities of association, in the world to come, with some woman whom he loves, and of there raising up a family. We need no such pleasing pictures. All such views originate in the mind of the tempter. . . .  {1MCP 305.4}
[1MCP 306.1]          It is presented to me that spiritual fables are taking many captive. Their minds are sensual, and unless a change comes, this will prove their ruin. To all who are indulging these unholy fancies, I would say, Stop; for Christ's sake, stop right where you are. You are on forbidden ground. Repent, I entreat of you, and be converted.--Lt 231, 1903. (MM 100, 101.)  {1MCP 306.1}
[1MCP 306.2]          Free Love.--I have seen the results of these fanciful ［spiritualistic and pantheistic］ views of God, in apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism. The free-love tendency of these teachings was so concealed that at first it was difficult to make plain its real character. Until the Lord presented it to me, I knew not what to call it, but I was instructed to call it unholy spiritual love.--8T 292 (1904).  {1MCP 306.2}
[1MCP 306.3]          Love Is Not Sentimentalism.--The love and sympathy which Jesus would have us give to others does not savor of sentimentalism, which is a snare to the soul; it is a love that is of heavenly extraction, which Jesus exemplifies by both precept and example. But instead of manifesting this love, how often we are alienated and estranged one from another. . . . The result is estrangement from God, a dwarfed experience, a blighting of Christian growth.--YI, Oct 20, 1892. (SD 147.)  {1MCP 306.3}
[1MCP 306.4]          Counterfeit Identified.--We are admonished by the apostle: "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another" (Romans 12:9, 10). Paul would have us distinguish between the pure, unselfish love which is prompted by the spirit of Christ, and the                                                        307     unmeaning, deceitful pretense with which the world abounds.  {1MCP 306.4}
[1MCP 307.1]          This base counterfeit has misled many souls. It would blot out the distinction between right and wrong, by agreeing with the transgressor instead of faithfully showing him his errors. Such a course never springs from real friendship. The spirit by which it is prompted dwells only in the carnal heart. While the Christian will be ever kind, compassionate, and forgiving, he can feel no harmony with sin. He will abhor evil and cling to that which is good, at the sacrifice of association or friendship with the ungodly. The spirit of Christ will lead us to hate sin, while we are willing to make any sacrifice to save the sinner.--5T 171 (1882).  {1MCP 307.1}
[1MCP 307.2]          Selecting a Companion.--Let a young woman accept as a life companion only one who possesses pure, manly traits of character, one who is diligent, aspiring, and honest, one who loves and fears God. Let a young man seek one to stand by his side who is fitted to bear her share of life's burdens, one whose influence will ennoble and refine him and who will make him happy in her love.--MH 359 (1905).  {1MCP 307.2}
[1MCP 308.1]       Chap. 33 - Dangers Facing Youth           Habits Determine Destiny.--In childhood and youth the character is most impressible. The power of self-control should then be acquired. By the fireside and at the family board, influences are exerted whose results are as enduring as eternity. More than any natural endowment, the habits established in early years decide whether a man will be victorious or vanquished in the battle of life. Youth is the sowing time. It determines the character of the harvest for this life and for the life to come.--DA 101 (1898).  {1MCP 308.1}
[1MCP 308.2]          Self-discipline Versus Self-indulgence.--The world is given to self-indulgence. Errors and fables abound. Satan's snares for destroying souls are multiplied. All who would perfect holiness in the fear of God must learn the lessons of temperance and self-control. The appetites and passions must be held in subjection to the higher powers of the mind. This self-discipline is essential to that mental strength and spiritual insight which will enable us to understand and to practice the sacred truths of God's Word. For this reason temperance finds its place in the work of preparation for Christ's second coming.--DA 101 (1898).                                                        309  {1MCP 308.2}
[1MCP 309.1]          "Quit Yourselves Like Men, Be Strong."--Young men should have broad ideas, wise plans, that they may make the most of their opportunities, catch the inspiration and courage that animated the apostles. John says, "I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one" (1 John 2:14). An elevated standard is presented before the youth, and God is inviting them to come into real service for Him. True-hearted young men who delight to be learners in the school of Christ can do a great work for the Master if they will only give heed to the command of the Captain as it sounds down along the lines to our time: "Quit you like men, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).--RH, June 16, 1891. (MYP 24.)  {1MCP 309.1}
[1MCP 309.2]          Peril of Neglecting Training and Special Preparation.-- Young men who desire to enter the field as ministers, colporteurs, or canvassers should first receive a suitable degree of mental training, as well as special preparation for their calling. Those who are uneducated, untrained, and unrefined are not prepared to enter a field in which the powerful influences of talent and education combat the truths of God's Word. Neither can they successfully meet the strange forms of error, religious and philosophical combined, to expose which requires a knowledge of scientific as well as Scriptural truth.--5T 390 (1885).  {1MCP 309.2}
[1MCP 309.3]          Brilliance No Assurance of Success.--It is not true that brilliant young men always make the greatest success. How often men of talent and education have been placed in positions of trust and have proved failures. Their glitter had the appearance of gold, but when it was tried, it proved to be but tinsel and dross. They made a failure of their work through unfaithfulness.  {1MCP 309.3}
[1MCP 309.4]          They were not industrious and persevering and did not go to the bottom of things. They were not willing to     310     begin at the bottom of the ladder, and with patient toil, ascend round after round till they reached the top. They walked in the sparks of their own kindling. They did not depend on the wisdom which God alone can give. Their failure was not because they did not have a chance, but because they were not sober-minded. They did not feel that their educational advantages were of value to them, and so did not advance as they might have advanced in the knowledge of religion and science. Their mind and character were not balanced by high principles of right.-- RH, Dec 8, 1891. (FE 193.)  {1MCP 309.4}
[1MCP 310.1]          No Virtue in Ignorance.--You have thought that it was of the highest importance to obtain an education in the sciences. There is no virtue in ignorance, and knowledge will not necessarily dwarf Christian growth; but if you seek for it from principle, having the right object before you and feeling your obligation to God to use your faculties to do good to others and promote His glory, knowledge will aid you to accomplish this end; it will help you to bring into exercise the powers which God has given you and to employ them in His service.--3T 223 (1872).  {1MCP 310.1}
[1MCP 310.2]          Choosing the Side of Unbelief.--The word of God will judge every one of us at the last great day. Young men talk about science and are wise above that which is written; they seek to explain the ways and work of God to meet their finite comprehension, but it is all a miserable failure.  {1MCP 310.2}
[1MCP 310.3]          True science and inspiration are in perfect harmony. False science is a something independent of God. It is pretentious ignorance. This deceptive power has captivated and enslaved the minds of many, and they have chosen darkness rather than light. They have taken their position on the side of unbelief, as though it were a virtue and the sign of a great mind to doubt, when it is the sign of a mind too weak and narrow to perceive God                                                        311     in His created works. They could not fathom the mystery of His providence should they study with all their power for a lifetime. And because the works of God cannot be explained by finite minds, Satan brings his sophistry to bear upon them and entangles them in the meshes of unbelief. If these doubting ones will come into close connection with God, He will make His purposes clear to their understanding.--4T 584, 585 (1881).  {1MCP 310.3}
[1MCP 311.1]          Destructive Power of Doubt.--There is no excuse for doubt or skepticism. God has made ample provision to establish the faith of all men if they will decide from the weight of evidence. But if they wait to have every seeming objection removed before they believe, they will never be settled, rooted, and grounded in the truth. God will never remove all seeming difficulties from our path. Those who wish to doubt may find opportunity; those who wish to believe will find plenty of evidence upon which to base their faith.  {1MCP 311.1}
[1MCP 311.2]          The position of some is unexplainable, even to themselves. They are drifting without an anchor, beating about in the fog of uncertainty. Satan soon seizes the helm and carries their frail bark wherever he pleases. They become subject to his will. Had these minds not listened to Satan, they would not have been deceived by his sophistry; had they been balanced on the side of God they would not have become confused and bewildered.-- 4T 583, 584 (1881).  {1MCP 311.2}
[1MCP 311.3]          Failure to Put Acquired Knowledge to Practical Use.--But, young men, if you gain ever so much knowledge and yet fail to put that knowledge to a practical use, you fail of your object. If, in obtaining an education, you become so absorbed in your studies that you neglect prayer and religious privileges and become careless and indifferent to the welfare of your souls, if you cease to learn in the school of Christ, you are selling your birthright for a mess of pottage. The object for which you are     312     obtaining an education should not be lost sight of for a moment. It should be to so develop and direct your faculties that you may be more useful and bless others to the extent of your ability.  {1MCP 311.3}
[1MCP 312.1]          If by obtaining knowledge you increase your love of yourselves and your inclination to excuse yourselves from bearing responsibilities, you are better without an education. If you love and idolize books, and allow them to get between you and your duties, so that you feel a reluctance to leave your studies and your reading to do essential labor that someone must do, you should restrain your desire to study and cultivate a love for doing those things in which you now take no interest. He that is faithful in that which is least will also be faithful in greater things.--3T 223, 224 (1872).  {1MCP 312.1}
[1MCP 312.2]          The Evils of Physical Inaction and Excessive Mental Activity.--The whole body is designed for action; and unless the physical powers are kept in health by active exercise, the mental powers cannot long be used to their highest capacity. The physical inaction which seems almost inevitable in the schoolroom--together with other unhealthful conditions--makes it a trying place for children, especially for those of feeble constitution. . . .No wonder that in the schoolroom the foundation of lifelong illness is so often laid. The brain, the most delicate of all the physical organs, and that from which the nervous energy of the whole system is derived, suffers the greatest injury. By being forced into premature or excessive activity, and this under unhealthful conditions, it is enfeebled, and often the evil results are permanent.-- Ed 207, 208 (1903).  {1MCP 312.2}
[1MCP 312.3]          Shunning Burdens and Toil (experience of two young men).--These young men have duties at home which they overlook. They have not learned to take up the duties and bear the home responsibilities which it is their duty to bear. They have a faithful, practical                                                        313     mother, who has borne many burdens which her children should not have suffered her to bear. In this they have failed to honor their mother. They have not shared the burdens of their father as was their duty, and have neglected to honor him as they should. They follow inclination rather than duty.  {1MCP 312.3}
[1MCP 313.1]          They have pursued a selfish course in their lives, in shunning burdens and toil, and have failed to obtain a valuable experience which they cannot afford to be deprived of if they would make life a success. They have not felt the importance of being faithful in little things, nor have they felt under obligation to their parents to be true, thorough, and faithful in the humble, lowly duties of life which lie directly in their pathway. They look above the common branches of knowledge, so very necessary for practical life.--3T 221, 222 (1872).  {1MCP 313.1}
[1MCP 313.2]          Recreation Versus Amusement.--There is a distinction between recreation and amusement. Recreation, when true to its name, re-creation, tends to strengthen and build up. Calling us aside from our ordinary cares and occupations, it affords refreshment for mind and body, and thus enables us to return with new vigor to the earnest work of life. Amusement, on the other hand, is sought for the sake of pleasure and is often carried to excess; it absorbs the energies that are required for useful work and thus proves a hindrance to life's true success.--Ed 207 (1903).  {1MCP 313.2}
[1MCP 313.3]          Senseless Mirth.--Our recreations should not be scenes of senseless mirth, taking the form of the nonsensical. We can conduct them in such a manner as will benefit and elevate those with whom we associate and better qualify us and them to more successfully attend to the duties devolving upon us as Christians.--HR, July, 1871. (AH 493).  {1MCP 313.3}
[1MCP 313.4]          The Fashionable Modern Dance.--David's dancing in reverent joy before God has been cited by pleasure     314     lovers in justification of the fashionable modern dance, but there is no ground for such an argument. In our day, dancing is associated with folly and midnight reveling. Health and morals are sacrificed to pleasure. By the frequenters of the ballroom, God is not an object of thought and reverence; prayer or the song of praise would be felt to be out of place in their assemblies.  {1MCP 313.4}
[1MCP 314.1]          This test should be decisive. Amusements that have a tendency to weaken the love for sacred things and lessen our joy in the service of God are not to be sought by Christians. The music and dancing in joyful praise to God at the removal of the ark had not the faintest resemblance to the dissipation of modern dancing. The one tended to the remembrance of God, and exalted His holy name. The other is a device of Satan to cause men to forget God and to dishonor Him.--PP 707 (1890).  {1MCP 314.1}
[1MCP 314.2]          Seeking Satisfaction in Amusements and Pleasures. --The enemy seeks in many ways to draw our minds from the study of the Word. Many he leads to seek for satisfaction in amusements and pleasures that seem desirable to the carnal heart. But the true children of God are not seeking their happiness in this world; they seek for the lasting joys of a home in the eternal city where Christ dwells, and where the redeemed shall receive the rewards of obedience to the requirements of God. These do not desire the transitory, cheap amusements of this life, but the enduring bliss of heaven.--MS 51, 1912. (HC 284.)  {1MCP 314.2}
[1MCP 314.3]          Foolish Thoughts and Trifling Conversation.--Why not keep your minds fixed on the unsearchable riches of Christ that you may present to others the gems of truth? . . . It is impossible to do this while we indulge an idle, restless spirit, seeking constantly for something that will merely gratify the senses, something to amuse, and cause a foolish laugh. . . . We should not set our minds upon such things as these, when there are unsearchable riches for us. It will take us all eternity to comprehend                                                        315     the riches of the glory of God and of Jesus Christ.  {1MCP 314.3}
[1MCP 315.1]          But minds that are occupied with frivolous reading, with exciting stories, or with seeking after amusement do not dwell upon Christ and cannot rejoice in the fullness of His love. The mind that finds pleasure in foolish thoughts and trifling conversation is as destitute of the joy of Christ as were the hills of Gilboa of dew or rain.-- RH, Mar 15, 1892.  {1MCP 315.1}
[1MCP 315.2]          The Whirl of Excitement.--The cities of today are fast becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah. Holidays are numerous; the whirl of excitement and pleasure attracts thousands from the sober duties of life. The exciting sports--theatergoing, horse racing, gambling, liquor drinking, and reveling--stimulate every passion to activity.  {1MCP 315.2}
[1MCP 315.3]          The youth are swept away by the popular current. Those who learn to love amusement for its own sake open the door to a flood of temptations. They give themselves up to social gaiety and thoughtless mirth. They are led on from one form of dissipation to another, until they lose both the desire and the capacity for a life of usefulness. Their religious aspirations are chilled; their spiritual life is darkened. All the nobler faculties of the soul, all that link man with the spiritual world, are debased.--9T 89, 90 (1909).  {1MCP 315.3}
[1MCP 315.4]          Parties of Pleasure.--Many allow the youth to attend parties of pleasure, thinking that amusement is essential for health and happiness; but what dangers are in this path! The more the desire for pleasure is gratified, the more it is cultivated and the stronger it becomes. The life experience is largely made up of self-gratification in amusement. God bids us beware. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).--CT 347 (1913).  {1MCP 315.4}
[1MCP 315.5]          Frivolity a Danger.--One pattern only is given to the young, but how do their lives compare with the life of     316     Christ? I feel alarmed as I witness everywhere the frivolity of young men and young women who profess to believe the truth. God does not seem to be in their thoughts. Their minds are filled with nonsense. Their conversation is only empty, vain talk. They have a keen ear for music, and Satan knows what organs to excite to animate, engross, and charm the mind so that Christ is not desired. The spiritual longings of the soul for divine knowledge, for a growth in grace, are wanting.--1T 496, 497 (1867).  {1MCP 315.5}
[1MCP 316.1]          Indulgence Robs Brain of Its Power.--The same Witness that recorded the profanity of Belshazzar is present with us wherever we go. Young man, young woman, you may not realize that God is looking upon you; you may feel that you are at liberty to act out the impulses of the natural heart, that you may indulge in lightness and trifling, but for all these things you must give an account. As you sow, you will reap, and if you are taking the foundation from your house, robbing your brain of its nutriment and your nerves of their power by dissipation and indulgence of appetite and passion, you will have an account to render to Him who says, "I know thy works."--RH, Mar 29, 1892.  {1MCP 316.1}
[1MCP 316.2]          Indiscriminate Pleasure Dwarfs the Mind.--As hurried eating of temporal food is detrimental to physical health, so the greedy swallowing of everything bearing the semblance of pleasure dwarfs the mind, causing it to refuse the spiritual food which is presented. The mind is educated to crave pleasure as the inebriate craves the glass of liquor. It seems impossible to resist the temptation. Sober thinking is distasteful because the presentation is not satisfying. There is nothing pleasing in the idea of reading and studying the words of eternal life.--Lt 117, 1901.  {1MCP 316.2}
[1MCP 316.3]          Dangerous Amusements.--Any amusement which disqualifies them for secret prayer, for devotion at the                                                          317     altar of prayer, or for taking part in the prayer meeting is not safe, but dangerous.--3T 223 (1872).  {1MCP 316.3}
[1MCP 317.1]          Indulgence of Appetite Impairs Health of Body and Soul.--Do you consider, young man, in choosing your principles of action and subjecting your mind to influences, you are forming your character for eternity? You can hide nothing from God. You may practice evil habits in secret, but it is not hid from God and angels. They view these things and you must meet them again. God is not pleased with you; you are required to be far in advance of what you are now in spiritual knowledge.  {1MCP 317.1}
[1MCP 317.2]          With all the privileges and opportunities that God has granted you, you do not have corresponding works. You owe a duty to others, and a duty imperfectly understood will be imperfectly performed. There will be mistakes and errors that not only will be injurious to yourself but will help to fasten wrong practices upon others. You have habits of appetite that you indulge to the detriment of the health of the body as well as the soul. Your habits have been intemperate, after the habits and customs of the world, and your health has been injured by your indulgence of appetite. The brain has been beclouded, and you will never have clear, pure thoughts until your habits and practices are in accordance with the laws of God in nature.--Lt 36, 1887.  {1MCP 317.2}
[1MCP 317.3]          Avoid Temptations.--Avoid running into temptation. When temptations surround you, and you cannot control the circumstances which expose you to them, then you may claim the promise of God and with confidence and conscious power exclaim, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). There is strength for you all in God. But you will never feel your need of that strength which alone is able to save you unless you feel your weakness and sinfulness.  {1MCP 317.3}
[1MCP 317.4]          Jesus, your precious Saviour, now calls you to take your position firmly upon the platform of eternal truth.     318     If you suffer with Him, He will crown you with glory in His everlasting kingdom. If you are willing to sacrifice all for Him, then He will be your Saviour. But if you choose your own way, you will follow on in darkness until it is too late to secure the eternal reward.--3T 45, 46 (1872).  {1MCP 317.4}
[1MCP 318.1]          Cherish Righteous Ambition.--Love the right because it is right, and analyze your feelings, your impressions, in the light of the Word of God. Misdirected ambition will lead you into sorrow as surely as you yield to it. I am trying to catch the very words and expressions that were made in reference to this matter, and as my pen hesitates a moment, the appropriate words come to my mind. I want you to understand me.  {1MCP 318.1}
[1MCP 318.2]          Cherish an ambition that will bring glory to God because it is sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Let the holy oil, which comes from the two olive branches, burn with a holy radiance upon the altar of your soul. The work of these olive branches represents the richest impartation of the Holy Spirit.--Lt 123, 1904.  {1MCP 318.2}
