[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 4]          Those who profess to serve God, yet really serve mammon, will be visited with judgments. None will be justified in a course of disobedience for the sake of worldly profit. If God would excuse one man, he might all. Those who disregard the Lord's express injunction for personal advantage, are heaping up for themselves future woe. Christ said: "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." The people of God should inquire closely if they have not, like the Jews of old, made the house of God a place of merchandise.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 5]          Many are falling into the sin of sacrificing their religion for the sake of worldly gain, preserving a form of piety, yet giving all the mind to temporal pursuit. But the law of God must be considered first of all, and obeyed in spirit and in letter. Jesus, our great exemplar, in his life and death, taught the strictest obedience. He died, the just for the unjust, the innocent for the guilty, that the honor of God's law might be preserved and yet man not utterly perish.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 6]          "Sin is the transgression of the law." If the sin of Adam brought such inexpressible wretchedness, requiring the sacrifice of God's dear Son, what will be the punishment of those who set at naught the divine law? If God's word, spoken in awful solemnity from the holy mountain, is lightly regarded, what can move the hearts of the children of men?  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 7]          To be commandment-breakers, it is not necessary that we trample upon the whole moral code. If one precept is disregarded, we are transgressors of the sacred law. The Son of God died to pay the penalty of transgression; then how will he deal with those who, in the face of all this evidence, dare venture in the path of disobedience?  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 8]          Age does not excuse anyone from obeying the commands of God. Abraham was an old man when the command came to offer up his son Isaac for a burnt-offering. The ardor of his youth had passed away, and it was no longer easy for him to endure hardships and brave dangers. The burden of years was heavy upon him, and he longed for rest from toil and anxiety. The words of the Lord seemed terrible and uncalled-for to the stricken man; yet he never questioned their justice or hesitated in his obedience. He grasped the staff of faith, and in anguish of heart took the hand of his child, beautiful in the rosy health of youth, and went out to obey God. The grand old patriarch was human; his passions and attachments were like ours, and he loved his boy, who was the solace of his old age, and to whom the promise of the Lord had been given.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 9]          Abraham might have pleaded that he was old and feeble, and could not sacrifice the son who was the joy of his life. He might have reminded the Lord that this command conflicted with the promise that had been given in reference to his son. But his obedience was without a murmur or a reproach. His trust in God was implicit. He did not stay to reason with his aching heart, but carried out the divine command to the very letter, till, just as the knife was about to be plunged into the quivering flesh of his child, the word came, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad;" "for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me."  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 10]          This great act of faith is recorded on the pages of sacred history as an illustrious example to all, even to the end of time. It is an example to us individually. The claims of God upon our faith, our service, our affections, should meet with a cheerful response. We are infinite debtors to the Lord, and should unhesitatingly comply with the least of his requirements.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 11]          The faith of Abraham is needed in our churches today, to lighten the darkness that gathers around them, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God's love, and dwarfing spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good works; for faith without works is dead. Every duty performed, every sacrifice made in the name of Jesus, brings an exceeding great reward. In the very act of duty, God speaks, and gives his blessing. But he requires of us an entire surrender of the faculties. The mind and heart, the whole being, must be given to his service; or we fall short of becoming true Christians.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 12]         And this is our reasonable duty. God has withheld nothing from man that could promote his happiness or secure to him eternal riches. He has clothed the earth with beauty, and furnished it with everything necessary for the comfort of man during his temporal life. And what is infinitely more than this, he has given his Son to die for the redemption of a world that had fallen through sin and folly. Such matchless love, such infinite sacrifice, claims our deepest gratitude, our best and holiest affections.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 13]          Many are the hindrances that lie in the path of those who would walk in obedience to the commands of God. There are strong and subtle influences that bind them to the ways of the world; but the power of the Lord can break these chains. He will remove every obstacle from before the feet of his faithful ones, or give them strength and courage to conquer difficulties, if they will earnestly beseech his help. All hindrances will vanish before an earnest, persistent, prayerful effort to do the will of God.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 14]          Man has no right to consult his convenience or regard his temporal wants in this matter. God will provide. He who fed Elijah by the brook Cherith, will be mindful of the needs of his children.  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 15]          Our Saviour knew that many times his followers would be pressed by poverty, and would be anxious and troubled in regard to what they should eat or how they should be clothed; and he cautioned them on this point: "Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" "Behold," he says, "the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" He pointed to the lovely flowers, formed and tinted by a divine hand, saying: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"  {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, June 2, 1887 par. 16]         We have always the promise: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things ［the needed things of this life］ shall be added unto you." Our heavenly Father knows our needs, and he will provide for them without our giving our time, strength, and affections to the mammon of this world.                                                                   -    {ST, June 2, 1887 par. 16}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 1]       June 9, 1887 A Lesson from the Pharisees.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not."  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 2]          The scribes and Pharisees took the place of Moses as expounders of the law and judges of the people, and claimed to be invested with similar divine authority. In accordance with these claims, they expected the same deference and obedience from the people that had been accorded to the great lawgiver. Jesus admonished his hearers to follow the teachings of the priests so far as they were in harmony with the law, but not to copy their example; for they neglected the duties which they enjoined upon others.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 3]          Notwithstanding the abuse which he received from the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus held no personal grievance against them; and while he openly condemned their acts as opposed to their teaching, and therefore not to be imitated, he made it plain to all that he was not actuated by unkind feeling. Said he: "They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 4]          The leading Jews, in teaching and administering the law, carried the prohibitions of God to unreasonable lengths. They also enjoined a multitude of minute regulations having their foundation in tradition, and unreasonably restraining personal liberty of action. They carried the regulations of eating and drinking so far that the mind was kept on a continual strain to discriminate between what was considered clean and unclean, and to follow out the multitude of injunctions imposed by the priests. All the water was strained, lest the presence of the smallest speck or insect might render it unclean, and therefore unfit to use. The people were thus kept in constant fear of infringing upon customs and traditions taught to them as portions of the law; and life was made a burden by these ceremonies and restrictions.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 5]          By their endless round of forms, the Pharisees fixed the minds of the people upon external services, to the neglect of true religion. They failed to connect the thought of Christ with their ceremonies; and, having forsaken the fountain of living water, they hewed out for themselves broken cisterns that could hold no water.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 6]          Not only did the priests, scribes, and rulers reject Christ themselves, but they took the most unfair means to prejudice the people against him, deceiving them by false reports and gross misrepresentations. Said Jesus: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." These words, condemning this sin of the Pharisees, are applicable to all who follow their example. In all ages of the world truth has been unpopular; for its doctrines are not congenial to the natural mind. The cold professor, the bigot, and the hypocrite are not willing to accept a truth which searches the heart and reproves the life.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 7]          The Saviour then pronounced a woe upon those who, imitating the great rebel, compass all difficulties to make one proselyte. Said he: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." These cutting words were applied to those who made the highest pretensions to godliness, and who regarded all other nations as contemptible in the sight of God. There are just such zealous adversaries of the truth now, who leave no means untried to subvert the minds and consciences of men. They are willing to make great sacrifices and endure rebuffs in order to attain their object, returning again and again to the same point, seeking to turn souls away from divine truth to superstitions and fables. And such is the downward road to ruin that those whom they succeed in gaining become even worse than the teachers who have led them into error.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 8]          The Saviour continued: "Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?" The priests interpreted the requirements of God to meet their false and narrow standard. They presumed to make nice distinctions between the comparative guilt of various sins, passing over some lightly, assigning as an excuse that the end justified the means, while errors of perhaps less consequence were treated as unpardonable. Thus these blind guides confused the minds of their followers in regard to sin and the proper standard of holiness.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 9]          The Pharisees took upon themselves the responsibility of deciding concerning the burdens and duty of others according to their own carnal minds. They accepted sums of money in return for excusing them from their vows, and in some cases crimes of an aggravated character were passed over in consideration of large sums of money paid to the authorities by the transgressor. At the same time these hypocritical priests were exact in the matter of sacrifices and ceremonies, as though it were possible for cold forms to blot out the unrepented sins of their daily lives. Thus these blind guides confused the minds of their followers in regard to sin and the true standard of holiness.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 10]          The Lord said unto Samuel: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." No outward service, even such as is required by God, can be a substitute for an obedient life. The Creator desires heart service of his creatures.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 11]          Through Hosea God said: "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant; there have they dealt treacherously against me." The many sacrifices of the Jews, and the flowing of blood to atone for sins for which they felt no true repentance, was an offense to God. Micah says: "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy; and to walk humbly with thy God?"  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 12]         The favor of God cannot be won by costly gifts and a semblance of holiness. He requires for his mercies a contrite spirit, a heart open to the light of truth, love and compassion for our fellow-men, and a spirit that refuses to be bribed through avarice or self-love. These priests and rulers were destitute of these essentials to God's favor, and their most precious gifts and gorgeous ceremonies were an abomination in his eyes. They had gone step by step into darkness, rejecting the evidence that Jesus was the true Messiah, until the obscurity of their minds was so great that they called righteousness sin and sin righteousness. They evinced the same malice that in Heaven actuated Satan against Christ, and for the same reason,--because of the superior goodness of the Son of God.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 13]          Unpopular truth is no more acceptable to Pharisaical, self-righteous hearts today than when Christ walked the earth, a man among men. If Christians were to be tested now as were the Jews at the first advent of Christ, few would accept him wrapped in his garment of humanity, living a life of humiliation and poverty. The Christian world can accept as Messiah a King at the right hand of God in Heaven; but their hearts reject a Saviour of humility and self-sacrifice. They shrink from the cross of Christ, even as did the haughty Pharisees, and many are in as great blindness concerning the plan of salvation. Jesus exhorts his disciples to follow in his footsteps; but there are few indeed who imitate his example, and follow his teaching in their daily lives.  {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, June 9, 1887 par. 14]         When a man sacrifices righteous principles and truth because he can thus avoid persecution and trial, he barters his eternal welfare for trifling considerations. But he that obeys the requirements of Christ, neither looking nor planning for his own convenience, will secure the reward of immortal life. Jesus says: "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, June 9, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 1]       June 16, 1887 Jesus Rejected at Nazareth.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself; whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian."  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 2]          There is a solemn warning to us in these words of Christ to the men of Nazareth. Upon visiting the little town where he had been brought up, the Saviour, according to his custom, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up to read. The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed him, and he read the words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." And then, as the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him, he said unto them: "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 3]          The scripture which he had read was understood by all to refer to the Messiah. And when Jesus explained the prophet's words, and pointed out the sacred office of the Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of the captive, a healer of the sick, and a revealer of truth to the world, "all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth." His impressive manner, the mighty import of his words, the divine light that shone from his countenance, thrilled that listening company; their hearts were filled with joy, and they responded to his words with hearty praises to God.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 4]          Not one who looked upon that scene could doubt that this was indeed the promised Deliverer, the hope of Israel. Now was the golden opportunity for the men of Nazareth to accept Christ, and receive the blessings that he came to bring. Angels of light were in that assembly, watching with intense interest the decision of the hour. Angels of Satan also were on the ground to suggest doubts and arouse prejudice. The people had long indulged pride and unbelief, and the current of their thoughts soon returned to the natural channel. They forgot the power of divine love which had stirred their souls, and turned to consider the lowly birth and humble life of Him who claimed to be their Messiah.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 5]          In their pride they had expected a king who should appear in earthly pomp and power; and as they recalled these hopes, they asked themselves, Is not this the son of Joseph and Mary, whose home has been so long among us? Can this be the promised deliverer of Israel? If this man is the Christ, why does he not give some mighty evidence of his power? And blind, unreasoning prejudice followed close on the steps of unbelief.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 6]          Jesus gave them a proof of his divine power by reading, as from an open book, the secrets of their hearts: "And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself; whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country."  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 7]          Jesus continued: "But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian."  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 8]          In the days of Elijah, Israel had departed from the living God. In vain the Lord by his prophets spoke to that backsliding and rebellious people. In vain he reproved their sins, and threatened them with his judgments. The message which might have been a savor of life unto life, proved to them a savor of death unto death. They would not heed the warning which called them to a life of humility and faith. Instead of leading them to repentance, the prophet's words offended their pride, and aroused their hatred against the messenger of God. Thus they multiplied their sins, and aggravated the guilt which had already brought the judgments of God upon the land. They sought to find and destroy Elijah, as though by silencing him, they would prevent the fulfillment of his words. But God found among the heathen a hiding-place for his servant.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 9]          By this relation of events in the life of a prophet of God, the Saviour met the secret doubts and questionings of those whom he was addressing. The apostasy of Israel in Elijah's day was a vivid picture of their own true condition. The unbelief and self-exaltation of the ancient Jewish nation made it necessary for the Lord to find an asylum for his servant among a heathen people; and, passing by the many widows in Israel, to intrust him to the kindness and liberality of a heathen woman; but the widow who was so highly favored had lived in accordance with all the light she possessed.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 10]         God also passed over the many lepers in Israel, because their unbelief closed the door of good to them. A heathen nobleman who had been true to his convictions of right, and who felt his need of help, was in the sight of God more worthy of his blessing than were the afflicted in Israel, who had slighted and despised their God-given privileges. God works for those who appreciate his favors, and respond to the light given them from Heaven.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 11]          Jesus stood before the men of Nazareth, calmly revealing their secret thoughts, and pressing home upon them the unpalatable truth of their unrighteousness. His words cut to their hearts, as their ingratitude, their selfishness, their strife for the supremacy, their pride and unbelief, their secret crimes, were all laid before them. They knew that they were in the presence of One who could read their souls. For one brief moment they had been inclined to accept him as the Christ; but they had given place to Satan, and now his power controlled them. And they scorned in their hearts the spirit of tenderness, faith, and reverence which had first inspired them.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 12]         From unbelief sprung malice. That a man who had sprung from poverty and a lowly birth should dare to reprove them, filled the hearts of the Nazarenes with hatred amounting to madness. The assembly broke up in confusion. The people laid hands on Jesus, thrusting him from the synagogue and out of their city. They hurried him to the brow of a hill, intending to cast him down headlong, and shouts and maledictions filled the air. Suddenly he disappeared from among them. Angels from Heaven surrounded the world's Redeemer, and conducted him to a place of safety.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 13]          The history of Christ's rejection by the men of Nazareth contains an important and solemn lesson for our time. The spirit of enmity which in every age has been manifested against those who preach the simple, cutting truths of God's word, is seen in a greater degree as we near the close of time.  {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, June 16, 1887 par. 14]          Our Saviour asks, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" implying that true faith will then be almost extinct. The spirit of doubt and criticism is destroying confidence in the word and work of God. All who desire to doubt or cavil will find occasion; for it is impossible for the carnal mind to understand or appreciate the mind of the Almighty. Those who refuse to obey God till they can see all occasion of doubt removed, will be left in darkness; while those who, in humility of heart, walk in the light as it shines upon them, will receive clearer and clearer light. Their path will be that of the "just, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, June 16, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 1]       June 23, 1887 No Cloak for Their Sins.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 2]          Had the Pharisees, to whom these words were addressed, been really blind or ignorant through want of capacity to learn or opportunity for instruction, they would have been comparatively free from guilt in their determined opposition to Christ. But they had the most favorable opportunity to obtain an understanding of the Scriptures; and they prided themselves on their knowledge and discernment, while they were willfully closing their eyes to the light Christ declared of them: "Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God." They had stubbornly refused to receive instruction; therefore all the opportunities which they enjoyed, all the wisdom, ability and knowledge of which they proudly boasted, would only increase their condemnation in the day of final Judgment.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 3]          God gives us sufficient evidence to enable us to accept the truth understandingly; but he does not propose to remove all occasion for doubt and unbelief. Should he do this, there would no longer be a necessity for the exercise of faith; for we would be able to walk by sight. All who with a teachable spirit study the word of God, may learn therefrom the way of salvation; yet they may not be able to understand every portion of the Sacred Record. The apostle Peter declares that in the epistles of Paul, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there are "some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." Whatever is clearly established by the word of God we should accept, without attempting to meet every doubt which Satan may suggest, or with our finite understanding to fathom the counsels of the infinite One, or to criticise the manifestations of his grace or power.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 4]          Those who are continually looking for something to find fault with, something to strengthen unbelief in the word of God, will soon find themselves so completely under the power of doubt and unbelief that nothing will seem sure to them; they will find no solid foundation anywhere. It is a duty to encourage faith and devotion. If we seek in humility to learn the will of God as revealed in his word, and then obey that will as it is made plain to our understanding, we shall become rooted and grounded in the truth. Said Christ: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 5]          The case of Paul shows how one may be blinded by prejudice while thinking that he is doing God service. Paul was a persevering, earnest persecutor of the church of Christ. Yet he was conscientious in it, fully believing it to be his duty to do all he could to exterminate the alarming doctrine that Jesus was the Prince of Life, the long-excepted Messiah. Paul verily believed that faith in Jesus made of none effect the law of God, the religious service of sacrificial offerings, and the rite of circumcision, which had in past ages received the full sanction of God.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 6]          But Paul was arrested in his mad yet honest career. Jesus, whose name of all others he most hated and despised, revealed himself to Paul, that he might make this most unpromising instrument a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles. As the miraculous revelation of Christ brings light into the darkened chambers of his mind, he sees his mistaken zeal, and that the One against whom he is arrayed is indeed the Christ, the Redeemer of the world.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 7]          Paul learns that Jesus, whom in his blindness he considered an impostor, is indeed the author of all true religion, even from the days of Adam. Christ had been regarded as making of none effect the law of God; but when his eyes were open to discern spiritual truth he saw that Christ came into the world for the express purpose of vindicating his Father's law. He learned that Christ was the originator and the foundation of the entire Jewish system of sacrifices, and that in his death type met antitype. He saw in the Man of Calvary the vindicator of truth, the fulfiller of prophecy.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 8]          In the light of the law, Paul sees himself a sinner. He finds he has been transgressing that very law which he thought he had been keeping so zealously. He repents and dies to sin; he becomes obedient to the claims of God's law, accepts Christ as his Saviour, is baptized, and preaches Jesus as earnestly and zealously as he once condemned him.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 9]          Paul was a learned teacher in Israel, a nation that had been for many generations the true people of God, and the depositaries of his law; but he was blinded by error and prejudice. This is the case with many now. Arguments against the truth, subtle in their influence, affect minds that are not enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have not become fully informed with regard to Bible truth. In many cases, selfishness, dishonesty, and the varied sins that prevail in this degenerate age, blunt the senses so that the truth of God is not discerned. But when, as in Paul's case, there is honesty of purpose, and a desire to do the will of God, the truth will be accepted when it is made plain to the understanding.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 10]          Those who are seeking to know the truth, who are faithful to the light already received, and in the performance of every-day duties, will surely know of the doctrine; for they will be guided into all truth. God does not promise, by the masterly arts of his providence, to irresistibly bring men to the knowledge of his truth, when they do not seek for truth, and have no desire to understand it. The Spirit of God is continually convicting, and souls are deciding for or against obedience to God. But men are allowed freedom of action; the power of choosing is left with them. They may be obedient through the name and grace of the Redeemer, or they may be disobedient, and realize the consequences of their course. Man is himself responsible for receiving or rejecting sacred truth.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 11]          Our Savior admonished his disciples: "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." A cunning and vigilant foe attends our steps, and employs his skill in trying to turn us out of the right way. He does not come in a visible form; but by his representatives he is ever on our track, and through them he brings his power to bear upon us when we least suspect his presence. He works in darkness, and controls all who will be deceived by his devices. But the grace of God is pledged for us, and the path of obedience is the path of safety. "He that walketh uprightly walketh surely." Walk in the light and "then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy feet shall not stumble."  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 12]          "If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world; but if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him." Then let us draw nearer and nearer to the pure light of Heaven, remembering that divine illumination will increase according to our onward movements, qualifying us to meet new responsibilities and emergencies. The path of the just is progressive, from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and from glory to glory.  {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, June 23, 1887 par. 13]          It was through constant conflict and simple faith that Enoch walked with God. We may all do the same. We may be thoroughly converted and transformed, and be indeed children of God, not only enjoying his favor, but, by our example, leading others in the path of humble obedience and consecration. Real godliness is diffusive and communicative. The psalmist says: "I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation." This course is just the opposite of that pursued by the blind Pharisees, to whom Jesus said, "Thy sin remaineth."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, June 23, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 1]       June 30, 1887 Our Lord's Estimate of Riches.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?"  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 2]          Christ declares: "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." It is impossible to serve God, and at the same time give all our thought and energy to the accumulation of riches. God has entrusted to men means to be used to his glory. He requires them to lose no opportunity to do good, and thus they may be constantly laying up treasure in Heaven. But if, like the man with one talent, they neglect to use the means they have, fearing that God will get that which their talent gains, they will not only lose the increase which will finally be awarded the faithful steward, but also the principal which God gave them to work upon. They have robbed God, and so have no treasure laid up in Heaven, and they lose their earthly treasure also.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 3]          Men of property often say in their hearts, "By my wisdom have I gotten me this wealth." But who gave them the power to get wealth? God has bestowed upon them the ability which they possess; but instead of giving him the glory, they take it to themselves. They do not make to themselves "friends of the mammon of unrighteousness" by using their means to help the needy and to advance the cause of God, and instead of a blessing, they will realize a curse. God will prove them and try them, and will bring their glorying to the dust. He will remove their strength and scatter their possessions. They lose in this earth, and they have no Friend to receive them into the everlasting habitation of the righteous.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 4]          But if the wealthy stand the test, and overcome the blemishes upon their character; if as faithful stewards of Christ they render to God the things that are his, it will be said to them, "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." For "he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much;" and he will surely be rewarded.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 5]          "He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Many men have obtained their wealth by advantaging themselves at the expense of their fellow-men, perhaps their poorer brethren; they overreach, and receive more for a thing than it is worth; and these men glory in their shrewdness and keenness in a bargain. But the curse of God will rest upon every dollar thus obtained, and upon the increase of it in their hands.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 6]          Those who possess the ability to acquire property need to be constantly on the watch, or they will turn their acquisitiveness to bad account. They are in danger of falling into temptation, and sacrificing generous, benevolent, noble principles for sordid gain. Such persons should consider the force of our Saviour's words: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 7]          Many who profess to be followers of Christ, so love the world and the things that are in the world that the divine has disappeared from their characters, and they have become instruments of unrighteousness. In contrast with these are the industrious, honest poor, who stand ready to help those who need help, who would rather suffer themselves to be disadvantaged by their wealthy brethren than to manifest so close and acquisitive a spirit as they manifest; men who esteem a clear conscience, and right, even in little things, of greater value than riches. If there is a benevolent object to call forth means or labor, they are the first to be interested in it. They are so ready to help others, so willing to do all the good in their power, that they do not amass wealth; their earthly possessions do not increase.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 8]          Because these men can boast of but little wealth, they are often counted of no special worth, and are considered deficient in judgment. But these poor wise men are precious in the sight of God. Although they are not increasing their treasure upon earth, they are laying up for themselves an incorruptible treasure in Heaven. In doing this, they manifest a wisdom as far superior to that of the wise, calculating, acquisitive professed Christian as the "everlasting habitations" are to the things of this earth. It is moral worth that God values. A Christian character unblotted with avarice, possessing quietness, meekness, and humility, is more precious in his sight than the most fine gold, even the golden wedge of Ophir.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 9]          Money has power, and sways a mighty influence, while excellence of character and moral worth are often overlooked. But what does God care for money, for property? The cattle upon a thousand hills are his, as are also the world and all that is therein. The inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers before him; men and property are but as the small dust of the balance. He is no respecter of persons.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 10]          "The Pharisees, who were covetous," heard the teachings of Christ, and "they derided him." Mark the words of Christ to them: "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men ［that is, riches acquired by oppression, deception, or fraud--in any dishonest manner］ is abomination in the sight of God."  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 11]          Christ presents two characters,--that of the rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day, and Lazarus, who was in abject poverty and loathsome to the sight, and who begged the few crumbs that the rich man despised. Our Saviour here shows his estimate of the two characters. Although Lazarus was in so deplorable and mean a condition, he had moral worth which God regarded of greater value than the exalted position of the honored and ease-loving rich man. God did not value the riches of this wealthy man, because his character was worthless. His riches did not recommend him to God, nor have any influence to secure divine favor.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 12]          By this parable Christ would teach his disciples not to judge or value men by their wealth, or by the honors which they receive of others. Such was the course pursued by the Pharisees, who, while possessing both riches and worldly honor, were valueless in the sight of God. More than this, they were despised and rejected of him,--cast out of his sight as disgusting, because there was no moral worth or soundness in them. Corrupt and sinful, they were abominable in his sight. It was not so with the poor man. Though despised by his fellow-mortals, and disgusting in their sight, he had qualities which prepared him to be introduced into the society of refined, holy angels, to be an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 13]          All the riches that the most wealthy ever possessed are not of sufficient value to cover the smallest sin before God; they will not be accepted as a ransom for transgression. An act of wrong or oppression, or deviation from the right way, will no sooner be tolerated in a man who possesses property than in a man who has none. Nothing less than repentance, confession and forsaking of sin is acceptable to God.  {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, June 30, 1887 par. 14]          Those who are inclined to become slaves to avarice, and to entangle themselves with the cares of this life, will do well to regard the words of Paul: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."                                                                   -    {ST, June 30, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 1]       July 7, 1887 Fruits Meet for Repentance.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       When John was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and the Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism, that fearless preacher of righteousness addressed them: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." In coming to John, these men were not actuated by right motives. They were corrupt in principles and practice; yet they had no sense of their true condition. Filled with pride and ambition, they would not hesitate at any means which would enable them to exalt self and strengthen their influence with the people. And baptism at the hands of this popular young teacher might, they thought, aid them in carrying out these designs more successfully.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 2]          Their motives were not hidden from John, and he met them with the searching inquiry, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Had they heard the voice of God speaking to their hearts, they would have given evidence of the fact by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance. No such fruit was seen. They had heard the warning as merely the voice of man. They were charmed with the power and boldness with which John spoke; but the Spirit of God did not send conviction to their hearts, and as a sure result the word spoken did not bring forth fruit unto life eternal.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 3]          None are father from the kingdom of Heaven than self-righteous formalists, who are perhaps filled with pride at their own attainments, while they are wholly destitute of the Spirit of Christ, and are controlled by envy, jealousy, and love of praise and popularity. They belong to the class that John addressed as a generation of vipers, children of the wicked one. They serve the cause of Satan more effectively than the vilest profligate; for the latter does not disguise his true character; he appears what he really is.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 4]          Nothing short of an amended life,--fruits meet for repentance,--will meet the requirements of God. Without such fruit, our profession of faith is of no value. The Lord is able to raise up true believers among those who have never heard his name. "Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 5]          "And now the ax is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." God is not dependent upon men who are unconverted in heart and life to carry on his work. He will never favor any who practice iniquity.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 6]          Those who love and flatter the minister who speaks to them the word of life, while they neglect the works of righteousness, give unmistakable evidence that they are not converted to God. Of such we would inquire, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Was it the voice of the Holy Spirit, or merely the voice of man, which you heard in the message sent from God? The fruit borne will testify to the character of the tree.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 7]          There is great responsibility resting upon those who are called to preach the word. "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord," is the message to them. There is need of a converted ministry, as well as of a converted church; for the church will rarely take a higher stand than is taken by her ministers. Shepherds who watch for souls as they that must give account, will lead the flock on in ways of holiness. And their success in this work will be in proportion to their own growth in grace and knowledge of the truth. When the teachers are sanctified, soul, body, and spirit, they can impress upon their hearers the importance of a closer walk with God.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 8]          The minister of Christ should in an eminent degree possess true humility. Those who have the deepest experience in the things of God, are the farthest removed from pride or self-exaltation. While self is abased, they have the most exalted conceptions of the glory and excellence of Christ, and feel that the lowest place in his service is too honorable for them.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 9]          When Moses came down from the mountain, where he had spent forty days in communion with God, he did not know that his face shone with a brightness that was painful and terrifying to those who had not had this exalted privilege. Paul had a very humble opinion of his own advancement in the Christian life. He speaks of himself as the "chief of sinners." And again he says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." Yet Paul had been highly honored of the Lord. In holy vision he had been shown revelations of divine glory which he could not be permitted to make known.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 10]          Our Saviour pronounced John the Baptist to be the greatest of prophets; yet what a contrast there is between the language of this man of God, and that of many who profess to be ministers of the cross. When asked if he was the Christ, John declared himself unworthy even to unloose his Master's sandals. When his disciples came with the complaint that the attention of the people was turned to the new Teacher, John reminded them that he himself had claimed to be only the forerunner of the Promised One. To Christ, as the bridegroom, belongs the first place in the affections of his people. "The friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth because of the bridegroom's voice; this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all."  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 11]          Workers with this spirit are needed today. The self-sufficient, the envious and jealous, the critical and fault-finding, can well be spared from the sacred work of God. Our Lord is not straitened for men or means. He calls for laborers in his cause who are true and faithful; for those who have felt their need of the atoning blood of Christ and have experienced in their own hearts the sanctifying grace of his Spirit.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 12]         There is no person, no matter what his life may have been, who can be saved in any way except that of God's appointing. He must repent; he must feel his need of a physician, and of the one only remedy for sin, the blood of Christ. This work is yet to be begun by many who profess to be Christians. Like the Pharisees of old, they feel no need of a Saviour. They are self-sufficient, self-exalted. Such have no part in the blood of Christ. That cleansing stream avails only for those who feel their need. Said Christ: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 13]          Many 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 believe in the value of the soul, and that erelong its redemption ceaseth forever; yet they neglect precious opportunities to make their peace with God. They read the Bible; but its threatenings do not alarm nor its promises win them. They approve things that are excellent; yet they follow the way which God has forbidden them to take. They know a refuge, but do not avail themselves of it. They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. They have never tasted, and learned by experience, that the Lord is good; and all their knowledge will but increase their condemnation.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 14]          What we need is experimental religion. How shall we know for ourselves the goodness and love of God? The psalmist tells us, It is not to hear and know, to read and know, to believe and know, but, "taste and see that the Lord is good." Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself.  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 15]          All that we have is from the exceeding riches of divine grace. God spared not his own Son, but delivered him to death for our offenses, and raised him again for our justification. Through him we may present our petitions to the throne of grace. Through him we may obtain all spiritual blessings. Do we come to him that we may have life? Jesus, the meek and lowly One, asks admittance as our guest, shall we not open the door of our heart, and bid him enter?  {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, July 7, 1887 par. 16]          In view of the grace of God granted to us, shall not the language of our hearts be, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, July 7, 1887 par. 16}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 1]       July 14, 1887 By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked." "And if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 2]          We are each of us building for ourselves a structure which will one day be scrutinized by the Judge of the whole earth. This structure is our individual character; and every act of our lives, every thought and word, is a stone in the building. The words of inspiration warn us, "Take heed how ye build." See to it that the foundation is sure. If we build on the Rock Christ Jesus, the structure will grow into symmetrical proportions, and will be a fair and holy temple for God.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 3]          Our minds are given us; but our characters we make; they are the result of the lives we lead, the thoughts and principles that we cherish. When we see persons firm in principle, faithful in the performance of duty, zealous in the cause of God, yet humble, gentle, and patient toward all, ready to forgive, manifesting love for souls for whom Christ died, we do not need to ask, Are they Christians? They give unmistakable evidence that they are learners in the school of Christ. But when they show the opposite traits of character; when they are proud, vain, frivolous, worldly-minded, avaricious, unkind, censorious, we need not be told whence the spirit comes that they are cherishing. They may not believe in witchcraft; but they are holding communion with an evil spirit, and its influence is poisoning heart and life.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 4]          Trifles reveal character. One who is selfish, self-sufficient, and self-caring will be exceedingly unhappy. It is not unreasonable to be suspicious of persons who are always complaining that they are not treated well. It will generally be found that they  have exalted ideas of their own merits, and think everybody else should respect them accordingly.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 5]          There are some who are ever looking out for slights. In the family, some unfortunate word is said, and they take offense, feeling sure it was designed to hurt and disparage them. They meet a friend who is so occupied with business or other cares that he does not greet them as ardently as they desire, nor have so much time to visit, and they feel that they are personally insulted. The offender, wholly innocent of any design or thought of hurting them, is astonished to find himself treated with suspicion and coldness, and soon the charge reaches him that his poor, unhappy neighbor feels that he has been neglected and abused. But the unhappiness was in him, waiting for some excuse to show itself.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 6]          Life is what we make it. While we are in the world, we shall meet with all kinds of persons; but our life takes its bias and coloring from our own traits of character. It is our privilege to learn daily in the school of Christ meekness and lowliness of heart; and when a selfish, haughty spirit is overcome, and we are willing to be as was our Master, we will make our surroundings pleasant. We will pass over many slights and not see or feel them, because we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, and are trying so hard to be like him that these little matters do not affect us.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 7]          Strife and contention cannot exist among those who are controlled by the Spirit of God. A truly Christ-like character cannot be subverted. Envy, jealousy, malice, and persecution may be hurled against those who bear the divine impress; but it only serves to strengthen that which it cannot overthrow.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 8]          That which commands respect and wins appreciation is true goodness. Real merit must be won by patient industry and energy, by untiring application and effort. Thousands fail of securing the love and respect that they covet because they desire what they do not merit. They would rather be weak than to put forth the exertion necessary to subdue their wrong traits, and gain strength of character.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 9]          Christ is our refuge; and it is only through faith in him that we can form characters that God can accept. We may add knowledge to knowledge, strength to strength, and virtue to virtue, and yet fail in the soul-testing conflict just before us, because we do not make Christ our strength and righteousness. No outward forms can make us clean; they cannot take the place of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All who have not experienced the regenerating power of the Spirit of God are chaff among the wheat. Our Lord has his fan in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor. In the coming day he will discern "between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not."  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 10]          The Spirit of Christ will be revealed in all who are born of God. The Lord has not closed Heaven against his people; but their own course of continual backsliding, of bickering, envying, and strife, has separated them from him. Pride and love of the world live in the heart; and few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 11]          The warnings of God's word, and the influence of his Spirit, have alike been neglected. The sins that destroyed the antediluvians and the cities of the plain exist today--not merely in heathen lands or among avowed unbelievers, but among professors of Christianity. The result is apparent in the deplorable condition of the church. Impurity is widespread, even among those who profess to be the followers of Christ. Many are eagerly participating in worldly, demoralizing amusements which God's word forbids. Thus they sever their connection with God, and rank themselves with the pleasure-lovers of the world. If God should present their sins before them as they appear in his sight, they would be filled with shame and terror.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 12]         And what has caused this alarming condition? Many have accepted the theory of religious truth, who have not been converted to its principles. There are few indeed who feel true sorrow for sin; who have deep, pungent convictions of the depravity of the unregenerate nature, and are trying to walk even as Christ walked. The heart of stone is not exchanged for a heart of flesh. Few are willing to fall upon the Rock, and be broken.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 13]          What surpassing love and condescension, that when we had no claim on divine mercy, Christ was willing to undertake our redemption! But our great Physician requires of every soul unquestioning obedience. We are never to prescribe for our own case. Christ must have the entire control of our will and action, or he will not undertake in our behalf.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 14]          Many are not sensible of their condition and their danger; and there is much in the nature of the Christian religion that is averse to every worldly feeling and principle, and opposed to the pride of the human heart. We may flatter ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our lives and our moral character have been correct, and think that we need not humble our heart 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. Self must die. We must not trust to our own righteousness, but depend on the righteousness of Christ. He is our strength and our hope.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 15]          Genuine faith is followed by love,--love that is manifested in the home, in society, and in all the relations of life,--love which smooths away difficulties, and lifts us above the disagreeable trifles that Satan places in our way to annoy us. And love will be followed by obedience. All the powers and the 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.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 16]         To become a disciple of Christ is to deny self, and follow Jesus through evil as well as through good report. It is to close the door to pride, envy, doubt, and other sins, and thus shut out strife, hatred, and every evil work. It is to welcome into our hearts Jesus, the meek and lowly one, who is seeking admittance as our guest.  {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 16}
[ST, July 14, 1887 par. 17]          "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked." Jesus is a pattern for humanity, complete, perfect. He proposes to make us like himself,--true in every purpose, feeling, and thought,--true in heart, soul, and life. The man who cherishes the most of the love of Christ in the soul, who reflects the image of Christ most perfectly, is, in the sight of God, the truest, most noble, and most honorable man. But he that has not the Spirit of Christ is "none of his."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, July 14, 1887 par. 17}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 1]       July 21, 1887 Purified Through the Truth.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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."  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 2]          We are to know those who have this hope here brought to view by the lives they lead. "By their fruits ye shall know them." This is the test by which we are to distinguish between the genuine and the false, between the true Christian and the pretender. Are they obedient children, walking in the way of God's commandments? If so, the Spirit of God acts upon the spirits of men, and a process of cleansing the soul from the defilement of sin is continually going on.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 3]          "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." It is a high honor to be adopted into the royal family of Heaven. But how shall we know that this honor has been accorded us, and that we are reckoned as sons and daughters of God? By comparing our lives with the great moral standard of righteousness. If any come claiming to be sinless and holy, let us judge them by "the law and the testimony. If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Said Paul: "By the law is the knowledge of sin." John defines sin to be "the transgression of the law." Then when men and women claim great light and an exalted religious experience, while they are knowingly transgressing the law of God, let us not be deceived. When persons will speak lightly of the law, and set their impressions, feelings, and exercises above that divine standard, we may know that they have no light in them. They are repeating the course that was pursued in Eden. The laws and opinions of men are exalted above the law of the Infinite, just as in Eden the deceptive wiles of Satan were credited in preference to the word of God.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 4]          In the Judgment, some will present the great light which they have had, and the mighty works which they have done, saying, "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?" But Jesus replies: "I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." These words of our Lord contain a lesson that is solemn and of infinite importance. These commandment-breakers may claim to be without sin,--a claim which was never made by Peter, John, Paul, nor any of the other apostles; but the great Detector of sin exposes the falsity of their profession.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 5]          We must not trust the claims of men. They may, as Christ represents, profess to work miracles in healing the sick. Is this marvelous, when just behind them stands the great deceiver, the miracle-worker who will yet bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men? Nor can we trust impressions. The voice or spirit that says to a man. You are under no obligation to obey the law of God; you are holy and sinless, while he is trampling on the divine law, is not the voice of Jesus; for he declares: "I have kept my Father's commandments." And John testifies: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Then how can these manifestations of great power, and these wonderful impressions, be accounted for, except on the ground that they are given through the influence of that miracle-working spirit that has gone forth to deceive the whole world, and infatuate them with strong delusion that they shall believe a lie? He is pleased when men and women claim to possess great spiritual power, and yet disregard the law of God, because through their disobedience they mislead others, and he can use them as effective agents in his work.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 6]          The Spirit and the word agree. The voice of God to the hearts of men does not contradict the utterances proclaimed in awful grandeur from Sinai's mount. God never contradicts himself. He claims obedience. The laws by which he governs the world are not only holy, just, and good, but they are immutable also, and by them the world is soon to be judged. Men may cast aside God's great moral standard of character, and erect a standard to suit their own convenience, and by this imperfect standard they may claim holiness; but God will enforce his own laws on nations, families, and individuals.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 7]          Men may say, I would keep the law of God if it was convenient to do so, and did not interfere with my business; but if I should keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, it would break me up; I should become poor. The Lord of glory became poor for our sakes, that we through his poverty might be made rich. Christ paid an infinite price for the redemption of the race, that he might refine and ennoble them, and make them sons and daughters of God. Well might John exclaim: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 8]          The apostle continues: "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." It is not enough to profess to be keeping the law of God, while men are weaving into their lives and characters threads of selfishness and pride. Many who profess to be children of God have good impulses. When everything moves smoothly, they may be very courteous and obliging, and do some good works; but when difficulties arise, and their way is crossed, they show quite another spirit. Then there are heart-burnings, envy, enmity; self seeks the supremacy, and gains it. Can we truthfully call such persons Christians? No; for to be a Christian is to be Christ-like.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 9]          The Lord looks upon the intents and purposes of the heart. A Sabbath religion alone will not meet his requirements. Selfishness must not be allowed to crowd out the love of Jesus and love for one another. We need to examine ourselves, whether we are in the faith, and to walk in the light, lest darkness come upon us. If we walk in the light, and open our heart and understanding to the light, we shall have clear day shining about us. We should use the light that we have to bless others. We should be willing to know our whole duty, and then do it. We should learn in the school of Christ his meekness and lowliness, and should test all our actions by the word of God, and the inquiry, How will this look in the Judgment? It is by taking this course that the true Christian will be a light to lighten the world.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 10]          This is a day of spiritual declension. Clouds and thick darkness obscure the spiritual vision, unless there is a daily enlightenment of the Spirit of God. Many who have had great light and have enjoyed precious opportunities, have, through their misconception of their true spiritual condition, become stumbling-blocks for saints and sinners. Groping in a dim twilight, attempting to walk by their own spirit, they stumble and make very crooked paths, and the lame are turned out of the way. They think they are entertaining the hope of seeing Jesus as he is, and being like him; but they forget to purify themselves as he is pure.  {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, July 21, 1887 par. 11]          What are you doing, my fellow-Christians? Are you examining yourselves, whether ye be in the love of God? Are you day by day purifying your own souls, and obtaining a fitness for Heaven? The Bible is full of practical truths that are calculated to work great changes in the human character. And Jesus prayed for his disciples: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." The word of God obeyed is the great sanctifier of hearts. Through its influence we may become pure, "even as He is pure." By forming such a character, we shall secure the truest happiness here; and when Jesus shall appear in the clouds of heaven, we shall be able to say: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us." "We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 1]       July 28, 1887 Christian Devotion and Its Reward.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 2]          In these words the Saviour presents before us the importance of laying up for ourselves a treasure in Heaven. Christ understood full well what he was saying. He knew that if men should lay up their treasures here in this world, their interests also would be here; and these worldly interests would shut the love of  God out of the heart. If we keep our eye fixed too intently upon things of the world, how can we see those that are heavenly?  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 3]          God would have the things of this world take a secondary place; but it is Satan's object to make them the most attractive to us. As the great deceiver succeeds in his purpose to draw our minds from God, it is impossible for us to estimate the loss we are sustaining. If we are getting daily views of heavenly things, we shall be constantly hungering and thirsting after righteousness. And if our eye is single to the glory of God, his rich blessing can flow into our hearts and homes. Then why do we not have the glory of God in view in all that we say and do? It is because we invite the world into our hearts, and the love of the world strengthens continually, until it crowds out the work of grace from the heart, and separates us from our Creator.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 4]          When in the temple at Jerusalem the water was poured out at the foot of the altar, commemorating the water that flowed from the smitten rock in the wilderness, the voice of Jesus was heard, clear and penetrating, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." He was the Rock that followed them in the wilderness, refreshing his thirsty people. And now he would draw away the mind from that which can never satisfy the thirsting, fainting soul, to the Rock of Ages, from which flow the pure streams of eternal life. From this fountain the nations may drink and drink again, and the supply is fresh, and inexhaustible, and free to all.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 5]          We may drink here and satisfy our thirst. But how many there are, even of those who profess to be the children of God, who while longing to be free from the troubles that beset them on the right hand and on the left, are yet bending all their energies to lay up a treasure on earth.--the very thing which Christ has told them not to do.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 6]          Jesus would not have his people worrying and toiling and fretting under a yoke of their own imposing. He invites them: "Take my yoke upon you." The world's yoke is galling, and too heavy to bear; but the gracious words of our Lord are, "Take my yoke upon you," and "ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Oh, how many galling yokes, how many unnecessary burdens, are borne because men will grasp this world and this world's treasures, because they choose things that are of no importance, while things of eternal importance are considered of little or no value! The things of this world are the things that worldlings love and seek for; but should Christians do the same as they? No, they must take an entirely different course. They must seek those things that are above, "where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God."  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 7]          What will it amount to in the end, if we devote all our time and energies to the poor, selfish life of the worldling? We shall not be the happier here for having our treasure in this earth, and we shall miss the eternal reward. It is of infinitely more consequence to build up a character that God can approve than to carry on the most successful business career. Jesus, our perfect pattern, has shown man the way to form such a character. Day by day, through the help of divine grace, he may be making a record which he will not be ashamed to meet in the Judgment. As the artist prints the face upon the polished plate, so our characters are printed upon the books of Heaven, and it should be our first care to know that the impressions made there are fair and perfect.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 8]          It is our duty to render to God the best service possible. There are some who have talents that would enable them to stand in the sacred desk, and speak the word of God to the people. These talents have been intrusted to them to do good with, and they are responsible for the use they make of them; but oh, how many are using these God-given powers for purposes of mere worldly gain! Perhaps they are trying to serve both God and mammon; but while they are serving themselves, they are not serving God.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 9]          Christ is the great foundation stone; and we read that some are building on that foundation, wood, hay, and stubble, while others are bringing to it gold, silver, and precious stones. The fires of the great day will test every man's work, and if the material he furnished is consumed, he will suffer loss.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 10]          Dear Christian friend, stop and think. You are trading with your Lord's money; and what use are you making of it? You may suffer your mind to be engrossed with business transactions and the cares of this life; but you cannot carry these things with you into the other world. There will be no use for this kind of education there. Then why not use your talents to build up Christ's kingdom? Why not give to the service of God the tact, skill, and energy that have made you successful in business? The works of this world will be destroyed. Would it not be better to put some of your thinking powers into the cause of God, and build where the work will be enduring, and you will not suffer loss?  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 11]          The constant burden of our hearts should be, What can I do to save souls for whom Christ died? All around me are precious souls lying in wickedness, that must perish unless someone shall work for their salvation. How can I best reach these wandering ones, that I may bring them to the glorious city of God, and present them before the throne, saying, Here am I and the children whom the Lord hath given me?  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 12]          Some may excuse themselves by saying, I have had no experience in this kind of work; I have used my ability only in the things of this life. Well, it is for you to say whether you will continue to devote your time and strength to worldly interests, or will use them in the cause of God. None of us will be forced into this service. If we choose to concentrate our powers upon worldly matters, there will be nothing to hinder us. But why is it that we persist in laying up treasure here instead of above? Suppose you should change the order of things, and lay up some of your treasure in Heaven, would you not rejoice to receive it again by and by, imperishable?  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 13]          It takes time and patience to learn the truth, and to become an accomplished workman in the vineyard of the Lord; yet this you may do. Go to the milliner, or dressmaker, and she will tell you how long and hard she toiled before she had a correct knowledge of the business. The architect will tell you how long it took him to understand how to plan and erect a tasteful and commodious building. And so it will be in all the callings which men follow. They do not expect success without care and diligence in mastering their business. But how few of us who are called to be co-laborers with the Master, have "learned the trade" as Christians. Let these men and women who are so successful in business and so eloquent in talking of worldly things, come into the social meeting, and often when they arise to testify for Christ, they will mumble a few words in a scarcely audible tone, and sit down. Why are they willing to be dwarfs in religious things? Does it not show where their heart is?  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 14]         Christ has appointed to every man his work. The second death will be the portion of those who labor not, and the dreadful words will be heard, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." But the faithful servants will not lose their reward. They will gain eternal life, and the "Well done, good and faithful servant," will fall as sweetest music on their ears. Soon the books of record will be examined, and the cases of all decided; and it will then appear that the heavenly treasure will repay a life-time of earnest devotion.        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 1]       July 28, 1887 Meetings in Norway and Sweden.  -       From a private letter from Mrs. E. G. White, we insert the following brief account of the meetings in Scandinavia:--  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 2]          Our tent-meeting commenced at Stockholm June 25, and closed today. It was with fear and trembling the experiment was entered into of camp-meeting in Moss, Norway, which proved a perfect success, as was also the tent-meeting in Stockholm. There were five meetings each day, and the outside attendance was marvelous to us all. The tent was full from the first and increased numbers flocked to the meeting until not only all the seats were occupied, but also all standing room under the tent, until it was literally packed, and a wall of people surrounding it besides.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 3]         There were police ready to do anything free of charge. They would come to see if all was in peace and order and listen to the discourses as if spell-bound. They were not needed, however, for there was order from first to last. Yesterday, Sunday, it was estimated that there were about one thousand people in and around the tent listening with deep interest. These meetings have made Elder Matteson and Brother Olsen so glad that they do not know how to express their grateful thanks to God. The truth and work will stand higher in Sweden than it ever has before. We had in attendance ministers, lawyers, and other men belonging to the best class of people, who have pressed their way to the tent.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 4]          The church here has been greatly blessed, and their testimonies show them to have made great advancement since our first visit to the place, which was the last of October, 1885. The Lord has added to their number until the church now numbers one hundred souls. The blessing of the Lord has attended the labors of Elder Matteson the past winter in conducting a school for colporteurs. There were seventeen that have been educated as workers. All came in a body to bid us farewell, and all expressed their gratitude to God for the blessings they had received at this meeting. We bid these dear souls who are preparing to work for the Master farewell, not expecting to meet them again in this life, but hoping to meet them around the throne of God, with the fruit of their labor, sheaves for the heavenly garner.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 5]          The tent-meeting has been a wonderful success. All are encouraged. Many have heard the message of truth that probably would not have heard it had it not been for the tent-meeting. The tent remains and meetings will be continued every evening. Brethren Matteson and Johnson will labor in the tent; the colporteurs will work industriously in the city, and we believe many souls will come to a knowledge of the truth. We feel thankful to God to see the work advancing in the kingdoms of Northern Europe.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 6]          The 24th of June is their midsummer holiday, when the days are the longest; the sun rises at 3 a.m. and sets at 9:30 p.m. and it is scarcely dark any time during the night. At 11 o'clock one can see to read or write. Somehow one gets puzzled over this state of things and hardly knows when to retire for sleep or when to arise, as it is broad daylight at 2 o'clock in the morning. The midsummer is celebrated about the same here in Europe as the 4th of July in America.  {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, July 28, 1887 par. 7]          We are now about ready to start for the cars, which leave Stockholm at 6 p.m. and reach Malmo at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, where we take the boat for Copenhagen. We are of good courage, for we see the work of God advancing some in these countries.                                                          Ellen G. White. Stockholm, Sweden, June 22.                                                                   -    {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 1]      August 4, 1887 Christ's Triumph in Our Behalf.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       When Christ was born at Bethlehem, Satan saw the plains 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 amazement that filled the hearts of the shepherds as they witnessed the display of divine glory, and listened to the songs of the angelic host. And well might the shepherds tremble before this exhibition of bewildering glory, which seemed to entrance their very senses. The rebel chief himself trembled at the announcement that was made to them: "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." Satan had been successful in carrying out the plan which he devised for the ruin of men, and success had made him bold and powerful. From the time of Adam he had controlled the minds and the bodies of men; but now he was alarmed, for he felt that both his life and his kingdom were in danger.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 2]          Satan knew that the songs of the heavenly messengers celebrating the advent of the Saviour to a fallen world, and the joy expressed at this great event, boded no good to himself. In the infant Christ he recognized a rival, --the coming One who would contest his power, and perhaps overthrow his kingdom; and his mind was filled with dark forebodings. He imbued Herod with the same feelings and fears that disturbed his own mind, by insinuating that his power and his kingdom were to be given to this new king. He thus stirred up the envy and jealousy of Herod to destroy Christ, and this led to the destruction of all the little children that were in Bethlehem.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 3]          But a higher power was at work against the plans of the prince of darkness. Angels of God frustrated his designs, and protected the life of the infant Redeemer. In a dream Joseph was warned to flee into Egypt, that in a heathen land he might find an asylum for his precious charge. Satan was thwarted; but he did not give up his efforts to overthrow his hated rival. He followed Jesus from infancy to childhood, and from childhood to manhood, inventing ways and means to allure him from his allegiance to God, and overcome him with his subtle temptation. The unsullied purity of Christ in his childhood, youth, and manhood, which Satan could not taint, annoyed him exceedingly. All the darts and arrows of temptation which were hurled against the Son of God, fell harmless at his feet. And when he found that he prevailed nothing in moving Christ from the steadfastness of his integrity, or in marring the spotless purity of the youthful Galilean, he looked upon him as an enemy that he must dread and fear.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 4]          This prince of evil was chafed and enraged 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, One over whom he could obtain no advantage to separate the soul from God.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 5]          There was another whom Satan could not swerve from the right way. 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. When the voice of this prophet was heard in the wilderness, saying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight," Satan feared for the safety of his kingdom. The sinfulness of sin was revealed in such a manner that men trembled and became alarmed. His power over many who had been under his control was broken; and some, by repentance of their sins, found the favor of God, and gained moral power to resist the temptations of the great adversary.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 6]          When Christ presented himself to John for baptism, Satan was among the witnesses of that event. He saw the lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens. He heard the majestic voice of Jehovah that resounded through Heaven, and echoed through the earth like peals of thunder, announcing, "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 with unmistakable assurance the One in that crowd whom he acknowledged as his Son. The circumstances connected with this baptismal scene were of the greatest interest to Satan. He knew then for a certainty that unless he could overcome Christ, from thenceforth there would be a limit to his power. He understood that this communication from the throne of God signified that Heaven was now more directly accessible to man than it had been, and the most intense hatred was aroused in his breast.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 7]          When Satan led man to sin, he hoped that God's abhorrence of sin would forever separate him from man, and break the connecting link between Heaven and earth. When from the opening heavens he heard the voice of God addressing his Son, it was to him as the sound of a death-knell. It told him that now God was about to unite man more closely to himself, and give moral power to overcome temptation, and to escape from the entanglements of Satanic devices. Satan well knew the position which Christ had held in Heaven as the Son of God, the Beloved of the Father; and that Christ should leave the joy and honor of Heaven, and come to this world as a man, filled him with apprehension. He knew that this condescension on the part of the Son of God boded no good to him.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 8]          Satan could not comprehend the mystery of this great sacrifice for the benefit of fallen man. His selfish soul could not understand how 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 with the traces of the curse. Satan knew that the value of Heaven far exceeded man's anticipation and appreciation, and that the most costly treasures of the world would not compare with it in worth. He had a knowledge of the inestimable value of eternal riches that man did not possess. He had experienced the pure contentment, the peace, the exalted happiness and unalloyed joys, of the heavenly abode. He had realized, before his rebellion, the satisfaction of the full approval of God. He had had a full appreciation of the glory that enshrouded the Father, and knew that there was no limit to his power.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 9]          The loss he had sustained was well known to Satan. And as the riches and glories of Heaven were lost to him through his rebellion, he determined to be revenged by causing as many as he could to share in his fall. He would lead them to undervalue Heaven, and to place their affections upon things of earth.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 10]          The time had now come when Satan's empire over the world was to be contested, his right disputed, and he feared that his power would be 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 the 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 the power and glory of Satan would cease, and he would receive his retribution for the sins he had introduced into the world, and for the misery he had brought upon the human race. He knew that everything which concerned his prosperity was depending upon his success or failure in overcoming Christ with his temptations; and he brought to bear on the Saviour every artifice at his command to allure him from his integrity.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 11]          Man can never know the strength of the temptations to which the Son of God was subjected. All the temptations that seen so afflicting to man in his daily life, so difficult to resist and overcome, were brought to bear upon him in as much greater degree as he is superior in his excellence of character to fallen man.  {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, August 4, 1887 par. 12]          Our Redeemer was tempted in all points like as we are. As man's representative, he met the strongest force of Satan, his most wily temptations, and conquered in man's behalf. It is impossible for man to be tempted above that he is able to bear while he relies upon Jesus, the infinite Conqueror, whose grace and strength are sufficient for all our needs.                                                                   -    {ST, August 4, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 1]      August 11, 1887 Temperance from the Christian  Standpoint.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The apostle addresses his brethren: "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.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 2]         Light and spiritual understanding have been given us upon health reform. The truth that has reached the understanding, the light that has shone upon us, should be appreciated and cherished or they will witness against us in the day of God. Truth has been given to save those who would believe and obey. The condemnation of the lost will not be because they did not have the light, but because they had the light and did not walk in it.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 3]          God has furnished man with abundance of means for the gratification of natural appetite. He has spread before him, in the products of the earth, a bountiful variety of food that is palatable to the taste and nutritious to the system. Of these, our benevolent heavenly Father says that we "may freely eat." We may enjoy the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, without doing violence to the laws of our being. These articles, prepared in the most simple and natural manner, will nourish the body, and preserve its natural vigor, without the use of brandy, alcohol, wine beer, tea, or coffee.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 4]          God created man a little lower than the angels, and bestowed upon him attributes that will, if properly used, make him a blessing to the world, and cause him to reflect the glory to the Giver. But although made in the image of God, man has, through intemperance, violated principle and God's law in his physical nature. Intemperance of any kind benumbs the perceptive organs, and so weakens the brain nerve power that eternal things are not appreciated, but are placed upon a level with common things. The higher powers of the mind, designed for elevated purposes, are brought into slavery to the baser passions. If our physical habits are not right, our mental and moral powers cannot be strong; for great sympathy exists between the physical and moral. The apostle Peter understood this, and raised his voice of warning to his brethren: "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 5]          There is but little moral power in the professed Christian world. Wrong habits have been indulged, and physical and moral laws have been disregarded, until the general standard of virtue and piety is exceedingly low. Habits which lower the standard of physical health enfeeble mental and moral strength. The indulgence of unnatural appetites and passions has a controlling influence upon the nerves of the brain. The animal organs are strengthened, while the moral and spiritual are depressed. It is impossible for an intemperate man to be a Christian, for his higher powers are brought into slavery to the lower passions.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 6]          Those who have had the light upon eating and dressing with simplicity, in obedience to physical and moral laws, and who turn from the light which points out their duty, will shun duty in other things. If they blunt their consciences to avoid the cross which they will have to take up to be in harmony with natural law, they will, in order to shun reproach, violate the ten commandments. There is a decided unwillingness with some to endure the cross and despise the shame. Some will be laughed out of their principles. Conformity to the world's customs and practices will separate the soul from God. There are in the Christian world many who think more of the praise of those who love not God than of the favor of Heaven. These will yield to temptation, and become more firmly wedded year by year to worldly fashions and indulgences of perverted appetite than they are to healthy bodies, sound mind, or sanctified hearts.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 7]          God is proving us, as he tested and proved Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, on the point of appetite, to develop what is in our hearts. Are we Christians? then we will eat and drink to the glory of God. Pride, self-indulgence, and love of the world have separated many from God. The principles of truth are by a large class virtually sacrificed, while they profess to love the truth. Christians should wake up and act with determined effort, for their influence is telling upon and moulding the opinions and habits of others. They will bear the weighty responsibility of deciding by their influence the destiny of souls.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 8]          The Lord, by close and pointed truths, 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. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 9]          The indulgence of the appetite, and the effort to keep pace with the fashions of this degenerate age, have brought into the heart of men selfishness, pride, envy, malice, evil-surmising, back-biting, gossiping, until the spirit of God has little to do with them. While some who profess to know God remain in their present state, their prayers are an abomination in his sight. They do not sustain their faith by their works, and it would have been better for some never to have professed the truth than to have dishonored their profession as they have done. While they profess to be servants of Christ, they are servants of the enemy of righteousness; and their works testify of them that they are not acquainted with God, and that their hearts are not in obedience to the will of Christ. They make child's play of religion; they act like pettish children. They serve God at will and let it alone at pleasure.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 10]          The children of God the world over are one great brotherhood. Our Saviour has clearly defined the spirit and principles which should govern the actions of those who, by their consistent, holy lives, distinguish themselves from the world. Love for one another, and supreme love to their heavenly Father, should be exemplified in their conversation and works.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 11]          That which should excite the greatest alarm is that we do not feel or sense our condition, our low estate, and that we are satisfied to remain as we are. We should flee to the word of God and to prayer, individually seeking the Lord earnestly, that we may find him. We should make this our first business.  {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, August 11, 1887 par. 12]          The members of the church are responsible for the talents committed to their trust, and it is impossible for Christians to meet their responsibilities unless they occupy that elevated position that is in accordance with the sacred truths which they profess. The light that shines upon our pathway makes us responsible to let that light shine forth to others in such a manner that they will glorify God by good works.                                                                   -    {ST, August 11, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 1]       August 18, 1887 The Christian's Privilege.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 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, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 2]          The apostle prayed for the church at Ephesus, that God would grant them "according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." The spiritual strength here spoken of is something that we may each obtain; but how shall we get it? Perhaps we are in darkness, feeling weak and discouraged and that God does not love us. If so, we are not to give way to feeling; feeling has nothing whatever to do with the matter. We are to take the word of God as it reads, the words of Christ as he has spoken them.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 3]          Hear these words of our Saviour: "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock." It is the privilege of every one of us to build upon the Eternal Rock; then we shall not dishonor God, nor by our words and actions scatter away from Christ. There are some who do this, and Jesus is ashamed to call them brethren.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 4]          We may come to our Saviour in the hour of trial, and plead: "I am in poverty and need, and I must have thy blessing. I come to thee; for thou hast told me to come. Thou hast invited all who are weary and heavy laden to come unto thee, and thou hast promised them rest. Thou hast said; 'Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.'" And when he has given you rest, do not grieve his Spirit by talking darkness and unbelief. Talk faith; but, above all things, hold daily communion with Jesus.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 5]          Satan will tell you that you do not feel any better than you did before you went to Jesus with your troubles. But here the question arises again, What has feeling to do with it? The Lord says: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Again we read: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will" grudgingly pardon. Is that it? No, indeed! This is the way it reads: "For he will abundantly pardon." When you have thrown yourself upon the mercy of God, and taken him at his word, and yet the enemy comes, and suggests your faults and failings, and tells you that you are no better than before you sought the Lord, you can point to Jesus, and repeat his promises, and tell what he has done for you.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 6]          The apostle continues: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 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, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." While this divine fullness has been placed within our reach, how easily we are satisfied. We have accustomed ourselves to think that it is enough to have a knowledge of the truth without its sanctifying power. Just a little sip at the fountain of life quenches our thirst. We do not come again and again to drink. But this is not in accordance with the mind of God. Our souls should be continually athirst for the water of life. Our hearts should ever go out after Christ, longing for communion with him. It is hungering and thirsting after righteousness that will bring us the full measure of his grace.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 7]          Enoch "walked with God;" but how did he gain this sweet intimacy? It was by having thoughts of God continually before him. As he went out and as he came in, his meditations were upon the goodness, the perfection, and the loveliness of the divine character. And as he was thus engaged, he became changed into the glorious image of his Lord; for it is by beholding that we become changed.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 8]          We have something more to do than merely to attend church services. Prayers and testimonies in the social meeting will not answer, when we never say a word for Jesus outside the meeting-house. We are to reflect the character of Jesus. Everywhere, whether in the church, at our homes, or in social intercourse with our neighbors, we should let the lovely image of Jesus appear. This we cannot do unless we are filled with his fullness. If we would become better acquainted with Jesus, we should love him  for his goodness and excellence and we should desire to become so assimilated to his divine character that all would know that we had been with Jesus, and learned of him.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 9]          It is by carrying out in our lives the pure principles of the gospel of Christ that we honor and glorify our Father who is in Heaven. When we are doing this, we are reflecting Heaven-given light upon the dark world around us. Sinners will be constrained to confess that we are not the children of darkness, but the children of light. How shall they know this? By the fruits we bear. Men may have their names upon the church-book; but that does not make them children of light. They may hold honorable positions and receive the praise of men; but that does not make them children of light. They may shut themselves in monasteries, and clothe themselves in garments of sanctity, and yet not be the children of light. All this will not help them to shun or to overcome temptation. There must be a deep work of grace,--the love of God in the heart, and this love is expressed by obedience.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 10]          It is Christ dwelling in the soul that gives us spiritual power, and makes us channels of light. The more light we have, the more we can impart to others around us. The more closely we live to Jesus, the clearer views shall we have of his loveliness. As we behold him in his purity, we discern more clearly our own faults of character. We yearn after him, and for that fullness that is in him, and that shines out in the perfection of his heavenly character; and by beholding we become changed into his image.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 11]          How was it with our Saviour? He represented his Father in every act  of his life, and in like manner the people of God are expected to represent Christ. Are we representing him in cross-bearing, in self-denial, in patience, and in labor for perishing souls? Let us think soberly and candidly about this matter. If we are not really deceiving ourselves, are we not, by our unbelief, daily depriving ourselves of the riches of his grace?  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 12]          We should not allow the worldliness all about us to control our actions, but should be steadfast in the faith and strong in the word of God. Every day we are sowing some kind of seed. If we sow the seeds of unbelief, we shall reap unbelief; if we sow pride, we shall reap pride; if we sow stubbornness, we shall reap stubbornness; "for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 13]          We do not want to be covered over with the mildew and slime of the world. We are to remain in this world but a little while. We are pilgrims and strangers here, and are on our way to a better country, even a heavenly; and we want to become acquainted with that land to which we are going. Our conversation should not be exclusively of the world and worldly things; but our tongues should be trained to talk of the Christian's reward, and our eyes to discern the glory of that better country. It should be our daily work to gain a fitness for those mansions Jesus has gone to prepare for us.  {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, August 18, 1887 par. 14]          Our hearts may be filled with all the fullness of God; but there is something for us to do. We must not pet our faults and sins, but put them away, and make haste to set our hearts in order. When this is done, let us take the key of faith, and unlock the storehouse of God's rich blessings. Does he want us to entertain doubt and darkness? Does he want us to be destitute of his Spirit? No, indeed. There is an infinite fullness to draw from; and we have the promise of our divine Lord, "According to your faith be it unto you." We may win the crown of life, a place at God's right hand, and as we enter the pearly gates, hear the words, sweeter than any music, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, August 18, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 1]       August 25, 1887 Christ and the Law; or the Relations  of the Jew and Gentile  to the Law.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       At the first advent of Christ into this world, the people were favored with a new and fuller manifestation of the Divine Presence than they had ever enjoyed before. The knowledge of God, and the infinite love and benevolence of his character, were revealed more perfectly; for it pleased the Father that in his well-beloved Son all fullness should dwell. The middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile was broken down, and both were made partakers, not only of the blessings promised under the old covenant, but also the spiritual and heavenly truths revealed through Christ.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 2]          The Jewish church, with its rites and ceremonies pointing forward to Christ, was not to be despised. This was a dispensation of glory. In the wilderness, Christ himself, though invisible, was the leader of the armies of Israel; and the power of God was often revealed in a special manner in their behalf. Considering these glorious displays of divine power, Moses thus addresses Israel: "What nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?" How many pass over these words of Moses as though they were meaningless, and continue to heap reproach and derision on divine institutions. How many trample on the divine law, the righteous judgments and statutes which were committed to God's ancient people.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 3]         In the mount, when the law was given to Moses, the Coming One was shown to him also. He saw Christ's work, and his mission to earth, when the Son of God should take upon himself humanity, and become a teacher and a guide to the world, and at last give himself a ransom for their sins. When the perfect Offering should be made for the sins of men, the sacrificial offerings typifying the work of the Messiah were to cease. With the advent of Christ, the veil of uncertainty was to be lifted, and a flood of light shed upon the darkened understanding of his people.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 4]          As Moses saw the day of Christ, and the new and living way of salvation that was to be opened through his blood, he was captivated and entranced. The praise of God was in his heart, and the divine glory that attended the giving of the law was so strikingly revealed in his countenance when he came down from the mount to walk with Israel, that the brightness was painful. Because of their transgressions, the people were unable to look upon his face, and he wore a veil that he might not terrify them.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 5]          It was the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who was the foundation of the sacrificial system, that shone in the face of Moses. "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" When the reality, the full blaze of midday light, should come, the dim glory which was but an earnest of the latter, should be done away, swallowed up in the greater glory.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 6]          "And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished." God was pleased to reveal to Moses the end of the sacrificial offerings at the time of the giving of his law. It was made plain to him that the Angel that stood at the head of the armies of Israel was the great Offering for sin, the foundation of the entire typical system. He saw type reach its antitype. The former was but an earnest of the latter, and in comparison with it was intricate and mysterious, although of great beauty and clearness.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 7]          Had the Israelites discerned the gospel light that was opened to Moses, had they been able by faith to look steadfastly to the end of that which was abolished they could have endured the light which was reflected from the countenance of Moses. "But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ." The Jews as a people did not discern that the Messiah whom they rejected, was the Angel who guided their fathers in their travels in the wilderness. To this day the veil is upon  their hearts, and its darkness hides from them the good news of salvation through the merits of a crucified Redeemer.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 8]          It is no wonder that transgressors of God's law at the present time will get as far from it as possible; for it condemns them. But those who hold that the ten commandments were abolished at the crucifixion of Christ are in a similar deception to that of the Jews. The position that the law of God is rigorous and unbearable casts contempt upon Him who governs the universe in accordance with its holy precepts. A veil is over the hearts of those who hold this view in reading both the Old and the New Testament. The penalty for the least transgression of that law is death, and but for Christ, the sinner's Advocate, it would be summarily visited on every offender. Justice and mercy are blended. Christ and the law stand side by side. The law convicts the transgressor, and Christ pleads in the sinner's behalf.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 9]          With the first advent of Christ there was ushered in an era of greater light and glory; but it would indeed be sinful ingratitude to despise and ridicule the lesser light because a fuller and more glorious light had dawned. Those who despise the blessings and glory of the Jewish age are not prepared to be benefited by the preaching of the gospel. The brightness of the Father's glory, and the excellence and perfection of his sacred law, are only understood through the atonement made upon Calvary by his dear Son; but even the atonement loses its significance when the law of God is rejected.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 10]          The life of Christ was a most perfect and thorough vindication of his Father's law, and his death attested its immutability. Christ did not, by bearing the sinner's guilt, release man from his obligation to obey the law; for if the law could have been changed or abolished, he need not have come to this world to suffer and die. The very fact that Christ died for its transgressions attests the unchanging character of the Father's law.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 11]          The Jews had departed from God, and in their teaching had substituted their own traditions for the divine law. The life and teachings of Christ made plain and distinct the principles of this violated law. The heavenly host understood that the object of his mission was to exalt the Father's law and make it honorable, and to justify its claims by paying with his own life the penalty of its transgression. It was thus that he made reconciliation between God and man. As the great blessings brought within the reach of the human race at the first advent of the Saviour were seen by the angelic visitors, they burst into the glad, triumphant anthem: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men."  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 12]          The middle wall of partition between the Jew and Gentile was broken down. They were no longer in separate rooms; the unbelieving Gentile has been united with the believing Jew. The Gentile did not crowd the Jews from their original position, but he became a partaker with them of their blessings.  {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, August 25, 1887 par. 13]          Thus was fulfilled the mission of Christ; and from his own divine lips were heard the words: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, August 25, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 1]       September 1, 1887 The Victory Over Appetite.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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."  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 2]          Here the battle between self-control and selfish indulgence is set forth. There is work for us to do, stern, earnest work, to decide which shall obtain the mastery. All our habits, tastes, and inclinations should be in accordance with the laws of health and life. By this means we may secure the very best physical conditions, and have mental clearness to discern between the evil and the good.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 3]          There are many expensive indulgences that are at the same time very injurious. They derange the digestive organs, and destroy the appetite for simple, wholesome food, and sickness and suffering are the result. With dyspepsia and its attendant evils comes the loss of a sweet disposition. There is irritability, fretfulness, impatience; and harsh, unkind words are spoken, which may result in the loss of a dear friend. Thus the books of Heaven show loss in many ways.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 4]          God is not unwilling that we should enjoy the blessings of life. He has placed in our hands abundant means for the gratification of natural appetite. In the products of the earth there is a bountiful variety of food that is both palatable and nutritious, and of these articles we "may freely eat." We may enjoy the fruits, the vegetables, and the grains, which our benevolent heavenly Father has provided for our use, without doing violence to the laws of our being. Such a diet will nourish the body, and preserve its natural vigor, without the use of artificial stimulants and luxuries.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 5]          Intemperance commences at the table in the use of unhealthful food. After a time, as the digestive organs become weakened, the food does not satisfy the appetite, and there is a craving for more stimulating food and drinks. Tea, coffee, and flesh-meats produce an immediate effect, and are freely indulged in. Under their influence, the nervous system is excited, and in some cases, for the time being, the intellect seems to be invigorated, and the imagination to be more vivid. But there is always a reaction. The nervous system, having been unduly excited, borrowed power for present use from its future resources; and all this temporary invigoration of the system is followed by depression. The appetite, educated to crave something stronger, soon calls for tobacco, wines, and liquors.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 6]          The more the appetite is indulged, the more imperative are its demands, and the more difficult it is to control. The more debilitated the system becomes, and the less able to do without unnatural stimulants, the more the passion for these things increases, until the will is overborne, and there seems to be no power to deny the unnatural craving.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 7]          We are to be temperate in all things. Not only should we be careful to exercise judgment in the selection of proper food, but strict temperance in eating and in drinking is essential to the healthy preservation and vigorous exercise of all functions of the body. But intemperance in eating, even of healthful food, will have an injurious effect upon the system, and will blunt the mental and moral faculties.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 8]          Parents are many times responsible in this matter. They educate the taste of their children by indulging them in the use of unhealthful articles. They permit them to eat rich pastries and highly seasoned food, and to drink tea and coffee. They are thus laying the foundation for perverted appetites and ruining the health of their children. They should help them in this respect, and not place temptation in their way.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 9]          Frequently mothers permit their children to eat candy and sweetmeats, and the habit thus formed, besides involving an unwise expenditure of money, is ruinous to the health. One mother said to me, as she placed a package of candy in her child's hand, "It is only five cents' worth." It was a very poor quality of candy and highly colored. The child looked in my face with much interest, to see how I regarded the matter. Said I, "The lessons in the selfish indulgence of taste which you are giving your children are setting their feet in an evil path. You, as their guardian and teacher, should be helping them to overcome. You should be teaching them to cease to do evil and to learn to do well."  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 10]          Besides the injury that is done to the health, these indulgences of taste are in the end expensive. Though but a trifle may be spent at each time, they soon aggregate quite a sum; and this money might be spent for some useful purpose, or be given to the cause of God. Will you ponder these things my Christian friends, and see if you cannot, by self-denial, and the better health that will come with the better habits, accomplish more with your life than you have done hitherto?  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 11]          Christian women can do much in the great work for the salvation of others by spreading their tables with only healthful, nourishing food. They can educate the tastes and appetites of their children; they can form in them habits of temperance in all things, and encourage benevolence and self-denial for the good of others. The moral sensibilities of Christians should be aroused upon this subject; that they may help those who are so weak in self-control as to be almost powerless to resist the cravings of appetite. If we could realize that the habits we form in this life will effect our eternal interests, we should be much more careful than we now are; and by our example and personal effort we might be the means of saving many souls from the degradation of intemperance and crime, and the consequent penalty of death.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 12]          Here is the battle before us, to subdue self and be temperate in all things if we would secure the incorruptible crown of immortal life. The prize is within our reach, and everyone may win it who will strive lawfully. But how many who have had precious opportunities and great light and privileges seem devoid of reason in regard to the purpose of life, and fail to realize the shame and confusion that will be theirs when they shall receive sentence according as their works have been. They might rise intellectually and morally if they would govern themselves; but this they will not do, for they love self supremely.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 13]          The lives of such persons are a shallow pretense. They do not aim at any high standard in personal character; but their attention is taken up with matters of dress, style, personal appearance, equipage, sensuous enjoyment. Reproof and warning are refused or disregarded. They do not like the effort it would require, and so make no exertion to change their course. After looking in the mirror, they forget what manner of characters they found represented there, and pursue their accustomed round of folly, which they call freedom and enjoyment.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 14]          They do not understand righteousness. If they would for a time change their course of action, and live a self-denying, godly life, being temperate in all things, they would have wisdom, strength, and power to live a noble, useful life.  {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, September 1, 1887 par. 15]          To attain to such a life in this self-indulgent, lawless age, we must daily have the Spirit of Christ. But he is willing to bestow it upon those who range themselves under his blood-stained banner, fighting the battles of the Lord. There are precious victories to gain; and the victors in this contest against appetite and every worldly lust will receive a crown of life that fadeth not away, a blessed home in that city whose gates are of pearl and whose foundations are of precious stones. Is not this prize worth striving for? Is it not worth every effort that we can make? Then let us so run that we may obtain.        Basel, Switzerland.                                                                   -    {ST, September 1, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 1]       September 8, 1887 Obedience and Its Reward.  ［SERMON  DELIVERED SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 20, 1886,  AT OREBRO, SWEDEN.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 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 22:12-14.  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 2]          Here is presented before us a period of time when everyone will receive according to the deeds done in the body. If it is so that in the heavenly courts a record is kept of our works and of our words, how important it is that we take heed to our ways. Every character will be tested by the standard of God's holy law. The great God of Heaven, our supreme Ruler, has rules, Statutes, and laws. These laws govern not only the intelligences of Heaven, but they govern every member of the human family; and we read in my text: "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." We should show great want of wisdom were we to make no special preparation to be among the number that shall enter in through the gates into the city.  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 3]          We should have an intense and earnest desire for eternal things, and put forth efforts proportionate to the value of the object which we are in pursuit of. The exhortations and the warnings which come to us from the prophets and apostles are all to educate us in character building, and to teach us what we must do in order to be saved.  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 4]          I am so grateful that in this degenerate age we are not left in darkness to pick our way along amid the many voices that are heard to divert us from the path of holiness. We want to hear the one voice that says, "This is the way, walk ye in it." Christ says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Then we inquire, Have we placed ourselves on the side of the Prince of Life? Have we placed ourselves under the banner of Prince Emmanuel? Have we, like Daniel, purposed in our hearts to be obedient to all of God's requirements? It is of the greatest consequence to us that we be found obedient children, walking in the truth. We do not want to be on the side of the great rebel who transgressed God's commandments and was thrust out of Heaven, and is teaching others to be disloyal to the God of Heaven. If we are not obedient to God in this life, keeping his commandments, how can we expect to have a right to eternal life? God will not take into his kingdom and give eternal life to those who will not come under his laws and statutes in this life.  