[1MCP 319.1]       Chap. 34 - Conscience           Exalt the Conscience to Its Rightful Place of Authority.--God has given men more than a mere animal life. He "so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He expects those for whom He has made so great a sacrifice to show their appreciation of His love by following the example that Christ has set them, living lives that are in harmony with His will. He expects them to respond to the love He has expressed for them by denying self for the good of others. He expects them to use the powers of mind and body in His service. He has given them affections, and He expects them to use this precious gift to His glory. He has given them a conscience, and He forbids that this gift be in any way misused; it is, rather, to be exalted to the place of authority to which He has assigned it.--SW, Mar 1, 1904.  {1MCP 319.1}
[1MCP 319.2]          Control Conscience and Cultivate an Amiable Disposition.--We should all cultivate an amiable disposition and subject ourselves to the control of conscience. The spirit of the truth makes better men and women of those who receive it in their hearts. It works     320     like leaven till the entire being is brought into conformity to its principles. It opens the heart that has been frozen by avarice; it opens the hand that has ever been closed to human suffering; and charity and kindness are seen as its fruits.--4T 59 (1876).  {1MCP 319.2}
[1MCP 320.1]          A Pure Conscience a Wonderful Acquirement.-- A conscience void of offense toward God and man is a wonderful acquirement.--MS 126, 1897. (HC 143.)  {1MCP 320.1}
[1MCP 320.2]          Rejecting Conscience Is a Fearful Danger.--Day by day men and women are deciding their eternal destiny. I have been shown that many are in great danger. When a man will do or say anything to gain his end, nothing but the power of God can save him. His character needs to be transformed before he can have a good conscience, void of offense toward God and man. Self must die, and Christ must take possession of the soul temple. When, by rejecting the light that God has given, men abuse and trample upon the conscience, they are in fearful danger. Their future eternal welfare is imperiled.--Lt 162, 1903.  {1MCP 320.2}
[1MCP 320.3]          Satan Attempts to Drown Conscience.--Satan uses his influence to drown the voice of God and the voice of conscience, and the world acts as if under his control. Men have chosen him as their leader. They stand under his banner. They will not come to Christ that they might have life. Infatuated with schemes for pleasure and amusement, they are striving for that which will perish with the using.--MS 161, 1897.  {1MCP 320.3}
[1MCP 320.4]          One Wrong Step Changes a Life.--The removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to do the very thing that the Lord has marked out, one step in the path of wrong principle, often leads to an entire change of the life and action. . . . We are safe only in following where Christ leads the way. The path will grow clearer, brighter and brighter, unto the perfect day.--Lt 71 1898.                                                          321  {1MCP 320.4}
[1MCP 321.1]          Violated Conscience Is Weakened.--A conscience once violated is greatly weakened. It needs the strength of constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer. 2T 90, 91 (1868).  {1MCP 321.1}
[1MCP 321.2]          Violated Conscience Becomes Unreliable.--He who after hearing the truth turns from it because to accept it would retard his success in business lines turns from God and the light. He sells his soul in a cheap market. His conscience will ever be unreliable. He has made a bargain with Satan, violating his conscience, which if kept pure and upright, would have been of more value to him than the whole world. He who refuses light partakes of the fruit of disobedience, as did Adam and Eve in Eden.--MS 27, 1900.  {1MCP 321.2}
[1MCP 321.3]          Loss of Conscious Integrity Paralyzes Energies.-- When you lose your conscious integrity, your soul becomes a battlefield for Satan; you have doubts and fears enough to paralyze your energies and drive you to discouragement. When the favor of God was gone, you know that some of you have tried to supply the place and seek compensation for the loss of the Holy Spirit's witness that you are a child of God in worldly excitement, in the society of worldlings.--Lt 14, 1885.  {1MCP 321.3}
[1MCP 321.4]          Violated Conscience Becomes a Tyrant.--Conscience violated becomes a tyrant over other consciences.--Lt 88, 1896.  {1MCP 321.4}
[1MCP 321.5]          Satan Controls the Conscience Numbed by Alcohol. --The drunkard sells his reason for a cup of poison. Satan takes control of his reason, affections, conscience. Such a man is destroying the temple of God. Tea drinking helps to do this same work. Yet how many there are who place these destroying agencies on their tables, thereby quenching the divine attributes.--MS 130, 1899. (Te 79, 80.)     322  {1MCP 321.5}
[1MCP 322.1]          Diet Affects Conscience.--Gross and stimulating food fevers the blood, excites the nervous system, and too often dulls the moral perceptions so that reason and conscience are overborne by the sensual impulses.--CTBH 134, 1890. (CD 243.)  {1MCP 322.1}
[1MCP 322.2]          Health and Conscience.--Health is an inestimable blessing, and one which is more closely related to conscience and religion than many realize. It has a great deal to do with one's capability. Every minister should feel that as he would be a faithful guardian of the flock, he must preserve all his powers in condition for the best possible service.--GW 175 (1893). (CH 566.)  {1MCP 322.2}
[1MCP 322.3]          Conscience Effective Agent in Restoring Health. --If you are burdened and weary, you need not curl up like leaves upon a withered branch. Cheerfulness and a clear conscience are better than drugs and will be an effective agent in your restoration to health.--HR, June, 1871. (ML 177.)  {1MCP 322.3}
[1MCP 322.4]          Possible to Be Conscientiously Wrong.--The idea is entertained by many that a man may practice anything that he conscientiously believes to be right. But the question is, Has the man a well-instructed, good conscience, or is it biased and warped by his own preconceived opinions? Conscience is not to take the place of "Thus saith the Lord." Consciences do not all harmonize and are not all inspired alike. Some consciences are dead, seared as with a hot iron. Men may be conscientiously wrong as well as conscientiously right. Paul did not believe in Jesus of Nazareth, and he hunted the Christians from city to city, verily believing that he was doing service to God.--Lt 4, 1889.  {1MCP 322.4}
[1MCP 322.5]          Human Perceptions an Unstable Guide.--"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil,                                                              323     thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22).  {1MCP 322.5}
[1MCP 323.1]          These words have a first and second sense, a literal and a figurative meaning. They are full of truth in regard to the bodily eye, with which we see external objects. And they are true also in regard to the spiritual eye, the conscience, with which we estimate good and evil. If the eye of the soul, the conscience, is perfectly healthy, the soul will be taught aright.  {1MCP 323.1}
[1MCP 323.2]          But when the conscience is guided by human perceptions, which are not subdued and softened by the grace of Christ, the mind is in a diseased condition. Things are not seen in their true bearings. The imagination is wrought upon, and the eye of the mind sees things in a false, distorted light.  {1MCP 323.2}
[1MCP 323.3]          You need clear, sympathetic eyesight. Your conscience has been abused, and has become hardened, but if you will follow the right course, renewed sensitiveness will come to it.--Lt 45, 1904.  {1MCP 323.3}
[1MCP 323.4]          When We Can Trust the Conscience.--But one says, "My conscience does not condemn me in not keeping the commandments of God." But in the Word of God we read that there are good and bad consciences, and the fact that your conscience does not condemn you in not keeping the law of God does not prove that you are uncondemned in His sight.  {1MCP 323.4}
[1MCP 323.5]          Take your conscience to the Word of God and see if your life and character are in accordance with the standard of righteousness which God has there revealed. You can then determine whether or not you have an intelligent faith and what manner of conscience is yours. The conscience of man cannot be trusted unless it is under the influence of divine grace. Satan takes advantage of an unenlightened conscience, and thereby leads men into all manner of delusions, because they have not made the Word of God their counselor. Many have invented     324     a gospel of their own in the same manner as they have substituted a law of their own for God's law.--RH, Sept 3, 1901.  {1MCP 323.5}
[1MCP 324.1]          God's Word the Standard.--It is not enough for a man to think himself safe in following the dictates of his conscience. . . . The question to be settled is, Is the conscience in harmony with the Word of God? If not, it cannot safely be followed, for it will deceive. The conscience must be enlightened by God. Time must be given to a study of the Scriptures and to prayer. Thus the mind will be stablished, strengthened, and settled.--Lt 21, 1901. (HC 143.)  {1MCP 324.1}
[1MCP 324.2]         Is Conscience Changing your Life?--You may have a conscience and that conscience may bring conviction to you, but the question is, Is that conviction a working agent? Does that conviction reach your heart and the doings of the inner man? Is there a purification of the soul temple of its defilement? That is what we want, because it is a time such as it was in the days of the children of Israel; and if there are any sins upon you, do not stop till they are corrected and put away.--MS 13, 1894.  {1MCP 324.2}
[1MCP 324.3]          Influence of Truth on the Conscience and on the Heart.--The psalmist says, "The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psalm 119:130). When truth is working only upon the conscience, it creates much uneasiness; but when truth is invited into the heart, the whole being is brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. Even the thoughts are captured, for the mind of Christ works where the will is submitted to the will of God. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). He whom the Lord makes free is free indeed, and he cannot be brought into servile bondage to sin.--MS 67, 1894.  {1MCP 324.3}
[1MCP 324.4]         Truth Held Only by Conscience Will Agitate the Mind.--By his conscience every honest Jew was                                                        325     convinced that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but the heart in its pride and ambition would not surrender. An opposition was maintained against the light of truth, which they had decided to resist and deny. When the truth is held as truth only by the conscience, when the heart is not stimulated and made receptive, the truth only agitates the mind. But when the truth is received as truth by the heart, it has passed through the conscience and captivated the soul by its pure principles. It is placed in the heart by the Holy Spirit, who molds its beauty to the mind that its transforming power may be seen in the character.--MS 130, 1897.  {1MCP 324.4}
[1MCP 325.1]          God Does Not Force the Conscience.--God never forces the will or the conscience, but Satan's constant resort--to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise seduce--is compulsion by cruelty. Through fear or force he endeavors to rule the conscience and to secure homage to himself.--GC 591 (1888).  {1MCP 325.1}
[1MCP 325.2]          When Conscience Is a Sure Guide.--He whose conscience is a sure guide will not stop to reason when light shines upon him out of God's Word. He will not be guided by human counsel. He will not allow worldly business to stand in the way of obedience. He will lay every selfish interest at the door of investigation and will approach the Word of God as one whose eternal interest is hanging in the balance.--MS 27, 1900.  {1MCP 325.2}
[1MCP 325.3]          Emotions and Desires Subjected to Reason and Conscience.--If we would not commit sin, we must shun its very beginnings. Every emotion and desire must be held in subjection to reason and conscience. Every unholy thought must be instantly repelled. To your closet, followers of Christ. Pray in faith and with all the heart. Satan is watching to ensnare your feet. You must have help from above if you would escape his devices.-- 5T 177 (1882).     326  {1MCP 325.3}
[1MCP 326.1]          But it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind. --RH, June 14, 1892. (HC 87.)  {1MCP 326.1}
[1MCP 326.2]          Scars Ever Remain.--What did that dishonest man gain by his worldly policy? How high a price did he pay for his success? He has sacrificed his noble manhood and has started on the road that leads to perdition. He may be converted; he may see the wickedness of his injustice to his fellowmen--and, as far as possible, make restitution; but the scars of a wounded conscience will ever remain.--ST, Feb. 7, 1884. (3BC 1158.)  {1MCP 326.2}
[1MCP 326.3]          Christ's Grace Sufficient for Guilty Conscience.-- When sin struggles for the mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses the soul and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, remember that Christ's grace is sufficient to subdue sin and banish the darkness. Entering into communion with the Saviour, we enter the region of peace.--MH 250 (1905).  {1MCP 326.3}
[1MCP 326.4]          You Can Make Yourself What You Choose.--Again I warn you as one who must meet these lines in that day when the case of everyone shall be decided. Yield yourself to Christ without delay; He alone, by the power of His grace, can redeem you from ruin. He alone can bring your moral and mental powers into a state of health. Your heart may be warm with the love of God; your understanding, clear and mature; your conscience, illuminated, quick, and pure; your will, upright and sanctified, subject to the control of the Spirit of God. You can make yourself what you choose. If you will now face right about, cease to do evil and learn to do well, then you will be happy indeed; you will be successful in the battles of life and rise to glory and honor in the better life than this. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15).--2T 564, 565 (1870).                                                            327  {1MCP 326.4}
[1MCP 327.1]          Not to Meddle With Others' Consciences.--Conscience in regard to the things of God is a sacred treasure, which no human beings, whatever be their position, have a right to meddle with. Nebuchadnezzar offered the Hebrews another chance, and when they refused it, he was exceedingly angry and commanded the burning fiery furnace to be heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated. He told the captives that he would cast them into this furnace. Full of faith and trust, the answer came, Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us; if He does not, well: we commit ourselves to a faithful God.--Lt 90, 1897.  {1MCP 327.1}
[1MCP 327.2]          No Criterion for Others.--God does not wish you to make your conscience a criterion for others. You have a duty to perform, which is to make yourself cheerful and to cultivate unselfishness in your feelings until it will be your greatest pleasure to make all around you happy.--4T 62 (1876).  {1MCP 327.2}
[1MCP 327.3]          Parents to Help Children to Preserve a Clean Conscience. --I am instructed to say to parents, Do all in your power to help your children to have a pure, clean conscience. Teach them to feed on the Word of God. Teach them that they are the Lord's little children. Do not forget that He has appointed you as their guardians. If you will give them proper food and dress them healthfully, and if you will diligently teach them the Word of the Lord, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, with much prayer to our heavenly Father, your efforts will be richly rewarded.--MS 4, 1905.  {1MCP 327.3}
[1MCP 327.4]          Conscience to Be Cleansed.--Every room in the soul temple has become more or less defiled, and needs cleansing. The cobwebbed closet of conscience is to be entered. The windows of the soul are to be closed earthward and thrown wide open heavenward that the bright beams of     328     the Sun of righteousness may have free access. The memory is to be refreshed by Bible principles. The mind is to be kept clear and pure that it may distinguish between good and evil. As you repeat the prayer Christ taught His disciples, and then strive to answer it in the daily life, the Holy Spirit will renew the mind and heart and will give you strength to carry out high and holy purposes. --MS 24, 1901.  {1MCP 327.4}
[1MCP 328.1]          Clear Conscience Brings Perfect Peace.--Inward peace and a conscience void of offense toward God will quicken and invigorate the intellect like dew distilled upon the tender plants. The will is then rightly directed and controlled, and is more decided, and yet free from perverseness. The meditations are pleasing because they are sanctified. The serenity of mind which you may possess will bless all with whom you associate. This peace and calmness will, in time, become natural and will reflect its precious rays upon all around you, to be again reflected upon you. The more you taste this heavenly peace and quietude of mind, the more it will increase. It is an animated, living pleasure which does not throw all the moral energies into a stupor but awakens them to increased activity. Perfect peace is an attribute of heaven which angels possess. May God help you to become a possessor of this peace.--2T 327 (1869).  {1MCP 328.1}
[1MCP 331.1]       Chap. 35 - The Influence of Perception           A Law in Intellectual and Spiritual Worlds.--It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature that by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. It becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love and reverence.--GC 555 (1888).  {1MCP 331.1}
[1MCP 331.2]          Beholding Evil Corrupted Antediluvians.--By beholding evil, men became changed into its image, until God could bear with their wickedness no longer, and they were swept away by the flood.--SpTEd 44, May 11, 1896. (FE 422.)  {1MCP 331.2}
[1MCP 331.3]          Changed for the Better.--Looking unto Jesus we obtain brighter and more distinct views of God, and by beholding we become changed. Goodness, love for our fellowmen, becomes our natural instinct. We develop a character which is the counterpart of the divine character. Growing into His likeness, we enlarge our capacity for knowing God. More and more we enter into fellowship with the heavenly world, and we have continually increasing power to receive the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of eternity.--COL 355 (1900).     332  {1MCP 331.3}
[1MCP 332.1]          Changed for the Worse.--It is by beholding that we become changed. And as those sacred precepts in which God has opened to men the perfection and holiness of His character are neglected and the minds of the people are attracted to human teachings and theories, what marvel that there has followed a decline of living piety in the church. Saith the Lord, "They have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13).--GC 478 (1911).  {1MCP 332.1}
[1MCP 332.2]          Life Is Changed by Seeing.--The Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119:11). The heart preoccupied with the Word of God is fortified against Satan. Those who make Christ their daily companion and familiar friend will feel that the powers of an unseen world are all around them, and by looking unto Jesus they will become assimilated to His image. By beholding they become changed to the divine pattern; their character is softened, refined, and ennobled for the heavenly kingdom.--4T 616 (1881).  {1MCP 332.2}
[1MCP 332.3]         Selective Perception.--God does not wish us to hear all that is to be heard or to see all that is to be seen. It is a great blessing to close the ears that we hear not, and the eyes that we see not. The greatest anxiety should be to have clear eyesight to discern our own shortcomings and a quick ear to catch all needed reproof and instruction, lest by our inattention and carelessness we let them slip and become forgetful hearers and not doers of the work.--1T 707, 708 (1868).  {1MCP 332.3}
[1MCP 332.4]          Keeping Powers of Perception Alert.--If you are called upon to attend a council meeting, ask yourself whether your perceptive faculties are in a proper condition to weigh evidence. If you are not in a proper condition, if your brain is confused, you have no right to take                                                        333     part in the meeting. Are you fractious? Is your temper sweet and fragrant, or is it so disturbed and disagreeable that you will be led to make hasty decisions? Do you feel as though you would like to fight someone? Then do not go to the meeting; for if you go you will surely dishonor God.  {1MCP 332.4}
[1MCP 333.1]          Take an ax and chop wood or engage in some physical exercise until your spirit is mild and easy to be entreated. Just as surely as your stomach is creating a disturbance in your brain, your words will create a disturbance in the assembly. More trouble is caused by disturbed digestive organs than many realize.--MS 62, 1900. (MM 295.)  {1MCP 333.1}
[1MCP 333.2]          Perception Influenced by Physical Habits Controlled by Conscience.--Those who would have clear minds to discern Satan's devices must have their physical appetites under the control of reason and conscience. The moral and vigorous action of the higher powers of the mind are essential to the perfection of Christian character. And the strength or the weakness of the mind has very much to do with our usefulness in this world and with our final salvation.--RH, Sept 8, 1874. (MYP 236, 237.)  {1MCP 333.2}
[1MCP 333.3]          Exercise Improves Perception.--Brain and muscle must be taxed proportionately if health and vigor are to be maintained. The youth can then bring to the study of the Word of God healthy perception and well-balanced nerves. They will have wholesome thoughts and can retain the precious things that are brought from the Word. They will digest its truths and as a result will have brain power to discern what is truth. Then, as occasion demands, they can give to every man that asks a reason of the hope that is in them with meekness and fear.-- 6T 180 (1900).  {1MCP 333.3}
[1MCP 333.4]          Increasing Perfection Increases Perception.--The nearer man approaches to moral perfection, the keener     334     are his sensibilities, the more acute is his perception of sin, and the deeper his sympathy for the afflicted.-- GC 570 (1911).  {1MCP 333.4}
[1MCP 334.1]          Grief Dimmed Mary's Perception.--Then she turned away, even from the angels, thinking that she must find someone who could tell her what had been done with the body of Jesus. Another voice addressed her, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" Through her tear-dimmed eyes Mary saw the form of a man, and thinking that it was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away."--DA 790 (1898).  {1MCP 334.1}
[1MCP 334.2]          Perceived Jesus by His Voice.--But now in His own familiar voice Jesus said to her, "Mary." Now she knew that it was not a stranger who was addressing her, and turning she saw before her the living Christ. In her joy she forgot that He had been crucified. Springing toward Him, as if to embrace His feet, she said, "Rabboni."--DA 790 (1898).  {1MCP 334.2}
[1MCP 334.3]          Appetite Deadens Perceptive Faculties.--The world's Redeemer knew that indulgence of appetite was bringing physical debility and deadening the perceptive faculties so that sacred and eternal things could not be discerned. He knew that self-indulgence was perverting the moral powers and that man's great need was conversion--in heart and mind and soul, from the life of self-indulgence to one of self-denial and self-sacrifice.--Lt 158, 1909. (MM 264.)  {1MCP 334.3}
[1MCP 334.4]          Sins Dim Perception.--It is sin that darkens our minds and dims our perceptions. As sin is purged from our hearts, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, illuminating His Word and reflected from the face of nature, more and more fully will declare Him "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and                                                            335     abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6).  {1MCP 334.4}
[1MCP 335.1]          In His light shall we see light, until mind and heart and soul are transformed into the image of His holiness.-- MH 464, 465 (1905).  {1MCP 335.1}
[1MCP 335.2]          Perceptive Powers Beclouded.--Pride, self-love, selfishness, hatred, envy, and jealousy have beclouded the perceptive powers.--2T 605 (1871).  {1MCP 335.2}
[1MCP 335.3]          How Christ Met Perceptions Dulled by Sin.--Christ stooped to take upon Himself human nature that He might reach the fallen race and lift them up. But the minds of men had become darkened by sin, their faculties were benumbed and their perceptions dulled, so that they could not discern His divine character beneath the garb of humanity. This lack of appreciation on their part was an obstacle to the work which He desired to accomplish for them; and in order to give force to His teaching He was often under the necessity of defining and defending His position.  {1MCP 335.3}
[1MCP 335.4]          By referring to His mysterious and divine character, He sought to lead their minds into a train of thought which would be favorable to the transforming power of truth. Again, He used the things of nature with which they were familiar to illustrate divine truth. The soil of the heart was thus prepared to receive the good seed. He made His hearers feel that His interests were identified with theirs, that His heart beat in sympathy with them in their joys and griefs. At the same time they saw in Him the manifestation of power and excellence far above that possessed by their most-honored rabbis.  {1MCP 335.4}
[1MCP 335.5]          The teachings of Christ were marked with a simplicity, dignity, and power heretofore unknown to them, and their involuntary exclamation was, "Never man spake like this man." The people listened to Him gladly. --5T 746, 747 (1889).  {1MCP 335.5}
[1MCP 335.6]          Uncontrolled Passions Injure Perceptive Faculties.-- The lower passions are to be strictly guarded. The perceptive     336     faculties are abused, terribly abused, when the passions are allowed to run riot. When the passions are indulged, the blood, instead of circulating to all parts of the body, thereby relieving the heart and clearing the mind, is called in undue amount to the internal organs. Disease comes as the result. The man cannot be healthy until the evil is seen and remedied.--SpT Series B, No. 15, p 18, Apr 3, 1900. (CH 587.)  {1MCP 335.6}
[1MCP 336.1]          The Mind Can Be Educated to Accept Sin.--A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.--PP 459 (1890).  {1MCP 336.1}
[1MCP 336.2]          Powers Become Playthings of the Enemy.--God gives no permission to man to violate the laws of his being. But man, through yielding to Satan's temptations to indulge intemperance, brings the higher faculties into subjection to the animal appetites and passions. When these gain the ascendency, man, who was created a little lower than the angels, with faculties susceptible of the highest cultivation, surrenders to be controlled by Satan. And he gains easy access to those who are in bondage to appetite. Through intemperance, some sacrifice one half, others two thirds, of their physical, mental, and moral powers and become playthings for the enemy.--RH, Sept 8, 1874. (MYP 236.)  {1MCP 336.2}
[1MCP 336.3]          Counsel to One Who Imagined Injury When It Did Not Exist.--Sister D has been deceived in some things. She has thought that God instructed her in a special sense, and you both have believed and acted accordingly.                                                              337     The discernment which she has thought she possessed in a special sense is a deception of the enemy. She is naturally quick to see, quick to understand, quick to anticipate, and is of an extremely sensitive nature. Satan has taken advantage of these traits of character and has led you both astray.  {1MCP 336.3}
[1MCP 337.1]          Brother D, you have been a bondman for quite a length of time. Much of that which Sister D has thought was discernment has been jealousy. She has been disposed to regard everything with a jealous eye, to be suspicious, surmising evil, distrustful of almost everything. This causes unhappiness of mind, despondency, and doubt, where faith and confidence should exist. These unhappy traits of character turn her thoughts into a gloomy channel, where she indulges a foreboding of evil, while a highly sensitive temperament leads her to imagine neglect, slight, and injury, when it does not exist....  {1MCP 337.1}
[1MCP 337.2]          These unhappy traits of character, with a strong, set will, must be corrected and reformed, or they will eventually cause you both to make shipwreck of your faith.-- 1T 708, 709 (1868).  {1MCP 337.2}
[1MCP 337.3]          Dwell Not on Satan's Power.--It is by beholding that we become changed. By dwelling upon the love of God and our Saviour, by contemplating the perfection of the divine character and claiming the righteousness of Christ as ours by faith, we are to be transformed into the same image. Then let us not gather together all the unpleasant pictures--the iniquities and corruptions and disappointments, the evidences of Satan's power--to hang in the halls of our memory, to talk over and mourn over until our souls are filled with discouragement. A discouraged soul is a body of darkness, not only failing himself to receive the light of God but shutting it away from others. Satan loves to see the effect of the pictures of his triumphs, making human beings faithless and disheartened.--5T 744, 745 (1889).     338  {1MCP 337.3}
[1MCP 338.1]          Environment Influences.--The more the patient can be kept out of doors, the less care will he require. The more cheerful his surroundings, the more hopeful will he be. Shut up in the house, be it ever so elegantly furnished, he will grow fretful and gloomy. Surround him with the beautiful things of nature; place him where he can see the flowers growing and hear the birds singing, and his heart will break into song in harmony with the songs of the birds. Relief will come to body and mind. The intellect will be awakened, the imagination quickened, and the mind prepared to appreciate the beauty of God's Word.--MH 265 (1905).  {1MCP 338.1}
[1MCP 338.2]          Surroundings Affect Experience.--I was then shown a young girl . . . who had departed from God and was enshrouded in darkness. Said the angel: "She did run well for a season; what did hinder her?" I was pointed back and saw that it was a change of surroundings. She was associating with youth like herself, who were filled with hilarity and glee, pride, and love of the world. Had she regarded the words of Christ, she need not have yielded to the enemy. "Watch . . . and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Temptation may be all around us, but this does not make it necessary that we should enter into temptation. The truth is worth everything. Its influence tends not to degrade but to elevate, refine, purify, and exalt to immortality and the throne of God. Said the angel, "Will you have Christ, or the world?"  {1MCP 338.2}
[1MCP 338.3]          Satan presents the world with its most alluring, flattering charms to poor mortals, and they gaze upon it, and its glitter and tinsel eclipse the glory of heaven and that life which is as enduring as the throne of God. A life of peace, happiness, joy unspeakable, which shall know nothing of sorrow, sadness, pain, or death, is sacrificed for a short lifetime of sin.--2T 100, 101 (1868).  {1MCP 338.3}
[1MCP 338.4]          Seeing Molds Personality.--The sight of her eyes and the hearing of her ears have perverted her heart.-- 4T 108 (1876).                                                              339  {1MCP 338.4}
[1MCP 339.1]          Perceptions Confused by Choosing Temporal Advantages.--Lot chose Sodom as a place of residence because he looked more to the temporal advantages he would gain than to the moral influences that would surround himself and his family. What did he gain so far as the things of this world are concerned? His possessions were destroyed, part of his children perished in the destruction of that wicked city, his wife was turned to a pillar of salt by the way, and he himself was saved "so as by fire." Nor did the evil results of his selfish choice end here; but the moral corruption of the place was so interwoven with the character of his children that they could not distinguish between good and evil, sin and righteousness.--ST, May 29, 1884. (MYP 419.)  {1MCP 339.1}
[1MCP 339.2]          Perceptions Dimmed to Eternal Verities.--Those who have made a wrong use of means dedicated to God will be required to give an account of their stewardship. Some have selfishly grasped means because of their love of gain. Others have not a tender conscience; it has become seared through long-cherished selfishness. . . .  {1MCP 339.2}
[1MCP 339.3]          Their minds have so long run in a low, selfish channel that they cannot appreciate eternal things. They do not value salvation. It seems impossible to elevate their minds to rightly estimate the plan of salvation or the value of the atonement. Selfish interests have engrossed the entire being; like a lodestone they hold the mind and affections, binding them down to a low level. Some of these persons will never attain to perfection of Christian character because they do not see the value and necessity of such a character. Their minds cannot be elevated so that they will be charmed with holiness. Self-love and selfish interests have so warped the character that they cannot be made to distinguish the sacred and eternal from the common.--2T 519, 520 (1870).  {1MCP 339.3}
[1MCP 339.4]          That Which Quickens the Perceptions.--When hearts are purified from selfishness and egotism, they     340     are in harmony with the message God sends them. The perceptions are quickened, the sensibilities refined. Like appreciates like. "He that is of God heareth God's words" (John 8:47).--5T 696 (1889).  {1MCP 339.4}
[1MCP 341.1]       Chap. 36 - Principles of Motivation           Success Demands Aim.--Success in any line demands a definite aim. He who would achieve true success in life must keep steadily in view the aim worthy of his endeavor. Such an aim is set before the youth of today.--Ed 262 (1903).  {1MCP 341.1}
[1MCP 341.2]          Should Aim as High as Possible.--The specific place appointed us in life is determined by our capabilities. Not all reach the same development or do with equal efficiency the same work. God does not expect the hyssop to attain the proportions of the cedar, or the olive the height of the stately palm. But each should aim just as high as the union of human with divine power makes it possible for him to reach.--Ed 267 (1903).  {1MCP 341.2}
[1MCP 341.3]          Students to Have a Real Aim.--Teach the students to use for the highest, holiest purpose the talents God has given them that they may accomplish the greatest good in this world. Students need to learn what it means to have a real aim in life, and to obtain an exalted understanding of what true education means.--SpT Series B, No. 11, p 16, Nov 14, 1905.     342  {1MCP 341.3}
[1MCP 342.1]          Christ Encourages Lofty Aims.--He would give encouragement to our loftiest aims, security to our choicest treasure.--COL 374 (1900).  {1MCP 342.1}
[1MCP 342.2]          Failing to Realize One's Potential.--Many do not become what they might because they do not put forth the power that is in them. They do not, as they might, lay hold on divine strength. Many are diverted from the line in which they might reach the truest success. Seeking greater honor or a more pleasing task, they attempt something for which they are not fitted.  {1MCP 342.2}
[1MCP 342.3]          Many a man whose talents are adapted for some other calling is ambitious to enter a profession; and he who might have been successful as a farmer, an artisan, or a nurse fills inadequately the position of a minister, a lawyer, or a physician. There are others, again, who might have filled a responsible calling, but who, for want of energy, application, or perseverance, content themselves with an easier place.--Ed 267 (1903).  {1MCP 342.3}
[1MCP 342.4]          Great Possibilities in Life.--And as regards life's possibilities, who is capable of deciding what is great and what is small? How many a worker in the lowly places of life, by setting on foot agencies for the blessing of the world, has achieved results that kings might envy! --Ed 266 (1903).  {1MCP 342.4}
[1MCP 342.5]          "Something Better"--The Law of True Living.-- "Something better" is the watchword of education, the law of all true living. Whatever Christ asks us to renounce, He offers in its stead something better.  {1MCP 342.5}
[1MCP 342.6]          Often the youth cherish objects, pursuits, and pleasures that may not appear to be evil but that fall short of the highest good. They divert the life from its noblest aim. Arbitrary measures or direct denunciation may not avail in leading these youth to relinquish that which they hold dear. Let them be directed to something better than display, ambition, or self-indulgence. Bring them in                                                          343     contact with truer beauty, with loftier principles, and with nobler lives. Lead them to behold the One "altogether lovely."  {1MCP 342.6}
[1MCP 343.1]          When once the gaze is fixed upon Him, the life finds its center. The enthusiasm, the generous devotion, the passionate ardor, of the youth find here their true object. Duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure. To honor Christ, to become like Him, to work for Him, is the life's highest ambition and its greatest joy.--Ed 296, 297 (1903).  {1MCP 343.1}
[1MCP 343.2]          Develop Highest Motives for Advancement.--Those in training to be nurses and physicians should daily be given instruction that will develop the highest motives for advancement. They should attend our colleges and training schools; and the teachers in these institutions of learning should realize their responsibility to work with and pray with the students. In these schools, students should learn to be true medical missionaries, firmly bound up with the gospel ministry.--SpT Series B, No. 11, p 12, Nov 14, 1905.  {1MCP 343.2}
[1MCP 343.3]          The Foolish Rich Man's Selfish Aimlessness.--This man's aims were no higher than those of the beasts that perish. He lived as if there were no God, no heaven, no future life; as if everything he possessed were his own and he owed nothing to God or man. The psalmist described this rich man when he wrote. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."--COL 257, 258 (1900).  {1MCP 343.3}
[1MCP 343.4]          An Aimless Life a Living Death.--An aimless life is a living death. The mind should dwell upon themes relating to our eternal interests. This will be conducive to health of body and mind.--RH, July 29, 1884. (CH 51.)  {1MCP 343.4}
[1MCP 343.5]          Fungus Roots on Aimlessness.--One of the chief causes of mental inefficiency and moral weakness is the lack of concentration for worthy ends. We pride ourselves     344     on the wide distribution of literature; but the multiplication of books, even books that in themselves are not harmful, may be a positive evil. . . .  {1MCP 343.5}
[1MCP 344.1]          A large share of the periodicals and books that, like the frogs of Egypt, are overspreading the land are not merely commonplace, idle, and enervating, but unclean and degrading. Their effect is not merely to intoxicate and ruin the mind but to corrupt and destroy the soul.  {1MCP 344.1}
[1MCP 344.2]          The mind, the heart, that is indolent, aimless, falls an easy prey to evil. It is on diseased, lifeless organisms that fungus roots. It is the idle mind that is Satan's workshop. Let the mind be directed to high and holy ideals, let the life have a noble aim, an absorbing purpose, and evil finds little foothold.--Ed 189, 190 (1903).  {1MCP 344.2}
[1MCP 344.3]          Aimlessness a Predisposing Cause of Intemperance. --In order to reach the root of intemperance we must go deeper than the use of alcohol or tobacco. Idleness, lack of aim, or evil associations may be the predisposing cause.--Ed 202, 203 (1903).  {1MCP 344.3}
[1MCP 344.4]          Few Evils More to Be Dreaded.--Few evils are more to be dreaded than indolence and aimlessness. Yet the tendency of most athletic sports is a subject of anxious thought to those who have at heart the well-being of the youth. . . . They stimulate the love of pleasure and excitement, thus fostering a distaste for useful labor, a disposition to shun practical duties and responsibilities. They tend to destroy a relish for life's sober realities and its tranquil enjoyments. Thus the door is opened to dissipation and lawlessness, with their terrible results. --Ed 210, 211 (1903).  {1MCP 344.4}
[1MCP 344.5]          No One to Live an Aimless Life.--Every soul is to minister. He is to use every physical, moral, and mental power--through sanctification of the Spirit--that he may be a laborer together with God. All are bound to devote themselves actively and unreservedly to God's                                                        345     service. They are to cooperate with Jesus Christ in the great work of helping others. Christ died for every man. He has ransomed every man by giving His life on the cross. This He did that man might no longer live an aimless, selfish life but that he might live unto Jesus Christ, who died for his salvation. All are not called upon to enter the ministry, but nevertheless, they are to minister. It is an insult to the Holy Spirit of God for any man to choose a life of self-serving.--Lt 10, 1897. (4BC 1159.)  {1MCP 344.5}
[1MCP 345.1]         Right Motives to Be Cultivated.--The true motives of service are to be kept before old and young. The students are to be taught in such a way that they will develop into useful men and women. Every means that will elevate and ennoble them is to be employed. They are to be taught to put their powers to the best use. Physical and mental powers are to be equally taxed. Habits of order and discipline are to be cultivated. The power that is exerted by a pure, true life is to be kept before the students. This will aid them in the preparation for useful service. Daily they will grow purer and stronger, better prepared through His grace and a study of His Word to put forth aggressive efforts against evil. --RH, Aug 22, 1912. (FE 543.)  {1MCP 345.1}
[1MCP 345.2]          Actions Reveal Motives.--Actions reveal principles and motives. The fruit borne by many who claim to be plants in the Lord's vineyard shows them to be but thorns and briers. A whole church may sanction the wrong course of some of its members, but that sanction does not prove the wrong to be right. It cannot make grapes of thorn berries.--5T 103 (1882).  {1MCP 345.2}
[1MCP 345.3]          Motives, Not Appearance, Judged.--It is an important duty for all to become familiar with the tenor of their conduct from day to day and the motives which prompt their actions. They need to become acquainted     346     with the particular motives which prompt particular actions. Every action of their lives is judged, not by the external appearance, but from the motive which dictated the action.--3T 507 (1875).  {1MCP 345.3}
[1MCP 346.1]          Followers of Christ Find New Motives.--No other science is equal to that which develops in the life of the student the character of God. Those who become followers of Christ find that new motives of action are supplied, new thoughts arise, and new actions must result. But they can make advancement only through conflict; for there is an enemy who ever contends against them, presenting temptations to cause the soul to doubt and sin. There are hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil that must be overcome. Appetite and passion must be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. There is no end to the warfare this side of eternity. But while there are constant battles to fight, there are also precious victories to gain; and the triumph over self and sin is of more value than the mind can estimate.--CT 20 (1913).  {1MCP 346.1}
[1MCP 346.2]          Two Antagonistic Motive Powers.--The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the Word as a whole and to see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme, of God's original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption. He should understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for supremacy and should learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found.--Ed 190 (1903).                                                        347  {1MCP 346.2}
[1MCP 347.1]          Every Action Has Twofold Character.--Every course of action has a twofold character and importance. It is virtuous or vicious, right or wrong, according to the motive which prompts it. A wrong action, by frequent repetition, leaves a permanent impression upon the mind of the actor and also on the minds of those who are connected with him in any relation, either spiritual or temporal. The parents or teachers who give no attention to the small actions that are not right establish those habits in the youth.--RH, May 17, 1898. (CG 201.)  {1MCP 347.1}
[1MCP 347.2]          Action Derives Quality From Motive.--Every action derives its quality from the motive which prompts it, and if the motives are not high and pure and unselfish, the mind and character will never become well balanced. --YI, Apr 7, 1898. (SD 171.)  {1MCP 347.2}
[1MCP 347.3]          Motives Give Character to Acts.--It is the motive that gives character to our acts, stamping them with ignominy or with high moral worth. Not the great things which every eye sees and every tongue praises does God account most precious. The little duties cheerfully done, the little gifts which make no show, and which to human eyes may appear worthless, often stand highest in His sight. A heart of faith and love is dearer to God than the most costly gift. The poor widow gave her living to do the little that she did. She deprived herself of food in order to give those two mites to the cause she loved. And she did it in faith, believing that her heavenly Father would not overlook her great need. It was this unselfish spirit and childlike faith that won the Saviour's commendation.--DA 615 (1898).  {1MCP 347.3}