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 5]          We are in this world as probationers; we are here to obtain a fitness for the future immortal life, and should we devote the precious golden moments that are now granted us, these precious moments of probation, in finding our own pleasure, in doing our own ways, and seeking our own gratification, we should fail to secure a fitness for immortal life. If we lose Heaven we lose everything, and it would be better for us if we had never been born. But if we gain the precious Heaven of bliss we gain everything, and we may bless the day in which we were born. If we would dwell with the precious Saviour in the kingdom which he has gone to prepare for those that love him, we must seek to be like him here; we must bring him into our life and weave him into our character, and he will be unto us everything that our hearts can desire.  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 6]          Our minds should be directed to the great source of light, and power, and happiness. Our heavenly Father has, in the gift of his dear Son, given us the greatest blessing that Heaven possessed. And when by living faith we accept this precious Saviour and he abides with us, then all Heaven is at our command; and whatsoever we ask the Father in his name he giveth us. All our troubles, all our perplexities, all our griefs we can bring to our dear Saviour. We need not hug our troubles to our breasts; we need not walk in perplexity, and in darkness, and in doubt; for Christ has said that those who follow him shall not walk in darkness, and every step that we take in following Christ is a step toward clearer light. We must expect to have difficulties, and opposition, and perplexities; all these are God's agents and will make our faith grow stronger. The sinews and muscles of our spirituality will be strengthened in overcoming the obstacles which we meet. By grasping the promises of God by living faith we can move Heaven. All Heaven is pledged to aid the faithful worker. We need not go in gloom complaining by the way of the roughness of the journey; for these light afflictions which are but for a moment are working "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."  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 7]          What we want is more of Jesus and less of self. And the more we keep the eye fixed upon the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus, the more we shall press toward the mark. It requires moral courage to be a Christian; but God demands all that there is of man in his service. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." How many of us are doing this today? How many of us will come short of entering in through the gates into the city? How many of us are devoting our time to the little things of this life, while we are neglecting our eternal interests?  {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, September 8, 1887 par. 8]         You should bring all of Heaven that it is possible to bring into your present life. "Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price." If you have any talent or intellect it is the Lord's, give it to him. If you have any power or influence it belongs on the Lord's side. It is your Creator that requires this at your hands. A great and infinite price has been paid for your redemption. For your sake Jesus laid aside his majesty and his glory, became poor that you through his poverty might be made rich. He left all his riches and glory and honor, clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to this world to save man, and yet that Saviour is compelled to say to many, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." He paid a great price to redeem every son and daughter of Adam. He would lift man from the lowest degradation of sin up to purity again, and restore to him his moral image. When the apostle saw the indifference of those whom Christ made such an infinite sacrifice, he inquires, "Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?" There is a power that takes hold of the senses of men and women that perverts their ideas so that they do not appreciate the love of Christ. You cannot afford to sin. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?" We must show to the world by our lives and character that Christ has not died for us in vain; and when we place ourselves in right relation to God, then we become living channels of light to the world. Christ has said, "Ye are the light of the world," and if we fail to have a connection with Christ what a lamentable condition are we in! The light of Heaven is not given to us and we cannot give it to others. It is the privilege of every one of us to be children of the light, and light bearers.                                                                   -    {ST, September 8, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 1]       September 15, 1887 Obedience and Its Reward.  ［SERMON  DELIVERED SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 20,  1886, AT OREBRO, SWEDEN.］  (Concluded.)  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We should understand our obligations to the God of Heaven. We should honor our Creator in this life. We should keep his honor and glory in view every day. We must have an eye single to the glory of God. If all in this congregation who profess to be followers of Christ were to take the position of light-bearers to the world what a flood of light would be reflected from them to this world of darkness. Then why not let your hearts be uplifted to the God of Heaven for his grace that you may be imbued with his Spirit? Why not live as though you were pilgrims and strangers upon earth, looking for that better country and that heavenly city whose builder and maker is God?  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 2]          That precious city you may gain; but not one of you will go there loaded down with self and the guilt of the transgression of God's law. You cannot take with you into the city of God the pleasures of this life, neither the riches of the world. All who enter that city will enter it as conquerors. If you will sing the song of triumph and victory as overcomers, you must first learn here the art of conquering self and sin. And should you not do what you can in order to obtain the heavenly riches which can never be taken from you? to secure the heavenly land where there is no more poverty, no more sickness, no more pain, and no more death? But we shall not go to that holy Heaven as guilty, shamefaced, condemned criminals, but as joint heirs with Jesus Christ. You should keep Heaven before your eyes, and not allow the glitter and tinsel of this earth to eclipse its glory. The most beautiful places upon earth will soon be shaken down, the richest houses will fall, the gold and silver be cast to the moles and to the bats, but heavenly things will endure forever.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 3]          You may look upon the greatest riches and splendor which this earth possesses, you may look at the beauties of nature, which the great Master Artist has spread out before you in rich profusion, and yet we hear a voice saying, "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." You may put your imagination to the highest stretch, and yet you cannot take in the glory of heavenly things. Then shall we not turn our attention to the future immortal life?  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 4]          There is not one of you that will enter in through the gates into the city alone. If you give back to God in willing service the powers he has given you, not only will you save your own soul, but your influence will be to gather others. Everyone who takes his position steadfastly for the truth is bringing other souls to the same decision and to Heaven. In this work you can show that you love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. We are to feel a burden for the souls that are around us who are out of Christ. We should have a missionary spirit that will move us to try to help other feet to stand upon the platform of eternal truth.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 5]         We see that iniquity abounds everywhere, that the law of God is almost universally made void in our land. What insult is this to the God of Heaven that has given righteous laws and wise and merciful statutes to have them disregarded and trampled under foot. Then should not all who name the name of Christ depart from all iniquity, and give all their powers to his service? Should we not stand in defense of the truth, and think much less of our pleasure and our amusement, and a great deal more of Christ? The requirement is, "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." You must come nearer to God by repentance and confession of all your sins. If you are saved you must be found loyal and true subjects of the kingdom of Heaven. You cannot afford to meet the great Lawgiver over his broken law. Let every soul here today inquire, What road am I traveling? Am I in the road which has been at infinite cost cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, or am I in the broad road of Satan? Have I my eye single to the glory of God? Says Christ, "I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Angels of God are watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. The record is kept in the books of Heaven of all the deeds of men. Your sins though hidden from mortal eyes are open before God. His eyes sees every sin; but if you confess your sins then will he forgive them.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 6]         We have a precious loving Saviour. I wish I could present him to you just as he is. Many have Jesus so exalted in their minds that he seems far off and they have no communion with him. But Christ took upon himself human nature and was called the Son of man, because he was to become acquainted with all the trials, with all the sorrows, and with all the sufferings of humanity, that he might know how to succor those who are tempted. To the weeping ones he says, I have wept. I know how to sympathize with you. He is a Saviour that is in sympathy with the woes of man, a Saviour that is by our side to help, and strengthen, and succor us. You may take all your trials, all your troubles, all your sorrows to Jesus in prayer; you may feel that he is at hand to help you in every emergency, and you can tell him all about it and he will give you just the help you need. He wants us to have joy in him, and in order to do this we must come in close connection with him. We cannot dishonor him more than to distrust him. And we honor him when we believe in him and are obedient to all his commandments.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 7]          I have been for more than forty years engaged in labor to save souls for Jesus Christ, and I have had new and precious lessons to learn every day of my life. One of the most precious has been to commit the keeping of my soul to God as unto a faithful creator. If I was knowingly transgressing one of God's commandments because it was convenient for me to do so, then I could not trust God and believe that he would at last bring me into the haven of bliss. But when I seek to overcome to the best of my ability, when my will is swallowed up in the will of God; then it is my privilege to claim his promises and believe that God will do with me according to his loving kindness.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 8]          I cannot describe to you this perfect trust. But I present before you a loving Saviour, that Saviour that wants to bring to your hearts joy and peace and love, that is inexpressible. He wants you to be happy and joyful in him. He says, "If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink," and he will be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. And if Christ is in you as a well of water, your words and influence will be a blessing to all around you. No one should live to himself; we are accountable to God for the influence we exert. Christ has made an infinite sacrifice, and all our powers should be given to him, and if we are faithful soldiers of the cross of Christ, the precious reward of a life that measures with the life of God will be granted to us.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 9]          I see matchless charms in Jesus, and I cannot have my affections placed upon anything that is earthly. My heart is drawn out in love for those out of Christ. I long to see them enter into the service of Christ, that they may have the blessing here and eternal life in the kingdom of God. Will you not take heed to your ways? Will you not compare your character with God's moral law, the ten commandments? And then seek to come into obedience to all of God's requirements. Says Christ, "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." Give me this precious reward, and you may take everything from me here upon earth.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 10]          Eternal interests are at stake. Jesus says, "My son give me thine heart;" he has bought it with his own blood. And when the pearly gates shall at last be swung open, and the nations who have kept the truth enter into the joy of their Lord, they will have that crown of glory which by faith Paul saw laid up for him, and not for him only but for all those who love his appearing. The saved will hear the benediction, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 11]          Let us think of these things; let us bring the Saviour into our lives every day; let us love him with all our hearts; and if we appreciate the preciousness of Heaven, we shall talk of Jesus, of Heaven, and of the glories to be revealed to the overcomers. Then let us place ourselves under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. Let us have a faith that takes right hold of Christ. Let the language of each soul be, He is my Saviour, he died for me, and I hang my helpless soul upon him. He is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust, against that day. This is the precious lesson that I am learning today, to do the very best I can according to the best light that shines upon my pathway, and then trust the rest to Jesus.  {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, September 15, 1887 par. 12]         May the blessing of God rest upon this dear people. How many that are here present today shall I meet around the great white throne? How many will lift their voices in songs of triumph, and praise, to him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. God grant that you may be there, saved, eternally saved, in the kingdom of glory.                                                                   -    {ST, September 15, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 1]      September 22, 1887 The Great Commission.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 2]          This is the great commission given by Christ to his disciples after his resurrection. God has claims upon the service, not of the ministers merely, but of all who profess his name,--men and women, youth and children; and the earlier they are led out of and away from self, and taught to engage in unselfish labor for others, the nearer will they come to fulfilling this holy commission. Yet notwithstanding the claims that God has upon us, many select a course of life for themselves, without thought or reference to the glory of God; and all the time they profess to be his servants, following his directions, when in fact they are only serving themselves.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 3]          When Christ left his exalted position in Heaven, and came to this earth, he was not treated as a sovereign or even as a benefactor. His life was one of continual self-denial and sacrifice for others. His own testimony is, "I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me." All was laid upon the altar. How can we better show our appreciation of the great sacrifice made by the Lamb of God than by following his example, and carrying forward the work which he commenced while on earth? All who remain inactive when there is so much to be done, will at last be found guilty before God. Let us adopt the sentiment of the poet,--        "Do something--do it soon--with all thy might;          An angel's wing would droop if long at rest,          And God himself, inactive, were no longer blest."  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 4]          In the parable of the marriage supper, our Saviour mentions a class who, with one consent, began to make excuses for the non-performance of duty. One had bought a piece of land, another had purchased a yoke of oxen, another had married a wife; and so none of them could accept the invitation of the king. This parable illustrates the frivolous and vain excuses that are made by many for not giving more attention to matters pertaining to the cause of God. They might have a seat at the marriage supper of the Lamb, they might be workers in the vineyard of the Lord; but they will not, because their temporal affairs are placed above things of eternal interest.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 5]          Those who profess to serve God, but feel no burden for the souls of others, will be continually backsliding. The time and strength of the minister will be taxed to keep them from making shipwreck of faith, when they should be laboring to present the way of life and salvation to their friends and neighbors. Many fathers and mothers with their little ones around them make their little circle their world. Every power of their being is centered on "me and mine," and year by year they are becoming narrower and more circumscribed. They do not open their hearts to the grace and love of Christ, and liberalize their nature and ennoble their aims by placing themselves in sympathy with their fellowmen.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 6]          The purpose of the true Christian is to do good, not only to his own family and friends, but to all who come within the sphere of his influence. Many ways of usefulness will open before the willing, aspiring, devoted soul, who really desires to labor for the salvation of others. The more such persons do, the more they will see to do, and the more earnest will they be to have a part in every good work for the upbuilding of the cause of God. It will be their meat and drink to benefit their fellow-men and glorify their Redeemer.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 7]          There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. Many who have been left to darkness and ruin might have been helped had their brethren--men and women in the common walks of life--come to them with the love of Christ growing in their hearts, and put forth personal efforts for them. Many are waiting to be thus personally addressed. Much could be done with such persons by humble, earnest conversation and prayer. In most cases, when heart is brought close to heart, and the love that warmed the heart of the pitying Son of God is manifested, the effort will be wholly successful.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 8]         The question, "How much owest thou unto my Lord?" should come home to every heart. Jesus, the Master, became poor that we might have eternal riches; he died that we might have life, immortal life. Should we not be willing to follow his example, and do for others as nearly as possible as he has done for us? In so doing, our own character will be disciplined and improved, our faith will grow stronger, our zeal will become more steady and earnest, our love for God and souls for whom Christ died will become intensified, and sinners will be saved as the result of our labor. And what greater or more ennobling work can be engaged in, than seeking to attract souls to Christ? This work has been successfully done time and again by ordinary men and women, not by the most learned, eloquent, or wealthy, but by the true and faithful, who do their work in simplicity. But every worker must depend for wisdom and strength wholly on the grace of Christ.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 9]          If every member of the church would work in any place suited to his capacity, much more might be done to carry out the great commission given by our Master. More extensive plans would be devised to reach our fellow-men. Christ is searching the life and character for fruit, and he finds many professed Christians, like the barren fig-tree, bearing nothing but leaves. Some may say, "I do not know of anything that I can do in the work of God. I am willing to work, but what can I do?" To such we would say, Go to God; he will teach you. He who prays successfully will labor tirelessly for the salvation of souls.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 10]          There are many things that persons may do, if they only have a mind to work. They may gather the children and youth into the Sabbath-school. The young may in this way labor efficiently for the dear Saviour. They may shape the destinies of souls. They may do a work for the church and the world the extent and greatness of which will never be known until the day of final accounts, when "Well done" will be spoken to the faithful.  {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, September 22, 1887 par. 11]          It is a mystery to me how any can be indifferent and careless in reference to the souls of their fellow-men. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," says the inspired word. Can we do this, and take no interest in his salvation? No, nor can one long retain the divine favor, if he takes no interest in sinners around him. If coldness and indifference have crept over your spiritual senses, and your interest for those who are perishing in their sins is decreasing, your best course will be to engage at once in personal efforts to save others. The rich promises of God are for the faithful workers. "He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal." It is to those, and those only, who are engaged in carrying forward the gospel commission that "Well done" will be spoken, and it is upon their brows alone that crowns of immortal glory will be placed. Then let us go forward, and not backward. We want a new conversion daily. We want the love of Jesus throbbing in our hearts, that we may be instrumental in saving many souls.                                                                   -    {ST, September 22, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 1]       September 29, 1887 How to Meet Temptations.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 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. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 2]          What greater promises could be given us than are found in these verses? A cunning and cruel foe attends our steps, and is working every moment, with all his strength and skill, to turn us from the right way. Ever since he succeeded in overcoming our first parents in their beautiful Eden home, he has been engaged in this work. More than six thousand years of continual practice has greatly increased his skill to deceive and allure. On the other hand, he who once yields to temptation becomes spiritually weak, and yields more readily the second time. Every repetition of sin blinds his eyes, stifles conviction, and weakens his power of resistance. Thus while the power of the human race to resist temptation is continually decreasing, Satan's skill and power to tempt are continually increasing. This is one great reason why the temptations of the last days will be more severe than those of any other age.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 3]          The admonition of the Saviour is, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." If Satan cannot prevent persons from exercising faith, he will try to lead them to presume upon the willingness and power of God, by placing themselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation. Presumption is a most common temptation, and as Satan assails men with this, he obtains the victory nine times out of ten. Those who profess to be followers of Christ, and who claim by their faith to be enlisted in the warfare against all evil in their nature, frequently plunge without thought into temptations from which it would require a miracle to bring them forth unsullied. Meditation and prayer would have preserved them from these temptations, by leading them to shun the critical, dangerous position in which they placed themselves.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 4]          Although the promises of God are not to be rashly claimed by us when we recklessly rush into danger, violating the laws of nature, and disregarding prudence, and the judgment with which God has endowed us, we should not lose courage when temptations come upon us. If we do not knowingly place ourselves in the way of temptation, it is our privilege to claim the promise of the inspired word: "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."  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 5]          Those who have weighty responsibilities to bear in connection with the work of God are the ones that will be beset with the strongest temptations. If Satan can cause them to waver from the right, he not only takes away their own strength, but he destroys their influence for good over others. They lose their confidence in God, and feel that they hardly dare approach him in prayer; for they are under condemnation. Acting upon the principle that Christ presented in his prayer, "I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth," they should take the position that they will be steadfast to God under every circumstance, that they may exert an influence to make others steadfast.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 6]          The temptations of Satan are manifold; but those to which our attention is called in the text are unbelief and impatience. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Impatience, then, is the result of a lack of faith. "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." If we do not maintain the grace of patience, we shall never reach a state of perfection. Some of us have nervous temperament, and are naturally as quick as a flash to think and to act; but let no one think that he cannot learn to become patient. Patience is a plant that will make rapid growth if carefully cultivated. 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.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 7]          "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." It is our privilege in our great weakness to take hold of the strength of the Mighty One. If we think to meet and overcome the enemy in our own strength, we shall be disappointed. It may seem at times that when we pray the most and try the hardest to do right, we have the greatest temptations. This is because Satan is perfectly satisfied with our condition when we are clothed with self-righteousness and do not realize our need of divine aid; but when we see our great need of help, and begin to draw near to God, he knows that God will draw near to us; therefore he places every possible obstruction in the way so that we shall not come into close connection with the Source of our strength.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 8]          The exhortation of the apostle is, "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." It is by engaging in this work, and by exercising living faith in God, that we are to perfect a Christian character. The work of cleansing the soul-temple and preparing for Christ's appearing must be done while we are in this world of temptation. Just as Christ finds us in character when he comes, so we shall remain.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 9]          We should make daily advancement in the work of character-building. When we try to separate from us our sinful habits, it may at times seem that we are tearing ourselves all to pieces; but this is the very work that we must do if we would grow up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus, if we would become fit temples for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is not the will of God that we should remain in feebleness and darkness. He would have us put on the whole armor, and fight valiantly the battle against sin and self. And after we have truly repented of our sins, and done all that we can to overcome them, he would have us manifest a calm, unyielding trust in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 10]          If we make an entire surrender to him, leave our life of sin and passion and pride, and cling to Christ and his merits, he will fulfill to us all that he has promised. He says that he will give liberally to all who ask him. Cannot we believe it? I have tested him on this point, and know that he is faithful to fulfill all his promises.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 11]          Let not him that wavereth think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. When persons begin to draw nigh to God, Satan is always ready to press in his darkness. As they look back over their past life, he causes every defect to be so exaggerated in their minds that they become discouraged, and begin to doubt the power and willingness of Jesus to save. Their faith wavers, and they say, "I do not believe that Jesus will forgive my sins." Let not such expect to receive anything from the Lord. If they would only exercise true repentance toward God, at the same time possessing a firm faith in Christ, he would cover their sins and pardon their transgressions. But, instead of this, they too often allow themselves to be controlled by impulse and feeling.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 12]          When Satan tells you that your sins are such that you need not expect any great victories in God, tell him the Bible teaches that those who love most are those who have been forgiven most. Do not try to lessen your guilt by excusing sin. You cannot come near to God by faith unless you realize your sinfulness. Then you can place yourselves right on the promises, and with unwavering faith can claim a share in the infinite sacrifice that has been made for the human race. Cling closely to Jesus, and his great heart of love will draw you unto himself.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 13]          I am so anxious that those who labor in the cause shall have all the strength, and peace, and joy that Christ has for them. I want them to have the consolation of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul desired that his brethren should be comforted with "the consolation wherewith he was comforted." The Christian finds constant comfort and strength in Jesus. And when he complains of weakness and darkness, he gives good evidence that he has not a close connection with Jesus.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 14]          Brethren, let us have an eye single to the glory of God. Let us not allow anything to interpose between us and him. "If we follow on to know the Lord," we shall know that "his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." If we are partakers of the divine nature, we shall reflect in life and character the image of our divine Lord. We cannot be indolent in seeking this perfection of character. We cannot yield passively to our surroundings, and think that others will do the work for us. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." We must be workers together with God. Life must become to us a humble, earnest working out of salvation with fear and trembling; and then faith, hope and love will abide in our hearts, giving us an earnest of the reward that awaits the overcomer.  {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, September 29, 1887 par. 15]          A relentless and determined foe has prepared his wiles for every soul that is not braced for trial, and guarded by constant prayer and living faith. We cannot individually, or as a body, secure ourselves from his constant assaults; but in the strength of Jesus every temptation, every opposing influence, whether open or secret, may be successfully resisted. Remember that "your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Therefore "be sober, be vigilant."                                                                   -    {ST, September 29, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 1]       October 6, 1887 The Light of the World.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ye are," says Christ, "the light of the world." As the sun goes forth upon its errand of mercy and love, as the golden beams of day flood the canopy of heaven and beautify forest and mountain, awakening the world by dispelling the darkness of night, so the followers of Christ should go forth upon their mission of love. Gathering divine rays of light from the great Light of the world, they should let them shine forth in good works upon those who are in the darkness of error.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 2]          Do you, my brethren and sisters, realize that you are the light of the world? Do you, in your words and deportment at home, leave a bright track heavenward? What is it to be the light of the world? It is to have God for your guide, to have the companionship of holy angels, and to reflect to others the light that shines upon you from above. But if you fail to exercise Christian courtesy, forbearance, and love in your families, God and holy angels are grieved away; and instead of being the light of the world, you are bodies of darkness.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 3]          It is possible, through the grace of Christ, to have control over yourselves at all times. If a dear friend, one whose good opinion you greatly desired, should come into your home, you would not be found fretting and scolding; but you would control your words and actions, and would seek in every way to so conduct yourselves as to gain his respect and confidence. Shall we take more care in the presence of a comparative stranger than in the presence of those who are dear to us by the ties of nature; or in the presence of Jesus and heavenly angels? God forbid; for by so doing we fail to meet the claims of high Heaven upon us.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 4]          It is not the will of God that we should be gloomy or impatient; nor that we should be light and trifling. It is Satan's studied plan to push persons from one extreme to the other. As children of the light, God would have us cultivate a cheerful, happy spirit, that we may show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. A lady once lived in our family nine years, and during all this time we did not hear an impatient word or a light expression from her lips; and yet she was the most cheerful person I ever saw. Hers was not a life of darkness and gloom, nor of lightness and frivolity. In this respect our lives should be like hers. God would not have us live under a cloud, but as in the light of his countenance.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 5]          Some are naturally of a reticent disposition; a smile is seldom seen upon their faces, and they seem more like statues than human beings. Such should open their hearts to the Sun of righteousness, and gather precious rays of light from Jesus, that they may reflect them to others. God wants you, brethren and sisters, to have this light in your hearts, and then you will be channels of light wherever you are. Like the sunflower, which turns its face constantly toward the sun, you must look continually toward the Source of light, that you may catch every ray possible.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 6]          Many who profess to be followers of Christ are as worlds without the sun. If these would leave their darkness and unbelief, and press forward in faith, they would become light in the Lord. Who would think of distrusting a dear friend who promised that if we would follow him he would lead us safely through the darkest forest? Much less ought we to doubt the word of Jesus, who has said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." He will not leave those who trust in him to fall under the temptations of Satan. This is not his way of dealing with his children. He has promised to lift upon them the light of his countenance.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 7]          The law of God is made void in the land, but here is a little company who have come out from the world and are standing in defense of that law. To these Jesus says,"Ye are the light of the world." Now, suppose that you keep your minds dwelling upon self and your darkness; how can you be the light of the world? You keep yourselves in darkness by looking at your own imperfections, instead of the willingness and power of Jesus to save to the uttermost all that come unto him in faith. You hug your darkness so close that there is no chance for the light to get in.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 8]          I want to say to those who have been desponding, When Satan comes in to tempt you, and you have no evidence that the Lord accepts you, do not look to see how dark you are, but look up to the light. Begin to praise God for the plan of salvation, and hold every victory gained through Christ. As you repeat the confidence you have in Jesus, Satan will flee; for he cannot bear the name of Jesus. Thus, step by step, you can fight the good fight of faith. Remember that Jesus has borne long with you, and he does not want you to be lost. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." By this he shows that he wants to take possession of your hearts.  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 9]          Satan may tell you that you cannot be blessed; but Jesus says that he will come in, if you will open the door of your hearts. Which will you believe? Here is another precious promise that all may claim. It is not addressed to those who are perfect, but to sinners; to those who have wandered away from Christ. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Is there one who dares not claim this promise? Is there one who will say, "I am so sinful that this does not mean me"? Put away such thoughts. Christ will accept you, polluted by sin though you may be, if you will come to him with contrition of soul. He invites all to come into the light of his presence. Then why should you remain away?  {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, October 6, 1887 par. 10]          The word of God says, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." It will require an effort on your part to walk with God. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, "Stretch forth thine hand." The afflicted man might have said, "Lord, I have not used it for years; heal it first, and then I will stretch it forth." But instead of this, when Jesus commanded him to stretch it forth, he exercised the power of his will, and  moved it just as if it were well. The very exercise of the will power was evidence to Jesus that the man believed; and his hand was healed in the act of stretching it forth. God would have you put away your darkness, and show that there is a power in the Christian religion that there is not in the world. He wants to make you all light in him; he wants to fill your hearts with love, and peace, and hope. If, then, you continue to cling to your darkness, you dishonor him; for you do not correctly represent to the world a sin-pardoning Saviour. If you are gloomy, desponding, hopeless, you are a poor representative of the Christian religion. Christ died for all. The sacrifice was complete. It is your privilege and duty to show to the world that you have an entire, all- powerful Saviour. It was the Son of the infinite God who died to purchase a full and free salvation for all that would accept it. Then why not take him as your Saviour? He rebukes your unbelief; he honors your faith.                              (To be continued.)                                                                   -    {ST, October 6, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 1]       October 20, 1887 The Light of the World.  (Concluded.)  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Go into a cellar, and you may well talk of darkness, and say, "I cannot see; I cannot see." But come up into the upper chamber, where the light shines, and you need not be in darkness. Come where Christ is, and you will have light. Talk unbelief, and you will have unbelief; but talk faith, and you will have faith. According to the seed sown will be the harvest. If you talk of Heaven and the eternal reward, your way will become lighter and lighter in the Lord, and your faith will grow, because it is exercised. Fasten your eyes upon Jesus, dear friends, and by beholding you will become assimilated to his image. Do not allow your thoughts to dwell continually upon things of the earth, but place them upon things that are heavenly, and then, wherever you are, you will be a light to the world.  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 2]          Live the life of faith day by day. Do not become anxious and distressed about the time of trouble, and thus have a time of trouble beforehand. Do not keep thinking, "I am afraid I shall not stand in the great testing day." You are to live for the present, for this day only. Tomorrow is not yours. Today you are to maintain the victory over self. Today you are to live a life of prayer. Today you are to fight the good fight of faith. Today you are to believe that God blesses you. And as you gain the victory over darkness and unbelief, you will meet the requirements of the Master, and will become a blessing to those around you.  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 3]         From every member of the church a steady light should shine forth before the world, so that they shall not be led to inquire, "What do these people more than others?" Religion is not to be held as a precious treasure, jealously hoarded, and enjoyed only by the possessor. True religion cannot be thus held; for such a spirit is contrary to the gospel. "Freely ye have received, freely give," are the words of the Master. While Christ is dwelling in the heart by his Spirit, it is impossible for the light of his presence to be concealed or 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.  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 4]          Christians may learn a lesson from the faithfulness of the light-house keeper. "A gentleman once visited a light-house that was placed in a very dangerous position to warn men of the perils that threaten them on the trackless sea. The keeper was boasting of the brilliancy of his light, which could be seen ten leagues out at sea, when the visitor said to him: 'You speak with enthusiasm, sir; and that is well. I like to hear men tell what they are sure they know; but what if one of the lights should go out?'  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 5]          "'Never, never! absurd! impossible!' replied the sensitive watchman, in consternation at the mere supposition of such a thing. 'Why, sir,' he continued, pointing to the ocean, 'yonder where nothing can be seen, there are ships going by to every port in the world. If, tonight, one of my burners should go out, within six months would come a letter, perhaps from India, perhaps from Australia, perhaps from a port I never heard of before, --a letter saying that on such a night, at such an hour, at such a minute, the light at such a point burned low and dim; that the watchman neglected his post, and that vessels were consequently put in jeopardy on the high seas. Ah, sir,' and his face shone with the intensity of his thought, 'sometimes in the dark nights, and in the stormy weather, I look out upon the sea and feel as though the eye of the whole world were looking at my light. Go out? Burn dim? That flame flicker low or fail? No, sir, never!'  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 6]         "And shall Christians, shining for tempted sinners, allow their light to fail? For, ever out upon life's billowy sea are souls we see not, strange' sailors in the dark, passing by, struggling, it may be, amid the surges of temptation. Christ is the great light, and Christians are appointed to reflect that light. The ocean is vast, its dangers are many, and the eyes of far-away voyagers are turned toward the light-house,--the church of Jesus Christ." If the world intervenes between the church and Christ, its light will burn dim, and souls will be lost because of a lack of that light. Shall it not be the language of every heart, What! let the light that is in me go out or burn dim! Never! never!  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 7]          We are all woven together in the great web of humanity, and God holds us responsible for the influence we exert over others. Throw a pebble into the lake, and a wave is formed, and another, and another; and as they increase, the circle widens, until they reach the very shore. Thus our influence, though apparently insignificant, may continue to extend far beyond our knowledge or control. It is as impossible for us to determine the result as it was for the watchman to see the ships that were scattered upon the sea.  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 8]          God in his providence does not permit us to know the end from the beginning; but he gives us the light of his word to guide us as we pass along, and bids us to keep our minds stayed upon Jesus. Wherever we are, whatever our employment, our hearts are to be uplifted to God in prayer. This is being instant in prayer. We need not wait until we can bow upon our knees before we pray. On one occasion, when Nehemiah came in before the king, the king asked why he looked so sad, and what request he had to make. But Nehemiah dared not answer at once. Important interests were at stake. The fate of a nation hung upon the impression that should then be made upon the monarch's mind; and Nehemiah darted up a prayer to the God of Heaven, before he dared to answer the king. The result was that he obtained all that he asked or even desired.  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 9]          This is the course that God would have us pursue under all circumstances. He wants us to be minute-men and women. He wants us to be ready always to give to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is within us with meekness and fear. Why with fear? It is with a fear lest we shall not make a right impression upon the mind of the inquirer; with a fear lest self shall not be out of sight, and the truth not be made to appear as it is in Jesus.  {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, October 20, 1887 par. 10]          I feel an intense desire that our brethren and sisters shall be correct representatives of Jesus. Do not pierce his wounds afresh, and put him to an open shame, by an inconsistent life. Become thoroughly acquainted with the reasons of our faith, and show by word and act that Christ is dwelling in your hearts by faith. May God help you to walk with Jesus. If you do, you will be the light of the world, and in the time of trouble he 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."                                                                   -    {ST, October 20, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 1]       November 3, 1887 The Cross of Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Of Jesus it is said that "for the joy that was set before him," he "endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Can it be that this cup of suffering was the choice of our divine Lord? And why was it that he submitted to endure shame, scorn, and reproach? It was that through the merits of his blood, he might save fallen man, and exalt him at last to his own right hand. And shall we who are partakers of the benefits of this great sacrifice,--we who profess to have an interest in this redemption,--shrink from bearing reproach, and scorn, and shame for his name's sake? Shall we shrink from the opposition of a world that is opposed to our Master? Shall we refuse to bear the cross that our Saviour carried for us?  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 2]          How many virtually say, when the cross of Christ is presented: "Why, it is inconvenient to carry. It seems impossible to bear this cross; I cannot endure the shame and reproach." So thought the young man who inquired what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus said to him, "Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the  poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me." But the young man's wealth was his god. He thought he could not let his riches go; and he chose this world in preference to that which is eternal. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 3]          Every follower of Christ will have a cross to bear; and he will find, when he takes it up resolutely, though in weakness and trembling, that that which he so much dreaded, which seemed so terrible to him, is a source of strength and courage. It will be a staff to help him on his weary pilgrimage through this earth. Then shall the professed follower of Christ drop this cross, and seek to please those who are deriding our Lord? Shall he, for fear that he will not receive honor from men, reject and despise the cross of Christ?  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 4]          What if you do suffer, dear fellow-Christian? The Master of the house suffered before you. He was exalted and glorious, high Commander in Heaven, before whom the angelic hosts bowed in adoration; yet he condescended to give up the glory that he had with the Father, that he might save the fallen race. And shall we, in our turn, refuse to deny ourselves for his sake and the gospel's? Let the words of Paul be the language of our souls: "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."  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 5]          Man was created upright; but he fell, and was driven from the garden of Eden, with the sentence of death pronounced upon him. The sorrow and anguish that cannot be expressed took possession of his soul. But hope was held out before him through the merits of the promised Messiah. The Son of God, who had so lovingly conversed with Adam and Eve in Eden, volunteered to take upon himself the wrath of the Father, and die in the sinner's stead. He would take from his lips the bitter cup that man was to drink, and give in its place the cup of blessing.  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 6]          The law of God, the foundation of his government in Heaven and upon earth, had been broken; but could not the life of an angel pay the debt? No. That holy law was as sacred as God himself. Not one precept could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition; but the Son of God, who had had a part in man's creation, could, by giving his own life, make an acceptable offering for its transgression.  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 7]          Our Redeemer was a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." He became poor for our sakes, that we through his poverty might be made rich. "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." "For the joy that was set before him," he "endured the cross, despising the shame." But "he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied."  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 8]          Who of us would not enter through the gates into the city, and hear from the lips of the King the gracious words, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord"? And what is the joy of our Lord? It is the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of glory through his sacrifice. The saints are partakers with him in this joy; for there are souls there that have been saved through their instrumentality. "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." Is not this joy enough?  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 9]          When we consider the suffering, reproach, and indignity that Jesus suffered without murmuring or retaliating, that he might redeem man, and elevate him to his own right hand, how much are we willing to endure and sacrifice, that we may have a part in the work of rescuing perishing souls, and thus enter into the joy of our Lord? "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us." It is of the greatest consequence that we understand what we are placed in this world for. We are not here to glorify self or to seek our own pleasure, but to glorify our Father which is in Heaven, and to carry on the work begun by the great Teacher of righteousness.  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 10]          "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Many times when Christ and the precious truths of his word are presented to sinners, they turn away; because if they should accept the cross, they would have to be separate from the world. But such a separation does not make one homeless, friendless, and forsaken. If, dear reader, there is a separation of your sympathies from your relatives and friends for the sake of Christ and his truth, do not feel that you are left brotherless, sisterless, motherless, fatherless. Your heavenly Father promises: "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 11]          How many there are who seek for honor and applause from the great men of the earth! How much they will do, and what sacrifices they will make, that they may associate with such persons, and perhaps win a word of approbation! Who are these persons whose favor is regarded so highly? They are mortals, made of the dust of the earth, and must soon return to their native earth again. But the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is the Ruler over all rulers; his dominion is the universe. "The nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing." He it is that grants you life and all its blessings; he that promises to adopt you into his family, to receive you as sons and daughters. What a relationship is this! What an exalted privilege!  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 12]          Neither beauty nor worldly honor will secure you this relationship to the heavenly King. But there is something which will recommend us to the divine favor; it is a "meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." This spirit we do not possess by nature. We may have excellent and noble traits of character; yet we need the blood of Christ to cleanse us from sin, the grace of God to bring us to perfection. If we think that we can trample under foot the blood of Christ, and yet climb up to a place at God's right hand, we shall make a great mistake. There is no provision made whereby man can gain eternal life, except by the cross of Christ. Those who reject the atonement made on Calvary are just where Adam and Eve were after the transgression.  {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, November 3, 1887 par. 13]          The truth of God always involves a cross; but it is of heavenly origin, and elevates the receiver. It has a sanctifying influence on the life, fitting fallen man for the society of angels in the kingdom of glory.                                                                   -    {ST, November 3, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 1]       November 10, 1887 The Coming of the Lord.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 2]          Jesus is soon coming; and it is for us who believe this solemn truth to give the warning to the world. We should show by our dress, our conversation, and our actions, that our minds are fixed on something better than the business and pleasures of this short life. We are but pilgrims and strangers here, and should give some evidence that we are ready and waiting for the appearing of our divine Lord. Let the world see that you are journeying from this to a better land, dear reader,--to an immortal inheritance that passeth not away; that you cannot afford to devote your life to the things of this world, but that your concern is to prepare for the home that awaits you in the kingdom of God.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 3]          How shall we make this preparation? It is by bringing our appetites and passions into subjection to the will of God, and showing in our lives the fruits of holiness. We must deal justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before God. We must let Christ into our hearts and homes. We must cultivate love, sympathy, and true courtesy one to another. Our happiness depends upon our taking this course. The reason that there are so many hard-hearted men and women in the world is that generous affection has been regarded as weakness, and has been discouraged and repressed. If we would have tender hearts, such as Jesus had when he was upon the earth, and sanctified sympathy, such as the angels have for erring mortals, we must cultivate the simple, unaffected affections of childhood. Then we shall be directed by heavenly principles, which are refining and elevating in their tendency.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 4]          Our lives should be consecrated to the good and happiness of others, as was our Saviour's. This is the joy of angels, and the work in which they are ever engaged. The spirit of Christ's self-sacrificing love is the spirit that pervades Heaven, and is the source of its blessedness. And it must be our spirit, if we would be fitted to join the society of the angelic host. In proportion as the love of Christ fills our hearts and controls our lives, selfishness and love of ease will be overcome; it will be our pleasure to minister to others, and to do the will of our Lord, whom we hope soon to see.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 5]          The work of testing character is going forward. God could have devised means for accomplishing his work in the earth, and saving the fallen race, without human aid; but he has given man a work to do that will call out self-denial and benevolence. We thus become assimilated to the image of Him who for our sakes became poor. Our Redeemer is watching now to see what characters we will develop, whether we will choose to regard our own selfish interests, or the eternal riches that have been placed within our reach.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 6]          For some who read this, death may be very near. Are you ready for your probation to close? Your life may be prolonged; but whether you wake or whether you sleep, you should be in a position to live to the glory of God. He will not accept the homage that consists of just a few moments selfishly devoted to his service; what he requires is your whole life, with your heart's best and holiest affections.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 7]          We should do right because it is right, and not to avoid punishment, or for fear of some great calamity that may come upon us. I want to do right for the pleasure I have in righteousness. There is so much happiness to be found in doing good here; so much satisfaction in doing the will of God; so much pleasure in receiving his blessing. Then let us show that we are men and women of sound judgment, choosing our portion not in this world, but in that which is to come. Let us stand at our post, faithful in the discharge of every duty, having our lives hid with Christ in God, that when the chief Shepherd shall appear, we "shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 8]          We have the promise that at Christ's second coming, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; and he will take us home to himself, that where he is there we may be also. Then we shall enjoy with him all the glories of the world to come throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Why should those who look for this glorious hope be accounted foolish or insane? Is there not sanity and wisdom in entertaining this hope, the most satisfying of any brought to view in the word of God? Surely it is those who reject this hope, and scoff at the humble few that entertain it, who are insane and foolish; for they are devoting all their energies to the things of this short life, when there is offered them a life as enduring as the life of God.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 9]          "No sickness, sorrow, pain, or death shall reach that blissful shore:" there is nothing in the kingdom of God to disturb or annoy. This is the life that is promised to the overcomer,--a life of happiness and peace, a life of love and beauty. This "exceeding great reward" is within our reach, and can be gained simply by a life of obedience. But we have the privilege of choosing for ourselves. We can take this present life, so poor, so marred with sin, so filled with care and perplexity, or we can have eternal life where there is no sin, no distracting care, nothing to mar the peace of the inhabitant. It is strange that the majority, looking only to the pleasures of the world, choose this fleeting life, and fix their hopes here.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 10]         Here, then, are two classes: one seeking for the pleasures of this mortal life, the other for the enduring joys of immortality; one class are far from Christ, and satisfied with their condition, the other are seeking for the forgiveness of sins and for the Spirit of God; one class are battling against God and his truth, the other are warring against the lusts of the flesh, the spirit of the world, and Satan. One class are dreading the appearing of Christ, the Son of man, feeling that to them it is an overwhelming calamity; the other are looking for the coming of Christ the second time, without sin unto salvation. The one class will be rejected from the presence of God, and finally suffer the pangs of the second death; the other will have everlasting life at the right hand of God, where are pleasures for evermore.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, November 10, 1887 par. 11]          God grant, dear reader, that when Jesus shall come the second time, you may be found ready and waiting; that you may be of that number who shall sing the song of redemption around the great white throne, casting their crowns at the feet of the redeemer. God grant that, with all the redeemed, you may have the glorious privilege of standing upon the sea of glass and walking the streets of gold. God grant that at that time there may be given to your hand a harp of gold, and that as you sweep its strings all Heaven may resound with your notes of joy and praise.  {ST, November 10, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 1]       November 17, 1887 The Choice of Moses.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Hebrews 11:24-26.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 2]          Moses was a great character in the world. He was the prospective heir of the throne of the Pharaohs. He had been reared for this position, and was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was fitted to take pre-eminence among the great of the earth, and to shine in the courts of its most glorious kingdom, and to sway the scepter of its power. His intellectual greatness distinguishes him above the great men of all ages. As historian, poet, philosopher, general of armies, and legislator, he stands without a peer.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 3]          But it was his moral qualities that made him valuable in the estimation of God. His faith, humility, and love are not excelled among the examples of humanity. God could say of him; "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth;" "My servant Moses . . . . is faithful in all mine house." And when he arrived at manhood, with the world before him, he had moral strength to refuse the flattering prospects of wealth, and greatness, and fame, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 4]         The great anxiety of men and women of today is to be held in high esteem by the lordly ones of earth. The religion of Jesus seems to be considered of no special value, and the children of men have set their hearts to seek pleasure rather than to know the will of God. The attainment of wealth is considered by many sufficient reason for sacrificing their hope of Heaven; but Moses had been instructed in regard to the final reward to be given to the humble and obedient servants of God, and worldly gain sank to its proper insignificance in comparison. The magnificent palace of Pharaoh, and the monarch's throne, were held out as an inducement to Moses; but he knew that the sinful pleasures that make men forget God were in its lordly courts. He looked beyond that gorgeous palace, beyond a monarch's crown, to the high honors that will be bestowed on the saints of the Most High God in a kingdom untainted by sin. He saw by faith an imperishable crown that Christ would place on the brow of the overcomer. This faith led him to turn away from the lordly ones of earth and join the humble, poor, despised nation who had chosen to obey God rather than to serve sin.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 5]         Moses felt that it would pay to make this great sacrifice for the right, to be on the side of God and the loyal angels, and to enjoy the eternal reward at last. Even in this life it brought him peace and blessing, and in contemplation of the certain riches of eternity, his sacrifice seemed a trivial one.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 6]          Moses was a man of like passions with ourselves, and his character is described that we may learn lessons from his noble example. What God did for Moses, he will do for us, if we are as faithful; and we have not only the same God to go to, the same Mediator to intercede for us, but the same mighty incentives of love to urge us to be obedient to all God's requirements. We have clearer light, and the examples of those who sinned. Their crimes are plainly stated and their punishments depicted. The commendation of God is for the obedient today as then; for God is no respecter of persons, and whoever worketh righteousness is accepted of him in every nation; but if we lack in character, in meekness, in humility, in faith in placing a true estimate upon the eternal riches, and in willingness to suffer reproach for the truth's sake, we shall be left without excuse.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 7]         Christ has presented before us the greatest inducement that could be offered to mortals. It is not only the gift of eternal life and everlasting joy, but a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in the kingdom of God. Those who feel the importance of taking God's word as the rule of their life and conduct, will have respect unto the recompense of reward.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 8]          But in order that we may appreciate heavenly things, we must have our minds taken away from the things of earth. We must, like Moses, esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world. You must suffer with Christ, if you shall also reign with him. Your talents of ability, and means, and influence are all the Lord's to be used for his glory; but how apt men are to forget their obligations to their Creator, when they are prospered in the things of this world! Moses devoted all his energies to the service of God, and made every earthly consideration subservient to the advancement and success of his cause. He honored God, and God honored him. God opened before him the plan of salvation, and called him to lead out his chosen people.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 9]          Moses felt his great responsibility as visible leader of Israel. He saw the perversity of their natures, and knew that he was unable to impress them and change their hearts. He felt keenly his incapacity for his work, and pleaded with God for his guidance. God assured him, "I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared." A pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night enshrouded the armies of Israel, and Moses had a sense of the greatness of the reward to be given to the sons and daughters of the Most High; but he was not yet content. Every prayer had been answered; but he thirsted for greater tokens of God's favor. "Show me thy glory," pleaded this mighty man of faith. Did God rebuke his astonishing request as presumptuous? No; he responded to his confidence, and favored his soul's desire. He placed him in a cleft of the rock and made His glory pass before him. God would have his people intercede with him, that they may have higher views of his majesty and glory.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 10]         How little we know of the mercy and love and greatness of God! Could you see God, as Moses saw him, how quickly would that which delights men be eclipsed! But the thoughts of the world and its pleasures steal away the senses of men and women, so that they care not to think of God and Heaven. It cost an infinite price to redeem man from sin and ruin,--nothing less than the life of the Son of God. Does it not seem that such a sacrifice would awaken every thought and feeling of gratitude, and constrain them to give every power to his service? What more could God do for his creatures? Christ left his majesty for our sakes; he became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. What greater evidence could he give to men of his love and interest in them?  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 11]          And what are you willing to do for Jesus? Can you say with Moses that you esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt? What if mortal man scorns and ridicules the religion of Jesus Christ? Should this lead us to be ashamed of him and his truth? It should inspire us to come to the front, to suffer reproach, and to be determined to exalt Jesus before the people. He is the chief among ten thousand, and the one altogether lovely. We want to become acquainted with him, to bring him into our families as an honored guest, and teach our children to love him. The end of all things is at hand, and it is time to seek a preparation for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 12]          Moses understood that there was to be a Judgment-day, when every man would be judged according to the deeds done in the body. We each have a case pending at the bar of God, and although Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, they could not save son or daughter. They could only save their own souls by their righteousness. It is an individual work for you and me. There will be every attraction to draw us away from Christ's righteousness, and the human heart is inclined to selfish gratification. Every soul who seeks righteousness will meet with perplexities; but shrink not at reproach or trial. Jesus was reproached by the sons of men, and can those of his household expect a better portion? There is help for every one who in humble faith seeks it. When you put all your powers to the stretch that you may become acquainted with God, you will have his power added to your weakness. Every soul that enters through the gates into the city will go in as a conqueror. There is no sickness, no sighing, no death, but everlasting joy throughout the cycles of eternity. I want to be there, for my soul is attracted to Jesus. Everything here is of minor consequence.  {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, November 17, 1887 par. 13]          I would entreat you to "seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Let us, like Moses, by faith leave the treasures and pleasures of earth and sin, and have "respect unto the recompense of the reward."                                                                   -    {ST, November 17, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 1]       November 24, 1887 This Do and Thou Shalt Live.  ［SERMON AT  LAURVIG NORWAY, JULY 4, 1886.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White  -         "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, 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 neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 2]          An important question was addressed to Christ by this lawyer: "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The answer is direct and positive: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus presented the whole law of God, and said, "This do, and thou shalt live." The first four commandments of the law grow out of our relation to God, and demand the loving loyalty of our whole hearts. The last six grow out of our relation to our fellow-man, and require us to regard his interests as our own. The keeping of these commandments comprises the whole duty of man, and presents the conditions of eternal life. Now the question is, Will man comply with the requirements? Will he love God supremely and his neighbor as himself? There is no possible way for man to do this in his own strength. The divine power of Christ must be added to the effort of humanity: "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, 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."  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 3]          Repentance toward God for our failure to keep his law, is the first step in the Christian life, while faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ claims the merits of his blood for the remission of sins that are past, and makes us partakers of the divine nature. The carnal heart, that "is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be," is made spiritual, and exclaims with Christ, "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart."  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 4]          There are many who say they believe in Christ; but do they? Have they the spiritual mind, the mind of Christ, that delights in the law of God? They claim to be the children of God, but they do not the works of God. We cannot afford to make any mistakes in this matter, for our eternal interests are at stake. A correct faith will be made manifest in godly works, and will bring the whole life into harmony with the law of God. Faith and works must go hand in hand. Christ referred the lawyer to the law, and inquired, "What saith the law? how readest thou?" And he showed that those righteous statutes require our perfect obedience. When, through the goodness of God, our attention has been called to the demands of God's commandments, and light shines on us from his word, we are to believe and obey from the heart.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 5]          Many put their own interpretation upon the words of God; but we cannot depend upon them. We must know for ourselves "what saith the Scriptures." An infinite price has been paid for our redemption, and ought we not to bestir ourselves to search the chart and prove to our souls that we are in the highway cast up for the righteous, and walking in the path of humble obedience? We are warned to "make straight paths for our feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way." We are examples to others, and if we pursue a wrong course, and lead others away from the path of right, we shall be held accountable.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 6]          We can see the importance, then, of having true faith, for it is the motive power of the Christian's life and action; but feeling is not faith; emotion is not faith. We must bring our very work and thought and emotions to the test of the word, and true faith will be profoundly impressed by the voice of God, and will act accordingly. If people would only search the Scriptures more diligently, false doctrines and heresies would be fewer. When anyone comes to you with a new doctrine, you should challenge him to prove it by the word of God. The test is written: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 7]          Forty-five years ago, when I commenced my labors, we met many erroneous doctrines. One and another would say, "I have the truth, because my feelings tell me so." Others declared that they were led of the Spirit; but there are two spirits in the world,--the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan. We are not left to be guided by the uncertainty of feelings, nor by the deceptive spirit of error. Here is the word of God. Christ declared, "Thy word is truth;" and the Spirit that Christ promised to his disciples, was to lead them into all truth. Then can we not test what spirit we are of? If we are led into harmony with the explicit commands of God, we have the Spirit of truth. These I have spoken of had gone beyond the need of their Bibles; they had left that for those not so far advanced as themselves. As I endeavored to reason with them, with my Bible in hand, they pushed me away, unwilling that their errors should be tried; "but he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." We want to know "what saith the Scriptures." Let God be true, but every man a liar. He has declared the conditions of eternal life, and we want to know that we are complying with them, and are preparing for the world to come.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 8]          Adam and Eve were placed upon probation in the garden of Eden, and they were to prove their loyalty to their Creator by obedience to his law of love; but they fell, through the temptation of a wily foe. A great and infinite sacrifice has been made, that man may have another trial. God provides that man may have another probation, and his efforts to keep the law are made acceptable through Christ. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Christ came to bear the conflict in which man was conquered. The earth was the battle-field. Just before the temptation he bowed on Jordan's bank and offered up a prayer that cleared its way to the throne of his Father. The Heaven opened and the voice of God responded, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, like burnished gold, descended upon his head.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 9]          This is of wonderful significance to us. It tells us of the power of prayer,--how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and man's petitions find access to the courts of Heaven. Though earth was struck off from the continent of Heaven and alienated from its communion, Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory. His love has encircled man and reached the highest Heaven; and now the light that fell from the open portals on the bowed head of our Saviour, may fall upon us as we petition our Father for help to meet and conquer temptation.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 10]          Christ passed from this scene of joy to meet the cruel temptations of his adversary. He passed step by step over the ground that man had trodden, and was "tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." Where man stumbled and fell, Jesus came off more than conqueror. Had he failed on one point, in reference to the law, all would have been lost; he would not have been a perfect offering, nor could he have satisfied the demands of the law; but he conquered where Adam failed, and by loyalty to God, under the severest trials, became a perfect pattern and example for our imitation, and he is able to succor those who are tempted. There is enough in this idea to fill our hearts with joy and gratitude every day of our lives. He took our nature upon him that he might become acquainted with our trials and sorrows, and, knowing all our experiences, he stands as Mediator and Intercessor before the Father.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 11]          Everyone who shall follow Christ will keep the commandments of God. The question will arise. Is this convenient for me? But if you flatter yourself that God does not require you to keep his commandments, because it interferes with your convenience, you make a sad mistake. Another leader is commanding you, instead of the Captain of your salvation. Jesus suffered and withstood the severest temptations, and, finally, yielded his life on Calvary's cross, to demonstrate to every member of the human family that the law of God is immutable, and that not one jot or tittle can be put aside. Satan has deceived the Christian world with the story that when Christ died he abolished the law. It was the cross of Calvary that exalted the law of God, and made it honorable. The cross is a monument of its immutability; and thus it is demonstrated before all worlds, and before the angels, and before all men, that the law cannot cease to exert eternal jurisdiction. It sustains the throne of God, and is the rule of his Government. If God could have changed one iota of his law, Jesus need not have come to our world to suffer and die; but he who was equal with the Father came and suffered even the death of the cross, to give man another probation.  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 12]          Then if this great and infinite sacrifice has been made in our behalf, let us ask ourselves, What are we doing? Do we say, "Believe, believe on Christ, and that is all"? If we have not the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul from every stain of sin, then we have a spurious faith. Christ is not the minister of sin. And what is sin? The only definition given in God's word is, "Sin is the transgression of the law;" and the apostle Paul declares, "Where no law is, there is no transgression." The law is the great standard that will measure every man's character. The very test that was brought upon Adam in Eden will be applied to every member of the human family. We stand as Adam did, with opportunity for a second trial, to prove our allegiance to the Government of God. If we listen, as Adam did, to the first adversary of God's law, we shall be led to treat the words of God as of little consequence, and transgress the commandment. "The wages of sin is death." The Father loves us, and his love led him to suffer his beloved Son to make an atonement for us, that we might not perish but have everlasting life. To as many as received this precious Jesus, "to them gave he power to become the sons of God." John exclaims: "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." It is no cheap faith, that costs nothing and requires nothing, that we are to have. But John continues: "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 13]          Believe, believe, believe in Jesus, is the soothing lullaby that is lulling the world to sleep in the cradle of carnal security. Why, the devils believe and tremble. We need to be alarmed. We need to sound the cry, "Depart from all iniquity." When you bring Jesus into your daily life and character, you will not make your feelings the criterion of your religion; you will exalt him in the darkest hour; you will seek to point those around you to the cleansing fountain. You will not cry, "Away with God's commandments; I do not want to hear about them;" but with your Saviour you will "magnify the law and make it honorable."  {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, November 24, 1887 par. 14]          We are in the perils of the last days, and Jesus has bidden us beware of false teachers. You are to know them by their fruits. Do they teach obedience to God, and yet break his plain words of command? God has given us reasoning faculties, and he wants us to use them. We are to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." He has given us the revelation of his will, and we shall be without excuse if we do not study the Sacred Word. Hear what the voice of the true Shepherd says to you, and walk in the path of obedience and love. "This do," said Jesus, "and thou shalt live." We cannot afford to lose eternal life. May God grant that we may meet you around the throne of God, to sing with you the song of redemption in the kingdom of glory.                                                                   -    {ST, November 24, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 1]       December 1, 1887 "Ye Cannot Serve God and Mammon."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 2]          The interests of God and the interests of mammon have no union or sympathy. The course of one tends exactly opposite to the course of the other. While the world is a master of the thoughts, principles, and actions, the Lord cannot be honored. The current of the world sets in against the soul with such force that it is borne along with the tide of its interests and infatuations. Satan, the angel of evil, the archenemy of truth, the father of lies, having successfully carried out his plan of ruining a holy race, follows up his advantage, and strives by every means to hinder the salvation of man and his re-instatement to the favor of God. He keeps the mind pre-occupied with the plans and ambitions of the world. Heaven and Christ are crowded out of the thoughts and affections.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 3]          Satan presents the same temptations today as he presented to Adam and to Jesus, the second Adam, who overcame him and made it possible for man to overcome. He came to our Redeemer in the wilderness and presented to him temptations to gratify the flesh in his sorest need. The very temptation that overwhelmed man in the garden of delight is successfully resisted in a wilderness of desolation.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 4]         The indulgence of perverted appetite and passion has held sway over the world since Adam's transgression. God saw that it was impossible for man to overcome in his own strength, with his enfeebled moral powers. He might exercise all the capabilities of his nature, and yet, without divine aid, he could only be conquered; but help has been laid upon One who is mighty to save. Man's efforts and Christ's power will bring him off a conqueror. The moral image of God will be restored in the characters of those who serve him.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 5]          The next temptation that assailed Christ was on lust for power. The world is filled with this desire, and the results of its strife show the spirit of the ambition of this world. How many have been swept to ruin in this torrent of pride! Satan presents all the kingdoms of the world, in all their pomp and majesty, to the Son of God; but he repels the tempter with, "It is written." The word of God marks out the course of his children, and rather than disobey the commandments of God, Christ resigned the treasures of the world.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 6]          How many today see the force and beauty of the truth; but they cannot serve God and mammon, and they hold to the world. The truth requires the sacrifice of the world's honor, their position in business, their daily bread; and they falter and fail. They do not consider the promises of God to those who seek first the kingdom of Heaven. They raise the excuse, "I cannot be different from those around me. What will people say?" "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?" We must not study how to serve ourselves, but how to do the will of God. Christ left his glory, and clothed his divinity with humanity. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. And yet, after this great manifestation of love on the part of Heaven, we are reluctant to yield our meager treasures, so soon to pass away. The majority of the world sell their souls for a little worldly gain, when Christ has presented to us the eternal riches. Oh, how uncertain are the treasures of earth! A man may be worth his thousands today, and tomorrow failures will sweep them all away.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 7]         Did not Jesus entreat, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal"?  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 8]          The eye is clouded by ambition, avarice, and gain without godliness. The people do not see that they are putting their treasure into a bag with holes. It is cankered and moth-eaten. There is no progress heavenward. The gross attractions of earth hold their affections. The soul starves and becomes dwarfed for want of spiritual food, the fresh manna from Heaven. The world has come in between the soul and God.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 9]          The duty we owe to God is revealed in his word in unmistakable clearness. Do you intend to obey God? Do you intend to give earnest heed to the Scriptures? Here the obligation of man is declared so explicitly that the day of Judgment will reveal no excuse for not serving God. God's great moral standard of righteousness is to be met. His law requires your heart's supreme affection for your Maker. It requires you to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth," is a positive declaration; but "Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven," is equally positive. Laying up treasure in Heaven points out the duty of an unselfish use of our means. We are stewards of God's possessions, and shall we prove unfaithful? We shall be called to give an account of our stewardship. It is not ours to use for the gratification of corrupt desires, for selfish indulgences. God has placed his goods in our hands for the purpose of sustaining his cause on earth, for the salvation of the lost, and for his own honor. All Heaven is watching with interest to see what use we are making of God's intrusted talents. If we lay up treasure in Heaven, we shall use the Lord's goods to bless humanity, and all that is so used the Lord will place to our account in the bank that never fails.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 10]          Satan's constant aim is to blind the eyes of our understanding to God's claims, through the deceptiveness of riches. If we are conquered, we are conquered for eternity. If we are conquerors, we shall have the crown of glory that fadeth not away.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 11]          When the heart loves God supremely, property is no hindrance to advancement in the Christian warfare, because the consecrated man will discern the best investments to make, and will use his wealth to bless the children of God.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 12]          The constant employment of the capabilities of man to amass wealth on earth binds the man to earth. He becomes a slave to mammon. His plans and thoughts and aspirations have no wider circle than his farm or mercantile house, and he is engrossed in heaping up his costly but empty stores; but in order to serve God we must find time for calm reflection and serious thought, else all the powers of the soul will be withdrawn from God. When wealth increases, the idolatrous heart becomes forgetful of God, and grows self-secure and satisfied. Religious duties are neglected. There is an impatience manifested under restraint, and the man becomes self-sufficient. All spiritual things are clouded, for the mind's eye is directed earthward. The worldly tendencies, both by nature and practice, have become more fully developed, and the spiritual faculties are paralyzed. Having eyes men see not; having ears they hear not. The gross, earthly mind cannot see the pure, sublime truths of the gospel, but views everything from a worldling's standpoint. The world comes in between the soul and Heaven. His eyes are blinded by the "god of this world," so that he cannot discern or appreciate the value of eternal things.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 13]          Spiritual things are spiritually discerned; and when the eye is evil, the whole body is full of darkness. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 14]          The attractions of this world must be eclipsed by the glory of the world to come, and our powers severed from its interests, and devoted to the interests of Heaven. Let us contemplate the eternal consequences of rightly employing our talents of influence and money for the purpose of saving souls. We shall store up treasures in Heaven, and receive the commendation of God, and enter into the joy of our Lord, who shall "see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." But how few realize this and use their talents for God with the same energy and perseverance that they have manifested in the service of the world!  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 15]          Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father's house. Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation,--the enjoyment of Heaven, the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the society of angels, the communion and love of God and his Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages; and it hath not "entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give our heart's loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 16]          And on the other hand the judgments of God pronounced against sin, the inevitable retribution, the degradation of our characters, and the final destruction, are presented in his word to warn us against the service of Satan.  {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 16}
[ST, December 1, 1887 par. 17]          Shall we not regard the great mercy of God? What more could he do? Let us place ourselves in right relation to him who has loved us with amazing love, and avail ourselves of the great privilege of becoming instruments in his hands to use all our powers in his service, that we may co-operate with the ministering angels and be co-laborers with God and Christ.                                                                   -    {ST, December 1, 1887 par. 17}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 1]       December 8, 1887 Christmas Gifts for Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Christmas and New Year's will soon be here, and what plans are we making in reference to them? How shall we employ them so that we may be workers together with God? The people in general celebrate the professed anniversary of the Saviour's birth, by feasting and merriment, and by making gifts to earthly friends. Time, thought, and money are devoted to these things, and Christ and his cause are neglected. The very day chosen to honor Christ is devoted by the many to honoring and pleasing themselves. Appointed to keep the Saviour in remembrance, it is spent in causing him to be forgotten.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 2]          The Christian should pursue a course the opposite of this. At these seasons God's grace is brought before us in a special manner. We are bidden not only to recall the manifold blessings of the year, the rich gifts which Providence has so bounteously bestowed, but above all to remember the priceless gift of God's dear Son. Here is an exhaustless theme for thought. The perfection of our Saviour's character awakens the admiration of angels. The brightest and most exalted of the sons of the morning heralded his glory at creation, and with songs of gladness announced his birth. They veil their faces before him as he sits upon his throne; they cast their crowns at his feet, and sing his triumphs as they behold his resplendent glory. Yet this glorious Being loved the poor sinner, and took upon him the form of a servant, that he might suffer and die in man's behalf. Jesus might have remained at the Father's right hand, wearing the kingly crown and royal robes; but he chose to exchange all the riches, honor, and glory of Heaven for the poverty of humanity, and his station of high command for the anguish of Gethsemane, and the humiliation and agony of Calvary.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 3]          Oh, the mysteries of redemption! How dark and selfish is the human heart that can turn away from such incomparable love, and set itself upon the vain things of this world! Our souls are cold and dull because we do not dwell upon the matchless charms of our Redeemer. If we occupy our thoughts in contemplating his love and mercy, we shall reflect the same in our life and character; for by beholding we become changed. Only by exalting Jesus and abasing self can we celebrate aright the birth of the Son of God.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 4]          God's purposes of grace toward us are measureless. Rich and glorious beyond our power to express or to conceive are the blessings of redemption. Yet God has not left us to the enjoyment of these without requiring returns on our part. He calls us to become co-laborers with Christ in the great plan of salvation. All who receive his grace are to communicate the precious gift to others. It was by a sacrifice that redemption was purchased for us, and we, in our turn, are to sacrifice, to make known to others the unsearchable riches of Christ.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 5]          When selfishness is striving for the victory, let us look to our Exemplar. The cross of Calvary appeals to every follower of Jesus to unite with the Saviour in seeking that which was lost. The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead for the sinner, whose redemption was purchased at such a cost.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 6]          If we keep Christmas at all, we should show that we understand its significance. Instead of saying by our actions that we are putting Christ out of our minds and hearts, let us testify to men, to angels, and to God, that we remember our Redeemer, by following his example of self-denial for others' good.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 7]          The end of all things is at hand. "The great day of the Lord is near, and hasteth greatly." The people of the world are to be warned. Are we doing what we might and should do to diffuse the precious light of truth? Brethren, you see the truth, you understand the claims of God's law, you know that no willful transgressor can enter into life; and yet you see that law made void in the world. What is your duty? You are not to ask, What is convenient for me? What is agreeable? but, What can I do to save souls?  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 8]          All around us, on the right hand and on the left, lies our work; everywhere are souls to be won for Jesus. The men and women whom we daily meet are Judgment-bound. They are either to live to offer praise to God and the Lamb through ceaseless ages, or they will perish with the wicked. Christ suffered and died that they might enjoy a blissful eternity. What sacrifice are we willing to make for their salvation?  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 9]          The people are perishing for lack of knowledge. There are hundreds and thousands in our own country that know nothing of the special truths for this time. In other lands millions are buried in ignorance and superstition. There are those who will be responsible for these souls that have never heard the truth.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 10]          Brethren and sisters, I present before you our foreign missions as the object of your Christmas gifts. While we are not to neglect the fields at our own doors, let us at this time remember those that are in still greater darkness and destitution. Few realize the vast extent of the work which God has committed to us in our foreign missions. Europe alone, with an area about the same as ours, has a population of 350,000,000,--six times that of the United States. And this is made up of many nations and peoples, that differ widely in their habits and customs, and among whose teeming millions more than a score of languages are spoken, with hundreds of dialects.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 11]          It is under many difficulties, and only by self-denial and sacrifice, that the missionary work in Europe has been carried forward. There is great poverty among the laboring classes. In Italy the most capable workmen in the factories receive only fifty cents for sixteen hours' work, and those less experienced twenty-five cents, and from this meager pittance some are obliged to support a family of from eight to twelve. In Scandinavia the common laboring man earns about fifty-three cents, with which he pays his house rent and taxes, and supports his family. Those who accept the truth run the risk of being thrown out of employment, besides cutting themselves off from all hope of assistance from other churches or missionary societies. Often starvation stares them in the face. Of course this class can do little toward supporting those who labor among them.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 12]          In the Piedmont Valleys it is difficult for the missionary to gain access to the people in summer, as they leave their villages, and ascend the mountains to find pasture for their cattle. Upon returning to their homes at the approach of winter, they take up their abode in the stables, the heat from their animals supplying the lack of fuel. It is here that the colporter must meet them. In many places halls cannot be obtained, and meetings and Bible-readings are held in the stables. Sometimes as many as forty or fifty persons assemble to hear the truth. In some places the worker has walked seven miles, twice a week, to hold an evening meeting, returning home in the darkness--for he could not afford a lantern--across the mountains, and along the edge of precipices where he was obliged to creep on his hands and knees. During our visit in Italy two of the workers walked fifteen miles to an evening service, returning on foot next morning, to save the small sum required for railroad fare. Thus in the midst of poverty and hardship, our brethren across the sea are seeking to spread the light of truth. Can we to whom God has intrusted means, who are enjoying so many of the comforts and even the luxuries of life, stand by and refuse to lend them a helping hand?  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 13]          In nearly all parts of Europe the laws are more or less oppressive upon those who observe the Sabbath. But there are few countries in which the difficulties in the way of presenting the truth are greater than in Russia. Proselyting from the State church is forbidden; preaching by dissenters is prohibited; even colportage must be conducted with great caution, or the missionary will render himself liable to imprisonment, or exile to Siberia. Yet notwithstanding all this, and although comparatively little labor has been given to this field, there are two hundred Sabbathkeepers in Russia. This result is due in a great degree to the influence of our publications. All over the wide field these silent messengers are preparing hearts to receive the warning.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 14]          What is needed now in all our European missions is means to send out laborers, and to enable our printing-houses to publish books in the different languages. There are colporteurs willing to work if they can have the books. Shall we not supply them?  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 15]          The banner of truth is to be unfurled in far-distant countries. The great and testing truths which God has committed to us are to be given to all nations, tongues, and peoples. We invite all, men, women, and children, at the coming Christmas to do all that they possibly can do to aid in the accomplishment of this work. Let us throughout our churches unitedly resolve not to make the holidays a time of feasting and selfish gratification. Let us excuse the members of our household from making presents to us. Our time, our money, belongs to God. Every hour, every moment, is precious. Dollars, dimes, and even pennies should be treasured up to aid in bringing souls to Christ and the truth. Shall not every needless ornament, every extravagance, every selfish indulgence, be given up, and all these little outgoes, these tiny streams, flow into the Lord's treasury? Past pledges should now be canceled, as far as possible. Those who have robbed God in tithes and offerings should come before him and make restitution. And to these let us add our free-will gifts.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 15}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 16]          Let your Christmas tree be dedicated to God, and let its boughs be laden with offerings for Christ. Do not give as though it were a task, doling out your donations with a niggardly hand. Good works are no drudgery. In giving to us his Son, God has poured out to us all Heaven in one gift. Let us with an overflowing heart, with gratitude and joy because of Christ's matchless love, bring him our offerings. Teach your children by your own example the blessedness of doing for Christ. Train them to go on errands of love for him, and in all their gifts to remember the gracious Giver.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 16}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 17]          If there are any who are in need of food or comfortable clothing, they should be remembered; we are not to neglect Christ in the person of his saints. But let us be constantly seeking to make God and his cause first in our thoughts and plans.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 17}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 18]          Many hardly, know as yet what self-denial is, or what it is to suffer for the truth's sake; but none will enter Heaven without making a sacrifice. Yet self-denial will not make us joyless; it will not cast a shadow upon our holidays. It is not what we have, not the abundance of the things of this life, that will make us happy. Our happiness depends upon the relation we sustain to God. An approving conscience, a contented spirit, sweet communion with Jesus, will make us the happiest beings in the world.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 18}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 19]          God marks and remembers every act of liberality performed by his people. Every effort we make for Christ will be rewarded by him. If the means intrusted to our keeping is employed for his glory, to save souls, he will give more into our hands. Every ray of light shed upon others will be reflected upon our own hearts. Every act performed, every gift bestowed, with an eye single to the glory of God, will result in blessings to the giver. No joy can equal the assurance of being an instrument in the hands of God of saving souls.  {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 19}
[ST, December 8, 1887 par. 20]          I pray God that those who profess to be followers of Christ may in truth follow in his steps; that they may be rivals in their missionary efforts; that they may be temperate in all things; that they may run with patience the race for the incorruptible reward; that when the Judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, all may receive the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give them at that day.                                                                   -    {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 20}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 1]       December 15, 1887 The Necessity of Obedience and Faith.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         One presumptuous act, one deed in disregard of God's expressed will, lost for Adam his beautiful Eden home, and opened the floodgates of iniquity and woe upon our world; and yet men will declare that God is not particular, and does not require perfect obedience to his law. The precepts of Jehovah are as unchangeable as his eternal throne. To excuse sin on the plea that God is lax in his government is dishonoring to the great Governor of the universe, and perilous to man. It is an attempt to belittle his requirements, and to take away the force of law. Those who advocate such doctrine, place themselves in harmony with the first great rebel, and however high their professions of religion, Christ pronounces them "workers of iniquity." They are saying to the sinner, "It shall be well with thee in thy disobedience and transgression," as said the arch-deceiver in the garden of Eden.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 2]          God said to Adam, "Thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Satan came, and with specious words presented an enticing temptation. He argued that they were in bondage through the prohibition to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that they should be as gods if they would but eat, and he denied the positive statement of God, that they should surely die if they partook of the fruit. The same arguments are used now by all who trample upon the law of God. "Obedience is bondage," men declare, and disobedience is freedom, such as they could never realize under the restrictions of the law. Men are flattered in their course of sin, to believe that they are rising in the scale of greatness, as Satan flattered Adam and Eve to believe they would be as gods if they would but disregard the commandment of their Creator. How many are reiterating his statements while they profess to be sinless!  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 3]          We need not be deceived by these high professions of holiness which deny the power thereof by rejecting the law of God. "Sin is the transgression of the law," writes the beloved John; and "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." Here is the test of every man's profession. We cannot accord holiness to any man without bringing him to the great measurement of God's only standard for holiness, in Heaven or in earth. If men feel no weight of the moral law, if they belittle and make light of God's precepts, if they break one of the least of these commandments and teach men so, they shall be of no esteem in the sight of Heaven, and we may know their claims are without foundation. Christ, who died to magnify the law, and to attest its validity and immutability, says of such, "I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 4]          God does not change his plans and devise new expedients to save man in different ages or dispensations. With him "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." He does not abolish the law to bring man into harmony with himself. If he had proposed to destroy the jurisdiction of the law over man at any time, he would have done so when Adam's failure to keep its requirements brought him under its terrible condemnation. But God does not provide any such escape in this emergency. He expels the guilty pair from the garden. The law says the penalty of sin is death, and they have brought on themselves, by deliberate choice, the loss of eternal life. The course of God toward the rebellious has not changed. There is no way back to innocence and life except through repentance for having transgressed God's law, and faith in the merits of the divine sacrifice, who has suffered for your transgressions of the past; and you are accepted in the Beloved on condition of obedience to the commandments of your Creator.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 5]         God's love and justice have provided one way, and one only, whereby man can be saved from eternal separation from Heaven and alienation from God, and that is by faith in Christ and obedience to his law. The Spirit of God operating upon the human heart never leads men to belittle the law of Jehovah. Enlightened by this divine influence, we will see with awe the majesty of its requirements, the heinousness of sin, and feel the terror of its inevitable penalties upon the transgressor.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 6]          "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," and to this refuge the repentant soul turns to plead the merits of his Saviour's blood. But while the blood of Christ avails for the repenting soul, Christ is not the minister of sin, and there is no peace, no assurance, no genuine hope, for anyone who ignores the claims of God's law and tramples upon its just demands. To trust in man's good purposes or works is seen by the repenting sinner to be utmost folly. To suppose that a few deeds of beneficence or the performance of duty will cancel a life-time of sin, is a blindness that Satan brings over the mind to befog the moral perceptions, and lead men to trust in themselves.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 7]          The sinner may plead he has been doing good in most things, but in order not to be out of harmony with the world, he did not obey the fourth commandment, but kept the day the world observed. He has on the whole obeyed more than he has disregarded the commandments of God. Would this reasoning stand approved before the courts of Jehovah? What would it have availed in the case of Adam and Eve? They might have pleaded that their sin was only one little departure from God. They had obeyed him fully up to that time. They could have found excuses more plausible than men can frame today; but the way God dealt with them should teach the sons and daughters of Adam how he will deal with them if they break one of the least of his requirements.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 8]         Suppose a criminal in court, who had violated the law of his State, should make his plea that he had generally obeyed the laws. He had only stolen his neighbor's goods occasionally, and had led an honest life for the most part; would that relieve justice from executing the penalty? Could a just judge and jury bring in a verdict "not guilty"? You can see the absurdity of the case, and yet men of intelligence in all worldly affairs are not wise in matters pertaining to their eternal salvation. They are found seeking to climb up some other way than God has provided, trying to make terms with the infinite One. Many poor souls are leaning on such a broken reed, building on such an insecure foundation, laying hold on ropes of sand, and at last they will awaken to realize that they are lost, lost!  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 9]          The heart must be cleansed from its impurity; self-will must be exchanged for God's will; God's ways must be chosen before our own ways. Many names are registered on the church books that have no place in the Lamb's book of life. Let the question be asked with deepest concern, "Is my name written there?"  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 10]          The great gift of salvation is freely offered to us, through Jesus Christ, on condition that we obey the law of God; and individually we are to accept the terms of life with the deepest humiliation and gratitude. None will ever enter the city of God who do not reverence the statutes of its government; and now is the time allotted to us to gain the mastery, through divine grace, over every rebellious thought and action; to work out our own salvation, not with boasting self-confidence, but with fear and trembling. We are not to pander to the prejudices and customs of this world at the expense of our obligations to God. We should live as in the sight of Heaven, with no other object for our ambition and toil than the glory of our Creator and Redeemer; live, believing that "every one of us shall give account of himself to God." We should ask ourselves, Am I fashioning my character after the Pattern God has given me? Is my eye fixed on Jesus? and are my actions controlled by the influences of Heaven? If our eye be single, our whole body will be full of light, and the world and its sentiments will not sway us from an undeviating progress toward the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus. Christ prayed to his Father, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world"--oh, no; they are to be the light of the world--"but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." We are to be in the world but not of it --shining with the reflected light of Jesus. We must not live for self, blending into the darkness of the world; but kept from its evil we must give our lives into an active, earnest service, as faithful soldiers for the Captain of our salvation. This will sanctify the soul. While we seek the salvation and benefit of others, we shall be workers together with God, learning his methods and partaking of his power.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 11]          We need not assume an appearance of melancholy, and sigh and groan and mourn to give evidence that we are Christians, especially devoted and sanctified. And it is no test of vital godliness to be talkative, parading our piety and our knowledge of the truth before others. But the real manifestation of Christ dwelling in your heart will be recognized by a well-ordered life and conversation. Your life will shine with the graces of the Spirit; meekness, kindness, tender compassion, the love of Jesus, and genuine lowliness of heart, will characterize your daily walk.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 12]          It is not the profession we make, but the fruits we bear that reveal the condition of the heart. Says the inspired apostle, "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." True piety will not stiffen the character in stubborn, set ways and ideas. The Christian will not be unyielding and dictatorial, but will consider himself a learner in Christ's school. He will not be of that class who are fond of lecturing others, sermonizing, condemning, criticising, but will become meek and lowly in heart, representing Jesus, the Light of the world.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 13]          There is no need of being offensive in character, officiously taking a position above the brethren to point out their errors. This is the position of the Pharisee. Let the meekness of Jesus appear in words of wisdom that will inspire desires for the heavenly characteristics. Let the deportment be full of gentle courtesy as becometh the sons and daughters of God.  {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 13}