[1MCP 347.4]          God Reveals the Motives.--God leads His people on, step by step. He brings them into positions which are calculated to reveal the motives of the heart. Some endure at one point but fall off at the next. At every advance step the heart is tested and tried a little closer. If any     348     find their hearts opposed to the straight work of God, it should convince them that they have a work to do in overcoming, or they will be finally rejected of the Lord. --RH, Apr 8, 1880. (HC 162.)  {1MCP 347.4}
[1MCP 348.1]          Our Secret Motives Decide Destiny.--Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or to condemn.--GC 486, 487 (1911).  {1MCP 348.1}
[1MCP 348.2]          God Estimates Men by Purity of Motive.--Not by their wealth, their education, or their position does God estimate men. He estimates them by their purity of motive and their beauty of character. He looks to see how much of His Spirit they possess and how much of His likeness their life reveals. To be great in God's kingdom is to be as a little child in humility, in simplicity of faith, and in purity of love.--MH 477, 478 (1905).  {1MCP 348.2}
[1MCP 348.3]          God Judges by the Motives.--There is much in the conduct of a minister that he can improve. Many see and feel their lack, yet they seem to be ignorant of the influence they exert. They are conscious of their actions as they perform them, but suffer them to pass from their memory, and therefore do not reform.  {1MCP 348.3}
[1MCP 348.4]          If ministers would make the actions of each day a subject of careful thought and deliberate review, with the object to become acquainted with their own habits of life, they would better know themselves. By a close scrutiny of their daily life under all circumstances they would know their own motives, the principles which actuate them. This daily review of our acts, to see whether conscience approves or condemns, is necessary for all who wish to arrive at the perfection of Christian character.  {1MCP 348.4}
[1MCP 348.5]          Many acts which pass for good works, even deeds of benevolence, will, when closely investigated, be found                                                        349     to be prompted by wrong motives. Many receive applause for virtues which they do not possess. The Searcher of hearts inspects motives, and often the deeds which are highly applauded by men are recorded by Him as springing from selfish motives and base hypocrisy. Every act of our lives, whether excellent and praiseworthy or deserving of censure, is judged by the Searcher of hearts according to the motives which prompted it.--2T 511, 512 (1870).  {1MCP 348.5}
[1MCP 349.1]          Sometimes Difficult to Discern Motives.--Amid the cares of active life it is sometimes difficult to discern our own motives, but progress is made daily either for good or evil.--5T 420 (1889).  {1MCP 349.1}
[1MCP 349.2]          Real Conversion Changes Motives.--Real conversion is a decided change of feelings and motives; it is a virtual taking leave of worldly connections, a hastening from their spiritual atmosphere, a withdrawing from the controlling power of their thoughts, opinions, and influences. --5T 82, 83 (1889).  {1MCP 349.2}
[1MCP 349.3]          The Great Motive Powers of the Soul.--The great motive powers of the soul are faith, hope, and love; and it is to these that Bible study, rightly pursued, appeals. The outward beauty of the Bible, the beauty of imagery and expression, is but the setting, as it were, for its real treasure--the beauty of holiness. In its record of the men who walked with God, we may catch glimpses of His glory. In the One "altogether lovely" we behold Him, of whom all beauty of earth and heaven is but a dim reflection. "I, if I be lifted up," He said, "will draw all men unto Me" (John 12:32).--Ed 192 (1903).  {1MCP 349.3}
[1MCP 350.1]       Chap. 37 - Principles of Study and Learning           The Mind and Affections Must Be Trained.--God has given reason, the mental faculties of the mind; but if left to themselves uneducated and untrained, they leave man as is revealed in the fierce heathen. The mind and affections require education and direction by teachers. It must be line upon line, and precept upon precept, to guide and train the human moral agent to work in cooperation with God. God works in the human agent by the light of His truth. The mind enlightened by the truth, sees truth in distinction from error.--Lt 135, 1898.  {1MCP 350.1}
[1MCP 350.2]          Highest Culture of Mind Receives God's Fullest Approval.--The human mind is susceptible of the highest cultivation. A life devoted to God should not be a life of ignorance. Many speak against education because Jesus chose uneducated fishermen to preach His gospel. They assert that He showed preference for the uneducated. Many learned and honorable men believed His teaching. Had these fearlessly obeyed the convictions of their consciences, they would have followed Him. Their abilities would have been accepted and employed in the service of Christ, had they offered them. But they had not moral power, in face of the frowning priests and                                                        351     jealous rulers, to confess Christ, and venture their reputation in connection with the humble Galilean. . . .  {1MCP 350.2}
[1MCP 351.1]          Jesus did not despise education. The highest culture of the mind, if sanctified through the love and fear of God, receives His fullest approval. The humble men chosen by Christ were with Him three years, subject to the refining influence of the Majesty of heaven. Christ was the greatest educator the world ever knew.  {1MCP 351.1}
[1MCP 351.2]          God will accept the youth with their talent and their wealth of affection if they will consecrate themselves to Him. They may reach to the highest point of intellectual greatness; and if balanced by religious principle, they can carry forward the work which Christ came from heaven to accomplish, and in thus doing be co-workers with the Master.--RH, June 21, 1877. (FE 47, 48.)  {1MCP 351.2}
[1MCP 351.3]          Not Satisfied With Second-rate Work.--The true teacher is not satisfied with second-rate work. He is not satisfied with directing his students to a standard lower than the highest which it is possible for them to attain. He cannot be content with imparting to them only technical knowledge, with making them merely clever accountants, skillful artisans, successful tradesmen. It is his ambition to inspire them with principles of truth, obedience, honor, integrity, and purity--principles that will make them a positive force for the stability and uplifting of society. He desires them, above all else, to learn life's great lesson of unselfish service.--Ed 29, 30 (1903).  {1MCP 351.3}
[1MCP 351.4]          Mind to Be Carried Higher.--I am instructed that we are to carry the minds of our students higher than it is now thought by many to be possible. Heart and mind are to be trained to preserve their purity by receiving daily supplies from the fountain of eternal truth. The Divine Mind and Hand has preserved through the ages the record of creation in its purity. It is the Word of God alone that gives to us an authentic account of the creation of our     352     world. This Word is to be the chief study in our schools. Here we may hold converse with patriarchs and prophets; here we may learn what our redemption has cost the One who was equal with the Father from the beginning, and who sacrificed His life that a people might stand before Him redeemed from every common, earthly thing and renewed in the image of God.--Lt 64, 1909.  {1MCP 351.4}
[1MCP 352.1]          True Education Combines Intellectual and Moral.-- The Lord has been waiting long for our teachers to walk in the light He has sent them. There is need of a humbling of self that Christ may restore the moral image of God in man. The character of the education given must be greatly changed before it can give the right mold to our institutions. It is only when intellectual and moral powers are combined for the attainment of education that the standard of the Word of God is reached.-- RH, Sept 3. 1908. (FE 527.)  {1MCP 352.1}
[1MCP 352.2]          True Piety Elevates and Refines.--Our people everywhere allow their minds to take too low a range, too narrow a view. They allow the plans of human agencies to guide them and a worldly spirit to mold them, rather than Christ's plans and Christ's Spirit. I am instructed to say to our people, Look above the earthly to the heavenly. Numbers are no evidence of success; if they were, Satan might claim much. It is the degree of moral power that pervades our institutions, our schools, and our churches. It should be the joy of all, from the highest to the least, to represent Christ in Christlike virtues. Let all our teachers learn that true piety, love shown in obedience to God, will elevate and refine.--Lt 316, 1908.  {1MCP 352.2}
[1MCP 352.3]          Thoroughness Necessary.--Thoroughness is necessary to success in character building. There must be an earnest desire to carry out the plans of the Master Builder. The timbers used must be solid; no careless, unreliable work can be accepted; it would ruin the building. The                                                          353     whole being is to be put into this work. It demands strength and energy; there is no reserve to be wasted in unimportant matters. There must be determined human force put into the work, in cooperation with the Divine Worker. There must be earnest, persevering effort to break away from the customs and maxims and associations of the world. Deep thought, earnest purpose, steadfast integrity, are essential. There must be no idleness. Life is a sacred trust; and every moment should be wisely improved.--YI, Feb 19, 1903. (HC 84.)  {1MCP 352.3}
[1MCP 353.1]          Trivial Matters Enfeeble the Mind.--The student who, in the place of the broad principles of the Word of God, will accept common ideas and will allow the time and attention to be absorbed in commonplace, trivial matters, will find his mind will become dwarfed and enfeebled; he will lose the power of growth. The mind must be trained to comprehend the important truths that concern eternal life.--Lt 64, 1909.  {1MCP 353.1}
[1MCP 353.2]          Temporal Affairs Not to Be Neglected.--Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion. The Bible gives no endorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world. Every man and woman who is truly converted will be a diligent worker.--COL 343 (1900).  {1MCP 353.2}
[1MCP 353.3]          The Quality of Men Called to Teach. ［SEE CHAPTER 22, "THE SCHOOL AND THE TEACHER."］--The cause of God needs teachers who have high moral qualities and can be trusted with the education of others, men who are sound in the faith and have tact and patience, who walk with God and abstain from the very appearance of evil, who     354     stand so closely connected with God that they can be channels of light--in short, Christian gentlemen. The good impressions made by such will never be effaced, and the training thus given will endure throughout eternity. What is neglected in this training process is likely to remain undone. Who will undertake this work?  {1MCP 353.3}
[1MCP 354.1]         We would that there were strong young men, rooted and grounded in the faith, who had such a living connection with God that they could, if so counseled by our leading brethren, enter the higher colleges in our land, where they would have a wider field for study and observation. Association with different classes of minds, an acquaintance with the workings and results of popular methods of education, and a knowledge of theology as taught in the leading institutions of learning would be of great value to such workers, preparing them to labor for the educated classes and to meet the prevailing errors of our time. Such was the method pursued by the ancient Waldenses; and, if true to God, our youth, like theirs, might do a good work, even while gaining their education, in sowing the seeds of truth in other minds.--5T 583, 584 (1885).  {1MCP 354.1}
[1MCP 354.2]          Correct Habits Leave Impress on Character.--The formation of correct habits is to leave its impress upon the mind and characters of the children that they may practice the right way. It means much to bring these children under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, training and disciplining them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The formation of correct habits, the exhibition of a right spirit, will call for earnest efforts in the name and strength of Jesus. The instructor must persevere, giving line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, in all long-suffering and patience, sympathy and love, binding these children to his heart by the love of Christ revealed in himself.--CEd 153 (1893). (FE 268.)  {1MCP 354.2}
[1MCP 354.3]          Characters Not Formed in One Mold.--Teachers are to consider that they are not dealing with angels, but                                                          355     human beings with like passions as they themselves have. Characters are not formed in one mold. There is every phase of character received by children as an inheritance. The defects and the virtues in traits of character are thus revealed. Let every instructor take this into consideration. Hereditary and cultivated deformity of human character, as also beauty of character, will have to be met, and much grace cultivated in the instructor to know how to deal with the erring for their present and eternal good. Impulse, impatience, pride, selfishness, and self-esteem, if cherished, will do a great amount of evil which may thrust the soul upon Satan's battleground without wisdom to navigate his bark, but he will be in danger of being tossed about at the sport of Satan's temptations until shipwrecked. Every teacher has his own peculiar traits of character to watch lest Satan should use him as his agent to destroy souls, by his own unconsecrated traits of character.--Lt 50, 1893. (FE 277, 278.)  {1MCP 354.3}
[1MCP 355.1]          Must Be Christlike in Dealing With Minds.--It is a daily working agency that is to be brought into exercise, a faith that works by love and purifies the soul of the educator. Is the revealed will of God placed as your highest authority? If Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, then the truth of God will so act upon your natural temperament that its transforming agency will be revealed in a changed character, and you will not by your influence through the revealings of an unsanctified heart and temper turn the truth of God into a lie before any of your pupils; nor in your presentation of a selfish, impatient, unchristlike temper in dealing with any human mind, reveal that the grace of Christ is not sufficient for you at all times and in all places. Thus you will show that the authority of God over you is not merely in name but in reality and truth. There must be a separation from all that is objectionable or unchristlike, however difficult it may be to the true believer.--CEd 148 (1893). (FE 263, 264.)     356  {1MCP 355.1}
[1MCP 356.1]          Continual Censure Bewilders the Child.--Heavens sees in the child the undeveloped man or woman, with capabilities and powers that, if correctly guided and developed with heavenly wisdom, will become the human agencies through whom the divine influences can cooperate to be laborers together with God. Sharp words and continual censure bewilder the child but never reform him. Keep back that pettish word; keep your own spirit under discipline to Jesus Christ; then will you learn how to pity and sympathize with those brought under your influence. Do not exhibit impatience and harshness, for if these children did not need educating, they would not need the advantages of the school. They are to be patiently, kindly, and in love brought up the ladder of progress, climbing step by step in obtaining knowledge.--CEd 147 (1893). (FE 263.)  {1MCP 356.1}
[1MCP 356.2]          Care in Suspending Students.--Be careful what you do in the line of suspending students. This is a solemn business. It should be a very grave fault which requires this discipline.  {1MCP 356.2}
[1MCP 356.3]          Then there should be a careful consideration of all the circumstances connected with the case. Students sent from home a short distance or a long distance, thousands and thousands of miles, are away from, and deprived of, the advantages of home, and if expelled are refused the privileges of school. All their expenses have to be met by someone who has had hope and confidence in these subjects that their money would not be invested in vain. The student enters into or falls into temptation, and he is to be disciplined for his wrong. He feels keenly that his record is marred, and he disappoints those who have trusted him to develop a character under the influence of his training in his scholastic life, which will pay all that has been invested in his behalf.  {1MCP 356.3}
[1MCP 356.4]          But he is suspended for his foolish course of action. What will he do? Courage is at the lowest ebb, courage and even manliness is not cherished. He is an expense, and precious time is lost. Who is tender and kind and                                                        357     feels the burden of these souls? What wonder that Satan takes advantage of the circumstances. They are thrust on Satan's battleground and the very worst feelings of the human heart are called into exercise, and strengthen and become confirmed.--Lt 50, 1893.  {1MCP 356.4}
[1MCP 357.1]          Avoid Creating Feelings of Injustice.--When you jostle against the elements manifested by those who have no Bible religion but only a profession, do not forget that you are a Christian. You greatly lower your influence and mar your own Christian experience when you lose your self-control and give them the least occasion to think that you have ill-treated them. Leave not this impression upon their minds if you can possibly avoid it. In this probationary time we are forming our characters for the future immortal life; but that is not all, for in this very process of character building we need to be extremely cautious how we build, for others will build after the pattern we give them.--Lt 20, 1892. (MM 209.)  {1MCP 357.1}
[1MCP 357.2]          Mind Must Have Pure Food.--The mind, like the body, must have pure food in order to have health and strength. Give your children something to think of that is out of and above themselves. The mind that lives in a pure, holy atmosphere will not become trifling, frivolous, vain, and selfish.--Lt 27, 1890  {1MCP 357.2}
[1MCP 357.3]          We are living in a time when everything that is false and superficial is exalted above the real, the natural, and the enduring. The mind must be kept free from everything that would lead it in a wrong direction. It should not be encumbered with trashy stories, which do not add strength to the mental powers. The thoughts will be of the same character as the food we provide for the mind.--5T 544. (CG 188.)  {1MCP 357.3}
[1MCP 357.4]          Infidel Books. ［SEE CHAPTER 13, "FOOD FOR THE MIND."］--The study of books written by infidels does great harm. Thus tares are sown in the minds and     358     hearts of students. Yet this is the food often given to the brain, while many have little knowledge of subjects which pertain to eternal interests, which they ought to understand.  {1MCP 357.4}
[1MCP 358.1]         The talent of time is precious. Every day it is given to us in trust, and we shall be called upon to give an account of it to God. It is to be used to God's glory, and if we would prolong our lives, if we would gain the life that measures with the life of God, we must give the mind pure food. No time should be wasted that might have been used to good account.--MS 15, 1898.  {1MCP 358.1}
[1MCP 358.2]          Students to Learn to Obey God.--I see that a great sentiment must be worked to, and out, under the divine direction in our schools. But the one great lesson the students must learn is to seek with all their heart, mind, and strength to know God and obey Him implicitly. The science of the salvation of the human soul is the first lesson of life. No line of literature or education in book knowledge is to become supreme. But to know God and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent, is life eternal.  {1MCP 358.2}
[1MCP 358.3]          Let the students take the love and fear of God with them into their school life. This is wisdom more precious than words can express. Connected with God, it can be said of them, as of Daniel, God gave him wisdom and knowledge in all mysteries.  {1MCP 358.3}
[1MCP 358.4]          Learning is good. The wisdom of Solomon is desirable; but the wisdom of a greater than Solomon is far more desirable and essential. Through the learning in our schools we cannot reach Christ, but we can through Christ reach the highest end of the ladder in science; for the word of inspiration says, "Ye are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10). Our first business is to see and acknowledge God, and then He will direct our path.--Lt 120, 1896.  {1MCP 358.4}
[1MCP 359.1]       Chap. 38 - Balance in Education           Education Has Eternal Implications. Education is a work the effect of which will be seen throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.--6T 154 (1900).  {1MCP 359.1}
[1MCP 359.2]          To Restore Harmony in the Being.--The true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul. In the beginning God created man in His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the fall and its effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the perfection in which he was first created is the great object of life--the object that underlies every other. It is the work of parents and teachers, in the education of the youth, to cooperate with the divine purpose; and in so doing they are "laborers together with God."--PP 595 (1890).  {1MCP 359.2}
[1MCP 359.3]         All Capabilities to Be Developed.--All the varied capabilities that men possess--of mind and soul and body-- are given them by God to be so employed as to reach the     360     highest possible degree of excellence. But this cannot be a selfish and exclusive culture; for the character of God, whose likeness we are to receive, is benevolence and love. Every faculty, every attribute, with which the Creator has endowed us is to be employed for His glory and for the uplifting of our fellowmen. And in this employment is found its purest, noblest, and happiest exercise.-- PP 595 (1890).  {1MCP 359.3}
[1MCP 360.1]          True Education Is Broad.--True education means more than taking a certain course of study. It is broad. It includes the harmonious development of all the physical powers and the mental faculties. It teaches the love and fear of God and is a preparation for the faithful discharge of life's duties.--CT 64 (1913).  {1MCP 360.1}
[1MCP 360.2]          All-round Development for Every Duty.--And those who would be workers together with God must strive for perfection of every organ of the body and quality of the mind. True education is the preparation of the physical, mental, and moral powers for the performance of every duty; it is the training of body, mind, and soul for divine service. This is the education that will endure unto eternal life.--COL 330 (1900).  {1MCP 360.2}
[1MCP 360.3]          All Powers to Reach Their Highest Potential.--God designs that the college at Battle Creek shall reach a higher standard of intellectual and moral culture than any other institution of the kind in our land. The youth should be taught the importance of cultivating their physical, mental, and moral powers that they may not only reach the highest attainments in science, but through a knowledge of God may be educated to glorify Him; that they may develop symmetrical characters, and thus be fully prepared for usefulness in this world and obtain a moral fitness for the immortal life.--4T 425 (1880).  {1MCP 360.3}
[1MCP 360.4]          Knowledge of Science of All Kinds Is Power.--The schools established among us are matters of grave                                                           361     responsibility, for important interests are involved. In a special manner our schools are a spectacle unto angels and to men. A knowledge of science of all kinds is power, and it is in the purpose of God that advanced science shall be taught in our schools as a preparation for the work that is to precede the closing scenes of earth's history. The truth is to go to the remotest bounds of the earth, through agents trained for the work. But while the knowledge of science is a power, the knowledge which Jesus in person came to impart to the world was the knowledge of the gospel. The light of truth was to flash its bright rays into the uttermost parts of the earth, and the acceptance or rejection of the message of God involved the eternal destiny of souls.--RH, Dec 1, 1891. (FE 186.)  {1MCP 360.4}
[1MCP 361.1]          Youth to Be Thinkers.--Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator--individuality, power to think and to do. The men in whom this power is developed are the men who bear responsibilities, who are leaders in enterprise, and who influence character. It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men's thought.  {1MCP 361.1}
[1MCP 361.2]          Instead of confining their study to that which men have said or written, let students be directed to the sources of truth, to the vast fields opened for research in nature and revelation. Let them contemplate the great facts of duty and destiny, and the mind will expand and strengthen. Instead of educated weaklings, institutions of learning may send forth men strong to think and to act, men who are masters and not slaves of circumstances, men who possess breadth of mind, clearness of thought, and the courage of their convictions.--Ed 17, 18 (1903).  {1MCP 361.2}
[1MCP 361.3]          True Education Develops Character.--The education and training of the youth is an important and solemn work. The great object to be secured should be the proper development of character, that the individual may be     362     fitted rightly to discharge the duties of the present life and to enter at last upon the future, immortal life. Eternity will reveal the manner in which the work has been performed. If ministers and teachers could have a full sense of their responsibility, we should see a different state of things in the world today. But they are too narrow in their views and purposes. They do not realize the importance of their work or its results.--4T 418 (1880).  {1MCP 361.3}
[1MCP 362.1]         Greatest Value Is to Build Character.--The students ［in the Avondale school］ work hard and faithfully. They are gaining in strength of nerve and in solidity as well as activity of muscles. This is the proper education which will bring forth from our schools young men who are not weak and inefficient, who have not a one-sided education, but an all-round physical, mental, and moral training.  {1MCP 362.1}
[1MCP 362.2]          The builders of character must not forget to lay the foundation which will make education of the greatest value. This will require self-sacrifice, but it must be done. The physical training will, if properly conducted, prepare for mental taxation. But the one alone always makes a deficient man.  {1MCP 362.2}
[1MCP 362.3]          The physical taxation combined with mental effort keeps the mind and morals in a more healthful condition, and far better work is done. Under this training students will come forth from our schools educated for practical life, able to put their intellectual capabilities to the best use. Physical and mental exercise must be combined if we would do justice to our students. We have been working on this plan here ［Australia］ with complete satisfaction, notwithstanding the inconvenience under which students have to labor.--SpT Series A, No. 4, p 16, Aug 27, 1895. (TM 241.)  {1MCP 362.3}
[1MCP 362.4]          Many Fail to Understand True Principles.--Many students are in so great haste to complete their education that they are not thorough in anything which they undertake. Few have sufficient courage and self-control to act                                                          363     from principle. Most students fail to understand the true object of education, and hence fail to take such a course as to secure this object. They apply themselves to the study of mathematics or the languages, while they neglect a study far more essential to the happiness and success of life. Many who can explore the depths of the earth with the geologist or traverse the heavens with the astronomer show not the slightest interest in the wonderful mechanism of their own bodies. Others can tell just how many bones there are in the human frame and correctly describe every organ of the body, and yet they are as ignorant of the laws of health and the cure of disease as though life were controlled by blind fate instead of definite and unvarying law.--ST, June 29, 1892. (FE 71, 72.)  {1MCP 362.4}
[1MCP 363.1]          Education Is Not of Brain Alone.--Students who have gained book knowledge without gaining a knowledge of practical work cannot lay claim to a symmetrical education. The energies that should have been devoted to business of various lines have been neglected. Education does not consist in using the brain alone. Physical employment is a part of the training essential for every youth. An important phase of education is lacking if the student is not taught how to engage in useful labor.--CT 307, 308 (1913).  {1MCP 363.1}
[1MCP 363.2]          Physical and Mental to Be Equally Taxed.--Much has been said and written in regard to the importance of training the mind for its highest service. This has sometimes led to the opinion that if the intellect is educated to put forth its highest powers, it will strengthen the physical and moral nature for the development of the whole man. Time and experience have proved this to be an error. We have seen men and women go forth as graduates from college who were in no way qualified to make a proper use of the wonderful physical organism with which God had provided them. The whole body is designed for action, not for inaction.     364  {1MCP 363.2}
[1MCP 364.1]          If the physical powers are not taxed equally with the mental, too much strain is brought upon the latter. Unless every part of the human machinery performs its allotted tasks, the mental powers cannot be used to their highest capability for any length of time. Natural powers must be governed by natural laws, and the faculties must be educated to work harmoniously and in accord with these laws. The teachers in our schools can disregard none of these particulars without shirking responsibility. Pride may lead them to seek for a high worldly standard of intellectual attainment that students may make a brilliant show; but when it comes to solid acquirements-- those which are essential to fit men and women for any and every emergency in practical life--such students are only partially prepared to make life a success. Their defective education often leads to failure in whatever branch of business they undertake.--5T 522 (1889).  {1MCP 364.1}
[1MCP 364.2]          Not to Escape Life's Burdens.--Let the youth be impressed with the thought that education is not to teach them how to escape life's disagreeable tasks and heavy burdens; that its purpose is to lighten the work by teaching better methods and higher aims. Teach them that life's true aim is not to secure the greatest possible gain for themselves but to honor their Maker in doing their part of the world's work and lending a helpful hand to those weaker or more ignorant.--Ed 221, 222 (1903).  {1MCP 364.2}
[1MCP 364.3]          Harmonious Development Needed.--The right use of one's self is the most valuable lesson that can be learned. We are not to do brain work and stop there, or make physical exertion and stop there; we are to make the best use of the various parts that compose the human machinery-- brain, bone, muscle, head, and heart.--YI, Apr 7, 1898. (SD 171).  {1MCP 364.3}
[1MCP 364.4]          Ignorance Does Not Increase Spirituality.--Young men should not enter upon the work of explaining the                                                       365     Scriptures and lecturing upon the prophecies when they do not have a knowledge of the important Bible truths they try to explain to others. They may be deficient in the common branches of education and therefore fail to do the amount of good they could do if they had had the advantages of a good school. Ignorance will not increase the humility or spirituality of any professed follower of Christ. The truths of the Divine Word can be best appreciated by an intellectual Christian. Christ can be best glorified by those who serve Him intelligently. The great object of education is to enable us to use the powers which God has given us in such a manner as will best represent the religion of the Bible and promote the glory of God.--3T 160 (1872).  {1MCP 364.4}
[1MCP 365.1]          Education Requires Painstaking Efforts.--Teachers should lead students to think and clearly to understand the truth for themselves. It is not enough for the teacher to explain or for the student to believe; inquiry must be awakened, and the student must be drawn out to state the truth in his own language, thus making it evident that he sees its force and makes the application. By painstaking effort the vital truths should thus be impressed upon the mind. This may be a slow process, but it is of more value than rushing over important subjects without due consideration. God expects His institutions to excel those of the world, for they are His representatives. Men truly connected with God will show to the world that a more than human agent is standing at the helm.--6T 154 (1900).  {1MCP 365.1}
[1MCP 365.2]          Set Up Well-defined Landmarks.--Let the youth set up well-defined landmarks by which they may be guided in emergencies. When a crisis comes that demands active, well-developed physical powers and a clear, strong, practical working mind; when difficult work is to be done where every stroke must tell, and perplexities can be met only through seeking wisdom from God, then the youth     366     who have learned to overcome difficulties by earnest labor can respond to the call for workers, "Here am I, send me." Let the hearts of young men and young women be as clear as crystal. Let not their thoughts be trivial, but sanctified by virtue and holiness. They need not be otherwise. With purity of thought through sanctification of the Spirit, their lives may be refined, elevated, ennobled.--SpT Series B, No. 1, pp 31, 32, July, 1900.  {1MCP 365.2}
[1MCP 366.1]          Formation of Right Habits Important.--It should be the fixed purpose of every youth to aim high in all his plans for lifework. Adopt for your government in all things the standard that God's Word presents. This is the Christian's positive duty, and it should be also his positive pleasure. Cultivate respect for yourself because you are Christ's purchased possession.  {1MCP 366.1}
[1MCP 366.2]          Success in the formation of right habits, advancement in that that is noble and just, will give you an influence that all will value. Live for something besides self.  {1MCP 366.2}
[1MCP 366.3]          If your motives are pure and unselfish, if you are ever looking for work which somebody must do, if you are always on the alert to show kindly attentions and do courteous deeds, you are unconsciously building your own monument. This is the work that God calls upon all children and youth to do.--SpT Series B, No. 1, p 32, July, 1900.  {1MCP 366.3}
[1MCP 366.4]          Self-support an Important Part of Education.--In acquiring an education many students would gain a most valuable training if they would become self-sustaining. Instead of incurring debts or depending on the self-denial of their parents, let young men and young women depend on themselves. They will thus learn the value of money, the value of time, strength, and opportunities, and will be under far less temptation to indulge idle and spendthrift habits. The lessons of economy, industry, self-denial, practical business management, and steadfastness of purpose, thus mastered, would prove a most important part of their                                                              367     equipment for the battle of life. And the lesson of self-help learned by the student would go far toward preserving institutions of learning from the burden of debt under which so many schools have struggled and which has done so much toward crippling their usefulness.--Ed 221 (1903).  {1MCP 366.4}
[1MCP 367.1]          Education Molds Social Fabric.--Throughout the world, society is in disorder, and a thorough transformation is needed. The education given to the youth is to mold the whole social fabric.--MH 406 (1905).  {1MCP 367.1}
[1MCP 367.2]          Need for Schools to Teach Agriculture.--Our schools could aid effectively in the disposition of the unemployed masses. Thousands of helpless and starving beings, whose numbers are daily swelling the ranks of the criminal classes, might achieve self-support in a happy, healthy, independent life if they could be directed in skillful, diligent labor in the tilling of the soil.--Ed 220 (1903).  {1MCP 367.2}
[1MCP 367.3]          Education Continues Through Life.--In the school of Christ, students are never graduated. Among the pupils are both old and young. Those who give heed to the instructions of the Divine Teacher constantly advance in wisdom, refinement, and nobility of soul, and thus they are prepared to enter that higher school where advancement will continue throughout eternity.--CT 51 (1913).  {1MCP 367.3}
[1MCP 367.4]          True Ambition.--Dear youth, what is the aim and purpose of your life? Are you ambitious for education that you may have a name and position in the world? Have you thoughts that you dare not express, that you may one day stand upon the summit of intellectual greatness; that you may sit in deliberative and legislative councils and help to enact laws for the nation? There is nothing wrong in these aspirations. You may every one of you make your mark. You should be content with no mean attainments. Aim high and spare no pains to reach the standard.-- RH, Aug 19, 1884. (FE 82.)     368  {1MCP 367.4}
[1MCP 368.1]          The Most Essential Knowledge.--Let the youth advance as fast and as far as they can in the acquisition of knowledge. ... And as they learn, let them impart their knowledge. It is thus that their minds will acquire discipline and power. It is the use they make of knowledge that determines the value of their education. To spend a long time in study, with no effort to impart what is gained, often proves a hindrance rather than a help to real development. In both the home and the school it should be the student's effort to learn how to study and how to impart the knowledge gained. Whatever his calling, he is to be both a learner and a teacher as long as life shall last.-- MH 402 (1905).  {1MCP 368.1}
[1MCP 368.2]          The most essential education for our youth today to gain, and that which will fit them for the higher grades of the school above, is an education that will teach them how to reveal the will of God to the world.--RH, Oct 24, 1907. (FE 512.)  {1MCP 368.2}
[1MCP 368.3]          The essential knowledge is a knowledge of God and of Him whom He has sent.  {1MCP 368.3}
[1MCP 368.4]          Every child and every youth should have a knowledge of himself. He should understand the physical habitation that God has given him and the laws by which it is kept in health. All should be thoroughly grounded in the common branches of education. And they should have industrial training that will make them men and women of practical ability, fitted for the duties of everyday life. To this should be added training and practical experience in various lines of missionary effort.--MH 402 (1905).  {1MCP 368.4}
[1MCP 368.5]          "What 'University Course' Can Equal This?"--"The great day of the Lord is near..." and a world is to be warned.... Thousands of the youth ... should be giving themselves to this work.... Let every Christian educator ... encourage and assist the youth under his care in gaining a preparation to join the ranks.                                                              369  {1MCP 368.5}
[1MCP 369.1]          There is no line of work in which it is possible for the youth to receive greater benefit.... They are co-workers with the angels; rather, they are the human agencies through whom the angels accomplish their mission. Angels speak through their voices, and work by their hands. And the human workers, cooperating with heavenly agencies, have the benefit of their education and experience. As a means of education, what "university course" can equal this?--Ed 270, 271 (1903).  {1MCP 369.1}
[1MCP 369.2]          To Impart Knowledge Is Essential.--It is necessary to their complete education that students be given time to do missionary work--time to become acquainted with the spiritual needs of the families in the community around them. They should not be so loaded down with studies that they have no time to use the knowledge they have acquired. They should be encouraged to make earnest missionary effort for those in error, becoming acquainted with them and taking to them the truth. By working in humility, seeking wisdom from Christ, praying and watching unto prayer, they may give to others the knowledge that has enriched their lives.--CT 545, 546 (1913).  {1MCP 369.2}
[2MCP 0.1]         2MCP - Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 2 (1977)      Table of Contents    Volume II    Section IX             Interrelationship of Body and Mind    39.  Harmonious Action of the Whole         Personality Necessary ....................................... 373    40.  Body Affects Mind ........................................... 380    41.  Diet and Mind ............................................... 385    42.  Mind and Health ............................................. 396    43.  Mind and Spiritual Health ................................... 404    Section X              Mental Health    44.  Laws Governing the Mind ..................................... 415    45.  Individuality ............................................... 423    46.  Human Relations ............................................. 431    47.  Mental Hygiene .............................................. 441    Section XI             Emotional Problems    48.  Guilt ....................................................... 451    49.  Grief ....................................................... 458    50.  Worry and Anxiety ........................................... 466    51.  Fear ........................................................ 474    52.  Depression .................................................. 482    53.  Controversy--Positive and Negative .......................... 497    54.  Overstudy ................................................... 506    55.  Pain ........................................................ 510    56.  Anger ....................................................... 516    57.  Hatred and Revenge .......................................... 524    58.  Faith ....................................................... 531    Section XII            Problems in Adjustment    59.  Character Formation ......................................... 545    60.  Conflict and Conformity ..................................... 555    61.  The Vital Function of God's Laws ............................ 562    62.  Communication ............................................... 572    Section XIII           Personality    63.  Imagination ................................................. 587    64.  Habits ...................................................... 596    65.  Indolence ................................................... 602    66.  Emotional Needs ............................................. 606    67.  Disposition ................................................. 615    68.  Social Relationships ........................................ 621    69.  Rejection ................................................... 630    70.  Criticism ................................................... 635    71.  Happiness ................................................... 641    Section XIV            Thoughts and their Influences    72.  Thought Habits .............................................. 655    73.  Right Thinking .............................................. 665    74.  Doubts ...................................................... 671    75.  Imagination and Illness ..................................... 681    76.  Decision and the Will ....................................... 685    Section XV             False Systems of Therapy    77.  Pseudoscience ............................................... 697    78.  Mind Controlling Mind ....................................... 704    79.  Hypnotism and Its Dangers ................................... 711    80.  Satan's Science of Self-exaltation .......................... 722    Section XVI            Principles and their Application    81.  Safe Mind Therapy ........................................... 731    82.  Working With Science ........................................ 739    83.  Geriatrics .................................................. 745    Section XVII           Practical Psychology    84.  Dealing With Emotions ....................................... 755    85.  Counseling .................................................. 763    86.  Sharing Confidences ......................................... 775    87.  Psychology and Theology ..................................... 781    88.  Negative Influences on the Mind ............................. 789    89.  Positive Influences on the Mind ............................. 797  Appendix A ......................................................... 807  Appendix B ......................................................... 811  {2MCP 0.1}
[2MCP 373.1]     Chap. 39 - Harmonious Action of the Whole Personality Necessary           A Mysterious Interrelationship.--Between the mind and the body there is a mysterious and wonderful relation. They react upon each other. To keep the body in a healthy condition to develop its strength, that every part of the living machinery may act harmoniously, should be the first study of our life. To neglect the body is to neglect the mind. It cannot be to the glory of God for His children to have sickly bodies or dwarfed minds.--3T 485, 486 (1875).  {2MCP 373.1}