[ST, December 15, 1887 par. 14]          "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." If we are desirous of being saved from the evil there is in the world, we must seek this spirit of meekness; then we shall not be led into presumptuous sins; we shall appreciate the great responsibility we are under to observe the law of God, and feeling our weakness shall plead for the divine assistance, and God promises to dwell with the humble and contrite heart. Heaven is open to everyone who desires access to the Source of strength; and God, who spared not his own Son, will freely with him give us grace for every obligation of his law, and make us meet for an inheritance in light.                                                                   -    {ST, December 15, 1887 par. 14}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 1]       December 22, 1887 The Preparation for Heaven.  ［SERMON AT  OREBRO, SWEDEN, JUNE 27, 1886.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         If we would enter Heaven we should strive to bring all that we can of Heaven into our lives on earth. The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver. It exerts a heavenly influence upon the minds and manners of men. When the word of God finds access to the hearts of the rough and coarse, it commences a process of refining upon the character, and those who endure it become humble and teachable, like little children. The mighty cleaver of truth has severed them from the world, and then the work to be accomplished, to mould them after the divine Pattern, is begun. They are to be living stones in the temple of God, and are hewed, and squared, and chiseled, to fit them for God's building. Those who are naturally full of self-esteem become meek and lowly of heart. They have a change of character, and are transformed by the renewing of their minds, and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 2]          God said in the beginning, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;" but sin has almost obliterated the moral image of God in man. This lamentable condition would have known no change or hope if Jesus had not come down to our world to be man's Saviour and Example. In the midst of a world's moral degradation he stands, a beautiful and spotless character, the one model for man's imitation. We must study, and copy, and follow the Lord Jesus Christ; then we shall bring the loveliness of his character into our own life, and weave his beauty into our daily words and actions. Thus we shall stand before God with acceptance, and win back by conflict with the principalities of darkness, the power of self-control, and the love of God that Adam lost in the fall. Through Christ we may possess the spirit of love and obedience to the commands of God. Through his merits it may be restored in our fallen natures; and when the Judgment shall sit and the books be opened, we may be the recipients of God's approval.  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 3]          John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, with its twelve gates of pearl and twelve foundations of precious stones, coming down from God out of Heaven. The streets are of transparent gold, clear as crystal. Everyone who shall enter those gates and walk those streets will here have been changed and purified by the power of the truth; and the crown of immortal glory will adorn the brow of the overcomer.  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 4]          The nations that have kept the truth shall enter in, and the voice of the Son of God will pronounce the glad welcome, "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."  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 5]          Then how can we afford to devote our God-given powers to our own pleasure for one moment? We must yield our whole service to our Master. We must wage, continuously, the battle of self-denial and sacrifice. Christ died that we might live, and with the same spirit of love we should seek to win souls as the purchase of his blood. The word of God, through his apostle, declares, "We are laborers together with God." Our work may seem at times very discouraging; but if one soul is turned from the error of his way to righteousness, there is joy in Heaven. The Father and the Son rejoice in the presence of the angels. The song of triumph is sung and echoed and re-echoed through the courts of Heaven. Then why should we not be wise in this life, and work for the salvation of man to the glory of God? "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." Your lives must here be refined, ennobled, elevated; and Christ, the hope of glory, must be formed within you. Your favorite sins will be laid aside; you will fear to offend God, and you will love his law.  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 6]          For more than forty years I have stood in the desk proclaiming salvation to sinners, and my heart has yearned over them with pitying compassion. I saw before me the purchase of the blood of Christ. There is value in every soul. Said the Lord through his prophet, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." It is the truth received in the heart and practiced in the life that makes men so valuable in the sight of God.  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 7]          John beholds an innumerable company, precious, refined, purified, around the throne of the Majesty of Heaven. The angel inquires of John, "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" and John answers, "Sir, thou knowest." Then the angel declares: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 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." Now we have the precious opportunity of washing our robes of character in the blood of the Lamb till they are spotless in his purity. To all who shall do this the promise is, "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 8]          We want you to lift your minds from the things of earth to the heavenly glories. We want you to live for the future, immortal life, and decide, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Now is the accepted time. Now give yourselves, without reserve, to Jesus. Be determined that you will have Christ, even if this requires the loss of everything else. The very obstacles and difficulties of the way are for the purpose of making you mighty in faith and giving you spiritual strength. Every effort you make to lead others in the path of God's commandments is registered in the imperishable records. Let not the enemy deceive you. He has filled the world with heresies; but the word of the Lord endureth forever. Plant your feet on his immutable counsels, then you will be all ready to come under God's rules of government in the kingdom of bliss. If you ever sing the song of triumph and redemption, you must now be learning its notes. Is Jesus abiding in your hearts? If he is there you will talk about him, you will reveal him in life and character. You will sing his praise, making melody in your hearts unto the Lord. The sweet spirit of meekness will be cherished, and self will be crucified. When you come to Christ you will not boast, "I am holy." Let God, alone, say that of you, for you know not your own heart. This boast is a sure evidence that you know not the Scriptures nor the power of God. Let God write in his books, if he will, that you are an obedient child, keeping his statutes with a cheerful heart, and the records will reveal it before angels and men at the day of reward.  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 9]          I have never dared to say,"I am holy, I am sinless;" but whatever I have thought was the will of God, I have tried to do with all my heart, and I have the sweet peace of God in my soul. I can commit the keeping of my soul to God as unto a faithful Creator, and I know that he will keep that which I have committed to his trust. It is my meat and drink to do my Father's will, to present before a dying world the cross of Calvary, to preach repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, to point the way of the commandments of God, that path that leads to the open gates of the eternal city. If you lose Heaven you lose everything. If I can only see the King in his beauty, it is all I desire. Let me listen to the sweet music of his voice, saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."  {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, December 22, 1887 par. 10]          Who of you shall we meet in the congregation of the blessed? We want to see you crowned in the city of God. When the Judgment is set and the records searched, may your names not be blotted out of the book of life. This life is of great consequence to us, for in it we have the privilege of preparing for an unending life. I beseech you, therefore, see to it that your influence is not against the commandments of God. The law is just as Jehovah wrote it, in the temple of Heaven. Man may trample upon its copy here on earth, but the original is kept in the ark of God in Heaven. Above it is the mercy-seat, and Jesus, our great High Priest, stands before the ark, to mediate in man's behalf. We want you to keep God's commandments and live, and his law as the apple of your eye; for, "whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven." Seek immortality and the crown of life; then the eternal treasures shall be yours, and an inheritance in the kingdom which God hath promised to those that love him.                                                                   -    {ST, December 22, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 1]       December 29, 1887 The Judgment of the Great Day.  ［SERMON AT  OREBRO, SWEDEN, JUNE 27, 1886.］  -  By Mrs. E.G. White.  -         "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 1}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 2]          Here is presented before us the great and solemn day when the Judgment is to sit and the books are to be opened, and the dead are to be judged according to the things written in the books. We must all meet the unerring record of our lives written in the books on high. We are probationers, on trial. God is testing us to see what kind of characters we will develop in this life. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. Our heavenly Father has sent us a message warning us of the fast-hastening Judgment, that we may prepare for that day of final reckoning.  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 2}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 3]          I have questioned in my mind as I have seen men and women hurrying to and fro on matters of business or pleasure, whether or not they ever thought of the day of God, that is about to break upon us. We need not be in darkness as to what is coming on the earth. We cannot afford to meet that day without a preparation, and light has been given us from Heaven, that we may understand the requirements of God. "Search the Scriptures" is the command of Christ. "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." There is a witness that follows us in all our actions of life. Our very thoughts and the intents and purposes of our hearts are laid bare to his inspection. As the features are produced upon the polished plate of the artist, so are our characters delineated upon the books of record in Heaven. Are you fitting up in the graces of Christ? Will your robe of character be white and spotless in the day of his appearing? Every interest should be shaped, and every action directed toward this all-important event. We should live daily in great humility before God, seeking the divine strength lest we fail of his grace and prove ourselves unworthy of eternal life. We should be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 3}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 4]          You cannot afford to be found a transgressor of God's great moral law. You are to be judged by its precepts. If God had no law, there could be no Judgment, and the cases of men and women would not be called into the solemn tribunal, before the righteous Judge. If we have not been found in harmony with God's requirements in this life, we will be no more in harmony with his requirements in the future life. What excuse can we plead for disobedience to the law of God's Government? And what excuse can we render in the day when the motives of the heart will be tried? You may say now, "The whole world is out of harmony with God's precepts, and I cannot be singular," but in that day you will not venture to present this before the God of Heaven and earth. When the books are opened, the character will be revealed, and every mouth will be stopped. You will be convicted of guilt before the revelation of your own life. Everyone unsaved will see where he departed from right, and will realize the influence his life of disobedience exerted to turn others from the way of truth. "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God," and the quick and the dead shall stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ. The secret things will be made known. There was an eye that saw and a hand that registered the hidden deeds.  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 4}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 5]          When Belshazzar had his great sacrilegious feast, there was present in the splendid halls a witness which he did not discern. The revelers were drinking their wine, and partaking of their luxurious feast, and praising the gods of silver and gold, extolling their own wisdom, magnifying their deeds, and dishonoring God, but right over against the wall, facing the king, a bloodless hand was tracing the terrible characters testifying of his true condition: "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 5}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 6]          The Lord is weighing character in the sanctuary today, and those who are careless and indifferent, rushing on in the paths of iniquity, will not stand the test. God has endowed us with reasoning powers, and he requires us to use them to his glory. He has given us this body, which he wishes us to preserve in perfect health, that we may render the best service to his cause. He has paid an infinite price for our redemption, and yet men and women dependent from day to day upon his mercies, for life, for health, for food, for all the blessings they enjoy, refuse to obey his laws, refuse to accept his Son as their Example and Saviour.  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 6}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 7]         It may seem to you that obedience to God's law requires too much self-denial and sacrifice. Does it require more sacrifice than Jesus has made to save you? He has led the way, and will you follow? He says, "I have kept my Father's commandments." He left the royal throne of glory. He changed the kingly crown for a crown of thorns. He placed his feet in the blood-stained path which led the way to Calvary, and he has stated to us that those who are partakers with him of his sufferings shall be partakers also with him of his glory. We shall never have to endure the shame, the insult, the mockery, the agony of the crucifixion, and the depth of woe and temptation that the Author of our salvation has endured for our sake; but we should ever keep before us the scenes of his humiliation, and never exalt ourselves in pride and self-sufficiency.  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 7}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 8]          Christ was despised and rejected of men. Those he came to save could not see in him anything desirable. Should he come unto our world today without earthly honor or princely power, who would receive him as the King of glory? How many proud church members would be so ashamed of Jesus and the reproach that would be likely to be attached to them should they accept him, that they would refuse to follow him; but his matchless love led him to endure infinite sorrow and reproach that he might bring many sons and daughters to glory. Who is willing today to be on the Lord's side?  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 8}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 9]         We cannot wait until the Judgment before we consent to deny self and to lift the cross. It will be too late then to form characters for Heaven. It is here and now that we must take sides with the humble, self-denying Redeemer. It is here we must overcome envy, strife, selfishness, love of money, and love of the world. It is here that we must enter the school of Christ and learn the precious lesson of meekness and lowliness of mind; and here it must be our aim and our earnest effort to be loyal to the God of Heaven, by obeying all his commandments.  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 9}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 10]         Our only safety is in constant communion with God. Our petitions should ascend in faith that he will keep us unspotted from the corruptions of the world. Did not Jesus tell us that iniquity would abound in the last days? But his grace will be granted to us according to our day. Those who are open to the influence of the Spirit of God will receive strength to withstand the evils of this degenerate age.  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 10}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 11]          Enoch walked with God three hundred years previous to his translation, and the state of the world was not more favorable for the perfection of Christian character then than it is today. How did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to ever feel the presence of God, and when in perplexity his prayers would ascend to God to keep him, to teach him his will. "What shall I do to honor thee, my God?" was his prayer. His will was merged in the will of God, and his feet were constantly directed in the path of God's commandments. Enoch was a representative of those who shall be on the earth when Christ shall come, who will be translated to Heaven and never taste of death. It is fitting that we pray, as did David, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."  {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 11}
[ST, December 29, 1887 par. 12]         Many close their eyes, lest they shall see the truth. They do not want to see the defects in their life and character, and it disturbs them if you mention to them anything about God's law. They have discarded God's standard and have chosen a standard of their own. Their hearts are not inclined to keep the way of the Lord, for it runs in an opposite direction from the path they had marked out. But we want to warn you: Be not deceived by the first great adversary of God's law. When the Judgment is set and the books opened, your life and mine will be measured by the law of the Most High. Those who have washed their robes of character and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, will be found keeping the commandments of God; and when every man is judged according to the things written in the books, they will receive the commendation of Heaven and an eternal inheritance.                                                                   -    {ST, December 29, 1887 par. 12}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 1]       January 6, 1888 The Wisdom of the People of God.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-Peor; for all the men that followed Baal-Peor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day."  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 2]          The claim has been made that the commandments of God are a yoke of bondage, that it is impossible for man to keep them, and that ancient Israel found them unendurable, and failed to fulfill their righteous obligations; but such a claim is proven to be false by the words we have presented. The commandments were not grievous while the people were firm in their allegiance to God; but when they separated from him and gave their powers to the service of the prince of evil, they became aware of their inability to execute the holy enactments of Heaven. The law that had once been their delight, became an unendurable weight, because they had deprived themselves of the love and power of God, and had taken a willful course to resist the authority of the Most High.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 3]          The ancient Israelites had not too much will,--it needs will to be a servant of God,--but when they fixed it on the side of self-indulgence, and in opposition to the direct commands of God, it only wrought for their destruction. They placed their will on the side of the first great rebel, and followed his example in complaining of the precepts of Heaven. All murmuring against the law of God is instigated by the lawless one who first created dissatisfaction in the courts of Jehovah, and incited rebellion among the ranks of the angels.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 4]          Satan is ever on the alert for the first word of complaint against God and his service. He takes advantage of a spirit of murmuring, and fills the mind with his dark doubts and suggestions. He is constantly seeking to sow the seeds of dissatisfaction in the heart, concerning the requirements of God, presenting them as unjust in their restraints, and unreasonable in their demands. It is the work of Satan to belittle the law that condemns him, and all who love sin show the characteristics of their commander. Many of the people of God had fallen under his temptations and left their allegiance to God, but here was a living testimony, presented by the faithful servant of the Most High, setting forth the blessedness of obedience. It was transgression that had brought disaster, and laid the nation under the curse of God. Those who had left their loyal service and turned to idolatry, were smitten with disease and death. In contrast to the fate of the transgressor, Moses points out the prosperity of those who had kept the commandments of the Lord; no harm had befallen them; they were alive every one of them that day.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 5]          All who have determined to serve God will seek to know and to do his will, at whatever cost to themselves. The true servants of God will be made manifest by their willing obedience to all the commandments of their Master. They will not be murmuring and finding fault with the law, but will declare by word and action, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." In obeying the law, they are doing that which is well-pleasing in the sight of Heaven, and all the promises of the word of God are pledged to the support of the faithful and obedient. They may hope in his mercy, build on his immutable counsels, obtain the desires of their hearts, because their wills are placed on the side of God's will. It is their meat to do the will of God and to finish his work. The gates of the eternal city shall open for the nation that has kept the truth. The servants of God shall eat of the tree of life, and enjoy the unsearchable riches of eternity.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 6]          What astonishing benevolence on the part of God to make conditions for the re-instatement of rebel man to his divine favor! Oh that the mercy of God might not be lightly esteemed! Oh that we might appreciate the forbearance of the great God of the universe, comply with his requirements, and receive the great reward that he has promised to those who love him! Should we not from humble and grateful hearts present our services to him who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"? We may become the sons of God, the heirs of an eternal inheritance, partakers of the divine nature, kings and priests unto God. The most exalted privileges are offered to the obedient. Shall we turn away in rebellion and unbelief, and propose to go back to Egypt? Never! Our march should be onward, toward the heavenly Canaan. Every step should be from faith to a greater faith, from obedience to a more perfect obedience, from light to a brighter light; for "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 7]          We are the Israel that God is leading out of the errors of the world in these last days to live by every word that proceedeth out of his mouth. The truth for this time will not fail to sanctify the soul that receives the love of it and obeys it from the heart. It will enable us to overcome every besetting sin, and to surmount every difficulty in our onward march. We can run and not be weary, walk and not faint.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 8]          "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."  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 9]          The wisdom and understanding of ancient Israel before all the nations, was their obedience to God's law. This doing of God's commandments worked an elevation of character and life that even the heathen world recognized and commended. Those who have rendered obedience to God in all ages, have been transformed in character, and in these last days, when iniquity abounds on every hand, our wisdom and understanding before all people will consist in our obedience to the standard of righteousness. The servants of God will not be foolish, ignorant, uncourteous, and coarse; but as they conform their lives to the holy laws of Heaven, they become like Jesus Christ, who was a living example of perfect obedience to the statutes of Jehovah. They will become refined, ennobled, elevated, and will manifest that courtesy that forgets the interests of self, that others may be blessed and benefited.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 10]          The follower of Jesus will place his will on the side of his Master's will. He will have a consciousness of the nearness of God's presence. Doubts will vanish before the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, as the shadows fly before the morning. The true Christian identifies his interest with the interest of Christ, wears the yoke of his Master, lifts his burden, bears his reproach; but no murmur escapes his lips. No, he rejoices that he is counted worthy to suffer for His sake who suffered for him. You may expect complaint, but you will hear only the language of thanksgiving from Christ's burden-bearers. They do not bear the load alone; for He whom their soul loveth, walks with them, and the heaviest weight is borne by his loving and mighty heart. Those who come to Christ, weary and heavy-laden, find rest unto their souls. Those who learn of him and take his yoke upon them, find that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever," promises, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Yes, this God is our God forever and ever. Then why should we chafe and fret under the commandments of our God? He who leadeth us and teacheth us to profit, declares, "I have kept my Father's commandments;" and those who follow Christ will do as he has done. Their steps will fall in his foot-prints all along the path of obedience that he has trodden before them as their example. The law of our God "is holy, and just, and good," and it is to our highest interest that we come into perfect harmony with its precepts. It is ordained unto life. The world knows that it is wisdom to serve the God of Heaven. However reluctant men may be to acknowledge it, they look upon the obedient children of God as favored of Heaven.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 11]         Moses asks: "For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy son's sons."  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 12]          Here is the solemn charge that was given to ancient Israel, and it comes echoing down the ages to us, with accumulated force; for we are under greater obligation and increased responsibility, because we have the record of their experiences to teach us to avoid their errors and profit by their mistakes. Their departures from God, their backslidings, their murmuring, their sins "are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." The judgment of God in the destruction of the guilty is marked before us, that we may take heed to the warnings, and escape from the paths of transgression. The rich rewards and blessings bestowed upon the obedient are recorded as encouragements to those who will follow the way of the Lord and delight in his testimonies.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 13]          In the commendation of God to the faithful among ancient Israel, is unmistakable evidence that he highly appreciates those who are peculiar in character, because they render perfect obedience to his holy laws. The spiritual excellency of these people is manifested in their words and works. They are branches of the living vine, and partakers of the divine nature.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 14]          Like seeks like. Like appreciates like. Christ recognizes his own Spirit and image in his followers. As they become more like him, they seek a closer association with him. His character shines with new attractions. They see matchless charms in their Redeemer, and he becomes "the chiefest among ten thousand," and the one "altogether lovely." His ways are precious to them, and it is their delight to do his will.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 15]          The words of Jesus test the profession we make. He declares: "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. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, 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."  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 16]          The conditions and promises are the same in the Old Testament as they are in the New. The favor of God is promised only to those who obey him. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love," says the Master. If we would claim the rich promises, if we would have the pardon of our sins, and eternal life at last, we must yield a royal service to the God of Heaven. In our faithful performance of his requirements consists our prosperity as a church and as individuals. Not in great talents, not in great possessions, not in grand appearances, but in humble service to our Maker is our strength, wisdom, and understanding.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 17]          We must not take a feeble, vacillating course; but with unchangeable purpose, place our wills on the side of God's will, become rich in faith, rich in the knowledge of his word, and rich in the power of his Spirit. If we do those things that are pleasing in the sight of our God, we may hold the keys of the invisible world. We may unlock Heaven's storehouses, and draw upon their inestimable treasures.  {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 17}
[ST, January 6, 1888 par. 18]          Then let none of us entertain the thought that it is of little moment whether we heed the commandments of God, or pass them by with indifference. When the great books of Judgment are opened, and the motives of every heart are laid bare, there will be no excuse for those who trifle with God's plain words. "The wages of sin is death." This is the awful and inevitable sentence pronounced upon the transgressor. But the righteous shall enter into life. Says the Son of God, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."                                                                   -    {ST, January 6, 1888 par. 18}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 1]       January 13, 1888 True Religion.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         What is true religion? It is to love God with all the heart, and our neighbors as ourselves. This is the whole duty of man. To reach this high standard of character should be the absorbing purpose of every soul. How shall I love God with all my heart? What means are provided for fixing my affections on high and heavenly things? Love to God must be cultivated daily, by calling to mind the great love that God has manifested toward us in giving us his well-beloved Son.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 2]          We should try to comprehend the wonders of this amazing sacrifice. We should dwell on the marvelous love of our Redeemer till our stony hearts are melted in contrition and gratitude. The love that stirred his bosom enabled him, the spotless Lamb of God, to become an offering for the guilty transgressor of his Father's law. It sustained him in his purpose to save the fallen race, amid their heartless ingratitude and scorn. It strengthened him for temptation, reproach, torture, poverty, shame, and death. Oh, the unfathomable depths of redeeming love! who can sound this mighty deep?  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 3]          When we make redemption the subject of our meditation, and try to comprehend the vastness of the plan of salvation, and to realize the unutterable love of Him who has died for us, our hearts will be subdued and softened, and we shall yield them wholly to our Saviour. We shall fall at his feet in adoration, exclaiming, "My Lord and my God!" A more than human love is wakened in the soul, through the knowledge of the wonderful love of Christ to one who has rebelled against his rule and grieved him by transgression. The sinner who has felt the power of Christ's cleansing blood, has a deep and abiding sense that he owes his all to that Saviour who has purchased him with his own precious life. All who have this consciousness and appreciation of the love of Christ, will esteem it the highest privilege of their lives to devote every power of their being to his service. The transforming grace of Christ moulds the desires of the heart, and there is a ready willingness to make any sacrifice for the truth's sake.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 4]          Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity to share with him in humiliation, shame, and reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes suffering, for his sake, sweet; and they know that if they suffer with him they shall also reign with him in his glory. This experience of suffering for Christ's sake is absolutely essential to the spiritual life of the Christian. There can be no true, vital godliness without seasons of trial and grief. We are chosen in the furnace of affliction, and the trial of our faith is more precious than gold.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 5]          Many claim to love God while they fail to cherish love toward their brethren; but genuine love to God will testify to its real existence by love to our fellow-men. Those who love God will reveal the tender, compassionate spirit of Jesus to all that are around them. They will love their brethren, because they are the members of the body of Christ. They will love the sinner, because he is the purchase of the blood of Christ; and this love, abiding in the heart, will display itself by earnest labor to benefit and bless all with whom they associate. They will yearn for the salvation of men, and will lead others to the fountain that has refreshed their own souls.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 6]          The love of Christ will not make us less fit for actual life, but will enable us to adapt ourselves to the wants of others, and will develop highly practical fruit in our daily experience. It is not a weak sentimentalism. It is not of that cheap order that is earthly and sensual, leading to debasement of the soul and defilement of the character. It is not of earthly, but of heavenly origin. This love is elevating in its nature, enduring and ennobling, shedding rays of beneficence upon all within the circle of its influence. God, through his Son, has sent down this heavenly love to unite us with himself. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Let us ponder this divine love, that we may become changed, and may reflect this precious attribute of the character of our Redeemer. We shall be in less peril of placing our affections on unworthy objects.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 7]          The disciple John became a possessor of this divine love. The regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit renewed his heart. He came under the power of the love of Christ, and the knowledge of this love awakened a depth of affection that, by its infusion through his heart, wrought a transformation of character. The warm affection of John was not the cause of Christ's love for him. The Saviour had loved him before this affection had an existence; but the unmerited kindness of his Lord had kindled love in the breast of the disciple.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 8]          John's natural character was marked with imperfections. He was impetuous, and resentful under injuries. When the Samaritans refused to entertain his Lord because they thought he favored the Jews more than he did them, John wanted the insult to receive immediate retribution. His spirit was stirred with revenge, and he said to his Master, "Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" Jesus looked upon John, and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 9]          Revengeful thoughts and words are contrary to the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus. It is not always easy to bring our feelings under control. The human heart needs to be guarded continually, that we may not cherish a spirit unlike that of our divine Lord. It will be impossible for us to bear insult and harshness with loving forbearance and patience unless we drink of the spirit of Him "who, when he was reviled, reviled not again." It is natural for us to think when we are falsely accused that we must retaliate and show our contempt of the traducers, but this is foreign to the meekness of our Redeemer. We must not allow one revengeful thought to arise. Sorrow and indignation may fill our hearts for a season, because souls are deceived and misled by these falsehoods; but it will not help matters to cherish unholy anger, and it will not be cherished where the forgiving love of Christ has imbued the soul.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 10]          The prevalent opinion that John was naturally of a meek and yielding character is proved, by a study of his life, to be erroneous. He had high ambitions to be first in the kingdom of Christ. He had decidedly rebuked one who was casting out devils in the name of Jesus, because he was not in their company. He had strong traits of character, not weak and vacillating, but self-assertive and ambitious for honor. Jesus taught the needed lessons of humility and patience. He manifested in contrast to John's violent spirit, calm consideration and forbearance. John was a learner in the school of Christ. As the character of the divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. The strength and the patience, the power and tenderness, the majesty and the meekness, that he beheld in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love; but he was not simply an admirer; he showed his appreciation by imitating the divine characteristics of his Lord. His revengeful, ambitious temper he yielded to the moulding power of the Spirit of Christ. He set his soul to copy the lovely Pattern and become like Him who is meek and lowly of heart.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 11]          This is the sure result of association with Jesus. As we meditate upon his character our hearts are drawn out in love, desire awakens to become like him whom we love, and, by beholding, we become changed. When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed. Everything that defileth is banished from the soul's temple. Lust, base passions, impure thoughts, pride, inordinate affections, revenge, retaliation, covetousness, envy, all these are prohibited; and what we once loved, now we hate; for we become new creatures in Christ Jesus. Christ's Spirit, Christ's love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raise the thoughts and desires toward God and Heaven.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 12]          The truth we claim to believe should make us better men and women in our home life, in our church relations, in our business, and in our intercourse with our friends and neighbors. Unless this result is manifested, we should examine ourselves to see what is hindering the sanctifying influence of the truth from accomplishing its work of purification in our lives. "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." Our characters must be moulded after the divine model, that we may have an elevating influence on all with whom we associate. "If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his."  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 13]          Had Peter practiced the lessons that Christ presented during his ministry, he would never have apostatized and denied his Lord; but we thank God that, although in his weakness he did forsake his Master, he thoroughly repented and was forgiven. The lessons which he had failed to take to heart were learned and made practical in his life, and at last he who had deserted his Lord counted it too great an honor that he was permitted to suffer shame and death for his sake.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 14]          How different it was with Judas. He had been in the society of the great Teacher. The same privileges were granted to him as were bestowed on Peter and John; but how did he respond to the light? Like many of this day, he professed to be a follower of Christ, but failed to identify his interests with the cause of his Lord. He listened to the lessons of Christ, but the made no change in his character. He did not seek to rid himself of his selfish penuriousness by sacrificing for the advancement of the cause he claimed to espouse. He cultivated a spirit of greed, till the desirableness of Christ and Heaven was eclipsed. This plague-spot in his soul spread, like a destroying leprosy, till the whole man was corrupted. Noble liberty was left to wither. Every unselfish purpose was darkened, until the hope of obtaining a few paltry dollars led him to betray his Saviour.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 15]          How many are repeating these mistakes, because they do not profit by the example of those who have followed this course in the past! They are not doers of the words of Christ. They do not conform their lives to his divine instruction. Those who have the greatest deformities of character, may have the greatest grace. The highest seat will be awarded to those who, through appropriating the promises of God to themselves, attain the greatest likeness to Christ.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 16]          A longing, hungering desire takes possession of the soul that is conforming to the divine standard. Oh, to be filled with the knowledge of the will of God! Oh, that heavenly light may illumine the pathway! Oh, for deeper draughts of the well of salvation! This is the constant cry of the heart to God, and the promise is that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 17]          It is the love of Jesus in the soul that enables the Christian to count all things as loss, to endure toil, to rejoice in sacrifice, and to suffer reproach for the truth. Love for Jesus is the motive power of the life-work, and the sustaining strength for every duty.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 17}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 18]          While the love of God makes its possessor meek and lowly of spirit, and eradicates all hatred and revenge, and all that is unholy, it will not leave the Christian without power to oppose wrong and rebuke sin. If dangerous errors threaten the faith, through the efforts of deceived church-members or false shepherds, they will be met and opposed with decision. The soldiers of Christ must be like sentinels on guard, watching on the walls of Zion. They must defend the faith once delivered to the saints, and press back the powers of moral darkness with determined energy and will.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 18}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 19]          The disciple John, while he has written many chapters on the subject of love, speaks very decidedly to his brethren on the duty of rebuking error. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God," is his decision; and he instructs them not to receive such a one into their houses or bid him Godspeed.  {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 19}
[ST, January 13, 1888 par. 20]          We must arm ourselves with the Spirit of Christ, stand in defense of the truth, and yet do this whole work of honoring God and resisting evil without having a spirit of retaliation arise in our hearts. Every warning in the word of God is to be heeded, every instruction followed, that we may keep our souls in the love of God. We must oppose error for Christ's sake and for the sake of the purchase of his blood, that God may be honored, his ways vindicated, and souls saved from the fast-hastening ruin that is to overwhelm the world. Christ is our example in all things. We must consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest we be weary and faint in our minds. We must go forward, exemplifying in our lives the principles of true religion, that we may be living epistles. "known and read of all men;" that we may love God with all our heart, and our neighbors as ourselves.                                                                   -    {ST, January 13, 1888 par. 20}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 1]       January 20, 1888 Know the Reason of Your Hope.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "But 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."  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 2]          This exhortation is addressed to the children of God. The Scriptures are they which testify of our hope, and it is necessary for us to search them diligently, that we may be ready to give an intelligent and well-grounded reason for our faith. This is the duty enjoined upon us by Him who gave his life to redeem man.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 3]          After the crucifixion of Christ two disciples were journeying toward Emmaus. Their hearts were burdened with grief and doubt. Their way lay over a bleak, barren plain, broken by rugged ridges dangerous steeps. The ground was cracked and parched, and loose stones strewed the path.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 4]          As they ascended the ridge a stranger joined them; but they were so engrossed in reviewing the mournful events of the passover week that they did not notice his presence. The stranger gently accosted them; but their eyes were holden, and they did not recognize their divine Master. And he asked, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them. What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. . . . Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 5]         Had not the disciples heard this very exposition of these scriptures from their Master's lips while he was with them? But how little had they comprehended them! How forcible is their meaning now! How startling their fulfillment! The truths they had but dimly discerned now stand revealed in a blaze of light. The very things he had told them have been accomplished. Faith begins to revive. Their hearts beat with a strong and renewed hope as they listen eagerly to the plain, simple words of their unknown fellow-traveler. They are surprised to find their burdened hearts becoming light; and as they think of Jesus, of all he was to them, of all he suffered, their tears flow freely. Their confidence had not been misplaced. He was all and even more than they had believed.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 6]          If these men had no reason of their hope within them, their hearts would not have responded to the world's Redeemer as he strove to fasten their trembling faith upon the testimony of the prophets concerning himself. As it was, the evidences of the truth needed only to be revived in their minds. The very clouds that darkened their faith grew luminous with assurance as they saw the harmony of prophecy and its fulfillment. As the mists began to lift, the betrayal, trial, and crucifixion stood like great waymarks promising the fulfillment of the word of God, witnessing to his providences, and telling the story of the unutterable love and truth of their Saviour. Again their feet stood firm on the sure foundation.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 7]          There will be chapters of a similar character in the experience of every follower of Christ. Faith will be tested, and for a time its brightness will be dimmed; but those who sincerely love God will not be left to be overwhelmed. Jesus comes to their side. He speaks to them. He encourages them. It may be through some humble agent; but he surely ministers unto them.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 8]          The divine Son of God, the resurrected Saviour, who walked with the sorrowing disciples up and down the steeps that intercepted the journey to Emmaus, is our compassionate Saviour. He knows whose hearts are burdened with sorrows and disappointed hopes. He is at our right hand to interest himself in all our sorrows and to soothe our griefs. He presses close to the believing mourner who yearns for his presence; but he never forces his company upon any.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 9]          These two disciples saw in Jesus not only a stranger but one who had been acquainted with their beloved Master, and as such he was endeared to them. The sun sinks behind the hills and they near their destination. They cannot endure the thought of separation. As the stranger seems about to leave them they urge the request, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent."  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 10]          The three weary travelers had walked together. The Son of God was one with them. He had labored up the toilsome steeps; he had moved with equal caution down the precipitous path, and there was nothing in his dress or his manner to lead the disciples to suspect that he was any other than one of the many pilgrims returning from the great feast.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 11]          He enters the lowly home, and is seated before the humble board. While the meal is preparing, words that stir and warm the heart flow from his lips. He puts forth his hands to bless the bread. The eyes of the disciples are riveted on them. They see the print of the nails. They recognize his voice. The words, the tone, the manner, are all familiar. It is the Master himself. He whom they had placed in Joseph's new tomb lives before them. They had walked with their risen Saviour from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Oh! why had they not known him? Their unbelief had hidden Jesus from their view. They rise in great haste and fall at his feet to express their joy; but he is gone.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 12]          The disciples had thought themselves weary; but now their vigor is renewed. Discouragement is gone. They stop not for food, nor feel they the need of it, but hasten to retrace their steps over the rough path so lately trodden with Jesus. They have a message of joy to carry to their mourning brethren. They have seen and talked with Jesus. He has risen from the dead. Their hearts are all light, and joy, and peace.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 13]          They urge their way through the darkened streets, and climb to the upper chamber. All is silent within; but finally, to their continued knocking, they hear the slipping of the bolts. The door is cautiously opened, and carefully barred after them. Scarcely had they finished relating the marvelous story of the walk to Emmaus to the incredulous disciples, when they behold with amazement another in their midst. It is Jesus. The bars and bolts have not been withdrawn. They have heard no footstep, and they are terrified. Their amazement deepens as they hear his voice, saying, "Peace be unto you," and continuing to reassure the terrified disciples: "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." "And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things."  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 14]          The duty of the disciple of Christ is revealed in these words. To preach to all nations repentance and remission of sins; to present Jesus as the sin-pardoning Redeemer. The hearts of sinners must be melted into contrition, before God will hear their prayer. When the soul is emptied of its defilement, Jesus will take possession, and pardon and peace that floweth like a river will be enjoyed.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 15]          The followers of Christ will have trials and conflicts while on earth, but we have a sure refuge in every storm. Jesus has told us, "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." The forces of Satan are marshaled against us. He is a diligent foe, but in following the warning of Christ we shall find safety. "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." There are foes to be resisted and overcome, but Jesus is by our side, ready to strengthen for every effort and brace for duty.  {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, January 20, 1888 par. 16]          We have a great work to do to be witnesses to the fulfillment of God's word; and to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us," will require a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. We need in these times of peace to become familiar with the prophecies that foretell the events to take place in our time, that, like the disciples, our minds will need only to be refreshed to become encouraged, and that the very trial which seems to confuse us may become a tower of strength, and an evidence that God is fulfilling the sure word of prophecy.                                                                   -    {ST, January 20, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 1]       January 27, 1888 "I Will Come Again."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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; that where I am, there ye may be also."  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 2]          The time of Jesus' betrayal, suffering, and crucifixion, was drawing near; and as the disciples gathered around him, the Lord unfolded to them the mournful events that were about to take place, and their hearts were filled with sorrow. To comfort them he spoke these tender words: "Let not your heart be troubled. . . . I will come again, and receive you unto myself." He directed their minds away from the scenes of sorrow, to the mansions of Heaven and the time of reunion in the kingdom of God. "I go to prepare a place for you." Though he must go from them and ascend to his Father, his work for those he loved would not be at an end. He was to prepare homes for those who, for his sake, were to be pilgrims and strangers on the earth.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 3]          After his resurrection "he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven." And as he went up, two shining angels asked the disciples, "Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? 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." Do you imagine as they went back to Jerusalem that they said to one another, "Well, the Lord has left us. What is now the use of trying to gain followers to Jesus? Let us return to our nets. Let us take up our old employment. What can we do against the opposition of the world?" There is no record of any such conversation. Not a line is written or a hint given that they had a thought of leaving the service of their ascended Lord, for the service of self and the world. The Saviour's hand had been outstretched in blessing his disciples he had left behind as he ascended. They had seen his glory. He had gone to prepare mansions for them. Their salvation had been provided for, and if they were faithful in complying with the conditions, they would assuredly follow him to the world of unending joy. Their hearts were filled with songs of rejoicing and praise.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 4]          We all have the same cause for thanksgiving. The resurrection and ascension of our Lord is a sure evidence of the triumph of the saints of God over death and the grave, and a pledge that Heaven is open to those who wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Jesus ascended to the Father as a representative of the human race, and God will bring those who reflect his image to behold and share with him his glory.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 5]          Though the disciples had gazed far into the Heaven until their Lord had vanished from their sight, they did not behold the angels that gathered around their beloved commander. Jesus led a multitude of captives who had risen from the grave at his resurrection. As the glorious company approach the gates of the eternal city the angels sing. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in." And the angels guarding the gates respond, "Who is this king of glory?" The attendant angels reply, "The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory." As the glorious train passes in, the angels are about to bow in adoration before the Lord of glory; but he waves them back. Before he will permit their homage he must know that his sacrifice for the fallen race has been accepted of the Father. He must know whether the price paid for the redemption of the lost has been sufficient to ransom them from the power of sin and the grave. This is the absorbing thought in the breast of the Saviour. Amid the splendor of the courts of glory, amid ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands waiting to cast their crowns at his feet, he does not forget those that he has left on earth to bear opposition, reproach, and scorn. After the Father has assured him that the ransom paid is accepted, still he has a request to offer for those who believe in him and follow in his footsteps: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me" for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." He requested that his disciples might enter into his joy and share his glory; and at last the faithful servant of the Lord will hear the glad words, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 6]          When he had finished preferring his requests, the Father gave the command, "Let all the angels of God worship him," Then the song of joy and love swells through the heavenly courts, "Worthy, worthy, worthy, is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again, a triumphant conqueror." And this same Jesus, whom unnumbered hosts of angels delight to adore, is coming again to fulfill his promise and receive those who love him unto himself. Have we not great reason to rejoice? "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." The consummation of our hope is at hand; the faithful will soon enter into the joy of their Lord.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 7]          A little time is given that the inhabitants of the world may hear the warning, and that those who will may prepare for the coming of the great king. We must not be like the foolish virgins. They did not provide oil for their lamps, and at the very time when the cry was raised, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh," their lights burned dim and went out. Are there not many who are pursuing the same unwise course? They profess to be followers of Jesus, but they are making no preparation for his glorious appearing and kingdom. They go on, taken up with the affairs of this world, and have no realization of the great events about to come to pass.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 8]          Christ warned us in view of this very time that we should not be engrossed in the cares of the world, to the neglect of eternal interests; but how many of us allow the things of this life to interpose between our souls and the great gift of Heaven. How few are living for the glory of God and the good of humanity. How few are telling their children of the love of Christ, of the mansions of Heaven, of the necessity of faith and obedience. How few are warning their friends and neighbors of the fast-hastening Judgment. My heart is pained with the thought of the ingratitude of man to his Maker, and the indifference of souls to their dearly-purchased salvation. We are warned that if we do not watch and pray, the day of final reckoning will overtake us as a thief in the night, and our portion will be appointed with the hypocrites and unbelievers. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day." There is every provision made that we may have the light, and there will be no excuse in the day of God if we are overtaken in our sins. Sorrow and woe await those who do not heed the instructions of the word of life; but what joy is in store for those who have made preparation for the coming of their Lord! They will be changed from mortality to immortality. They will see the King in his beauty, and reflect his image. They will be caught up to be forever with the Lord.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 9]          Let us go forward together to reach the great reward and join the song of the redeemed. If we ever sing the praises of God in Heaven, we must first sing them here. Out of grateful hearts the notes of thanksgiving should spring continually, and our lips should tell of the goodness of the Lord, and magnify his holy name. All complaint and murmuring should cease among the children of the Most High. We ought to be the happiest people on the earth, because we have a mighty Saviour in the sanctuary above, who has died that we might live. It might be inferred from our sad countenances and words of complaint that Jesus was still in Joseph's tomb, with a great stone rolled before the door; but I declare to you that Jesus is risen, that he loves you, that he represents you in the courts of his glory, making intercession for you. We should rejoice and praise God with songs of unfeigned thankfulness. Let us determine that if it costs everything we will have Heaven and become partakers of the divine nature.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 10]          We may have a right to enter into the city, to eat of the tree of life, and to share in the unending joy of the redeemed. We may listen to the voice of Jesus, sweeter than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, as he welcomes his children to their eternal home. Those who have chosen his service will hear him say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." And oh, what a kingdom! There will be no night in the city of gold. God and the Lamb will be its light. There are homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for the righteous --crowns of glory, palms of victory. All that perplexed us in the providences of God, will then be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find an explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken purposes we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered these experiences that seemed the most trying and hard to bear. 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.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 11]          Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of Heaven. There will be no more 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." One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen as eternity rolls on.  {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, January 27, 1888 par. 12]          Think of this, children of suffering and sorrow, and rejoice in hope. Strive with all your God-given powers to enter into the kingdom of Heaven; for "many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Jesus has promised, "I will come again, and receive you unto myself." "But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth?" This is the question we should put to our souls. It becomes us, as rational beings, to consider whether we are prepared to meet our Lord, or placing our affections upon the things of earth. When we think how many are given to selfishness and pleasure-seeking, our hearts are troubled. The careless and indifferent, whose chief care is for their personal and earthly interests, will be left in outer darkness, but those who are waiting for their Lord, with their lamps trimmed and burning, will go in with the heavenly Bridegroom to the wedding.                                                                   -    {ST, January 27, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 1]       February 3, 1888 "Serve the Lord with Gladness".  ［SERMON  PREACHED AT CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And 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."  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 2]          There are times when under adversity and sorrow, the servants of God become discouraged and despondent. They brood over their circumstances, and, contrasting their condition with the prosperity of those who have no thought or care for eternal things, they feel aggrieved. They manifest a spirit of reproach, and murmur and repine at their lot. They seem to consider that God is under special obligation to bless them and prosper their undertakings, and therefore, as they are placed in situations of trial, they grow rebellious, and look with envy on the wicked who flourish in their iniquity. They seem to regard the condition of the transgressor as preferable to their own. These bitter thoughts are suggested to the mind by the deceiver of mankind. It is his delight to stir up rebellion in the breasts of the children of God. He knows it causes them weakness, and is a source of dishonor to their God. He desires us to think that it is a vain thing to serve God, and that those who are unmindful of the claims of Heaven are more favored than those who strive to obey the commandments of God.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 3]          The psalmist David had this experience. When he looked upon the flourishing condition of the wicked he was envious of their success, and said, "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued." But when he went into the sanctuary, and communed with the Lord, he no longer desired the portion of the wicked; for then he understood their end. He saw that their way led to destruction at last, and their pleasure was but for a season. Envy had no more a place in his heart. His rebellious spirit bowed in humble submission to his God, and he declared, "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." He saw that the guidance of the Lord was of infinitely more value than all the temporal prosperity of the world; for the way of the Lord kept the feet in the paths of righteousness that lead to eternal glory.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 4]          The true servant of God will take the suggestions and temptations of Satan to the throne of grace, where peace and submission will flow into the soul. When he enters into the sanctuary he will know the end of those who have not the fear of the Lord before their eyes. The Lord has heard our murmuring. He says, "Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance?" This question will present itself, with more or less force, to the minds of the people of God; but before you answer it think of the exalted honor that the God of Heaven has conferred upon you. Think how he has given his only begotten Son, that a way of salvation might be opened for you. Think how he has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, called you to be the children of the Most High, called you to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Is this no compensation? no encouragement?  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 5]          In these last days there is a call from Heaven inviting you to keep the statutes and ordinances of the Lord. The world has set at naught the law of Jehovah; but God will not be left without a witness to his righteousness, or without a people in the earth to proclaim his truth. The door of the heavenly sanctuary has been opened, and no man can shut it, and the light of the Holy of Holies is shining into the world. The people of God have had their attention called to the ark of the testimony, and the law within it has been revealed with its unalterable precepts. In holy vision, John saw the remnant church on the earth, in an age of lawlessness, and he points them out in unmistakable language: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." They are in harmony with that law that rests in the ark in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. The whole duty of man is summed up in its sacred precepts. In the heart of the law is the commandment enjoining upon man the observance of the Sabbath of Jehovah, which the world and the church have trodden under their feet. For centuries men have walked in blindness concerning the true Sabbath, and the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now is the day of reformation, and he calls upon men everywhere to repent. When the light of God's disregarded commandment shone upon the path of those who sincerely loved God, they delayed not to keep his statutes. They realized that they must come out from the world and be separate, and touch not the unclean, that they might claim the promise, "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." They became the repairers of the breach that has been made in the law of God, because they turned away their feet from the Sabbath, from doing their pleasure on God's holy day, and called the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable, and did honor him, not speaking their own words or finding their own pleasure.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 6]          Now the question is, Will we ally ourselves with those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? Will we cease to trample upon the Sabbath of the Lord our God? We want to be sure that we are the children of light; that we are following in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Example. The cross lies in our pathway, but shall we not take it up and bear it for his sake who bore the cross for us? All who are seeking to serve God will have trials; but shall we say, What does it profit to come out from the world and be separate? Shall we call the proud happy? Shall we say that those who work wickedness are set up? that those who tempt God are even delivered, and we are left unaided in the midst of sorrows?  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 7]          This is the evil that will prevail in the hearts of many. They will grow despondent in their service, because they are not prospered as the wicked are. Some are acting on the suggestions of the enemy today, and are distrusting their best friend. But we want you to understand that if you rely on God in your trial, with living faith, not one of his gracious promises will fail. The Lord is acquainted with all our sorrows and self-denials. Those who have embraced the truth in all ages have had to suffer for its sake, and shall we be exempt? Let the mind dwell upon the sufferings of our precious Saviour. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." He made himself of "no reputation," took upon him the "form of a servant," and humbled himself "even to the death of the cross." "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." "For our light affliction, 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."  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 8]         There must be a coming up, lest Satan divert the mind from the contemplation of the spiritual and eternal, to the earthly and temporal. God is willing to give you grace and strength for every time of need, if you seek for it with a sincere heart.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 9]          We read that "they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." When the people that are engaged in the service of God come together, they are to speak words that will encourage and comfort and upbuild their brethren in the faith. They are not to find fault with their lot, and question the dealing and work of God. They are not to murmur against each other, and magnify their trials and sacrifices, thus leaving the impression that it is unprofitable to serve God. Let them remember the loving-kindnesses of the Lord, and the multitude of his tender mercies, and, out of hearts melted with gratitude and love, let them praise his name and inquire, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" Angels record the words of your lips in the books of remembrance. God hearkens and hears the utterances of his servants; and those who appreciate his mercy and love his name "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."  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 10]          Do not say it is a vain thing to serve God. Have respect unto the recompense of the reward. Even in this life you are to cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you. His promise is, that if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all necessary things shall be added unto you. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice, and the hairs of your head are all numbered.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 11]          The glory of the eternal world has been opened before me, and I want to tell you that Heaven is worth your winning. An infinite price has been paid that you might share in its indescribable glories, and enjoy its exalted privileges. The God of Heaven did not spare even his only Son, that rebel man might be restored to the favor of Heaven; and shall we hesitate to yield to him grateful and whole-hearted service? Oh, that no word of murmuring might ever escape the lips of those who have tasted of the heavenly gift! This is no time to ask, What does it profit to keep the ordinances of our God? The celestial city is just before us. If you could get one glimpse into the glories of that place, you would not count any loss too great if you might only walk its streets of transparent gold, and sing the song of triumph with the white-robed company of Heaven. You would not wish for the prosperity of earth, or be envious of the wicked.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 12]          There are traces, even amid the havoc that sin has wrought, of what God has done to make the earth beautiful. I enjoy these prospects of loveliness in nature. My mind is carried up through nature to nature's God, and I adore him who has created such scenes of beauty; but I know that if I love God and keep his commandments there is "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" awaiting me in the kingdom of Heaven. Beautiful as are the landscapes of earth, "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." God designs that we should contemplate heavenly things, and that we should dwell upon the attributes of his character, till we see matchless charms in our God, and become changed into the same image. When we are renewed in the spirit of our minds, we shall have no disposition to murmur at our lot; the praise of God will be welling up in our hearts continually. The solemn responsibilities that God has laid upon us for the salvation of souls will absorb our whole heart and mind, and we shall have no time to talk of our trials and sacrifices. Oh! we must wash our robes of character from every stain, in the blood of the Lamb, and prepare for the great day of God. We must not wait till the Lord comes in the clouds of heaven before we make our calling and election sure.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 13]          Enoch walked with God three hundred years before his translation to Heaven. He had the daily testimony that his ways pleased God. Why should not every Christian follow Christ as did this faithful servant? Do you love Jesus a great way off? Do the tidings of his coming seem a message of joy to your heart? Do you find his service a profitable service? How can you win others to the truth, if your own heart is not in the work, and you do not see matchless charms in your Redeemer? The prayer of Christ was, that he might be glorified in those he had left upon earth to carry on his work, and we do not glorify our Redeemer when we complain of the difficulties of the way, and murmur at the providences of God.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, February 3, 1888 par. 14]          Jesus is soon coming in power and great glory, and we are not to sit down in idle expectation of this event. We are to show our faith by our works. He has committed to every man his work. A great truth has been given to us, and the world must be warned of the fast-approaching judgments. Every talent must be given out to the exchangers, that it may be used for the good of man and the glory of God. And those who are faithful to the small trusts of earth, will be made rulers of many things in the eternal world. Now we have the precious privileges of probation. We have the opportunity of laboring in the greatest cause that ever engaged the attention of the servants of God. Let us not spend these valuable moments in discontent at our lot. Let us praise God, and speak often one to another and to all that we meet, of his marvelous truth. The Lord will count such among his jewels, and will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.  {ST, February 3, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 1]       February 10, 1888 Be Diligent.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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, 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. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 2]          The day of the Lord is at hand, when the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and all the cities of the earth shall be destroyed. Christ, escorted by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, shall come in the clouds of heaven. The righteous dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and rise from their graves to immortal life, and we that are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and so be forever with the Lord. In view of these great and solemn events we are exhorted to be diligent that we may be "found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 3]          There are attractions on every hand to draw the mind away from the contemplation of the coming of our Lord and Saviour; but it is absolutely necessary to bear in remembrance that "the great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly." The God of Heaven has multiplied warnings, entreaties, and instructions, that we may be prepared to stand in the time of the overwhelming destruction. We are not left in darkness. Those who meditate and act upon the instructions that God has given will cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit. They will keep in mind the command to "be diligent," to be holy in all their conversation and life. An infinite price has been paid for our redemption that we might have an opportunity to turn to God and perfect characters that will meet the approbation of Heaven. And we should inquire as did the lawyer, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Christ answered, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" The lawyer replied, "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 neighbor as thyself." And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 4]          Christ presented the great moral standard or righteousness to the lawyer. Every man's life must meet this test in the Judgment. Now you are invited to look into the law of God. Take the ten commandments, that grow out of the principles of love to God and love to man, and see if you are in harmony with their requirements. If you are not breaking any one of them, you may ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you; for you are in the favor of God. The only way that you can determine whether you are righteous or not is by examining your heart with the light of the law and the Spirit of God. As the looking-glass reveals the defects in your appearance, so the moral mirror of the law will make plain the imperfections of your character, and the true condition of your heart. Those who are looking into the perfect law of liberty, and seeking a fitness for Heaven, will realize their need of divine help and will often be found before God in prayer.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 5]          Only those who are sanctified through the truth will be accepted as heirs of eternal life. The sanctification that God intends his children should have, is not of that character which leads men to boast of their holiness and reject the law of God, which is "holy, and just, and good." Bible sanctification is implicit obedience to the requirements of God. Christ did not die to save anyone in the pollution of sin. He came to "save his people from their sins," that "the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled" in his followers. The death of the Son of God on the cross demonstrates the immutable character of the precepts of Jehovah. Then how grieved should we be for every transgression and disobedience. The precious Saviour was bruised for our iniquity. There is enmity against the commandments of God in the hearts of those who claim sanctification and refuse to acknowledge the binding obligation of the law. Hatred arises in their hearts as soon as the law is mentioned. They profess to believe that the law is abolished. But if the law is abolished, what is the standard by which we shall be judged before the judgment-seat of Christ? This work of belittling the law is the work of the great deceiver. If Satan can persuade men that the God of the universe has no law by which he governs them, then he can set up a standard of his own, and turn men into the path of transgression and destruction.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 6]          Sanctification is not the work of an hour, it is the result of the constant effort of a lifetime. We must fight the good fight of faith, struggle against the powers of darkness, resist evil, subdue the natural tendencies to sin, and by the grace of God perfect holiness, and work out our own salvation. The nearer we come to Jesus and behold the purity and greatness of his character, the less we shall feel like exalting self. The contrast between our character and his will lead to humiliation of soul and deep heart-searching. We shall not desire to boast of our holiness; but the more we love Jesus, the more will self be forgotten and humbled. When our souls are filled with self-esteem and pride we cannot realize the need of divine power; but when we are aware of our own insufficiency our hearts cry out, "Other refuge have I none," and we hang our helpless souls upon Him who is mighty to save.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 7]          Our precious Saviour gave his life that fallen man might be saved. It was impossible for those who had once weakened themselves by transgression to fulfill the requirements of God; the consequence and penalty of sin was upon the race; but the Lamb of God paid the penalty of the past transgressions, and will impart to those who believe on him power to become the sons of God, power to obey the commandments of the law. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we may be conquerors in the battle with "the world, the flesh, and the devil." Jesus says, "Without me ye can do nothing;" we are dependent upon him for divine grace and help from day to day. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." But let no one think that because Christ has died for us we are released from all personal responsibility, that we need not be particular to obey his will, to glorify God or to honor the rule of his government. "Sin is the transgression of the law," and sin is very offensive in his sight. We must put it away if we would enter the city wherein is nothing that defileth.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 8]          A true appreciation of the plan of salvation will fill us with wonder and love. Our hearts will be so melted with the love that Jesus has manifested toward us, that we cannot be taken up with the affairs of this world. When Christ is abiding in the heart and we have a true conception of the sacrifice that he has made, we shall talk about it. We shall understand something of the perfection of the law that he came to magnify and make honorable. The privilege of obedience will seem precious and gracious to our souls. We shall take no delight in the teaching of those who seek to make of no effect the law of God. We want that intelligent faith that has the word of God as its foundation, that leads in the path of righteousness, and makes every step a step Heavenward. Everything that God could do has been done that we might obtain salvation from sin and destruction. Now it depends upon us whether or not we will accept of the conditions of his mercy and co-operate with his divine aid, and gain eternal life.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 9]          "What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" The books of Heaven register everything just as it is. The angels make no mistakes. You cannot afford to speak evil of your brethren; this is not holy conversation. Whenever you are tempted to criticise and condemn others, close your lips, and lift up your heart in prayer to God that you may have power to resist and overcome. We have a great work to do to remove every defect of character and be a constant light to those around us, reflecting the character of Jesus, the light of the world. Those who are heads of families should do as did faithful Abraham. They should erect an altar to the Lord in their homes, and command their households after them, bringing up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I have been very careful in the education of my children that there should be no element of unbelief woven into their early teaching. They have never heard one word of questioning or doubt in regard to the word of God, the plan of salvation, or the truth for this time. I have kept the Saviour before them. I have repeated the story of his life, pictured the scenes of his suffering, humiliation, crucifixion, and death. I have sought to impress them with the importance of faith and obedience. I have presented before them the mansions of Heaven, and the future immortal life. We should seek to make these themes attractive to our little ones.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 10]          You are to be holy in your conversation. Your homes should not be darkened by faultfinding and criticism. You must manifest love and kindness to those who are dependent upon you. You should not hold up the peculiarities of your neighbors and indulge in jealousies, evil surmisings, and evil-speaking. All your bitter speeches are registered in the books of Heaven, and you will have to meet them again, if you do not repent and put away the evil of your doings.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 11]          Christ identifies his interests with the interests of his brethren on the earth. He said to those on the left hand, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." And they answered, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" And Christ declares, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." The persons that our Lord condemned were not aware that they had dealt unjustly with their brethren. Satan had so blinded their perceptions that they did not conceive what they owed to their brethren. They might have understood their duty; the word of God was full of instruction on this very point; but instead of searching the Scriptures and doing according to the words of God, they were simply neglectful hearers. When you are tempted to find fault with your brethren, take your Bible and read what that says; for right in the church you are dealing with Christ in the person of his saints. You do not want to be among those who are blinded to the grievousness of their sin, and who when they are rebuked ask, "When saw we thee, thus?" They do not comprehend how they have mistreated their Lord. On the other hand, those who have fulfilled their obligations to their fellow-men are received into the favor of Heaven. Every word of love, every act of kindness--even the cup of cold water that has been given in the name of Christ--is recognized and rewarded.  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 12]          Now let us seek Christ for ourselves, and find him precious to our souls. Let us minister to our brethren both in and out of the church. It is our privilege to be constantly strengthening those around us, and shedding an influence that will bless and elevate. Do not sow the seeds of envy, strife, and doubt. Let your conversation be holy before God. Seek in every way that you may grow up into a fit temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You must be living stones, reflecting and emitting the light of Heaven. The truth of God has quarried you out of the world to be squared and hewed and fitted for the heavenly building. The robe of your character must be washed till it is spotless, in the fountain opened for all uncleanness. Your moral worth will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and if you are found wanting, you will be at an eternal loss. All the coarseness, all the roughness, must be removed from your character before Jesus comes; for when he comes, the preparation for every soul is ended. If you have not laid aside your envy, your jealousies, your hatred one against another, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You would only carry the same disposition with you; but there will be nothing of this character in the world to come. Nothing will exist there but love and joy and harmony. Some will have brighter crowns than others, but there will be no jealous thoughts in any heart among the redeemed. Each one will be perfectly satisfied, for all will be rewarded according to their work; for "they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." Everyone will know that those who have been instrumental in winning souls to Jesus have engaged in the greatest work that ever employed the powers of man. Oh! shall we not bend every energy to this great and noble work, not seeking to destroy and tear down, but by every word and act, with all the tact and influence at our command, seek to save and build up others in the most holy faith?  {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, February 10, 1888 par. 13]          "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." We are approaching the time when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and we must make haste to depart from all iniquity, that our calling and election may be made sure. We are looking for new heavens and a new earth wherein the righteous shall dwell throughout eternity. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."                                                                   -    {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 1]       February 17, 1888 "Your Reasonable Service".  ［SERMON AT  GREAT GRIMSBY, ENGLAND, SEPTEMBER 24, 1886.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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."  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 2]          In the time of ancient Israel the priests critically examined every offering that was brought as a sacrifice. If any defect was discovered in the animal presented for the service of the sanctuary, it was refused, for the Lord had commanded that the offering should be "without blemish." We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God; and should we not seek to make the offering as perfect as possible? God has given us every instruction necessary for our physical, mental, and moral well-being, and it is the duty of every one of us to bring our habits of life into conformity with the divine standard, in every particular. Will the Lord be pleased with anything less than the best we can offer? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." If you do love him with all your heart, you will desire to give him the best service of your life, and you will be constantly seeking to bring every power of your being into harmony with the laws that will promote your ability to do his will. You will not feel satisfied to present to your merciful heavenly Father an offering enfeebled by indulgence of appetite and passion. You will plead for divine help and healing. And the grace of Christ will enable you to overcome your perverted appetites, and begin a work of reformation in your life. You are not to follow the customs of the world. "Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 3]          Every faculty of our being was given us that we might render acceptable service to our Maker. When, through sin, we perverted the gifts of God, and sold our powers to the prince of darkness, Christ paid a ransom for us, even his own precious blood. "He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them." And shall we waste the energies that he has ransomed at such infinite cost, by disregarding the laws of life and morality?  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 4]          Look at the world today. Misery and pain exist on every side; and the heart grows sick, beholding the untold suffering of humanity. The dead and the dying are continually before our eyes; but we cannot charge this to our heavenly Father. Man has brought this upon himself through sinful disregard of the laws of God. The most reckless habits are formed and practiced by the world, in regard to eating, drinking, and dressing. Suffering, disease, and premature death follow in the train of lawless, inconsiderate customs. In these matters of vital importance, men and women follow their impulses, without consulting reason, or considering the experiences of others. What a perverted appetite may crave, that they must have. Whatever the fashion may be, that they must follow, no matter how disastrous the result; but God would have us live in accordance with law, so that, whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we may glorify God and benefit our fellow-men.  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 5]         If we are the servants of Christ, we must fight against the evils of this degenerate age. While lawlessness of all kinds is sweeping over our world like a flood, we must take a decided stand on the requirements of the Bible, or we shall be swept away into moral and physical ruin. We must have moral strength to place ourselves, with firm determination, in opposition to the iniquity that abounds, or we shall be overcome. It is our privilege to understand the laws of this wonderful structure, the human habitation, that God has given us. Mind and body should be preserved in the best possible state of health that we may take up our work in the world. I know that much can be done toward building up a good condition of health. I have had five shocks of paralysis, and God, in his mercy, has raised me up, to take my place in the work he has given me to do, and to try to benefit others by my experience. Light was given me, and I saw the reason for my feeble health. I was astonished that I had so long remained in ignorance in regard to the laws of life. My habits were out of harmony with the conditions that are necessary to health. My food had not been of a proper kind to give vitality and strength to the system. It was highly seasoned, and stimulating rather than nutritious. The physicians said that I might die at any time, and I resolved that if I died, I would die in attempting to correct my injurious habits of life. I resolved to place myself on a platform of strictest temperance. I did not use tea or coffee or any kind of intoxicating wine or liquor, so I did not have these habits to overcome; but I had used flesh and spices, eating hearty meals three times a day. I had to educate myself to enjoy the simple, healthful grains and fruits that God has provided for the wants of man. But I found that all the sacrifice I had to make was doubly repaid in renewed health of body and mind. I had used pepper and mustard in my diet; but these should not be put into the human stomach. The delicate membrane becomes inflamed, the healthy tone of the stomach is lowered, and the appetite is perverted, the taste loses its discernment, and the delicious flavors of grains, vegetables, and fruits become insipid and unpalatable.  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 6]          I see that in this country wine and beer, as well as tea and coffee, are placed upon your tables. Could you realize the injurious effects of these things, you would banish them from your board. Luxurious living and the use of wine and beer corrupt the blood, inflame the passions, produce disease, and hasten you to your graves. The faculties are benumbed. The moral perception is blunted, and the mind becomes incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong; the animal passions are strengthened, and gain supremacy over the intellectual and spiritual nature.  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 7]          This fact is illustrated in the case of Nadab and Abihu. The Lord had kindled a sacred fire, from which the priests were to take coals, for the burning of incense before the Lord. They were not to use strange fire in the services of the sanctuary; but, under the effects of strong drink, the sons of Aaron lost all sense of sacred things. They kindled their incense from common fire, and disregarded the commandment of God. The Lord did not excuse their sin because they had unfitted themselves for their sacred duties by indulgence in drink. They were cut off from the congregation of Israel. God's dealing with these transgressors should be a warning to the children of men today. You are to offer to God a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. As these intoxicants are used, the same effects will follow as in the case of these priests of Israel. The conscience will lose its sensibility to sin, and a process of hardening to iniquity will most certainly take place, till the common and the sacred will lose all difference of significance.  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 8]         I have been invited here and there to come and take tea with certain families. I was glad to have an opportunity to talk with these friends; but I could not countenance their hurtful practice of tea-drinking, I could not partake of this beverage with them, or give my influence to encourage this unnecessary and injurious habit. After freely partaking, the effects of tea-drinking may be discovered. The face becomes flushed, the eyes brighten, a new vigor is manifested, and the mind seems unnaturally active. Tea is a stimulant, and its exhilarating effects are neither lasting nor beneficial. The same is true of coffee. I have heard people declare that they could not live without their coffee. They were languid and dispirited, and were unfit to take up the tasks of the day, but after they had had their coffee they felt revived and encouraged; but this feeling of strength was only due to the stimulant they had taken. They were, in reality, just as unfit for their tasks as before and had only spurred up their flagging energies. When the influence of coffee had passed away, they were left as much in need of another cup as before they had taken the first cup.  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 9]          We want a work of reformation in our land. There are thousands who can testify to the benefits of discarding these luxuries, and drinking from nature's pure fountain. Why should we go to China and Japan for the products of a backward civilization? Why not banish the narcotic bean and the poisonous herb, and come into harmony with the sanitary laws of the Bible? If we are pursuing a course of action that brings weakness upon us, how can we present to God a holy offering, a living sacrifice? We are required to love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves; but we are failing of this high requirement, if we are unfitting ourselves by hurtful habits for rendering acceptable service to our Maker and to our fellow-men. How can we think deeply and seriously on the plan of salvation, if our minds are clouded, our nerves unstrung, and our bodies full of pain and disease? If we are knowingly transgressing the laws of health, God cannot sustain and comfort us with his grace. This would only encourage us in wrong-doing. We must put our feet in the path of righteousness, and make all the efforts we can to walk uprightly, and then we may appropriate the rich promises, and we shall realize that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.  {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, February 17, 1888 par. 10]          We must be fitting up for the society of Heaven. We want to have a right to the tree of life. We want to enter that city where nothing that defileth shall ever come. Our characters must reach the standard of holiness. Every thought and habit must be brought into harmony with the will of God. Jesus came to our world to be our Saviour and example, and it is in his name alone, that we may gain the victory over perverted nature. He overcame in man's behalf, and through his grace we may become "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." He "suffered, being tempted" for forty days, in the lonely wilderness, he endured fasting and temptation that man might have help to overcome the cravings of appetite, and live, not by bread alone, "but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." He stood in his integrity, a conqueror, and through him the sons of Adam may also be overcomers. Those who put their energies against the sinful indulgence of appetite, will have his divine aid and sympathy, and "he that endureth unto the end shall be saved."                                                                   -    {ST, February 17, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 1]       February 24, 1888 "The Light of Life."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The world's Redeemer said, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 2]          Those who will walk in the footsteps of the meek and lowly Jesus will be sensible that the light of life is illuminating their pathway. Said the prophet, "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." While the world is lying under the gross shadow of error, ignorance, superstition, and death, the follower of Jesus walks in an atmosphere radiant with spiritual light. As he draws away from the traditions and customs of the world, and lifts the cross, and enters the way of truth, he finds that "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Every step of faith and obedience brings him into closer connection with the light of the world, in whom "is no darkness at all."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 3]          The believer in Jesus has a right to expect a rich and abundant experience. It is his privilege, if he has complied with the conditions, to plead and claim the promises of God, and if he does this he will receive according to his faith. Paul writes of his desire that the brethren at Ephesus might come to understand the height of the Christian's privilege. He says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 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, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 4]          The apostle Paul had been greatly blessed. He had been caught up to the third Heaven, and had heard things not lawful for man to utter. He had been shown what abundance of blessing the Lord is willing to bestow upon those who love his service and keep his commandments. He knew what exalted privileges belong to the obedient children of God, and he earnestly desired that they might have the glorious promises fulfilled in their experience. Amid the darkness of error, the delusions of Satan, the opposition of enemies, the trial and the conflict with principalities and powers, they were to be children of light. He opens before them in the most comprehensive language, the marvelous knowledge and power that they might possess as sons and daughters of the Most High. It was theirs to "be strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man," to be "rooted and grounded in love," to "comprehend what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge;" but the prayer of the apostle reaches the climax of privilege, when he prays that "ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 5]          Let us dwell upon this wonderful prayer, recorded that we may understand what heights of attainment we may reach, through faith in the promises of our heavenly Father, when we fulfill his requirements. Through the merits of Christ we have access to the throne of infinite power. "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?" The Father gave the Spirit without measure to his Son, and we also may partake of its fullness. Jesus says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." The prayer of the apostle only reaches the exaltation of the promise.  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 6]          How marvelous that humanity, an earthen vessel, can receive the treasure of the light and power of God; can be filled with the fullness of his grace! Jesus was anointed "with the Holy Ghost and with power," and he "went about doing good." This is the result of receiving the anointing of Heaven. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit you will work the works of Christ, you will seek the salvation of those around you, and "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 7]          Before his ascension, Jesus had promised the disciples that the Comforter should come. He said, "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." And on the day of Pentecost, "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. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." The baptism of the Holy Spirit was essential for the success of the ministry in the early gospel age; but it is no less necessary in this age when "darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." And the Lord has promised the same quickening spiritual power to his servants in these days. "It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 8]          Let us purify our souls by obeying the truth, lifting up "holy hands, without wrath and doubting," that we may obtain this heavenly gift, and realize, by a blessed experience, what is the meaning of the words of the apostle: "filled with all the fullness of God." There will be no question then but that you will "do all things without murmurings and disputings; 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." You will "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," knowing that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." You must come closer to Jesus. There is a great work to be done in the world, and your influence is as far-reaching as eternity. You must be rooted and grounded in the truth. If Christ, the hope of glory, is in you, the light of Heaven will shine from you into the moral darkness of the world, and souls will be guided to the light of life. You will be a chosen vessel, through which God will make manifest the riches of his saving power. Christ will be in you "a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." You will be daily refreshed by the streams of his salvation, and you will be a source of refreshment to those around you, for from you will "flow rivers of living water." The beauty of holiness will be seen in your life, for the comeliness of Christ will be put upon you. You will be a light-bearer in the world. Nothing short of this will be consistent with your holy faith and exalted calling. Your example and influence must be wholly on the Lord's side. Our Master has said that "he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 9]          A formal religion, a feeble faith, does not correspond to the truth we profess. It demands living energy and fervency of spirit. It must be heart-felt with us, if we would urge it to the hearts of others. It must be cherished with intense love, if we would have others feel the sacredness and preciousness of its claims. All who would engage in the work of saving souls, must feel their dependence on God. The gifted and eloquent, if their talents are wholly devoted to God, may be used in the greatest work that ever engaged the powers of man; but those of less ability, if they are clothed with humility, may become men of faith, and mighty in the Scriptures. He who is meek in spirit, who is purest and most child-like, will be made strong for the battle. He will "be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man." He who feels his weakness and wrestles with God, as did Jacob, and like this servant of old cries, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me," will go forth with the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. The atmosphere of Heaven will surround him. He will go about doing good. His influence will be a positive force acting upon others. He will be a living epistle, known and read of all men. He will know that the Captain of his salvation expects him to do his very best, and he will do it with cheerfulness.  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 10]          There is no excuse for anyone growing weak, inefficient, and faithless. The promise is to us: "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. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." Are there not some of us too much like the man who came to the minister, complaining that he had not been blessed, that he felt no joy; God did not answer his prayers although he had prayed again and again for a blessing. "Well," said the minister, "let us kneel right down here and tell the Lord just how the matter stands." After both had prayed, the minister asked him if he felt better. The man answered, "I feel no better than I did before I prayed. I did not expect to be blessed, and I am not blessed." He had made a mockery of prayer. He did not believe the Lord would answer him, and he received just what his faith had claimed. Is it any wonder that such prayers are not answered? "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Do you consider this, when you offer up your faithless petitions? Do you stop to consider how you are dishonoring God, and impoverishing your own soul? If you could but realize the wrong you are doing, you would cease to make mockery by meaningless devotions.  {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, February 24, 1888 par. 11]          Come to God in faith and humility. Plead with him till the break of day, if necessary, till your soul is brought into such close relationship with Jesus, that you can lay your burden at his feet, and say, "I know whom I have believed." The Lord is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Our cold, faithless hearts may be quickened into sensibility and life, till we can pray in faith, preach in faith, and say, "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." Let us seek for the fullness of the salvation of Christ. Follow in the footsteps of the Son of God, for his promise is, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."                                                                   -    {ST, February 24, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 1]       March 2, 1888 An Immortal Name.  ［SERMON AT COPENHAGEN,  DENMARK, OCTOBER 11, 1886.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The devoted children of God are not appreciated or valued by the world. The world did not value their divine Master. The beloved disciple writes, "Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." The Son of God made himself of no reputation. He was despised and rejected of men; and the servant is not greater than his lord. But while the world casts out the names of the sons of God, if they are humbly doing their appointed work they are winning an immortal name. They are not writing on sand, as are children of this world; but their names are traced in the Lamb's Book of Life for eternal remembrance.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 2]          The anxiety of the children of God is not that they may be highly esteemed by those around them, to have titles of honor and the praise of men; but that they may stand approved before Heaven, and be well pleasing to the Father and the Son. Their desire is to crowd all the good works possible, into their lives, to be a savor of Christ, to represent his character to the world, and thus honor and glorify the God of Heaven.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 3]          They are not unhappy because they are called upon to deny self and to work the works of Christ. They realize that the less of selfishness there is in the life, the more the joy of Heaven flows in. The Saviour prayed that his joy might be fulfilled in his disciples. The love of Jesus, expressed in every act of our lives, while it subdues self, will not fail to bring peace and songs of praise into our hearts. The meekness, forbearance, gentleness, and goodness of the true Christian sheds a radiance over all with whom he associates.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 4]          Those who come into sacred relation with the God of Heaven are not left to the natural weakness and infirmity of their natures. They are invited by the Saviour: "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." The righteousness of Christ is imputed unto them, and he gives them power to become sons of God. The world loses all attraction for them; for they seek a better country, an eternal reward, a life that is to continue through never-ending ages. This is the theme of their thought and conversation. The word of God becomes exceedingly precious. They discern spiritual things. They rejoice in "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." They long to see the King in his beauty, the angels that have never fallen, and the land of unfading bloom.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 5]          In the pathway of all who seek the crown, is the cross. If we would become partakers with Christ of his glory, we must be willing to share with him in his sufferings. If we would reflect his glorious image, we must be submissive to the divine moulding, we must follow in the footsteps of the Man of Calvary. God has claims upon every one of us. He created us, he redeemed us with an infinite sacrifice. He has promised the overcomer the great rewards of eternity. Why do we cling to anything that is offensive to him? Why not separate from every sin, and perfect holiness before him? The only reward for sin is unutterable woe and death; but the righteous shall be at his right hand in fullness of joy, in his presence where are pleasures forevermore.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 6]          "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." What a promise is this, that we may share in the glory of our Redeemer! 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. As Christ is pure in his sphere, so man may be pure in his sphere. Those who have, by beholding, become changed into the moral image of Christ, will put on immortality and incorruption at his appearing, and will be caught up to be forever with the Lord.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 7]         All Heaven is interested in our salvation. The angels of God are walking up and down the streets of these cities, and marking the deeds of men. They record in the books of God's remembrance the words of faith, the acts of love, the humility of spirit; and in the day when every man's work shall be tried of what sort it is, the work of the humble follower of Christ will stand the test, and will receive the commendation of Heaven. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 8]          We are too faithless. We do not take the promises of God, and drink in their rich meaning. We let doubt shut out the consolation of the assurances of God. Suppose that a man in this kingdom were condemned to death, but before the sentence was executed, a noble, who was able to free him, had compassion upon him, and he said, "I will die in his stead," and the fetters were removed, the prisoner went free, while the noble died. What gratitude would awaken in the doomed man's heart! He would never forget his deliverer. The deed of the noble would be heralded to all parts of the world. This is what Jesus, the prince of Heaven, has done for us. When we were under the condemnation of death he came to rescue us, to set us free from the bondage of Satan, and to deliver us from everlasting death. With his own precious blood he paid the penalty of our transgression. Does not gratitude awaken in your hearts for this wonderful love? Is it not your determination to yield all you have and are to the service of such a Saviour? Will you not become a laborer together with God, seeking the salvation of those for whom Christ died?  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 9]          You will lose nothing by connecting with the King of the universe. He "is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." He will welcome you to the home of the blest. There you will see that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." "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." What greater evidence could we ask of the love of God than he has given? Let us dwell upon his rich promises, till our hearts are melted into tenderness and devotion.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 10]          Jesus invites you, in words that touch the heart with their compassionate love and pity. He says, "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." Have you experienced this blessed rest, or do you slight this invitation to make a confidant of Jesus? Do you pour out your trials and grievances into human ears? Do you go for help to those who cannot give you rest, and neglect the loving call of the mighty Saviour? Have faith in God. Believe in the precious promises. Go to Jesus in child-like simplicity, and say: "Lord, I have borne these burdens as long as I can, and now I lay them upon the Burden-bearer. Do not gather them up again, but leave them all with Jesus. Go away free, for Jesus has set you free. He said, "I will give you rest." Take him at his word. Instead of your own galling yoke of care, wear the yoke of Christ. He says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Learn of him; for he is "meek and lowly of heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Fix your eyes upon Jesus. He is the light of the world, and he declares, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, March 2, 1888 par. 11]          You can show to the world that there is power in the religion of Christ. Jesus will help those who seek him with all their hearts, to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. When you follow the light, walking in the path of truth, you will reflect the rays of glory, and be like a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid. When the books of remembrance are opened, your words, your deeds of love, will be acceptable before God; your robes, washed in the blood of the Lamb, will be spotless; the righteousness of Christ will be put upon you, and you will be given a new, an immortal name.  {ST, March 2, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 1]       March 9, 1888 The Need of Humility.