[2MCP 373.2]          Harmony Depends Upon Conformity to Fixed Laws. --The harmony of creation depends upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator. God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature. Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law.--PP 52 (1890).  {2MCP 373.2}
[2MCP 373.3]          A Harp of a Thousand Strings.--It is not only the privilege but the sacred duty of all to understand the laws     374     God has established in their beings. . . . And as they more fully understand the human body, . . . they will seek to bring their bodies into subjection to the noble powers of the mind. The body will be regarded by them as a wonderful structure, formed by the Infinite Designer, and given in their charge to keep this harp of a thousand strings in harmonious action.--HR, Sept, 1871. (ML 148.)  {2MCP 373.3}
[2MCP 374.1]          All Part of a Perfect Whole.--We are all represented as being members of the body, united in Christ. In this body there are various members, and one member cannot perform exactly the same office as another. . . . Yet all these organs are necessary to the perfect whole and work in beautiful harmony with one another. The hands have their office, and the feet theirs. One is not to say to the other, "You are inferior to me"; the hands are not to say to the feet, "We have no need of you"; but all are united to the body to do their specific work and should be alike respected, as they conduce to the comfort and usefulness of the perfect whole.--4T 128 (1876).  {2MCP 374.1}
[2MCP 374.2]          The Harmonious Development of Both Mental and Moral Faculties.--The improvement of the mind is a duty which we owe to ourselves, to society, and to God. But we should never devise means for the cultivation of the intellect at the expense of the moral and the spiritual. And it is only by the harmonious development of both the mental and the moral faculties that the highest perfection of either can be attained.--RH, Jan 4, 1881.  {2MCP 374.2}
[2MCP 374.3]          Lack of Harmonious Action Brings Disease.--It is the lack of harmonious action in the human organism that brings disease. The imagination may control the other parts of the body to their injury. All parts of the system must work harmoniously. The different parts of the body, especially those remote from the heart, should receive a free circulation of blood. The limbs act an important part and should receive proper attention.--SpT Series B, No. 15, p 18, Apr 3, 1900. (CH 587.)                                                           375  {2MCP 374.3}
[2MCP 375.1]          An Impaired Faculty Injures the Whole.--If one faculty is suffered to remain dormant, or is turned out of its proper course, the purpose of God is not carried out. All the faculties should be well developed. Care should be given to each, for each has a bearing upon the others, and all must be exercised in order that the mind be properly balanced.  {2MCP 375.1}
[2MCP 375.2]          If one or two organs are cultivated and kept in continual use because it is the choice of your children to put the strength of the mind in one direction to the neglect of other mental powers, they will come to maturity with unbalanced minds and inharmonious characters. They will be apt and strong in one direction but greatly deficient in other directions just as important. They will not be competent men and women. Their deficiencies will be marked and will mar the entire character.--3T 26 (1872).  {2MCP 375.2}
[2MCP 375.3]          When the minds of ministers, schoolteachers, and students are continually excited by study, and the body is allowed to be inactive, the nerves of emotion are taxed while the nerves of motion are inactive. The wear being all upon the mental organs, they become overworked and enfeebled, while the muscles lose their vigor for want of employment. There is no inclination to exercise the muscles by engaging in physical labor, because exertion seems to be irksome.--3T 490 (1875).  {2MCP 375.3}
[2MCP 375.4]          Caution Concerning Overwork.--Remember that man must preserve his God-given talent of intelligence by keeping the physical machinery in harmonious action. Daily physical exercise is necessary to the enjoyment of health. It is not work but overwork, without periods of rest, that breaks people down, endangering the life-forces. Those who overwork soon reach the place where they work in a hopeless way.  {2MCP 375.4}
[2MCP 375.5]          The work done to the Lord is done in cheerfulness and with courage. God wants us to bring spirit and life and     376     hopefulness into our work. Brain workers should give due attention to every part of the human machinery, equalizing the taxation. Physical and mental effort, wisely combined, will keep the whole man in a condition that makes him acceptable to God. . . .  {2MCP 375.5}
[2MCP 376.1]          Bring into the day's work hopefulness, courage, and amiability. Do not overwork. Better far leave undone some of the things planned for the day's work than to undo oneself and become overtaxed, losing the courage necessary for the performance of the tasks of the next day. Do not today violate the laws of nature, lest you lose your strength for the day to follow.--Lt 102, 1903.  {2MCP 376.1}
[2MCP 376.2]          Counsel to One Who Indulged in Exaggerated Language.--From the light which God has given me, I know that spiritual deformity is being developed in you. In the place of giving a faultless exhibition of right principles and correct habits, you are gathering to yourselves sentiments and principles which will exclude you and all who partake of the same spirit from the heavenly courts. Your mind is becoming deformed by the way in which you treat it. I entreat of you to change decidedly about. Check all exaggerated language, for it destroys the harmony of the mind.  {2MCP 376.2}
[2MCP 376.3]         The body needs careful culture, that it may be kept in a healthy condition. So the mind needs to be strictly disciplined, lest it shall be unduly developed in some things and insufficiently developed in others. Because these susceptible organs are not in your sight, where you can see the harm that you are doing to your intellectual powers and how much they need regulating, you are not conscious of the harm you are doing them. You entertain unsound theories, and your mind is made to serve these theories.  {2MCP 376.3}
[2MCP 376.4]          The way in which you are mismanaging your mental machinery is wearing it out. But you cannot see what harm this is doing. Sooner or later your friends with you will see the unfavorable development of your                                                           377     thoughts and actions. Your stomach is beginning to testify to the action of the mind. A symmetrical and well-disciplined mind would change for the better the powers of digestion.--Lt 29, 1897.  {2MCP 376.4}
[2MCP 377.1]          Harmony Uses Complementary Effort (counsel to a husband).--We cannot all have the same minds or cherish the same ideas; but one is to be a benefit and blessing to the other, that where one lacks, another may supply what is requisite. You have certain deficiencies of character and natural biases that render it profitable for you to be brought in contact with a mind differently organized, in order to properly balance your own. Instead of superintending so exclusively, you should consult with your wife and arrive at joint decisions. You do not encourage independent effort on the part of your family; but if your specific directions are not scrupulously carried out, you too frequently find fault with the delinquents.--4T 128 (1876).  {2MCP 377.1}
[2MCP 377.2]          Lower Propensities to Be Under Control.--"We are laborers together with God" (1 Corinthians 3:9). Man is to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure. God gives man physical and mental powers. None are needless. Not one is to be misused or abused. The lower propensities are to be kept under control of the higher powers.--Lt 139, 1898.  {2MCP 377.2}
[2MCP 377.3]          Health of the Body and Mind.--The life of Daniel is an inspired illustration of what constitutes a sanctified character. It presents a lesson for all, and especially for the young. A strict compliance with the requirements of God is beneficial to the health of body and mind.  {2MCP 377.3}
[2MCP 377.4]          In order to reach the highest standard of moral and intellectual attainments, it is necessary to seek wisdom and strength from God and to observe strict temperance in all the habits of life. In the experience of Daniel and     378     his companions we have an instance of the triumph of principle over temptation to indulge the appetite. It shows us that through religious principle young men may triumph over the lusts of the flesh and remain true to God's requirements, even though it cost them a great sacrifice. --RH, Jan 25, 1881. (SL 23.)  {2MCP 377.4}
[2MCP 378.1]          Healthy Life Favors Perfection of Character.--A pure, healthy life is most favorable for the perfection of Christian character and for the development of the powers of mind and body.-- RH, Dec 1, 1896. (CH 41.)  {2MCP 378.1}
[2MCP 378.2]          Mind, Sinew, and Muscle to Work Harmoniously.-- By properly using our powers to their fullest extent in the most useful employment, by keeping every organ in health, by so preserving every organ that mind, sinew, and muscle shall work harmoniously, we may do the most precious service for God.--YI, Apr 7, 1898.  {2MCP 378.2}
[2MCP 378.3]          Happiness the Fruit of Harmonious Action of All Powers.--Those who serve God in sincerity and truth will be a peculiar people, unlike the world, separate from the world. Their food will be prepared, not to encourage gluttony or gratify a perverted taste, but to secure to themselves the greatest physical strength, and consequently the best mental conditions. . . .  {2MCP 378.3}
[2MCP 378.4]          Our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us the great blessing of health reform, that we may glorify Him by obeying the claims He has upon us. . . . The harmonious, healthy action of all the powers of body and mind results in happiness; the more elevated and refined the powers, the more pure and unalloyed the happiness.--RH, July 29, 1884. (CH 50, 51.)  {2MCP 378.4}
[2MCP 378.5]          The Influence of Rejoicing.--God's people have many lessons to learn. They will have perfect peace if they will keep the mind stayed on Him who is too wise to err and too good to do them harm. They are to catch the reflection                                                           379     of the smile of God, and reflect it to others. They are to see how much sunshine they can bring into the lives of those around them. They are to keep near to Christ, so close that they sit together with Him as His little children, in sweet, sacred unity. They are never to forget that as they receive the affection and love of God, they are under the most solemn obligation to impart it to others. Thus they may exert an influence of rejoicing, which blesses all who come within its reach, irradiating their pathway. --Lt 40, 1903. (MM 45.)  {2MCP 378.5}
[2MCP 380.1]       Chap. 40 - Body Affects Mind           Close Relationship Between Mind and Body.--There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment, the laws that control our physical being must be heeded.--PP 601 (1890).  {2MCP 380.1}
[2MCP 380.2]          Mental Effort Affected by Physical Vigor.--We should seek to preserve the full vigor of all our powers for the accomplishment of the work before us. Whatever detracts from physical vigor weakens mental effort. Hence, every practice unfavorable to the health of the body should be resolutely shunned.  {2MCP 380.2}
[2MCP 380.3]          Says the great apostle, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." We cannot maintain consecration to God and yet injure our health by the willful indulgence of a wrong habit. Self-denial is one of the conditions, not only of admission into the service of Christ, but of continuance therein. Christ Himself declared, in unmistakable language, the conditions of discipleship: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."                                                        381  {2MCP 380.3}
[2MCP 381.1]          Yet, how many who call themselves Christians are unwilling to exercise self-denial, even for Christ's sake. How often the love for some pernicious indulgence is stronger than the desire for a sound mind in a sound body. Precious hours of probation are spent, God-given means squandered, to please the eye or to gratify the appetite. Custom holds thousands in bondage to the earthly and sensual. Many are willing captives; they desire no better portion.--ST, June 1, 1882.  {2MCP 381.1}
[2MCP 381.2]          The Power of Discriminating Between Right and Wrong.--Anything that lessens physical strength enfeebles the mind and makes it less capable of discriminating between right or wrong.--COL 346 (1900).  {2MCP 381.2}
[2MCP 381.3]          Wrong Habits Yield Distorted Concepts.--Brother ____, you dwell upon yourself. You view many things in a perverted light. You have suspicion of men, great distrust and jealousy, and you surmise evil. You think everybody is determined to ruin you. Many of these trials originate with you yourself. Many things are construed by you to be premeditated to injure you, when this is farthest from the real truth. You do yourself the greatest injury by your wrong course.  {2MCP 381.3}
[2MCP 381.4]         You are your greatest enemy. Your wrong habits unbalance the circulation of the blood and determine ［direct］ the blood to the brain, and then you view everything in a perverted light. You are quick and high-tempered, and you have not cultivated self-control. Your will and your way seem right to you. But unless you see the defects in your character and wash your robe and make it white in the blood of the Lamb, you will surely fail of everlasting life. You love the theory of the truth, but you do not let it sanctify your life. You do not carry out in your daily deportment the principles of the truth you profess.--Lt 27, 1872.  {2MCP 381.4}
[2MCP 381.5]          Physical Habits Affect the Brain.--The brain is the citadel of the being. Wrong physical habits affect the     382     brain and prevent the attainment of that which the students desire--a good mental discipline. Unless the youth are versed in the science of how to care for the body as well as for the mind, they will not be successful students. Study is not the principal cause of breakdown of the mental powers. The main cause is improper diet, irregular meals, a lack of physical exercise, and careless inattention in other respects to the laws of health. When we do all that we can to preserve the health, then we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts.--CT 299 (1913).  {2MCP 381.5}
[2MCP 382.1]          Peter and Body-Mind Relationship.--The apostle Peter understood the relation between the mind and the body and raised his voice in warning to his brethren: "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from freshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). Many regard this text as a warning against licentiousness only; but it has a broader meaning. It forbids every injurious gratification of appetite or passion. Every perverted appetite becomes a warring lust. Appetite was given us for a good purpose, not to become the minister of death by being perverted, and thus degenerating into "lusts which war against the soul." ［SEE NEXT CHAPTER, "DIET AND MIND."］--CTBH 53, 54, 1890. (CD 166, 167.)  {2MCP 382.1}
[2MCP 382.2]         Misuse of Physical Powers Unbalances Nervous System.--The misuse of our physical powers shortens the period of time in which our lives can be used for the glory of God. And it unfits us to accomplish the work God has given us to do. By allowing ourselves to form wrong habits, by keeping late hours, by gratifying appetite at the expense of health, we lay the foundation for feebleness. By neglecting physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system.  {2MCP 382.2}
[2MCP 382.3]          Those who thus shorten their lives and unfit themselves for service by disregarding nature's laws are guilty                                                             383     of robbery toward God. And they are robbing their fellowmen also. The opportunity of blessing others, the very work for which God sent them into the world, has by their own course of action been cut short. And they have unfitted themselves to do even that which in a briefer period of time they might have accomplished. The Lord holds us guilty when by our injurious habits we thus deprive the world of good.--COL 346, 347 (1900).  {2MCP 382.3}
[2MCP 383.1]          Idleness Weakens Brain Power.--The reason the youth have so little strength of brain and muscle is because they do so little in the line of useful labor. "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me: therefore I took them away as I saw good" (Ezekiel 16:49, 50).--4T 96 (1876).  {2MCP 383.1}
[2MCP 383.2]          Manual Labor Relaxes the Mind.--The whole system needs the invigorating influence of exercise in the open air. A few hours of manual labor each day would tend to renew the bodily vigor and rest and relax the mind.-- 4T 264, 265 (1896).  {2MCP 383.2}
[2MCP 383.3]          Bathing Invigorates Body and Mind.--Whether a person is sick or well, respiration is more free and easy if bathing is practiced. By it the muscles become more flexible, the mind and body are alike invigorated, the intellect is made brighter, and every faculty becomes livelier.--3T 70 (1872).  {2MCP 383.3}
[2MCP 383.4]          Rest Versus Stimulants.--Wrong physical habits injure the brain, and the whole system becomes deranged. An effort may be made to brace the wearied nerves by taking stimulants, but this will not remove the difficulty.  {2MCP 383.4}
[2MCP 383.5]          Unless a decided change is made, unless there is an intelligent recognition of the necessity of giving the brain     384     rest instead of stimulants, the human agent will lose his self-control and will disgrace the cause of God.--Lt 205, 1904.  {2MCP 383.5}
[2MCP 384.1]          The Mind at Peaceful Rest.--We should devote more time to humble, earnest prayer to God, for wisdom to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The health of the mind is dependent upon the health of the body. As Christian parents, we are bound to train our children in reference to the laws of life.  {2MCP 384.1}
[2MCP 384.2]          In Christ they will obtain strength and hope, and will not be troubled with restless longings for something to divert the mind and satisfy the heart. They have found the Pearl of Great Price, and the mind is at peaceful rest. Their pleasures are of a pure, elevated, heavenly character. They have no painful reflections, no remorse. Such pleasures do not enfeeble the body or prostrate the mind, but give health and vigor to both....  {2MCP 384.2}
[2MCP 384.3]          The inhabitants of heaven are perfect, because the will of God is their joy and supreme delight.--Und MS 93.  {2MCP 384.3}
[2MCP 385.1]       Chap. 41 - Diet and Mind           Brain Must Be Healthy.--The brain is the organ and instrument of the mind, and controls the whole body. In order for the other parts of the system to be healthy the brain must be healthy. And in order for the brain to be healthy the blood must be pure. If by correct habits of eating and drinking the blood is kept pure, the brain will be properly nourished.--SpT Series B, No. 15, p 18, Apr 13, 1900. (CH 586, 587.)  {2MCP 385.1}
[2MCP 385.2]          The Brain Supplied With Life and Strength.--The human organism is a wonderful piece of machinery, but it can be abused.... The transformation of food into good blood is a wonderful process, and all human beings should be intelligent upon this subject....  {2MCP 385.2}
[2MCP 385.3]          Each organ of the body gathers its nutrition to keep its different parts in action. The brain must be supplied with its share, the bone with its portion. The great Master Builder is at work every moment, supplying every muscle and tissue, from the brain to the ends of the fingers and toes, with life and strength.--Lt 17, 1895.  {2MCP 385.3}
[2MCP 385.4]          Results of Flaunting Nature's Laws.--God has granted to this people great light, yet we are not placed beyond     386     the reach of temptation.... An invalid--apparently very conscientious, yet bigoted and self-sufficient--freely avows his contempt for the laws of health and life, which divine mercy has led us as a people to accept. His food must be prepared in a manner to satisfy his morbid cravings. Rather than sit at a table where wholesome food is provided, he will patronize restaurants, because he can there indulge appetite without restraint. A fluent advocate of temperance, he disregards its foundation principles. He wants relief but refuses to obtain it at the price of self-denial.  {2MCP 385.4}
[2MCP 386.1]          That man is worshiping at the shrine of perverted appetite. He is an idolater. The powers which, sanctified and ennobled, might be employed to honor God, are weakened and rendered of little service. An irritable temper, a confused brain, and unstrung nerves are among the results of his disregard of nature's laws. He is inefficient, unreliable.--5T 196, 197 (1882).  {2MCP 386.1}
[2MCP 386.2]          Close Relation Between Eating and Mind.--In connection with the injunction of Peter that we are to add "to temperance patience," I referred ［in an address］ to the blessings of health reform, and the advantages to be gained by the use of proper combinations of simple, nourishing foods. The close relationship that eating and drinking sustain to the state of one's mind and temper was dwelt upon. We cannot afford to develop a bad temper through wrong habits of living.--RH, July 12, 1906.  {2MCP 386.2}
[2MCP 386.3]          Indulgence Greatest Cause of Mental Debility.--Indulgence of appetite is the greatest cause of physical and mental debility and lies at the foundation of the feebleness which is apparent everywhere.--3T 487 (1875).  {2MCP 386.3}
[2MCP 386.4]          Mind Confused by Improper Diet.--We should not provide for the Sabbath a more liberal supply or a greater variety of food than for other days. Instead of this, the food should be more simple, and less should be eaten, in                                                            387     order that the mind may be clear and vigorous to comprehend spiritual things. Overeating befogs the brain. The most precious words may be heard and not appreciated, because the mind is confused by an improper diet. By overeating on the Sabbath, many have done more than they think to dishonor God.--6T 357 (1900).  {2MCP 386.4}
[2MCP 387.1]          Through Appetite Satan Controls Mind.--Through appetite Satan controls the mind and the whole being. Thousands who might have lived have passed into the grave, physical, mental, and moral wrecks, because they sacrificed all their powers to the indulgence of appetite. --CTBH 37, 1890. (CD 167.)  {2MCP 387.1}
[2MCP 387.2]          The Digestive Organs Affect Life's Happiness.--The digestive organs have an important part to act in our life happiness. God has given us intelligence that we may learn what we should use as food. Shall we not, as sensible men and women, study whether the things we eat will be in agreement or whether they will cause trouble? People who have a sour stomach are very often of a sour disposition. Everything seems to be contrary to them, and they are inclined to be peevish and irritable. If we would have peace among ourselves, we should give more thought than we do to having a peaceful stomach.--MS 41, 1908. (CD 112.)  {2MCP 387.2}
[2MCP 387.3]          Vigor of Mind Depends Upon the Body (counsels to writers and ministers).--Obey the principles of health reform and educate others to do this. The health of the mind is to a large degree dependent upon the health of the body, and the health of the body is dependent upon the way in which the living machinery is treated. Eat only that food which will keep your stomach in the most healthy condition.  {2MCP 387.3}
[2MCP 387.4]          You need to learn more thoroughly the philosophy of taking proper care of yourself in regard to the matter of diet. Arrange your work so that you can have your meals at regular hours. You must exercise a special care in this     388     matter. Remember that to live the truth as it is in Jesus requires much self-discipline.--Lt 297, 1904.  {2MCP 387.4}
[2MCP 388.1]          Irregular Hours and Careless Inattention to Laws of Health.--The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health.... Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces. The apostle Paul declares that he who would be successful in reaching a high standard of godliness must be temperate in all things. Eating, drinking, and dressing all have a direct bearing upon our spiritual advancement. --YI, May 31, 1894.  {2MCP 388.1}
[2MCP 388.2]          Overcrowding the Stomach Weakens the Mind.-- Overeating, even of the most wholesome food, is to be guarded against. Nature can use no more than is required for building up the various organs of the body, and excess clogs the system. Many a student is supposed to have broken down from overstudy, when the real cause was overeating. While proper attention is given to the laws of health there is little danger from mental taxation, but in many cases of so-called mental failure it is the overcrowding of the stomach that wearies the body and weakens the mind.--Ed 205 (1903).  {2MCP 388.2}
[2MCP 388.3]          Indulgence Blunts Nobler Sentiments of Mind.--The indulgence of appetite in overeating is gluttony. The great variety of foods often taken at one meal is enough to create a disordered stomach and a disordered temper. Therefore God requires of every human being cooperation with Him, that none may go beyond his proper boundary in overeating or in partaking of improper articles of food. This indulgence strengthens the animal propensities and blunts the nobler sentiments of the mind. The whole being is degraded, and the human agent becomes the slave of appetite, by pampering and indulging his own groveling sensual passions.--MS 113, 1898.                                                          389  {2MCP 388.3}
[2MCP 389.1]          Overeating Produced Forgetfulness and Loss of Memory (counsel to a gourmand).--You are a gourmand when at the table. This is one great cause of your forgetfulness and loss of memory. You say things which I know you have said, and then turn square about and say that you said something entirely different. I knew this, but passed it over as the sure result of overeating. Of what use would it be to speak about it? It would not cure the evil.--Lt 17, 1895. (CD 138.)  {2MCP 389.1}
[2MCP 389.2]          Overeating Blunts the Emotions. ［SEE COUNSELS ON DIET AND FOODS, "OVEREATING," PP. 131-142.］--Intemperance in eating, even of food of the right quality, will have a prostrating influence upon the system and will blunt the keener and holier emotions. Strict temperance in eating and drinking is highly essential for the healthy preservation and vigorous exercise of all the functions of the body.  {2MCP 389.2}
[2MCP 389.3]         Strictly temperate habits, combined with exercise of the muscles as well as of the mind, will preserve both mental and physical vigor and give power of endurance to those engaged in the ministry, to editors, and to all others whose habits are sedentary. As a people, with all our profession of health reform, we eat too much. Indulgence of appetite is the greatest cause of physical and mental debility, and lies at the foundation of feebleness, which is apparent everywhere.--3T 487 (1875).  {2MCP 389.3}
[2MCP 389.4]          Restrict the Varieties of Food.--We must care for the digestive organs and not force upon them a great variety of food. He who gorges himself with many kinds of food at a meal is doing himself injury. It is more important that we eat that which will agree with us than that we taste of every dish that may be placed before us. There is no door in our stomach by which we can look in and see what is going on; so we must use our mind, and reason from cause to effect. If you feel all wrought up,     390     and everything seems to go wrong, perhaps it is because you are suffering the consequences of eating a great variety of food.--MS 41, 1908. (CD 111, 112.)  {2MCP 389.4}
[2MCP 390.1]          God's Plan for Us.--God desires us, by strict temperance, to keep the mind clear and keen that we may be able to distinguish between the sacred and the common. We should strive to understand the wonderful science of the matchless compassion and benevolence of God. Those who eat too largely and those who eat unhealthful food bring trouble upon themselves, unfitting themselves for the service of God. It is dangerous to eat meat, for animals are suffering from many deadly diseases. Those who persist in eating the flesh of animals sacrifice spirituality to perverted appetite. Their bodies become full of disease. --MS 66, 1901.  {2MCP 390.1}
[2MCP 390.2]          Intellectual Activity Diminished by a Heavy Meat Diet.--The intellectual, the moral, and the physical powers are depreciated by the habitual use of flesh meats. Meat eating deranges the system, beclouds the intellect, and blunts the moral sensibilities.--2T 64 (1900).  {2MCP 390.2}
[2MCP 390.3]          What We Eat Diminishes Intellectual Activity.--We are composed of what we eat, and eating much flesh will diminish intellectual activity. Students would accomplish much more in their studies if they never tasted meat. When the animal part of the human agent is strengthened by meat eating, the intellectual powers diminish proportionately.  {2MCP 390.3}
[2MCP 390.4]          A religious life can be more successfully gained and maintained if meat is discarded, for this diet stimulates into intense activities, lustful propensities, and enfeebles the moral and spiritual nature. "The flesh . . . ［warreth］ against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh" (Galatians 5:17).  {2MCP 390.4}
[2MCP 390.5]          We greatly need to encourage and cultivate pure, chaste thoughts and to strengthen the moral powers                                                            391     rather than the lower and carnal powers. God help us to awake from our self-indulgent appetites!--Lt 72, 1896. (MM 277, 278.)  {2MCP 390.5}
[2MCP 391.1]          Meat Eating and Disposition.--As a general thing, the Lord did not provide His people with flesh meat in the desert because He knew that the use of this diet would create disease and insubordination. In order to modify the disposition and bring the higher powers of the mind into active exercise, He removed from them the flesh of dead animals.--MS 38, 1898. (CD 375.)  {2MCP 391.1}
[2MCP 391.2]          Results of Pork Eating.--It is not the physical health alone that is injured by pork eating. The mind is affected and the finer sensibilities are blunted by the use of this gross article of food.--HL (Part 1) 58, 1865. (CD 393.)  {2MCP 391.2}
[2MCP 391.3]          Imprudent Eater Disqualifies for Counseling.--Sugar is not good for the stomach. It causes fermentation, and this clouds the brain and brings peevishness into the disposition. And it has been proved that two meals are better than three for the health of the system. ［SEE COUNSELS ON DIET AND FOODS, "NUMBER OF MEALS," PP. 173-178.］  {2MCP 391.3}
[2MCP 391.4]         What a pity it is that often, when the greatest self-denial should be exercised, the stomach is crowded with a mass of unhealthful food, which lies there to decompose. The affliction of the stomach affects the brain. The imprudent eater does not realize that he is disqualifying himself for giving wise counsel, disqualifying himself for laying plans for the best advancement of the work of God. But this is so. He cannot discern spiritual things, and in council meetings, when he should say Yea and Amen, he says Nay. He makes propositions that are wide of the mark. The food he has eaten has benumbed his brain power.  {2MCP 391.4}
[2MCP 391.5]          Self-indulgence debars the human agent from witnessing for the truth. The gratitude we offer to God for     392     His blessings is greatly affected by the food placed in the stomach. Indulgence of appetite is the cause of dissension, strife, discord, and many other evils. Impatient words are spoken and unkind deeds are done, dishonest practices are followed, and passion is manifested--and all because the nerves of the brain are diseased by the abuse heaped on the stomach.--MS 93, 1901.  {2MCP 391.5}
[2MCP 392.1]          Coffee Affects Mental and Moral Powers.--Coffee is a hurtful indulgence. It temporarily excites the mind, . . . but the aftereffect is exhaustion, prostration, paralysis of the mental, moral, and physical powers. The mind becomes enervated, and unless through determined effort the habit is overcome, the activity of the brain is permanently lessened.--CTBH 34, 1890. (CD 421.)  {2MCP 392.1}
[2MCP 392.2]          Erroneous Eating Leads to Erroneous Thinking.-- The health of the body is to be regarded as essential for growth in grace and the acquirement of an even temper. If the stomach is not properly cared for, the formation of an upright, moral character will be hindered. The brain and nerves are in sympathy with the stomach. Erroneous eating and drinking result in erroneous thinking and acting.--9T 160 (1909).  {2MCP 392.2}
[2MCP 392.3]          High Appreciation of Atonement Blunted.--When we pursue a course to lessen mental and physical vigor--in eating, drinking, or in any of our habits--we dishonor God, for we rob Him of the service He claims of us. When we indulge appetite at the expense of health or when we indulge habits which lessen our vitality and mental vigor, we cannot have a high appreciation of the atonement and a right estimate of eternal things. When our minds are beclouded and partially paralyzed by disease, we are easily overcome by the temptations of Satan.--Lt 27, 1872.  {2MCP 392.3}
[2MCP 392.4]          Too Much Thought About Food.--It is impossible to prescribe by weight the quantity of food which should be                                                           393     eaten. It is not advisable to follow this process, for by so doing the mind becomes self-centered. Eating and drinking become altogether too much a matter of thought. Those who do not make a god of the stomach will carefully guard the appetite. They will eat plain, nourishing food. . . . They will eat slowly and will masticate their food thoroughly. After eating they will take proper exercise in the open air. Such need never trouble themselves to measure out precise quantities.  {2MCP 392.4}
[2MCP 393.1]          There are many who have carried a heavy weight of responsibility as to the quantity and quality of food best adapted to nourish the system. Some, especially dyspeptics, have worried so much in regard to their bill of fare that they have not taken sufficient food to nourish the system. They have done great injury to the house they live in and, we fear, have spoiled themselves for this life.-- Lt 142, 1900.  {2MCP 393.1}
[2MCP 393.2]          Eat According to Your Best Judgment, Then Be at Rest.--Some are continually anxious lest their food, however simple and healthful, may hurt them. To these let me say, Do not think that your food will injure you; do not think about it at all. Eat according to your best judgment; and when you have asked the Lord to bless the food for the strengthening of your body, believe that He hears your prayer, and be at rest.--MH 321 (1905).  {2MCP 393.2}
[2MCP 393.3]          Intemperate Persons Cannot Be Patient.--There are ample reasons why there are so many nervous women in the world, complaining of the dyspepsia, with its train of evils. The cause has been followed by the effect. It is impossible for intemperate persons to be patient. They must first reform bad habits, learn to live healthfully, and then it will not be difficult for them to be patient.  {2MCP 393.3}
[2MCP 393.4]          Many do not seem to understand the relation the mind sustains to the body. If the system is deranged by improper food, the brain and nerves are affected, and slight things annoy those who are thus afflicted. Little difficulties     394     are to them troubles mountain high. Persons thus situated are unfitted to properly train their children. Their life will be marked with extremes, sometimes very indulgent, at other times severe, censuring for trifles which deserved no notice.--HL (Part 2) 41, 1865. (2SM 434.)  {2MCP 393.4}
[2MCP 394.1]          Dyspepsia Leads to Irritability.--A dyspeptic stomach always leads to irritability. A sour stomach leads to a sour temper. Your body must be kept in subjection if you make it a meet temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. . . . Eat sparingly of even wholesome food. Exercise moderately, and you will feel that your life is of some account.--Lt 27, 1872.  {2MCP 394.1}
[2MCP 394.2]          Unhealthful Food Stupefies the Conscience.--In health reform our people have been retrograding. Satan sees that he cannot have so great power over minds when the appetite is kept under control as when it is indulged, and he is constantly at work to lead men to indulgence. Under the influence of unhealthful food the conscience becomes stupefied, the mind is darkened, and its susceptibility to impressions is impaired. . . .  {2MCP 394.2}
[2MCP 394.3]          Will our people see and feel the sin of perverting the appetite? Will they discard all hurtful indulgences, and let the means thus saved be devoted to spreading the truth?--Und MS 132.  {2MCP 394.3}
[2MCP 394.4]          A Definition of Temperance in Eating.--The principles of temperance must be carried further than the mere use of spirituous liquors. The use of stimulating and indigestible food is often equally injurious to health and in many cases sows the seeds of drunkenness. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful. There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral                                                              395     and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body.--PP 562 (1890).  {2MCP 394.4}
[2MCP 395.1]          Shunning Extremes.--Those who understand the laws of health and who are governed by principle will shun the extremes both of indulgence and of restriction. Their diet is chosen, not for the mere gratification of appetite, but for the upbuilding of the body. They seek to preserve every power in the best condition for highest service to God and man. The appetite is under the control of reason and conscience, and they are rewarded with health of body and mind. While they do not urge their views offensively upon others, their example is a testimony in favor of right principles. These persons have a wide influence for good. --MH 319 (1905).  {2MCP 395.1}
[2MCP 396.1]       Chap. 42 - Mind and Health           Mind Controls the Whole Man.--The mind controls the whole man. All our actions, good or bad, have their source in the mind. It is the mind that worships God and allies us to heavenly beings. . . . All the physical organs are the servants of the mind, and the nerves are the messengers that transmit its orders to every part of the body, guiding the motions of the living machinery. . . .  {2MCP 396.1}
[2MCP 396.2]          The harmonious action of all the parts--brain, bone, and muscle--is necessary to the full and healthful development of the entire human organism.--SpTEd 33, c1897. (FE 426.)  {2MCP 396.2}
[2MCP 396.3]          Electric Power Vitalizes Whole System.--The electric power of the brain, promoted by mental activity, vitalizes the whole system, and is thus an invaluable aid in resisting disease.--Ed 197 (1903).  {2MCP 396.3}
[2MCP 396.4]          Few Realize the Power of Mind Over Body.--But few realize the power that the mind has over the body. A great deal of the sickness which afflicts humanity has its origin in the mind and can only be cured by restoring the mind to health. There are very many more than we imagine who are sick mentally. Heart sickness makes many dyspeptics,                                                              397     for mental trouble has a paralyzing influence upon the digestive organs.--3T 184 (1872).  {2MCP 396.4}
[2MCP 397.1]          Victims of Diseased Imagination.--The mind needs to be controlled, for it has a most powerful influence upon the health. The imagination often misleads, and when indulged, brings severe forms of disease upon the afflicted. . . .  {2MCP 397.1}
[2MCP 397.2]          The season most to be dreaded by one going among these invalids is winter. It is winter indeed, not only outdoors but in, to those who are compelled to live in the same house and sleep in the same room. These victims of a diseased imagination shut themselves indoors and close the windows, for the air affects their lungs and their heads. Imagination is active; they expect to take cold, and they will have it. No amount of reasoning can make them believe that they do not understand the philosophy of the whole matter. Have they not proved it? they will argue.  {2MCP 397.2}
[2MCP 397.3]          It is true that they have proved one side of the question --by persisting in their own course--and yet they do take cold if in the least exposed. Tender as babies, they cannot endure anything; yet they live on, and continue to close the windows and doors, and hover over the stove and enjoy their misery.  {2MCP 397.3}
[2MCP 397.4]          They have surely proved that their course has not made them well, but has increased their difficulties. Why will not such allow reason to influence the judgment and control the imagination? Why not now try an opposite course, and in a judicious manner obtain exercise and air out of doors?--2T 523-525 (1870).  {2MCP 397.4}
[2MCP 397.5]          Mind Impedes Circulation (advice to a timid soul).-- If your mind is impressed and fixed that a bath will injure you, the mental impression is communicated to all the nerves of the body. The nerves control the circulation of the blood; therefore the blood is, through the impression of the mind, confined to the blood vessels, and the good effects of the bath are lost. All this is because the blood is prevented by the mind and will from flowing readily and from     398     coming to the surface to stimulate, arouse, and promote the circulation.  {2MCP 397.5}
[2MCP 398.1]          For instance, you are impressed that if you bathe you will become chilly. The brain sends this intelligence to the nerves of the body, and the blood vessels, held in obedience to your will, cannot perform their office and cause a reaction after the bath.--3T 69, 70 (1872).  {2MCP 398.1}
[2MCP 398.2]          Fruit of a Listless, Dreamy Mind (counsel to a young woman).--You have a diseased imagination. You have thought yourself diseased, but this has been more imaginary than real. You have been untrue to yourself. . . . You appeared like a person without a backbone. You were half reclining upon others, which is a wrong position for a lady to occupy in the presence of others. If you had only thought so, you could have walked as well and sat as erect as many others.  {2MCP 398.2}
[2MCP 398.3]          The condition of your mind leads to indolence and to a dread of exercise, when this exercise would prove one of the greatest means of your recovery. You will never recover unless you lay aside this listless, dreamy condition of mind and arouse yourself to do, to work while the day lasts. Do, as well as imagine and plan. Turn your mind away from romantic projects. You mingle with your religion a romantic, lovesick sentimentalism, which does not elevate, but only lowers. It is not you alone who is affected; others are injured by your example and influence.--2T 248, 249 (1869).  {2MCP 398.3}
[2MCP 398.4]          Health Sacrificed to Feelings (counsel to a woman of strong will).--Dear _____, you have a diseased imagination; and you dishonor God by allowing your feelings to have complete control of your reason and judgment. You have a determined will, which causes the mind to react upon the body, unbalancing the circulation and producing congestion in certain organs; and you are sacrificing health to your feelings.--5T 310 (1873).                                                        399  {2MCP 398.4}
[2MCP 399.1]          Mental Illness Produced by Unsanctified Tongues (comments on the death of the wife of an executive).-- Sister _____ was so weighted down with sorrow that she lost her reason. I ask, Who, in the day of judgment, will be held responsible for putting out the light of that mind that should be shining today? Who will be accountable in the day of God for the work that caused the distress which brought on this sickness? She suffered for months, and the husband suffered with her. And now the poor woman has gone, leaving two motherless children. All this because of the work done by unsanctified tongues.--MS 54, 1904.  {2MCP 399.1}
[2MCP 399.2]          Overtaxed Mind Impairs Health.--Brethren have invested means in patent rights and other enterprises and have induced others to interest themselves, who could not bear the perplexity and care of such business. Their anxious, overtaxed minds seriously affect their already diseased bodies, and they then yield to despondency, which increases to despair. They lose all confidence in themselves and think that God has forsaken them, and they dare not believe that He will be merciful to them.--1T 304, 305 (1862).  {2MCP 399.2}
[2MCP 399.3]          Mental Activity Produces Health.--God wants His delegated servants to be good preachers, and in order to do this they must be diligent students. . . . Studious habits, a firm hold from above, will qualify them for their position as ministers of the gospel of Christ. Mental activity will produce health, and this is better than a sluggish, disorderly, untrained mind. Many become worthless as ministers after advancing in age. . . . Had they worked the brain, they would have been fruitful in old age.--Lt 33, 1886.  {2MCP 399.3}
[2MCP 399.4]          Electrical Force of Brain Resists Disease.--The minds of thinking men labor too hard. They frequently use their mental powers prodigally, while there is another class whose highest aim in life is physical labor. The latter class     400     do not exercise the mind. Their muscles are exercised while their brains are robbed of intellectual strength, just as the minds of thinking men are worked while their bodies are robbed of strength and vigor by their neglect to exercise the muscles. . . .  {2MCP 399.4}
[2MCP 400.1]          Their influence for good is small in comparison to what it might be if they would use their brains as well as their muscles. This class fall more readily if attacked by disease; the system is vitalized by the electrical force of the brain to resist disease.--3T 157 (1872).  {2MCP 400.1}