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 2]          We are not charged with the task of exalting ourselves. We need not labor for the highest place in the estimation of others, or seek supremacy for our opinions in the counsels of our brethren. The task that God points out to us is that of self-humiliation. We are to "do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly" before God. We are not to encourage self-esteem and personal pride, nor to cherish the thought that we are not appreciated, and that our ability is under-estimated. It is our work to take up our duties, however lowly, and perform them with fidelity and courage, doing all things "heartily, as to the Lord."  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 3]          We are the property of God; and shall we not be willing to stand in the lot that he assigns us, trusting his judgment, and gratefully accepting the privilege of becoming co-laborers with him in any part of his vineyard? If we are capable of a larger service, a more important work, the Lord knows all about it, and it is his work to lift us up. How thankful we should be that we are not burdened with the responsibility of estimating our own ability, and choosing our own place and position. It is our duty to exercise the talents that God has given us, and to study to show ourselves approved unto God, "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed." Every duty should be done with faithfulness and care, and the smile of God will rest upon him who is "faithful in that which is least." Let the humble service be devoted to God, and in due time you will be made "ruler over many things." Give yourselves unreservedly to God, and trust in his love and wisdom to dispose of all your interests and affairs.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 4]          Says the apostle, "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. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." Oh that everyone who professes the name of Christ among us would heed the admonition and humble himself, take up every duty, and co-operate with Christ in the work of salvation. If this were done, we would not be complaining at the lack of spirituality, for the showers of God's blessing would fall upon his church. All murmuring at the hardships of the way would be changed into songs of thanksgiving and praise to God; for he would lift you up according to his promise.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 5]          Cultivate the precious grace of humility. This will make you valuable in the sight of Heaven, for "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." Those who esteem themselves more highly than they should, make themselves a center of thought. They neglect their duty to their fellow-beings, for they do not cultivate that tender, caretaking spirit which should characterize the servant of Christ. All their care is spent upon the interests of self; but God would have us show thoughtful courtesy to others. We are not to set up our individual opinions as infallible. We are to respect the opinions of others. God would have us counsel together. We should be tractable, teachable, kind to each other, not striving which shall be esteemed as the greatest and have the highest honors.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 6]          Paul writes, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." It should be the constant effort of every disciple of the meek and lowly Jesus, to keep "the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." It is the desire for the exaltation of self that brings discord and dissension among brethren. If all were "kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another," the peace of Christ would abide in our midst, and rule in our hearts.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 7]          Jesus, the precious Saviour, was the majesty of Heaven; but he came to our world and walked among the children of men, not as a king demanding homage, but as one whose work was to serve others. He estimated man by the price he paid for his redemption. He said, "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." His constant anxiety and care was not how he could obtain the services of men, but how he could aid and bless humanity. His heart had been touched with compassion for a fallen world, and he left the heavenly courts, clothed his divinity with humanity, made himself of no reputation, "took upon him the form of a servant," and "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," that we might be cleansed from sin, and share in his eternal glory. The cross of Christ puts to shame our selfish desires and ambitions, our strife for position and the honor of men. Jesus was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;" and shall his followers expect to be exalted and favored? Christ is our example, and he says to every one of us, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." Have we learned this precious lesson in the school of Christ? If we have not, let it be our first work to seek the lowly spirit of Jesus; for we are unfit to become teachers of the truth until we have learned this first great principle of true religion: "Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all."  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 8]          God forbid that any of us should be deceived. We must study the life of Christ, for by beholding we are to become changed. We must be like Christ or we shall never see him as he is. We must constantly abide in the Vine if we bring forth the fruits of righteousness. With living faith we must present our petitions to the compassionate Saviour, for "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." We may lay hold on the arm of infinite strength, and draw from the source of infinite power. We must individually have more of the grace of Christ. We want to be settled, rooted and grounded in the faith. We are called upon to be bold, faithful soldiers of Jesus. We need not be weak and inefficient in the work of God. Every need has been provided for in the great gift of Heaven. "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?"  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 9]          There is need of elevating our thoughts to dwell upon the promises of God. There is need of encouraging our faith and hope by exercise. Lay your soul before your heavenly Father in all its weakness and want, and repeat the assurances of his word, and claim their fulfillment, not because you are worthy, but because Christ has died for you. Plead the merits of his blood and take the Lord at his word. We must learn the simple art of perfect trust; and we shall be "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Let nothing interpose between your soul and Christ. Let no darling sin be cherished. Present to God your whole body, soul, and spirit, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 10]          When you are tempted to give expression to doubt, restrain your words. Educate your lips to speak the praise of your Creator and Redeemer. Praise belongeth unto God, for he is full of loving-kindness and tender mercy. Let not coldness and ingratitude bind your souls and keep you away from Christ, who is your only hope.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 11]          We must not allow self so much time and attention. We do not study the life of our Example as we should. His life was one of continual self-denial, sacrifice, and cross-bearing, and shall we, the subjects of his grace, the objects of his great love, be found depressed and discouraged, because we have trials to meet, and sacrifices to make? Shall we go mourning and complaining because the road that leads to Heaven and eternal life, is strait and narrow? Jesus trod every step of the way before us, and shall we not gladly take up the cross, and say, "I will follow thee, my Saviour, wheresoe'er thou leadest me"?  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 12]          If we were all walking in the footsteps of the Man of Calvary, our proud hearts would be subdued by the grace of Christ. There would be no contention existing among the brethren, but in lowliness of mind each would esteem others better than himself. Your love for one another would be expressed in words and acts of tenderness, and this cold hard-heartedness would be melted away by the love of Jesus. You would obey the injunction of the apostle, when he says, "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."  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 13]          We are to be growing Christians, growing up in "the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." We are to be living stones in the temple of God; and now we must endure the hewing, the chiseling, the squaring of the Master-builder, until all roughness is removed, and our characters are polished and perfected for the heavenly building. There are many who claim to believe the truth, who are content with their defects of character. They do not make efforts to reform, or seek earnestly for a fitness to stand before God; but everyone who enters Heaven will enter as a conqueror, and will wave the palm branch of victory. There is no need of deficiency. Christ is a perfect Saviour, and those who seek him with their whole heart, will find that where sin abounded, grace shall much more abound. There is no reason why we should not be overcomers. God has "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." We are not to live like the world. We must show that the grace of Christ has a sanctifying influence upon our lives. Our natural appetites and passions must be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. We must reveal Christ in our daily words and actions. He bore reproach, insult, shame, mockery. He was rejected, maligned, crucified, that we might reflect his image, and be made perfect in his righteousness. When we fail to meditate upon the example of Christ, we do not comprehend its meaning, and we become sensitive, and unwilling to endure hardness. We shrink from becoming partakers of his sufferings. We lose sight of the cross of Calvary, while self attracts our attention, and claims our care and affection.  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 14]          Let us change our course of action. God's standard must be our standard, or we shall fail of everlasting life. We are still in the precious hours of probation, "and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins." He worked out the wonderful plan of redemption, and united fallen and finite man with the holy and infinite God. The world that Satan had claimed and ruled over with cruel tyranny, the Son of God, by one vast achievement, encircled in his love, and connected again with the throne of Jehovah. Cherubim and seraphim, and the unnumbered hosts of Heaven, sang anthems of praise to God and to the Lamb, when this triumph was assured. The worlds rejoiced that the way of salvation had been opened for rebellious man, and that earth would be redeemed from the curse of sin; and shall we, who are the objects of his unmerited favor, be unappreciative of the love of God? How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 15]          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." We have an advocate with the Father, who pleads in our behalf with prevailing power. Christ's intercession is that of a pierced and broken body. It is the intercession of a spotless and victorious life, the pleading of all the wounds of Calvary. It is the intercession of our great High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, who was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. "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."  {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, March 9, 1888 par. 16]          Let us then put away all self-exaltation. As long as the cross of Calvary stands as a monument of the cost of our salvation, as a reminder of the amazing love and humiliation of the King of glory, let us walk in its shadow, and seek to reflect the character of our Redeemer. Go to him as a perfect Saviour, for he has said, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." There is no reason why we should seek to exalt ourselves, for we are full of weakness. As you realize this, trust in him whose grace is sufficient for you, for "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Therefore "humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up;" for "whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Let self and self-interest be lost in the great themes of redemption. "Show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." The Lord says, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God."                                                                   -    {ST, March 9, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 1]      March 16, 1888 Acceptable Confession.  -  By Mrs. E.G. White.  -         "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 2]          The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing, in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not take long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances to commend our souls to the God of Heaven, or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy. This is a precious promise given to fallen man to encourage him to trust in the God of love, and to seek for eternal life in his kingdom.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 3]          We read that Daniel, the prophet of God, was a man "greatly beloved" of Heaven. He held a high position in the courts of Babylon, and served and honored God alike in prosperity or trial; and yet he humbled himself and confessed his sin, and the sin of his people. With deep sorrow of heart he acknowledged: "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments; neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 4]          Daniel did not seek to excuse himself or his people before God; but in humility and contrition of soul he confessed the full extent and demerit of their transgressions, and vindicated God's dealings as just toward a nation that had set at naught his requirements and would not profit by his entreaties.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 5]          There is great need today of just such sincere heart-felt repentance and confession. Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance not to be repented of, and have not confessed our sin with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit, abhorring our iniquity, we have never sought truly for the forgiveness of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. The only reason why we may not have remission of sins that are past, is that we are not willing to humble our proud hearts, and comply with the conditions of the word of truth. There is explicit instruction given concerning this matter. Confession of sin, whether public or private, should be heart-felt and freely expressed. It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The confession that is mingled with tears and sorrow, that is the outpouring of the inmost soul, finds its way to the God of infinite pity. Says the psalmist, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 6]         There are too many confessions like Pharaoh when he was suffering the judgments of God. He acknowledged his sin, to escape further punishment, but returned to his defiance of Heaven as soon as the plagues were stayed. Balaam's confession was of a similar character. Terrified by the angel standing in his pathway with drawn sword, he acknowledged his guilt, lest he should lose his life. There was no genuine repentance for sin, no contrition, no conversion of purpose, no abhorrence of evil, and no worth or virtue in his confession. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his Lord, returned to the priests, exclaiming, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." But his confession was not of such a character as would commend him to the mercy of God. It was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation, and a fearful looking for of judgment. The consequences that were to result to him, drew forth this acknowledgement of his great sin. There was no deep, heart-breaking grief in his soul that he had delivered the Son of God to be mocked, scourged, and crucified, that he had betrayed the holy One of Israel into the hands of wicked and unscrupulous men. His confession was only prompted by a selfish and darkened heart.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 7]          After Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were filled with a sense of shame and terror. At first their only thought was, how to excuse their sin before God, and escape the dreaded sentence of death. When the Lord inquired concerning their sin, Adam replied, laying the guilt partly upon God, and partly upon his companion: "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." The woman put the blame upon the serpent, saying, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Why did you make the serpent? Why did you suffer him to come into Eden? These were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin, thus charging God with the responsibility of their fall. The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies, and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Confessions of this order are not inspired by the divine Spirit, and will not be acceptable before Heaven. True repentance will lead men to bear their guilt themselves, and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. Like the poor publican, not lifting up so much as their eyes unto heaven, they will smite upon their breast and cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and those who do acknowledge their guilt, will be justified; for Jesus will plead his blood in behalf of the repentant soul.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 8]         It is no degradation for man to bow down before his Maker and confess his sins and plead for forgiveness through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. It is noble to acknowledge your wrong before Him whom you have wounded by transgression and rebellion. It lifts you up before men and angels, for "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." But he who kneels before fallen man, and opens in confession the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart, is dishonoring himself by debasing his manhood, and degrading every noble instinct of his soul. In unfolding the sins of his life to a priest corrupted with wine and licentiousness, his standard of character is lowered, and he is defiled in consequence. His thought of God is degraded to the likeness of sinful humanity; for the priest stands as a representative of God. It is this degrading confession of man to fallen man, that accounts for much of the increasing evil which is defiling the world, and fitting it for the final destruction.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 9]          There are confessions that the Lord has bidden us to make to one another, but they are of an entirely different order. If you have wronged your brother by word or deed, you are to "first be reconciled to thy brother," before your worship will be acceptable to Heaven. Says the apostle: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." This scripture has been interpreted to sustain the practice of going to the priest for absolution, but it has no such application. Confess your sins to God who only can forgive them, and your faults one to another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty to freely forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother whom you wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer. The case is not brought before the priest at all, but before the only true mediator, our great High Priest, who "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," and who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 10]          When David sinned against Uriah and his wife, he pleaded before God for forgiveness. He declares: "Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." All wrong done to others reaches back from the injured one to God. Therefore David seeks for pardon, not from a priest, but from the Creator of man. He prays: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 11]          True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as only to be brought before God; they may be wrongs that should be confessed before individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a general kind that should be made known in the congregation of the people. But all confession should be definite, and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you have been reproved by the Spirit of God.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 12]         When Israel was oppressed by the Ammonites, the chosen people made a plea before God that illustrates the definite character of true confession: "And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? . . . Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said, . . . We have sinned; do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day." Then they began to act in harmony with their confessions and prayers. "They put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord." And the Lord's great heart of love was grieved, "was grieved for the misery of Israel."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 13]          Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. Says Paul, speaking of the work of repentance: "Ye sorrowed after a godly sort; what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 14]          In the days of Samuel, the Israelites wandered from God. They were suffering the consequences of sin, for they had lost their faith in God, lost their discernment of his power and wisdom to rule the nation, lost their confidence in his ability to defend and vindicate his cause. They turned from the great Ruler of the universe, and desired to be governed as were the nations around them. Before they found peace they made this definite confession: "We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king." The very sin of which they were convicted, had to be confessed. Their ingratitude pressed their souls and severed them from God.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 15]          When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrong-doer does not discern the defects of his character, nor realize the enormity of the evil he has committed; and unless he yields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he remains in partial blindness to his sin. His confessions are not sincere and in earnest. To every acknowledgment of his guilt, he adds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that, if it had not been for certain circumstances, he would not have done this or that, for which he is reproved. But the examples in God's word of genuine repentance and humiliation reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no excuse for sin, nor attempts at self-justification.  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 16]          Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in the darkest shades, aggravating rather than lessening his guilt. He said: "Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities." He did not hesitate to declare that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."  {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, March 16, 1888 par. 17]          The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God, and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."                                                                   -    {ST, March 16, 1888 par. 17}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 1]       March 23, 1888 "Abide in Me."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The apostle Paul wrote: "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;" and Jesus, instructing his disciples, said: "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."  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 2]         It is impossible for any of us to have a practical knowledge of this union with Christ, without the constant exercise of faith. Faith binds our souls to him, and makes us partakers of the divine nature. Our spiritual growth, our peace, our steadfastness, our constant obedience to the words of Christ, all depend upon the degree of faith we have in God. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him;" for we are powerless to do anything from acceptable motives, except through the grace of Christ, and this grace can be supplied only through the channel of faith, that opens the way of direct communication between our souls and God. In accordance with our faith, we are enabled to overcome principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Selfishness will not be permitted to flourish in the heart that is exercising living faith. Sin will not be indulged where faith beholds God and angels watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. Eternal life, the gift of God through Jesus Christ, is a precious reality, and sin becomes exceeding sinful and abhorrent. Faith beholds "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world," and realizes something of the cost of Calvary.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 3]         Jesus came into the world to save sinners, not in their sins but from their sins, and to sanctify them through the truth; and in order that he may become a perfect Saviour to us, we must enter into union with him by a personal act of faith. Christ has chosen us, we have chosen him, and by this choice we become united to him, and are to live from henceforth, not unto ourselves, but unto him who has died for us. But this union can only be preserved by constant watchfulness, lest we fall into temptation, and make a different choice; for we are free always to take another master if we so desire. Union with Christ means an unfailing preference for him in every act and thought of our lives. In every part of the work there must be harmony between the Saviour and the one to be saved. Faith will see love in every requirement of God, and will submit to the will of Heaven, knowing that "all things work together for good to them that love God." We must have this perfect trust, if we become united with Christ, and share at last with him in his glory.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 4]          Christ will be constantly laboring for your salvation. Angels will be commissioned to guard you from the devices of the adversary, and to minister to all your needs. And the object of all this abundant solicitude must, on his part, depart from all iniquity, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. He must watch and pray. He must fight the good fight of faith, resist the devil that he may flee from him, and endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross of Christ. He has to wage a constant conflict with unseen foes, and only through Christ can he come off victorious. He must cultivate courage to surmount the difficulties obstructing his pathway, and build up a character of integrity and virtue, representing to the world the character of his Redeemer.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 5]          "Abide in me," are words of great significance. Abiding in Christ means a living, earnest, refreshing faith that works by love and purifies the soul. It means a constant receiving of the Spirit of Christ, a life of unreserved surrender to his service. Where this union exists good works will appear. The life of the vine will manifest itself in fragrant fruit on the branches. The continual supply of the grace of Christ will bless you and make you a blessing, till you can say with Paul, " I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,"  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 6]          The sacred union with Christ will unite the brethren in the most endearing bonds of Christian fellowship. Their hearts will be touched with divine compassion one for another. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." Coldness, variance, strife, is entirely out of place among the disciples of Christ. They have accepted the one faith. They have joined to serve the one Lord, to endure in the same warfare, to strive for the same object, and to triumph in the same cause. They have been bought with the same precious blood, and have gone forth to preach the same message of salvation; and how out of harmony with these facts is disunion and contention among brethren. "This is my commandment," said Jesus, "that ye love one another, as I have loved you."  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 7]          Those who are constantly drawing strength from Christ will possess his Spirit. They will not be careless in word or deportment. An abiding sense of how much their salvation has cost in the sacrifice of the beloved Son of God, will rest upon their souls. Like a fresh and vivid transaction, the scenes of Calvary will present themselves to their minds, and their hearts will be subdued and made tender by this wonderful manifestation of the love of Christ to them. They will look upon others as the purchase of his precious blood, and those who are united with him will seem noble, and elevated, and sacred, because of this connection. The death of Christ on Calvary should lead us to estimate souls as he did. His love has magnified the value of every man, woman, and child. And if "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life," should we be indifferent to others, and despise those whom God has valued at such an infinite price? Without the endowment of the holy Spirit of God, we are not fitted to engage in the great and solemn work for this time. When we have the love for souls that Christ had, we shall go forth with weeping, we shall become laborers together with God, we shall gather with Christ, and bear precious fruit unto everlasting life. When we consider that all Heaven is interested in the work of salvation, should we not seek by meditation and prayer to appreciate more intelligently the sacred character of our trusts? How can we, poor, fallible, fallen creatures, undertake this work without the special help and enlightenment of the Spirit of God?  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 8]          Let God be your counselor. Let the heart in humility and meekness ascend to God in fervent, effectual prayer for spiritual discernment, for breadth of mind, and singleness of purpose to glorify God and save man. Let prayer constantly go forth from unfeigned lips for the presence of Christ, for the illumination of his Spirit, that the atmosphere of Heaven may surround you, and that self and selfish purposes may not have their way in your life. The Lord will draw nigh to those who sincerely desire to draw nigh to him.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 9]          We are living in a solemn day, and we are exhorted to "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." Let every soul remember that he is in the presence of the Judge of all the earth, and that "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Our words, our plans, our meditations, the motives of our hearts, are read as an open book. The case of every individual worker is registered in Heaven. Let us consider this. Do we want our light and frivolous remarks heard in the presence of angels and before God? Do we want the words of pride, that exhibit self, left on the books to condemn us in the Judgment? Do we want our plans for self-exaltation written in the unerring records? Let us ever remember that the Lord, who gave his life for us, is watching with intense interest our course of life, and that angels are witnessing our ways. Seek that singleness of purpose that will lead us to glorify God, and not self. Oh, that each might say when tempted, as did our Lord, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." We want to uproot from our hearts every plant that our heavenly Father has not planted, that we may not be led to utter selfish and perverse things. Oh, for more of Christ, and less of self! Oh, that the workers might be clothed with the armor of his righteousness, that they might be constantly drawing from the well of salvation, partaking of the divine nature, that they might go forth spiritual laborers, with self lost in our divine Lord.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 10]          Our standard is altogether too low. We must put away these cheap ideas of what is essential to make us laborers in the cause of Christ. We must have altogether higher views of the elevated character of our work. We want to work in the spirit in which Christ labored. We want to represent him to the world. We need to greatly humble our souls before God by confessing and forsaking our sins.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 11]          When Jesus was teaching his disciples, as they gathered closely about him, there was a moment's interruption, and one said unto him: "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Here is the relationship that exists between Christ and his followers. We occupy this exalted position, if we are indeed doing the will of God. We are to consider ourselves as constituting the family of Christ, and we are to follow him as dear children. Adopted into the household of God, shall we not honor our Father and our kindred? We have no excuse to plead, for through Jesus we may command all power in Heaven and earth that we may walk worthy of our high calling.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 12]          Satan will be constantly seeking to belittle our conception or our privileges and responsibilities. He would have us regard the work of Christ as a commonplace work, and do it listlessly and negligently. He would keep us indifferent to the exalted and sacred positions to be attained in Christian life and character; but we must bruise him under our feet. We must establish an unyielding enmity between our souls and our foe; but we must open our hearts to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. We want Satan's darkness to be shut out, and the light of Heaven to flow in. We want to become so sensitive to holy influences, that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls, till he is in us, and we in him, living by the faith of the Son of God.  {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, March 23, 1888 par. 13]          We need to be refined, cleansed from all earthliness, till we reflect the image of our Saviour, and become "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Then we shall delight to do the will of God, and Christ can own us before the Father and before the holy angels as those who abide in him, and he will not be ashamed to call us brethren. But we shall not boast of our holiness. As we have clearer views of Christ's spotless and infinite purity, we shall feel as did Daniel, when he beheld the glory of the Lord, and said, "My comeliness was turned in me into corruption." We cannot say, "I am sinless," till this vile body is changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body. But if we constantly seek to follow Jesus, the blessed hope is ours of standing before the throne of God without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; complete in Christ, robed in his righteousness and perfection.                                                                   -    {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 1]       March 30, 1888 Faith and Works.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The tendency of the popular religious teaching of the day is to make the Christian's pathway as easy and attractive as possible. There is a great deal said concerning faith, but the necessity of performing the sacred obligations set forth in the word of God, the necessity of living consistent, godly lives, of being workers together with God, of denying self, of coming out from the world and separating from its fashions and follies, is not presented as it should be presented, from the pulpits of the land. "Believe, only believe," is the burden of the instruction from the sacred desk. Repentance, confession, and thorough reformation in life and character are not dwelt on, or required from those who would take part in the privileges of church-fellowship. The line of distinction between the church and the world has become less positive, because the great standard of righteousness has not been the standard by which the faith of men and women was tested and proven. "Only believe" is echoed by thousands who catch up the words parrot-fashion, and repeat them with no sense of their importance or significance. Says the prophet, "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 2]          Many of these religious teachers have developed characters in harmony with their shallow appreciation of divine truth. It has been agreeable to their carnal hearts to be released from all responsibility and obligation. They did not desire the inconvenience of denying self, of taking up the warfare against besetting sins, and of correcting the defects that marred their characters. They have persuaded themselves that Christ has relieved them from the duty of purifying themselves even as he is pure. They declare that Christ has done all, that men have nothing to do but to believe, that good works are impossible and unnecessary. Such souls are deceived themselves and are agents used of Satan to deceive others. They do not believe in Jesus. If they had a connection with him, they would know that he is not the minister of sin. Those who have faith in the Son of God make manifest what is the character of his mission, by lives of devotion, integrity, and self-sacrifice, and prove to the world that he came, not to save men in their sins, but from their sins. He "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 3]          The apostle Paul realized what his words meant when he said, "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." He knew it meant the surrender of every power of his being to the service of God. It meant an entire renouncing of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It meant that he must follow in the blood-stained path of the Man of Calvary, and walk even as he walked.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 4]          How different is the faith that is presented to the world today as essential to salvation. It has no vitality, no reality. It does not unite the believers as branches to the living Vine. It is not the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. It is a formal, nominal acceptance of a popular story, and has about as much efficacy as the faith that accepted Abraham Lincoln as a good administrator of governmental affairs. Genuine faith will show definite results in the character, and will exert a controlling influence over the thoughts of the heart, and the affairs of the life. It will lead its possessor to practice the principles of his belief. Says Jesus, "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." "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock." Says the apostle, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." It is the doing of the words and works of Christ that testifies to the saving qualities of your faith.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 5]         The law of God is the great standard of righteousness, and it will measure every man's profession and progress. It is a mirror which discovers the defects of our characters, and shows us the requirements of God. It is holy and just and good. Says the wise man, "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." When Jesus was asked by the lawyer, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? he said unto him, What saith the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, 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 neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 6]          The law of God condemns all selfishness, all pride of heart, every species of dishonesty, every secret or open transgression. The natural heart is not inclined to love its precepts, or obey its requirements. "It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." But genuine faith in Christ converts the heart, works a change in its attitude to the law, until it delights in the law of God. The man who manifests enmity to the law has not submitted to the converting power of God. It is the keeping of the commandments that proves the sincerity of our professions of love. Says John, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." Satan is engaged in leading men to pervert the plain meaning of God's word. He desires that the world should have no clear idea in regard to the plan of salvation. He well knows that the object of Christ's life of obedience, the object of his suffering, trial, and death upon the cross, was to magnify the divine law, to become a substitute for guilty man, that he might have remission for sins that are past, and grace for future obedience; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in him -- and he be transformed and fitted for the heavenly courts. Satan knows that no transgressor of the divine law will ever enter the kingdom of Heaven, and to rob God of the devotion and service of man, to thwart the plan of salvation, and work the ruin of those for whom Christ died, is the motive that actuates his warfare against the law of Heaven. He caused the fall of the holy pair in Eden by leading them to lightly esteem the commandment of God, to think his requirements unjust, and unreasonable, that they were not binding, and that their transgression would not be visited, as God had said, with death.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 7]          The law of God is the foundation of his Government in Heaven and in earth, and as long as the follower of Jesus imitates his Lord by exalting the divine precepts in word and life, Satan has no power to deceive or mislead his soul.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 8]          The fatal deception of the religious world is the old disregard for the claims of the law of God. 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 we must sound a note of warning. 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? . . . Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble. But 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? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 9]          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.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 10]          The Jews had faith of a similar character to that of many professed Christians today. They believed the prophecies predicting the advent of Messiah; but their faith was not of that spiritual nature which discerned in the Son of God the Saviour of their expectations. They could not accept the work of God for their time, and they rejected the truth because their faith did not see the relation of the shadow to the substance. They clung tenaciously to the offering of their sacrifices, to the rites of the church and the traditions of the fathers; but they refused the Lamb of God, the great antitype of all the services of the past. They were very zealous for the observance of form, and claimed to trust in Moses and the prophets; but he who had inspired the words of the Scriptures, and whose life was the fulfillment of their prophecies, was a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. He did not meet their ideal of what the coming One should be. They had imagined a Messiah whose power and majesty would gratify the pride of their carnal hearts, and exalt them to a position of supreme power among the nations. When Jesus unfolded to them the character of his kingdom, and what his disciples must possess in order to be elect, and favored of God, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?"  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 11]         The Saviour was invested with the credentials of Heaven. The word of God sustained his claims. His miracles, his holy character, his power over men and devils, all spoke conviction to the hearts of his hearers; but they refused him. He came in accordance with the prophecies they professed to believe, but he was "despised and rejected of men," as the prophets had foretold he would be.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 12]          The Jews could not give up their dreams of a great Prince who would rule all nations. They could not relinquish their hopes of temporal power and glory to take up with the Man of Sorrows, to follow in his steps of self-denial and purity. They loved darkness rather than light and the errors they loved wrought out their destruction.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 13]          There is no need of any soul being deceived. The teaching of priest and rabbi cannot make the word of God of no authority. It is the duty of each man to know what the Scriptures teach and to take his position in harmony with the truth. The Lord has commanded us to "search the Scriptures." We are instructed to "prove all things," to "hold fast that which is good." God has given us an unfailing test to apply to every man's life and doctrine. Says the prophet, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." We are not to live by the doctrines of men, not by a fragment, or a perversion of the truth; but by "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 14]          Genuine faith will lead men to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. They will not follow the course of this world. The Spirit and works of Christ will be manifested in their lives and the word of God will be made the rule of their action. They will do and teach the commandments of God, and will walk humbly before men and angels. They will discern the work of God in the earth, and prejudice will not be permitted to close their hearts against the truth for their time. They will strive to enter in at the strait gate, they will take the narrow way and follow the Redeemer of the world.  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, March 30, 1888 par. 15]          Those who are not "doers of the word" may boast of their empty faith. They may boast of their holiness, while trampling on the law of God; but Jesus says to them, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" and the final sentence will come, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." For "faith without works is dead."  {ST, March 30, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 1]       April 6, 1888 The Sin of Eli.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Eli was priest and judge in Israel. He held the highest and most responsible positions among the people of God. He had been appointed to govern the nation, and to minister in their behalf before God. As a man divinely chosen for the sacred duties of the priesthood, and set over the land as the highest judicial authority, he was looked up to as an example, and he wielded a great influence over the tribes of Israel. But although Eli was appointed to govern the people, he did not control his own family, or rule his own household. Eli was an indulgent father. Loving peace and ease, he did not exercise his authority to correct the evil habits and passions of his children. Rather than contend with them or punish them, he would submit to their will, and give them their own way. Instead of regarding the education of his sons as one of the most important of his responsibilities, he treated the matter as of little consequence. The development of their character was of the greatest importance, and God held Eli accountable for the way in which he allowed his sons to exercise the evil propensities of their nature. The priest and judge of Israel had not been left in darkness as to the duty of the father to restrain and govern the children that God had given to his care. But Eli shrank from this duty, because it involved crossing the will of his sons, and would make it necessary to punish and deny them. Without weighing the terrible consequences that would follow his course, Eli indulged his children in whatever they desired, and neglected the solemn and sacred work of fitting them for the service of God, and the duties of life.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 2]          The course of Abraham is a complete contrast to that of Eli. "I know him," said the Searcher of hearts, "that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." There would be no betraying of his sacred trust; no sinful neglect to restrain the evil propensities of his children; no weak, unwise, indulgent favoritism; no yielding of his conviction of duty to the clamors of affection. Abraham's love for his children would lead him to correct his household, at whatever cost, for the good of their souls, and the honor of God. He was diligent in the cultivation of home religion, for he well knew that the blessing of Heaven rested on the habitation of the righteous. He determined that the law of God should be kept in his household, and he was called the "friend of God" and honored by God as the "father of the faithful."  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 3]          Had Eli but followed his example, great and disastrous evils would have been avoided, and the blessing of God would have rested upon him and his house forever. God had said of Abraham, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him" "to do justice and judgment." But Eli allowed his children to control him. The family government was reversed. The father became subject to the children. There is no greater curse upon households than to allow the youth to have their own way. When parents regard every wish of their offspring, and indulge them in what they know is not for their good, the children soon lose all respect for their parents, all regard for the authority of God or man, and they are led captive at the will of Satan. Many an indulgent father or mother has reaped a harvest of sorrow from their own loose and careless government of their households, and they have regretted, too late, that they did not restrain their children in their youth.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 4]          Eli failed where many are failing today. He neglected to honor God in his family life, to teach his sons to reverence and obey God; and the consequence of this neglect was apparent throughout all the life of his sons. When the work of disciplining and training the children is not properly done, it testifies against the parents in the defective character of their sons and daughters, and will produce evil results, not only in their lives, but in the lives of others. The influence of an ill-regulated family is widespread and disastrous to all society. It accumulates in a tide of evil that affects families, communities, and governments.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 5]         Because of Eli's position, his influence was more extended than if he had been an ordinary man. His family life was imitated throughout Israel. The baneful results of his negligent, ease-loving ways were seen in the families that surrounded him. His evil ways were reflected in thousands of homes that were moulded by his example. If children are indulged in evil practices, while the parents make a profession of religion, the truth of God is brought into reproach. The character formed under the influence of the home is the best testimony to its Christianity. Actions speak louder than the most positive profession of godliness. If professors of religion, instead of putting forth earnest, persistent, and painstaking effort to bring up a well-ordered household as a witness to the benefits of faith in God, are lax in their government, sparing of themselves, and indulgent to the evil desires of their children, they are doing as did Eli, and are bringing disgrace on the cause of Christ, and ruin upon themselves and their households.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 6]          Eli did not manage his household according to God's rules for family government. He followed his own judgment. He allowed Satan to take the reins in his own hands; and Eli found, when too late, that his children had been hurried to destruction. The favor of God was removed from his house and the curse of transgression was apparent in the corruption and evil that marked the course of his sons. They had no proper appreciation of the character of God or of the sacredness of his law. His service was to them a common thing. From childhood they had been accustomed to the sanctuary and its service, but instead of growing in reverence, they had lost all sense of its holiness and significance. The course of Eli in bringing up his children had resulted in this state of mind in his sons. The father had not corrected the irreverence for his authority, had not checked their disrespect for the solemn services of the sanctuary; and when they reached manhood, they were full of the deadly fruits of skepticism and rebellion.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 7]          Though wholly unfit for the office, they were placed as priests in the sanctuary to minister before God. The Lord had given the most specific directions in regard to offering sacrifices; but these wicked men had carried their disregard of authority into the service of God, and they did not give attention to the law of the offerings, which were to be made in the most solemn manner. The sins of the people were transferred by figure to the sacrifice, which represented Christ, the Lamb of God that was to die for the sins of the world. The priests were commanded to eat in the tabernacle of certain portions of the peace-offering. By partaking of the sacrifice, and bearing their sins before God, they represented the work that Christ would do for us in the heavenly sanctuary, by bearing our sins in his own body. The sons of Eli, instead of feeling the great solemnity of this service, only thought how they could gratify appetite, and they demanded of the people whatever part they desired, even taking by violence the portion that was to be consumed upon the altar of sacrifice as a type of the great sacrifice of the Son of God on Calvary. This irreverence on the part of the priests soon robbed the offerings of their holy and solemn significance, and the people "abhorred the offering of the Lord." The great antitypical sacrifice to which they were to look forward, was no longer a thing of meaning to them, "wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord."  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 8]          Eli made a great mistake in permitting his sons to minister in holy office. By excusing their course, on one pretext and another, he became blinded to their sins, but at last they reached a pass when he could no longer hide his eyes from the crimes of his sons. The people complained of their violent deeds, and he was grieved and perplexed. The indulgent father had never decidedly commanded their obedience, and as they grew up, they cast off all restraint. They had been brought up to think of no one but themselves, and now they cared for no one else. They saw the grief of their father, but their hard hearts were not touched. They heard his mild admonitions, but they were not impressed, nor would they change their evil course though warned of the consequences of their sin.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 9]          The child Samuel had been brought to Eli by the godly Hannah. He was to be devoted to the services of the sanctuary, and the responsibility of his education must now rest upon the aged priest. The sons of Eli, who should have been the instructors of the pious child, were wholly unfit for such a privilege. He had to be separated from their company, lest their evil influence should pollute his mind. But although Eli feared for their influence over Samuel, yet as a judge of Israel, he still sustained his wicked sons in the most sacred positions of trust. He permitted them to mingle their corruption with the holy service of God, and to inflict injury on the cause of truth, that years could not efface. Eli's sons were called the sons of Belial, for they knew not God. They were wholly devoted to the service of Satan; and yet because they were his sons, Eli did not deal with them as transgressors, but permitted them to dishonor God, and injure his people. But when the judge of Israel neglected his work, God took the matter in hand.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 10]          "And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever; but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. . . And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed forever."  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 11]          God held Eli responsible for the actions of his sons, and charged him with honoring his sons above the Lord. Eli had permitted the offering appointed of God, as a blessing to Israel, to be made a thing of abhorrence, rather than bring his sons to shame for their impious and abominable practices. Those who follow their own inclination in blind affection for their children, indulging them in the gratifications of their selfish desires, and do not bring to bear the authority of God to rebuke sin and correct evil, which is corrupting other souls, make it manifest that they are honoring their wicked children more than they honor God. They are more anxious to shield their reputation than to glorify God; more desirous to please their children than to please God and to keep his service from every appearance of evil.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 12]          The promise had been made that the house of Aaron should walk before God forever; but these promises had been made on condition that they devoted themselves to the work of the sanctuary with singleness of heart, and honored God in all their ways, not serving self, or following their own perverse inclinations. Eli and his sons had been tested, and the Lord found them wholly unworthy of the exalted position of priests in his service. And God declared, "Be it far from me." He could not carry out the good that he had meant to do them, because they failed to do their part. Long had God borne with the perverse ways of the house of Eli. He had given them space to repent, but they repented not, and the delayed sentence was finally executed. They were made contemptible before the people they had oppressed, and in one day, Eli and his sons died before the Lord; and the priesthood was taken from the family of Eli.  {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, April 6, 1888 par. 13]          The only way to be truly great is to be truly good. Those who are worthy will be trusted with important work, and will be placed in important positions. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Had Eli been a wise and faithful father, he would have been a wise and faithful judge and priest. If he had restrained his sons at home, he would have restrained their evil practices in the sanctuary; and Israel would not have been corrupted by their abominations. If the sons of Eli had been dutiful sons they would have honored God and his service, and lived before him; but they dishonored their father, and brought contempt upon the service of God, and they suffered the reward of their evil; for God had said, "Them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."                                                                   -    {ST, April 6, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 1]       April 13, 1888 Sanctification.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         There are many souls who are building their hopes for eternity upon the sands of error. The word of God, "which liveth and abideth forever," is not made the rock of their salvation; but the words of man, theories that exalt humanity and please the carnal heart, are chosen instead of the doctrines of the Bible. It is a design of Satan to allure men from the truth, by leading them to accept its counterfeit; and in the doctrine of sanctification, so prevalent among those who reject the law of God, he has accomplished his work of deception in a most delusive and enchanting way.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 2]          Jesus prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth; and he added, "Thy word is truth." The agent in the sanctification which our Lord desired for his followers, was the word of God. But the sanctification so popular today is independent of the truth; for men refuse to employ the word of God where it does not support their opinions and experience. Those who profess this sanctification have clothed themselves in an impregnable armor, whereby they ward off every arrow of truth that would wound their self-righteousness, and make them feel the need of a physician to heal them.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 3]         In the town of L. special efforts were made to arouse men to a realizing sense of the claims of the law of God. With open Bibles, the people examined the Scriptures for themselves, searching for the truth as for hid treasures. In reading the plain "thus saith the Lord," many became interested as never before in the word of God. They saw wondrous things out of the law, and some were taking their stand to be "doers of the word." But at this time a minister who professed sanctification, became alarmed lest some of the members of his church should see the claims of the truth, and he strove to make of none effect the commandment of God. He boastingly declared that he was sanctified, sinless, holy; and further stated that he could not sin. Says John, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law;" but this man openly avowed that no one could keep the law, and that obedience to it was not required of those who believed in Jesus. Did this sanctification stand the test of the word of truth?  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 4]          Paul had faith in Jesus, but he did not claim that faith made the law of none effect. He says, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." When this man was invited to examine the Scripture evidences as to the requirements of God, he refused to read or to reason on the matter; but the more vehemently urged his claim to holiness and inspiration.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 5]          This sanctification we have no hesitancy to declare unscriptural, unsound, and presumptuous. A profession of holiness, while the law of Heaven is derided and transgressed, shows that a false standard of righteousness has taken the place of the holy precepts of God. Many who profess so great attainments in the Christian life, grow impatient and angry when the claims of God are presented, and they refuse to hear the word of truth. Says the word of God, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." If the minister at L. had had a genuine experience in the things of God, he would have manifested the meek and lowly spirit of Christ; he would have acknowledged his finite and fallible nature, and would have humbly tested his experience by the word of God. His positive utterances against the truth did much toward quieting the aroused consciences of those who were hesitating in regard to the commandment of God, and, through his influence, many souls turned back into the paths of transgression and darkness. Men are greatly influenced by what their minister says; but should we not prove the truth of their assertions by the test that God has given for this very purpose? Says the Lord: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Our Saviour warned his followers to "beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." We are not bidden to prove them by their fair speeches and exalted professions. They are to be judged by the word of God. The true disciples of Christ will bear the divine impress. Their teaching will be in harmony with the teaching of the Son of God. Their character will be moulded after the great pattern. What message do they bring? Does it lead you to reverence and fear God? Does it lead you to manifest your love for him by loyalty to his commandments? If they tell you that they are not concerned about teaching or observing the law, be afraid of them, even though they heal the sick and cast out devils. They are doing the very work that originated with the prince of darkness, the enemy of God. The beginning of all the sin and woe and death that have deluged our earth, was this very disregard for the plain commandment of God.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 6]          This doctrine of sanctification in which the law of God has no part, is not of Heaven but of Satan, who was a liar from the beginning and "abode not in the truth." It is Satan's policy to appear before the world in the garments of an angel of light. It is he who weaves these deceptive doctrines that our Saviour represents as "sheep's clothing."  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 7]          Those who are used as agents of Satan have an appearance of sanctity; and nothing but the law of God, which is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart, can discover of what spirit they are, and in whose cause they are engaged; but why not employ this unfailing test in proving every man's teaching and spirit. There is no need of being deceived, for the word of God is truth, and God has promised to give to those who desire truth, the Spirit of truth, that they may be guided into all truth. Let us seek earnestly for wisdom, and divine enlightenment, that we may know the truth, and be instrumental in God's hands of rescuing men and women from the snares of the evil one.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 8]          In the day of God's wrath many will discover, too late, that while professing holiness they were led into forbidden paths by not humbly obeying the commandments of Jehovah. Says Jesus: "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." And the working of iniquity is the transgression of the law. John, the beloved disciple, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has given repeated tests to prove the truth of our experiences. He says: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 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. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." Jesus plainly declared, "I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." John continues: "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning."  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 9]          There are many today who seek to prove that the law of God was abolished at the cross with the abolishment of the sacrificial services of the Jewish dispensation; but the words of John, penned many years this side of the crucifixion, show that the commandments of God were not done away, but are the standard of Christian character by which we are to be judged, and by which we are to fashion our lives if we would enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 10]         The bitterness of spirit manifested against the law of God, by many of those who claim to be sanctified, makes it manifest that they are disloyal to God, and corrupters of the doctrine of Christ. When the binding claims of the fourth commandment are presented, they bend their utmost efforts to make of none effect the requirement of God's law. They hold to their own tradition and opinion, no matter what may be the conclusion of the word of God. Jesus declares of this class, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 11]          If we reject the word of the Bible, there is no power or manifestation that will induce us to accept the message that rebukes our sins, and would correct our cherished errors. The fault is in the rebellious heart. Said the Son of God, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." There are those who reject the testimony of Moses and the prophets, declaring that the New Testament is all that we need in this dispensation; but did not Jesus bid his disciples to "search the Scriptures"? Was it not he who declared, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them"?  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 12]          Christ was the invisible leader of the Hebrew host in their journeyings through the wilderness. He was the founder and supporter of the Jewish rites and observances, and his words by the mouth of Moses are no less important than his words by the mouth of the beloved disciple in the last book of the New Testament. The Old Testament is a witness to the truth of Christ and the plan of salvation, and it was "written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come." Those who cast contempt upon the Old Testament by ignoring its study, are casting contempt on the words and teaching of Christ, and are wise above what is written.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 13]          We are living in the most solemn period of the world's history. The coming of the Lord is at the doors, and the perils of the last days are all around us. Said Jesus, speaking of this very time, "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." And if we are wise we shall give earnest heed to this warning, and try every man's words by the great standard of truth. Our lives must be brought into harmony with the law of God, if we would be truly sanctified. This law is to govern all intelligences in Heaven and upon earth. And when we can say from the heart, as did our divine Lord, "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart," then we are sanctified through the truth. We have the mind that was in Christ, and by faith we have drawn vital force from the source of infinite power and purity.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 14]          The word of God must be interwoven with the living character of those who believe it. The only vital faith is that faith which receives and assimilates the truth till it is a part of the being, and the motive power of the life and action. Jesus is called the word of God. He accepted his Father's law, wrought out its principles in his life, manifested its spirit, and showed its beneficent power in the heart. Says John, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." The followers of Christ must be partakers of his experience. They must assimilate the word of God. They must be changed into its likeness by the power of Christ, and reflect the divine attributes. They must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God, or there is no life in them. The spirit and work of Christ must become the spirit and work of his disciples. This is genuine sanctification.  {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, April 13, 1888 par. 15]          Men hear the words of Christ, but they are not doers of his words. The progressive character of the life of godliness is not agreeable to their ease-loving, selfish habits and desires. They do not partake of the broken body and shed blood of the Saviour of men. They are not willing to "crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts," that they may be renewed in true holiness, after the image of the Son of God. The word of God that tries the hearts of men, proves them wanting. They have no part in the Saviour's grace, no foundation for hope in his salvation. Says Jesus, "He that is of God heareth God's words." Those who receive the law and the testimony, and assimilate the truth of God, are partaking of the divine nature, growing up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus, and the word of truth is working their sanctification. Though they make no boasting profession of holiness, but manifest a meek and quiet spirit, working the works of Christ, they will stand before the throne of God, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. They will be sanctified and glorified through obedience to the commandments of God, wrought by divine power, through the faith of the Son of God.                                                                   -    {ST, April 13, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 1]       April 20, 1888 Visit to Lemoore.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         In company with my son, W. C. White, and Miss Cecilie Dahl, I left Healdsburg, March 9, for Oakland. From Oakland we took the train for Lemoore. At Goshen Junction we parted with W. C. White, who was en route for Los Angeles. We arrived at Lemoore about eight o'clock in the evening. Brother and Sister Daniels and Brother Gray were waiting to receive us at the depot. Brother Gray conducted us to his home, where we were heartily welcomed and kindly entertained.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 2]         Elder Daniels has been laboring at Lemoore, and his earnest effort to preach the truth of God has been followed by most encouraging results. A good interest has been awakened in the town and vicinity to hear the reasons of our faith. The Lord has been moving upon hearts, and we rejoice that a goodly number have had the moral courage to come out and identify themselves with those who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Twenty-nine persons have taken a decided stand for the truth and have signed the covenant. I became acquainted with several of these who have recently come to the knowledge and belief of the truth, and I feel sure that they have embraced the faith after careful and candid investigation, and through solemn and thorough conviction of its divine origin and nature. I believe they will teach others the things which they have learned.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 3]          If all who accept the light of truth will let their light shine by precept and example, their influence will be as far-reaching as eternity. By humbly seeking to know and do the will of God, they may be constant learners in the school of Christ, and may be continually educating others in the principles and practices of the truth. If those who espouse the cause of God will manifest the meekness and lowliness of Christ, they may bear a testimony to unbelievers that will have more weight than either sermons or arguments in its favor. The most convincing witness to the world of the worth of our faith is the exemplary conduct and character of its advocates.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 4]          On Sabbath morning, March 10, as we approached the house of worship we found it surrounded by the carriages of those who had come to hear the word of God. There was quite a large attendance of those who were interested in our views, and I had much freedom in speaking from Colossians 1:9-14. After the discourse we had a social meeting. Many testimonies were borne, and a good spirit characterized all that was said. A number witnessed for the first time to their belief in the present truth.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 5]          I spoke five times at Lemoore, to good audiences. Many who were unacquainted with the positions we hold, seemed much interested. There were in the congregation some infidels and saloon-keepers, who gave most earnest and respectful attention, and we know not but that the seeds of truth may take root and bear fruit to the glory of God in the lives of these men. It is my sincere hope and prayer that this may be so. Christ has said, "Joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." Those who feel perfectly satisfied with their spiritual condition are not the ones who excite the joy of the angels. The Jews claimed to respect the law of God, but they did not keep it. Said Jesus, "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?" He said of the self-righteous Pharisees, "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men;" and in this day, those who profess to be Christians and yet bear no fruit to the glory of God, denying in their works the faith they profess, are among that class who feel no want in themselves, who see no necessity of repentance, confession, or reformation in their lives. They seem in their own eyes to be righteous, and they are satisfied with their own attainments. They do not come to the great Physician, because they do not realize their need of healing. But those who come repenting of their sins, believing that Jesus is able, through the merits of his blood, to cleanse them, and make them whole, cause the angels of God to rejoice in his presence.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 6]          On Sabbath there was a decided movement made toward seeking God, by those who desired to draw near to him. The instruction for our day is, "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness." This valuable treasure of righteousness and meekness will not come without sincere and earnest seeking. It is not something that will develop naturally in the human heart. There must be most diligent and persevering efforts put forth by every individual to obtain the meekness and righteousness of Christ. Says the prophet, "Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." We sought the Lord by earnest supplication, and his Holy Spirit witnessed to the presence of God in our midst. Those who seek the Lord from the heart will certainly find him, for he is a present help in every time of need.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 7]          On Sunday, both morning and afternoon, I spoke to a full house. The Spirit and power of God was in the midst of us, impressing hearts with the truth. We knew that Jesus was inviting the weary and the heavy-laden to come unto him and find rest to their souls. If they would but comply with the conditions, and take his yoke, and bear his burden, and learn of him who was meek and lowly of heart, they would find his service sweet, and his paths the paths of peace. I felt anxious that all present might take the yoke of Christ, and find the peace and rest that the word can neither give nor take away. When those who have by transgressing the law forfeited all right to the favor of God, return to allegiance and keep the commandments, what but blessing and peace and rest can come to them from him who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, whose love is graciously and freely bestowed to all who turn to him to serve him with a sincere heart.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 8]          Before me was a class of men possessing no inferior talent; there were those who had no knowledge of God, and no faith in his Son, but I knew that Jesus was willing to receive these men, waiting to pardon their transgressions, to take their feet from the miry clay, and to place them upon the Rock of Ages. I felt an intense desire to present the truth of God's word in such a way that they might be constrained by the love that Jesus had manifested for them to come to him in all their sinfulness and pollution, that they might be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The most sinful may be made fit for the mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love him and keep his commandments. They may be cleansed by faith in his blood, sanctified through obedience to the truth, and glorified by the power of God to shine in his everlasting kingdom.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 9]          I had very solemn thoughts as I looked upon that assembly. I wondered how many present will hail with joy the glorious appearing of the Lord and Saviour. How many will receive the crown of life? How many will lift up their voices in glad hosannas, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints"? How anxious I felt for these souls, as I thought, Jesus loves them better than I do. His love is without a parallel; and if I feel grief of heart to see these souls employing their intrusted talents in dishonoring God, how must the pitying Saviour feel, who died that they might live?  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 10]          Oh, that everyone might feel that Jesus has something in store for him vastly better than what he is choosing for himself! Would that all might realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the blessedness of righteousness! Would that all might see how powerless is all effort to contend against omnipotence! Man is doing the greatest injury and injustice to his own soul when he thinks and acts contrary to the mind and will of God. He is sowing to the flesh, and will of the flesh reap corruption. No real joy can be found in the path forbidden by the God who knows what is best, and who plans for the good of his creatures. The path of transgression is a path of misery and destruction, and he who walks therein is exposed to the wrath of God and the Lamb.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 11]          The cross of Calvary, with its suffering Victim who bore the curse for us, testifies to the love of God for the sinner; and the voice of God calls to the disobedient, "Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?" There is a fountain opened to cleanse the guilty souls of men. The merits of Jesus plead for the repentant sinner; and to all that receive the Saviour he will give power to enable them to walk in the paths of righteousness and peace.  {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, April 20, 1888 par. 12]          The word of God is the directory to Heaven. If man will follow in the path marked out in the sacred word, he will reach the eternal city and the realms of glory. The very God of truth presents his promises to encourage man to seek for eternal life, and an inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away. Let the repenting sinner believe the word of God, and come to Jesus the Saviour of men, take his yoke upon him, bear his burden, and he shall find rest unto his soul.                                                                   -    {ST, April 20, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 1]       May 4, 1888 Home Missionary Work.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Home missionaries are greatly needed. The work of winning souls to Jesus, and of training them to become workers for others, should begin in the home circle. God has claims upon the services of all,--men, women, and children; and the earlier they are led out of and away from themselves, and taught to engage in unselfish labor for others, the nearer they will come to fulfilling their holy commission. Of all our training-schools, the family should stand first. Fathers and mothers should feel that they are placed at the head of a mission. They have a work to do which no other can do for them, in forming the characters of their children for usefulness in this life, and for the future, immortal life. God has called them to this work, and it is a sin to neglect it.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 2]          Yet this work is strangely neglected. The failure in duty on the part of parents is revealed in the deformed, one-sided characters of the children. The loose, unchristian manner in which so many bring up their children is the cause of the terrible impiety and wickedness of the youth of this age. The great burden in regard to temporal matters, which many carry who claim to be sons and daughters of God, causes them to lose sight of eternal interests. Their absorbing care for worldly things misleads their children. The sacred and the common are confused in their minds. Eternal and temporal things stand on a par. A lack of home religion leads to stumbling, to perplexing entanglements, all the way in the Christian experience, both for parents and children. The family life takes a low level. The conversation is trifling and frivolous, or even worse. There is gossip and tale-bearing, there are threats, scolding, jangling, and tantalizing. Angels see it all. Jesus, who gave his life to redeem them, beholds it. What a scene for Heaven to look upon! Will such a family be welcomed through the gates into the city of God? Never, unless they become transformed by the grace of Christ. They would carry into Heaven the same characters, the same spirit they manifest here. Thousands upon thousands will be lost because of this terrible neglect on the part of parents.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 3]          I would urge upon fathers and mothers the importance of their home missionary work. The precious hours of probation are fast passing. Parents must be changed, children must be changed, in heart and character here in this life, or they will never be permitted to enter Heaven. It should be your very first burden to see that your own souls are right before God, and to labor for the salvation of your children. Every member of the family should be the subject of special, wisely-directed effort, that the enemy of Christ may not have possession of the heart, and control the character.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 4]          Parents who give heed to God's word will not, for any consideration, neglect the work which he has committed to them. They will not take a course in any respect which will lead their children away from him. Night and day they will feel the burden to draw them away from the world's customs, its fashions, and its pride, to Jesus. They will make religion the vital question of life, and will teach their children that every worldly consideration should be made second to their eternal interests. They will make a hedge about them by prayer, pleading in faith that God will abide with them, and that holy angels will guard them from Satan's cruel power. Every day they will give them such instruction as shall lead them to become better acquainted with the claims of God, to revere his law, and to form habits of life in accordance with it.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 5]          Children will learn to love that which the parents love, and will talk of the subjects upon which they talk. If we would have the word of God the most precious of books to our children, our own lives must testify that it is precious to us. If we desire them to love and reverence God, we must make him the theme of our meditations; we must speak of his goodness, his majesty, and his power. If we would have them love and imitate the character of Christ, we must ourselves represent Christ in our homes. It is by cultivating meekness and lowliness, by performing kindly, thoughtful acts for others when no human eye can see, or human praise stimulate, by hiding self in Jesus, and letting his gentleness appear in the home life, by exercising patience when provoked, giving a soft answer when tempted to be harsh, overbearing, and vindictive, that we leave the unmistakable impression upon the minds of our children that father and mother are Christians.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 6]          Do not neglect your children while they are young. The sons and daughters of Christians parents should be educated to realize their responsibility to God in childhood and youth. There is earnest work to be done in this age, and they must be educated to share in it. We cannot estimate the possibilities of usefulness that lie undeveloped in hand, and brain, and heart. You should instruct the children in the duties of practical life. Teach them to regard the humble round of everyday duties as the course marked out for them by the Lord; as a school in which they are to be trained to render faithful and efficient service. All their powers are to be educated and disciplined to do service for God. He requires that the first, the best, and the most useful talents shall be employed to carry forward his work. The same zeal and energy, tact and order, which are exercised in counting-rooms and shops, and in the fine arts, are to be brought into the work of God. Teach them now to cultivate firmness and integrity. It was this careful training in his earlier years that enabled Joseph, when suddenly exalted from his dungeon to the throne, to fill his position with wisdom and honor. So the youth and children of our time are to be gaining solidity of character, that they may be prepared to be used as instruments of God in the missionary work.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 7]          Children should not be treated with harshness. Remember that your sons and daughters are younger members of God's family. He has committed them to your care to train and educate for Heaven. You must render an account to him for the manner in which you discharge your sacred trust. Yet while exercising tenderness and loving sympathy, you should be firm and decided to command obedience; like Abraham, requiring your children to keep the way of the Lord.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 8]          They should be allowed to form no foolish habits of self-indulgence. Teach them that Jesus loves them, that he died to redeem them, and they are to live to glorify him. His life is the pattern which they are to copy. They should be taught to waste nothing on show; to shun all display in dress. Let a spirit of sacrifice be cherished. Teach the children to contribute something which they have earned themselves as an offering to God, who has given them all Heaven in the gift of his dear Son. I am glad that they are taking a part in the missionary work in the Rivulet Societies, and by their contributions in the Sabbath-school. These are precious lessons which they are learning, of the blessedness of giving. If we desire to encourage in their hearts a love for the truth and the cause of God, we must teach them to sacrifice for it. That which costs us nothing we value lightly; but the enterprise in which our means is invested we feel an interest in, and we labor for its success.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 9]          Do not expect a change to be wrought in your children without patient, earnest labor, mingled with fervent prayer. To study and understand their varied characters, and day by day to mould them after the divine Model, is a work demanding great diligence and perseverance, and much prayer, with an abiding faith in God's promises. Make it a careful study how to discharge your duties. Counsel with those of experience. Seek counsel of God in his word; work and pray, pray and work, from the earliest hour of your children's lives, and believe that God will co-operate with you in every effort to follow the light and instruction he has given. The infinite sacrifice of Christ for our redemption places a high value upon the soul. After giving such evidence of his love he will not withhold his grace, his special help, from parents and children who seek to do his will. He will not refuse to hear the parents' earnest prayer, that is seconded by persevering labor, that their children may be blessed of him, and become faithful workers in his cause. When parents do their duty in God's appointed way, they may be sure that their requests for his help in their home work will be granted.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 10]          If fathers and mothers love the Bible, and talk of the lessons Christ has given; if they love Jesus, and make him the theme of conversation, a heavenly atmosphere will pervade the home. As the wax receives the impress of the seal, so the soul will receive and retain the moral image of God. By beholding, we become changed. If we allow the mind to dwell upon the imperfections and moral deformities of others, we ourselves shall become depraved in character, and mentally one-sided and unbalanced. But if the mind dwells upon the perfect life of Christ, and the thoughts and conversation are centered upon him, we shall be changed to the same image.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 11]          Life will become to both parents and children a humble, earnest working out of their own salvation with fear and trembling, while God is working in them to will and to do of his own good pleasure. The gates of Heaven are upon earth. Parents and children are striving together to press upward, heavenward, in the narrow way, the path of holiness, all acting their part in the family below in such a manner as to become members of the royal family above.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 12]          The teaching of the home--the mould here given to the character--extends its influence beyond the family into the church, and outside the church to the world. A well-regulated family, loving God and his living oracles, will have a fresh, living testimony to bear. Their influence will build up the church, and will win souls to Christ and the truth. In giving to the world a well-disciplined family, parents are presenting one of the strongest evidences in favor of the truth. And the parents whose wise, God-fearing labor has accomplished so much for their own family, will be able to accomplish a similar work for others.  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 13]          If the home missionary work had been done in accordance with the directions God has given in his word, there would now be an army of youth to enter missionary fields. The apostle Paul, in his dying charge to Timothy, says: "The  things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." When the lessons that parents learn in the school of Christ are taught to their children; when the Saviour's meekness and love, his self-denial and humility, are brought into the life and made a part of the daily experience, and the children learn and practice these precious lessons, they in their turn will be able, by their influence and example, to teach the same to others. And who can measure the final results? How many a humble Christian, unseen and uncared for by the world, has set in motion a train of influences which have brought a blessing to hundreds and thousands of souls. Where is the missionary who has accomplished a greater work  than the mother of John Wesley? Who can measure the value of those hours when Zwingle's grandmother lovingly repeated to the eager boy at her side the few precious Bible stories which she had gleaned from amid the legends and traditions of the church?  {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, May 4, 1888 par. 14]          The day of God will reveal how much the world owes to the holy influences of the home for men who have been unflinching advocates of truth and reform. When the Judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, when the "Well done" of the great Judge is pronounced, what joy unspeakable will fill our hearts, if, as we gather around the great white throne, we shall see our children, saved through our instrumentality, with the crown of immortal glory upon their brows. How shall we feel as we look upon that company and see that those whom we have won for Christ have saved others, and these still others,-- a large assembly all brought into the haven of rest as the result of our labors, there to lay their crowns at Jesus's feet, and to praise him through the endless cycles of eternity?                                                                   -    {ST, May 4, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 1]       May 11, 1888 The Presumption of Saul.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         After Saul had been anointed king of Israel, Samuel the prophet gave him minute directions as to what course he should pursue. He prophesied that the Lord would work a change in his heart to prepare him for the solemn responsibilities of his new office. He declared to the king, "Thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy; and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. . . . And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings. Seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do." As Saul journeyed on his way, the change of which the prophet had spoken was wrought in him, and God gave him another heart; and all that Samuel had said came to pass. The heart of Saul was turned to the Lord, his mind was enlarged, and he had the blessing of spiritual understanding. He felt that the strength of Israel was the Lord God, even Jehovah, and in him he could have courage, fortitude, and resolution to govern wisely. It now depended upon Saul to work out the salvation that God had wrought within him.  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 2]          It was not until the second year of his reign that the presence of Saul was required at Gilgal. At that time the Philistines were encamped against the Israelites. Saul and his followers could see the vast host that were arrayed against them, and the Israelites were appalled at the sight of the mighty forces they would have to encounter in battle. They were not prepared to meet the enemy, for they were undisciplined and poorly armed. Their forces were far inferior both as to numbers and equipment, for "there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people." As Saul's army comprehended the situation they were filled with alarm, and many were so terrified that they dared not come to the test of an encounter. Some crossed the Jordan, others hid themselves in caves and pits, and amid the rocks that abounded in that region. The affairs of the army were becoming alarming. The nearer the time for an encounter approached, the more deserters increased, and those who did not withdraw from the ranks were filled with foreboding and terror. What a change would have been wrought if they had but trusted in the Lord, if they had but humbled their hearts and confessed their backsliding and iniquity.  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 3]          Saul tarried day after day without making decided efforts toward encouraging the people and inspiring confidence in God. The time appointed by the prophet was not fully expired; but he became impatient at his delay, and discouraged at the trying circumstances that surrounded him. Instead of faithfully seeking to prepare the people for the solemn service that Samuel was coming to perform, he indulged in unbelief and impatience. This work of seeking God by sacrifice was a most solemn and important work, and God required that his people should search their hearts and repent of their sins, that the offering might be made with acceptance before him, and that his blessing might be bestowed upon their efforts to resist and conquer the enemy. But Saul had grown restless. The people were looking to him as the king whom they had chosen to lead and direct them. They had become dissatisfied with the guidance of the King of kings, and had desired to be like the nations around them, and God had granted their request for a ruler from among their brethren. The Lord still cared for them, and did not give them up to the disasters that would have come upon them if the frail arm of flesh had become their only support. He brought them into close places, that they might be convicted of the folly of depending on man, and that they might turn to him as their only help. The time for the proving of Saul had come. The opportunity had arrived when he was to show whether or not he would depend on God, and patiently wait according to his command, and reveal himself as one whom God could trust in trying places as the ruler of his people, or whether he would be vacillating and weak, and unworthy of the sacred responsibilities that had devolved upon him. Would Saul heed the injunctions given him of the Lord? Would he show himself willing to be led and controlled? Would he turn the attention of his faint-hearted soldiers to the One in whom is everlasting strength and deliverance.  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 4]          With growing impatience he waited the arrival of Samuel, and attributed the confusion and distress and desertion of his army to the absence of the prophet. But what more favorable moment could be given to the representative man of Israel to assert his manhood and manifest his faith in God? Was not this the very occasion when he should have believed the word of the prophet, and the commands and assurances of the Lord? But Saul made it evident that he did not discern sacred things, that he was not conscientiously careful to go according to the word of the Lord's explicit command. The priest of God was the only one authorized to present sacrifices before God; and yet Saul commanded, "Bring hither a burnt-offering," and he offered the sacrifice. In this he took upon himself the responsibilities of the priesthood. He placed himself in a position for which he was not prepared or qualified by the Lord. He presumed upon his exaltation to the throne of Israel, and acted as a priest before the people. The time for the arrival of Samuel was just at hand, but Saul, through lack of faith, had been led to take his own course, and he made it evident that he could not be trusted as the head of Israel; for under pressure of circumstances he would depart from the commandment of God.  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 5]          "And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him." Samuel saw at once that Saul had gone contrary to the express directions that had been given him. He had not waited till the seven days had expired. He had not humbly fulfilled the word of the Lord, nor regarded the law of the offerings. He had been charged to wait for Samuel, who was chosen of the Lord, and fitted for the very service that Saul had performed with unsanctified hands. The work that he had done was out of harmony with the plan of God, and could not be acceptable before Heaven. The sacrifice was to be offered in the most solemn manner. The people were to be impressed by the weight of its significance, and the Lord had spoken by his prophet that at this time he would communicate through his delegated servant what Israel must do at this critical time. Saul was so well satisfied with himself and his work, that he went out to meet the prophet as one who should be commended rather than disapproved. Samuel's countenance was full of anxiety and trouble; but to his inquiry, "What hast thou done?" Saul offered excuses for his presumptuous act. He said: "I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord; I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue; the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people."  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 6]          Saul had proved himself unfit to govern Israel, through lack of faith and obedience to the plain command of the Lord, and God could not establish his rule over his people. The services of religion he had performed were not acceptable to the God of Heaven. "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 7]          There is no safety for the people of God except in implicit obedience to his word. All his promises are made upon conditions of faith and obedience, and failure to comply with the expressed commands necessitates the failure of your experiencing the fulfillment of the rich provisions of the Scriptures. Saul might have made his supplication to God in an acceptable manner and still he might have waited for the servant of God to perform his appointed work. There was no need of forcing himself to offer a burnt-offering before the Lord. The command to wait till the arrival of Samuel was given to test his loyalty to the God who had so abundantly blessed him. If the king had only shown a regard for the requirements of God in this time of trial, then God could have worked his will through him, even when his inclination and natural desire might have clamored for a different course of action. His failure now proved him unfit to be vicegerent of God to his people. He would mislead Israel. His will would be the controlling power instead of the will of God. He had been weighed in the balances and had been found wanting. Angels of God had been grieved over his unbelief and disobedience, and his failure in this small test decided the most important question of his reign. If he had been faithful, his kingdom would have been established forever; but since he had failed, the purposes of God must be accomplished by another who would be true to the word of his commandment. The great interests of Israel must be committed to one who would rule the people according to the will of Heaven.  {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, May 11, 1888 par. 8]          We should be warned by the example of Saul. We do not know what great interests may be at stake in the proving of God. The work committed to our hands should be performed with fidelity. We should be true to the definite commandments of the Lord. The word of God is the only safe guide for our feet. We should not follow impulse, we should not rely on the judgment of men, but look to the revealed will of God, and walk according to the commandment, no matter what circumstances may surround us. God will take care of the results, and by faithfulness to God's word in time of trial you will prove before men and angels that the Lord can trust you in difficult places to carry out his will, honor his name, and bless his people.                                                                   -    {ST, May 11, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 1]       May 18, 1888 - The Relation of Christians to Christ  and the Church.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The apostle Paul, speaking of the church of Christ, likens it to the human body and its members. The unity existing between the members of the body represents the unity that should exist between the members of the church. The mutual dependence of the followers of Christ is illustrated by the dependence of the members of the body one upon the other. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." This figure, as representing the church, is full of the most tender significance to God's people, both as to their relation to Christ, and to one another. As in the natural body the suffering of one member is recognized by every part of the being, so in the church the weakness or sorrow of one member reaches all others with its influence; and the strength of one is the gain of all. Christ, the head of the church, is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities."  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 2]          Contemplating the intimacy of the relation between the followers of Christ, Paul writes: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you." "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 3]          We have been brought from the world to become members of the church, the body of Christ. We are to come into perfect harmony of feeling, and unity of faith. "Speaking the truth in love," we are to "grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ; from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." The natural defects of our characters must not be allowed to create disunion. We must surrender our wills to God, till every thought is brought into obedience to Christ. There is a work for us to do before we shall be able to work as harmoniously together as is represented by the union of the body.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 4]          Those who profess to be members of God's family, and who expect to stand one day around his throne, should be careful to cultivate here the spirit that will prevail in Heaven. "Love is the fulfilling of the law," and the love of Jesus in the heart will bind his church together in bonds of Christian fellowship, like that fellowship which will exist in the courts above. We have no need to err; for we possess a perfect pattern in the life of Jesus by which to fashion our life-actions, and the fact that we represent him so poorly should make us humble, and should lead us to exercise love and forbearance toward others who may err. Unless we do cultivate humility in view of our own deficiencies, there will be developed in us an element of hard-heartedness akin to that in the character of Satan. Criticism and coldness and disunion in the church will undo the work of the Holy Spirit of God.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 5]          We need a work wrought in our characters such as will fit us for the great responsibilities that Christ has laid upon us. There are souls to be saved on every side, and we need to love others as Christ has loved us, if we fulfill our obligations to our fellow-men. Those who indulge a spirit of jealousy, who are constantly inclined to think evil, and to judge the motives of others, are not possessors of the love of Christ, nor fitted for his holy service.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 6]          When a brother is in error, how many turn away and leave him to himself to pursue his wrong course, to depart from Christ and the truth! And not only do they treat him with neglect, but their unwise words and indifferent behavior hasten him on in the downward way. Is this the compassionate Spirit of Christ? When one is falling away, shall we push him into greater darkness? Did not Jesus, the Son of God, come to seek and to save that which was lost? "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Was not our Saviour tender and pitiful toward all? Did he not weep over the rejecters of his mercy, and stretch out his hands all day long to a rebellious people? We ought to be compassionate to our fellow-men; for they are the purchase of the blood of Christ. We are not as sympathetic as we should be. This self-esteem must be rooted out, this spirit of pharisaical importance must be subdued. We are not placed here to please or glorify self, but to glorify God by living for the good of men.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 7]          Every Christian should exercise the same pity toward the erring that he would have manifested toward himself; but in many cases, the very ones who are themselves the most sensitive under reproof, are most unfeeling toward those whom they condemn. If a brother errs, how easy it is to tell others of his fault before a word is said to him. Such a course is not in accordance with the Bible rule. God does not want us to expose the defects of others before the unbelieving world, or even before the brethren in the church, except as it may be necessary in carrying out the Bible direction.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 8]          God wants us to come into the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and then we shall do from the heart deeds of kindness that will bless others; then everyone will know that the truth of God has done something for the character and life of those who profess to believe it, that Christ dwells in the heart by faith, and that religion is a living reality.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 9]          Christ is grieved with our hardness of heart, with our lack of love and contrition. God wants us to have love; far better to have too much than too little. God himself is love; we should be like him. Christ is full of compassion; we should daily learn of him, and put in practice his lessons of love, by showing the tender spirit that he manifested. It will cost us no more effort to speak words of comfort and kindness than of harshness and jealousy. We should seek to bind up the broken heart and to heal the wounded spirit. We shall have no desire to bring others down in humiliation before us if we are actuated by the love of Christ. Our whole desire will be to lift up the thoughts and elevate the minds of those around us, to exalt the truth and draw men to the Saviour of the world.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 10]          There are those all around us who are dying for want of the love of Jesus expressed in the life of his followers. When the lifeless hands have been folded over the silent breast, how many have wished they had been more gentle, more tender. You cannot make confession in the ears of the dead, but you can exercise love and forbearance toward the living. Oh, that all might appreciate the privilege now given to sweeten the existence of those around them by the loving sympathy that so cheers and encourages the sad and lonely heart!  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 11]          Men and women who occupy responsible positions should deal very carefully with those under their care, blending love with firmness, encouragement with discipline, and comfort with correction. Why should you not exercise as much tenderness and skill in healing the sin-sick soul as in treating the diseased body? When you see one wandering away from the fold, go to him, and try to turn him back. With a meek and loving spirit, show him that you are his true friend, and that in telling him of his errors you are actuated by love for his soul. Work diligently, brethren; for these souls, if saved, will be our companions around the throne of God.  {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, May 18, 1888 par. 12]          Christ requires us to love one another. How much, the cross of Calvary will answer. He loved us even unto death, and he bids us to "love one another as I have loved you." "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." And when this mutual forbearance and tenderness is a reality among us we shall appreciate the significance of the figure employed by the apostle to represent the church of Christ. "Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." You will then bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.                                                                   -    {ST, May 18, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 1]       May 25, 1888 The Testing of Character.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.         Saul made an appearance of great conscientiousness and devotion, as he stood before the army of Israel, offering up a sacrifice to God. He represented himself before the people as one who was unwilling to engage in battle with the Philistines, without seeking the help of Heaven, but his heart was filled with distrust, and his apparent piety was, in reality, only unbelief and disobedience. He had been directed by the prophet of God that when he was brought into just such circumstances of trial he should wait until seven days had expired, and that at the termination of the days appointed, Samuel would come unto him, and offer the sacrifice, and tell him what he should do to honor God and save Israel, but Saul had failed to bear the test that God had permitted to come upon him, and he resolved to offer the sacrifice himself, and wait no longer for the priest ordained of God to perform the sacred service. The king beheld the Philistines arrayed for battle. He saw his own soldiers filled with alarm, and his ranks thinning with frequent desertions, and, instead of trusting in the word of God, and waiting patiently for his salvation, he became faithless and discouraged. In the hope of again rallying his scattered troops, he was willing to violate the direction of God, and offer an offering before the Lord, that he might have the approval of the people, and gather them to his side to war against the enemy.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 2]          The prophet had declared that the Lord would reveal what course the king should pursue when the seven days were ended; but he did not wait for the arrival of the man of God, but took the matter into his own hands. If he had but waited in faith and patience and rested in the promise of God, what lessons of trust might have come down to inspire us as the result of his life and experience! What a help he might have been to Israel, if he had but stood the test in that hour of trial! He might have revealed the work of the Spirit of God in his heart. Through him might have been manifested the power and willingness of Jehovah to bless his waiting people. If he had fulfilled the conditions upon which the help was promised, the Lord would have wrought a marvelous deliverance for Israel, with the few who were loyal to the king. But the religious service, performed in unbelief and in direct opposition to the commandment of God, only served to weaken his hands, and to place him beyond the help that God was so willing to grant him.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 3]          There are many who are pursuing this very course today. They refuse to believe and obey the commandment of the Lord, and yet they persevere in offering up to God their formal services of religion; but there is no response from the Spirit of God to such a service. There is no inward work upon the heart, no reformation in the life, no transformation in the character. Outward ordinances must not be considered of value, unless they are in accordance with the expressed will of God. The Lord cannot manifest his power to deliver, no matter how zealous men may be in their observance of religious ceremonies, if they persist in willful disobedience to his commandments.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 4]         Those who are placed in positions of trust, will be subjected to different tests, that their loyalty and trustworthiness may be proved by their course of action. The test may be a simple one, but it will be sufficient to decide whether or not the man's spirit is under the control of the Spirit of God. It will be made manifest whether or not he will choose to carry out his own will and his own ideas, or the will of God as the supreme guide of his actions. All our actions are weighed. Their moral worth is estimated. It is known whether or not we are loyal to God, whether or not we are leading those connected with us to love and fear God, or through the natural defects of our characters, unaided by the grace of God, we are leading those who look to us for an example into crooked paths, away from the fear of God, away from the counsel he gives through his appointed servants. If we are indifferent to the instruction given through the agencies of God, our hearts will become hardened, the light ordained for our correction will appear as darkness, and we will become agents in leading others into unbelief and rebellion.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 5]          Adam was tested in a very simple matter, but his failure to endure the test opened the flood-gates of woe upon our world, and with every disobedience to God are involved consequences of fearful import and disaster. The action of the king before Israel lessened the significance of the sacrificial service, and robbed the priesthood of its sacredness before their eyes. If the king could, with unconsecrated hands, perform this holy rite, why could not the people do the same? If he thought best to perform this service, it must be the right thing to do, and they felt perfectly safe in following the example of one so exalted as the king. Those who occupy positions of honor and responsibility, should be exceedingly careful to walk circumspectly and humbly before the Lord, that they may not become stumbling-blocks to those who are influenced by their life and example.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 6]          The greatest trials that have come upon the church have been brought about through the agency of those who were its professed friends, and who had been placed in positions of trust and sacred responsibility. Our most sanguine expectations have been frequently disappointed. We have followed our best judgment in selecting men for places of trust, and they have failed time and again, when the test was brought to bear on their characters. They have exhibited weaknesses of which they gave no previous indication. They are not what they appeared to be before they were placed in the position. How often have we finite beings been led to repent that we have used our influence toward promoting men who afterwards have given no evidence of their devotion to God's word and work. We have often inquired, What has made this great change in these men? What was it that led Saul to presume upon his exaltation to dishonor God by unbelief and disobedience? It was self-sufficiency and an evil heart of unbelief. It was when Saul was little in his own sight that God chose him to be ruler over Israel, but when he lost his spirit of simplicity and humility, he was not the man for the place, and his authority was taken from him. Those who turn from their humility and begin to exalt self, are filled with the most unaccountable infatuation and self-deception in regard to their own qualifications. Like Saul, they begin to assume responsibilities that their position in nowise warrants, and for which God has not ordained them.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 7]          When circumstances are so shaped that character is tested and developed, you should seek fervently for the help of God that you may be delivered from evil. If you walk humbly before God, you will not follow your own will, but will have a teachable spirit, and will submit to instruction and correction. If you steadfastly adhere to the word of God and follow in his way, you will not imperil others nor in the least degree seek to turn their minds away from the warnings, reproofs, and instructions which God sends through his servants; but if you fail to obey the word of God, even in the most perplexing circumstances, you make it manifest that you cannot be trusted in times of peril. Like Saul, you will follow your own judgment. You will not humble your soul before God, and make supplication, and lead those connected with you to look to God with all their hearts for the help he has promised to give in times of need.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 8]          The Lord will work for those who put their trust in him. Precious victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be learned. Precious experiences will be realized that will be of the greatest advantage in times of trial and temptation. Those who will give all the glory to God, not taking credit to themselves, will be trusted with more and more of the blessing of God. The Lord will be magnified by those who honor him in the midst of the people. The trial that has been borne with patience, the test that has been met with faithfulness, will prove them worthy of responsibility, and God will make them agents to carry out his will. They will be made stewards of his grace, as honored servants of God.  {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, May 25, 1888 par. 9]          The conflicts of earth, in the providence of God, furnish the very training necessary to develop characters fit for the courts of Heaven. We are to become members of the royal family, the sons of God, and "all things work together for good to those who love God," and submit themselves to his will. Our God is an ever-present help in every time of need. He is perfectly acquainted with the most secret thoughts of our heart, with all the intents and purposes of our souls. When we are in perplexity, even before we open to him our distress, he is making arrangements for our deliverance. Our sorrow is not unnoticed. He always knows much better than we do, just what is necessary for the good of his children, and he leads us as we would choose to be led if we could discern our own hearts and see our necessities and perils, as God sees them. But finite beings seldom know themselves. They do not understand their own weaknesses, and when reproof comes, and cautions are given, when they are rebuked, or even advised, they think that they are misjudged and unjustly treated. God knows them better than they know themselves, and he understands how to lead them. But when he undertakes to guide them in ways which seem mysterious to them, because of their blindness and lack of faith, they rebel, and bring upon themselves unnecessary grief and trouble. They have prayed to the Lord for light and guidance, and the Lord answered them as he did Jacob, and, like Jacob, they do not discern that it is the hand of the Lord leading them in a way contrary to their own choosing. If we will trust him, and commit our ways to him, he will direct our steps in the very path that will result in our obtaining the victory over every evil passion, and every trait of character that is unlike the character of our divine Pattern.                                                                   -    {ST, May 25, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 1]       June 1, 1888 The Rejection of Saul.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The relation between Samuel and Saul was one of peculiar tenderness. Samuel loved Saul as his own son, while Saul, bold and ardent of temper, held the prophet in great reverence, and bestowed upon him the warmth of his affection and regard. Thus the prophet of the living God, an old man whose mission was nearly finished, and the youthful king, whose work was before him, were bound together by the ties of friendship and respect. All through his perverse course, the king clung to the prophet as if he alone could save him from himself.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 2]          When Saul was proclaimed as king, Samuel had assured the people that the danger of the future would be that of forgetting the covenant of the Lord, and of failing to acknowledge God as the supreme Ruler of their nation. Israel had sought and obtained a monarchy after their own heart, yet Samuel had told them that the Lord in his infinite mercy was willing to forgive them, and to help them, if they would only fear him, and serve him in truth. The question of the conversion of Israel into the royalty of the kingdom of God, was to be decided. Would the Israel of God, with their king at their head, obey God explicitly, or would they not? Either Israel must cease to be the people of God, or the principles upon which the monarchy was founded must become spiritual, and the nation must be governed by a divine power. If Israel would be wholly the Lord's, then the Lord would constitute a kingdom in which the will of the human and earthly would be in subjection to the will of God, and, by this means, the covenant relationship that constituted God the Ruler of Israel, would be preserved. The question may seem of little consequence to our finite minds; but it was far from this. Would the king whom Israel had chosen listen to the Ruler of all kings? Would he surrender his will, and do the will of the Father which is in Heaven? No monarchy in Israel that did not acknowledge in all its ways the supreme authority of God, could prosper. As long as the people of Israel would conduct themselves as subordinate to God, so long would he be their protection and defense.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 3]          The prophet Samuel had been rejected as ruler of Israel, and Saul had been chosen to fill this responsible position. Samuel was not envious and jealous of the chosen king. "God forbid," said the prophet, "that I should sin against God in ceasing to pray for you." The Lord identifies his interest with the people, and although Israel had greatly displeased the Lord, and sorely grieved Samuel, yet the prophet did not divorce his interest from Israel; but he uttered a decided warning, "If ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king."  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 4]          Saul had failed to bear the test of his faith in the trying situation at Gilgal, and had brought dishonor upon the service of God; but his errors were not yet irretrievable, and the Lord granted to him another opportunity to learn the lesson of implicit faith in his word, and unqualified obedience to his commands. If the Lord had separated himself entirely from Saul, he would not have spoken to him again through his prophet, and intrusted him with a definite work to perform, that he might correct the mistake of the past.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 5]          Let us mark this. When anyone who claims to be a child of God, becomes careless in doing the express will of God, and through his deviation from the path of rectitude, many are influenced to become irreverent and unmindful of the injunctions of God, and if he then accepts reproof and has true contrition of soul, if he will discern his error, and no longer entertain lofty opinions of his ability, and will trust in God, who alone is able to save him, his past failure may be turned into victory, because he will become conscious of his inefficiency to do what God requires, without divine strength and wisdom.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 6]          The apostle Paul went directly contrary to the will of God before his conversion. His powers were employed in the cause and work of the enemy of God and man; but when light from Heaven shone about him, and the voice of Jesus was heard saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? I am Jesus whom thou persecutest," he inquired, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Love for Jesus became the ruling power in his life, and when there was work to be done for the Lord, no danger could intimidate him, no opposition hinder, no threats appall, no difficulties dishearten, no power cause him to swerve from the path appointed of God.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 7]          Before Paul experienced genuine conversion to God, selfishness controlled his mind and soul. His estimate of everything was a wrong estimate, for self-aggrandizement and selfishness had an influence upon his entire life and character. He praised his own zeal. He was carrying a mirror with him, not a mirror in which to discover the defects of his character, but a mirror in which he might admire himself. Everything was turned into self-glorification; but after Jesus was revealed to him, his lofty opinion of himself was gone. He saw nothing in which to glory, save the cross of Christ. The Lord brought Paul over a path that was difficult to travel, but the apostle saw in it precious opportunities to prove his fidelity to Jesus, whom he had persecuted in the person of his saints.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 8]          When Samuel was called upon to deliver a most painful message of condemnation to him whom he loved as a son, Saul saw no great sin in the course of transgression which he had pursued. When reproved he manifested no repentance or contrition of soul. He was not grieved for his disobedience. He did not surrender his will to God, but began to vindicate his actions, and to offer excuses for his error. After the announcement that, because of his transgression, his kingdom should not continue, Saul became sullen and despondent. He thought he had been treated unjustly and went to great extremes in his management of affairs in the kingdom.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 9]          At one time he pronounced a curse upon anyone who should taste of food throughout a certain day of battle. This prohibition was not required by the Lord. It originated with Saul himself, and nearly cost him the life of his son Jonathan. It created a will of decided opposition to his authority in his army, and resulted in leading the people to transgress the command of God. They had engaged in warfare all day, and were fainting for want of food, and, as soon as the hours of restriction were over, they eagerly fell upon the spoil, and greedily devoured the flesh with the blood, thus violating the law that prohibited such an act; for the Lord had said, "Thou shalt not eat the blood thereof." God had given them rules which should have been respected; because the Lord knows what is for the good of man, and he should be obeyed. But there are many who will lightly regard the tests which God has given, and will assume the responsibility of creating tests and prohibitions, as did Saul, which bring dishonor to God and evil to men.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 10]          The Lord sent a last message to Saul. By obedience, he might still prove his fidelity to God, and his worthiness to walk before Israel. Samuel came to the king and delivered the word of the Lord. Said the prophet, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." And the record states that "Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly."  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 11]          This victory over the Amalekites was the most brilliant victory that Saul had ever gained, and it served to rekindle the pride of heart that was his greatest peril. The divine edict devoting the enemies of God to utter destruction, was but partially fulfilled. Ambitious to heighten the honor of his triumphal return by the presence of a royal captive, Saul ventured to imitate the customs of the nations around him, and he spared Agag, the fierce and warlike king of the Amalekites. The people, influenced by his example, reserved for themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beast of burden.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 12]          Here Saul was subjected to the final test. His presumptuous disregard of the will of God, showing his determination to rule as an independent monarch, proved that he could not be trusted with royal power as the vicegerent of the Lord. While Saul and his army were marching home in the flush of victory, there was deep anguish in the home of Samuel, the prophet. He had received a message from the Lord, denouncing the course of the king. "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments." The prophet was deeply grieved over the course of the rebellious king, and he wept and prayed all night for a reversal of the terrible sentence.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 13]          God's repentance is not like man's repentance. "The Strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent; for he is not a man that he should repent." Man's repentance brings about a change of mind. God's repentance implies a change of circumstances and relations. Man may change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which he may be brought into the divine favor, and he may, by his own action, place himself outside the favoring condition; but the Lord is the same "yesterday, today, and forever." The Saul whom God made king was a humble man, little in his own eyes, and not the Saul whom God repented to have exalted to the throne of Israel. Saul's disobedience changed the condition of his relationship to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were unaltered,--God's requirements were still the same; for with him "there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 14]         With an aching heart the prophet set forth the next morning to meet the erring king. Samuel cherished a hope that, upon reflection, Saul might become conscious of his sin, and by repentance and humiliation before God, be again restored to the divine favor. But when the first step is taken in the path of transgression, the way becomes easy. Satan leads on, and Saul, debased by his disobedience, came to meet Samuel with a lie upon his lips. He exclaimed, "Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord."  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 15]          The sounds that fell on the prophet's ears disproved the statement of the disobedient king. To the pointed question, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" Saul made answer, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 16]          The message of Saul's rejection brought unspeakable grief to the heart of Samuel. It had to be delivered before the whole army of Israel, when they were filled with pride and triumphal rejoicing over a victory that was accredited to the valor and generalship of their king, for Saul had not associated God with the success of Israel in this conflict; but when he saw the evidence of Saul's rebellion, he was greatly stirred with indignation, that he, who had been so highly favored of God, should transgress the commandment of Heaven, and lead Israel into sin. Samuel was not deceived by the subterfuge of the king. With mingled grief and indignation he declares, "Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel." He repeats the command of the Lord concerning Amalek, and demands the reason of the king's disobedience.  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 17]          Saul persists in self-justification: "Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal."  {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 17}