[2MCP 400.2]          Discontented Repinings Bring Sickness.--That which brings sickness of body and mind to nearly all is dissatisfied feelings and discontented repinings. They have not God, they have not the hope which reaches to that within the veil, which is as an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast. All who possess this hope will purify themselves even as He is pure. Such are free from restless longings, repinings, and discontent; they are not continually looking for evil and brooding over borrowed trouble. But we see many who are having a time of trouble beforehand; anxiety is stamped upon every feature; they seem to find no consolation, but have a continual fearful looking for of some dreadful evil.--1T 566 (1867).  {2MCP 400.2}
[2MCP 400.3]          Unrestful Attitude Detrimental to Health (counsel to a disturbed woman).--The Lord has love for you, and care for you, and while your husband is not always with you, yet you have excellent companionship right on the premises where your house is built. Do not keep your mind in an unrestful attitude; for this is detrimental to your health. You must realize that no one is capable of composing your mind but your individual self.  {2MCP 400.3}
[2MCP 400.4]          You are too ready to look on the discouraging side. This has been a weakness in your character. It hurts your experience and gives a sad complexion to your husband's experience.  {2MCP 400.4}
[2MCP 400.5]          You brood too much. Whatever you can do to divert                                                            401     your mind from your individual self, in any line of employment, do it. You are to appreciate the great gift to our world of Jesus Christ, and you may expect much peace and comfort and love exercised to keep your mind in perfect peace. Every believer is to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and that righteousness speaks better things than the blood of Abel.--Lt 294, 1906.  {2MCP 400.5}
[2MCP 401.1]          Inability to Reason Rationally.--A student may devote all his powers to acquire knowledge; but unless he has a knowledge of God, unless he obeys the laws that govern his own being, he will destroy himself. By wrong habits he loses the power of self-appreciation; he loses self-control. He cannot reason correctly about matters that concern him most deeply. He is reckless and irrational in his treatment of mind and body. Through his neglect to cultivate right principles, he is ruined both for this world and for the world to come.--MH 450 (1905).  {2MCP 401.1}
[2MCP 401.2]          Self-centeredness a Hindrance to Recovery ［SEE CHAPTER 30, "SELFISHNESS AND SELF-CENTEREDNESS."］--One of the surest hindrances to the recovery of the sick is the centering of attention upon themselves. Many invalids feel that everyone should give them sympathy and help, when what they need is to have their attention turned away from themselves, to think of and care for others.-- MH 256 (1905).  {2MCP 401.2}
[2MCP 401.3]         Divert Mind From Self.--Exercise will aid the work of digestion. To walk out after a meal, hold the head erect, put back the shoulders, and exercise moderately, will be a great benefit. The mind will be diverted from self to the beauties of nature. The less the attention is called to the stomach after a meal, the better. If you are in constant fear that your food will hurt you, it most assuredly will. Forget self, and think of something cheerful.--2T 530 (1870).     402  {2MCP 401.3}
[2MCP 402.1]          Doing Good Releases Positive Forces.--The pleasure of doing good animates the mind and vibrates through the whole body. While the faces of benevolent men are lighted up with cheerfulness and their countenances express the moral elevation of the mind, those of selfish, stingy men are dejected, cast down, and gloomy. Their moral defects are seen in their countenances.--2T 534 (1870).  {2MCP 402.1}
[2MCP 402.2]          Security Improves Health.--When men who have indulged in wrong habits and sinful practices yield to the power of divine truth, the application of that truth to the heart revives the moral powers, which had seemed to be paralyzed. The receiver possesses stronger, clearer understanding than before he riveted his soul to the Eternal Rock. Even his physical health improves by the realization of his security in Christ. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is of itself health and strength.--CTBH 13, 1890. (CH 28.)  {2MCP 402.2}
[2MCP 402.3]          The Tranquilizing Effects of Suitable Working Conditions (counsel to an overwrought executive).--It is not for me to lay out for you a definite line of work. But you should work, if possible, in some place where your mind will be kept in even balance, where you can be peaceful and quiet, where you will not be consulted on many questions. It is not best for you to have supervision over many things. Your mind should not be overtaxed. This would be a great injury to you. When too many perplexities are placed upon you, the blood rushes to your head and you give way to an intensity of feeling that endangers your health.  {2MCP 402.3}
[2MCP 402.4]          Place yourself, if possible, where you will have little cause to worry over the work of others. . . . If you should take upon your perplexities in which large interests are involved, the confusion that would come as the result of planning for the management of many things would not be for your own good or for the best interests of the cause of God.                                                        403  {2MCP 402.4}
[2MCP 403.1]          Those who would place upon you a variety of duties requiring the most careful management are making a mistake. Your mind needs to be tranquil. You are to do a work that will not produce friction in your mind. You are to keep your conscience in the fear of God, according to the Bible standard, and you are to make steady improvement, that you may not be in any way unfitted for the work God has given you to do.--Lt 92, 1903.  {2MCP 403.1}
[2MCP 403.2]          A Quiet Mind Is Pathway to Health.--The consciousness of rightdoing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is health and strength. A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health. To have a consciousness that the eyes of the Lord are upon us and His ears open to our prayers is a satisfaction indeed. To know that we have a never-failing friend in whom we can confide all the secrets of the soul is a privilege which words can never express.--1T 502 (1867).  {2MCP 403.2}
[2MCP 403.3]          Love, Hope, and Joy Essential for Health.--In order to have perfect health our hearts must be filled with hope and love and joy.--SpT Series A, No. 15, p 18, Apr 3, 1900. (CH 587.)  {2MCP 403.3}
[2MCP 403.4]          Christ the Answer.--Many are suffering from maladies of the soul far more than from diseases of the body, and they will find no relief until they shall come to Christ, the wellspring of life. Complaints of weariness, loneliness, and dissatisfaction will then cease. Satisfying joys will give vigor to the mind, and health and vital energy to the body.--4T 579 (1881).  {2MCP 403.4}
[2MCP 404.1]       Chap. 43 - Mind and Spiritual Health           The Fruitage of Spiritual Life.--Spiritual life yields to its possessor that which all the world is seeking but which can never be obtained without an entire surrender to God.--Lt 121, 1904.  {2MCP 404.1}
[2MCP 404.2]          Body, Mind, and Soul Benefit From Communion With God.--In a knowledge of God all true knowledge and real development have their source. Wherever we turn, in the physical, the mental, or the spiritual realm; in whatever we behold, apart from the blight of sin, this knowledge is revealed. Whatever line of investigation we pursue, with a sincere purpose to arrive at truth, we are brought in touch with the unseen, mighty Intelligence that is working in and through all. The mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite. The effect of such communion on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate.--Ed 14 (1903).  {2MCP 404.2}
[2MCP 404.3]          Love for God Essential for Health.--God is the great caretaker of the human machinery. In the care of our bodies we must cooperate with Him. Love for God is essential for life and health.--SpT Series A, No. 15, p 18, Apr 3, 1900. (CD 587.)                                                         405  {2MCP 404.3}
[2MCP 405.1]          Health of Body Important to Health of Soul.--God would be recognized as the Author of our being. That life He has given us is not to be trifled with. Recklessness in the bodily habits reveals a recklessness of moral character. The health of the body is to be regarded as essential for the advancement of growth in grace, an even temper.--MS 113, 1898.  {2MCP 405.1}
[2MCP 405.2]          Good Deeds Promote Health.--Good deeds are twice a blessing, benefiting both the giver and the receiver of the kindness. The consciousness of rightdoing is one of the best medicines for diseased bodies and minds. When the mind is free and happy from a sense of duty well done and the satisfaction of giving happiness to others, the cheering, uplifting influence brings new life to the whole being.--MH 257 (1905).  {2MCP 405.2}
[2MCP 405.3]          Godliness in Harmony With Laws of Health.--Those who walk in the path of wisdom and holiness find that "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). They are alive to the enjoyment of life's real pleasures and are not troubled with vain regrets over misspent hours nor with gloomy forebodings, as the worldling too often is when not diverted by some exciting amusement. Godliness does not conflict with the laws of health but is in harmony with them. The fear of the Lord is the foundation of all real prosperity.--CTBH 14, 1890. (CH 29.)  {2MCP 405.3}
[2MCP 405.4]          Constant Struggle Against Evil Imaginings.--Let everyone who desires to be a partaker of the divine nature appreciate the fact that he must escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. There must be a constant, earnest struggling of the soul against the evil imaginings of the mind. There must be a steadfast resistance of temptation to sin in thought or act. The soul must be kept from every stain, through faith in Him who     406     is able to keep you from falling.  {2MCP 405.4}
[2MCP 406.1]          We should meditate upon the Scriptures, thinking soberly and candidly upon the things that pertain to our eternal salvation. The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. We should seek to comprehend the meaning of the plan of salvation. We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His people from their sins. By constantly contemplating heavenly themes our faith and love will grow stronger. --RH, June 12, 1888,  {2MCP 406.1}
[2MCP 406.2]          Injury to Health Weakens Moral Powers.--Whatever injures the health not only lessens physical vigor but tends to weaken the mental and moral powers.--MH 128 (1905).  {2MCP 406.2}
[2MCP 406.3]          Since the mind and the soul find expression through the body, both mental and spiritual vigor are in great degree dependent upon physical strength and activity; whatever promotes physical health promotes the development of a strong mind and a well-balanced character.-- Ed 195 (1903).  {2MCP 406.3}
[2MCP 406.4]          Body Medium for Mind and Soul.--The body is a most important medium through which the mind and the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character. Hence it is that the adversary of souls directs his temptations to the enfeebling and degrading of the physical powers. His success here often means the surrender of the whole being to evil. The tendencies of the physical nature, unless under the dominion of a higher power, will surely work ruin and death. The body is to be brought into subjection to the higher powers of the being. The passions are to be controlled by the will, which is itself to be under the control of God. The kingly power of reason, sanctified by divine grace, is to bear sway in the life.  {2MCP 406.4}
[2MCP 406.5]          Intellectual power, physical stamina, and the length of                                                         407     life depend upon immutable laws. Through obedience to these laws, man may stand conqueror of himself, conqueror of his own inclinations, conqueror of principalities and powers, of "the rulers of the darkness of this world," and of "spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).--PK 488, 489 (1917).  {2MCP 406.5}
[2MCP 407.1]          Vital Energy Imparted to Mind Through Brain.-- The Lord would have our minds clear and sharp, able to see points in His word and service, doing His will, depending upon His grace, bringing into His work a clear conscience and a thankful mind. This kind of joy promotes the circulation of the blood. Vital energy is imparted to the mind through the brain; therefore the brain should never be dulled by the use of narcotics or excited by the use of stimulants. Brain, bone, and muscle are to be brought into harmonious action that all may work as well-regulated machines, each part acting in harmony, not one being overtaxed.--Lt 100, 1898.  {2MCP 407.1}
[2MCP 407.2]          Dyspepsia Makes Religious Life Uncertain.--The principles of health reform should be brought into the life of every Christian. Men and women who disregard these principles cannot offer to God a pure, vigorous devotion; for a dyspeptic stomach or a torpid liver makes the religious life an uncertainty.  {2MCP 407.2}
[2MCP 407.3]          Eating the flesh of dead animals has an injurious effect upon spirituality. When meat is made the staple article of food, the higher faculties are overborne by the lower passions. These things are an offense to God and are the cause of a decline in spiritual life.--Lt 69, 1896.  {2MCP 407.3}
[2MCP 407.4]          Rightdoing Is Best Medicine.--The consciousness of rightdoing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. The special blessing of God resting upon the receiver is health and strength. A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health. . . .  {2MCP 407.4}
[2MCP 407.5]          There are those who do not feel that it is a religious     408     duty to discipline the mind to dwell upon cheerful subjects, that they may reflect light rather than darkness and gloom. This class of minds will either be engaged in seeking their own pleasure, in frivolous conversation, laughing and joking, and the mind continually elated with a round of amusements; or they will be depressed, having great trials and mental conflicts, which they think but few have ever experienced or can understand. These persons may profess Christianity, but they deceive their own souls. They have not the genuine article.--HR, Mar, 1872.  {2MCP 407.5}
[2MCP 408.1]          To Labor for Soul as Well as Body.--Our medical workers are to do all in their power to cure disease of the body and also disease of the mind. They are to watch and pray and work, bringing spiritual as well as physical advantages to those for whom they labor. The physician in one of our sanitariums who is a true servant of God has an intensely interesting work to do for every suffering human being with whom he is brought in contact. He is to lose no opportunity to point souls to Christ, the Great Healer of body and mind. Every physician should be a skillful worker in Christ's lines. There is to be no lessening of the interest in spiritual things, else the power to fix the mind upon the Great Physician will be diverted.--Lt 223, 1905.  {2MCP 408.1}
[2MCP 408.2]          The Physician Who Deals With Distracted Minds and Hearts.--The physician needs more than human wisdom and power that he may know how to minister to the many perplexing cases of disease of the mind and heart with which he is called to deal. If he is ignorant of the power of divine grace, he cannot help the afflicted one, but will aggravate the difficulty; but if he has a firm hold upon God, he will be able to help the diseased, distracted mind. He will be able to point his patients to Christ and teach them to carry all their cares and perplexities to the great Burden Bearer.--5T 444 (1885).                                                              409  {2MCP 408.2}
[2MCP 409.1]          Christ Illumines the Mind.--The physician is never to lead his patients to fix their attention on him. He is to teach them to grasp with the trembling hand of faith the outstretched hand of the Saviour. Then the mind will be illuminated with the light radiating from the Light of the world.--Lt 120, 1901.  {2MCP 409.1}
[2MCP 409.2]          Truth Has Soothing Power.--The soothing power of pure truth seen, acted, and maintained in all its bearings is of a value no language can express to people who are suffering with disease. Keep ever before the suffering sick the compassion and tenderness of Christ, and awaken their conscience to a belief in His power to relieve suffering, and lead them to faith and trust in Him, the Great Healer, and you have gained a soul and ofttimes a life.-- Lt 69, 1898. (MM 234, 235.)  {2MCP 409.2}
[2MCP 409.3]          True Religion Aids Restoration to Health (words directed to sanitarium guests attending the local church service).--Christ is our Great Physician. Many men and women come to this medical institution ［St. Helena Sanitarium］ with the hope of receiving treatment that will prolong their lives. They take considerable pains to come here.  {2MCP 409.3}
[2MCP 409.4]          Why cannot everyone who comes to the sanitarium for physical help come to Christ for spiritual help? Why cannot you, my brother, my sister, entertain the hope that if you accept Christ, He will add His blessing to the agencies employed for your restoration to health? Why cannot you have faith to believe that He will cooperate with your efforts to recover, because He wants you to get well? He wants you to have a clear brain so that you can appreciate eternal realities; He wants you to have healthful sinews and muscles so that you can glorify His name by using your strength in His service.--MS 80, 1903.  {2MCP 409.4}
[2MCP 409.5]          Counsel to One Prone to Melancholy Feelings.--It is your duty to war against oppressive thoughts and     410     melancholy feelings, just as much as it is your duty to pray. It is your duty to counterwork the agencies of the enemy, to place a firm hold upon the bridle of your tongue as well as your thoughts. Of all the times in your life when you need a supply of grace, it is when the sensitive, inflamed digestive organs are at work and you are worried and tired out.  {2MCP 409.5}
[2MCP 410.1]          You may look surprised at this, but it is a species of swearing to be constantly irritated and irritating others by your faultfinding and gloomy reflections. These fits of indigestion are trying, but hold fast to the bridle that you will not swear to those who are your best friends or to those who are your enemies.--Lt 11, 1897.  {2MCP 410.1}
[2MCP 410.2]          Assurance of God's Approval.--The assurance of God's approval will promote physical health. It fortifies the soul against doubt, perplexity, and excessive grief that so often sap the vital forces and induce nervous diseases of a most debilitating and distressing character. The Lord has pledged His unfailing word that His eye shall be over the righteous and His ear open to their prayer.--LS 270, 271 (1915).  {2MCP 410.2}
[2MCP 410.3]          Connection Between Sin and Disease.--There is a divinely appointed connection between sin and disease. No physician can practice for a month without seeing this illustrated. He may ignore the fact; his mind may be so occupied with other matters that his attention will not be called to it; but if he will be observing and honest, he cannot help acknowledging that sin and disease bear to each other the relationship of cause and effect. The physician should be quick to see this and to act accordingly.  {2MCP 410.3}
[2MCP 410.4]          When he has gained the confidence of the afflicted by relieving their sufferings and bringing them back from the verge of the grave he may teach them that disease is the result of sin and that it is the fallen foe who seeks to allure them to health-and-soul-destroying practices. He may impress their minds with the necessity of denying                                                             411     self and obeying the laws of life and health. In the minds of the young especially he may instill right principles.  {2MCP 410.4}
[2MCP 411.1]          God loves His creatures with a love that is both tender and strong. He has established the laws of nature, but His laws are not arbitrary exactions. Every "Thou shalt not," whether in physical or moral law, contains or implies a promise. If it is obeyed, blessings will attend our steps; if it is disobeyed, the result is danger and unhappiness. The laws of God are designed to bring His people closer to Himself. He will save them from the evil and lead them to the good if they will be led, but force them He never will. We cannot discern God's plans, but we must trust Him and show our faith by our works.--5T 444, 445 (1885).  {2MCP 411.1}
[2MCP 411.2]          Gospel Is Cure for Sin-originated Maladies.--When the gospel is received in its purity and power, it is a cure for the maladies that originated in sin. The Sun of righteousness arises "with healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2). Not all that this world bestows can heal a broken heart, or impart peace of mind, or remove care, or banish disease. Fame, genius, talent--all are powerless to gladden the sorrowful heart or to restore the wasted life. The life of God in the soul is man's only hope.--MH 115 (1905).  {2MCP 411.2}
[2MCP 411.3]          Heaven Is All Health.--The view held by some that spirituality is a detriment to health is the sophistry of Satan. The religion of the Bible is not detrimental to the health of either body or mind. The influence of the Spirit of God is the very best medicine for disease. Heaven is all health; and the more deeply heavenly influences are realized, the more sure will be the recovery of the believing invalid. The true principles of Christianity open before all a source of inestimable happiness. Religion is a continual wellspring from which the Christian can drink at will and never exhaust the fountain.--CTBH 13, 1890. (CH 28.)     412  {2MCP 411.3}
[2MCP 412.1]          Religion the True Science of Healing.--Religion is a principle of the heart, not a magical word or a trick of the mind. Look to Jesus only. This is your only hope and your husband's only hope of gaining eternal life. This is the true science of healing for body and soul. The mind must not be centered upon any human being, but upon God.-- Lt 117, 1901.  {2MCP 412.1}
[2MCP 412.2]          Love for Redeemer Clears Away Miasma.--The mind is befogged by sensual malaria. The thoughts need purifying. What might not men and women have been had they realized that the treatment of the body has everything to do with the vigor and purity of mind and heart.  {2MCP 412.2}
[2MCP 412.3]          The true Christian obtains an experience which brings holiness. He is without a spot of guilt upon the conscience or a taint of corruption upon the soul. The spirituality of the law of God, with its limiting principles, is brought into his life. The light of truth irradiates his understanding. A glow of perfect love for the Redeemer clears away the miasma which has interposed between his soul and God. The will of God has become his will--pure, elevated, refined, and sanctified. His countenance reveals the light of heaven. His body is a fit temple for the Holy Spirit. Holiness adorns his character. God can commune with him, for soul and body are in harmony with God.--Lt 139, 1898. (7BC 909.)  {2MCP 412.3}