[ST, June 1, 1888 par. 18]          In stern and solemn words, the prophet sweeps away the refuge of lies, and pronounces the irrevocable sentence. "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."                                                                   -    {ST, June 1, 1888 par. 18}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 1]       June 8, 1888 The Anointing of David.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Six miles south of Jerusalem, "the city of the great King," was Bethlehem, where David was born more than a thousand years before the infant Jesus was cradled in the manger, and worshipped by the wise men from the East. Centuries before the advent of the Saviour of the world, David, in the freshness of boyhood, had kept watch of his flocks as they grazed on the open fields of Bethlehem. The simple shepherd boy sang the songs of his own composing, and the music of his harp made a sweet accompaniment to the melody of his fresh young voice. The Lord had chosen David, and had ordered his life that he might have an opportunity to train his voice, and cultivate his talent for music and poetry. The Lord was preparing him in his solitary life with his flocks, for the work he designed to commit to his trust in afteryears.  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 2]          While David was thus living in the retirement of his humble shepherd's life, the Lord God was speaking about him to the prophet Samuel. "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. . . . Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably." The elders accepted an invitation to the sacred feast, and Samuel called them to the sacrifice, and sanctified Jesse and his sons. The altar was built, and the sacrifice was ready. All the household of Jesse were present, with the exception of David, the youngest son, who had been left to guard the sheep, for it was not safe to leave the flocks unprotected.  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 3]          When the sacrifice was ended, Samuel commenced his prophetic scrutiny of the noble-appearing sons of Jesse. Eliab was the eldest, and more nearly resembled Saul for stature and beauty than the others. His comely features and finely developed form attracted the attention of the prophet. As he looked upon his princely bearing, he thought, This is indeed the man whom God has chosen as successor to Saul, and he waited for the divine sanction that he might anoint him. But Jehovah did not look upon the outward appearance. The Lord's word to Samuel was, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart."  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 4]          What a lesson was given in these words, not only to the prophet, but to the men and women of every generation. No outward beauty of appearance can recommend the soul to God. The wisdom and excellence revealed in the character and deportment, express the true beauty of the man; and it is the inner worth of the heart that determines our acceptance with the Lord of hosts. How deeply should we feel this great and solemn truth in the judgment of ourselves and others. We may learn from the mistake of Samuel, how vain is the estimation that rests on the beauty of the face or the nobility of the stature. We may see how incapable is man's wisdom of understanding the secrets of the heart, or of comprehending the counsels of God without special enlightenment from Heaven. The thoughts and ways of God in relation to his creatures are above our finite minds; but we may be assured that his children will be brought to fill the very place for which they are qualified, and will be enabled to accomplish the very work committed to their hands if they will submit their wills to God, that his beneficent plans may not be frustrated by the perversity of man. Man should stand back and let the Lord do with his own as it seems good, according to his infinite wisdom and mercy.  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 5]          Eliab passed from the inspection of Samuel, and the six brothers who were in attendance at the service, followed in succession to be observed by the prophet, while all present beheld the scene with the deepest interest; but the Lord did not signify his choice of any of the seven sons of Jesse who stood before the man of God. With painful suspense Samuel had looked upon the last of the young men; the prophet was perplexed and bewildered. Turning to Jesse he inquired, "Are here all thy children?" and he answered, "There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep." Samuel was relieved at once, for he knew that it was one of the sons of Jesse that had been selected by the Lord as the successor of Saul. In decided tones he commanded, "Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither."  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 6]          The lonely shepherd on the hills of Bethlehem was startled by the hasty summons of the messenger who announced that the prophet had come to his father's house, and had sent for him. With surprise he questioned the reason that the prophet and judge of Israel should desire to see him; but without delay, he hastened to the altar. "Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to." As Samuel beheld with pleasure the handsome, manly, modest shepherd boy, the voice of the Lord spoke to him, saying, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." The prophet had accomplished his appointed work, and with a relieved heart he returned to Ramah.  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 7]          The great honor conferred upon David did not serve to elate him. As humble and modest as before his anointing, the shepherd boy went back to the hills of Bethlehem, and watched and guarded his flocks as tenderly as ever. But with new inspiration he composed his melodies, and played upon his harp. Before him spread a landscape of rich and varied beauty. The vines, with their clustering fruit, brightened in the sunshine. The forest trees, with their green foliage, swayed in the breeze. He beheld the bright luminary of day flooding the heavens with light, coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race. The bold summits of the hills reached toward the sky, and in the far-away distance rose the barren cliffs, and the blue heavens garnished by day with the splendid glory of the sun, and by night with the silvery radiance of the stars. And beyond was God. He could not see him, but his works were full of his praise, and daily revelations of the character and majesty of his Creator filled the young poet's heart with adoration and rejoicing. In contemplation of God and his works, the faculties of David's heart and mind were enlarging and strengthening for the work of his after-life.  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 8]          The light of day, gilding forest and mountain, meadow and stream, carried the mind up to behold the Deity, the Father of lights, the Author of every good and perfect gift. What an enlargement of mind such contemplations brought to the simple shepherd. He was daily coming into a more intimate communion with God. His mind was constantly penetrating into new depths, for fresh themes to inspire his song, and to wake the music of his harp. He poured out the rich melody of his voice upon the air, and it echoed from the hills as if responsive to the rejoicing of the angels' songs in Heaven.  {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, June 8, 1888 par. 9]          David, in the beauty and might of his young manhood, was taking a high position with the noblest of the earth. His talents, as precious gifts from God, were employed to extol the glory of the divine Giver. His opportunities of contemplation and meditation served to enrich him with that wisdom and piety that made him beloved of God and angels. As he contemplated the perfections of his Creator, richer discoveries of God opened before his soul. As his admiration increased more and more, his heart thrilled with more fervent adoration and ecstasy. As obscure thoughts were illuminated, as difficulties were made plain, as contradictions were reconciled, as perplexities were harmonized, fresh songs of melody and praise were offered before God. Each ray of new light brought forth fresh bursts of rapture, and sweeter anthems of devotion, to the glory of God and the Redeemer. The love that moved him, the sorrows which beset him, the triumphs that attended him, were all themes for his active thought, and, as he beheld the love of God in all the providences of his life, his heart beat with more fervent adoration and gratitude, his voice rang out in a richer melody, his harp was swept with more exultant joy; and the shepherd boy proceeded from strength to strength, from knowledge to knowledge; for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.                                                                   -    {ST, June 8, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 1]       June 15, 1888 The Coronation of David.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When David was assured of the death of Saul and Jonathan, he mourned with sincere sorrow for the king and prince of Israel. When the days of mourning were ended, after calm and earnest reflection he decided that he ought to take some immediate action in behalf of the imperiled and defeated nation. By divine appointment he had been anointed as the king of Israel, and it was fitting that he should take measures for the prosperity of the kingdom. He inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron."  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 2]          Hebron was twenty miles south of Jerusalem. It was originally called Kirjath-arba, the city of Arba, the father of Anak. Later it was called Mamre, and here was the burial-place of the patriarchs, "the cave of Machpelah." The city lies in a deep valley surrounded by fertile hill country and fruitful lands. The most beautiful vineyards of Palestine we found on its borders, together with numerous plantations of olive and other fruit trees, and excellent pasturage.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 3]          David consulted with his faithful followers, and told them what the Lord, who was mighty in counsel, had revealed to him. In accordance with the instruction of the Lord, they prepared to follow the directions given, and were soon in marching order. The armed men came first, then their wives and children, and in the rear followed the flocks and herds. As the caravan approached the city, the men of Judah were waiting to welcome David as the future leader and king of Israel. On his arrival they made immediate preparations for his coronation.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 4]          The Philistines did not oppose the action of Judah in making David king, for they thought it would work for their own interest in the end, if they quietly accepted the situation. They expected that David's power would extend, and that he would become a mighty sovereign. But although the nations around him did not interfere with his plans, David's throne and kingly reign were not to be secure from trouble. His coronation by the men of Judah was scarcely accomplished before Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, through the influence of Abner was proclaimed king, and set upon a rival throne in Israel. The dark work of conspiracy had begun. Abner had been commander-in-chief of Saul's army, and he was well qualified for the position. He was the most distinguished man in the ranks of the people of Israel. He knew that David was appointed by the Lord as the successor of Saul to the throne, but he who had marshaled every army, who had hunted and pursued David while Saul was still living, was not willing that the anointed of the Lord should be established in the kingdom over which Saul had reigned.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 5]          The circumstances under which Abner was placed, served to develop his real character, and he revealed himself as a man who was controlled by ambition, unprincipled at heart, and only desirous of exaltation to a high position before men. He acted against David without the least reverence for God's expressed command, or the slightest regard for the dictates of an enlightened conscience. Abner had a decided hatred of David. He had been intimately associated with Saul, and had been influenced by the spirit of the king to despise the man whom God had chosen to reign on the throne of Israel. Once having placed himself on the wrong side, he brought all his power and influence to bear against the servant of God. His hatred had been increased by the cutting rebuke that David had given him at the time when the cruse of water and the spear of the king had been taken from the side of Saul, as he slept in the cave. He remembered how David had reminded him of his fault before the king and the people of Israel, and had cried in their hearing, "Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster." This reproof had rankled in his breast, and he determined to carry out his revengeful purposes, and create division in Israel, whereby he himself might be exalted. To this end he employed the representative of departed royalty to advance his own selfish ambitions and purposes. He knew that the people loved Jonathan. His memory was cherished, and Saul's first successful campaigns were not forgotten by the army. With determination worthy a better cause, the rebel chieftain went forward to carry out his plans. At Mahanaim he secured the coronation of Ishbosheth, and the tribes of Israel proclaimed him their king, but Judah still acknowledged David as their sovereign. For two years the son of Saul enjoyed his honors in his secluded capital.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 6]          "There was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David," for Abner was determined to gain his desire at any cost. The question may be asked, "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Success, in such a case, is a terrible disaster. Far better is humility, and the loss of high-sounding titles, than to run any risk of the loss of the soul. Better far the cross and the disappointment, better far shattered hopes, and the world's neglect, than to sit with princes and forfeit Heaven. Abner had desired honor, and he was determined to have it at any cost. David had rebuked him before Israel, and his proud spirit chafed under the words of reproof. His malice and hate were directed toward him who had discovered and pointed out the weakness of his character; and those whom God leads and guides in these last days will experience trials of a similar nature to those that came upon David, the servant of God. There is a decided hatred of reproof in the hearts of men. Cautions and warnings are not thankfully received, and, as with Abner, so those who cherish pride, will manifest a spirit of malice toward those who administer reproof. Satan seems to take possession of those who wish to rank among the highest, and yet have not those true principles that would place them in positions of trust and responsibility. They would rather be exalted by the enemies of the truth, and be poor and miserable and wretched in the high estimate of Heaven, than to submit to humiliation in the ranks of the servants of God. Such men go out from the body of the believers, denying the faith they once proclaimed; they deliberately set aside one of the simplest and most unequivocal commandments of God, that they may exalt themselves, and follow the way of the world; but those who humbly wait on the Lord, fulfilling his requirements, will be exalted in due time.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 7]          The Scriptures declare that the house of "David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker." And the time came that the enemies of David were slain. After the death of Ishbosheth, there was a general desire among the leading men of Israel that David should be proclaimed as the king of all the tribes of Israel. "Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh." There seemed to be an awakening among the people to acknowledge God's ways, and to yield up their own ways. They understood the purpose of the Lord concerning David, but they had worked contrary to their light and knowledge. They dare not longer hold themselves as enemies to the Lord's appointed ruler. They acknowledged now what they would have acknowledged long before if they had followed the convictions of their own hearts, and had not yielded their reason to deception and delusion. They declare of David, "Thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel." When they were leavened with the spirit of Saul and Abner, they did not care to be the friend of David. They regarded him as an enemy, and treated him as such, thus acting the part of traitors, because they were deceived and blinded, and were working in darkness, contrary to the will of God. Now as their eyes begin to be opened to the real nature of the course which they have pursued, they desire to be at peace with David.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 8]          "So all the elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron; and King David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord." They assured the king that they recognized his divine appointment to the kingdom of Israel, and David was greatly pleased, for he knew that their hearts had been touched by the Spirit of the Lord, and their eyes had been enlightened to see light in God's light. He knew that the promises of God to him and to Israel would be fulfilled if they walked according to the counsel of the Lord. It was evident to his mind that the dealings of the Lord with him had prepared him for the duties and responsibilities of his office. Through the providence of God, the way had been opened for him to come to the throne of Israel. He had no personal ambition to gratify, for he had not sought the honor to which he had been brought.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 9]          More than eight thousand of the descendants of Aaron, and of the Levites, waited upon David. The great change in the sentiments of the people was marked and decisive. The revolution was quiet and dignified, befitting the great work they were doing. Nearly half a million souls, the former subjects of Saul, thronged Hebron. The very hills and valleys were alive with the multitudes. The hour for the coronation was appointed, and the man who had been expelled from the courts of Saul, who had fled to preserve his life to the mountains and hills, and to the caves of the earth, was about to receive the highest honor that can be conferred upon man by his brother man. David, the hero of the hour, was arrayed in the royal robe, while around him was a most imposing company. Priests and elders clothed in the garments of their sacred office, officers and soldiers with glittering spear and helmet, and strangers from long distances, stood to witness the coronation of the chosen king. The sacred oil was put upon the brow of David by the high priest, for the anointing by Samuel was a prophetic ceremony of what would take place at the inauguration of the king. The time had come, and David, by solemn rite, is consecrated by the nation to his office as God's appointed vicegerent. The scepter, a signal of royalty and power, is placed in his hands. The covenant is written of his righteous sovereignty, and the people give their pledges of loyalty. The diadem is placed upon his brow, and the coronation ceremony is over. Israel has a king by the appointment of God.  {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, June 15, 1888 par. 10]          Saul had been after the heart of Israel, but David is a man after God's own heart. And now the procession moves toward the gate of the city with the highest enthusiasm, crying, "Long live king David." The musicians express the gladness of the hour by notes of joy with voice and instrument. When David is seated upon his throne, his subjects congratulate him that God has established him as the ruler of Israel, and they declare their joy in having such a king to reign over them. The ceremonies of the day were over, and he who had waited patiently on the Lord beheld the promise of God fulfilled. "And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him."                                                                   -    {ST, June 15, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 1]       June 22, 1888 David's Throne Established at  Jerusalem.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       As soon as David was established on the throne of Israel, he began to plan for a more appropriate position for the capital of his realm. Twenty miles from Hebron a place was selected as the future metropolis of the kingdom. Before Joshua had led the armies of Israel over Jordan to the promised possession, it had been called Salem. Near this place Abraham had proved his loyalty to God. He had prepared an altar, and had laid upon it his only son Isaac, in obedience to the command of the Lord. Here had been the home of Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, nearly nine hundred years before the coronation of David. It held a central and elevated position in the country, and it was barricaded by an environment of hills. On the north rose Lebanon, with its snow-crowned summits.  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 2]          Away to the south stretched the Arabian desert, with its moving sands. To the west were the waters of the Mediterranean, and to the east were the Dead Sea and the river Jordan.  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 3]          In order to secure this much-desired location, the Hebrews must dispossess a remnant of the old Canaanites. King David called for men to besiege and take the city of Jebus from their heathen enemies. A large force gathered at the command of the King, and David left his throne, and his armies surrounded and took the city, and the capital of Israel was moved to Jebus. This heathen name was changed to the City of David, and it was afterward called Jerusalem, and Mount Zion. "And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him."  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 4]          Tyre was a rich city on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, and Hiram, king of Tyre, sought the friendship of Israel, and rendered them assistance in various undertakings. Hiram "sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake."  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 5]          When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all the tribes of Israel, they "came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold." The Philistines marshaled an immense force, hoping again to bring Israel into subjection. They spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. "David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my hand?" And the Lord bade David go up, and promised to deliver the Philistines into his hand.  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 6]          King David asked counsel of the Lord in his extremity, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and answered his servant, and Israel was victorious. But the Philistines made a more decided  display, that they might intimidate Israel. Their numbers were very great. Again David sought the Lord, and the great I AM became the general of the armies of Israel. God himself laid the plan of the attack. He instructed David, saying, "Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the top of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines."  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 7]         If David had chosen his own way, as did Saul, success would not have attended his warfare. But David did as the Lord had commanded, and he "smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer." Saul had been honored of God to occupy a high position of trust. He was tested and proven of the Lord, but he did not obey the voice of God. He had become tired of his simplicity, and he chose to follow his own finite judgment, and departed from the Lord. Saul had been a man of striking personal attractions, and at the beginning of his reign the Spirit of the Lord had been upon him. After his coronation he had been a changed man; but pride came into his heart, and he became lifted up in his own estimation. He thought, as some success had attended his plans and his generalship, that his prosperity was due to the wise movements he had made. The people praised him, and gave glory to him, and did not acknowledge the Lord as the prime mover in all their successes. Through his appointed agents, God had given definite instruction; but those who were self-sufficient, and puffed up with pride,--the poor, finite beings whom God had given position, and endowed with honor,--had concluded that they understood the situation of things far better than did the Lord, and they determined to follow their own way, and have their own will carried out, and unite with the godless.  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 8]          The Maker of mind possesses in himself alone the principles of life and action that must regulate and govern inferior minds. The natural, selfish mind, as it exists in its carnal state, acts without reference to God, and is evil, and only evil, continually. The soul cannot be in a state of peace or safety unless it is waiting upon God and receiving instruction from him. Saul's heart was estranged from God; and when he was reproved by Samuel, he stubbornly refused to admit that he had disobeyed God, although the lowing of the oxen, and the bleating of the sheep, sounded in the ears of the king and the prophet, and the king of the Amalekites, who, with all his nation and their possessions, was devoted to utter destruction, was preserved alive in the camp of Israel. While Saul persisted in self-justification, he knew in his heart that he had decidedly transgressed the commandment of the Lord. He was displeased that the Lord did not recognize his judgment, and approve of the victory he had gained, which was the most brilliant of his successes. But the Lord does not look upon successes as men do. Obedience to his word is counted as of more value than the most brilliant conquest that is gained in opposition to his will. In heart and act, Saul was decidedly opposed to the will of God. He flattered himself that in sparing Agag he was manifesting more mercy than the Judge of all the earth. And he told the prophet that the sheep and oxen, which God had ordered to be slain, were to be presented before him as sacrifices in Gilgal.  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 9]          We have often been grieved to meet this same spirit of self-justification in those who profess in this day to be doing the will of God, while they are living in transgression of his holy law. Those who depart from God's way to follow their own way, refuse to acknowledge their perversity and sin when reproved by the servants of God. As did Saul, so do these stubbornly fortify themselves in their rebellion, that they may hold fast to their errors and defects. God's voice is heard, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it;" but they have wandered on forbidden ground, and in place of making full and free confession they do everything that is possible to make it appear that they are rebuked without cause, and are innocent of the charges brought against them. In this way they make God out a liar. The displeasure of the Lord is kindled against them; and unless they repent, and turn to him, his wrath will certainly fall upon them. "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 10]          Those whose deeds are evil, will not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved and their real characters revealed. If they continue in the path of transgression, and sever themselves entirely from the Redeemer, stubbornness, and sullenness, and a spirit of revenge will take possession of them, and they will say to their own souls, Peace, peace, when there is every reason that they should be alarmed, for their steps are directed toward destruction. As Saul resisted the reproofs of the servant of the Lord, this spirit took possession of him. He defied the Lord, he defied his servant, and his enmity toward David was the outworking of the murderous spirit that comes into the heart of those who justify themselves in the face of their guilt.  {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, June 22, 1888 par. 11]          David had sought and obtained divine instruction, and he obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gave the glory of his success to the Lord, who had delivered the enemies of Israel into his hands. Oh that the people of God, at all times and in every extremity, would seek the Lord, who is the sovereign ruler of all worlds, and the general of all the armies of those who honor and serve him. We need to pray more, and to trust less in our own power. When sincere prayer is offered, and our souls are humbled in deep contrition before God, and are not lifted up in self-importance, the Lord will bless his people. The promise is given, that those who commit their way unto the Lord, shall be directed in the path of righteousness. Those who truly seek and obtain God's favor and help, and preserve their union with Heaven, will not glorify themselves, but they will glorify God for his great power and majesty that has wrought in their behalf.                                                                   -    {ST, June 22, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 1]       June 29, 1888 Praise the Lord.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The lovers of the truth of God should be the happiest people in the earth, because "he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Holiness is happiness, because holiness is a part of Heaven. How can we be unhappy when we see so many evidences of the love of God to us, expressed in his created works? How many look with indifference upon the tokens of God's regard for their happiness! When I look upon the lofty trees, and contemplate the loving heavenly Father who has planted them for us, my heart is drawn out in praise and thanksgiving. We should seek to see the relation of natural things to the spiritual truths of God; then, in looking upon the works of nature, the mind will be instinctively drawn to the Giver of every good and perfect gift.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 2]          The glorious things of nature seem to have been designed for the very purpose of illustrating Bible truth. It is evident that the Author of nature is the Author of the Bible. God is a lover of the beautiful, and he has given unmistakable evidences of his love for man, in the beauties of the material world. He has garnished the Heavens with matchless and wonderful splendor. He has clothed the earth with a carpet of velvet-like green, and given to the flowers their beautiful and varied tints. Everywhere we look we see reasons for praising the God of Heaven.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 3]          Suppose that a benevolent person should provide a beautiful home, and surround it with everything to be desired, and then present it to a poor man who had nothing to give in exchange for it but a grateful heart. The benevolent man has no other motive in this act than to make the poor man happy, and give him an evidence of his love for him, and his interest in his welfare. Suppose that the recipient of these gifts should regard them with indifference, and even manifest dissatisfaction, by pointing out defects in the beautiful arrangements, would you not disapprove of this course?  Would you not say this man is not worthy of such blessings, for he has no grateful remembrance of the loving giver?  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 4]          Well, what are we doing with the gifts that God has so richly bestowed upon us? Do we not overlook the most precious things in nature? Do we not fail to appreciate the things that are lovely and charming to the senses, and manifest no gratitude, and have no thankfulness to return to God, who has provided these very things as an expression of his love toward us? Do we closely investigate these treasures in various ways, that we may take in all the depth of his love in providing them for our comfort and delight? Do the glories of earth, and sea, and sky, kindle in our hearts grateful, happy thoughts of God? Do you read in the lofty trees, in the waving grass, in the flowers of the field, the lesson that is taught there,--that God loves you?  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 5]          I listen to the happy songsters caroling forth their hymns of praise to God above, and joy kindles in my own heart. But how does our heavenly Father regard the indifference with which men receive the tokens of his love to them? How can he look upon those who never give to him the glory that is due unto his great name? He is described in his created works, and nature teaches you of his character and majesty.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 6]          Said Jesus, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." And shall we be inconsiderate of the flowers of God? Shall we regard with indifference these tokens of the wonderful love of God toward fallen man? In contemplating the works of his hand, our imaginations are to be put to the stretch. We are to look up to the royal gifts that await the faithful and obedient child of Heaven. The apostle declares, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him."  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 7]          We see the varied gifts of God in nature, but we see but the faintest gleaming of his glory. Our hearts should be filled with praise to him who will ever act in harmony with his own greatness; and in looking upon the works of God, by faith we may contemplate what we shall behold if we are fitted for the mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love him. Then let us not go through the world neglecting to see and to appreciate the wonderful things with which God has surrounded us. Let us not forget to talk of the compassion of our heavenly Father, who hath provided all things richly to enjoy. Let us not begin to grumble, because we see thistles and thorns. God did not tell you to look upon these. He did not bid you grasp the thorns, that would wound and bruise your flesh, and grieve your spirit. Turn your eyes away from these things to the attractive loveliness of that which is beautiful. Think on these things, talk of the wonderful works of your Creator and Redeemer. Talk of the price that was given to win these things for you. Dwell upon the theme of salvation. Talk of the tender love of God, who gave his only begotten Son to die on Calvary, that we might come into possession of eternal riches.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 8]          Oh, what value we may see every day in the unspeakable gifts of God! Shall we not rid the heart of the base thing that has taken possession of it, which makes us incapable of appreciating the matchless love of our heavenly Father? Shall we not now tune our hearts to praise God from whom all blessings flow? Let us stop every breath of complaint, and shape our words into songs of joy and thankfulness for the gift of his dear Son to save a perishing world. If we would be among those who will praise God in the world to come, we must begin to praise him here, and now. We must tune our hearts to the music of Heaven, which is praise to God and to the Lamb forever and ever. Let Christians show that they are Christ-like, that they are breathing in the atmosphere of Heaven.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 9]          Jesus says, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." If Christians would manifest the joy that Christ is willing to give them, they would represent the religion of the Bible much better than they now do. We are to be in the world, but we are not to be of it. We are to see and appreciate all the beauties in nature, and we are to let the favors of God lift up our minds to the bountiful Giver. We are to express, by precept and example, that we are the possessors of peace, and trust, and fullness of joy. We are to cultivate gratitude and love and praise in our hearts, that through his promises, richer than precious pearls, we may discern the purposes of God toward us. As the flowers gather for themselves the hidden properties of earth and air, and develop into things of beauty to delight our senses, so Christians are privileged to gather from the garden of God's promises, faith and hope, peace, joy, and support. They are to give out again to others a life fragrant with good works.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 10]          In the promises, God withdraws the veil from Heaven, and bids us look into the glory prepared for those who love him. Why do we so constantly take our gaze away from these things of unsurpassed loveliness in the inheritance of the saints in light, and fix our eyes upon the things that are dark and forbidding? Why do we gather up the clouds of unbelief about our souls, and enshroud ourselves in an atmosphere that is only discouraging, and will bring death to our spirituality? God would have us learn lessons from the lily that opens its pure white blossoms upon the bosom of the lake. The flower reposes in spotless loveliness, while all around it, on the surface of the water, are unseemly and obnoxious things. The lily strikes its stem deeper and still deeper into the pure waters and sands, far beneath the surface of the lake, and refuses everything that would taint and pollute its purity. It only draws to itself those properties that will aid its development into a spotless lily.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 11]          Shall we not learn lessons from this lily? Although we are in a world teeming with moral corruption, we have no need to gather to our souls the disgusting pollutions of earth. We may refuse the evil. We may choose the good. We may gather to our souls the precious, the pure, the heavenly; we may put into our character-building solid timber, that will make a fit temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand we may gather to our souls evil suggestions, and doubts and impurities. We may communicate with the prince of darkness, and refuse the Prince of light. We may put unworthy, unsound timbers into our character-building; and our thoughts, our words, our influence, will lead others into darkness. Our words and works will not be a savor of life unto life, but of death unto death. While we claim to be Christians, if we do not gather with Christ we shall be agents of Satan, to beguile souls away into the paths of destruction. God forbid that this should be the case. Let your life be a continual testimony that you belong to Christ. Represent your Lord in kindness, in forbearance, in long-suffering, in patience, in thinking no evil, in cheerfulness, in fullness of joy. You will do this, if you let your faith penetrate every cloud. Draw to yourself the graces of the Spirit, weave them into a character that will develop itself in good works. Let men see that because you have become a partaker of the divine nature, you have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 12]          In the work of overcoming sinful habits, special grace will be given to all that sincerely desire it. We may come to the divine Helper, who is able to succor those who are in the midst of temptation and evil. The loving kindness of God is not all reserved for the future, eternal reward, but it is abundant for the present needs of his people. All the changes of life, all the hard places in the way to Heaven, will be blessed by the grace that is sufficient for every trial. We have assuring promises of protection and help. The everlasting arms will be beneath us to encourage, sustain, and uphold. Poverty or wealth, sickness or health, simplicity or wisdom, all are provided for in the promises of his grace. There is light for the intellect, love for the heart, and vigor for every faculty. If we will not lay hold on the blessings God has provided for us, if we will only grasp hold of the thorns and the thistles, to wound and bruise ourselves, we have no right to complain of God's dealings with us.  {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, June 29, 1888 par. 13]          "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Praise God, brethren and sisters. Praise him with heart, and soul, and voice, and thus you will be learning to sing the songs of Heaven.                                                                   -    {ST, June 29, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 1]       July 6, 1888 Steps in Conversion.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       He who desires salvation should fix his mind upon the cross of Calvary. It is there that the sinner may behold what sin has done. There he can see the infinite sacrifice that has been made to redeem him from the penalty of the broken law of God. As the transgressor realizes his lost condition, he sees in Christ his only hope of salvation. From the cross he learns precious lessons of the life, the self-denial, the self-sacrifice, the goodness, the mercy and love of the Son of God, who gave himself for us. Calvary portrays the matchless attributes of the divine character. As he looks to the cross, he will hate sin; for he will understand that it was sin that rejected, reproached, denied, scourged, and crucified the Majesty of Heaven. He will love the Father, who gave all Heaven to men in the gift of his only begotten Son. His heart will be filled with an eager desire for the knowledge of God, and for an understanding of the plan of salvation. He who has had a vivid view of the cross, will hate sin, and love righteousness. His doubts will vanish in the clear light reflected from the cross of Calvary.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 2]          The plain statements of the word of God declare that "sin is the transgression of the law;" and as the sinner realizes his attitude toward God, if he is truly repentant he will hasten to leave the black banner of the prince of rebellion, and will take his stand under the blood-stained banner of the Prince Emmanuel. He will receive the divine illumination, and will approve the things that are excellent. He will see that Christ is the propitiation for his sin; not that sin might become a virtue, but that it might become exceedingly sinful. He will cease to transgress the divine law, and will take his stand with those who are loyal to the God of Heaven.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 3]          The word of God will be read with a humble and teachable spirit by him who is seeking for its hidden treasures of wisdom and truth. As men seek to come into harmony with God, they will find that the offense of the cross has not ceased. As the sinner yields obedience to all the requirements of God, he will find that principalities, and powers, and wicked spirits in high places, are arrayed against him. But the follower of Christ cannot avoid shame and reproach. He cannot go with the multitude of them that do evil, who make void the law of God by their tradition. His eyes must be fixed upon the cross where Jesus died that humanity might be elevated and ennobled, and re-instated in the favor of the heavenly Father. He must follow Him whose righteousness shall be imputed unto all that are faithful and obedient.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 4]          Through the perfect obedience of the Son of God, through the merits of his blood, and the power of his intercession, man may become a partaker of the divine nature, and escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. He may again be brought into the favor of God,--not while in willful transgression, not while trampling upon the great moral standard of righteousness, but by obedience to the precepts of God's law, through faith in his Son.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 5]         The cross of Calvary tells how Christ has magnified the law and made it honorable. It required the infinite merits of his blood to make an atonement for those who receive his love, and follow in his footsteps. Man may obtain pardon and peace only through Him who has loved us, and who will wash us from our sins in his own blood. Those who have been convinced of sin before the law, and have exercised repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, cease to make void the law of God. Although the whole world were arrayed against them, they could but vindicate its righteousness, and fulfill its obligations.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 6]          We could never have known the value of Christ, except through an understanding of the exalted claims of the law of Jehovah. We could never have appreciated the depth of the pit from which Christ has rescued us, except through a comprehension of the excellence of the precepts of truth. Never could we have understood the depth of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, unless we could have beheld the marvelous character of the law of Heaven and earth. In the light of that holy law, the sinner sees the Redeemer as he is,--full of mercy, compassion, goodness, and love; and by looking to Jesus, and by contemplating his matchless love to such a sinner as himself, his heart is filled with gratitude and heavenly peace.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 7]          As the sinner grasps the promises of God by faith, a blessed confidence comes into his soul, and he receives the illumination of the Spirit of God. A contemplation of the cross of Christ on Calvary, enables the mind to form correct ideas of the plan of redemption. Those who do this will have a better appreciation of what the sinner must become in character and life if he would be accounted worthy of eternal life. The law of God will stand out in clear distinctness before the mind's eye.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 8]          Although the law of God is of a holy and unchangeable character, the adversary of God and man, the first great rebel who transgressed its precepts in Heaven, has led men in all ages to war against God. Through all manner of deceptions he has gathered them under the black banner of rebellion. But Jesus came to our world to bring to men moral power to resist the devices of Satan, and to become loyal subjects to the God of Heaven. As the sinner sees that sin is the transgression of the law, and that the law is the foundation of God's government in Heaven and in earth, he makes haste to place his feet in the path of righteousness, that he may be without offense till the day of Christ.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 9]          Those who seek, by every effort possible, to make void the law of God, act contrary to their convictions, and use arguments that have no force, because "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." But the humble, honest, sincere soul will approve the things that are excellent, notwithstanding the fact that by so doing he will have to become a partaker with Christ of his sufferings. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, the obedient child of God will manifest to the world that he is vitally connected with Christ, the living vine.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 10]          The word of truth declares that "by their fruits ye shall know them." In order to test the character of every man's fruits, it is necessary to have a standard. God has provided that standard for us in the precepts of his law, and there is nothing else by which to try men's characters and doctrines. Says the prophet, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The world has been following the prince of darkness; but those who desire to follow Christ, will have to come out from the world, and be separate from its follies and fashions. "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not."  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 11]          Nothing in the line of fables can satisfy a soul that is longing for Bible truth, and who feels that eternal interests are at stake. A plausible supposition will not do, nor can an assertion be found sufficient to quiet an aroused conscience. The earnest seeker for truth must have a plain "Thus saith the Lord." He does not want to approve of unrighteousness, but of things that are excellent. He is determined not to rest his hope of salvation on anything that is of a doubtful nature. He must have the assurance of the word of God as to whether he is a rebel to his law, or loyal to his rules of government. Ingenious, fine-spun theories, and arguments, that seek to prove that God's law is of no further force, do not satisfy a soul tortured with conviction of sin. He cannot rest in suspense. He thinks, "Suppose that the law of God does hold its claims upon every human being as it did upon Adam in Eden, and I should receive these ingenious theories, and be found on the side of the great rebel at last. Then I would be a lost soul, and would justly share the fate of the transgressor." Groaning under the load of sin, he cries out, "Am I God's friend, or his foe? As he contemplates the cross of Calvary, the true light shines to him. He sees, in the plan of salvation, that the death of Christ is an unanswerable argument as to the immutable character of the law. The law of God is as unchangeable as its author; and because not one precept could be changed or altered to meet man in his fallen condition, the Son of God had to die, the just for the unjust. He bore the penalty of man's disobedience, that man might be re-instated in the favor of God, and by a life of humble obedience might form such a character as would be accounted worthy of a place in the kingdom of God.  {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, July 6, 1888 par. 12]          As these truths flash upon the mind of the sinner, a moral revolution takes place. He realizes that the testimony of the word and the Spirit agree; and doubt is swept away. He can rejoice in Christ as his living Saviour, his substitute, his surety, his strength and righteousness. The day-star has arisen in his heart. Christ is formed within, the hope of  glory; and with John, the language of the soul is, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." He has a foundation for his faith. It is Christ, the Rock of Ages. He dares to love him, for the light reflected from the cross of Calvary reveals his Saviour to his soul, as "the chiefest among ten thousand," and the one "altogether lovely."                                                                   -    {ST, July 6, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 1]       July 13, 1888 The Christian's Work.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The true Christian will be meek, gentle, willing to learn, teachable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. Those who are truly religious will not become stubborn, set in their way, and unyielding in their opinions. They will be ready to prove all things, and to hold fast that which is good. They will consider themselves as learners in the school of Christ. They will not be of that class who are ever ready to lecture others to condemn and criticise, and to impugn the motives of their friends and neighbors. The Christian is to represent Jesus, who is the light of the world. To take a position as above the brethren, is to take the position of the Pharisee. Let the meekness of Jesus appear in words of wisdom, and in an irreproachable conduct that will recommend your faith to those with whom you associate.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 2]          Heaven is open to us. Everyone may find access to the source of strength. From the gates ajar, the light of the better world is shining into the path of the just. Mothers may come to Jesus with their worries and perplexities. They may find grace sufficient to support them, and to aid them in the management of their children. They may be enabled to conduct their household affairs in a manner that will glorify God. Let them study less how to make the outward appearance attractive, and devote more time to the education and training of their children, that they may meet the approval of God. He who is high and lifted up, esteems a meek and quiet spirit as of great price. Its possessor is of more value in his eyes than the gold of Ophir. If, then, this spirit makes character so acceptable to God, how earnestly should mothers pray and labor, that their households may be adorned with this precious ornament. If the many hours that are devoted to improving the outward appearance, were devoted by mothers to prayer, and to the study of the Scriptures, in order to learn how to mould the characters of their charges, what a difference would be seen in the society of the church which is composed of these families.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 3]          The lesson which we have individually to learn in the school of Christ, is how we can use our God-given influence and ability in a manner which Christ will accept, and in a way that will make us the light of the world. You are not to study how you can please the world, or how you can enjoy the world, but how you may exert an influence that will bless man, and lead souls to Christ. Dedicate yourselves to Christ. Commit the keeping of your souls to God, as unto a faithful Creator. Take hold of his strength, and he will work with your efforts. You cannot afford to waste or misuse your God-given powers or opportunities. The time is now yours to perfect your own characters and those of your children, that you may be useful in this life, and fitted for the eternal life that is to come. A life devoted to God in works of faithfulness, is a witness to men of the power of godliness.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 4]          There are many who forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water; but Christ, the Rock of Ages, invites the weary and the wandering to come unto him and find rest for their souls, to come and obtain peace and salvation. Many are walking apart from Christ, not obeying his words or working his works, and yet they are pretending to be holy; but this claim will not stand the test of the Judgment. It is true that our works will not save us, and yet no one will be saved without good works. A pure life, a holy character, must be attained by everyone who would enter the portals of the city of God. The moralist, trusting in his own goodness, will be found wanting. Like Cain, he presents a sacrifice which does not recognize the blood of Jesus as essential to cleanse from the defilement of sin. Every sinner must have virtue that is not possessed by himself. Our door-post must be marked by the atoning blood, thus acknowledging our own inefficiency, and the merits of the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world; for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 5]          Fathers and mothers, you should feel the necessity of saying, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Then the world would not hesitate to place you with Christians. Men will not be acquainted with the motives that actuate you, or know the principles that move you; but they will see your determination to move in the fear of God. You will not join them in the chase after pleasure, nor in following the fashions and customs of the world. You will not be in harmony with their tastes, their plans, and conversations. "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."  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 6]          As Christ is pure in his sphere, man may be pure in his. We have a work to do for ourselves which no one can do for us, and we must appreciate the time and the opportunities that are given to us, that we may prepare for the eternal world. Fathers and mothers, it is your privilege to be sanctified to God, and to bring your children to Jesus, by earnest prayer, by living faith, by constant, untiring effort. Never was Jesus more willing to prove to you that he is the Rock of Ages than he is today. Never before have the people of God had greater encouragement to trust in Jesus than they have today. It will be very hard for us to excuse our neglect, or to bring reasons why we should not believe in our Saviour, and sing,                      "Rock of Ages, cleft for me,                   Let me hide myself in thee."  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 7]         The life of the true-hearted Christian will be as the light of the world. The spiritual life will not be manifested by proud boasting. It has its seat in a heart that displays the working of the Spirit of Christ in the character and thought. There will be manifested meekness, humility, tender compassion, love, faith, and hope. Teach your children to seek meekness, quietness, and purity. These are the ornaments that can be worn with the approval of God. Parents, let your adorning not be the outward adorning, but the inward adorning of the heart, in that which is not corruptible. The ornaments that God would have the Christian wear are of an immortal character.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 8]          Parents should seek to become thoroughly acquainted with their children. Oh, may the Lord impress them with the necessity of laboring for them, in order to bring them to Jesus! Oh that they might realize the far-reaching influence of the impressions of early life! These impressions are either for good or for evil, and they leave their traces in the character, which is developing day by day. Parents will be held responsible for the influence they exert, and for the development of their children. In the day of Judgment they will have to meet the record of their work.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 9]          No higher work was ever committed to mortals than the shaping of character. Children are not only to be educated, but trained as well; and who can tell the future of a growing child, or youth? Let the greatest care be bestowed upon the culture of your children. One child, properly disciplined in the principles of truth, who has the love and fear of God woven through the character, will possess a power for good in the world that cannot be estimated. The work of wise parents will never be appreciated by the world, but when the Judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, their work will appear as God views it, and will be rewarded before men and angels. It will be seen that one child who has been brought up in a faithful way, has been a light in the world. It cost tears and anxiety and sleepless nights to oversee the character-building of this child, but the work was done wisely, and the parents hear the "Well done" of the Master.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 10]          Mothers, you can find no greater missionary field wherein to exercise your talents, than in the home, where your children are to be reared in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. You are not merely to dress them, feed them, and send them to school; but you are to patiently instruct them, giving them line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. You are to restrain the evil tendencies, and to encourage the good. Day by day you are to seek the help of God by earnest importuning and supplication. To be at ease, to suffer them to go on in a wrong course, indifferent to the results, is a neglect of your God-given duties, and will reveal the worst effects for time and for eternity. Satan is at hand to crowd in evil thoughts, to lead them into evil ways. He will possess the heart that is not given to Jesus that he may impress it, and wash it, and cleanse it, and sanctify it for the courts of Heaven.  {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, July 13, 1888 par. 11]          The mother should not be off guard for a moment. She is doing a work that will tell in time and in eternity. She should learn to depend upon God with implicit confidence. Children, when they become of age, will prize the parent who labored faithfully, and would not permit them to cherish wrong feelings or indulge in evil habits. Parents, you may find your children impatient of restraint, at first. They may rebel, but you should insist upon obedience. Children trained to obey their parents will be in a condition to love God, and to yield to the claims of his law.                                                                   -    {ST, July 13, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 1]       July 20, 1888 The Need of Earnestness.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       We must not take the word of any man as authoritative on matters that concern our eternal interests. We must go to the Scriptures for ourselves. We must search for truth as for hidden treasures. No man can pay a redemption price for our souls; and those who stand condemned at the bar of God because they believed the testimony of man rather than the testimony of God, will appreciate the worth of the word of God. Those who deceived them cannot save their souls, nor the souls that they were instrumental in leading into error, away from Christ and the truth. God's word was given to lead men into truth, but many did not search its pages for themselves, and thus they were separated from him by wicked works.  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 2]          The time in which we live is full of peril. Although Noah, and Job, and Daniel were in the land, they could not save son or daughter. They could only deliver their own souls by their righteousness. We must individually stand or fall for ourselves, as we shall be judged by the great moral standard of God's holy law. We must watch. We must pray. We must search the Scriptures. We must know that we have a foundation for our faith. The cross of Calvary reveals the fact that if sin is found upon us, we shall hear the word, "Depart, ye workers of iniquity." We want to dig deep, and lay a sure foundation. We should be in earnest to obtain a living  experience for ourselves. We must be partakers of the divine nature, if we would not be found warring against the divine law. We want our sins blotted out, and our names written in the Lamb's book of life. We must be joined to Christ, grow up in him, and become like him in character and spirit. If we are thus united to Christ, we shall feel our constant dependence upon him. We shall see that there is nothing in us to make us self-sufficient, nothing in us in which we can trust; therefore we shall be clothed with humility.  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 3]          I would that our eyes could be opened to see and to realize our danger of departing from the principles of God's law. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, the adorable Son of God, agonized with the Father, with strong crying and tears. This was not on his own account; but because we feel so little our need of fervent, earnest prayer; because we see so little our danger. He wept because  we have no tears to shed. Our hearts are in danger of becoming hard and unimpressible.  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 4]          We should seek more and more for the light and knowledge that we so much need. We want the grace of God abundantly bestowed upon us, that we may flourish as the palm-tree. We are in danger of losing our souls, because of confidence in self. We want to see our great need of a daily connection with Christ. We want to see that he alone can cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Why are our hearts so cold? Why is our service so lifeless?  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 5]          Let us arise in faith, and press closer to Jesus. Let us rejoice in his love. We may obtain the most precious victories. There is help for us in God. Let us grasp the promises, and look to Calvary. Jesus died to save us from sin; then let us cease to sin, and open the heart wide, that he may come in and abide with us.  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 6]          The loveliness of the character of Christ, must be seen in his followers. It was his delight to do the will of God. Zeal for the glory of God was the controlling power in his mind. His unlikeness to the world provoked the bitter hostility of those who hated truth and righteousness. Because he would give no license for the exercise of the evil passions of our nature, he aroused the fiercest opposition and enmity.  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 7]          The spotless Son of God was derided and mocked because of his unswerving obedience to the principle of God's holy law. So it will be with all who live godly in Christ Jesus.  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 8]          Let no one talk of an easy religion. Let no one imagine that the path to Heaven is smooth and pleasant, that there is nothing to do but to believe. We are to be workers together with God; and through diligent and painstaking effort alone, can the conditions of the promises be met. The words of inspiration declare that "faith without works is dead, being alone." We are exhorted to "fight the good fight of faith." We are to wrestle with unseen foes, to labor, to watch, to strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many will be content with simple seeking, and will fail of an entrance. "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat;" but "strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 9]          We are enjoined to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, "for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." We are required to take upon our necks the yoke of Christ, because every good impulse comes from the Spirit of God, and we are quickened to earnest effort for a higher life. We are to strive to repress every word that implies a doubt; for doubt spoken, is a seed sown in the minds of others, and eternity alone will reveal the result. Here is the conflict, to keep back words that we are inclined to speak against God and each other; for "by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Our words are influences that impress the minds of others, and they are reflected in every direction. Shall we cast suspicion upon others? Shall we start the root of bitterness whereby many shall be defiled? Religion is a principle to be carried out in practical life, and developed in character and actions. We are ever to represent Jesus. We are to comfort, uphold, and encourage our brethren. We are to strengthen those who are weak in moral power. Oh! be sure that you do not misrepresent the character of your divine Lord by claiming to be sons and daughters of God, while speaking and acting like the children of the wicked one. Do not leave a false impression upon the minds of unbelievers, that Christians are a gloomy, unhappy people. Why should we be unhappy? If our feet are in the royal path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, what is there that can make us unhappy and restless?  {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, July 20, 1888 par. 10]          Have not some of you mistaken the way, and taken the wrong path? Shall we not search carefully, and see whether or not we have real Bible religion? Let us ponder the warnings, instructions, and promises of God, until our souls burn within us, and our whole desire is to stand by the side of Jesus, and wear his yoke, and bear his burden, and find rest unto our souls.                                                                   -    {ST, July 20, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 1]       July 27, 1888 A Vital Connection with Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       He who has genuine faith in Christ will have a knowledge of Christ. He will have a growing sense of the power and preciousness of redeeming love and grace, because Christ has been brought into his daily life. He believes in Christ as his Saviour, and hopes in the mercy of God. Although he knows that he is a sinner, and deserves the wrath of God, yet he looks to Calvary and sees the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He knows that Christ has died for him, and that in Christ it is possible to keep the commandments of God. He has the witness in his own soul of the virtue and the love of Jesus, which his faith grasps, and appropriates to himself.  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 2]          His faith is not of that fraudulent character which refuses to lift the cross, and follow Christ by yielding obedience to all the precepts of Jehovah. It is not of that presumptuous nature that lays claim to the promises of God without complying with the conditions upon which they are to be granted. His is a faith that understands what the Saviour meant when he said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." True faith takes the word of God and weaves it into the life and character. Faith lives by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Christ explained to his disciples the meaning of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He said, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 3]          Faith is that mysterious and mighty principle that attracts the soul of man to God. As the sapless branch is united to the living vine, so we must be connected with Christ. There are two kinds of connection between the branches and the vine stock. One is visible, but superficial. The other is invisible and vital. So there is an apparent union, a membership with the church, and a profession of religion, which, though in itself good, is too often unaccompanied by saving faith in Jesus or living obedience to the commandments of God. The branches that are connected with Christ, the living vine, will make it manifest by bearing much fruit in good works to the glory of God. But the branches which have nothing but an apparent union, will be fruitless. As the branch cannot possibly bring forth fruit without a vital connection with the parent stock, so the Christian can be fruitful in good works only as union with Christ is made and preserved. The ruin of those who are not connected with Christ, is as complete as though they had no name to live; for they are dead. Christ compares them to lifeless branches that are gathered and burned in the fire. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 4]          There can be no actual connection with Christ if the person who claims it has no practical knowledge of the sufficiency of the grace of God that is potent to elevate, ennoble, refine, and fit the Christian for the courts of Heaven. Those who know Christ, will make manifest the desirableness of his love and peace. Every genuine believer will taste, and see that the Lord is good, and will show forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of the children of God. The true believer not only has faith, but he has a knowledge of the efficacy of the blood of Christ to cleanse from the defilement of sin. Christ crucified is the subject of his thought and meditation. The word of God to him is not a cunningly devised fable. Christ crucified, though unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, is to him the power and wisdom of God. When assailed by skeptics, his living experience in the things of God will furnish him with arguments that cannot be gainsaid, and will enable him to resist every dart of the wicked one, so that even the uneducated believer may have simple and genuine proofs of his position, that cannot be overborne by the doubts and cavils of infidels. He can relate that which he has himself experienced. He can say, "I know whom I have believed."  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 5]          Those who connect with the school of Christ will be careful to obey the words of the Lord. Their faith will be founded upon knowledge, for they will be diligent students of the Scriptures. Like the humble fishermen who united with the Saviour to learn of him, those who love Christ today will not only listen to his words, but practice his precepts, and follow in his footsteps. The greatest Teacher the world has ever known, has opened their understanding, and has given them knowledge and judgment, that they may approve things that are excellent. The most educated, as well as the most ignorant, may become partakers of the knowledge of Christ's salvation. The great apostle himself learned in the school of Christ, and strengthened his faith by his experience in following Jesus, and by acquiring knowledge of Bible history. He convinced men that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and Christ shed his glory upon the apostle, and he could speak from what he had seen and known.  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 6]         It is the very knowledge that we gain daily, in our conflicts with Satan, that will be valuable to us in the future. It is the experience that we acquire in the things that Jesus is doing for us, in guarding our souls and bodies from the cruel power of our enemy, that will increase our hope and add to our power to fight our way through. In Paul's experience of suffering for his Lord, he realized the consolation and support of his Redeemer. His trials did not dishearten him, for the rich grace of God nerved him for the conflict, and with fortitude and courage, he gloried in tribulation.  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 7]          What are we doing with the light God has given to us? In temporal matters, many give thought and attention, and close application of mind, in order to make a business success. Should we not give our very best talent to the service of God? Should we not seek to gain a greater knowledge, and a more intelligent manner of doing the work of the Lord? Are we content to exalt the temporal above the eternal interests?  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 8]          As the apostle prayed for the Philippian brethren, so pray for yourselves, and for each other, "that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 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, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." We should not be satisfied with our present spiritual attainments. If the Lord should open before us our condition as it really is, and we should see the danger there is of losing our souls, even those who now profess to be Christians would fall upon their knees, and pray earnestly, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." The astonishing indifference and carelessness which many now feel, is because they are separated in their thoughts from God, and really ignorant of their own peril. If the truth does not have a sanctifying influence upon your life and character, you will be like the foolish virgins, whose lamps were gone out at the very time when the bridegroom came to go in to the marriage. A theory of the truth is not enough. There is a high standard for us to reach. Our conflict is a continual conflict with the powers of darkness, and we must put on the whole armor of God, fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. But how few are willing to urge their way heavenward against every opposing force of evil in the world!  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 9]          The apostle prayed that love might abound more and more. There must be a living faith, before there can be a living experience. There are many who have a certain formal knowledge of Christ, and an indefinite faith that does not have an active influence upon the life and character. This faith is not a saving faith. Our love for Jesus must commence here, if we expect to love him through the ages of eternity. All who love Christ will talk of him. How shall the world know of the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of your Lord and Saviour, unless you make it the theme of your thought and conversation? If our hearts are rejoicing in the hope of beholding our coming Saviour, shall we not speak of it to others? "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." We shall have the Spirit of Christ, if we are in union with him; and with the same untiring love and patience, we shall seek that which is lost. One soul is worth the world. It is the purchase of the blood of Christ, and those who really love Christ will feel the value of the souls for whom he shed his precious blood.  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 10]          The glory of the eternal world is just before us. Are you forwarding your treasure from this perishing earth to the land of safety? What care is taken to secure proper titles to your worldly possessions. Has your thought been exercised in regard to securing a title to the heavenly possessions? Your worldly estates will soon pass away, notwithstanding all your anxiety and toil. You must leave them all sometime. You may die before the coming of Jesus, or you may live till his appearing; however it is, the thoughts and ambitions of earth must be relinquished; but if your treasure is laid up on high, your riches will be incorruptible, undefiled, and will never pass away.  {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, July 27, 1888 par. 11]          Make friendship with Christ today. Put your case in the hands of the great Advocate. He will plead your cause before the Father. Though you have transgressed the law, and must plead guilty before God, Christ will present his precious blood in your behalf; and through faith and obedience, and a vital union with Christ, you may stand acquitted before the Judge of all the earth, and he will be your friend when the final trump shall sound, and the scenes of earth shall be no more.                                                                   -    {ST, July 27, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 1]      August 3, 1888 The Valor and Humility of David.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       After the rejection of Saul as king of Israel, David was anointed by the prophet as the future ruler of the people of God. But although he was aware of the high position which he was to occupy, he continued his employment as a simple shepherd, content to await the development of the Lord's plans in his own appointed time and way.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 2]          When King Saul realized that he had been rejected of God, and when he felt the force of the words of denunciation that had been addressed to him by the prophet, he was filled with bitter rebellion and despair. His health was affected by the mental worry in which he indulged, and at times he was almost insane with the thought of coming disaster to himself and his household. His counselors advised him to seek for the services of a skillful musician, in the hope that the soothing notes of a sweet instrument might calm his troubled spirit, and turn his thoughts away from his grief.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 3]          In the providence of God, David, as a skillful performer upon the harp, was brought before the king. The shepherd boy was employed to play before the ruler of Israel, and, if possible, to charm away the brooding melancholy which had settled, like a dark cloud, over the mind of Saul. The king was ever occupied in anticipating the ruin that had been brought upon his house by his own course of disobedience and rebellion. It was not true repentance that had bowed the proud head of Saul. He had no perception of the offensive character of his sin in the sight of God, and he did not arouse to reform his life and character. His heart was not humbled because he had disregarded the express injunctions and commands of the Ruler of the universe; therefore he did not return to his allegiance to the Head of all kingdoms, but brooded over what he thought was the injustice of God in depriving him of the throne of Israel, and in taking the succession to its privileges away from his posterity. He felt that the valor which he had displayed in encountering his enemies, should offset his sin of disobedience. He did not accept with meekness the chastisement of God; but his proud spirit became desperate, until he was on the verge of losing his reason.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 4]          David came before Saul, and played with all the skill that his long practice had given him; and his lofty and Heaven-inspired strains had the desired effect. The evil spirit seemed to be driven away, and the king was restored to his usual calmness. As David stood, for the first time, in the presence of Saul, there were many thoughts that filled the mind of the young musician, and served to fasten this scene upon his memory with an indelible impression. When his services were not required at the court of Saul, David returned to his flocks on the hills, and continued to maintain his simplicity of spirit and demeanor. Whenever it was necessary, he was recalled to minister before the king, to soothe the mind of the troubled monarch till the evil spirit departed from him. But although Saul expressed the greatest delight in David and his music, the young shepherd went from the king's house to the fields and hills of his pasture, with a sense of relief and gladness, to care for his flocks with a tender and faithful care.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 5]          David was growing in favor with God and man. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he now set his heart more thoroughly to do the will of God than ever before. He had new themes for thought. He had been in the court of the king, and had seen the responsibilities of royalty. He had discovered some of the temptations that beset the soul of Saul, and had found out some of the mysteries in the character and dealing of Israel's first king. He had seen the glory of royalty shadowed with a dark cloud of sorrow, and he knew that the household of Saul in their private life were far from happy. All these things served to bring serious thoughts to him who had been anointed to be king over Israel. While he was absorbed in deep meditation, and harassed by thoughts of anxiety, he turned to his harp, and called forth strains that elevated his mind to the Author of every good, and the dark clouds which seemed to arise in the horizon of the future were dispelled and dispersed.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 6]          On one occasion, as the evening shadows gathered, and he laid aside his harp, he saw a dark form moving stealthily upon his flock. It was a bear, fierce with hunger, that sprang upon the sheep of his care; but David did not flee for his life. He felt that it was the very hour when his charges needed his protection. He lifted his heart to God in prayer for wisdom and help, that he might do his duty in this time of peril. With his strong arm he laid the bear in death at his feet. At another time he discovered a lion with a bleeding lamb between his jaws. Without hesitation the youthful shepherd engaged in a desperate encounter. His arm, nerved by the living God, forced the beast to release its bleeding victim, and as it turned, mad with disappointment, upon David, he buried his hand in its mane and killed the fierce invader. His experience in these matters proved the heart of David, and developed in him courage, and fortitude, and faith. God was teaching David lessons of trust. As Moses was trained for his work, so the Lord was fitting the son of Jesse to become the leader and guide of his chosen people. In his watch-care for his flocks, he was gaining an appreciation of the care that the great Shepherd has for the sheep of his pasture.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 7]          When war was declared between Israel and the Philistines, three of the sons of Jesse went to follow Saul in the army of Israel; but David remained at home. On one occasion his father sent him with a message to visit the camp of Saul, and to learn whether or not his elder brothers were still in safety and health. Jesse sent with his son a present to his absent ones, which was to be divided among their companions in the camp.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 8]          As David drew near to the army, he heard the sound of commotion, as if an engagement was about to begin. He felt his spirit stirred within him, and he hastened on his way. And "the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle." Israel and the Philistines were drawn up in array, army against army. David ran unto the army, and came and saluted his brothers. While he was talking with them, Goliath, the bold champion of the Philistines, came forth, and with insulting language, defied Israel, and challenged them to provide a man from their ranks who would meet him in single combat. He repeated his blasphemous challenge, and David heard him, and when he saw that all Israel was afraid of him, and would do nothing, and that his defiance was hurled in their faces day after day, without arousing anyone to go forth and silence the voice of the boaster, his spirit was stirred within him. He was fired with zeal to preserve the honor of the living God, and the credit of the children of Israel. He could not endure to see this bold idolater permitted day after day to mock the chosen of the Lord, without making an effort to overthrow his proud vaunting and derision.  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 9]          The armies of Israel were becoming depressed and discouraged. They said one to another, "Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up; and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel." To be sure that he understood them, David inquired of the men that stood nearest to him, "What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 10]          Eliab, David's eldest brother, when he heard these words, knew well the feelings that were stirring the young man's soul. Even as a shepherd of the flocks of Bethlehem he had manifested daring, courage, and strength not easily accounted for; and the mysterious visit of Samuel to their father's house, and his silent departure, had awakened in the minds of the brothers suspicions of the real object of his visit. David was not regarded with the respect and love due to his integrity and brotherly tenderness. He was looked upon as merely a stripling shepherd, and now the question which he asked was regarded by Eliab as a reflection cast upon his own cowardice in not silencing the giant of the Philistines. In passionate language the elder brother exclaimed, "Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." The answer of David was decided and respectful: "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"  {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, August 3, 1888 par. 11]          Someone carried the words of David to the king, and the youth was sent for, to appear in the royal presence. Saul listened with astonishment to the words of the shepherd, as he said, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine." Saul strove earnestly to turn David from his purpose, saying, "Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth." The young man was not to be turned from his desire. He remained firm, courageous, and determined, only waiting for the permission of the king. He replied in a simple, unassuming way, relating his experiences while tending the sheep. "And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock; and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee."                                                                   -    {ST, August 3, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 1]       August 10, 1888 The Slaying of Goliath.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       For forty days the host of Israel had trembled before the haughty challenge of Goliath, the Philistine giant. Their hearts failed within them as they looked upon his massive form, measuring six cubits and a span, or ten and a half feet, in height. Upon his head was a helmet of brass, he was clothed with a coat of mail that weighed five thousand shekels, or about a hundred and fifty-seven pounds, and he had greaves of brass upon his legs. The coat was made of plates of brass that overlaid one another, like the scales of a fish, and they were so closely joined that no dart or arrow could possibly penetrate the armor. At his back the giant bore a huge javelin, or lance, also of brass. "The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him."  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 2]          For forty days, morning and evening, Goliath had approached the camp of Israel, saying with a loud voice, "Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." No one had dared to go against this boaster, until David, stirred with indignation at the proud words of the idolater, offered himself to Saul, as one who was willing to fight for the glory of God and the honor of Israel.  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 3]          Saul decided to permit the shepherd to make the venture; but he had small hope that David would be successful in his courageous undertaking. Command was given to clothe the youth in the king's own armor. The heavy helmet of brass was put upon his head, and the coat of mail was placed upon his body, while he was girded with the monarch's sword. Thus equipped, he started upon his errand; but erelong he turned back, and began to retrace his steps. What was the trouble? Was he afraid? The first thought in the minds of the anxious spectators was that David had decided not to risk his life in meeting an antagonist in so unequal an encounter. But this was far from the thought of the brave young man.  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 4]          When he returned to Saul, he begged permission to lay aside the heavy armor, and he said, "I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them." He laid off the king's armor, and in its stead took only his staff in his hand, with his shepherd's scrip, and a simple sling. Choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, he put them in his bag, and, with his sling in his hand, he drew near to the Philistine. The champion strode boldly and proudly forward, expecting to meet with the mightiest of the warriors of Israel. His armor-bearer walked before him, and he looked as if nothing could stand before him. As he came nearer to David, he saw but a stripling, called a boy because of his youth. His countenance was ruddy with health; and his slender form, unprotected by armor, displayed all its youthful outline in marked contrast to the massive proportions of the Philistine.  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 5]          Goliath was filled with amazement and anger. His indignation burst forth in words that were calculated to terrify and overwhelm the daring youth before him. "Am I a dog," exclaimed the giant, "that thou comest to me with staves?" Then the Philistine poured upon David the most terrible curses by all the gods of his knowledge. He cried in derision, "Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." This haughty threat only served to inspire the youth with loftier courage, and to kindle in his breast a greater zeal to silence the enemy of his people. He did not weaken before the champion of the Philistine. He knew that he was about to fight for the honor of his God and the deliverance of Israel, and his heart was full of calm faith and hope.  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 6]          David stepped forward, and addressed his antagonist in language that was both modest and eloquent. And he said to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands."  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 7]          What an inspiration of courage and lofty faith was displayed by the simple shepherd before the armies of the Israelites and the Philistines. There was a ring of fearlessness in his tone, a look of triumph and rejoicing upon his fair countenance. This speech, given in a clear, musical voice, rang out on the air, and was distinctly heard by the listening thousands encamped for war. As David's rich voice uttered the words of trust and triumph, the anger of Goliath was roused to the very highest heat. In his rage, he pushed up the helmet that protected his forehead, and rushed with determined hatred to wreak vengeance upon his opponent. The son of Jesse was preparing for his foe. Both armies were watching with the most intense interest. "And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth."  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 8]          Amazement spread along the lines of the two armies. They had been confident that David would be slain; but when the stone went whizzing through the air, straight to the mark, they saw the mighty warrior tremble, and reach forth his hands, as if he were struck with sudden blindness. The giant reeled, and staggered, and fell prostrate to the ground. David did not wait an instant. He knew not that life was extinct. He sprang upon the prostrate form of the Philistine, and with both hands he laid hold of Goliath's heavy sword. A moment before the giant had flourished it before the face of David with the boast that he would sever the youth's head from his shoulders, and give his body to the fowls of the air. Now it served to work the will of the servant of God. It was lifted in the air, and then the head of the boaster rolled from his trunk, and a shout of exultation went up from the camp of Israel.  {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, August 10, 1888 par. 9]          The Philistines were smitten with terror. They knew that the day was lost. In horror and confusion they began an irregular retreat. The shout of the triumphant Hebrews echoed along the summits of the mountains, as they rushed after their retreating enemies, and they "pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent."                                                                   -    {ST, August 10, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 1]       August 17, 1888 The Character and Effects of Envy.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       After the slaying of Goliath David was brought before King Saul, and the king inquired concerning his parentage and life. "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Saul kept David with him, and would not permit him to return to his father's house. Jonathan and David made a covenant to be united as brethren, and the king's son "stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." David was intrusted with important responsibilities, yet he preserved his modesty, and everyone loved him. But there was no one so dear to him as Jonathan, because he possessed a pure and noble spirit.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 2]          "David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war." But when Saul and David were returning from the slaughter of the Philistines, "the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music." One company sang, "Saul hath slain his thousands," while another company took up the strain and responded, "And David his ten thousands." The demon of jealousy entered the heart of the king. He was angry because David was exalted above himself in the song of the women of Israel. In place of controlling these envious feelings, and manifesting a noble spirit, he displayed the great weakness of his character, and exclaimed, "They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and what can he have more but the kingdom?"  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 3]          The one great defect in the character of Saul was his love of approbation. This trait had had such a controlling influence over his actions and thoughts that everything was marked by his desire for praise and self-exaltation. He permitted this evil desire to develop unchecked, and it became an instrument in his ruin. His standard of right and wrong was the low standard of popular applause. No man is safe who lives that he may please men, and does not seek first for the approbation of God. It was the ambition of Saul to be first in the estimation of men; and when this song of praise was sung, a settled conviction entered the heart of the king that David would obtain the hearts of the people, and reign in his stead.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 4]          Notwithstanding the lessons which Saul had had from the prophet Samuel, instructing him that God would accomplish whatsoever he chose, and that no one could hinder it; yet the king made it evident that he had no true knowledge of the plans or power of God. He showed that he had no true repentance for his course of rebellion and disobedience. He opened his heart to the spirit of envy and jealousy by which his soul was poisoned. He loved to hear David play upon his harp, and the evil spirit seemed to be charmed away for the time being; but one day when the youth was ministering before him, and bringing sweet music from his instrument, accompanying his voice as he sang the praises of God, Saul suddenly threw the spear which he held in his hand at the musician, for the purpose of putting an end to his life. David was preserved by the interposition of God, and he fled without injury from the rage of the maddened king.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 5]          The people were not slow to see that David was a competent person, and that the affairs intrusted to his hands were managed with wisdom and skill. Thus he was promoted from one position of trust to another. The counsels of the young man seemed to be always of a wise and discreet character, and proved to be safe to follow, while the advice of Saul was at times unreliable, and his decisions and judgments were ill-advised. As Saul's hatred of David increased, he became more and more watchful to find an opportunity to take his life, and rid himself of one so obnoxious to him. But none of his plans against the anointed of the Lord were successful. He had taken Satan as his counselor; but David trusted himself in the hand of Him who is mighty in counsel, and strong to deliver. Saul gave himself up to the control of the wicked spirit that ruled over him, while David followed the Lord, and obtained the confidence of the people. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and David's prayer was continually directed to God. His trust was in God, and he walked before him in a perfect way.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 6]          Although the king was his enemy, the servant of the Lord grew in favor with the people; and Saul, though ever on the alert, seeking an opportunity to take his life, feared David, for he was convinced that the Lord was with him. It was envy that made Saul miserable, and put the humble subject of his throne into jeopardy. Envy is one of the most despicable traits of Satanic character. It is constantly seeking the lifting up of self, by casting slurs upon others. A man who is envious will belittle his neighbor, thinking to exalt himself. The sound of praise is grateful to him who has approbativeness highly developed, and he hates to hear the praises of another. Oh, what untold mischief has this evil trait of character worked in our world! The same enmity existed in the heart of Saul that stirred the heart of Cain against his brother Abel, because Abel's works were righteous, and God honored him, and his own works were evil, and the Lord could not bless him.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 7]          Envy is the offspring of pride, and, if it is entertained in the heart, it will lead to cruel deeds, to hatred, revenge, and murder. The great controversy between Christ and the prince of darkness, is carried on in everyday, practical life. David had now become the object of the king's hatred. How little did the darkened soul of Saul understand of the providences and purposes of God! If he had any comprehension of the character of the great "I AM," he would have known that he could not thwart the purposes of the Almighty.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 8]         Saul made David feel that there was no place of security for him. He finally removed him from his position of responsibility as leader of the army of Israel, and placed him in charge of only a thousand men. David made no complaint, but bore all with patience. The love of the people was with him, but Saul was determined that he should not live. He kept a strict watch upon David, longing and hoping to find some occasion of indiscretion or rashness which might serve as an excuse to bring him into disgrace before the people. He felt that he could not be satisfied until he could take the young man's life, and still be justified before the nation for his evil act.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 9]          Saul laid a snare for the feet of David, promising to give him Michal, his daughter, to wife, if he would slay one hundred Philistines. David killed two hundred, and returned in safety to the court of the king. Saul was still more assured that this was the man whom the Lord had said was better than he, and who should reign on the throne of Israel in his place. He began to discover that the Lord was with David. He began to discern that the young man was walking circumspectly before God, and that his character was worthy of respect, being truly noble and elevated. Saul became more determined in his purpose. He threw off all disguise. He would not be disappointed. David must die. He issued a command to Jonathan and to his servants to take the life of the one he hated; for he had determined that he should not live.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, August 17, 1888 par. 10]          Jonathan revealed his father's intention to David, and bade him conceal himself, while he would go and plead with his father to spare the life of the deliverer of Israel. Jonathan succeeded in turning away the wrath of his father for the time. He presented before the king what David had done to preserve the honor and the very life of the nation, and what terrible guilt would come upon his soul who should slay the one whom God had used to scatter their enemies. He urged that his crime would not be excused should he take the life of an innocent man. The conscience of the king was touched, and his heart was softened. "And Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain." And David was brought to Saul, and he ministered in his presence, as he had in the past.  {ST, August 17, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 1]       August 24, 1888 Saul's Persecution of David.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       After Jonathan had pleaded successfully for the life of his friend, Saul's wrath against David seemed to be allayed. The young man went in before the king as formerly, and was in the favor of Saul and his court. But again war was declared between the Israelites and the Philistines, and David led the army against their enemies. Under his wise management, a great victory was gained by the Hebrews, and the people of the realm praised his valor, and wisdom, and heroism. This served to stir up the former bitterness and hatred of Saul against him. While the young man was playing before the king, filling the palace with sweet harmony, Saul's passion overcame him, and he hurled a javelin at David, thinking to pin the musician to the wall; but the angel of the Lord turned aside the deadly weapon. David escaped, and fled to his own house. Saul sent spies that they might take him as he should come out in the morning, and put an end to his life.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 2]          Michal, the daughter of Saul, was David's wife, and she loved him, and informed him of the purpose of her father. She urged him to escape for his life, and let him down from the window, and David fled to Samuel at Naioth. The king sent his men to the chamber of David, but they found nothing but an effigy which his wife had placed in the bed. The king was very angry with his daughter, and, enraged with disappointment, he determined that his hated subject should not escape. The same spirit which had actuated Satan, filled the heart of Saul. Like the first great apostate, he was moved by unholy ambition and murderous rage. And this was the first chosen king of Israel! Since the day when the holy anointing oil had been poured upon his head by the prophet of God, how terrible had been his fall!  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 3]          David found Samuel at Ramah, and told him what Saul had done. The prophet, fearless of the king's displeasure, welcomed the fugitive, and Samuel and David dwelt together at Naioth. This refuge was a peaceful place in contrast with the royal palace. It was here, amid the hills, that the honored prophet of the Lord continued his work, even when the shadows of age were gathering about him. A company of seers was with him, and they studied closely the will of God, and listened reverently to the words of instruction that fell from the lips of Samuel. The closing work of the servant of God was to instruct the seers in the school of the prophets; precious were the lessons that David learned from the teacher of Israel.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 4]          David recalled the anointing which he had received at Bethlehem, when Samuel had blessed him in his father's house. He knew that he needed divine instruction, and he believed that the troops of Saul would not be called upon to invade this sacred place. But no place seemed to be sacred to the darkened mind of the desperate, despairing king. When he learned where David was, he sent officers to drag him from his secluded hiding-place, and bring him to Gilgal, where he intended to carry out his murderous designs.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 5]          The monarch of Israel was determinedly opposing his will to the will of the infinite God. The will of God is the sole law to which the sun, moon, and stars in the firmament of heaven, yield obedience. At the mandate of Jehovah, they move in  perfect order; and yet finite man will set up his will against the will of the omniscient One, and enter into conflict with him who rules the universe. Saul had not learned, while ruling the kingdom of Israel, that he should rule his own spirit. He allowed his impulses to control his judgment, until he was plunged into a fury of passion. He had paroxysms of rage and madness, when he was ready to take the life of any that dared oppose his will. From this frenzy he would pass into a state of despondency and self-contempt, and remorse would take possession of his soul. Satan displayed his own character in inciting the fury of Saul against the humble subject of his court. Saul had the sympathy and support of all the reprobate host of evil; for it was David's blameless character and noble fidelity that had aroused the wrath of the king; and he deemed that the very life and presence of David cast a reproach upon him, and presented him in unflattering contrast before the people.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 6]          The messengers of Saul  went  on their way to Ramah, intent upon taking David's life. But a greater than Saul controlled their spirit, and directed their actions. They were met by unseen angels, as was Balaam when he was on his way to curse Israel. For a time the officers of Saul became imbued by the atmosphere that pervaded the sacred spot where Samuel and the prophets were studying under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. They began to utter prophetic sayings of what would occur in the future, and proclaimed the glory and majesty of Jehovah. It was in this way that God overruled the wrath of man, and manifested his power to restrain evil, while he walled his servant in by a guard of angels.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 7]          The tidings reached Saul as he waited in impatience to have David in his cruel power; but instead  of feeling the rebuke from God, he was exasperated still more, and sent other messengers. These also were overpowered by the Spirit of God, and united with the first in prophesying. The third embassage was sent by the king, but when they came into the company of the prophets, the divine influence fell upon them also, and they prophesied. Saul then decided that he himself would go, for his fierce enmity had become uncontrollable. Evil angels conspired with wicked men to destroy the anointed of the Lord. He was determined to wait for no second chance to kill David. As soon as he should come within reach of him, he intended with his own hand to slay him, whatever might be the consequences.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 8]          He came to Ramah, and halted at a great well in Sechu. The people were coming together to draw water, and he inquired where Samuel and David were staying. When he was told that they were at Naioth, he made haste to reach that place. But the angel of God met him on the way and controlled him. The Spirit of God held him in its power, and he went on his way uttering prayers to God, interspersed with predictions and sacred melodies. He prophesied of the coming of Messiah as the world's Redeemer. When he came to Naioth in Ramah, he laid aside his outer garments that betokened his station, and all day, and all night, he lay before Samuel and his pupils, under the influence of the divine Spirit. Multitudes had been drawn together to witness this strange and wonderful thing, and the new experience of the king was reported far and wide. Thus again, near the close of his reign, it became a proverb in Israel that Saul also was among the prophets.  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 9]          The persecutor was again defeated in his purpose. He assured David that he was at peace with him; but David had little confidence in the king's repentance and reformation. He took this opportunity to escape, lest the mood of the king might change, as formerly. David had been driven from place to place, and the king's emissaries had hunted his life as though he were a wild beast. His heart was wounded within him, and he longed to see his friend Jonathan once more. With a burdened heart, and conscious of his innocence, he sought the king's son, and made a most touching appeal. "What have I done?" he asked, "what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?" Jonathan thought that his father had changed his purpose, and no longer intended to take the life of David. And Jonathan said unto him, "God forbid; thou shalt not die; behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so."  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, August 24, 1888 par. 10]          After the remarkable exhibition of the power of God, Jonathan could not believe that his father would still harm David, for that would be manifest rebellion against God. But notwithstanding the oft-repeated and confident assurances of his friend, David was not convinced. He declared that Saul knew of their attachment for each other, and that this would be a sufficient reason why the king would not make his purposes known to his son. With intense earnestness he rehearsed how he had been driven from place to place, and now he assured Jonathan, "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."  {ST, August 24, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 1]       August 31, 1888 David's Distrust.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         At the time of the new moon, a sacred festival was celebrated in Israel. This festival recurred upon the day following the sad interview between David and Jonathan concerning the certain death that seemed to wait the son of Jesse. It was expected that both the young men would be at the feast. David feared to be present, and an arrangement was made that he should visit his brothers, and on his return, he should hide himself in the field not far from the banqueting hall, and for three days he should absent himself from the presence of the king, and Jonathan would note the effect upon Saul. If inquiry was made as to the whereabouts of the son of Jesse, Jonathan was to say that he had gone home to attend the yearly sacrifice offered at his father's house. If no angry demonstrations were made by the king, but he should answer, "It is well," then it would be safe for David to return to the court. But if he should become enraged at his absence, it would decide the matter of David's flight.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 2]          David was to hide himself in a place appointed before, and after his return from the feast at his father's house, Jonathan, who was skilled in archery, was to go with an attendant to the field, near the hiding-place of David, and shoot a certain number of arrows that would be a sign to him of the temper of the king, and would decide his course of action. If Jonathan should say to the young man who gathered up the arrows, "Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee," David would have nothing to fear, but might come to the palace, and the presence of the king. But if he should say to his attendant, "Behold, the arrows are beyond thee," then David was to take his departure, for it would not be safe for him to come to the court.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 3]          On the first day of the feast, the king made no inquiry concerning the absence of David; but when his place was vacant the second day, he asked his son the reason of the non-appearance of his friend. He questioned, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem; and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there; and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me go away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table." When Saul heard these words, his anger was ungovernable. He abused his son, and cursed David. He declared that as long as David lived, Jonathan could not come to the throne of Israel, and he demanded that David should be sent for immediately, for he had determined that he should die. Jonathan again made intercession for his friend, pleading, "Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?" This appeal to the king for the reason of his wrath against an innocent man, only made him more Satanic in his fury, and he hurled the javelin, which he had intended for David, at his own son.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 4]         The prince was grieved and indignant, and leaving the royal presence, he was no more a guest at the feast. His soul was bowed down with sorrow, as he repaired, at the appointed time, to the spot where David was to learn the king's intentions toward him. Jonathan shot the arrow, and as the lad ran to find it, exclaimed, "Is not the arrow beyond thee?" David understood the sign, and knew that he must flee for his life. When Jonathan had sent the lad home with his bow and arrows, he sought his beloved friend. They fell upon each other's neck and wept bitterly. Their united hearts were sorely grieved at the necessity of separation. The dark passion of the king cast its shadow upon the lives of the young men, and their grief was too intense for expression. Jonathan's last words fell upon the ear of David as they separated to pursue their different paths, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever."  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 5]          Jonathan watched the form of his friend until he was lost from sight, lest he should be observed by spies, and taken to the presence of his enemy. Then the king's son returned to Gibeah, and David hastened to reach Nob, a city some ten miles distant, belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. The tabernacle had been taken to this place from Shiloh, and here Ahimelech, the high priest, ministered. David knew not where to fly for refuge, except to the servant of God. The high priest looked upon him with astonishment, as he came unattended, with a countenance marked by anxiety, care, and sorrow. He inquired what had brought him to the place without an attendant. The young man was in constant fear of discovery, and was perplexed as to how he should reply. In his extremity he resorted to deception. Here David manifested a want of faith in God, and his sin resulted in causing the high priest to be put to death. Had the facts been plainly stated, Ahimelech would have known what course to pursue to preserve his life. God requires that truthfulness shall mark his people, even in times of peril. David told the priest that he had been sent by the king to accomplish some secret business which required that he should go alone. He asked the priest for five loaves of bread. There was nothing but hallowed bread in the possession of the man of God; David succeeded, however, in removing his scruples, and obtained the bread to satisfy his hunger.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 6]          But a new difficulty now presented itself, which caused fresh anxiety to David. He saw Doeg, the chief of Saul's herdsmen, who had professed the faith of the Hebrews, and who was now paying his vows in the place of worship. The sight of this man decided David to make haste to secure another place of refuge, and to obtain some weapon with which to defend himself if it should become necessary. He knew that Doeg was acquainted with the purpose of Saul in regard to himself. He was aware that orders had been issued to the king's servants to take the life of David if they should find him, and he feared that this man might attempt it before he could make good his escape.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 7]          He asked Ahimelech for a sword, and was told that he had none except the sword of Goliath, which had been kept as a relic in the tabernacle. David replied, "There is none like that; give it me." His courage revived as he grasped the sword that he had once used so valiantly to destroy the champion of the Philistines. David fled to Achish, the king of Gath, for he felt that there was more safety in the midst of the enemies of his people than with his own brethren. He decided to throw himself upon the mercies of national foes, rather than stay in the dominions of Saul.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 8]          But it was reported to Achish that David was the very man who had slain the champion of the Philistines years before, and now he who had sought refuge with the foes of Israel, found himself in the greatest peril. He feigned to be mad, and his enemies were deceived, and deemed him unworthy of their notice. Thus he made his escape.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 9]          The first error of David was his manifest distrust of God at Nob, and his second mistake was his deception before Achish. In his friendship and love for Jonathan, David had displayed noble traits of character, and his moral worth had won him favor with the people; but as the trial and test came upon him, his faith was shaken, and human weakness appeared. He saw in every man a spy and a betrayer. But his experience was serving to teach David wisdom, for he had a realization of his weakness and frailty, and of the necessity of constant dependence upon God. While in these trying scenes, he composed some of the psalms.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 10]          We see the weakness of even noble men when they are brought into trying circumstances. This man, when in a great emergency, had looked up to God with the steady eye of faith, and had met the proud, boasting Philistine. He believed in God, he went in his name. He trusted in his power to do the work of defeating the armies of the Lord's enemies. But as he had been hunted and persecuted, perplexity and distress had nearly hidden his heavenly Father from his sight. He seemed to think that he was left alone, to fight his own battles. He was confused, and knew not which way to turn. We may learn a lesson from the experience of David. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." All need the help which God alone can give. Oh, how priceless is the sweet influence of the Spirit of God as it comes to depressed, despairing souls, encouraging the faint-hearted, strengthening the feeble, and imparting courage and help to the tried servants of the Lord! Oh, what a God is ours, who deals gently with the erring, and manifests his patience and tenderness when we are in adversity, and when we are overwhelmed with some great sorrow!  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 11]          David ought not to have distrusted God for one moment. Wherever the children of God make a failure, it is due to their lack of faith. When shadows encompass the soul, when we want light and guidance, we must look up; there is light beyond the darkness. We must learn to trust our heavenly Father, and not allow the soul to be defiled with the sin of unbelief. In trying to save ourselves, we do not commit the keeping of our souls to God, as unto a faithful Creator. We do not expect him to work for us, but frantically beat about in our own finite strength to break through some wall of difficulty which God alone can remove for us. Man is nothing without God. The example of the good and noble men of sacred history, is to be imitated by us only where they followed the footsteps of the Lord. When man relies implicitly upon God, he will be true to himself; and he can hope and rejoice in the God of his salvation, though every friend of earth becomes a foe.  {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, August 31, 1888 par. 12]          David had reason to trust God. He was the Lord's anointed. He had been protected in the midst of danger by the angels of God. He had been armed with valor and courage to do wonderful things, and if he had but removed his mind from the distressing situation in which he was placed, and thought of God's wonderful power and majesty, he would have been at peace even in the midst of the shadows of death, and could with confidence have repeated the promise of the Lord, "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 the Lord that hath mercy on thee."                                                                   -    {ST, August 31, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 1]       September 7, 1888 In the Cave of Adullam.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         David sought refuge in the strongholds of the mountains from the determined pursuit of Saul. He made good his escape to the cave of Adullam, a place that could be defended against a large army by a small force. "And when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him." The family of David could not feel secure, knowing that at any time the unreasonable suspicions of Saul might be directed against them on account of their relation to David. They concluded that they would be safer with him whom the prophet Samuel had anointed to be king of Israel, even though he was a fugitive in a lonely cave, than exposed to the insane madness of a jealous king. They believed the Lord would protect David from the persecuting enmity of Saul, and they determined to leave their unguarded home, and unite their fortunes with their kinsman in his lonely retreat. It was a sad leave-taking of home and flocks, as the family procession moved on toward the valley of Judah.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 2]          In the cave of Adullam, the family were at last united in sympathy and affection. The son of Jesse could make melody with voice and harp as he sang, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" He had tasted the bitterness of suspicion and distrust from his brethren; and the harmony that had taken the place of discord, brought joy and comfort to the exile's heart. It was here that David composed the fifty-seventh psalm.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 3]          It was not long before they were joined by others who desired to escape the exactions of the king. There were many who had lost their confidence in the ruler of Israel, for he no longer seemed to be guided by the Spirit of the Lord. "And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them; and there were with them about four hundred men." Here David had a little kingdom of his own, over which he ruled, and he enforced perfect order and discipline. But even in his retreat in the mountains, he was far from feeling secure; for he received continual evidence that the king had not relinquished his murderous purpose. The spirit of evil was upon Saul. He felt that his doom had been sealed by the solemn message of his rejection from the throne of Israel. His departure from the plain requirements of God was bringing its sure results. He did not turn, and repent, and humble his heart before God, but opened it to receive every suggestion of the enemy. He listened to every false witness, eagerly receiving anything that was detrimental to the character of David, hoping that he might find an excuse for manifesting his increasing envy and hatred of him who had been anointed to the throne of Israel. Every rumor was credited, no matter how inconsistent and irreconcilable it was with the former character and custom of David.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 4]          Every evidence that the protecting care of God was over David seemed to imbitter and deepen his one engrossing and determined purpose. The failure to accomplish his own designs appeared in marked contrast to the success of the fugitive in eluding his search, but it only made the determination of the king the more unrelenting and firm. He was not careful to conceal his designs toward David, nor scrupulous as to what means should be employed in accomplishing his purpose.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 5]          It was not the man David, who had done him no harm, against whom the king was contending. He was in controversy with the King of Heaven; for when Satan is permitted to control the mind that will not be ruled by Jehovah, he will lead it according to his will, until the man who is thus in his power becomes an efficient agent to carry out his designs. So bitter is the enmity of the great originator of sin against the purposes of God, so terrible is his power for evil, that when men disconnect from God, Satan influences them, and their minds are brought more and more into subjection, until they cast off the fear of God, and the respect of men, and become bold and avowed enemies of God and of his people.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 6]          What an example was Saul giving to the subjects of his kingdom in his desperate, unprovoked persecution of David! What a record he was making to be placed upon the pages of history for future generations! He sought to turn the full tide of the power of his kingdom into the channel of his own hatred in hunting down an innocent man. All this had a demoralizing influence upon Israel. And while Saul was giving loose reign to his passion, Satan was weaving a snare to compass his ruin, and the ruin of his kingdom. While the king and his councilors were planning for the capture of David, the affairs of the nation were being mismanaged and neglected. While imaginary foes were constantly presented before the minds of the people, the real enemies were strengthening themselves without arousing suspicion or alarm. By following the dictates of Satan, Saul was himself hastening the very result which, with unsanctified ability, he was endeavoring to avert.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 7]          The counsel of the Lord has been disregarded again and again by the rebellious king, and the Lord had given him up to the folly of his own wisdom. The influences of the Spirit of God would have restrained him from the course of evil which he had chosen, that eventually worked out his ruin. God hates all sin, and when man persistently refuses all the counsel of Heaven, he is left to the deceptions of the enemy, to be drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 8]          The Lord had brought his servant David to the court of the king, that Saul might be benefited by association with the sweet singer of Israel. The king was a lover of music, and an opportunity was granted to him of becoming impressed and subdued by the same spirit that was the life and inspiration of David's melodies. But the subtle suggestions of Satan were insinuated into his mind, until David became an object of suspicion and jealousy. On two occasions, as David ministered before the king, he had only escaped with his life by gliding away from before the javelin that the king had hurled at him with murderous purpose. But Saul was not moved to relent because of the evidences of God's protection of the son of Jesse.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 9]          David and his friends were far from feeling secure in the cave where they had sought refuge. The determined pursuit of Saul assured David that the king would not relinquish his plans, until he had accomplished his destruction. As far as appearances were concerned, the struggle on the part of David seemed to be hopeless; for the armies of Israel were urged on by the enmity of Saul to hunt the fugitive, nor give up the pursuit until he should become their captive.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 10]          David's anxiety was not all for himself, although he realized his peril. He thought of his father and mother, and he concluded that he must seek another refuge for them. He went to the king of Moab, and the Lord put it into the heart of the monarch to courteously grant to the beloved parents of David an asylum in Mizpeh, and they were not disturbed, even in the midst of the enemies of Israel. From this history, we may all learn precious lessons of filial love. The Bible plainly condemns the unfaithfulness of parents to their children, and the disobedience of children to their parents. Religion in the home is of priceless value.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 11]          Almost as soon as the safety of his parents was assured, a prophet of the Lord came to David, saying, "Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah." Pursued from place to place, and persecuted without cause, David's soul at times was full of bitterness and discouragement. It seemed certain to him that he must, at last, fall into the hands of his pursuer and persecutor. But could his eyes have been opened, he would have seen the angels of the Lord encamped round about him and his followers. The sentinels of Heaven were waiting to warn them of impending danger, and to conduct them to a place of refuge when their peril demanded it. God could protect David and his followers; for they were not a band in rebellion against Saul. David had repeatedly proved his allegiance to the king.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 12]          The experience through which he was passing was not unnecessary and vain. God was giving him a course of discipline to fit him to become a wise general, as well as a just and merciful king. This little band of fugitives were being qualified to take up the work that Saul was becoming wholly unfitted to do, because of his murderous passion and blind indiscretion. Men cannot depart from the counsel of God, and retain their peace and restfulness of soul. There is no insanity so dreadful, so hopeless, as that of following human wisdom, unguided by the wisdom of God.  {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, September 7, 1888 par. 13]          David and Saul stand before us in this history as men widely different in character. The course of David makes manifest the fact that he regarded the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom. But Saul was shorn of his strength, because he failed to make obedience to God's commandments the rule of his life. It is a fearful thing for a man to set his will against the will of God, as revealed in his specified requirements. All the honor that a man could receive on the throne of a kingdom, would be a poor compensation for the loss of the favor of God through an act of disloyalty to Heaven. Disobedience to the commandments of God can only bring disaster and dishonor, at last. God has given to every man his work, just as truly as he appointed to Saul the government of Israel; and the practical and important lesson to us is to accomplish our appointed work in such a manner that we may meet our life-records with joy, and not with grief.                                                                   -    {ST, September 7, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 1]       September 14, 1888 The Council at Gibeah.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Saul was greatly disappointed and enraged when it was discovered that David had left his place of refuge in the cave of Adullam. The king had made all possible preparation to come upon him as a vulture would come upon its prey, when lo! the intelligence was received that the object of his search had escaped from under his hand. His well-laid plans had been in vain, and he had again failed to accomplish his purpose of capturing David.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 2]          The flight of David was a matter of mystery to the king. He could account for it only by the belief that there had been traitors in the camp, who had informed the son of Jesse of his proximity and design. But the all-seeing eye was upon Saul; God, who was acquainted with all his thoughts and purposes, sent his prophet to warn his servant to escape from the hold, and flee into the land of Judah. David had heeded the message, and had found refuge in the forest of Hareth before Saul could come upon him. The fact that David was preserved, and that he escaped from time to time from his hand, while his own plottings had never met with success at anytime, was a mystery to the king.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 3]          The monarch determined to take some decided action that would insure the ruin of David, and a royal council was held under a favorite tree on a hill-side of Gibeah. Saul held his spear and scepter in hand, while around him were gathered his councilors, among whom was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen. With his mind filled with jealous suspicions, Saul addressed his officers of State, saying, "Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 4]          Saul appealed to the selfish nature of his men. He presented before them the advantages to be gained by serving him, in contrast with the disadvantages of the service of the poverty-stricken David, who was obliged to find his home in the caves and dens of the mountains. Satan and his evil angels were in that assembly, prepared to act a prominent part, and the power of these evil influences was working upon the mind of the willful and disobedient king. He had so long yielded himself to the control of evil angels that he did not discern that he was following their leading when he eagerly took advantage of circumstances to hold up to contempt the condition of David and his servants. How much this appeal to the selfish desires of his men, savors of the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. "And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed 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 I will, I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 5]          Jesus repulsed the tempter with, "It is written;" but the evil one has better success when he approaches man with his bribes and inducements. The question that each one of us will have to answer in his individual life is, Shall right triumph over wrong, no matter what shall be the cost? Every soul will have to venture much, as Satan plies his specious temptations; but the voice of duty must be obeyed, if you would be an overcomer. Many other voices will urge a course in harmony with the selfish desires and inclinations of the carnal heart. To every soul will come the time of trial, and it will need divine wisdom to distinguish the voice of the adversary from the voice of God. It is impossible to tell how much may be lost by once neglecting to comply with the requirements of the word of God. It points out the path of obedience as the only safe path for man to walk in. Nothing will help us more in these strait places than to consider that we are standing in the presence of God, and that we do not want to do anything that will offend him.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 6]          The Benjamites and those in the council of Saul, when they heard the words of the king, accusing them of sympathizing with those whom he regarded as his enemies, only saw before them an exasperated, human monarch, who had it in his power to enrich and advance them or to punish and degrade them, as their course should be approved or disapproved before him. But could the veil have been swept aside, they would have beheld the Sovereign whose empire is the universe, and who holds in his hands the destinies of time and of eternity. If they had felt that they were the servants of God, that they were to be obedient to the King of kings, how different would have been the result and record of that day which was filled with deeds of darkness and atrocity. The presence of the Infinite One was not felt; but he who is not only an accuser of the brethren, but a liar and a murderer from the beginning, manifested his presence and power through his human agents, Saul the king of Israel, and Doeg the chief of his herdsmen.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 7]          Saul had received as truth every lying report concerning the motives and movements of David, and, in his disappointment at the escape of his supposed enemy, Saul began to suspect everyone around him of being a conspirator and traitor. He declared, "All of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse. "There he appealed for their sympathy. "There is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day."  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 8]          Saul represented David as one who was his deadly enemy, and accused Jonathan, his dutiful, and God-fearing son, of urging on the rebellion, because he would not join in the pursuit of his friend. This was an entirely false accusation. It was not David and Jonathan only who were accused, but the king's own tribe, and the people of his realm were all included in this suspicions as traitors and conspirators. He declared that they were all blind to their own best interests, and were destitute of compassion for him, the king of Israel. He had been informed by spies of the interview between David and Jonathan, of how they had entered into a covenant of eternal friendship; and, as Saul knew nothing of the particulars, he was filled with evil surmising as to their loyalty, and deemed that they were plotting against himself and his kingdom. At one time when Saul had furiously condemned David to death, and Jonathan had asked, "Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?" the king, in a moment of intense anger, had hurled a javelin at his own son, as he had previously thrown one at David. Jonathan had lost all confidence in his father. He was afraid of him, and could not be free and confidential with him; for he saw with sorrow that God had departed from him, and that another spirit had taken possession of him.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 9]          That a conspiracy had been formed against him, Saul affirmed to his councilors as a settled fact, and he had arrived at the conclusion that it must be one that was thoroughly organized, or the chief conspirator would not have been so successful in eluding his search. From this he argued that the people must be involved in it, or its success would not be so evident. He put darkness for light, and light for darkness. His reasoning and its conclusions were all erroneous. The plotting was all on the side of Saul himself. Because he had changed his position from time to time, and had thought to have secured his prey long before, and had been defeated time and again, he could understand his failure only by attributing evil motives and actions to his people. Those who had been in communication with him, and had known of his plans, must, he thought, have informed David of his movements.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 10]          Saul had become so blinded through the deceitfulness of sin, that he could not discern spiritual things. He did not recognize the fact that God was present at all his councils, and that he was in communication with his servant David. God did not intend that the murderous designs of Saul should prove successful to accomplish their ends. The evil of the king's heart was to be manifested before Israel, that they might see to what terrible lengths a soul would go, after breaking away from the restraining influence of the Spirit of God. The king had had sufficient evidence to prove to him, beyond a doubt, that David had no evil intention toward him. He had had opportunity to take the life of his enemy, if he had desired to do so, but the son of Jesse would not lift up his hand against the Lord's anointed. But all this went for nothing, for it was in the heart of Saul to accredit evil purposes to David, and he did according to all that was in his heart.  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 11]          There was a Watcher who was marking the motives, the words, and the actions of King Saul. The Lord was an unseen witness to every secret design, every open plan, and every murderous movement. When Nebuchadnezzar took his proud survey of the works of his hands, and boasted of his power and glory, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty"? the Watcher's voice came to the king, saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee." When Belshazzar lifted himself up against the God of Heaven, and made a great feast, and, in his intoxication and pleasure, deemed nothing too sacred for his use, making merriment against the living and the true God, a bloodless hand traced upon the wall in living characters, "Thou are weighed in the balances and art found wanting." At the sacrilegious feast of Belshazzar, there was a Watcher whom he had not invited, and whose presence he had not discerned or welcomed. The doom of his kingdom was written in an unchangeable decree, "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it."  {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, September 14, 1888 par. 12]          The eye of the Lord is upon every scene. His eye beholds every transaction in business. He hears every word that is spoken. He is a silent witness to every slanderous statement, and every falsehood is faithfully recorded in the books of Heaven. We have an attendant in public and private life. We have a companion in our private chamber. To every word and action of our lives, the holy, sin-hating God stands as a witness. We cannot escape our accountability to him, for God is everywhere. Why should we not live in such a manner that we may render up our account with joy, and not with grief. God has given us our appointed work, and we are to do it under his direction. If we place our powers under the control of Satan, we are rebels against God, and there will be found in our life-records, as there was found in Belshazzar's, a fatal deficiency when the accounts are balanced.                                                                   -    {ST, September 14, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 1]        September 21, 1888 Doeg the Edomite.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When Doeg the Edomite heard the words of Saul offering as a bribe the gift of vineyards, and the position of captain over thousands and hundreds, his ambition was stirred, and he determined to turn informer. He had been at Nob and had witnessed the action of the priest when he provided David with bread, and gave him the sword of Goliath. He cherished hatred toward the man in holy office, because he had reproved him for his sins; and now a favorable opportunity presented itself, not only to gain riches and position, but to be avenged on the priest.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 2]          Doeg responded to the words of Saul as one who would prove himself the friend of the distressed monarch. He said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." Doeg knew well that the action of the priest toward David did not proceed from any malice toward the king. The priest thought that in doing a kindness to an ambassador of his court, he was showing respect to the king. He was altogether innocent of any evil intention toward Saul or his realm. David had not taken a straightforward course before the priest, he had dissimulated, and on this account he had brought the whole family of the priesthood into peril.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 3]          But Doeg was a slanderer, and Saul had such a spirit of envy and hatred and murder, that he desired the report to be true. The partial and exaggerated statement of the chief of the herdsmen, was suited for the use of the adversary of God and man. It was presented to the mind of Saul in such a light that the king lost all control of himself, and acted like a madman. If he had but calmly waited until he could have heard the whole story, and had exercised his reasoning faculties, how different would have been the terrible record of that day's doings!  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 4]          How Satan exults when he is enabled to set the soul into a white heat of anger! A glance, a gesture, an intonation, may be seized upon and used, as the arrow of Satan, to wound and poison the heart that is open to receive it. If the Spirit of Christ possesses us wholly, and we have been transformed by his grace, there will be no disposition to speak evil, or to bear reports freighted with falsehood. The falsifier, the accuser of the brethren, is a chosen agent of the great deceiver. Ahimelech was not present on this occasion to vindicate himself, and to state the facts as they existed; but Doeg cared not for this. Like Satan his father, he read the mind of Saul, and improved the opportunity of increasing the misery of the king by the words of his mischievous tongue, which was set on fire of hell. He stirred up the very worst passions of the human heart. All tenderness, pity, and humanity were extinguished from the breast of Saul.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 5]         Like his master the devil, Doeg did not hesitate to accuse even the priest of the most high God. It was believed that there was a conspiracy between David and the priest, and that the priest had taken a leading part in helping the escape of the enemy of Saul, and in aiding him by giving him provisions, and by arming him with the sword of Goliath. Saul was beside himself with rage. When he had been brought under the influence of the Spirit of God, as David played rich and sacred melodies, he seemed to catch the inspiration, and would break forth in impulsive and earnest expressions of praise and adoration. But when the influence was withdrawn, he would manifest the most opposite spirit. He seemed to be desperate, and was ready to do the most rash acts of daring and cruelty. The spirit of jealousy, which proceeded only from Satan, took possession of his heart. Good and evil seemed for a time to alternate in their control of the king. But on this day so dark a register was made in the books of Heaven by the divine Watcher, that the influence of good seemed to grow less and less perceptible in the life of Israel's monarch. He determined to pursue with the utmost fury the object of his hate and jealousy; for he thought that he now had an occasion for giving full vent to the worst passions of his heart.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 6]          He sent for Ahimelech and all his father's house, and they presented themselves before him in their priestly robes of office that they might do him honor. And Saul said to Ahimelech, "Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?" The priest then presented the matter in its true light to the king. "Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me; let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of this, less or more."  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 7]          It was evident that Saul was in one of his worst moods; but the priest and his household did not for a moment realize the danger that threatened them. They trembled when Saul set aside the testimony of Ahimelech. The king was so blinded with passion that the words of reason had no influence whatever upon him. He was so filled with Satanic frenzy that all regard for sacred things was lost. In his language he not only accused the priest of deception, but virtually charged God with counseling a traitor through his high priest.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 8]          The action of Saul made manifest what a despot a king may become who has forsaken his God, and has given himself up to the control of the evil one. The explanation of the facts in the case of David and the priest was treated with contempt; the truth only served to infuriate the king, for it took away his excuse for following the dictates of his own evil heart. Saul preferred to believe the words of a wicked man, rather than the words of the servant of God. Thus it has always been and always will be in our world with those who serve the cause of the great adversary. "Justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. . . . And he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey." When we understand how perseveringly Satan works to gain control of the hearts of men, we shall know why men have acted with such Satanic fury and determined hate toward the servants of God in every age.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 9]          In tracing down the history of the church from the fall of Adam to our own time, we see that the righteous have been the objects of the assaults of evil angels and evil men. It is a settled plan of the enemy to seek for the corruption of the souls of those who would vindicate the honor of God; and when he could not accomplish this, he has caused them to be put to death. Satan has manifested the greatest activity in order that the true worshipers of God might be swept from the earth; but he has not fully carried out his designs, for God has put a limit to his power. There have been tares sown with the wheat, but the wheat has been preserved. Faithful men have passed through fire and sword, heresy and delusion, and have come forth from great tribulation with their robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Thousands have fallen at the stake, but others have arisen to take their places. Staunch advocates of truth have stood the conflict of battle, and the controversy has been brought down to our own day. The light of truth has shone upon us, that we may reflect it upon others.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 10]          The world's Redeemer knows all about the warfare that must be waged between good and evil. He has felt the malice of Satan to a greater extent than have any of his followers. As Saul refused the words of a priest and took the testimony of a sinner, so the statements of false witnesses were received against Jesus, and his own testimony was thrust aside. When Jesus was presented by Pilate to the people, and Barabbas was presented with him, and the ruler asked, "Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you?" the multitude, under the control of Satan, cried out like madmen, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas"! "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands." And the demon-like cry arose, "Crucify him, crucify him!" This was the man in whom no fault was found when he was brought to trial; and yet a robber and a murderer was preferred before him.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 11]          Satan takes advantage of circumstances. At times evil men seem to triumph without hindrance. They do their dark deeds and there is no interposition of Heaven. When men separate from God by transgression, Satan has no further conflict to wage with them, and they have no more opposition to offer to the adversary of God and man. Had there been no interference on the part of God. Satan and man would have united in an unbroken alliance against Heaven. There can be no enmity between fallen men and fallen angels. Both are evil, and both have become so by apostasy; and evil always leagues with evil against God and in opposition to those who keep his commandments. They have refused to fulfill the requirement of Heaven, and they are at enmity with those who love and obey God.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 12]         We shall yet find that the same spirit of opposition to God and his people that existed in ages past exists in this day of boasted light and privilege. Satan is engaged in doing his own work. His angels will conspire with evil men today, and the combined energies of apostasy will gather together their forces to tear down that which they once built up, and to destroy the influence of those who are champions of the truth.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 13]         The warning which Samuel had given Israel when they clamored for a king was beginning to be understood. They saw the prophet's statement demonstrated in the despotism of Saul. After he had heard the calm, truthful words of the priest, instead of acknowledging his error of imputing evil to the servant of God, he shouted like a madman, "Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house."  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 14]          The inconsistency of jealousy was shown in this verdict. Without proving the guilt of any one of the priests, the king commanded that all the line of Eli should be slain. He had determined upon this course of action before he had sent for them or heard their side of the case. And no amount of proof could undo his malignant purpose. To vent his wrath upon one man seemed too small a matter to satisfy the fury of his revenge.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 15]          "And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord." The footmen had looked upon the priests of the Lord with the greatest reverence. They were convinced of the innocence of Ahimelech, and they could not consent to do this inhuman deed, although by refusal they placed their own lives in peril.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 16]          If anything could have aroused the conscience of the king, it would have been the refusal of his servants to fulfill so barbarous a command. But jealousy is cruel as the grave; and the heart of Saul was blinded because he had gone away from the light which God had given him; and "if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 16}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 17]          Satan is never at a loss to find allies in his work. The most blood-thirsty tyrants have found instruments by which to carry out their hell-born designs. Saul's rage was not appeased by the noble stand of his footmen, and he turned to the man whom he had connected with himself as a friend, because he had reported against the priests. Thus this Edomite, who was as base a character as was Barabbas, slew with his own hand eighty-five priests of the Lord in one day; and he and Saul, and he who was a murderer from the beginning, gloried over the massacre of the servants of the Lord. Like savage beasts who have tasted of blood, so were Saul and Doeg. The king, not yet satisfied with his horrible cruelty, "said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod." And men, women, children, and cattle were all slain by this cruel Edomite.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 17}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 18]          This is what Saul could do under the control of Satan. He could go to any lengths of barbarity. When God had said that the iniquity of the Amalekites was full, and had commanded him to destroy them utterly, he was too compassionate to carry out the order of the Lord, and spared that which was devoted to destruction; but now, without any command from God, under the guidance of Satan he could put an end to the priests of the Lord, and bring ruin upon the inhabitants of Nob. Thus is shown the perversity of the human heart that has refused the guidance of God.  {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 18}
[ST, September 21, 1888 par. 19]          This deed filled all Israel with horror. It was the king whom they had chosen who had committed this outrage; and he had only done after the manner of the kings of other nations that feared not God. The ark was with them; but the priests of whom they had inquired were slain with the edge of the sword. What would come next?                                                                   -    {ST, September 21, 1888 par. 19}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 1]       October 5, 1888 David's Flight from Keilah.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       After the slaughter of the priests, "one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul; I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; but with me thou shalt be in safeguard."  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 2]          Saul had cut himself off from every means whereby the Lord could work in his behalf to save him from himself. In the facts of sacred history, there are lessons showing what a dangerous thing it is to cherish a jealous, revengeful spirit. It is impossible to determine to what length this spirit will lead its possessor if it is not overcome. When an evil report is circulated concerning the character of those who are striving to serve God, a power from beneath seems to move the minds of those who cherish enmity. He who has prided himself on possessing a high sense of honor, by taking this path of enmity will often fall into error, and will say and do things of which he deemed himself incapable. If a prophet of God should portray before him the course he would be led to pursue by cherishing such a spirit, he would indignantly inquire as did Hazael, "Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" But let him turn from the straight path of right, and follow where the promptings of Satan would lead him, and he will manifest the spirit of his captain until truth, honor, and justice are sacrificed through the lusts of passion.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 3]          Christ declared to the Pharisees, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." When men take the first step after the suggestion of Satan, they do not think that they will take another and another; but it will become easier and easier to follow, and finally they break away from all the bounds of honor and conscience, and do the work of the enemy, under a pretense of doing the work of righteousness. The plainest evidences of the truth and purity of the character of him who they wish to defame, are misconstrued. The most positive assurances of his faithfulness and nobility have no weight or power to control their slanderous reports. The most innocent works of conscience and charity are looked upon as actuated by selfish motives and unholy desires. The only safety for him who is thus assailed is to trust fully in God, not seeking to vindicate his own cause, but when falsely accused to his face to state only the plain facts of the case, and then leave the result with God. The Judge of all the earth will do right. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 4]          While David was in his refuge in the forests of Hareth, he was informed that the Philistines were warring against the men of Keilah, and that the people were in great distress, for their enemies were robbing the threshing-floors. "Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines." The men who had cast in their lot with David, looked at their small force,--only a few hundred men,--and they were filled with dread at the thought of an encounter with the superior numbers of their enemies. They were also afraid that Saul would attack them, and that between the two armies they would be overwhelmed.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 5]          David again sought the Lord. It was the manifest fear and reluctance of his men that led him again to inquire of the Lord. He had been anointed as king, and he thought that some measure of responsibility rested upon him for the protection of his people. If he could but have the positive assurance that he was moving in the path of duty, he would start out with his limited forces, and stand faithfully at his post whatever might be the consequences. David was well aware that while Saul was occupied almost entirely with planning and with executing his plans for his discovery and capture, he could not be strengthening his kingdom, or promoting the good of his subjects.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 6]          The people of Keilah were being grievously oppressed, for, while their enemies were encamped without their walls, they were being robbed of the necessities of life. In answer to the inquiry of David, the Lord said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah."  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 7]          "And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah." When the king heard the part that the son of Jesse had acted in the siege of Keliah, instead of being grateful that a champion had been raised up to defeat the enemies of Israel he was filled with a more determined enmity toward David. He thought that the action of David brought his own inaction into an unfavorable light before the people, and placed him in the discreditable position of one who was negligent of his duty as the ruler and protector of Israel. He could not but see that this was the truth of the matter; but he was angry with David because his works were righteous and his own were evil. The additional evidence that God was favoring David, in the fact that he had with only a handful of men gained a complete victory over a large force, served to make him the more furious. If his heart had not been poisoned with envy and jealousy, the manifestation of God's favor to David would have had a convincing power upon his mind, and would have led him to change his course.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 8]          The king anticipated the speedy destruction of him whom he hated. He intended to inclose the city with his troops, and demand that the inhabitants of Keilah give up the son of Jesse as his captive and prey. Saul was elated with the thought of successfully achieving his plans in securing David. He was so blinded by the great deceiver that he exclaimed, "God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men."  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 9]          Although a great deliverance had been wrought for Keilah, and the men of the city were very grateful to David and his men for the preservation of their lives, yet so fiendish had become the soul of the God-forsaken Saul, that he could demand from the men of Keilah that they yield up their deliverer to certain and unmerited death. Saul had determined that if they should offer any resistance they would suffer the bitter consequences of opposing the command of their king. The long-desired opportunity seemed to have come, and he determined to leave nothing undone in securing the arrest of his rival.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 10]          After the defeat of the Philistines, David felt that at last he had found a place in which he could be secure from danger without seeking to the caves and dens of the earth. If the people who appeared to be so grateful for their deliverance, would but be true to him and his interest, they could hold the city against Saul and his army. But he remembered the destruction of Nob and the massacre of the priests because one of them had shown him favor, and he became alarmed for himself and for the inhabitants of Keilah, lest they should all suffer in a similar manner. He dared not confide in their earnest assurances of fidelity, fearing that when driven by circumstances they would purchase peace and safety for themselves by delivering him over to his enemies. He could no longer feel secure in a city inclosed by gates and bars.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 11]          David went to the Lord for counsel. He made his supplication before God, saying, "O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up."  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 12]          David could feel no sense of security in remaining at Keilah, even in the midst of the people who owed their lives to his efforts in their behalf. The inhabitants of the city did not for a moment think themselves capable of such an act of ingratitude and treachery; but David knew, from the light that God had given him, that they could not be trusted, that in the hour of need they would fail.  {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, October 5, 1888 par. 13]          "Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand."                                                                   -    {ST, October 5, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 1]       October 12, 1888 David and Saul at En-gedi.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood." Satan was constantly at work to destroy the anointed of the Lord; but the Lord worked to disappoint the enemy, and to preserve David and his men. And now, when bright and cheering spots were few in the experience of the son of Jesse, he was surprised and rejoiced to receive a visit from Jonathan, who had learned the place of his refuge. How precious were the moments that these two friends passed in each other's society. They related their varied experiences, and Jonathan strengthened the heart and confidence of David, saying, "Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth." As they talked of the wonderful dealings of God toward David, the oppressed and hunted fugitive was greatly encouraged. "And they two made a covenant before the Lord; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house."  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 2]          After the visit of Jonathan, David encouraged his soul with songs of praise, accompanying his voice with his harp as he sang, "In the Lord put I my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? for, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in Heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth."  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 3]          The Ziphites, into whose wild regions David went from Keilah, sent word to Saul in Gibeah that they knew where David was hiding, and that they would guide the king to his retreat. "Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand." Saul, who had recently been uttering blasphemous curses, now said, "Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me." The king pronounced a blessing upon the wicked betrayers of David; but of what advantage were praise and flattery from such lips?  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 4]          A new company was prepared and sent out to hunt for the Lord's anointed, and Saul gave a special charge to the wicked Ziphites: "Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah."  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 5]          The citizens of Keilah, who should have repaid the interest and zeal of David in delivering them from the hands of the Philistines, would have given him up because of their fear of Saul rather than to have suffered a siege for his sake. But the men of Ziph would do worse; they would betray David into the hands of his enemy, not because of their loyalty to the king, but because of their hatred of David. Their interest for the king was only a pretense. They were of their own accord acting the part of hypocrites when they offered to assist in the capture of David. It was upon these false-hearted betrayers that Saul invoked the blessing of the Lord. He praised their Satanic spirit in betraying an innocent man, as the spirit and act of virtue in showing compassion to himself. Apparently David was in greater danger than he had ever been before. Upon learning the perils to which he was exposed, he changed his position, seeking refuge in the mountains between Maon and the Dead Sea.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 6]          Saul and his men had planned well, and they felt that success was already assured. But when the enemies of David flattered themselves that there could be no escape, there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, "Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines."  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 7]          The disappointed king was in a frenzy of anger to be thus cheated of his prey; but he feared the dissatisfaction of the nation; for, if the Philistines should ravage the country while he was destroying its defender, a reaction would be likely to take place, and he would become the object of the people's hate. So he relinquished his pursuit of David, and went against the Philistines, and this gave David an opportunity to escape to the stronghold of En-gedi.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 8]          As soon as the encounter with the Philistines was over, word was again sent to Saul, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats." David had only six hundred men in his company, while Saul advanced against him with an army of three thousand. In a secluded cave the son of Jesse and his men waited for the guidance of God as to what should be done. As Saul was pressing his way up the mountains, he turned aside, and lay down to rest in the entrance of the very cavern where David and his company were hidden. When his men saw this, they urged their leader to kill Saul as he slept. The fact that the king was now in their power, was interpreted by them as a certain evidence that God himself had delivered the enemy into their hand that they might destroy this relentless foe, who without cause was continually seeking the life of David. David was tempted to take this view of the matter; but the voice of conscience spoke to him, saying, "Touch not the anointed of the Lord," and he could but yield obedience. His men were impatient that David hesitated to grant the permission they so much desired; but he firmly restrained them from doing any harm to Saul.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 9]          The course of David made it manifest that he had a Ruler whom he obeyed. He could not permit his natural passions to gain the victory over him; for he knew that he that ruleth his own spirit, is greater than he who taketh a city. If he had been led and controlled by human feelings, he would have reasoned that the Lord had brought his enemy under his power in order that he might slay him, and take the government of Israel upon himself. Saul's mind was in such a condition that his authority was not respected, and the people were becoming irreligious and demoralized. Yet the fact that Saul had been divinely chosen king of Israel kept him in safety, for David conscientiously served God, and he would not in any wise harm the anointed of the Lord.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 10]          David's men could scarcely consent to leave Saul in peace, and they said to their commander, "Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily." But his tender conscience smote him afterward, because he had marred the garment of the king.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 11]          Saul rose up and went out of the cave to continue his search after David. But a voice fell upon his startled ears, saying, "My lord the king." He turned to see who was addressing him, and lo! it was the son of Jesse, the man whom he had so long desired to have in his power that he might kill him. David bowed himself to the king, acknowledging him as his master. David addressed Saul in these words: "Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave; and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but mine hand shall not be upon thee."  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 12]         Saul was both astonished and humbled as he heard the statements of David, and admitted their truthfulness. His feelings were greatly stirred as he realized that he had been so fully in the power of the man whom he had injured. He saw David standing before him in conscious innocence, and yet he had charged him with plotting against his life, and had pursued him with relentless hate to destroy him. He was deeply agitated as David presented the skirt of his robe as unmistakable evidence to the king that his accusations had been without foundation. Here was proof that David was not seeking the life of the king. Then David presented the course of Saul in its true, undignified, and ungenerous light, and Saul exclaimed with trembling lip and softened spirit, "Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept." Then he declared to David. "Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. . . . For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand." And David made a covenant with Saul that when this should take place he would favorably regard the house of Saul, and not cut off his name.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 13]          David had no reason to put confidence in the assurances of Saul, or to deem that his penitent condition would be permanent: He knew that his feelings would change, and that the king would be more thoroughly intent than ever upon taking his life. So when Saul returned to his home, David remained in the strongholds of the mountains.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 14]          The enmity that is cherished toward the servants of God by those who have yielded to the power of Satan, changes at times to a feeling of favor and approbation; but this is not always an evidence that the change is a lasting one. The enemies of righteousness have been moved by a power from beneath to accuse and stigmatize those whom God has chosen to do his work. False impressions have been made through false statements; but after evil-minded men have engaged in doing and saying many wicked things, the conviction that they have been in the wrong takes deep hold upon their minds. The Spirit of the Lord strives with them, and they humble their hearts before God, and before those whose influence they have sought to destroy, and they change their course toward them. But as they again open the door to the suggestions of the evil one, the old doubts are revived. The old enmity is awakened, and they return to engage in the same work which they repented of, and for a time abandoned. Again they speak evil, accusing and condemning in the bitterest manner the very ones to whom they made most humble confession. Satan can use such souls with far greater power after such a course has been pursued than he could before, because they have sinned against greater light.  {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, October 12, 1888 par. 15]          The history of Saul is a lesson to all who would walk in the counsel of God. They should take warning from his proud and rebellious spirit, and learn to walk with humility before Heaven, placing their whole dependence upon God. Many have apostatized who have once been zealous advocates of the truth, and whose faith and teaching have been published throughout the world, verifying the words of Paul when he declares, "In the latter times some shall depart from the faith."                                                                   -    {ST, October 12, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 1]       October 19, 1888 The Death of Samuel.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah." The death of Samuel was regarded as an irreparable loss by the nation of Israel. A great and good prophet and an eminent judge had fallen in death; and the grief of the people was deep and heart-felt.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 2]          The life of Samuel from early childhood had been a life of piety and devotion. He had been placed under the care of Eli in his youth, and the loveliness of his character drew forth the warm affection of the aged priest. He was kind, generous, diligent, obedient, and respectful. The contrast between the course of the youth Samuel and that of the priest's own sons was very marked, and Eli found rest and comfort and blessing in the presence of his charge. It was a singular thing that between Eli, the chief magistrate of the nation, and the simple child so warm a friendship should exist. Samuel was helpful and affectionate, and no father ever loved his child more tenderly than did Eli this youth. As the infirmities of age came upon Eli, he felt more keenly the disheartening, reckless, profligate course of his own sons, and he turned to Samuel for comfort and support.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 3]          How touching to see youth and old age relying one upon the other, the youth looking up to the aged for counsel and wisdom, the aged looking to the youth for help and sympathy. This is as it should be. God would have the young possess such qualifications of character that they shall find delight in the friendship of the old, that they may be united in the endearing bonds of affection to those who are approaching the borders of the grave.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 4]          From his youth up, Samuel had walked before Israel in the integrity of his heart; but he was no longer to go in and out before his people. Although Saul had been the acknowledged king of Israel, Samuel had wielded a more powerful influence than he, because his record was one of faithfulness, obedience, and devotion. We read that he judged Israel all the days of his life. The closing years of the prophet could not but be years of sadness and burden of soul. His own children had not followed the example which he had given them. They had not heeded the precepts which he had sought to impress upon their minds. They had not copied the elevated, pure, unselfish life of their father. Through their impious and selfish life they had forfeited the confidence of the people, and this was a cause of great grief to Samuel. He had been to some extent too easy and indulgent with his sons, and the result that is usually seen where this is the case, was made apparent in his family. The characters of his children were marred with selfishness, and their course was such that it made them a dishonor to the cause of God. If the warning given to Eli had exerted the influence upon the mind of Samuel that it should have done, it would have aided him in the government of his household.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 5]          The Lord said of Abraham, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." If Samuel had been like Abraham, and had commanded his children after him, how different would have been the moulding of the lives of his children. Their characters were fashioned after the sight of their eyes and the hearing of their ears. The associations which they chose, the company which they kept, left an impress upon their minds; and reverence for God and sacred things was weakened.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 6]          The aged prophet had loved Saul with intense affection; but before he died, he saw the scepter dishonored in the hand of him whom he had anointed in the name of the Lord to rule Israel. He saw him as one who could not rule himself, much less a nation. With some consolation he recalled the fact that he had anointed the son of a shepherd in Bethlehem as the future king, and he looked forward to David's reign as the time when Israel would revive. The bright and morning Star was to come of the seed of David, and his throne was to be established forever.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 7]          After Israel had rejected Samuel as ruler of the nation, though well qualified for public labor, the prophet sought retirement. He was not superannuated, for he presided as teacher in the school of the prophets. This service for his God was a pleasant service. David's connection with Samuel during his stay at Naioth aroused the jealousy of Saul lest he who was revered as a prophet of God throughout all Israel, should lend his influence to the advancement of his rival. As the character and management of Saul were viewed in contrast to the character and management of Samuel, Israel saw what a mistake they had made in desiring a king, that they might not be different from the nations around them. The people looked with alarm at the condition of society, fast becoming leavened with irreligion and godlessness. The influence and example of their ruler was leaving its impression on all sides, and well might Israel mourn that Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, was dead.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 8]          The nation had lost the founder and president of their college, but that was not all. They had lost him to whom they had been accustomed to go with their great troubles. They had lost one who had constantly interceded with God in their behalf. Israel had felt more secure while the prayers of this good man ascended to Heaven for them; for "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." They felt now that they were being forsaken of God. The king seemed little less than a madman. He was abandoned of God; but he was not filled with godly sorrow for the evil course he had pursued. He was remorseful, passionate, and unable to exercise reason. The Lord had declared by the lips of Samuel the condition of the disobedient: "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." These words found their verification in the life of Saul. The uncontrolled passions of his wicked heart made him unfit to receive counsel or advice. He refused all instruction, and acted as if possessed of a demon. Justice was perverted to cruelty, and order was turned into confusion. Oh, that Saul had humbled his proud heart before God! But anger rests in the bosom of fools, transforming those who have been made in the image of God, into the image of the evil one.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 9]          Saul had a mind and influence capable of governing a kingdom, if his powers had been submitted to the control of God, but the very endowments that qualified him for doing good could be used by Satan, when surrendered to his power, and would enable him to exert widespread influence for evil. He could be more sternly vindictive, more injurious and determined in prosecuting his unholy designs, than could others, because of the superior powers of mind and heart that had been given him of God. He had ruined his own soul, and had wrought the ruin of his house; but he was impenitent and hardened. He had brought injury and disgrace upon himself, and yet he desired that David when he should come to the throne, should preserve his house and honor his name. But his very course in pursuing his successor from place to place, and of proclaiming him an outlaw and a rebel, brought infamy upon the name he desired to have honored.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 10]          It was while Israel was racked with perplexity and internal strife, at a time when it seemed that the calm, God-fearing counsel of Samuel was most needed, that God gave his aged servant rest. Oh, how bitter were the reflections of Israel as they looked upon his quiet resting-place, and remembered their folly in rejecting him as their ruler; for he had had so close a connection with Heaven that he seemed to bind all Israel to the throne of Jehovah. It was Samuel who had taught them to love and obey God; but now that he was dead, the people felt that they were to be left to the mercies of a king who was joined to Satan, and who would divorce the people from God and Heaven.  {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, October 19, 1888 par. 11]          David could not be present at the funeral of Samuel; but he mourned for him as deeply and tenderly as a faithful son could have mourned for a devoted father. He knew that his death had broken another bond of restraint from the spirit and actions of Saul, and he felt less secure than while the prophet lived. While the attention of Saul was engaged in mourning for the death of Samuel, David thought it necessary to seek for a place of greater security; so he fled to the wilderness of Paran. It was here that he composed the one hundred and twentieth and twenty-first psalms. In the desolate wilds of the wilderness, realizing that the prophet was dead, and the king was his enemy, he sang: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. . . . The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."                                                                   -    {ST, October 19, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 1]       October 26, 1888 The Work of a Peace-Maker.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         While David and his men were in the Wilderness of Paran, they protected from the depredations of marauders the flocks and herds of a very wealthy man named Nabal, who had vast possessions in Carmel. Nabal was a descendant of Caleb, but his character was churlish and niggardly.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 2]          David and his men were in sore need of provisions while at this place, and when the son of Jesse heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep he sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, "Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name; and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I have heard that thou hast shearers; now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will show thee. Wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come in a good day; give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David."  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 3]          David and his men had been like a wall of protection to the shepherds and flocks of Nabal as they pastured in the mountains. And he courteously petitioned that supplies be given them in their great need from the abundance of this rich man. They might have helped themselves from the flocks and herds; but they did not. They behaved themselves in an honest way; but their kindness was all lost upon Nabal. The answer he returned to David was indicative of his character. "And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?" When the young men returned empty-handed, disappointed and disgusted, and related the affair to David, he was filled with indignation. "Surely," he said, "in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he has requited me evil for good." David commanded his men to gird on their swords, and equip themselves for an encounter; for he had determined to punish the man who had denied him what was his right, and had added insult to injury. This impulsive movement was more in harmony with the manner of Saul than with that of David, but the son of Jesse had yet to learn lessons of patience in the school of affliction.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 4]          One of the servants of Nabal hastened to Abigail, the wife of Nabal, after he had dismissed David's young men, and told her what had happened. "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them. But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household."  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 5]          Without consulting her husband, or telling him of her intention, Abigail made up an ample supply of provisions, and started out to meet the army of David. She met them in a covert of a hill. "And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience." Abigail addressed David with as much reverence as though speaking to a crowned monarch. Nabal had scornfully inquired, "Who is David?" but Abigail called him, "My Lord." With kind words she sought to soothe his irritated feelings. She did not reproach him for his hasty action, for she felt assured that a little time and reflection would work a change in his purpose, and that his conscience itself would condemn the violent measure which he was about to take. She pleaded with David in behalf of her husband. With utter unselfishness of spirit, she desired him to impute the whole blame of the matter to her, and not to charge it to her poor, deluded husband, who knew not what was for his own good or happiness. What a spirit is this! With nothing of ostentation or pride, but full of the wisdom and love of God, Abigail revealed the strength of her devotion to her household. Whatever was her husband's disposition, he was her husband still, and she made it plain to the indignant captain that the unkind course of her husband was in nowise premeditated against him as a personal affront; but it was simply the outburst of an unhappy and selfish nature. Nabal was naturally unreasonable and abusive, and when aroused he knew not what he said or did.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 6]         "Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal," Abigail did not take to herself the credit of this reasoning to swerve David from his hasty purpose, but gave to God the honor and the praise. She then offered her rich provision as a peace-offering to the young men of David, and still pleaded as if she herself were the guilty party who had so stirred the indignation of David. "I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid; for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days." Abigail presented by implication the course which David should pursue. He should fight the battles of the Lord. He was not to seek revenge for personal wrongs, even though persecuted as a traitor. She continued: "Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul; but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; . . . and it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; that this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my lord, neither that thou hath shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself; but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid."  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 7]          These words could only have come from the lips of one who had partaken of that wisdom which cometh down from above. The piety of Abigail, like the fragrance of a flower, breathed out all unconsciously in face and word and action. The Spirit of the Son of God was abiding in her soul. Her heart was full of purity, gentleness, and sanctified love. Her speech, seasoned with grace, and full of kindness and peace, shed a heavenly influence. Better impulses came to David, and he trembled as he thought what might have been the consequences of his rash purpose. An entire household would have been slain, containing more than one precious, God-fearing person like Abigail, who had engaged in the blessed ministry of good. Her words healed the sore and bruised heart of David. Would that there were more women who would soothe the irritated feelings, prevent rash impulses, and quell great evils by words of calm and well-directed wisdom. "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God."  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 8]          A consecrated Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and peace. It is 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. Abigail was a wise reprover and counselor. David's passion died away under the power of her influence and reasoning. He was convinced that he had taken an unwise course, and had lost control of his own Spirit. He received the rebuke with humility of heart, in harmony with his own words, "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil." He gave thanks and blessing because she advised him righteously.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 9]          There are many who, when they are reproved or advised, think it praiseworthy if they receive the rebuke without becoming impatient. But how few take reproof with gratitude of heart, and bless those who seek to save them from pursuing an evil course.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 10]          Abigail rejoiced that her mission had been successful, and that she had been instrumental in saving her household from death. David rejoiced that through her timely advice he had been prevented from committing deeds of violence and revenge. Upon reflection, he realized that it would have been a matter of disgrace to him before Israel, and a remembrance that would always have caused him the keenest remorse. He felt that he and his men had the greatest cause for gratitude. He had had a horror of bloodshed, and had prayed that he might be delivered from blood guiltiness; and yet, when his feelings were injured, he had planned to avenge himself with his own hands. In this he had taken it upon himself to act in the place of God, who has said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 11]          David had taken an oath that Nabal and his household should perish; but now he saw that it was not only wrong to make such a vow, but it would be wrong to keep it. If Herod had had the moral courage of David, no matter how humiliating it might have been, he would have retracted the oath that devoted John the Baptist's head to the ax of the executioner, that the revenge of an evil woman might be accomplished, and he would not have had upon his soul the guilt of the murder of the prophet of God.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 12]          When Abigail returned to her home, she found her husband and his guests participating in the enjoyment of a great feast. Nabal thought nothing of spending an extravagant amount of his wealth to indulge and glorify himself; but it seemed too painful a sacrifice for him to make to bestow compensation which he never would have missed, upon those who had been like a wall to his flocks and herds. Nabal was like the rich man in the parable. He had only one thought,--to use God's merciful gifts to gratify his selfish animal appetites. He had no thought of gratitude to the giver. He was not rich toward God; for eternal treasure had no attraction for him. Present luxury, present gain, was the one absorbing thought of his life. This was his God.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 12}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 13]          Abigail found her husband in a state of intoxication, joining in the drunken revelry of those around him. She knew it would be useless to tell him of what had happened when his reason was dethroned; but the next morning she related to him the occurrence of the day before. Nabal was a coward at heart, and his excessive indulgence of appetite, both in eating and drinking, had affected his physical and moral powers, and when he had realized how near his folly had brought him to a sudden death, his entire energy and power seemed smitten with paralysis. Fearful that David would still pursue his purpose of revenge, he was filled with horror, and sank down in a condition of helpless insensibility. After ten days Nabal died. The life that God had given him had only been a curse to society. In the midst of his rejoicing and merry-making, God had said to him, as he said to the rich fool of the parable, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee."  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 13}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 14]          When David heard the tidings of the death of Nabal, he gave thanks that God had taken vengeance into his own hands. He had been restrained from evil, and the Lord had returned the wickedness of the wicked upon his own head. In this dealing of God with Nabal and David, men may be encouraged to put their cases into the hands of God; for in his own good time he will set matters right.  {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 14}
[ST, October 26, 1888 par. 15]          David afterward married Abigail. This was not according to the original plan of God; it was in direct opposition to his design, that a man should have more than one wife. David was already the husband of Ahinoam. The gospel condemns the practice of polygamy. The custom of the nations of David's time had perverted his judgment and influenced his actions. Great men have erred greatly in following the practices of the world. The study of everyone should be to know what is the will of God and what saith the word of the Lord. The bitter result of this practice of marrying many wives was permitted to be sorely felt throughout all the life of David.                                                                   -    {ST, October 26, 1888 par. 15}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 1]       November 2, 1888 David Spares Saul.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         After the death of Samuel, David was left in peace for a few months. Saul did not pursue or trouble him, and the son of Jesse returned to the solitude of the Ziphites, thinking they would not now molest him since the king had desisted from following him. But the people knew too well the character of Saul to credit him with sincerity repenting of seeking David's life. These enemies of the son of Jesse hoped to be favored by informing the king of David's hiding-place. They told Saul that David was within their reach, and that they would do their utmost to put him into his power.  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 2]          This intelligence aroused the demon of passion that had been slumbering in Saul's breast. He thought an opportunity was offered which should not be left unimproved. He summoned his men to arms, and once more led them out in pursuit of David. After the solemn covenant that Saul had made with David, the son of Jesse was not inclined to believe that the king would still seek his life. In company with a few of his men, he started out to see if indeed Saul was pursuing him again. David and his companions beheld the tents of the king and his attendants. They were unobserved; for the camp was quiet in slumber. David called upon his friends to go with him into the very midst of the foe. In answer to his question, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" Abishai promptly responded, "I will go down with thee."  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 3]          David and his attendant hastened into the shadows of the hills, and entered the encampment of the enemy. As they sought to ascertain the exact number of their foes, they came upon Saul sleeping, his spear stuck in the ground and a cruse of water at his bolster, while Abner and the people were slumbering on every side. Abishai raised his spear, and said to David, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day; now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time." The servant waited for the word of permission; but there fell upon his ear the whispered words: "Destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? . . . As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awakened; for they were all asleep; because a dead sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them."  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 4]          How easily the Lord can weaken the strongest, remove prudence from the wisest, and baffle the skill of the most watchful. Then David went over to the other side, and when he was at a safe distance from the camp, he stood on the top of a hill, and cried with a loud voice to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Art thou not a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering; but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods. Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains."  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 5]          David assured Saul that he would be glad to serve him as a servant; but without cause he was pursued as a rebel, and compelled to fly from him whom he would follow. He was cut off from the service of God, separated from the holy land, and driven away from his own people to live with strangers and idolaters. He presents the course of Saul in pursuing him as that of the king taking the flower of his army to seek a flea, or to hunt a partridge of the wilderness.  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 6]          David urged that the real reasons of the king's enmity be searched out, and the controversy come to an end. He knew that it was jealously that prompted Saul to hunt him from place to place, until there was no security for him, not even in the rocky home of the goats. He declared that if the Lord had stirred Saul up against him to punish him for his sins, God would accept an offering from him. He would make peace with God. If it was wicked counselors that advised the king to take such cruel measures against an innocent man, let them be excluded from his presence as men accursed of God.  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 7]          David pleaded for his life before the relentless Saul. Again the acknowledgment fell from the lips of the king, "I have sinned; return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day; behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it." Although Saul had made the promise, "I will no more do thee harm," David did not place himself in his power. This second instance of David's respect for his life, made a still deeper impression upon the mind of Saul, and brought from his lips a more humble acknowledgment of his fault. He was subdued and astonished at the manifestation of David's mercy and kindness toward him. The son of Jesse might have deprived him of his life, but his soul had been precious in the eyes of him to whom he had thought he must be odious and abhorrent.  {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, November 2, 1888 par. 8]          Saul had meant all that he had said, yet his relenting and confession came not from genuine repentance and conversion of heart. How many have acted in a similar manner. They have been enlightened by the Spirit of God in regard to the truth, but envy and jealousy and unholy ambition have been welcomed to the soul, and the light of truth has been permitted to grow dim. Men whom God has blessed, who have had new light, new purposes, and new hearts, who have meant to be sincere, have been placed in temptation, and by failing to resist the suggestions of Satan, they have allowed self-esteem, and desire for the highest place, to color all the thoughts and actions of their life. Light and darkness, good and evil, strive for the victory. Oh, that these souls might place themselves in right relation to God, and come into harmony with his law! Jealousy has found an entrance into their hearts, and has woven itself into their characters. Envy and jealousy are like two sisters who blend together in their workings. Envy will lead a man to desire some good which another possesses, and will urge him to use every means in his power to bring down and injure the character and reputation of one in whose place he desires to be. Falsehood, hearsays, and slanderous reports are circulated, and everything that can be made use of will be employed to place the envied man in an unfavorable light before the people. Jealousy leads a man to suspect another of seeking to deprive him of advantages and position. Saul had both envy and jealousy.                                                                   -    {ST, November 2, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 1]       November 9, 1888 David Becomes Weary in Well-Doing.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel; so shall I escape out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath."  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 2]          David's conclusion that Saul would certainly accomplish his murderous purpose, was formed without the counsel of God. He had at last become weary of waiting upon the Lord, and in a moment of discouragement placed himself in an unfavorable light before the people of God by his course of unbelief. It was not the Lord who had sent him for protection to the Philistines, the most bitter foes of Israel. This very nation would be nothing less than his worst enemies to the very last; and yet he had sought to them for help in his time of need. Yet having lost all confidence in Saul and in those who served him, he threw himself upon the mercy of the enemies of his people, to escape the treachery of the very men whom he afterward would be called upon to rule when God's appointed time should come.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 3]          The Lord had recently worked in David's behalf by aiding him to obtain a decided victory over Saul. The Lord's hand was in all this, and, if David had looked upon the dealings of God with him, he would not have taken this step of seeking unto the Philistines. The Lord had so arranged matters in the past, that the true spirit of David was made manifest before all Israel, and the false accusations brought against him by Saul were proven to be without foundation. Saul had represented David as a traitor and a conspirator, lying in wait to take the life of the king, that he might possess the kingdom himself. The king had represented the matter to the people in such a light that it seemed necessary to deprive David of his life, that the prosperity of Israel might be preserved.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 4]          But in working against David, he was working equally against himself in the course that he was pursuing. Through the curse of envy and jealousy, he had weakened his own kingdom by expelling David from his service; for, in so doing, he had driven him into the enemies' ranks. But even while Saul was plotting and seeking to accomplish his destruction, the Lord was working to secure to David the kingdom. And after he had seen that God was caring for him, and had preserved his life again and again, he should have been courageous, and should have left his case in God's hands.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 5]          David looked on appearances and not at the promises of God. He doubted that he should ever come to the throne. But had not God sent Samuel to anoint him king of Israel? and would not the Lord perform his word? Although he could not rely on Saul's assurances, he might have safely trusted in the promises of God. The particular care that God had exercised over him in preserving him from all danger, so that he had not been harmed, should have given him confidence and comfort. But cruel unbelief had taken possession of David's heart.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 6]          God works out his plans though they are veiled in mystery to human eyes. Men cannot read the ways of God; and, looking at outward appearances, they interpret the trials and tests and provings that God permits to come upon them as things that are against them, and that will only work their ruin.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 7]          David took counsel with his own heart. Long trials had tried his faith and exhausted his patience. But these very trials were designed to work him blessing, to strengthen his faith in the belief that angels were encamped round about him, and that he was under the guardianship of Heaven. God was dishonored by his course of unbelief.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 8]          David was a brave general, and had proved himself a wise and successful warrior; but he was working directly against his own interests when he went to the Philistines. God had appointed him to set up his standard in the land of Judah, and it was want of faith and confidence that led him to forsake his post of duty without a command from the Lord. How could he expect that the God of Israel would give him protection, when he had placed himself with the bitterest foes of his people? Could he expect safety with the Philistines, when only shortly before he had barely escaped with his life by feigning himself to be a mad man? Could he reasonably hope to save himself by seeking an asylum with a people whom God had appointed to extinction? When he should come to the throne, he would be employed as the agent to carry out this purpose of destroying the Philistines.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 9]          In fleeing to the enemies of Israel, David encouraged the Philistines to take further measures to oppress his people, and the impression was received by his brethren that he had gone to the heathen to serve their gods. By this act he gave occasion for misconstruing his motives, and many were led to hold prejudice against him. This demonstrates the fact that great and good men, men with whom God has worked, will make grievous mistakes when they cease to watch and pray, and to fully trust in God.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 9}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 10]          There is a precious experience, an experience more precious than fine gold, to be gained by everyone who will walk by faith. He who will walk in the way of unwavering trust in God will have a connection with Heaven. The child of God is to do his work, looking to God alone for strength and guidance. He must toil on without despondency and full of hope, even though he is placed in most trying and aggravating circumstances.  {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 10}
[ST, November 9, 1888 par. 11]          David's experiences are recorded for the instruction of the people of God in these last days. In his warfare against Satan, this servant of God had received light and direction from Heaven, but, because the conflict was long continued, and because the question of his receiving the throne was unsettled, he became weary and discouraged. He was provoked that he was hunted from place to place as though he were a wild beast. The very thing that Satan desired to have him do, he was led to do; for, in seeking refuge among the Philistines, David caused great joy and triumph and exultation to the enemies of God and his people. David did not renounce his worship of God nor cease his devotion to his cause; but he sacrificed his trust in him for his personal safety, and thus tarnished the upright and faithful character that God requires his servants to possess.                                                                   -    {ST, November 9, 1888 par. 11}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 1]       November 16, 1888 David's Experience in Philistia.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       David was cordially received at Gath by the king of the Philistines. The warmth of his reception was partly due to the fact that the king admired him, and partly to the fact that it was flattering to his vanity to have a Hebrew leave his own nation to seek his protection. Achish hoped to be successful not only in gaining David as an ally, but in gaining others also, for he felt assured that many would be influenced through David's example to rally under his standard. David felt secure from betrayal in the dominions of Achish. He brought his family, his household, and his possessions, as did also his men, and to all appearances he had come to locate permanently in the land of Philistia. All this was very gratifying to Achish, who solemnly promised to protect the fugitive Israelites.  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 2]          At David's request for a residence in the country removed from the royal city, the king graciously granted Ziklag as a possession, and it was afterward annexed to Israel's dominions. For a year and six months, David made his home in the country of the Philistines. He had tasted the bitterness of envy at Saul's court, and he feared that he might have a similar experience in the court at Gath. But it was for far weightier reasons that he desired to leave the royal city. He realized that it would be dangerous for himself and ［his］ men to be under the influence of those who were connected with idolatry and transgression. In a town wholly separated for their use, they might worship God with more freedom than they could if they remained in Gath, where the senseless, heathen rites could but prove a source of evil and annoyance.  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 3]         While dwelling in this isolated town, David made war upon the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites, and he left neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath. When he returned from battle, Achish inquired as to where he had been, and David gave him to understand that he had been warring against those of his own nation, the men of Judah. But by this very dissembling, he was the means of strengthening the hand of the Philistines, for the king said, "He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever." By placing himself under the protection of the Philistines, he had discovered to them the weakness of his people; for the Philistines had feared David more than they had feared Saul and his armies. Although David knew that it was the will of God that the Philistines should be destroyed, and although he knew that he was appointed to do this work, yet he was not walking in the counsel of God when he practiced deception. Moreover, he had been anointed to stand in defense of the people of God; and the Lord would not have his servants give encouragement to the wicked by disclosing the weakness of his people, or by an appearance of indifference to their welfare.  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 4]          David's faith in God had been strong, but it had failed him when he placed himself under the protection of the Philistines. He had taken this step without seeking the counsel of the Lord; but when he had sought and obtained the favor of the Philistines, it was poor policy to repay their kindness by deception. In the favor they had shown him they had been actuated by selfishness. They had reason to remember the son of Jesse, for his valor had cost them their champion, Goliath, and had turned the tide of the battle against them. The Philistines were glad of an opportunity to separate David's forces from the army under Saul. They hoped that David would avenge his wrongs by joining them in battle against Saul and Israel.  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 5]          "And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men." David had no intention of lifting his hand against his people, but he was not certain as to what course he would pursue until circumstances should indicate the direction of his duty. He answered the king evasively, and said, "Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do." Achish understood these words as a promise to assist him in the approaching war, and the king pledged his word that if he would do this, he would bestow upon him great honor, and give him a high position among his officials.  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 6]          But although David's faith had staggered somewhat at the promises of God, he still remembered that Samuel had anointed him king of Israel. He recalled the victories that God had given him over his enemies in the past. He reviewed the great mercies of God in preserving him from the hand of Saul, and he determined that he would not betray any sacred trust, or imperil his soul's salvation. He would not join his forces with the enemy against Saul, even though the king had sought his life.  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 7]          How many would have yielded to the temptation that Achish presented to David! How many have fallen, and how many will fall, into the snare of Satan for temporary advantages! Ambitious for exaltation, they will unite their influence with the avowed enemies of God's truth if they can only be honored among those who are honored of men. For present advantages, they will sacrifice the eternal good that God has in store for them. They will not endure the proving of God, and show themselves true in every place, and under all circumstances. God has promised that his faithful, obedient servants shall be exalted to be priests and kings. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?"  {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, November 16, 1888 par. 8]          Satan succeeds in making many grow restless, even after they have wrestled against difficulty, and have run well for a season. He presents temptation in a new way, and under a different aspect, and places before men human honors and advantages, and they fall, as did Adam and Eve when the serpent said, "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Stretching beyond their capacity, they seek a more exalted position; desiring the highest seat they will finally, with shame, have to take the lowest seat. They sell their souls to the enemy, that they may be lifted up, and they will find, at last, that they are slaves to the one who degrades and ruins mankind. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."                                                                   -    {ST, November 16, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 1]       November 30, 1888 God's Requirement of His People.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The Lord cannot use men and women in his service, in any branch of his work, unless they possess a meek and teachable spirit. Those whom God employs in his service must be true to principle, but, while they must not swerve from the plain path of duty for any selfish interest, they are not to be bigoted and puffed up with self-esteem. Unless the heart is in connection with the Source of all wisdom, there will not be an abiding sense of the sacredness of the work. Workers for Christ must derive all their life and inspiration from God. They must seek to be conformed to his will and his ways, and not seek to have their own will and way. He who would become a living channel of light, must be governed by something more than habit or opinion. He must live hourly in conscious communion with God. His life must be brought into contact with the principles of truth and righteousness. He must become a partaker of divine nature.  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 1}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 2]          The servant of God must be continually seeking for intellectual power, and every acquisition of the mind must be devoted to glorifying God. We must have enlarged conceptions of what the requirement of God is of his people. We are to love God with all our heart, might, mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. This love will elevate the taste, subdue the appetite, and control the passions. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, these are the fruits of the Spirit. "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." They are endowed with the heavenly endowment, even with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great value in the sight of God. God requires us to reach the highest standard.  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 2}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 3]          We must not be content with anything short of the divine illumination from the central Light of the universe. When we have this illumination, we shall see the necessity of pressing onward and upward, of elevating the standard, of cultivating the loftiest ambition, and of reaching the highest attainments. We shall constantly draw from the Source of all wisdom, and live as in the sight of the Lord. We should consecrate all our powers to the service of Christ. He has loved us; he has died to redeem us, and to wash us from our sins in his own blood. Self must die. All success and honor must be accredited to Him who has died that we might live. Christ must be inscribed upon our banners. How slow we are to understand that God requires the service of our whole heart, an unreserved consecration of all the powers of our being. He claims all there is of us. All that mortal man can render of service in any direction, must be devoted to the work of Christ, if we would meet the requirement of God.  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 3}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 4]          Your talent has been intrusted to you by the Lord, and you will be held responsible for its employment and improvement. It is the design of the Giver that it shall be used in accordance with his divine will. We are not only to work out our own salvation, but we are to love our fellow-men as we love ourselves. We must manifest the glory of God. This is the high aim of our existence. We must be in such a condition that we can appreciate the light that God has brought into the experience of others. Our lives and characters are influenced by the physical, intellectual, and moral acquirements of past generations. If we remain in ignorance, we have no one to blame but ourselves. If we put to the stretch every power, and task every ability to the utmost, with an eye single to the glory of God, we shall not fail of doing a valuable work for God.  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 4}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 5]          The time in which we live is full of the most solemn importance. There is nothing that can be more acceptable to God than to have the youth dedicate their lives to his service in the bloom and freshness of their years. Their talents may become a power for God, when they are properly cultivated. Their characters may be characters that will be acceptable to Heaven; but they must be shaped by line upon line, and precept upon precept. They must be modeled after the divine pattern.  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 5}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 6]          Those who are educating the youth in the service of God, are doing a solemn and sacred work. They are channels through which flows the current of spiritual light from the throne of God. Without being conscious of it, they are doing a work that is far-reaching in its influence. In the work of saving souls, we are to know whereof we speak. The words of John are full of significance when he says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you." He affirmed that he had known him that was from the beginning, and because of this, he was able to impart knowledge to those whom he sought to teach. We are to remember the experiences of the past, to recall the days of old, and then to be able to give the trumpet no uncertain sound, because we can affirm whereof we know. We can encourage others to reach forward for a better life, because we have had an experience ourselves in the things of God.  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 6}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 7]          When your soul is the temple for the indwelling Spirit of the Saviour, the gross elements of your nature will be consumed, and the whole being will become a living purpose. He who is truly Christ's will have an experience like that of Daniel, and the fruits of the Spirit will appear in his life. There are powers within us that are paralyzed through sin, that need the vivifying influence of the grace of Christ, that they may be restored. A mighty power from the Life-giver must quicken them to life, and rouse them to action. When this is your experience, you can work as Jesus has given you an example. Divine light and love will be reflected upon those who feel that they are sick in both soul and body. Jesus invites his own presence to your soul. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Shall we not open the door of our hearts to the divine guest?  {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 7}
[ST, November 30, 1888 par. 8]          Those who engage in the work of God must be pure in heart, and circumspect in deportment. The souls of God's people should not be like a barren waste, as are so many souls at this time. God has given to every man some ability to use in his service, and it is God's design that it should be employed to his glory, and man's good. Many are losing much, simply because they will not learn in the school of Christ. They might gain eternal treasure, but, in turning away from the divine Teacher, their consciences are violated and seared, and the admonitions of God's word lose all power to stir their hearts. But there is no need of making such a failure. Christ will come into the heart and abide there if you will but cleanse the soul temple of every defilement.                                                                   -    {ST, November 30, 1888 par. 8}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 1]       March 4, 1889 The Fruits of Faith.  ［MORNING TALK AT SOUTH  LANCASTER, MASS., JANUARY 16, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       God is not pleased with ignorance. We must become better acquainted with the principles of divine truth, that we may know better how to deal with human minds. We must have a closer connection with Heaven. We must follow the light, and reflect its rays upon the pathway of others. We want to enter right into the work, to go out to minister to souls. We should not be satisfied until the converting power of God attends our labors. To him who "goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed," the promise is given that he shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.  {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 2]          Laborers are needed everywhere to reveal Jesus to the people as he is. Those who abide in him will not misrepresent the truth by complaining and murmuring. They will say with Paul, "For our light affliction, 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." By faith we behold Him who is invisible. Our faith reaches up to lay hold of the realities of the unseen world, and the affliction of the present is esteemed light in comparison with what is reserved in Heaven for us.  {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 3]          The angels of Heaven are looking upon us to see what we are doing to proclaim the truth for this time. Christ has made us ambassadors to make known his salvation to the children of men, and 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. The truth will be poured forth from hearts all aglow with the love of God. We shall long to present the attractions of Christ, and the unseen realities of the world to come. We shall reflect the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. We are to be partakers of Christ's suffering and his self-denial; and if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. If we are partakers of his humiliation, we shall also be partakers of his glory. If we go forth weeping, with the heart broken, with self subdued, there will be no lofty lifting up of self instead of Jesus; but there will be the bearing forth of precious seed, and the certain returning with joy and with precious sheaves for the Master. The quickening influence of the grace of God will be made manifest. There will be an intensity of desire to follow in the path that Jesus trod. There will be an earnest longing that those around us may behold "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world." We shall want to see the salvation of souls. Our thoughts will be filled with loving zeal for the Master.  {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 4]          There are souls all around us who are starving for the bread of life; and how can we keep it to ourselves? Present truth must be preached to the people with unwavering faith and untiring effort. You must minister to those around you the truth that you have received. Diffuse the light that has fallen upon your heart. Paul's charge to Timothy is just as applicable to us today as it was to the young disciple. He said: "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." We are to put every talent out to the exchangers, that it may be returned to God with usury. We are to do the work that Christ has committed to his followers, and preach the gospel to every creature. We do not realize what we shall be able to do when we are truly consecrated.  {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 5]         There are souls on every hand who are crying, "Come over and help us." Solemn responsibilities are resting upon the people of God. I thank God for our schools, where young men and young women may be prepared to labor in the Lord's moral vineyard. I thank God that the Bible is regarded as the most important study of our schools. Why should not the precepts of Jehovah be diligently studied? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." It lies at the foundation of all knowledge and wisdom. When Daniel was in the court of Babylon, what was it that enabled him to stand as a rock amidst all the subtle and overwhelming temptations of the king's court? He had his eyes on the precepts of God, and he was determined to be a loyal subject of Heaven. He purposed in his heart that he would not indulge in the luxuries of the King's table, but that he would keep his faculties in the best order, and his mind in a condition to appreciate eternal and spiritual truths. And when the king inquired of him, he found him ten times wiser than all the astrologers and wise men in his court; for God gave him understanding and wisdom. Let the youth take the Bible as their guide, and stand like a rock for principle, and they can aspire to any height of attainment. There is no limit to the knowledge that they may reach. You may aspire as you wish, but there will always be an infinity beyond. Take God's word to balance the mind, and you will be led into large fields of fruitful thought. You may be fitted for positions of usefulness and trust in this world, and, in comparison with the wise men of earth, you may be found, as was Daniel, to be men of tenfold greater wisdom than all the astrologers in the realm.  {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 6]          The only means whereby humanity can be reached and saved is through the co-operation of the human with the divine. Humanity can reach humanity. If the angels could have been saviours, it would have been necessary for them to take on them human nature, as did Christ. They would have had to experience the trials and sorrows of humanity, in order that they might know just how to pity and aid men, and to give them moral and divine power. But there was none who could be the saviour of the world but Jesus, the Son of God. Through his merits, men stand before God as candidates for eternal life. We are to be overcomers. We are to gain the victory here and now; we are to obtain a precious experience in the things of God now. If we do not get that experience and victory in this life, we shall never obtain it.  {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, March 4, 1889 par. 7]          Every day we can teach others precious lessons in forbearance, in love, in compassion. We are to be representatives of Christ in every action of our lives. We do not want an emotional religion, and we have not had it in the meetings at this place. The testimonies have been plain, simple testimonies, declaring that Christ had forgiven sins, and restored the joy of his salvation. As I have heard these testimonies, I have rejoiced; for I knew how angels looked upon the scene. There has been joy in Heaven among the angels of God. There has been among us a heavenly Guest who has been restoring the lost sheep to the fold. Sinners have been reclaimed and reconciled, and I praise God. All Heaven is interested in what has been going on here. You have been abundantly pardoned, and the grace of Christ has been imparted to your souls, and now you are to be Christ's representatives. Every treasure of his goodness is to be given again to others. Every ray of light that has fallen upon your pathway is to be reflected upon some other who is in darkness. You are to speak with this one, to pray with that one, to write a letter to another, and to go about doing good to all men as you have opportunity. You have been made stewards of the manifold grace of God, which you are to dispense to others.                                                                   -    {ST, March 4, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 1]       March 11, 1889 Let Your Light Shine.  ［MORNING TALK  AT SOUTH LANCASTER, MASS., JANUARY 16, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed, but setteth it on a candle-stick." Your life is to be set on a candle-stick. It is not to be inclosed in four walls, but is to shine forth unto the world. "Ye are the salt of the earth;" but if the salt has lost its saving quality, of what use is it? You are to exert an influence that shall be as far-reaching as eternity. What is the savor, or saving quality, of the Christian's life?--It is the divine nature of which you are to be a partaker. It is the heavenly light which you are to diffuse to those around you. Society is to be better for your having lived, and eternity will show that your efforts have been blessed to the salvation of souls.  {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 2]          We are to be God's peculiar people, whom he has called out of darkness into his marvelous light to show forth his praise, zealous of good works. This is to be our work; we are to show forth his praise. How many of us have done this in the past? How many have given unbelievers the impression that the religion of Christ is the most desirable thing in the world? Unbelievers have said, "We do not want to be Christians. There is no joy in serving God. Religion is only a dead round of lifeless ceremonies. We want the attractions of the world." Satan will see that they have these things. But Christ can give them rest and life and fullness of joy. When you see the glory of the Christian's hope, I know what you will do; you who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, will reveal the praises of God. Have you not realized that Christ can save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him? When this fullness of salvation takes hold of your soul, you will have more and more of the praises of God on your lips, and more and more decided will be your testimony of the goodness of God. It will not be as it has been in the past.  {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 3]          When Satan comes to you to tell you that you are a great sinner, begin to look up to your Redeemer and to talk of his merits; that which will help you is to look to his light. Acknowledge your sin; but who was it that Christ came to save? Tell the enemy that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners," and that you are saved by his matchless love. Jesus asked Simon a question in regard to two debtors. One owed his lord a small sum, and the other owed him a larger sum; but he forgave them both, and he asked Simon which debtor would love him most. He answered, "He to whom he forgave most." We have been great sinners, but Christ died that we might be forgiven. The merits of his sacrifice are sufficient to present to his Father in our behalf. Those to whom he has forgiven most will love him most, and will stand nearest to his throne to praise him for his great love and infinite sacrifice. It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin, and the fullness of salvation. When we see the length of the chain that was let down for us, and understand something of the merits of that infinite sacrifice that Christ has made for us, the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition.  {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 4]          Why is it that you have not loved the Saviour more?--It is because you have been satisfied with your own goodness. You have been content to appear in the filthy garments of your own righteousness. But when self is crucified, and you come to Christ for his righteousness, your words of self-justification are gone. You speak, melted by the matchless love of your Saviour. You see his attractiveness, and lay hold of him who is the sinner's only hope. Then when you have found him, you are interested for somebody else. It is everything with us what kind of an influence we are exerting in the world. Shall we gather with Christ? Shall we draw men to the Man of Calvary? Lift him up. Self has been lifted up; but let self be humbled. Let self die. Educate the lips to talk of Jesus, and the heart to praise him, and it will become second nature to speak forth his matchless grace. You will go forth everywhere saying, "Hear what the Lord has done for my soul." The more you tell of his mercy, the more you will have to tell. Let it be your testimony, "The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."  {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 5]          I love him; for he is my love. I want to talk of him by the way. I want to praise him now and forever. Now will each one of us become a missionary? Shall it be written in the records of Heaven opposite our names, "Missionaries, co-laborers with Jesus Christ"? Do not disappoint our heavenly Father; and may God help you that you may say, "I live, yet not I; but Christ liveth in me."  {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 6]          Christ is coming, and he is coming for his people. He says, "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." The marks of the crucifixion are in his palms for us, and when he comes, "he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." We are to seek to save souls; we are to present his sacrifice to the perishing; for when he comes, we want to enter into the joy of our Lord; and his joy is to see souls in his kingdom for whom he has died. We are to go on from strength to strength, growing more happy in his service, settled, rooted, grounded, in his love. He says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh 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." Oh, what exaltation for fallen humanity! We are almost home. Christ is coming in the clouds of heaven, and he knows his sheep by name. He knows every soul who has come to him in faith, just as he knew that woman who touched him with the touch of faith. Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" The disciples were astonished that he should ask this. They answered, "Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?" When the woman saw that she was not hid, she came and fell at his feet, and told her story, and praised him for his healing power. At the touch of her faith he perceived that virtue had gone out of him. Faith had taken it from him. No one else knew that she had touched him; but he knew it. The crowding multitude had not felt the restoration that she realized. The actual contact of her faith with him had brought the blessing. And this will bring Christ's virtue to us, that we may be prepared for his service and his kingdom.  {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, March 11, 1889 par. 7]          When he comes, he will say to those who are looking for him, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." "Well done"--what have they done? They have built up his kingdom. They have shared in his trials, his sufferings, his labors; and he gives them a place among the blessed. What exaltation, what privilege is ours! We may have the worthiest ambition which Heaven can approve, in saving souls for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                   -    {ST, March 11, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 1]       March 18, 1889 The Substance of Things Hoped For.  ［MORNING TALK  AT SOUTH LANCASTER, MASS., JANUARY 18, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The word of the Lord declares that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." We desire that everyone should be in a position where he can believe the word of God. How should I feel if my children should be constantly complaining to me, just as though I did not mean well, when my whole life's efforts have been to forward their interests and to give them comfort? Suppose they should doubt my love; my heart would break. I couldn't endure it. How would any of you feel to be thus treated by your children? How can our heavenly Father regard us when we doubt his love, that 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?" And yet we stand back, distrustful and suspicious, saying, "Well, he doesn't mean this for me. Perhaps he loves others, but he does not love me."  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 2]          Why is it so difficult for you to believe in God?--It is because you have been educating your soul in doubt and unbelief all your life long. It makes my heart ache to hear your mournful testimonies, stating that your whole life has been a failure. Have there not been some bright spots in your experience? Have you not had some precious seasons when your heart throbbed in response to the Spirit of God? Dear brethren, for Christ's sake cherish every ray of light, every token of mercy and good, every blessing that God has bestowed upon you. Although you see that you have not given glory to God, that you have not been grateful, let that not be a reason why you should be ungrateful still, and sink down into despondency and discouragement. Have you not praised God in the past when the warm rays of his love fell upon your heart? Have you not sought to do his will as an obedient child? When you look back into the chapters of your experience, do you not find some pleasant pages? Is memory's hall filled only with pictures of neglect and sorrow? Are there only dark, forbidding, and unhappy representations there? Are there not some pleasant pictures, where you can see the providence of God? Confess your ingratitude of the past; but retain every pleasing memory, and every token of God's love that he has given to bind your heart to his great heart of infinite love. Oh, praise him! Let us educate ourselves to speak the language of faith. If Satan has cast his dark shadow across your path, look up in faith, and God will let his light shine upon you and dispel the darkness. Satan would like to have you cherish that shadow. He would like to have you view God through a cloud of his own making; but we are to be in a position of faith and confidence in God, where we can cherish every bright beam of light; having seen a token of God's love, we are to say, "Here is an evidence that God is blessing me. I cherish this as a manifestation of his favor. I will gather up the precious jewels of his truth." If you do this, you will be full of light. If you have been in the shadow, confess your unbelief, and then claim the promises of God by living faith, and come into the light of your Saviour.  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 3]          You are not to trust simply in pleasant emotions. Suppose that after you have been filled with joy, you should rise in the morning under a cloud, with the same train of shadowy thoughts as have troubled you in the past. Would that be an evidence that God had left you during the night? Not at all. It would simply be an evidence that your mind has so long been trained in the line of unbelief, that it is from force of habit running in the doubting channel. Dwell on the faith side of the question. Educate your thoughts in the line of God's mercy. Educate your tongue to speak of his goodness. Train the whole mind and soul to act in faith. It is praising Satan when you talk so continuously of your doubts and darkness. You are glorifying the prince of darkness when you give up your thoughts and words to follow in the shadow he casts on your pathway. Let your first morning thought be, "How good is the Lord! He is full of goodness and tender mercy." Praise him. Say, "Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." When the darkness of the enemy begins to sweep over you, say, "I do love the Lord. I know that I love him, and I know that the Lord loves me, even me."  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 4]          A good way to disperse darkness is to talk faith and courage. We are admonished in the word of God to fight the good fight of faith. Suppose that you take your stand under the banner of faith. If you have repented of your sins, and have confessed them to God, you need no longer go on in doubt and despondency. God does not want you to stand under a cloud. He wants you to come into the light, and to have confidence in him, knowing that you have committed your soul unto his keeping, as unto a faithful Creator.  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 5]          Satan will come to you after you have trusted in God, and will try to steal away the victory that faith has gained. He will present your sins to you; but can you not tell him it is written, "The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin"? Can you not tell him that God has promised to remove your transgressions away from you as far as the east is from the west, and that they are to be remembered no more?  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 6]          I see the necessity every day and every hour of exercising living faith. What is faith? It is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." There is a wonderful power in faith. It brings eternal things to view, and lays hold of the arm of infinite power. If you have been educating your soul to gather up the dark chapters in your experience, turn over a new leaf and have a new, bright, cheerful experience; put your will wholly on the Lord's side. We must exercise living faith if we would war successfully against the temptations of the enemy.  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 7]          There are on the walls of this house two mottoes, "Praise the Lord," and, "Thy word is truth." These are good and pleasant words. Suppose that you hang your memory's hall all full of the remembrances of God's goodness, grace, and truth, and let not one dark thought or shadow have a place in that hall. We are not to be so selfish as to simply desire a flight of happy emotions. We are to fix our faith on the promises of God, which are sure and steadfast, and shall endure forever and ever. The joyful feeling will come when we fully trust in God's promises. Jesus has said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden." This invitation is certainly for those who are burdened with unbelief; and his assurance is, "Ye shall find rest unto your souls." It is not, "May be you shall find rest." Oh, no; it is positive and certain: "Ye shall find rest." Why do we misinterpret our heavenly Father when he says "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." Take his yoke upon you, and he will bear the heaviest part himself. Is he not good company? do you object to association with him? He says, "I am at thy right hand to help you," "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 8]          Why not make up your mind that you will stand in your God-given manhood and womanhood, and, through Christ, be overcomers? Why not say, "God has promised the power, and I will win back the moral image of my Creator and Redeemer"? Do not allow the mind to hold communion with the enemy. Do not talk of his power to discourage you. Talk of Christ, who is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. We have a whole Saviour, and let us have a whole faith in him who has died for the sins of men, and for my sins. When we take this position, we shall find rest and peace in our Saviour. Come with your burdens, and lay them down at the foot of the cross, put off the yoke of self and sin, and wear the yoke of Him who is meek and lowly of heart. Let every soul come to the fountain, and drink of the waters of life, that will be in him like a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.  {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, March 18, 1889 par. 9]          When I talk of the subject of faith, my faith grows. I feel as though I could run through the troops of darkness, and rise above all barriers. It seems as though nothing could hinder me. By living faith, I grasp the hand of Jesus, and I am all light in the Lord. I do not look at self, I look to Jesus, my high priest, who presents my case to the Father, offering up the merits of his life and sacrifice. Faith will keep the mind above the low level of earth, and direct the soul to Heaven in contemplation of the spiritual and eternal. Let us lift up Jesus, the Saviour of men. Talk of his love, tell of his power, and the angels of God will be attracted to you. Will you have faith in God, who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"?                                                                   -    {ST, March 18, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 1]       March 25, 1889 "Come Ye, Buy and Eat."  ［MORNING TALK AT  SOUTH LANCASTER, MASS., JANUARY 17, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       It will do you no good to believe that others  may be blessed. Each one must appropriate the blessing to his own soul, or he will not be fed. Each must work for himself. Suppose that a table were spread with every desirable thing, and you were invited to come and eat, but you should make excuse and say, "I am not prepared. Let others eat; it is not for me." You know you would not be nourished by seeing a well-spread table, and by others eating. We would starve if we did not partake of physical nourishment, and we shall lose our spiritual strength and vitality if we do not feed on spiritual bread eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, which is, receiving and doing his word.  {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 2]          The invitation has been given, "Let him that is athirst come, and take of the water of life freely." "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." The invitation has been given, and the question is, Will we come and eat? Others cannot receive blessings for us; and we have kept the Saviour apart from our lives. Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one with him as he was one with the Father; and if we are one with him, if we are obedient to his word, the Father loves us even as he loves his Son.  {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 3]          When Philip asked the Master to show him the Father, Jesus looked upon him in sorrow, and said, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Our lives can be so connected with God that we can have this oneness with Christ. Our thoughts, inclinations, desires, and appetites may all be on the Lord's side. Then we shall have nothing separate and distinct from Christ. There will be perfect harmony between our hearts and his, so that we shall be one with him as he is one with the Father. And now is the time to come into this union with Christ. We have only today to call our own; tomorrow is not ours. We want today to determine that we will no longer dishonor God by our unbelief, by standing back from the Master when he says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 4]         The table has been spread, and Christ invites you to the feast. Shall we stand back, refusing his bounties, and declaring, "He does not mean this for me"? We used to sing a hymn that described a feast where a happy household gathered to partake of the bounties of the board at a kind father's invitation. While the happy children gathered at the table, there stood a hungry beggar child at the threshold. She was invited to come in; but sadly she turned away, exclaiming, "I have no father there." Will you take this position as Jesus invites you in? Oh! if you have a Father in the courts above, I entreat you to reveal the fact. He wants to make you a partaker of his rich bounties and blessings. All who come with the confiding love of a little child will find a Father there. How could the Lord express his love to us in more tender language than that in which he has expressed it in his precious word? He tells us just what to do in order that we may be saved. How I wish that we might all believe in the promises of God. He says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." Do we really believe this promise? We should comply with the conditions laid down in God's word; for if we do this we shall receive, simply because God has pledged his word. We are not to look into our hearts for a joyful emotion as an evidence of our acceptance with Heaven, but we are to take God's promises, and say, "They are mine. The Lord is letting his Holy Spirit rest upon me. I am receiving the light; for the promise is, 'Believe that ye receive the things ye ask for, and ye shall have them.' By faith I reach within the vail, and lay hold of Christ, my strength. I thank God that I have a Saviour."  {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 5]          Are you doing this? Are you taking God at his word, planting your feet on the eternal Rock that cannot be moved? You should daily be making advancement in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. If you have been laboring in your own strength, make a covenant with God that from this time forth you will rely upon Him who is mighty to save to the uttermost all who come unto Him. If you have gone before the people, presenting your own weakness, now say, as did Moses, "I will not go up unless Thou goest with me." When you are imbued with the Spirit of God, self will no longer be cherished. What has been the trouble with your experiences in the past? Why have you not made a success of the Christian life?--It has been because of vain conceit, self-esteem, self-righteousness, and unbelief. May God help us that self may die here. May he help us to humble our souls by repentance and confession until we can come before him clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 6]          Say before Heaven, "I have nothing of my own to bring; I want that righteousness that comes through the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour. How thankful we should be that we have a whole Saviour, that in him is our complete righteousness and salvation! I want to see a wave of glory from Heaven waft over this congregation, until you see the great truths of redemption in a different light. When you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you will have something to tell. Like Philip, when he found the Saviour, you will go forth to invite others into his presence, saying, "I have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write."  {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, March 25, 1889 par. 7]         May the blessing of God rest upon his people as never before. May they come up to their high privilege, and open the door of the heart and let Jesus in to sup with them and they with him.                                                                   -    {ST, March 25, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, April 1, 1889 par. 1]       April 1, 1889 Light and Responsibility.  ［MORNING TALK AT  SOUTH LANCASTER, MASS., JANUARY 19, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The blessing of God has rested upon us in a wonderful manner at this meeting; we believe that God has forgiven our sins, and we must never go back of this experience to take up the burden of our sins. The light of Heaven has shone upon us here, and our feelings may change, but this does not change God's love toward us. God wants us to make the best use of it by reflecting it upon others. That which has shut away the light from our souls in the past has been the spirit of criticism. Many have watched the course of others, and have condemned their actions instead of keeping their own hearts with all diligence. They have judged the motives of their brethren; but mortal man is not fitted to do this work. The heart knoweth its own bitterness. We all have hereditary and cultivated weaknesses, but we may obtain precious victories every day. When a man climbs upon the judgment-seat to judge his brother, he makes it manifest that Christ is not enthroned in his heart. The Spirit of God will go out of the soul that admits the spirit of criticism.  {ST, April 1, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, April 1, 1889 par. 2]         Suppose that your brother is in error; are you to take a course that will make his case more hopeless? Are you to drive the straying sheep farther from the fold, instead of laboring to bring it back? Says the Good Shepherd, "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. For the Son of man is come to save that which is lost." Do we expect that those who are lost will be faultless? There was once a sister who wrote to me in regard to adopting a child. She described the character of the child she wanted. She must be affectionate, industrious, truthful, pure, and patient. I wrote to her saying: "You cannot find such a child on earth. If you are looking for that kind of character, you must seek it among the angels of Heaven. You think you are offering to do a work of charity in adopting a child; but your motives are wholly selfish. If you would do something to be approved of Heaven, take a child who needs help, who needs forbearance, and the grace of Christ." We choose associates because we think they will benefit us; but Christ sought associations with those whom he could benefit. True religion will not lead you to do as did the Pharisee, to thank God that you are not as other men are, and congratulate yourself that you have not their faults and weaknesses. It will not lead you to stand off in self-righteousness, and despise and condemn your brethren.  {ST, April 1, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, April 1, 1889 par. 3]          The Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost. He left the ninety and nine, to go into the mountains and deserts for the one sheep that had gone astray. And when he had found it, he rejoiced more over that one sheep than over the ninety and nine that had never left the fold. Jesus said, "It is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." How are we to treat those who are found in fault? The Bible gives directions. "Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone." Go in the spirit of meekness and love, desiring the salvation of his soul. Oh! when the Spirit of God is in the heart, there is no feeling of variance, no desire to criticise and condemn others. It is Satan that is an accuser of the brethren; but we must work the works of Christ. We must learn how to go out and seek for the perishing. Go to your brother in kindness, get your arm about him, say, "Come, my brother, let us talk over this matter of difference kindly, in the Spirit of Christ. Let us seek the Lord together. Let us love one another." This is the very thing to do. We are not to criticise the erring, pushing them away by our influence; but we are to bring them close to our hearts. Are there those in our neighborhood who are breaking the law of God? Plead with them tenderly. Who has gone in love and kindness to those who are perishing, seeking to save that which was lost? I want you to see that it is not merely to eat the loaf yourselves that constitutes Christianity; you are to offer it to others as well. Did not Christ say, "Feed my sheep"?  {ST, April 1, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, April 1, 1889 par. 4]          There are those among us who have inherited weaknesses, and because of these they have been criticised. When they have started in the path of right, there have been those who have raised the cry, "They will never hold out." And thus they have become discouraged, and have given up the warfare. But to such I would say: "It is not too late to renew the battle. It is not too late to gain the victory." When the father saw his prodigal son, he did not wait for him to come to the door; but when he was a great way off he ran and met him. Are you ready to treat your brother in this way? or must your brother come up to a certain standard before you can feel justified in extending that sympathy and love toward him that Christ has extended toward you? Oh, go to the straying ones while they are yet a great way off! Labor to bring them back to the fold. We have a work to do for our erring brethren for whom Christ died. You are not to report the failures of others, and to make discouraging remarks as to their steadfastness in the way of truth. You are not to prophesy that this one or that one will fall out by the way, and when your disheartening words reach his ears, and work their evil result, and the trembling, tempted soul gives up, you are not to be ready to exclaim, "I told you so! I knew it would be so!" That is just the work that has been done; but we want that it shall be undone by repentance and confession, and that it shall be left undone in the future.  {ST, April 1, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, April 1, 1889 par. 5]          Oh, why not go to the wounded sheep, and bind up their bruises, and lead them to the Healer and the Shepherd of souls? Why not bind these weak ones by the cords of love and sympathy to your hearts, and make it hard for them to fall from their steadfastness, instead of pushing them away from you by evil surmising and evil speaking? Why not be a co-worker with Christ? Why not stand ready to grasp the hand that is stretched out for your help? Here are souls that are to be saved, and how earnestly you should labor for their salvation. This work has been long neglected. Why not do it now in the fear of the Master? Seek the lost, gather in the weak ones, help them by your faith and love, that they may gain victory after victory, and that where they are feeble they may become strong and whole. May God help you that you may be qualified by the Spirit of Heaven to pity and sympathize with the lost! All Heaven rejoices when characters are transformed, and when men work for the glory of God.  {ST, April 1, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, April 1, 1889 par. 6]          The blessing that Heaven showers upon men is not simply that they may be made happy. Those who receive it must work for others. I remember at one time we had a special blessing in the Battle Creek church, and many souls were swept into the faith by the heavenly current of God's love. One brother arose and said, "All this blessing means work. It means responsibility, and am I in a situation to bear this responsibility?" There is tenfold greater responsibility resting upon us now than ever before, because of the measure of grace that we have received. Take it up, brethren, and bear it. As you work for God, the light will break in. Gather up the rays of glory, and they will increase more and more. Oh! when I look on others, and know that they are in darkness, my heart goes out in sympathy for them. I was once in the depths of despair myself. I was struggling in a hopeless way. No one seemed to be able to help me; but Jesus pitied me and brought me out of darkness into light. I look upon others, and I wonder, "Are they as restless, as full of suffering, as I was?" Oh, to have the pitying tenderness of Christ! Are there are any who have been driven out of the fold because of our lack of love? Go after them, plead with them, pray for them, and draw them back to the tender Shepherd.  {ST, April 1, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 1]       April 8, 1889 The Christian's Calling Honorable.  ［SERMON AT  WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 25, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -        I have heard persons say, "I cannot think of such a thing as becoming a Christian. I would have to give up all my pleasures if I embraced religion." But I want to know what pleasures would have to be renounced to become a follower of Christ?--The poor, fleeting pleasures of the world. How many scores of people have come from places of amusement smitten with death! How many have contracted disease, and have stained their souls with sin in ball-rooms and banquet halls. This is wonderful liberty indeed that men are so reluctant to relinquish for the sake of gaining Heaven.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 2]          I have heard others say: "Oh, I can't come down to be a Christian. I would have to sever my connection with my associates. My mind is of too exalted an order to take any pleasure in the simplicity of the religion of Christ. I cannot afford to come down to the humble life that is described in the Bible as necessary to fit one for eternal life." The Lord of Heaven, the Majesty of worlds, he who marshaled the stars in their courses, and called them all by name, he who made the everlasting hills, and put in them their treasures of gold and silver and precious gems, he who clothed the fields with verdure, has invited you to come out from the world, to separate yourself from its sinful pleasure, and he promises that if you will do this he will be a Father unto you, and you shall be his sons and his daughters.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 3]          What an honor it is thought to be, to be noticed by a king or queen of earth! I was in London at the time of the queen's jubilee, and I saw the great preparations that were made to do her honor. All the verandas and windows that overlooked the street where her retinue was to pass, were rented for enormous prices by those who desired to catch a glimpse of her majesty as she passed by. What a privilege it was thought to be to touch her hand at the reception. But the King of Heaven has said that we may be his children. He says, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, 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." We may be members of the royal family of Heaven, and bear the royal name.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 4]          During the jubilee, the queen's name was on every lip. How I desired that Jesus might be as highly honored, and his name be spoken with as much praise. How I wished that the people might behold the King of glory! The whole city was full of the bustle of preparation for the coming of England's queen; but I wished that the same joy and earnestness might be manifested in preparing for the coming of Christ, the King of glory. Oh, that men might manifest as great eagerness to proclaim their loyalty to the Prince of Heaven as they manifested to proclaim their loyalty to Queen Victoria!  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 5]          I want to be a Christian, an heir of Heaven. Men talk of the mansions of earth, but I will talk of the mansions of Heaven. Jesus has promised to come again and receive us unto himself, and he will take us to the mansions that he has gone to prepare for his people.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 6]          I have respect unto the recompense of reward. I will not dishonor my God, by thinking it is unimportant, or a dishonor, to be a Christian. "Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold, flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?" Shall we leave the Fountain of living waters that spring up unto eternal life, for broken cisterns that can hold no water? Shall we turn away from the prospect of Heaven for the fleeting pleasures of earth? I have seen enough of what men call perfection here below. Seekers for pleasure are only drinking at broken cisterns, that can hold no water. The glories of the unseen world attract my soul. The life hid in Christ, the privilege of being one with him as he is one with the Father, of being loved, if obedient, as God loves his Son,--all these claim the entire service of my life and affection. "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow." Talk not to me of your blessings outside of Christ. They are empty, worthless.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 7]          The servants of God, by an interested effort, have found the field that conceals the treasure. They have found jewel upon jewel, and treasure upon treasure. The simple disciples of Christ have furnished us with examples in wisdom such as the world cannot give. Mighty men of God have digged in the mines of truth, and have brought forth precious gems. Those who prayerfully study God's word will find it infinite, exhaustless.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 8]          We are to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man. Jesus told his disciples that this meant that they were to live upon his word. The more we know of his truth, the more we shall desire to know. There will be an eternity before us, in which to explore the mysteries of God. It will be the delight of our Lord to lead us in green pastures, beside flowing waters, and unfold to the redeemed the mysteries of redemption. Let me be a stranger and a pilgrim here. Let me toil and be weary, but let me know Jesus and his love, and I will not complain. Was not my Lord weary? Was not he a stranger? Did he not say to his disciples, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while"? Often his disciples had to take him by force away from his labors lest he should fail because of weariness. At night he sought the mountain, and poured out his supplication with strong crying and tears, not for himself, but for us.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 9]          Will you not give yourself to him now? Why do you delay? Is it gold you want? Can you not wait for an immortal inheritance? The streets of the New Jerusalem are paved with gold. Its walls are of jasper and precious stones. Is it honor that you desire? Can you not wait a little? Jesus will crown his children with glory, honor, and immortality. It is enough. My soul feasts on his love.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 10]          Consecrate your lives to Christ. Take your children and patiently educate them that they may have pure and holy characters. Tell them the blessed story of the cross of Calvary. This is the great, central theme of all wisdom. Teach them to bear the cross; for in bearing the cross the cross will bear them. It is the pledge to them of the crown of glory that will never fade away. Said the apostle, "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." Lift up the man of Calvary. Talk of his love, tell of his power. All the universe is watching to see if you prize the gift of eternal life that has been purchased for you at an infinite cost. Everyone that casts himself at the foot of the cross, giving his soul into the keeping of a faithful Creator, testifies his willingness to bear the contempt of the world. But the redeemed soul can say with Paul: "Our light affliction, 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." Therefore lift your minds up out of doubt and darkness by contemplation of the spiritual and eternal. Your King is exalted in the highest heavens, and you should exalt him below by reflecting his divine image. Let your faith lay hold upon his merits. Are you a sinner against him? Hear what his promise is to those who repent of their rebellion: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Oh, that the veil might be swept aside, and you might get a clear view of the King in his beauty! How the world would pale and fade before you!  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 11]          I once had the privilege of speaking to twenty thousand people, and oh, how glad I felt that I could honor Jesus before that immense throng! Only a little while longer, and we shall see him as he is, and be made like him. He is coming with clouds and with great glory. A multitude of shining angels, "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands," will escort him on his way. He will not wear that simple, seamless robe, but robes of glory, white, "so as no fuller on earth can white them;" and on his vesture and on his thigh a name will be written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords." He will come to raise the dead, and to change the living saints from glory to glory. Who will be able to stand at that day? Who will be ready to say, "This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us"?  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 12]          Make your peace with him today. Put your case into the hands of the great Advocate, and he will plead for you before the Father. Though you have transgressed the law, and must acknowledge your guilt, Christ will present his blood in your behalf, and through faith and humble obedience you may stand acquitted at last. God will be your friend when the final trump shall sound. Christ has enjoined upon his people the necessity of watching and praying, lest he come unexpectedly and find them unprepared.  {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, April 8, 1889 par. 13]         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. Beautiful as are the scenes of earth, they can bear no comparison to the glories of the eternal world. Says the apostle, "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." God desires us to contemplate heavenly things. He desires us to behold the matchless charms of the divine character, and by beholding we shall become changed into the same image, through the power of his transforming grace.                                                                   -    {ST, April 8, 1889 par. 13}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 1]       April 15, 1889 The Love of God.  ［SERMON AT WASHINGTON,  D. C., JANUARY 26, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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."  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 2]          John presents before us the love of the Father toward the children of men. God's love has been manifested to us in the gift of his beloved Son. The apostle cannot find words to describe the greatness and the tenderness of this love; but he calls upon the world to behold it. This is to be our work. We are to call the attention of our fellow-men to the love of God that has been manifested to us by the infinite cost of Calvary. Jesus was one with the Father; he shared his majesty and glory. God made an infinite sacrifice when he gave his beloved Son to die for the world; but few have any appreciation of this great love that has been expressed toward a fallen race. Those who do have an appreciation of it are not looked upon with favor by the world. The apostle says, "Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." He says further: "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."  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 3]          Those who are sons of God will be constantly purifying themselves, and seeking to fashion their characters after the divine Pattern. Their thoughts will be upon heavenly things. Their conversation will be concerning Jesus, their Saviour. They will be waiting for him to appear in the clouds of heaven, and when he comes escorted by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, those who have looked for him, and who have loved his appearing, will meet him with joy.  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 4]          We have a great work before us, not only to form characters ourselves for eternal life, but to labor that others may be fitted for the kingdom of Heaven. We must educate our tastes and our habits of life to simplicity. We cannot afford to place our hands in the hands of the world, and follow its customs and fashions. We must be natural, not artificial. And how beautiful is the natural in contrast with the artificial!  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 5]          We should have hearts overflowing with sympathy for souls for whom Christ died. We should seek to educate our children in the fear of God, teaching them that Christ died for them, and that they may have salvation without money and without price. It will only be a little while before Jesus will come to save his children and to give them the finishing touch of immortality. "This corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality." The graves will be opened, and the dead will come forth victorious, crying, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" Our loved ones who sleep in Jesus will come forth clothed with immortality. And as the redeemed shall ascend to Heaven, the gates of the city of God will swing back, and those who have kept the truth will enter in. 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." Then the righteous will receive their reward. Their lives will run parallel with the life of Jehovah. They will cast their crowns at the Redeemer's feet, touch the golden harps, and fill all Heaven with rich music.  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 6]          Satan has misrepresented the character of God. He has clothed him with his own attributes. He has represented him as a being of inflexible sternness. He had shut the world away from beholding the true character of God, by casting his shadow between men and the divine One. Christ came to our world to remove that shadow. He came to represent the Father. He said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." He prayed that his disciples might be one with him, even as he was one with the Father. Men have declared that this oneness with Christ is an impossibility, but Christ has made it possible by bringing us into harmony with himself, through the merits of his life and sacrifice. Why should we doubt the love and power of God? Why should we not place ourselves on the faith side of the question? Do you behold the charms and attractions of Jesus? Then seek to follow in his footsteps. He came to reveal the Father to the world, and he has committed to us the work of representing his love, purity, goodness, and tender sympathy, to the children of men.  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 7]          We have eternal life to win, and this is worth the loss of everything besides. We should study the Scriptures diligently. The Bible is like a garden where God has placed rich roses, and lilies, and pinks of promise, and they are for us if we will only pluck them.  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 8]          When Satan casts his shadow athwart your pathway, grasp the precious promises of God, and go through the shadow by living faith, and you will find only light, mercy, goodness, and truth. When the enemy tells you that you are a sinner, tell him that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Come to the foot of the cross with your burden, and roll it off into the open sepulcher. Our Lord is precious, but we lose sight of his willingness to help and save us, when we dwell in the darkness of unbelief. Lift up the Man of Calvary. There is enough to talk about without talking of the power of the evil one. We have found the field that contains the treasure which is of inestimable value. When God gave his Son he gave us all Heaven in that one gift. Why should we cherish darkness and doubt, and those things that bring despondency and discouragement into our lives?  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 9]          Why not bring the joy and light and peace of Heaven into our hearts? The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver. The truth of God is the mighty cleaver that has separated us from the world, and now we have been brought into God's workshop to be hewed and squared and polished for the heavenly building. We are to be living stones in the temple of God. We are not to be dull and lifeless stones; but we are to reflect the rays of light that fall from Heaven, so that men may see that the truth has done something for us that the knowledge and wisdom of this world could not do.  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 10]          Has the reception of the truth made you more cheerful? Have the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon your heart in vain? Those who are meeting the conditions on which the promises are based, should be the happiest people in the world, for they have all Heaven at their command. We may have Heaven below. God will put a new song into our hearts, even praise to his name. The enemy may stand ready to cast his shadow upon you, but will you talk of his power, his darkness?  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 11]          Christians that carry a gloomy countenance are misrepresenting their Lord. They represent the Christian life as one of toil and hardship. They go mourning and groaning as if it were uphill work. Is the gate of Heaven shut? Have they no Father in Heaven? You might think from their attitude that Jesus was in Joseph's new tomb, and a great stone rolled against the door. But Jesus is risen. He has ascended on high, and has led captivity captive, and has given gifts unto men. He has made manifest what he will do. He will break the fetters of the tomb, and bring forth his people from the land of their captivity. We dwell too near to the lowlands of earth. Let us raise our eyes to the open doors of the heavenly sanctuary, where the light of the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ, who "is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." Why not talk of the plan of salvation? Why not dig in the mines of truth for the treasures of wisdom, that you may appreciate the promises of God? Why not dwell in the love of Christ, and talk of the plan of redemption? We should study how to overcome appetite, ambition, and the love of the world. Is there not enough for us to do that we have to give so much time to matters of small importance?  {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, April 15, 1889 par. 12]          When Christ left the world, he committed his work to his followers. He came to represent the character of God to the world, and we are left to represent Christ to the world. We are not to go on in the path of darkness, stumbling on the dark mountains of unbelief. There is a way cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, and this is where we may walk securely every day. Do not grasp the thistles, gather the roses, the lilies, and the pinks. If we are to understand the rich treasures of God's word, we must separate our souls from all iniquity, that we may not come under its denunciations. As loyal soldiers we are to march under the banner of Prince Immanuel. We are to study the Bible, that we may know how to meet the assaults of the enemy. When Christ was tempted, how did he overcome?--He met the tempter with, "It is written." He used the words of God, declaring, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." This is the way that we are to overcome. We must search the Scriptures, and appropriate the promises of God to our souls.                                                                   -    {ST, April 15, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 1]       April 22, 1889 Preparation for the Testing-Time.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       It is of the greatest importance to us that we obtain a knowledge of the Bible. Christ has said, "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." He has said again, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." He has also warned us to be on our guard against false doctrines. He said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 2]          Many false doctrines will be presented to us as the teaching of the Bible; but as we compare them with the law and the testimony we shall find that they are dangerous heresies. Our only safety is in becoming personally acquainted with the reasons of our faith. In the book of Revelation, we find warnings, injunctions, and promises given to John for the churches, and we need to understand these instructions more fully, that we may not be found in delusion. We should keep the condition of these churches as described in the Revelation before us, and discern our own spiritual deficiencies by the description of the deficiencies. We should heed the reproofs that are given to us in the counsel of the True Witness.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 3]          Christ has declared that "if any man do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." The Lord of Heaven has not left his people in darkness. He has revealed to them his truth for this time. While many of the professed followers of Christ have lapsed away into error and apostasy, those who have walked in the light, not only hear, but read and understand, the prophecies of his word. The law of God will be made void in the world; its authority will be despised just as it was in Heaven in the first great rebellion; and God would have us intelligent to note the movement of the nations, so that we may see the signal of danger, and recognize the warnings that he has given us, that we may not be found on the side of the great deceiver in the crisis that is just before us.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 4]          God has made full provision in the Scriptures for our equipment against deception, and we shall be without excuse, if, through neglect of God's word, we are unable to resist the errors of the evil one. We need to watch unto prayer. We need daily to search the Scriptures diligently, that we may not be ensnared by some delusive error that seems like truth.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 5]          I found in traveling through Europe, that I was not acquainted with some of the minor laws of the country, and I was under the necessity of being informed as to the customs of the people lest I should be found a transgressor. But how particular we should be to understand the law of God, so that we may not be under condemnation as law-breakers. It is the willing and obedient that God will bless. If we are desirous of understanding the law of earthly Governments, how much more should we desire to know what God requires of us. If we are anxious to understand our duty, he will not leave us to be enshrouded in darkness, but will enlighten our understanding so that we shall know for ourselves what is truth.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 6]          We do not want to be found receiving dangerous error as truth. We do not wish to imperil our souls by rejection of God's messages of warning and counsel. Our greatest danger lies in our tendency to refuse increased light, and our only safety is to see and understand for ourselves "what saith the Lord." Says the prophet, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The word of God alone is to be the rule of our faith and doctrine. A great contest is coming in regard to the law of Jehovah in our own day; but we read in Isaiah these words of instruction: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion." The controversy in regard to the law of God has begun, and we must be prepared to give a reason of the hope that is in us, with meekness and fear. We must know where our feet are standing.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 7]          Although the law of God will be almost universally made void in the world, there will be a remnant of the righteous that will be obedient to God's requirements. The wrath of the dragon will be directed against the loyal servants of Heaven. Says the prophet, "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." We can see from this scripture that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is the people who make void the law, who place themselves on the side of the dragon, and persecute those who vindicate God's precepts.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 8]          There are many who will tell you that if you keep the law of God you have fallen from grace. They make strong assertions for which they have no foundation, to lead people astray, for they do not know whereof they speak. The prophet says, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Those who are seeking to destroy the law are not of the class who are sealing the law among the disciples of Christ, but they are of the class who "shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." The dragon is represented as persecuting those who keep God's commandments. Evil angels conspire with evil men against God and his people. Persons of influence are stirred with a power from beneath; the energies of apostasy are united to deceive or to destroy the champions of truth.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 9]          John writes concerning scenes that have to do with our own time. He says, "The temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." That ark contains the tables whereon is engraven the law of God. On the Isle of Patmos, John beheld in prophetic vision the people of God, and saw that at this time the attention of the loyal and true followers of Christ would be attracted to the open door of the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary. He saw that by faith they would follow Jesus within the veil where he ministers above the ark of God containing his immutable law. The prophet described the faithful ones, saying, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." This is the class that excite the wrath of the dragon because they obey God, and are loyal to his commandments.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 10]          The winds of doctrine will blow fiercely about us, but we should not be moved by them. God has given us a correct standard of righteousness and truth,--the law and the testimony. There are many who profess to love God, but when the Scriptures are opened before them, and evidences are presented showing the binding claims of God's law, they manifest the spirit of the dragon. They hate the light, and will not come to it, lest their deeds should be reproved. They will not compare their faith and doctrine with the law and the testimony. They turn away their ears from hearing the truth, and impatiently declare that all they want to hear about is faith in Christ. They claim to be guided by the Spirit, and yet their spirit leads them contrary to the law of Heaven. They refuse to acknowledge the fourth commandment, which requires men to keep holy the Sabbath-day. They declare that the Lord has instructed them that they need not keep the Sabbath of his law.  {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, April 22, 1889 par. 11]         The word of God declares, "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." It is not enough to nominally assent to the truth, we must have its principles interwoven with the life, and wrought into the very character. We may well be afraid of any class who refuse to compare their faith and doctrine with the Scriptures. There is safety alone in taking the Scriptures as our rule of life, and as the test of our doctrines. Martin Luther exclaimed, "The Bible, and the Bible alone, is the foundation of our faith!" Our work is to hold up the law of God; for Christ has said that "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail." He has said, "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."                                                                   -    {ST, April 22, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 1]       May 6, 1889 Give Glory to God.  ［SERMON AT POTTERSVILLE,  MICH., DECEMBER 19, 1888.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests; and it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole."  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 2]          I am feeble tonight, but if I had ever so much strength, there would be no power in me to insure you a good meeting. If your minds are in a devotional frame, if your hearts are drawn out in prayer to God for his blessing, if there is a yearning of soul to know what is the will of God concerning you, if you are humbling your hearts before him, God will speak to your souls tonight. Oh, that every one of you may hear and understand the voice of the true Shepherd! Oh, that you may be susceptible to the influences of the Holy Spirit! There never was a time in my life when I felt more anxious and more in earnest to know that it was well with my soul. There never was a time when I felt that there was greater importance attached to what I should say and do, than I feel is attached to my words tonight.  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 3]         I know that we are nearing the Judgment. I know that the angels of God are in this congregation tonight. Evil angels are here also. The Lord is looking upon us, and I know that he is acquainted with each one of us. He knows whether your heart is devoted to him, whether you have religion in your home, whether you have come to this meeting with prayer and intercession that you may receive his blessing. Unless the Lord does meet with us tonight, this meeting will be of no benefit to any of us. But we believe he will meet with us; we depend upon him; for we have no strength of our own. All we can do is to place ourselves in the channel of his mercy.  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 4]         The question that Jesus put to the leper that returned to give glory to God, we should put to ourselves. We should inquire, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Has God received that glory and honor which he should have received? Has his praise come not only from our lips, but from our hearts? Have we bowed at the feet of Jesus to give glory to his name for his matchless love in placing salvation within our reach? He inquires, What more could have been done in my vineyard than that I have done? The cross of Calvary represents what God has done for us. In the gift of his only begotten Son he has insured to us eternal life upon condition of our faith and obedience. How few appreciate the matchless love that he has manifested! He proclaims himself as merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Those who come to him, he pardons abundantly. Shall we be like the heath in the desert, that knoweth not when good cometh? Shall we not from the fullness of our gratitude render praise and glory to God, like the one who returned and bowed in his humility at the feet of Jesus? We do not want to be represented by the nine who went right on their way in indifference, and did not return to glorify Him who had restored them to perfect health.  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 5]          We are not anxious to have a great excitement at this meeting, but we are anxious that those for whom Christ has done so much should fall at his feet, and glorify and praise him for his matchless love. I feel anxious lest we shall not appreciate the gift of God's grace, lest we shall not appreciate Christ, the believer's hope, his joy, his all in all. Christ is the truth, the hidden treasure in the field of God's word. He is the pearl of great price, which we must gladly sell all we have to obtain. An excitement might be created among the people at this meeting, and just as soon as the feeling should die away, we should find that they were no better, but rather worse than before the revival commenced. We are desirous that there should be a deep, thorough work done in our souls. We want to know how you stand before God. Is it well with your souls? Has Christ cleansed your heart from its defilement? We know not what may be our condition one hour from this time. We know not whether we shall be in active life, or in the silence and inactivity of death.  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 6]         A letter came to me from my sister a few days ago. She wrote: "A terrible thing has happened. My husband was taking some dishes from the table when I heard him fall. I thought I heard a groan, and I quickly went to him; but when I reached him he was breathing his last." "Oh!" said she. "it is so sudden. I cannot make it seem like a reality that my husband is lying in the next room cold in death."  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 7]          We are constantly hearing of sudden deaths that come without one moment of warning, and it is a question of vital interest to ask ourselves, "Is it well with my soul?" Christ has paid an infinite price for our redemption. The Lord of glory laid aside his royal robes, and became a man among men. For "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." What a wondrous plan is the plan of salvation. Christ clothed his divinity with humanity, suffered in the flesh, died a most cruel death, that he might reach to the very depths of human woe and misery, and lift men up to a seat upon him throne. Will you be lifted up? Will you be cleansed from the leprosy of sin? Will you, as you partake of the heavenly benefit, give glory to God for the wondrous work he has wrought in you? John exclaims, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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." Mark these words, brethren; it does not say one in one hundred, or one in ten, but every man that hath this hope, purifieth himself.  {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, May 6, 1889 par. 8]          Is there any reason why defilement should be cherished in your heart? If there is not, why are you not cleansed? Nothing that is vile can dwell in the presence of a holy God. Christ gave himself for us that he might "redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." We should be like the leper who was cleansed, who returned to give glory to God. There is no reason why our lips should not be trained to the high praises of God. When we hear the words of a cheering discourse, or the earnest exhortation of a brother or sister, why should not a wave of glory and a chorus of "Amens" go up to God from the congregation of his people? Would it not be thus if the fire of God's love were kindled in our hearts? I know it would be so. Coldness, formality, want of faith and love and intense earnestness and devotion, has killed the spirit of warmth and religion out of our services. We need everything,--the gold of love, the white raiment, which is the righteousness of Christ, the eye-slave,--that we may discern the goodness and love of God. When God works for his people, how few return to give him glory? We want a religion that has some consolation in it, that has joy and peace and love in it to recommend it to others. Our religion should be of that heavenly character that will impress the world with the fact that we have been with Jesus and have learned of him.                                                                   -    {ST, May 6, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 1]       May 13, 1889   God Requires the Best Use of Our Powers.  ［TALK AT SOUTH LANCASTER, MASS., JANUARY, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, 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, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 2]          We have presented before us the Christian's privilege; but we have not realized the value of this privilege. We have assumed an attitude of hesitancy and unbelief. Doubt has enshrouded our souls, and we have failed to claim the promises of God's word. What is the reason that these precious utterances are treated with such indifference? Why is it that we are so well satisfied with our present knowledge of Jesus? We are to grow up into Christ, our living head, until we reach the full stature of men and women in Christ. When we fail to advance  in the knowledge of God, we rob our Lord of the glory that should flow back to him from those whom he has redeemed with his precious blood.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 3]          Said the prophet: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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."  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 4]          The Son of God has given us abundant evidence of his tender love, of his willingness to do great things for us. Why should we not take him at his word? "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." In the light reflected from Calvary's cross, we can have no excuse for doubting God's word. We can find no reason for not devoting all our powers to his service. Our reasoning powers, our means, our talents of ability, should be consecrated to him.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 5]          The greatest tact and skill are manifested in matters of mere temporal interest. Men cultivate their talent and ability for the service of the world; but how many who profess the name of Christ fail to see the necessity of making the most and the best use of their God-given ability in his service. Body and soul and spirit are to be devoted to God. The servant of God should see that his work is carried forward with fidelity, and wrought with nicety. He should seek to do his work in a manner that will recommend it to God, that he may finally receive the benediction, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 6]          If men expect the best exercise of your skill and ingenuity in temporal matters, how much more should your heavenly Master look to you for the best exercise of your skill and discretion in his work, which is exalted above every earthly consideration?  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 7]          The first work of the Christian parent is to educate the children properly, that they may know and love Jesus, that they may be able to influence others to love Jesus, to be rich in good works, for there are many who would influence them to take the path of disobedience and transgression. They should be trained to resist everything evil in this degenerate age.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 8]          The Lord said concerning Abraham, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." Wherever the servant of God pitched his tent, he erected close beside it an altar, and there worshiped God. This was the example he gave to his children. If the children are educated to love and fear God, they will be fitted to bear responsibilities in life. Abraham commanded his household after him to keep the way of the Lord. This is what you should do. What are the terms upon which we may have eternal life? This was the inquiry of the lawyer that came to Jesus. He asked, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He only asked this question to entangle Jesus. He did not know that Christ could read his heart as an open book. Jesus left the burden of the answer upon him; he turned to him, and said, "What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, 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 neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 9]          We might ask, What shall we do to inherit eternal life? And the answer would be, Keep the commandments of God. Who is it that lives up to this requirement? Why is there so great mourning all over the land because of the coldness and the worldliness that exist in the church? Everywhere there is a dearth of the Spirit of God. The words of Him who interpreted the law of God, are set aside. Most Christians act as though they had graduated after they were baptized. They bring no sheaves to Christ. They are not laborers together with God. We are not to inclose ourselves in our houses, and devote our whole attention to our families. This is the height of selfishness. The whole world is lying in iniquity and darkness, and we should not be content to shut away our light from perishing souls.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 10]          Christ has given his life for the souls of men, and while God works in us to will and to do of his good-pleasure, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. While we work on our part, God will work on his part. As Daniel set his heart steadfastly to serve God, he increased in wisdom and understanding. We cannot afford to make a mistake. We cannot afford to be dwarfed in our religious life.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 11]          What would we think of apprentices at a trade who learned nothing beyond the first few principles of their art, and never made any further advancement? What can we think of those who profess religion, when they never show any marks of progression in the Christian life? What has religion wrought for him who cannot pray any more intelligently after years of profession of godliness, than he could at first, who cannot testify with any more decision to the goodness of God, and who knows nothing more of the living oracles of his word? The religion of Jesus never degrades the receiver. It reforms his taste, sanctifies his judgment, and fashions his character after the divine model.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 12]          The farmer can tell you about his farm, he can describe the quality of the land, and the character of its products. He can speak of what he knows with great freedom and interest. The lawyer, the merchant, the mechanic, all prepare for their pursuits, and experience makes perfect their knowledge, and they can all talk easily and earnestly of the improvements made in their calling; but bring together all those workmen who profess religion in such a meeting as this, and many will speak of their faith with hesitancy, with stammering tongue, and in so low a tone of voice that it is difficult to understand what they say. Why is it that men and women who can speak intelligently about matters of temporal interest, cannot speak decidedly about things of eternal interest? How do the angels look upon our lack of appreciation of the things of God? Why is it that there is such a deficiency in the service we profess to render to God?  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 13]          We have found it difficult to find persons qualified to fill responsible positions in our institutions; for men have not received an education from their childhood that fitted them for the work of God. They have not labored as though the eye of God was upon them. They were not as Joseph in Egypt, and Daniel in Babylon. God honored these men who honored him, and they were exalted to be leading men in the kingdom. It is of the greatest importance to us that we establish right habits, and develop characters that will be acceptable to Heaven. It is of the greatest importance that parents be able to say, "Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me." If this is our privilege, it will be seen that we have done the work committed to our hands; that solid timbers have been used in the character building of our children. It will be seen that they are untainted, unpolluted by the evils of the world; the love and fear of God is in their souls.  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 13}
[ST, May 13, 1889 par. 14]          One of the greatest influences for good in society is a well-disciplined family. How many lawless households there are. Parents too often take their ease, and indulge in pastime and pleasure, instead of seeking to repress the evil outgrowth of disposition in their children. They do not realize that the development of these evil tendencies in their children will finally result in the destruction of their own peace. Every father and mother should pray earnestly that Jesus may be revealed to their children as a complete Saviour, and that their characters may be fashioned according to the divine pattern. Oh, that our work may be done for time and for eternity!  {ST, May 13, 1889 par. 14}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 1]       May 20, 1889 It Is Best to Be Christians.  ［SERMON AT  WASHINGTON, D. C., JANUARY, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         A solemn responsibility rests upon every one to engage in the work of saving souls. We cannot afford to fold our hands, and engage in interesting nothings, gratifying our tastes and inclinations. We are to win souls for the Master. We should be constantly growing in the knowledge of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. If men loved God supremely, they would dedicate themselves unreservedly to his service; they would devote their means and their talents to the upbuilding of his cause; they would train up their children for Heaven.  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 2]          It brings agony to my heart to see how few know how to deal with their children. Mothers need a great amount of patience and love. The mother who looks with compassion upon her own children, who conscientiously seeks to educate them for God and Heaven, will look with compassion upon the children of others. She will love others because she loves her own. She will be a blessing to her family and to the neighborhood. The same ability that fits her to be a wise mother will fit her to be a wise missionary for God. The greatest missionary work that is done is in the home circle. To educate and develop the best and highest faculties of your children's minds is to do a work that will have a moulding influence upon society. If you have educated one in the fear of the Lord, you may say you have educated one hundred. There is an atmosphere that surrounds every soul, an influence, either conscious or unconscious, that emanates from every person for good or evil; and to discipline a family so that the members shall meet the high claims of Heaven is a work that is counted of highest value in the sight of God.  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 3]          It is of great importance to know how to keep the affairs of home in running order without friction. The oil of patience must be poured in when things go hard, and our children must be bound to our hearts by the silken cords of love. Parents should know how to sympathize with their children in their little troubles, that look as large to them as older people's trials look to them. We should not neglect our children. It is in the early years that we have the best opportunity for sowing good seed in their hearts. If we neglect to do this work in their childhood, we shall find that Satan will preoccupy the field. Why not preoccupy the field yourself, and before the Evil one has a chance to plant his seeds of evil, fill the mind with that which is good and pure? The angels of God will help you in the work of forming your child's character, if you will work in harmony with the plan of God. Do not let impatience control you. Be patient, be forbearing, and may God help you to realize your accountability to him.  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 4]          When you become weary, go to Jesus with all your care. He says, "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." If you are bearing a yoke of your own manufacture, just lay it aside, and take the yoke of Christ, and nothing will disturb your peace, for you will have the peace of Christ that passeth all understanding.  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 5]          Your children should not be driven off, and shut away from your sympathies. They should be encouraged to make confidants of father and mother. I have known children who had been so trained that even when they were grown men and women they counted it a privilege to counsel with their parents, though they were old and feeble. Is it not best, brethren, to be Christians? Is it not best to bring all the happiness possible into your life here, and prepare yourselves for the eternal world?  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 6]          Each one of us will have to engage in the battle for good or evil, and we desire that you should battle on the Lord's side, and know how to come off victorious in your own behalf through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Divine power will unite with human effort. God will co-operate with you in your struggle against evil, and when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. We must look to the source of our strength. We cannot afford to lose eternal life. We want to be missionaries for God. We want to know how to minister to the necessities of others. Christ is our example. Let us follow in his steps.  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 7]          We should know how to direct the mind of friends and neighbors to Christ when they are in trouble. We should know how to lead repentant souls to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." How many go to human friends to pour out their griefs and sorrows, instead of seeking Christ, who alone can heal the broken in heart. There are many who do not know how to come to Jesus with their burden, and, feeling their need of support, they turn to human hearts for comfort. But they are only leaning on broken props. God is the one to whom the troubled soul should go. Why put man in his place? We should seek to direct souls to the open door of Heaven, where we can see within the vail our Substitute and Surety. In every trial and perplexity, we should look to him; for in him is help for the fallen sons of men. Christ is the star of hope that illumines our darkness. The serpent may bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, but Christ will bruise the serpent's head and take away his power at last.  {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, May 20, 1889 par. 8]          The plan of salvation was revealed to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. They were made to understand how the Son of God would come and bear their sin, and redeem them from the curse of the law. But when Christ came into the world how few recognized his divinity or comprehended the nature of his work! He was not acknowledged as the Prince of life. The earth was the battle-field where the Prince of light and the prince of darkness met to contend for the fallen race . Christ had laid aside his crown and his royal robe, he had stepped down from his throne, and had clothed his divinity with humanity. For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. He came into a world all marred and scarred by the curse. He took upon him humanity that he might know the infirmities and temptations of humanity, that he might know how to help and save men. The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. Was he not perfect before?--Yes. But he was made a perfect Saviour, learning obedience by the things which he suffered, that humanity might have a perfect character and be fitted for the society of the angels of Heaven. Man was not able, in his own behalf, to meet and overcome the prince of darkness; but Christ overcame him in man's behalf and broke his power over the human race, so that through his merits they might be overcomers in their own behalf.                                                                   -    {ST, May 20, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 1]       May 27, 1889 Love and Obedience.  ［SERMON AT  TORRE PELLICE, ITALY, DECEMBER 11, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." It is not enough to profess love for God, Christ asks an evidence that we do love him. Willing obedience to the law of God proves the truth of our profession. We have heard from the pulpits of today that the law is not binding, but this cannot be. Christ says, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." How could we know what sin is, unless we could look into the law of God? John, the beloved disciple, defines sin as the "transgression of the law." He says, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law."  {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 2]         Says the prophet, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." We must search as diligently in the word of God as did the noble Bereans, who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." We should dig as for hid treasure in the mines of truth. Christ has warned us that false prophets would arise and would deceive many. There are many who profess to have great faith. They make great claims to holiness, but do they speak according to the law and the testimony? If they do not, it is because there is no light in them. Men fold the garments of their self-righteousness around them, and claim perfection of character; but they have only measured themselves with a standard of their own creating, and with sacrilegious hands they have torn down the true standard of all righteousness. The law of Jehovah is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The sinner wants to get it out of the way because it condemns him. It is thought burdensome by the transgressor, but the obedient can say with David, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward."  {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 3]          The law of God, so defamed and trampled upon by transgressors, is declared by Paul to be holy, just, and good. David prayed, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law." If David could make that prayer in his day, how much more should it be our prayer in our day! We see on every hand that the law is trampled under unholy feet. There was never a time when we needed to walk more carefully in the path of righteousness, nor to pray more earnestly, than at the present time. The same spirit of prejudice exists now against the commandments of God that existed when Christ was upon the earth; and if we think that we can keep the commandments without exciting the malice of Satan, we mistake; but we shall never have to suffer one-hundredth part of what our Redeemer suffered.  {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 4]          We should meditate on the sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf. He left his honor and glory and majesty, to come to our earth, to be a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. It seems astonishing that the world did not accept and believe on him whom the Father had sent from Heaven. He said to those he came to save, "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." How grieved  he must have felt when he entered the cities and found so few who manifested any interest in his mission. Every soul was precious in his sight; but the things of time and sense claimed the attention of men, and blinded their eyes to the Redeemer's merit. When I think of the many disappointments our Saviour met, I do not wonder that he was a man of sorrows. How sad it makes us feel when we make earnest efforts to bring the truth to those we love, and they will not hear us. Christ felt this sorrow as much more keenly than we can, as his nature was higher and holier than ours. When we think of what the Saviour endured, can we become discouraged in our work? We have a precious truth to bring before the people, and just as long as we have breath, we should lift up our voices and proclaim that the transgression of God's law is sin.  {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 5]          Christ said, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." Those who have faith in Christ will obey the words of Christ, "for faith without works is dead." If we have genuine faith in Jesus as our Saviour and example, we shall reflect his character, and correctly represent him to the world. We must keep his commandments, even as he kept his Father's commandments. If we do this, we shall find that there is not a precept of the law but that is for the good and happiness of mankind, both in this life, and in the future, immortal life. If we want to be like Christ when he is revealed in his glory, we must purify ourselves, even as he is pure, in this our day of probation. We want living faith, faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Although everything around us may be dark and trying, yet we must show that we have implicit confidence in our Redeemer. We should cast ourselves upon the promise, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." Genuine Christians are the happiest people in the world, and they have the assurance that God will enable them to stand as faithful sentinels for the truth.  {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 6]          In the last days there will be a people who will be loyal to God's holy law. Through obedience to his precepts, they will be prepared to stand in the great day of wrath. Trouble and affliction will come upon them, for Satan will come down, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he has but a short time. He will work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; but we need not be deceived by his fatal delusions. We should study the Scriptures for ourselves, so that when the enemy comes in like a flood, we may not be moved from the foundation of eternal truth, but may find that the Lord will raise up a standard against him. Let no soldier of Christ be discouraged. The Captain of your salvation will aid you in your battles with the enemy. If you have done all on your part that you can do, his arm will be stretched forth in time of need, and you will realize that help has been laid upon One that is mighty to save.  {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, May 27, 1889 par. 7]          Men may talk of the law as a yoke of bondage; but the question of vital interest is, If you are found disobedient to God, can they pay a ransom for your soul? I beg of you, do not take the word of man that the law is abolished, for that law is as immutable as the throne of God. If the law could have been altered to meet man in his fallen condition, Christ need never have died. The cross of Christ is an unanswerable argument demonstrating the changeless character of the law. The very fact that Christ died establishes the law. Says the apostle, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Christ died to vindicate the justice of God, and to remove the obstacles that man had placed between himself and eternal happiness. Through the intercession of Christ, man may now lay hold of eternal life. While we see that sin and iniquity abounds, we would say, Pray, pray as you never prayed before. We must walk in humility before God, rendering obedience to his holy law, and by and by we shall receive the reward. When the warfare is ended, Jesus will, with his own right hand, place the crown of immortal glory upon our brows, and we shall each hear the heavenly benediction, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."                                                                   -    {ST, May 27, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, June 3, 1889 par. 1]       June 3, 1889 The Work of Reform.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When Wesley began his career in England, there were only a few who rallied around his standard. When the Puritans emigrated from England to America, they were like shipwrecked mariners who had barely escaped with their lives. Left without friends or influence, all they had was their precious faith, their strong will, and their earnest devotion to God. They were as sheep without a shepherd. The believers were few. Like the mustard seed, which is the least of all seeds, so seemed the Pilgrims; but their influence became powerful and far-reaching. The faith of the Puritans was as a coal from the altar of God, an inextinguishable light that glorified the land with its radiance. The Puritans were obliged to practice the most rigid economy and self-denial, yet they did not neglect to build houses in which to worship God. They were guided by the providence of God. They realized their need of schools to educate their children in the way of the Lord, for it was necessary to raise barriers on every side against the influence from which they had fled. The establishment of schools under their own control was of great advantage to the maintenance of their faith. Special effort was made to educate their children and fit them for the work of diffusing the light of the gospel, and of upholding the principles of religious liberty. The history of past reform is repeated in the work of today. The people who have the precious truth for these last days are to turn their attention especially to the provisions God has made for them to become intelligent, in order that they may be qualified to meet the coming issues. The truth for these last days has not been supported by large legacies or advanced by worldly influence. God has given us the privilege of becoming partakers with Christ in his sufferings here, and he has provided that we may have a title to an inheritance in the earth made new. The secret of our success in the work of God will be found in the harmonious working of our people. There must be concentrated action. Every member of the body of Christ must act his part in the cause of God, according to the ability that God has given him. The body has been compacted by that which every joint supplieth to the effectual working of every part.  {ST, June 3, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, June 3, 1889 par. 2]         The hearts of our people must move in unison. There must be no holding back by anyone. We must press together against obstructions and difficulties, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart. I look back with pleasure and with gratitude to God on the work that has been done by our people in the past. I look at the small beginning both east and west of the Rocky Mountains, and then to the large institutions that have been established, and exclaim, "What hath God wrought!" When I consider the work that has been done, I do not fear to move forward, but I do fear for those who forget the lessons of the past. We have grown from a few believers to a numerous people, and as God has given us great and important truths, we have great and important duties, and weighty responsibilities to bear.  {ST, June 3, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, June 3, 1889 par. 3]          We owe all our prosperity to God, and we should co-operate with him in training our children to become missionaries for home and foreign fields. As a people whom God has highly favored, we should do all that it is possible to do to exercise our God-given powers, to adorn with truth and holiness the cause we profess to love. We must give less attention to fine houses, costly furniture, and changeable suits of apparel. Moral and intellectual training must be provided for the young, and for those newly come to the faith. We must deny self, and plan for increased facilities for the spread of the truth. Our work is to be extended by missionary effort. We must not only gain new ground, but cultivate the fields where the truth has already entered. We must depend less upon the preacher, and more upon personal effort, opening the Scriptures from house to house.  {ST, June 3, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, June 3, 1889 par. 4]         We are not at liberty to leave our children unprovided for, nor to subject them to influences unfavorable to the truth and to the perfecting of Christian character. We must not wait for every apparent obstruction to be removed from our pathway, but we must be bold, undaunted soldiers of Christ, who are looking forward to the heavenly reward. We are fast hastening to the Judgment, where we must render an account for all our works. We call upon all to do the very utmost of their ability. Let no one feel that this does not mean me. It means every soul that has tasted of the powers of the world to come. You have solemn, earnest work to do for the Master. Put away pride, put away everything hurtful, and come in sincerity to the foot of the cross. Give yourself to Him who has bought you with his own blood. He requires all that there is of you. Not only are the ministers called upon to labor for the salvation of souls, but every individual member of the church should make efforts to enlighten his friends and neighbors. Let us do our work in such a way that when our Lord shall reckon with his servants we may say, "Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more."  {ST, June 3, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, June 3, 1889 par. 5]          The Lord requires careful thought, and the highest use of the intellect. When he comes to reckon with his servants, he will not inquire how successful you have been in gathering means; he will inquire, What have you done with the talents I have given you? What have you done for me in the person of the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, and the fatherless? I was sick, poor, hungry, and destitute of clothing; what did you do for me with my intrusted means? How was the time I lent you employed? How did you use your pen, your voice, your money, your influence? I made you the depositary of a precious trust by opening before you the thrilling truths that heralded my second coming? What have you done with the light and knowledge I gave you to make men wise unto salvation?  {ST, June 3, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, June 3, 1889 par. 6]          Our Lord has gone away to receive his kingdom, but he will prepare mansions for us, and then he will come and take us to himself. In his absence he has given us the privilege of being co-laborers in the work of rescuing souls to enter those mansions of light and glory. We are either building upon the foundation, wood, hay, and stubble, to be consumed in the last great conflagration, and our life-work be lost; or we are building upon the true foundation, gold, silver, and precious stones, which will never perish, but shine the brighter amid the devouring elements that will try every man's work. Any unfaithfulness in spiritual and eternal things will result in loss throughout endless ages. I present these thoughts to the laymen of the church, that they may awaken to a sense of their responsibility. Work for Jesus. Put your entire interest into God's cause. Self-deception may make you feel that you are doing about right; but how does your life compare with the life of Jesus? Christ has done everything for you; he withheld not even himself. Now show zeal and earnestness in putting all your powers to work for him, and you will receive eternal life as your reward.                                                                   -    {ST, June 3, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, June 10, 1889 par. 1]       June 10, 1889 Faith and its Effects.  ［SERMON AT  POTTERSVILLE, MICH., DECEMBER 19, 1888.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Our citizenship is not in this world. We are pilgrims and strangers on the earth, and we look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Christ has said, "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In  my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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; that where I am, there ye may be also."  {ST, June 10, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, June 10, 1889 par. 2]          The consolation of these words has come down to our times to comfort the hearts of believers on Jesus in this our day. Our whole being should be thrilled with fervent gratitude that we have such a hope set before us. If we are co-workers with Christ, denying self, we may have connection with God, and obtain grace to help in every time of need, so that we shall not be found wanting when the Saviour comes to redeem his people. We may be found ready to be translated at the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour.' I cannot make preparation for you. I cannot repent for you. This is work between God and your soul. If you are defiled in heart, you must go to him who can cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You must seek God. You must have the soul temple purified, if you would have the blessing of the Father rest upon you.  {ST, June 10, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, June 10, 1889 par. 3]          We cannot bless one another. My faith cannot save you, nor your faith avail for my salvation. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could deliver neither son nor daughter by their righteousness; they could only deliver their own souls. We should seek God now for his pardoning grace. Now is the time to obtain genuine religious experience for the trying scenes that are just before us. God wants us to be in earnest, he wants us to be happy. When he gave Christ to the world, he gave all Heaven in that one priceless gift. He opened up to us all the treasures of his power and grace. By living faith we may grasp the hand of Infinite Power. We may be so connected with the God of Heaven that his grace may be found sufficient in every emergency of life. Says the prophet, "Five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight."  {ST, June 10, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, June 10, 1889 par. 4]          Open the door of your heart, and Christ, the heavenly guest, will come in. Are there any here who feel rich, and increased with goods, and in need of nothing? Are there any here who feel whole, and do not realize their need of a physician? They must fall upon the Rock and be broken, or the Rock will fall upon them, and crush them to powder. Why cannot we take hold of the righteousness of Christ this very day? There are many of you who profess to believe the present truth, but do you believe in Christ as your personal Saviour? You may have a nominal faith, just such a faith as the people had who crowded about Jesus in the streets of Judea, but this faith will not connect you with him. You need a faith similar to the faith of the poor woman who had been diseased for many years. She had sought help from the physicians, but her disease grew worse and worse. She heard of Christ, and her faith went out to him. She believed that if she could only touch the hem of his garment she would be made whole. Christ understood the longing of her heart; he understands the desire of every heart that is drawn out after him, and he responds to it. This poor woman who yearned after help improved her first opportunity to come into the presence of Jesus. The multitude were all about him, but she pressed through the crowd, until she could touch his garment, and that moment she was healed. Christ realized that virtue had gone out of him. The woman had felt her desperate need, and her faith had made her whole. So it will be with every one of you who go in your need to Jesus and lay hold upon him by living faith. Christ asked who touched him. His disciples were astonished that he should ask such a question when he was surrounded by a great multitude. They said, "Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?" But Jesus knew that somebody had touched him with no casual touch, but with the touch of faith. A longing soul had reached out to him for help which no one but he could give. Jesus said, "I perceive that virtue has gone out from me. And he looked around about to see her that had done this thing," and when the woman knew she was not hid, she acknowledged the good work that had been wrought in her. She told the story of her suffering and her hopeless condition, and her act of faith in touching his garment. He said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole."  {ST, June 10, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, June 10, 1889 par. 5]          Brethren, if we will come to Christ by living faith, we may receive virtue from him. Thank God, there is an abundant supply of grace in him. Jesus wants us to exercise simple faith, that we may have his virtue. If we will only give the touch of faith, the light, the glory, and the power of God will be imparted unto us. You say that you believe in Jesus, and we have a right to expect that your faith will manifest itself in works of righteousness. We have a right to expect that you will have a sound, healthful experience, that in contrition of soul you will present the offering of praise and thanksgiving to Him who has bestowed rich blessings upon you. Are you willing to work for the glory of God? You say, "I believe." How do you believe? Do you believe that Jesus saves you now? Do you believe that you can appropriate the merits of your Saviour to yourself? Do you believe that you can cast your helpless soul upon Christ, and that his righteousness will be imputed unto you? If you have genuine faith, you will confess your backslidings and sinfulness. You will no longer stay in the darkness of unbelief; you will come to the light of Heaven. Says the Saviour, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  {ST, June 10, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, June 10, 1889 par. 6]          Living faith makes itself manifest by exhibiting a spirit of sacrifice and devotion in the cause of God. Those who possess genuine faith stand under the banner of Prince Emmanuel, and wage a successful warfare against the powers of darkness. They stand ready to do whatsoever the Captain of their salvation commands. They are enabled through the grace of Christ to be an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. There is a great work for us to do if we would inherit eternal life. We are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live a life of righteousness. Says the word of God, "Faith without works is dead." We are to "fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life," deny self, take up the cross, and follow daily in the footsteps of our Redeemer. We are exhorted to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." And he bids us follow him. If we make him our example, we shall not fail of an entrance into his everlasting kingdom. There is a cross to be lifted, if we follow Christ. We shall find that there is a high wall to be scaled, a ladder to be climbed, before we can enter the eternal city; but as we realize our own inefficiency, and cry for divine power, the voice of Jesus will come to us saying, "Take hold of my strength, 'lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'" The strength of Jesus will be imparted to every soul who strives lawfully for the mastery. All may be overcomers.                                                                   -    {ST, June 10, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 1]       June 17, 1889 Christ's Comforting Assurance.  ［SERMON  AT WASHINGTON, D. C., JAN. 25, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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; that where I am, there ye may be also."  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 2]          This comforting assurance was given to the disciples when their hearts were weighed down by sorrow because Christ had told them that he was soon to leave them. They were filled with distress at the thought of losing the presence of their beloved teacher. Although the Saviour's feet were in the path that led to Calvary, his thoughts were not on himself, nor on the suffering that he was to endure. His sympathy was drawn out to his beloved disciples, who were to bear a severe test. He thought of their disappointment and loneliness, and while he was on the way to Gethsemane, he sought to cheer them, saying, "Let not your heart be troubled." He tells them that his object in leaving them is to prepare homes, mansions, for them, that he will not always remain away, but will come again, and receive them unto himself. He will not leave them alone to battle with the trials and afflictions of this world, but he will come again and take them to himself, that where he is there they may be also.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 3]          After his resurrection he spoke words of encouragement and instruction to them. He said: "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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."  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 4]          This promise of the return of the Saviour did not make the disciples feel unhappy and gloomy. They were filled with joy to think that Jesus was coming again. And if the disciples of Christ were filled with joy then, why should not his followers on earth today rejoice that their redemption draweth nigh? Our Lord is coming with clouds and great glory, and all the angels of Heaven will escort him on his way.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 5]         When he ascended on high after his resurrection, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Those who had transgressed the law of Jehovah had fallen in death. Although they had confessed and forsaken their sins, Satan had claimed them as his lawful subjects and prisoners. He said they were his victims; but when Christ came out of the grave, he led forth from the prison-houses of the enemy a multitude of captives as a sample of the general resurrection. And when he comes again, it will be to break the fetters of the tomb, to call forth the prisoners of hope from their prison-houses, to clothe them with a glorious immortality.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 6]          As Christ ascended from the earth, a cloud of angels escorted him on his way to the city of God. As they neared the gates they sang, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in." Then the sentinel angels inquired, "Who is this king of glory?" and the ascending host rolled back the response, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." As the heavenly train pass within the city, the angelic throng come forth to bow in adoration before him. The Saviour waves them back, he cannot yet received their homage. He has a request to present before the Father. He remembers those that he has left in the world alone. He says, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." Then the Father gives the command to the waiting host, "Let all the angels of God worship him," and they bow in adoration before him, saying, "Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again, a triumphant conqueror."  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 7]         Satan had not triumphed over Christ, although he had inspired wicked men to take his life. He had gained nothing by his rebellion. Even in the very act of crucifying the Prince of life, he himself had been conquered. Christ had gained the victory in every contest.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 8]          The sin of Adam and Eve had divorced earth from Heaven, and finite man from the infinite God, but Christ had passed over the very ground where Adam had failed, and at every step he was a conqueror. Every victory he gained elevated humanity in the scale of moral value before Heaven. It was impossible for man to redeem himself, and this was the reason that Jesus took human nature upon himself, that through humanity his divine nature might reach and lift up humanity.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 9]          When Christ came to the world, he found that Satan had almost everything under his own control. Christ announced his mission at Nazareth. He said, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to teach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken- hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." This was his work. He went about doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed of the devil. There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for he had passed through them and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of his divine anointing. He had come to represent his Father to the world; and love, mercy, and compassion were displayed in every act of his life. His heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men. This was his work in our world, to elevate humanity by combining divinity with humanity. He took man's nature that he might reach man's wants. With his human arm he encircled the race, and with his divine arm he grasped the throne of the Infinite, and united finite man with the infinite God, and earth with Heaven. Here was man, plunged in degradation, sin, and ruin, and Christ was willing to resign all his glory in order to offer to man the cup of salvation. Astonishment filled Heaven to see man's indifference, to see man so lacking in appreciation of the things that would make for his peace.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 10]          When the Son of God received baptism in the river Jordan, "the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him," and a voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, came from the excellent glory declaring, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Did the voice of God come alone for the sake of Christ?--No; it came in behalf of the humanity that he represented. It came to assure man that he could be accepted in the beloved. Heaven was opened by the prayer of Christ, and it was opened for all who would come unto God by him. Thus divine power is given that it may be combined with human effort.  {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, June 17, 1889 par. 11]          How often we have read over the description of Christ's baptism with no thought that there was any particular significance in it for us. But it means everything to us. It means that there can be no excuse for our living in alienation from God. You may claim much leniency because of your human nature, of your temptations and trials, and seek to excuse yourself for sin because of inherited tendencies, but Christ gave himself in behalf of humanity, and there is no reason for failure. Christ bore temptations such as you will never be called upon to bear. He suffered as you will never suffer. He knew all your griefs, he has carried your sorrows. He has made it possible for you to be an overcomer. Do not say it is impossible for you to overcome. Do not say, "It is my nature to do thus and so, and I cannot do otherwise. I have inherited weaknesses that make me powerless before temptation." We know you cannot overcome in your own strength; but help has been laid upon One who is mighty to save. When God gave his only begotten Son, he provided everything essential to your salvation. And "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?" The resources of Heaven are open to us. We should believe this precious truth. And when the enemy comes in like a flood to discourage and to dishearten, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him. When sorrows press you, cling closer to the Mighty One. Instead of faltering and losing faith, praise God that Jesus has died for you. A brother came into meeting at one time and related his difficulties, and trials, and sorrows. I said to him, "Brother, haven't you anything to praise God for? has not Jesus died that you might live? Is there any reason that you should be discouraged?" How does Heaven look upon our doubts and discouragements, when God has given his beloved Son to die on Calvary's cross, that we might have peace in this life, and everlasting joy in the life to come? How does Heaven regard us when we speak and act as though it were a very difficult path through which God was leading us? How must it seem to the angels when we act as though we doubted whether it would pay to be a Christian? All Heaven was poured out to us in Christ, and he that spared not his own Son will not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly.                                                                   -    {ST, June 17, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 1]       June 24, 1889 Looking for That Blessed Hope.  ［SERMON AT  WASHINGTON, D. C., JANUARY 26, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 2]          This scripture teaches a very different lesson from that which is presented in the words of many who profess to believe the gospel. We are exhorted to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, and to look for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Some have made an objection to my work, because I teach that it is our duty to be looking for Christ's personal appearing in the clouds of Heaven. They have said, "You would think that the day of the Lord was right upon us to hear Mrs. White speak in reference to the coming of Christ; and she has been preaching on that same subject for the last forty years, and the Lord has not yet come." This very objection might have been brought against the words of Christ himself. He said by the mouth of the beloved disciple, "Behold, I come quickly," and John responds, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus," Jesus spoke these words as words of warning and encouragement to his people; and why should we not heed them? The Lord has said that it is the faithful who will be found watching and waiting for him. It was the unfaithful servant who said, "My Lord delayeth his coming," and began to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken.  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 3]          The exact time of Christ's second coming is not revealed. Jesus said, "No man knoweth the day nor the hour," But he also gave signs of his coming, and said, "When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door." He bade them, as the signs of his coming should appear, "Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." And in view of these things the apostle wrote: "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day." Since we know not the hour of Christ's coming, we must live soberly and godly in this present world, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 4]          Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. His people are to preserve their peculiar character as his representatives. There is work for every one of them to do. The rich should bring their means, the honored their influence, the learned their wisdom, the poor their virtue, if they would be effective workers with God. They are to bring themselves into right relation with God, that they may reflect the light of the glory of God that shines in the face of Jesus Christ. We read of a class who put far off the day of the coming of Jesus; but upon such his coming will be as a thief in the night, and they will be suddenly overtaken with destruction. How many there are who are willing to be rocked to sleep in the cradle of carnal security; but it is time for us to wake out of sleep. Says the apostle, "We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 5]          We should be awake to discern the signs of the times, and to give warning to the people. There are many in the world who seek to quiet the alarm of the people, who say,"Peace, peace; when there is no peace;" but we should take an opposite course from this. There are many who say to the aroused people, "Do not disturb yourselves, go on in godlessness, go on glorifying yourselves, and living in pleasure. The day of the Lord is not at hand." Did not Christ have an object in view when he said, "Behold, I come quickly"? Did he not see that his church would need to keep this solemn event in mind? Shall we say with the last-day scoffers, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation"? I do not mean to be with this class. I mean to arouse men with the message of Christ's near coming.  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 6]          Those who have a knowledge of present truth are under a great responsibility before the world. They are to warn men of the coming judgments. They are to represent Christ to the people. They are not to go about deploring their condition, talking of their darkness, and murmuring and complaining of the hardness of the way; they are to lift up their minds to God, open the door of their hearts to Jesus, and let him come in and abide with them. We must have Christ enthroned in the heart, that the soul-temple may be cleansed from every defilement. The soon coming of our Saviour must be a living reality to us. The question of all importance for this time is, "How is it with my soul? Am I seeking to reiterate the words of Christ? Am I teaching my children that they have souls to save; that peace and holiness must be a part of their life? Am I teaching them to place their hands in the hands of Christ, that he may guide them?"  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 7]          We have most earnest work to do, and we have no time to waste in drinking at empty cisterns that can hold no water. We should come to Christ without delay for the water of life. We should diligently study the Bible. The study of the Bible is of the greatest importance to us. The Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation, yet how few find time to search the word of God! Men are all absorbed in the things of this perishing earth. They are building their hopes upon worthless foundations, and writing their names in the sand. Even those who profess to be followers of Christ do not heed his injunction. They are like the fig-tree whose leaves were abundant, but upon which the Master, seeking fruit, found nothing but leaves. The command will go forth at last concerning the fruitless tree, "Cut it down. Why cumbereth it the ground?"  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 8]          God gives us his rich blessings to enjoy, and he expects us to bring forth fruit to his glory; but many neglect his work. They do not make a full surrender to his will. There are many who seem to feel that to think of God and heavenly things tends to make men gloomy and desponding; that it is detrimental to health to permit the mind to dwell upon religious subjects.  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 9]          When in my youth God opened the Scriptures to my mind, giving me light upon the truths of his word, I went forth to proclaim to others the precious news of salvation. My brother wrote to me, and said, "I beg of you do not disgrace the family. I will do anything for you if you will not go out as a preacher." "Disgrace the family!" I replied, "can it disgrace the family for me to preach Christ and him crucified! If you would give me all the gold your house could hold, I would not cease giving my testimony for God. I have respect unto the recompense of the reward. I will not keep silent, for when God imparts his light to me, he means that I shall diffuse it to others, according to my ability."  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 10]          Did not the priests and rulers come to the disciples, and command them to cease preaching in the name of Christ? They shut the faithful men in prison, but the angel of the Lord came to them and released them that they might speak the words of life to the people. This is our work. "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord," and we must pursue that work with faithfulness. How many are there who fulfill the mission of Christ? After their baptism there are many who act as though they had graduated, as though there was nothing more to learn or to do; but baptism is only the beginning of our work. We are to go on to perfection, reflecting the light of Christ more and more, and bringing all that it is possible of the spirit and power of Heaven into our lives. We are to seek the salvation of souls around us.  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 11]          We are to present the truth as it is in Jesus. Christ came into the world to save sinners. For thirty years he lived our example. He endured insult, ignominy, reproach, rejection, and death; yet he lives. He is a living Saviour. He has ascended on high to make intercession for us. Just before his crucifixion, he prayed that his disciples might be one with him, as he was one with the Father. Is it indeed a possibility that sinful, fallen man may be brought into such exalted relationship with Christ? Such a union with Christ will bring light and peace and comfort to our souls. When he went to Heaven, he told his disciples, "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." Who would not have the Comforter in times of trial? There are many who refuse the service of God; but let sickness or sorrow overtake them, let death come into the family, and they will realize the weakness of earthly dependence, and they will then want a God to lean upon.  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 12]          The Lord is coming, and when he shall appear we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." We must have our treasures transferred to Heaven, for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. Let the light of the Sun of Righteousness into your hearts, and peace will rest upon you. I want you to enjoy the blessing of God. I want to direct your mind to heavenly things. Jesus has promised, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, June 24, 1889 par. 13]          Tell of the love of Christ, talk of his power, and you may have a heaven in this world to go to Heaven in. Respond to the light of God, and you will be like a watered garden; your health will spring forth speedily; your light will rise in obscurity, and the glory of the Lord will be your rereward.  {ST, June 24, 1889 par. 13}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 1]       July 1, 1889 Christ the Living Fountain.  ［MORNING TALK AT  CHICAGO, APRIL 9, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Brethren and sisters, I do hope that this precious opportunity of drawing near to God may not pass without improvement. I hope you will all have an assurance of the blessing of God. You should seek to retain every ray of light and knowledge that has shone upon you here; but you cannot do this unless you walk in the light, accepting and acting upon it. The Lord desires to give us his rich blessing. It is not his will that anyone should labor in his cause without his help and favor. He does not require his children to go in feebleness of heart to win souls for eternal life. There is fullness in him, and it is our privilege to come and obtain that fullness, to receive richly of his Spirit.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 2]          This morning my attention was drawn to the story of the woman who came to the well to draw water, and found Jesus, weary and thirsty, resting at the well while his disciples went into the village to buy bread. When she had drawn the water, Jesus said to the woman, "Give me to drink." She was surprised that he should ask this favor of her, and inquired, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Jesus referred in these words to the divine grace which he alone can bestow, and which is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 3]          Jesus had said to the woman, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." The woman of Samaria was in ignorance of the divine Son of God; but we know today who has spoken these gracious words. It is necessary that we have a knowledge of Christ, that we have an acquaintance with him, so that we may know his willingness to bless. In him is all fullness of divine grace, and he says, "Ask, and ye shall receive." God giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; "but," says the apostle, giving instruction to him who feels his lack of wisdom, "let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 4]         It would not be for our good if the Lord should give us what we ask for without faith. We would not render gratitude to the Giver if we received a gift that we did not attribute to his agency. Jesus wants to give us his light, and we should educate our souls to grasp the promises of God by living faith. He will give us the gift of salvation. We may have his richest blessing, and we should earnestly seek for the favor of God. The reason why we are not rejoicing in the freedom of the sons of God, is because we have piled up rubbish and barred the door of our hearts. Let us sweep it away, open the door, and let the Saviour in.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 5]          We cannot afford to keep Jesus outside. We cannot afford to let him pass by. We cannot afford to be without the knowledge of Christ. Says Jesus, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." We want Jesus to abide in our families and in our churches. We should give ourselves, soul and body, to his work, and submit ourselves to the training process that is to fit us for Heaven.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 6]          Many of us have idols in our hearts. But you will fail to find satisfaction in the things of this life. Jesus says, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but 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." What is the meaning of these words? They mean that when your mind is attracted by heavenly things, when you dwell upon Christ, then your idols are crucified, and you are satisfied with the love of God. But how little are thoughts of Christ brought into our lives! How few talk of Jesus! How little he is lifted up!  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 7]          There are many who try to correct the life of others by attacking what they consider are wrong habits. They go to those whom they think are in error, and point out their defects. They say, "You don't dress as you should." They try to pick off the ornaments, or whatever seems offensive, but they do not seek to fasten the mind to the truth. Those who seek to correct others should present the attractions of Jesus. They should talk of his love and compassion, present his example and sacrifice, reveal his Spirit, and they need not touch the subject of dress at all. There is no need to make the dress question the main point of your religion. There is something richer to speak of. Talk of Christ, and when the heart is converted, everything that is out of harmony with the word of God will drop off. It is only labor in vain to pick leaves off a living tree. The leaves will reappear. The ax must be laid at the root of the tree, and then the leaves will fall off, never to return.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 8]          In order to teach men and women the worthlessness of earthly things, you must lead them to the living Fountain, and get them to drink of Christ, until their hearts are filled with the love of God, and Christ is in them, a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Language cannot describe the peace and fullness of the joy of the true Christian. Let us seek to drink of the Fountain of life.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 9]          Do not come at your brethren to pick at their faults, to make a drive at their peculiar traits of character. Educate them to better habits, and better traits, by the power of your own example. If you make it evident that you have come to correct them, you will only arouse their combativeness, and do more harm than if you had not come at all. Reveal Jesus to them, that they may behold him and become like him. If you cultivate fault-finding, and take it upon yourself to correct your brethren, you will soon have no other religion save that of picking flaws and finding defects. You cannot benefit the sinner by coming to him in your own way and in your own strength. Christ alone can save him.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, July 1, 1889 par. 10]          Let us press forward to the mark for the prize of our high calling which is in Christ Jesus. Press forward to the perfection of Christian character; be not satisfied with anything less than the fullness of God. You may attain unto the heights of character that Christ has made every provision for you to reach through his divine grace, growing up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ. Temptation will come upon you every day, but you must lay hold of the strength of Christ. Christ is our righteousness. We are not to depend on feeling, but by faith rest in the arms of his love, and claim to be the sons and daughters of God. He will make his strength perfect in our weakness. He will take the poor earthen vessels, make them vessels unto honor, and glorify himself through them; and through his love we shall love others, as he has loved us.  {ST, July 1, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 1]       July 8, 1889 Christ's Yoke Is Easy.  ［SERMON AT  CHICAGO, APRIL 10, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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."  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 2]          These are very precious words that are spoken to us. In them is revealed the love of Jesus, and this love seems to flow out in tender longing that the sinner may come unto Christ and find rest. The invitation is extended to all that labor, to all that are heavy laden. Christ makes no exception. All may come who are toiling under their burdens. He does not specify that only those who have peculiar difficulties may be relieved. His invitation is to the whole world. He says, "Come, all ye that labor."  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 3]          Whatever may be the character of your troubles or wants, you need not go for help to those around you, for Jesus says, Come unto me, and I will give you rest. You need not keep away from me. You who have been seeking for relief and comfort and hope, come unto me. I am the source of your strength and help.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 4]          When Christ came to this world, men did not recognize his divine character, or realize the nature of his mission. If he had come with pomp and ceremony, to reign as a temporal prince on the throne of Jerusalem, the whole Jewish nation would have acknowledged him as the Messiah. But the prophets did not say that he was to come in this way. They did not tell the people that he was to break the Romish yoke. He was to come as a man of sorrows, to bear the infirmities of humanity. He came as a humble toiler, and worked at the carpenter's trade. The people saw him toiling up and down the hills. They were acquainted with his brothers and sisters, and knew his life and labors. They saw him develop from childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood, and although he left a spotless example of obedience and meekness, they could not realize that he was the promised Messiah. I am glad we have such an example.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 5]          He chose his disciples from the humble fishermen. He did not go to the learned, for it would have been impossible to give them the right mould. The education they had received tended to exalt self, and he chose those whom he could teach his precepts, and bade them follow him. In following him, in listening to his words, in associating with him, they found the greatest teacher the world has ever known. He opened before them the beauties of nature, and taught them of the enduring realities of the world to come. He educated them to become fishers of men. From the swaying fisherman's boat, he uttered truths whose influence is as far-reaching as eternity.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 6]          Jesus had come to earth to do the very work that the Jewish nation had left undone. In a synagogue in Nazareth, he opened the word of God, and read the words of Isaiah that described his mission to men. He read, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." He healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and preached the gospel to the poor. His words were simple and direct, and no one need look in the dictionary to ascertain his meaning. A child could comprehend his teaching. And as he did his work, so are we to do ours, following his example.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 7]          He preached the gospel to the poor, and offered men the gift of God without money and without price. He invited the weary and heavy-laden to come and find rest. The only condition was to come; for in coming, men made it manifest that they felt their want, and realized their need of Christ. Jesus wants us to come today He wants us to believe in him as the source of all light and peace. Whoever comes will be able to testify that he is light, and that in him they have found rest.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 8]         Jesus says, "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." I ask you who have borne Christ's yoke, Have you found it hard and grievous? For fifty years I have borne Christ's yoke, and I can testify that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I have never found any difficulty except when I manufactured a yoke of my own, and laid aside the yoke of Christ. I feel grateful that every one of you may find relief from all your troubles. Come to Christ in full faith, and find rest unto your souls.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 9]          Many profess to come to him, but they do not really come; for they are still in trouble, still under the load of their burdens. You are to follow on in the path of obedience, and submit your will to the moulding of God's will. If you are in trouble, it is because you are learning lessons of him who was once an exalted angel of Heaven, but who fell from his high position through rebellion against God. Those who murmur against God, are learning from the evil one how to press their wills in opposition to the will of God.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 10]         Jesus invites us to come unto him; but how many go to every one else but him. We need not seek for help from those who are as weak as we are ourselves. He says, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." Men do not esteem lowliness of mind as they should. Intellect is highly exalted and extolled among men. My husband used to say that it was hard for him not to worship intellect; whenever he met a person possessed of a superior mind, he felt like paying homage to his intellectual powers. It is right that we highly esteem the powers of mind that God has given to men; we want an intellectual religion; but we should have all our powers of mind and body consecrated to God. We should have sanctified judgment and reason, devoted to the service of our heavenly Father. We should realize what our work is, and do it to the extent of our ability. The greater our ability, the greater will be our responsibility. There is danger of worshiping intellect; but if we bring our talents to God and devote them to his work, he will give us grace not to think more highly of our powers of mind than we should.  {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, July 8, 1889 par. 11]          "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability." When they were called to give an account as to how they had employed their lord's talents, he who had the five had doubled his talents, and he who had two had doubled his; but he who had received but one came to his lord and said, "Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed; and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed; thou oughtest therefore to put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury." The lord rewarded those who had increased their talents, but he condemned him who had buried his lord's money.                             (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, July 8, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 1]      July 15, 1889 Christ's Yoke is Easy.  ［SERMON AT  CHICAGO, APRIL 10, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)       There are many who seem to be afraid that if they come to Jesus the Lord will get some of their means. They manage someway to bury it all in the world. If the Lord has given you the talent of means, it is that it may be given out to the exchangers, that at his coming he may receive his own with usury. The ability God gives us, is not to be used for self, to gratify selfish ambition and pride. We are to employ our talents that we may be co-workers with Christ in winning souls for eternal life. We are not to despise small opportunities, but to improve them as they come to us.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 2]          In England a minister went to his church to preach one rainy morning, and found that he only had one man for audience. But he would not disappoint his hearer, and he preached to him with earnestness and interest. As a result the man was converted, and became a missionary, and through his efforts thousands heard the good news of salvation. One discourse did the work for him, and he gathered abundantly for the Master.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 3]          While in Vallence, France, I spoke at one time to a congregation of six with as much interest as I speak to this congregation today. That discourse resulted in much good. An intelligent man who had given up the truth, again took his stand on the Lord's side, and he has devoted his talents to doing the Lord's work. We must sow beside all waters, not knowing which shall prosper, this or that. We must put out our talents to the exchangers whenever there is opportunity.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 4]         I am glad that we have a Saviour who understands all our woes. It is true we manufacture half of our trouble, and suffer grief that is imaginary and unnecessary. There is much trouble in our families that might be avoided by manifesting courtesy and love. Jesus wants us to have religion in the home. He wants us to reveal his Spirit to those around us. We need to cultivate love. There are some who think that it is an evidence of weakness to show affection, to speak words of kindness. There are persons hungry for affection who seldom receive anything but bitter, unkind words. But if you manifest a harsh, unsympathetic spirit, you will see the same spirit reflected in those around you. All need tenderness and compassion. You should not make it harder for those who have difficulties and sorrows by speaking unkindly and harshly.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 5]          Why should we not constantly cultivate a Christlike, kind and compassionate and loving spirit? Why should we allow Satan to make us his agents in the family circle, to cast a shadow when we may reflect light? You cannot afford to speak these harsh words; they will meet you again in the day of Judgment. We must put on the whole armor of God, and get a right hold from above.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 6]          Christ invites all the weary and heavy laden to come to him. He wants you to make him your friend and confidant. You have sought for human friendship and have revealed to others matters that belong only to husband and wife. You have brought in a third party to make mischief by betraying your secrets to those who should know nothing of them; but if you make Christ your familiar friend, he will never betray your confidence. Jesus will take no advantage of your confidence. He will listen patiently. He will know just what counsel to give, just what you should do, and he will adjust every difficulty for your own good. He will be a safe counselor, and will understand the motives which have prompted you to action.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 7]          When you come to Jesus, leave your burden with him. Do not carry away your load to torture some other soul with it. Leave it with him who alone can understand it all. The religion of Jesus elevates, ennobles, and refines the character. If we are learners in his school, he will put his mould upon us, and enable us to stand with moral power against the temptations of the evil one.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 8]          When Jesus bowed on the banks of Jordan at his baptism, Heaven was opened to his prayer in behalf of humanity. The Spirit, in the form of a dove of burnished gold encircled his head, and a voice from Heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." What does this say to us? It says to every poor tempted soul, Heaven is opened to the prayers of humanity. Christ has encircled the fallen race with his human arm, and with his divine arm he has grasped the throne of the Infinite. Through the merit of Christ, Heaven is opened to man. "These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth; I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." The gates are open, and the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shines to man. The light of Heaven may shine upon you, as it shone upon him.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 9]          Mothers, the invitation is for you, in your annoyances and perplexities, to come and find rest at the feet of Jesus. You must obtain his grace in dealing with your children. I never allowed my children to see mother out of patience. I did not try to correct them until I knew that I had perfect control over all my feelings of impatience. When I approached them with voice and spirit subdued, I gained their confidence. We are to learn meekness of spirit from the divine Master.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, July 15, 1889 par. 10]          The children should be regarded as younger members of Christ's family. We should never utter a word that we would not be willing to hear repeated by our children. We are to learn of Christ while we are teaching them. When parents are patient and forbearing, and children kind and obedient, Heaven looks down with joy upon your households. Do you remember what Christ said to Peter? He not only said, "Feed my sheep," but also, "Feed my lambs." The lambs must be fed. Ministers should give more attention to the lambs of the flock. These young, tempted souls who have to contend with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil, need your sympathy and patience, and love. You should speak words of encouragement to them. They are members of Christ's family. They should be bound to your hearts by the silken cord of love. They must be instructed to come to Christ, and find rest in all their temptations and burdens. They should be brought to him who is meek and lowly in heart, that they may learn of him, and bear his yoke, and they will find that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.  {ST, July 15, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 1]       July 22, 1889 Home Training.  ［AFTERNOON TALK AT  CHICAGO, APRIL 11, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The mother is a teacher, and to a great extent she moulds the character of her children. But how few are the mothers who realize the responsibility that is placed upon them! Many mothers spend their time in doing needless nothings. They give their whole attention to the things of time and sense, and do not pause to think of the things of eternal interest. How many neglect their children, and the little ones grow up coarse, rough, and uncultivated. Mothers may have acquired knowledge of many things, but they have not acquired the essential knowledge unless they have a knowledge of Christ as a personal Saviour. If Christ is in the home, if mothers have made him their counselor, they will educate their children from their very babyhood in the principles of true religion. They will teach them obedience and submission. They will not allow them to disobey their commands.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 2]          When children are permitted to take their own way in opposition to the will of their parents, they lose respect for father and mother, and learn to despise even the authority of God. They are indulged in manifesting passion in the home, and when they are brought into the church, they exhibit the same defects of character there, as they exhibit in the home. If they are ever converted, they will have to learn at the foot of the cross lessons which they might have learned at their mother's knee. They are marked by the defects of the father and mother. The parents did not go to Christ for the grace of patience and forbearance. The mother did not feel the importance of being Christ-like, of manifesting love and gentleness.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 3]          When Christ comes in the clouds of heaven, every man will be rewarded according as his work has been. Every father and mother will have to give an account of how they have employed their talents, and how they have borne their responsibilities.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 4]          A well-disciplined family is a great power for good in the world. To bring up your children in such a manner as will fit them to stand against temptation to evil, so that they will not be corrupted by iniquity, is one of the most important kinds of missionary work. Why is it that there is so much corruption among the youth of today? To a great degree it is because parents neglect their God-given work, and sin lies at their door. Before it shall be too late, I urge you to take up your neglected duties, and arouse to a realization of your responsibilities. You will need the grace of Christ in your work, and he says not only to mothers, but to fathers and children, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 5]         Mothers, when you yield to impatience, and deal harshly with your children, you are not learning of Christ, but of another master. Jesus says, "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." When you find your work hard, when you complain of difficulties and trials, when you say that you have no strength to withstand temptation, that you cannot overcome impatience, and that the Christian life is up-hill work, be sure that you are not bearing the yoke of Christ; you are bearing the yoke of another master. But for Christ's sake, for the truth's sake, I entreat you to repent and be converted. Do not dishonor the name of religion by an inconsistent course.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 6]          You should begin to seek God where you are. You must be born again. There must be a renovation, a new life created within you, that you may not serve sin, or the lusts of the flesh. Your children must be converted. You have a solemn work to do.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 7]          You cannot afford to spend time in trifling conversation, or in entertaining fashionable visitors. You should take time to talk and pray with your little ones, and you should allow nothing to interrupt that season of communion with God, and with your children. You can say to your visitors, "God has given me a work to do, and I have no time for gossiping." You should feel that you have a work to do for time and for eternity. You owe your first duty to your children.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 8]          The father should not excuse himself from his part in the work of educating his children for life and immortality. He must share in the responsibility. There is obligation for both father and mother. There must be love and respect manifested by the parents for one another, if they would see these qualities developed in their children.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 9]          Those parents who manifest wisdom in the home will bring into the church the same tact and ability they exercise at home, and the church will be benefited by their influence. They will be interested for the children of their neighbors, and will influence others to be true and loyal to God.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 10]          When Christ bowed on the banks of Jordan after his baptism, and offered up prayer in behalf of humanity, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God, like a dove of burnished gold, encircled the form of the Saviour, and a voice came from Heaven which said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 11]          What significance does this have for you? It says that Heaven is open to your prayers. It says that you are accepted in the Beloved. The gates are open for every mother who would lay her burden at the Saviour's feet. It says that Christ has encircled the race with his human arm, and with his divine arm he has grasped the throne of the Infinite, and united man with God, and earth with Heaven.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 12]          Praise God for this. If there is any people who should praise God, it is those who have had these wonderful evidences of his love! I point you to Calvary, and to the suffering Redeemer. O that we may know his love that passeth understanding! If parents have the love of God in their hearts, they will be able to bind their children to them by the tender ties of affection. It is in this way that you may be missionaries for God, you may be home missionaries. You have a work to do that Satan shall not gain the control of your children, and take them away from you before they are out of your arms. Mothers, you should see to it that the powers of darkness do not control your little ones. You should set your will that the enemy shall not raise his banner of darkness in your home. You should be determined to take your children with you to the kingdom of heaven. Your children are worth something; they have been purchased at an infinite price, and eternal life to them is worth more than anything that earth can afford. A pure and holy character is of more value than silver and gold. If you have instructed them in the principles of truth, if you have reproved them when they indulged in evil, if you have manifested the Spirit of Christ, you have done a work that Heaven will approve.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 13]          Eli did not reprove his sons when they transgressed his commands. He indulged them in their evil ways, and they became more and more corrupt, until the judgment of God fell upon the house of Eli. The Lord said, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever."  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 13}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 14]          How different was the case of Abraham. God could bless him, for he said, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." God's law was the rule in the tent of Abraham. Wherever he camped, he built an altar unto the Lord, and offered up sacrifice with supplication and praise.  {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 14}
[ST, July 22, 1889 par. 15]          Parents must be converted; they must arouse from the lethargy that has come upon them, and seek God for a realization of the solemn responsibility that has been placed upon them. I entreat you to awake, and take up your neglected work before you are weighed in the balance and found wanting. Every one has a work to do for the Master, and no one can accomplish his God-given work unless he is born again; but the soul in which Christ is abiding, will be able to meet the mind of God, and will receive the approbation of Heaven.                                                                   -    {ST, July 22, 1889 par. 15}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 1]       July 29, 1889 There is Help in God.  ［SERMON  AT WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "To him that overcometh 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."  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 2]          When Christ came to the world, appetite and passion exercised almost unlimited control, and it seemed that the world was about to be swept away under its disastrous power. Men were debased, diseased, dwarfed and crippled through the baneful effects of selfish indulgence in evil. But never can the power of appetite be fully understood until the significance of Christ's temptation and his long fast in the wilderness is comprehended. When Christ was fainting for food, Satan came to him and sought to overpower him with temptation.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 3]          He did not appear to Christ as he is often falsely represented, as an imp with bat's wings and iron hoofs. The Scripture plainly states that he transforms himself into an angel of light. It was as a Heavenly angel that he accosted the Son of God. He told the Redeemer that he need fast no longer, that his long abstinence was accepted by the Father, that he had gone far enough, and that he was at liberty to work a miracle in his own behalf. The tempter said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." And Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Oh, if man had but heeded this truth, the race would never have fallen.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 4]          "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, 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." But again Jesus met him with the Scripture, saying, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 5]          "Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." He did not present the kingdoms of the world as they now appear, but in all the glory and attraction in which it is possible to present them. He desired that Christ should acknowledge him as his superior, and on this condition promised to give the world into his hands. But could Jesus admit that the world belonged to Satan? Could he acknowledge him as his superior, when there was but One to whom he owed homage? "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 6]          There are many in this world who would concede the principles of right for some worldly advantage. There are many who would forsake their rectitude for gold, or position, or power. But of what advantage is it to sacrifice your hopes of Heaven for earthly wealth and honor? You cannot take your treasure with you to the grave. Only a while at the longest, and life will be passed, and "what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" We would fix our eyes on something more enduring. The home of the saints is more worthy of our toil and affection; for it is an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 7]          Appetite exerts a controlling influence in the world. Unlawful indulgence in appetite and passion paralyzes the brain power, and deadens all the moral sensibilities and perceptions. We have all been bought with a price, even with the precious blood of the Son of God, and we have no right to abuse our powers by selfish gratification of lust. We should keep ourselves in a condition to render to God the most perfect service possible. With an eye single to the glory of God, we should seek to live in harmony with the laws of our being.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 8]          Daniel refused to eat at the king's table, or to drink of the king's wine. Why did he do this? Because he knew that indulgence in wine-drinking and luxurious food would enfeeble the powers of mind and body. He desired to keep his mind in a condition to appreciate the inspired word of God. Those who indulge in forbidden things work directly against their own interests and hopes. Selfish motives lead to self-indulgence, and animal appetites and passions bear sway, and dominate over mind and soul. Those who are thus controlled cannot comprehend the truth of divine origin, or appreciate the value of heavenly things. They are ruled by appetite, and the brain power is benumbed. The very foundation of the physical being is undermined. We have no right to destroy the habitation that God has given us. We have been purchased at an infinite cost.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 9]          It was by a failure to resist the inclinations of appetite that Adam fell in the garden of Eden. But Christ came to take up the battle in behalf of man. He met and contended with the powers of darkness, and at every point where Adam fell, Christ won precious victories. He wrought out a way by which we may be saved. However depraved, however sinful, as men seek for forgiveness of their transgressions, they will find pardon and peace through the merit of Christ. Divinity co-operates with humanity in the work of elevating and purifying the character. When the converting power of God takes hold of the soul, it will work a radical change. Those who have formerly abused their families and friends, will begin to labor earnestly for their salvation. Jesus came to save the lost, to take them out of their fallen condition, to make them more than conquerors, and to give them a seat upon his throne. O that the soul temple might be cleansed of every defilement. O that we might not offer to God a diseased, defiled offering. An infinite price has been paid to bring us into connection with Christ. Self-indulgence must cease. We must come into right relations with God, and we must be cleansed from all iniquity, and walk worthy of the vocation whereunto we are called.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 10]          When Jacob journeyed to the house of Laban, he lay down to rest in the wilderness, with a stone for a pillow. He was a discouraged, disappointed man. It seemed to him that he was forsaken of friends, and forgotten of God. His own brother was seeking him, that he might take his life. While he slept he had a vision. There appeared before him a ladder, whose base rested on the earth and whose top reached into the highest heavens. God was above the ladder, and his glory shone through the open heaven and lighted up every round of the ladder. The angels were ascending and descending upon it. The plan of salvation was open to Jacob's mind in this dream.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 11]          When Jacob awoke, he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven." Christ was the ladder that Jacob saw. Christ is the link that binds earth to Heaven, and connects finite man with the infinite God. This ladder reaches from the lowest degradation of earth and humanity to the highest heavens. We are to ascend the ladder that Jacob saw, but not by our own strength alone. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance and reformation. We are not left to struggle on alone.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 12]          Those who have fallen by sin and iniquity may receive the pardoning love of God. By repentance and faith, the transgressors of his law may come to God through Christ. And when we have come to Christ, and have taken the steps requisite in conversion, we are to seek those things that are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. When we are burdened with care and sorrow why do we not go right to our Saviour, and claim his promises, and find him a very present help in every time of trouble? We are not left to be the sport of Satan's temptations. God has given us precious promises by which we are to become partakers of the divine nature. In Christ is our help. When we come with repentance and faith, however polluted and sinful, we shall find him the sinner's Saviour. He has said, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The sinner may carry his load to Calvary, and lay it down at the foot of the cross. It is the privilege of every one to leave sin and transgression, and to become a loyal subject of the God of Heaven. We may be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, but his righteousness will not be a covering for the least iniquity. "Wash you, make you clean." There has been a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem, and every stain may be cleansed away.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 13]          Do not wait to make yourselves better. How many there are who think that they are not good enough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." But there is help for us in God. We are prisoners of hope. God has power in reserve for us. Those who are reaching out for help, exercising faith in Jesus, will receive it.  {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 13}
[ST, July 29, 1889 par. 14]          Divine power will co-operate with human effort. Brethren, the gates are open, and the glory of God is shining for every soul who looks to Heaven in times of trial and perplexity. How many go to human friends when they are in trouble. But how vain is the help that man can give. Human aid is only as a broken reed. Christ has been manifested to the world as the One who can bind up the broken in heart, and comfort those that mourn. Heaven was open to man through the sacrifice of the Son of God. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." He came into the world that he might understand all the needs of fallen humanity. He bore the griefs and sorrows of men. He was made a perfect Saviour through the sufferings that he bore in man's behalf, and we through his grace may become perfected, and be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ in the everlasting kingdom.                                                                   -    {ST, July 29, 1889 par. 14}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 1]       August 5, 1889 The Gospel for Both Jews and  Gentiles.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (which he promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures), concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name; among whom are ye also called of Jesus Christ. . . . I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Romans. 1.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 2]          Paul declares that as an apostle he is called to do a special work. The truth had been revealed to him that he might preach the gospel of God, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. He was not, as were the false prophets, without a divine commission to devote himself to the work of preaching Jesus and him crucified. Christ himself had called him to the work by a heavenly revelation of himself.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 3]          He was to call men's attention to the gospel, which God had promised by the word of the prophets. He was to unfold the divine revelations of the Old Testament, and to show how the gospel shed a light into the old dispensation. He was to demonstrate the fact that both prophets and apostles were witnesses of Christ as the Messiah. In his divine nature Jesus was declared to be the Son of God, but the divinity of Christ was the fact that was constantly opposed by the Pharisees. The great argument that substantiated the divinity of Christ was his resurrection from the dead. Overwhelming testimony came to those that believed on him, for he had been seen among them, and those who would not receive the great array of evidence that could be presented, would not have been convinced by any amount of proof.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 4]          The first offer of the good news of salvation was made to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; but they refused the precious gift of God, and Paul said: "Ye judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life; lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Both Jews and Gentiles were without Christ, and in darkness. It was a most unwelcome thought to the Jews that they needed salvation. They had been the peculiar people of God, and had looked upon the Gentiles with contempt. Christ was not only presented as the hope and glory of Israel, but also as a light to lighten the Gentiles. This was wholly contrary to their prejudices.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 5]          The righteousness of God was revealed in the gospel. In it was made known the method by which man was to be reconciled to God. Notwithstanding the justice of God, and the guilt of the transgressor of his holy law, a way was devised whereby satisfaction could be made to the law by the infinite sacrifice of the Son of God. The typical offerings of the old dispensation pointed men forward to the Lamb of God that should die on Calvary's cross, when type would meet antitype in the death of God's dear Son. From Adam's time through successive generations the sacrificial offerings were pointing forward to Christ, and men's faith was fixed on an offering of infinite value. By faith, patriarchs and prophets depended upon God, who was dealing with them through Christ.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 6]          "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He so loved the world that he consented to give the just for the unjust. The greatness and depth of this love was revealed to Paul to make known to all nations. The plan of salvation was opened to his mind, and he preached, both publicly and from house to house, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The law condemns, but it cannot pardon the transgressor. The penitent, believing soul does not look to the law for justification, but to Christ, the atoning sacrifice, who is able to impart his righteousness to the sinner, and make his efforts acceptable before God. When we take Christ for our Saviour, we are enabled to become obedient children, keeping all the commandments of God.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 7]          It is faith that engrafts us into the parent stalk of the living vine. Faith that depends on Christ, derives virtue from him as the branch draws sap from the root. Says the prophet, "The just shall live by faith," and this truth, woven into the religious experience of every Christian, should be that by which the righteous shall live. True faith grows to a greater faith, increasing in strength. It is persevering in its operation. The apostle says, "For herein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith."  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 8]          The Gentiles had no light upon the law of God, and had not followed after righteousness, but those who believed in Christ attained unto righteousness through faith in him. They accepted God's law as the rule of character. The unbelieving Jews had not attained to the righteous requirements of the law, because they refused the only virtue that could avail to make them righteous and acceptable before God. "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness ［which is of the law］, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." Christ is the end, or purpose, of the law. The law condemns the sinner, and thus drives him to Christ for righteousness.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 9]          The Jews professed to believe the prophets, and to acknowledge the authority of God's law. But with by far the greater part of the nation, this was a merely nominal faith. Christ declared to the Jewish teachers: "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me." Those who really did believe the law and the prophets, were led by this faith to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Saviour of men. The Gentiles, on the other hand, were first led to turn from their idolatry to accept of Christ, and through Christ they were brought to a knowledge of the law and the prophets.  {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, August 5, 1889 par. 10]          First, man is to see the righteousness of the law in condemning sin, then he is to behold the righteousness of God in the merits of Christ, providing pardon for sin. "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Men may have a knowledge of the truth, and yet fail to be sanctified through the truth.                           (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, August 5, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 1]       August 12, 1889 The Gospel for Both Jews and  Gentiles.  -  (Concluded.)         The people of Israel had been taken out of idolatry, to become the depositaries of sacred, ever-living truth. The knowledge of the one true God was given to them. They were greatly blessed with divine revelations, enshrouded in symbols and ceremonies, until type met antitype in the death of Christ. Everything in both their private and their public life was connected with a revealed religion. The law of God was given by Christ, and specified so plainly the duties of private, social, and public life, that none needed to err. One God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, was brought to view in the fourth commandment, and his will was to be their will. Those who worshiped the one true God were strengthened in moral power, and developed strong and symmetrical characters, while those who worshiped other gods grew more and more debased, because they exalted human passions and sanctioned vice in their religious services.  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 2]          The religion of Israel was a living light from Heaven, that flashed its rays into all the broad ways and byways of life. Says the psalmist: "He showed his word unto Jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel. He dealt not so with any nation, neither had the heathen knowledge of his laws." They were taught not only that the Lord was to be worshiped, and his holy law obeyed, that its principles were to govern them both in private and public life, but that their religious services were in anticipation of a better service. Their faith was directed to Him who was to come. By faith their hearts reached forward to the great antitype. They were constantly looking forward for the appearance of the Messiah foretold in prophecy.  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 3]          Satan was not inactive during the Mosaic dispensation. He continually tempted God's people and led them into idolatry. At the foot of the very mount where the glory of God had been displayed in wonderful majesty, he led them to worship the golden calf, and again and again they fell into the grossest idolatry, because they cherished an evil heart of unbelief. Pride, love of display, love of pomp and pleasure, had a controlling influence upon them.  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 4]          When Christ came into the world, Satan had so filled the minds of men with falsehood in regard to the object of his coming, that those who had been so thoroughly instructed in regard to the long-promised Messiah did not recognize the Son of God as the divine Saviour. He did not come as their proud hearts had imagined he would come. Their superiority to other nations consisted in the light which Heaven had given them; but when they refused to walk in it, they were no better, but rather worse than other nations. Their own selfish ambitions and disregard of God's commandments dragged them down from the spiritual eminence on which God had set them. They fell into envy, jealousy, hatred of all that was pure and holy in character. They despised the divine One who stood among them, who was able to save to the uttermost, or destroy utterly. But their crime reached its height when Jesus was rejected and crucified.  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 5]          In the days of Paul there were men who professed the truth and who held it in unrighteousness. There were those who claimed to be keeping the law when they were transgressors of the commandments of God, and thus, by precept and example, they made of none effect the holy precepts of Heaven. The apostle points out the iniquity of those who despised the Gentiles because they had no knowledge of the law, when they themselves, who had been blessed with so much light, were ungodly, and insensible of the mercies of God. They departed from the known precepts of the law, and their foolish hearts were so darkened by the practice of iniquity that they did not realize their own inconsistency. Professing themselves to be wise, they became so self-sufficient, and so corrupt of heart that God gave them up to their own foolish imaginations.  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 6]          Those who have a knowledge of the law of God, and become proud of that knowledge, despising others who are more ignorant, are not doers of the law. While the apostle admits that the Gentiles were as dark and sinful as the Jews represented them, still he urges home upon the Jews their own defects of character. He says, "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things." Those who acknowledged God, and condemned the practices of the Gentiles, thereby condemned themselves, as they were guilty of similar practices. He asks, "Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 7]          The Gentiles are to be judged according to the light that is given them, according to the impressions they had received of their Creator in nature. They have reasoning powers, and can distinguish God in his created works. God speaks to all men through his providence in nature. He makes known to all that he is the living God. The Gentiles could reason that the things that are made could not have fallen into exact order, and worked out a designed purpose, without a God who has originated all. They could reason from cause to effect, that it must be that there was a first cause, an intelligent agent, that could be no other than the eternal God. The light of God in nature is shining continually into the darkness of heathenism, but many who see this light do not glorify the Lord as God. They do not permit reason to lead them to acknowledge their creator. They refuse the Lord, and set up senseless idols to adore. They make images which represent God and worship his created works as a partial acknowledgment of him, but they dishonor him in their hearts.  {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, August 12, 1889 par. 8]          God bestows upon them favors and blessings constantly. They are partakers of the rich bounties of Heaven, yet they are not thankful for the mercies and blessings that speak to them of God. They do not appreciate the knowledge and grace and forbearance of their heavenly Father. They do not try to establish themselves in truth, and their sinful imaginations lead them away into paths of darkness. When truth is forsaken, the mind fastens upon error, the foolish heart is darkened, and men, professing themselves to be wise in not acknowledging God, become fools, and worship the images of beasts and creeping things, and the works of their own hands.                                                                   -    {ST, August 12, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 1]       August 19, 1889 Intercourse With Evil Spirits Forbidden.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The Lord has purchased his people for himself, and has manifested his love toward them by the greatest possible evidence, even by shedding his blood and yielding his life on Calvary. He came down to our world to redeem us, to betroth and marry us to himself by an eternal covenant. The marriage union is taken as a symbol of the sacred and enduring character of the relation that exists between Christ and his church. He says, "I will betroth thee unto me forever;" and again, "I am married unto you;" and Paul employs the same figure in the New Testament when he declares, "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 2]          With untold love our God has loved us, and our love awakens toward him as we comprehend more of the length and depth and height and breadth of this love that passeth knowledge. But when we turn aside to another master, we break our vows to him, and make void the covenant; and we become adulterers, choosing the friendship and favor of others, and proving untrue to him who has died for us. We declare by this act of separation, that we have found his service hard and his love unsatisfying; and thus we dishonor him, and bring his name into reproach before the world.  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 3]          The Lord, infinite in power and wisdom, has declared, "Thy Maker is thine husband." Everything that will serve for the best good and the highest interest of the people of God will be provided; and although the world seeks to entice them from their allegiance, although they are brought into difficult places, and experience affliction, they are not to seek the counsel of man, but to put their whole trust in God, casting all their care upon him. Christ proves the sincerity of the faith and love of his church by trial and sorrow; and he will bring those who are faithful out of the furnace, refined and purified.  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 4]          There are many who do not bear the testing of their fidelity. When affliction comes upon them, and they are perplexed by circumstances, and cannot discover the purpose of God's providence, they become impatient and distrustful. They cast away their confidence, forgetful of the tender mercies of the past, and their hearts are filled with unrest and repining. They neglect prayer, and refuse the comfort and instruction of the Bible. They seek for counselors among the children of men, questioning the dealing of God, and striving to know what he has wisely concealed.  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 5]          The Lord, who knows all, will make known the very things that are for the best interests of his children; and if he sees fit to veil the events of the future, it is only because he loves us, and would work out our highest good. Should he permit us to see the future mapped out before us, some of us would be distracted by anticipating coming sorrows, and others would be self-confident and daring, and the very good that our heavenly Father intended to bring about by his all-wise providences, would be thwarted and frustrated.  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 6]          We have an enemy who is ever seeking whom he may devour; and it is his purpose to draw away men's confidence in God, to make them dissatisfied with their condition in life, and to lead them to seek to know what God has veiled from them, and to despise what he has revealed in his holy word. He controls the minds of evil men, and the spirits of devils become the counselors of those who reject the wisdom of God. But shall we who have a holy God, infinite in wisdom, go unto wizards, whose knowledge comes from a close intimacy with the enemy of our Lord? Shall we be among those who turn "after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them," and thus prove false to our best friend until his face be set against us?  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 7]          We are living in an age of peril, in an age of apostasy; evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse, Satan is working with all "deceivableness of unrighteousness," and the servants of God must make no concessions to the enemy, nor listen to his suggestions to doubt God. There are many who become restless when they cannot see the definite outcome of affairs. They cannot endure uncertainty, and in their impatience they refuse to wait to see the salvation of God. Apprehended evils drive them nearly distracted. They give way to their rebellious feelings, and run hither and thither in passionate grief, seeking intelligence concerning that which God has not revealed.  {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, August 19, 1889 par. 8]          If they would but trust in God and watch unto prayer, they would find divine consolation. Their spirit would be calmed by communion with God. The weary and the heavy laden would find rest unto their souls, if they would only go to Jesus; but when they neglect the means that God has ordained for their comfort, and rush off to other sources for information, hoping to learn what God has withheld, they commit the error of Eve, and thereby gain only a knowledge of evil. God is not pleased with this course, and has expressed it in the most explicit terms. This impatient haste to tear away the veil from the future, reveals a lack of unfaltering trust in God, and leaves the soul open to the suggestions of the master-deceiver. Satan can lead the mind to seek unto those that have familiar spirits, and through the agency of his mediums he can reveal extraordinary views of the future. Through his knowledge of the past he inspires confidence, and he has the poor, misguided soul in his power to lead captive at his will; but the Lord says, "The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people."                                                                   -    {ST, August 19, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 1]       August 26, 1889 Spiritualism the Masterpiece of  Deception.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Spiritualism is the masterpiece of deception. It is Satan's most successful and fascinating delusion,--one calculated to take hold of the sympathies of those who have laid their loved ones in the grave. Evil angels come in the form of those loved ones, and relate incidents connected with their lives, and perform acts which they performed while living. In this way they lead persons to believe that their dead friends are angels, hovering over them, and communicating with them. These evil angels, who assume to be the deceased friends, are regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater weight than the word of God. Thus men and women are led to reject the truth, and give "heed to seducing spirits."  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 2]          The word of God declares in positive terms that "the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." This plain scripture directly contradicts the teaching of Spiritualism, and if it were heeded would save souls from the snare of the enemy.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 3]          Many are investigating Spiritualism simply from curiosity. They have no real faith in it, and would start back horrified at the idea of becoming mediums; but they are venturing on forbidden and dangerous ground. When they are fast in the toils of the deceiver, they find they are in the power of him who makes the most abject slaves of his servants, and nothing can deliver them but the power of God. The only safety for us is in trusting implicitly and following faithfully the instruction of the word of God. The Bible is the only chart that marks out the narrow path which shuns the pitfalls of destruction.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 4]          It was God's purpose to deliver Israel from the abominations that wrought havoc in the idolatrous nations around them. They were not to sacrifice to Moloch, nor to make their sons or their daughters pass through the fire, nor to seek unto wizards, nor defile themselves by communion with those who had familiar spirits. The instruction of God to his ancient people is profitable to us today. "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am the Lord your God, and ye shall keep my statutes, and do them; I am the Lord which sanctifieth you."  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 5]         The Lord presented before his people the results of holding communion with evil spirits, in the abominations of the Canaanites; they were without natural affection, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and abominable by every corrupt thought and revolting practice. Says the apostle Paul, the "things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." Sodom had been consumed for the same crime that existed in Canaan; but could it be that the people who had been privileged to behold the glory and power of Jehovah, had need to be warned by these examples, lest they fall into the same errors and die under similar judgments? Men do not know their own hearts, for "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;" but God understands the tendencies of the depraved nature of man.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 6]          Satan was watching for an opportunity to lead the people of God into conditions favorable to the development of rebellion and transgression, that they might make themselves as abhorrent to God as were the Canaanites. The adversary of souls is ever on the alert to open channels for the unrestrained flow of evil in our nature, that we have not overcome; for he desires that we may be ruined, and be condemned before God.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 7]          The condition of society today is the same as when God presented before Israel the abominations of the heathen; and the same warnings are necessary to the remnant people. Spiritualism is advancing through the land in triumph. "The spirits of devils working miracles" are going "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." Men are seeking unto them that have familiar spirits; but the people of God cannot in any sense follow the practices of the world. They must keep the commandments of the Lord. The line of separation must be distinctly marked between the obedient and the disobedient. There must be open and avowed enmity between the church and the serpent, between her seed and his seed.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 8]         Satan was determined to keep his hold on the land of Canaan, and when it was made the habitation of the children of Israel, and the law of God was made the law of the land, he hated Israel with a cruel and malignant hatred, and plotted their destruction. Strange gods were introduced through the agency of evil spirits; and because of transgression the chosen people were finally scattered from the land of promise.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 9]          The same experience is repeating in the history of God's people. God is leading them out from the abominations of the world to keep his law in the land of the enemy, and the rage of "the accuser of the brethren" knows no bounds. "The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." The antitypical land of promise is just before us,--a land where no strange god shall ever come, no evil spirit enter; and Satan desires to destroy the people of God, and cut them off from their inheritance.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 10]          It is time to heed the Saviour's injunction as never before: "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Trust in God, however perplexing may be your situation. Seek his counsel, and turn not after them that have familiar spirits to be defiled by them. He who has died to redeem you, has promised to guide you, and clothe you with his own righteousness, if you will but loathe sin, and purge yourself from evil by washing your robes of character, and making them white in the blood of the Lamb.  {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, August 26, 1889 par. 11]          What love, what wonderful love, that God bears with the perversity of his people, and sends help to every soul that desires to do his will, and forsake sin! If man will but co-operate with the agencies of Heaven, he may come off more than conqueror. Fallen creatures as we are, capable of the most revolting crimes, yet we may become victors, through the power of the grace of Christ, and have a place in his everlasting kingdom, to reign with him forevermore.                                                                   -    {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 1]       September 2, 1889 The Christian's Commission.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth."  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 2]          I wish to call your attention especially to the commission which Christ gave to his disciples. He said, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost parts of the earth." But they were not fitted to present the gospel of Jesus to the world until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The commission Christ gave his disciples then, is our commission today. We are to be witnesses of him to the world; but we cannot impart Heaven's light, unless we have received it. We cannot reveal a Saviour of whom we have no knowledge.  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 3]         There are many who have a legal, casual faith. They have nominally accepted Christ as the Saviour of the world, but they have no evidence in their hearts that he is their personal Saviour, that he has forgiven their sins, that they have a living connection with God, the source of all light. You cannot teach others of Jesus and his righteousness, you cannot portray his matchless love, and the fullness of his grace, you cannot picture him as the Christian's all in all, as the comforter and guide of man, unless your own heart is filled with his love. You will not be able to present God as a God of compassion and love unless you can say, "I have tasted and know that the Lord is good."  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 4]          The fact that others receive blessings will not benefit your soul; unless you exercise faith in Christ on your own behalf, you will be unblessed. That others partake of food will not serve to nourish your physical strength, neither will it nourish your spiritual strength to see others rejoicing in God and his love. You yourselves must partake of the feast which your Saviour has provided. Every one of you must wash and be clean. But you say, How can I do this? Have you not told us we have no power of ourselves to cleanse our souls from one spot or stain of sin? Yes, I have told you this, and yet I say unto you, "Wash you, make you clean." God has provided a way of salvation at an infinite cost to Heaven. A fountain for sin and uncleanness has been opened for Judah and Jerusalem.  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 5]          The Father "gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." There are many who act as though Christ was the friend of men, but that the Father was their enemy. If this were so, would God have delivered his Son to death that man might have life? Jesus says, "I and my Father are one," Philip said to Christ, "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus turned to him and said, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet thou hast not known me Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 6]          Christ came into the world to do a special work. He did not come to originate truth. It was already originated. He did not come to set aside what patriarchs and prophets had spoken; for he himself had spoken through these representative men. He himself was the originator of truth. Every jewel of truth came from Christ. But these priceless gems had been placed in false settings. Their precious light had been made to minister to error. Men had taken them to adorn tradition and superstition. Christ came to take them out of the false settings of error and to put them into the framework of truth. He came from Heaven to give the world a correct representation of the Father. Through Satan's suggestions and temptations, the Father had been represented as a being of a stern and unforgiving nature. The Christian life had been represented altogether too much as a life of hardship and sorrow. God was pictured as a being who was watching with jealous eyes, spying the mistakes and errors of men that he might delight himself in punishing them by the severest discipline, and that there could be no peace or joy in his service, Satan clothed the Father in his own forbidding attributes of character. All this was a false representation, and Christ came to reveal the character of God, and the nature of his service.  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 7]          Christians misrepresent their heavenly Father when they go mourning and groaning, as though they were burdened with an enormous load, when their countenances are expressive of gloom and despondency, and the shadow encompasses their souls. But let them not think they are serving God in so doing; they are doing Satan's work in misrepresenting God and his service. They should go before the Father, and plead with him for a view of his goodness. They have lost sight of Jesus and his love. Let them go to Christ and study his character, for he came to represent the Father. Shall we receive Satan's misrepresentations of our God, and go on in discouragement, lacking peace and joy in the Holy Ghost? Shall we go on mistrusting our heavenly Father's love and doubting his goodness? What greater injury could we do to our children and our friends than to give them such false impressions of Christian life? It was at an infinite cost to the Father that man's salvation was purchased. The Father suffered with the Son to bring salvation within our reach. It is not his will that one soul should perish, but that all should come to repentance and receive eternal life. He has done all that it is possible to do to save fallen man. There was no other way by which man could be brought into harmony with his unchangeable law, save by the death of Christ. Christ became our surety, our sacrifice, Saviour, and example, and when all Heaven has been poured out to us in this gift of God, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 8]          How much we lose by doubting the love of God! Why do we not come boldly to a throne of grace, and by living faith lay hold of the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour? This must be an individual work. I cannot be saved by another's faith, nor can another be saved by my faith. Every soul must be saved by his own righteousness. Can we manufacture this righteousness? No. But Jesus has furnished it for us. When the sinner comes to him he takes his load of sin, and gives him his righteousness. The vilest sinner may claim all that was provided in the plan of salvation through the merits of Christ. He may have the attributes of the Saviour. He may go forth to tell of a living Saviour, and to win men to the truth; for he knows what it is to lay hold of Christ by living faith. He has taken the requisite steps in repentance, confession, and restitution, and he can teach others the way of salvation. He can present Christ as one who left his royal throne, who clothed his divinity with humanity that he might save fallen man. He can present him as one who was rich and yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. He can go without the camp, bearing his reproach. He is willing to deny self that others may be saved.  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 9]         Suppose that Christ had always remained in Heaven, there would have been no salvation for man; but he came from Heaven to represent the Father, to tell us of the glory and riches of eternity, and to save sinners by the sacrifice of himself. He died that we might live; that we might lay hold of his righteousness, and by faith claim his merits. Have you an experimental religion? Are you laborers together with God? Have you received the endowment of the Holy Spirit? Those who have received a knowledge of Christ cannot hold their peace. It is those who have not tasted the love of Jesus that can fold their hands in carnal security, and have no burdens for souls. It is those who are not laborers together with God.  {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, September 2, 1889 par. 10]          Those who are living branches of the True Vine, will seek to fulfill the commission of Christ, to be witnesses of him unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus has said, "Ye are the light of the world." Has God given you intellect? You should use it to his glory. You should connect yourself with him who is the source of all light, if you are to be a light in the world. Jesus has said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." When we come into straitened places, he will be with us. He will be at our right hand to uphold us. Those who keep a connection with God, may be as was Nehemiah in the king's court. One day the king asked him a question that involved consequences of the greatest importance to God's people, and Nehemiah felt his weakness and he darted up a prayer to Heaven. Help came to him in a moment. The very answer that was appropriate for the occasion was on his lips. It will be so with those who follow Christ. In a time of great need they will not be left to themselves. They can send up a prayer to Heaven, and God will provide the needed grace and wisdom. If we are to be laborers together with God, if we are to fulfill Christ's commission, we must come to the fountain of life. We must drink of the well of salvation ourselves, if we would refresh others. Brethren, let us open our hearts to Heaven's light, that we may be able to flash its bright rays on the pathway of others. Let us kindle our tapers at the divine altar, that we may be light-bearers in a world of spiritual darkness.                                                                   -    {ST, September 2, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 1]       September 9, 1889 The Simplicity of Faith.  ［AFTERNOON  TALK AT CHICAGO, APRIL 6, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew 7:7, 8.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 2]         There are many who do not understand the simplicity of faith. They make great efforts to understand how to exercise faith, and think they must have a transporting emotion, a joyful flight of feeling, or they have not faith. But if they had what they desire, it would not prove that they had faith. What is faith? It is simply taking God at his word; it is believing that God will do just as he has promised. We should be a far greater power of good than we now are, if we would comply with the conditions that God has laid down in his word, and trust him implicitly. It is our unbelief that brings us under the description the Spirit of God has given of the Laodicean church in its condition of lukewarmness. There is nothing more disgusting to our taste than tepid water, and from the use of this figure in describing our condition, we can understand how our want of faith and love, and our indifference, is regarded by the Lord.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 3]          All Heaven is looking upon us; we are a spectacle to the world,--to angels and to men. The angels expect a great deal more of us than we give, in view of what God has done for us. They have seen with amazement the infinite sacrifice that has been made by Christ to rescue us from the bondage of sin, and make it possible to elevate us through his own righteousness to a seat upon his throne. He has brought divine power within our reach through the merits of his blood. We may become partakers of the divine nature, and why should not Heaven look upon us with sorrow and disappointment to see that we are lukewarm in the service of God? We give our attention to the trivial affairs of earth, while the salvation of our souls is treated as a thing of secondary importance. God has given us power and ability to improve to the best account in his service. He has made it possible for us to lay hold of the arm of infinite power that we may be strong in his might. But with all these great gifts and superior privileges within our reach, why are we content to be inefficient in his service. We cannot work out our salvation unless we increase in faith and love.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 4]          A person will manifest all the faith he has. If he believes that we are really living in the last days, he will devote his time and talents to the service of God. He will not be satisfied to bury his capabilities in the earth, employing them to further the perishing interests of time. He will be seeking the power that God alone can give; and the matter of most importance to him will be to see that he has a living connection with Heaven, that he may do his duty to his fellow-men, and to his God. Day by day, and hour by hour, he will realize that he is to be a laborer together with God, a co- laborer with Jesus Christ.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 5]          All our powers are the gift of God. He has endowed us with reason, and he intends that we shall use this power that we may understand our situation and glorify him. If we use our abilities simply for the glorification of self, we are not fulfilling the will of God. God gave Nebuchadnezzar his reason, but the king used his ability to exalt himself. He walked about in the great city, and said, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" He forgot the honor of God, and God removed his reason, and he was sent out to dwell with the beasts of the field, to eat grass as an ox. The relation of this experience of Nebuchadnezzar is to show us what a man will become if God removes his precious endowment of reason. God can take away the powers of the mind, and leave nothing in the breast of a man but the instinct of a beast of the field.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 6]          The Lord desires that we should do our best. He desires us to so exert the powers of mind that he has given us that we may reach the high standard of the law of God. He wants us to keep his law as the apple of our eye. Heaven is interested in every individual soul, because each one of us has been purchased by the precious blood of Christ. We are Christ's property. Says the apostle: "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 7]          Heaven is doing all that is possible to do, that we may obtain the victory, and work out our salvation while God is working in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. It is our privilege so to live that we may be elevated to the throne of God, that Christ may look upon the redeemed, and see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 8]          Will the talents that God has given you here, glorify him in the world to come? It rests with you to decide. God has stated the conditions upon which you may be saved in his kingdom. Says the Saviour: "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." If you fulfill these conditions through the grace of Christ, you will behold the matchless charms of the King in his beauty, you will see the attractions of heaven, you will realize at last what is "the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" that will be given to the overcomer. Will you have the eternal riches that are reserved in heaven for those who are kept by the power of God through faith? This is the question that each one will have to decide for himself.  {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, September 9, 1889 par. 9]          If we come to God, feeling our nothingness, feeling that we are helpless without Christ, feeling that we must have the power that God alone can give, we shall not be disappointed. Will God give us a stone if we ask for bread? No; he will satisfy our wants from his abundant fullness. Jesus has brought within our reach the power of earth and heaven. He has clothed his divinity with humanity. He came to our earth as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, that we might know the blessing of endless joy in his everlasting kingdom. Ought we not to give to God all that he requires of us? If you have tasted the blessedness of peace and joy in believing, do your best to bring others to the fountain of living waters from which you have drunk. Lift up Jesus. His blood has bought us. He pleads in our behalf. It is Christ who will clothe us with his righteousness.                                                                   -    {ST, September 9, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 1]       September 16, 1889 Christ's Burden is Light.  ［SERMON AT  CHICAGO, Ill., APRIL 6, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 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? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by." Zechariah 3:1-5.  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 2]          Satan is ever ready to offer resistance to the work that Christ is willing to do for the souls of men. Jesus asks, "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Have I not chosen this people for myself? Although they have transgressed, the command is given, "Take away the filthy garments." This will be said concerning every soul that truly repents of sin, and believes in Christ. The righteousness of Christ will be imparted unto him. Christ came to bring divine power to man, to clothe him in his righteousness. He says, "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." He knows us by name. He knows all our trials and sorrows. He has wept and prayed, and he knows how to succor everyone who mourns. Satan will tell you that you cannot hope in God's mercy; that you are too great a sinner to be saved. But you should tell him that Jesus has said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 3]          When Christ bowed on the banks of Jordan, he offered up a prayer in behalf of humanity, and heaven was opened unto him, and the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove of burnished gold, and encircled his form, and a voice came from heaven which said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." What did this mean? It meant that heaven was opened to the petitions of humanity. When Jesus died on Calvary, the Father accepted the sacrifice, and humanity was exalted in the scale of moral worth with God, because Christ had become a partaker of humanity, and had undertaken its redemption.  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 4]          The proclamation of Christ on the cross, "It is finished," tells you that you are prisoners of hope. There are many who idolize feeling. But your hope is not founded upon feeling; it is founded on the word of God. Has not God given you abundant evidences of his love? I point you to Calvary. The light of the cross should dispel every doubt from your mind. God loves you, and he wants to save you. You should cling to the Mighty One, and lay hold on the merit of a crucified and risen Saviour. He is your perfection. He has brought you his righteousness at an infinite cost. Will you accept it?  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 5]          We should talk faith, and educate the soul to praise God. Says the apostle, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." While you appreciate the love of God, you will have living faith. You must climb up by Christ; he is the ladder. We could not scale the battlements of heaven were it not for the fact that Christ is the ladder. The base of the ladder rests upon the earth, and the top reaches into the highest heavens. The base of this divine ladder touches the earth. If it had stopped one inch short of that, humanity could never have reached the first round; but it is the goodness of God that leadeth you to repentance, and the grace and mercy of God shines down on every round, for God is above the ladder. Its topmost round reaches into the heaven of heavens. The light of God's love brightens the whole length of the ladder, and every step upward is a step toward him. When we are mounting this ladder, we are on our way to the mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for those that love him. Says the apostle, "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."  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 6]          We should weave faith into all our religious experience. We should lift up our souls, and talk of the glory of God. How many there are who get into a strain of sadness, and talk in a hopeless way. What is the matter?--Satan has been misrepresenting the character of God to them. He has cast his shadow athwart their pathway, and, instead of talking faith, they have talked doubt. They have magnified the power of the enemy, and have become discouraged. When you feel darkness coming upon you, why not talk of the power of him who is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace? Why not say, "I have a mighty Saviour. My faith is fixed on him; it is entwined about Christ. He is my hope and righteousness;" and if you do this, it will not be long before your lips will speak forth the praises of God.  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 7]          We should seek to understand the truth of heavenly origin. Christ is the author of truth, and he intends that we shall understand its principles. But how many say, We have read the Bible, and we cannot understand this or that, and therefore we reject the whole of it. Why is it that they cannot understand some part of the truth?--It is because they seek to interpret the word of God according to their own preconceived opinions. There are others who read the Bible only to prove their own position, and to bend everything according to their own way of thinking. He who cherishes error, has no one to blame but himself; for he who seeks diligently for truth will find it, and be sanctified through it. We should desire to know the truth in every point. The understanding is to be sanctified through the knowledge of the truth. We should desire to see its beauty, and to have its precious light shining upon our pathway.  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 8]          Satan would have our minds belittled by contact with trivial things. The mind that feeds upon common thoughts, will be a common mind; but if it is carried up to the height of eternal things, the things of eternity will become full of interest, and the mind will be elevated and ennobled. Our physical being is composed of what we eat, and our spiritual nature is also composed of what it feeds upon. If you allow the mind to dwell upon common things, it will be of a common order. If you are here as pilgrims and strangers, you will talk of the country to which you are traveling. You will act as though you expected to dwell there. The mine of truth has been left to us to explore, and how shall we know what are its hidden treasures unless we dig in its depths? We must search as a miner searches for gems in the earth. There is nothing that can give us greater breadth of mind than the daily study of God's word. We should wrestle with the difficult problems of the Scriptures. The divine Teacher will help you in the study of truth. The angels will be at your side to aid you to understand its principles and appropriate its promises.  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 9]          Let us fill memory's hall with beautiful pictures of divine things. Why is it that we talk so much of the commonplace affairs of life? We should have a more elevated conversation. Says the apostle, "Be ye holy in all manner of conversation." If we should obey this injunction, it would place us on vantage ground. Let us talk of the hope of immortality, and seek to win others to Christ. We should not act as though we were bearing a grievous yoke when we seek to fulfill the requirements of God. Jesus says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Our Saviour is not in Joseph's new tomb. He is risen, and has ascended up on high, where he ever liveth to make intercession for us.  {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, September 16, 1889 par. 10]          Let us talk of the blessed eternal inheritance that is reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. As you dwell upon heavenly things, you will become assimilated to the divine. Shall we not honor God? Shall we not seek to educate all within the sphere of our influence to honor him? If we ever join the song of the redeemed above, we must begin to sing the song here. If we would fill the vault of heaven with rich music, we must learn the notes of praise below. Talk not to me of earth; for my eyes have looked upon the King in his beauty, and it is the greatest and most glorious work to honor God. Let me be little and unknown, but let my name have a place in the Lamb's book of life, and be immortalized among the heavenly host. I want to praise God with an immortal tongue. No mortal language can describe the glory of Heaven. We should let the theme of God's love absorb the whole mind and attention. We should make a life-long effort to seek by patient continuance in well-doing, for immortality and eternal glory. I want to receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, when the faithful people of God receive their crowns of life. When we catch a little glimpse of the glory of God, our hearts are filled with inexpressible joy. We must look away from self to Jesus, for he has provided that we may have joy and peace in the Holy Ghost; and as we behold the matchless charms of Christ, we shall be changed into the same image.                                                                   -    {ST, September 16, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 1]       September 23, 1889 The Unchangeable Character of  the Law.  ［SERMON AT CHICAGO, ILL., APRIL 9, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When Christ cried out from the cross, "It is finished," all Heaven triumphed. The controversy between Christ and Satan in regard to the execution of the plan of salvation was ended. The spirit of Satan and his works had taken deep root in the affections of the children of men; but the holy angels were horror-stricken that one of their number could fall so far as to be capable of such cruelty as had been manifested toward the Son of God on Calvary. Every sentiment of pity and sympathy which they had ever felt for Satan in his exile was quenched in their hearts. That his envy should be manifested in such a revenge upon an innocent person was enough to strip him of his assumed robe of celestial light, and to reveal the hideous deformity beneath; but to manifest such malignity toward the divine Son of God, who had with unprecedented self-denial and love for the creatures formed in his image, come from heaven and assumed their fallen nature, was such a heinous crime against Heaven that it caused the angels to shudder with horror, and severed the last tie of sympathy existing between Satan and the heavenly world.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 2]          When Christ died on Calvary's cross, he exclaimed in his expiring agony, "It is finished;" and Satan knew that he had been defeated in his purpose to overthrow the plan of salvation. When the Son of God came forth from Joseph's sepulcher, a triumphant conqueror over death, and broke the fetters of the tomb, he led forth the captives that Satan had bound in the grave. He presented to the world a sample of the great resurrection day, when all who have fallen asleep in Jesus shall be raised to a glorious immortality. They shall come forth from their graves at the trump of God, and shall ascend to the city of God, and see the King in his beauty.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 3]          When Christ cried, "It is finished," the great sacrifice was complete. Satan and his angels were uprooted from the affection of the universe. Satan had taken such a course of deception that the angels of heaven had been in doubt of his real character. God moves in a straightforward course. It was impossible for God to lie; but Satan was as crooked as a serpent. All Heaven rejoiced when Christ rose from the dead. He had power to bind the strong man, and to despoil him of his goods.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 4]          We should behold Christ and his matchless charms. We should accept him as our righteousness. He came to exalt the law of God. He took upon him our nature that he might reach man in his fallen condition. His death exalts the law of God, and presents to the universe and to the world the law of God as changeless in its character. The transgression of the law could be forgiven only through the sacrifice of the Son of God. There are many who claim to believe that the death of Christ releases men from the obligation of obeying the divine precepts; but this is Satan's masterpiece of falsehood. One time when I was traveling to Oregon on a steamer, a number of persons collected upon the hurricane deck, just outside of my state-room, the door of my room being open. A Baptist minister was talking to them concerning the law. After a while he said: "Mrs. White is on board, and she is a great stickler for the law. She says that no one can be saved except through keeping the law. She places all our salvation on the perfect keeping of the law." After he had misrepresented me and the Seventh-day Adventists for some time, I went to him and said: "Elder B., Mrs. White is here to speak for herself. I have listened to your words, and will assure you that Mrs. White believes no such thing. There is no quality in law to save the transgressor. It was because the law was broken, and there was nothing but death before the sinner, that He who was equal with the Father, came to earth and took upon him the garb of humanity. It was because of man's sin that Christ stepped down from the royal throne, laid aside his royal robe, and clothed his divinity with humanity. He came to bring to man moral power, to unite the fallen race with himself, that through faith in Jesus Christ we may become partakers of the divine nature, and escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Says the apostle, 'Sin is the transgression of the law.' But Christ was manifested to take away sin, to save his people from their sins. The soul that believes in Christ may be cleansed from all defilement, and, through the grace of Christ, may be restored to divine favor.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 5]          "The law points to Christ, and every transgression of the law can be atoned for only by the blood of the Son of God. The law is like a mirror, to reveal to man his defects of character, but there is nothing in the law that will remedy the defects it points out. Paul declares: 'I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.' Why did he preach repentance toward God?-- Because man had broken the law of God, and therefore was not in harmony with God. Why did he preach faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ?--Because Christ had died on Calvary, and had opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in, and be cleansed.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 6]          "But while Jesus died for the sins of men, he did not abolish one tittle of the law. He said in the sermon on the mount, 'Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 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."  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 7]          "We are saved through the merit of the blood of Christ, but Christ's righteousness does not cover the sin of transgressing God's law, without repentance. We must do all in our power to keep the commandments of God, and then he will impute unto us his righteousness, because we believe in Christ and seek to obey the divine law. This is the reason that Christ came to this world, that he might bring his righteousness to man, that man might lay hold of his strength, and make peace with God. God accepts the efforts of man to keep the law, because Christ imputes his righteousness to him. We could not keep the law in our own strength.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 8]          "The death of Christ is an unanswerable argument that demonstrates the unchangeable character of the law of God. If God could have changed one precept of his law, then Christ need not have died."  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 9]          I said to the minister, "Did you ever hear me speak?" He answered that he had not. "In the thousands of pages I have written, have you ever read anything to the effect that I believe the law will save us?" He answered, "No." "Then why have you made the statements which you have? I hope you will not repeat them again."  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 10]          After this talk, the minister took his party to the other side of the boat, but what I had said did not influence him to discontinue his false statements.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 11]          The apostle John says, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." We need not expect to be highly esteemed by the world, for the world did not esteem Christ. But the fact that we are not esteemed by the world is no reason why we should drape memory's hall with mourning, and fill it with dark pictures. Let us remember constantly that Christ gave his life for us; that although the world knoweth us not, he loves us with infinite love. We should talk of his matchless love. Let us not have any doleful tales to tell. The Bible is full of the rich promises of God. Let us behold the Saviour; for by beholding, we shall become changed.  {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, September 23, 1889 par. 12]          If we look at the disagreeable side, if we gather up doubts, we shall have doubts, we shall sow doubts, and reap a harvest of darkness. We should lie low at the foot of the cross. Let us not utter one word of unbelief. The enemy may bring about a train of circumstances that will influence our feelings, but we should not let this discourage us; we must live by faith. "Our light affliction, 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; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." We are to look away from earth, to breathe in the atmosphere of heaven. If we continually dwell in the atmosphere of earth's cares, we shall find our spiritual life dying out; but if we uplift our thoughts to heaven and heavenly things, we shall realize that our spiritual life is renewing and growing stronger day by day. If we follow on to know the Lord, we shall know that his goings forth are prepared as the morning.                                                                   -    {ST, September 23, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 1]       September 30, 1889 How to Glorify God.  ［SERMON AT  CHICAGO, ILL., APRIL 8, 1889.］  -  Mrs. E. G. White  -         Through all our trials we should think of the plan of salvation, we should educate the soul to exercise faith in Christ and to render praise to God. Christ suffered reproach. He was reviled and rejected of men. They even said that he had a devil, but he did not shrink from the cross of suffering, and we should not murmur at the self-sacrificing part of religion. All Heaven is interested in the trying of our souls, the whole universe is interested to see how we shall bear the cross and endure the shame. You are to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. God does not work with man without his co-operation. Divine power will combine with human effort, and enable you to successfully meet the enemy of your souls. In Christ you must meet every difficulty; and if others do not sympathize with your ideas, you must not wound them by enmity, but press close to the bleeding side of your Saviour.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 2]          If you have doubts, you should not gratify the evil one by telling others concerning them. If you trust in Christ, as surely as he died on Calvary's cross, you will obtain the victory. It was living faith that caused the woman who had suffered under disease for years to touch the hem of Christ's garment. This is the faith that we must have, and then we shall not speak of our trials and conflicts; for through them all, we shall have joy unspeakable and full of glory. Jesus has said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." We should unfurl the banner of the Prince of Peace, and in perplexity and sorrow we must not lose sight of Him who is mighty to save.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 3]          Jesus came to this earth, marred and seared by the curse, for the purpose of bringing moral power to men. He fought the battle in man's behalf in the wilderness of temptation, and it was the same battle that everyone of us must fight till the close of time. Christ was not overcome in this conflict. He who worked miracles for others, worked none for himself. He had clothed his divinity with humanity, and he had come to bring divine power to man. He met the enemy at every step with "It is written." He used the word of God to thwart the temptations of the evil one. This is where our safety lies. We should study the word of God, and be so filled with it, that we can meet the enemy of our souls with "It is written," as did our example. Then we could hope for the grace that God has promised, to enable us to be overcomers. You should be full of hope in the work of the Lord. A discouraged man cannot glorify God. Whatever you do, you should not lose your hope and faith. When you become discouraged it is an evidence that you have allowed the enemy to come in between your soul and God. You must lay hold of the hope set before you, and you will come off victorious, and be ready to sing the praises of God.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 4]          When Christ came to this world, he found that Satan had everything as he wanted it. The adversary of God and man thought that he was indeed the prince of the earth, but Jesus laid hold of the world to take it out of the power of Satan. He came to redeem it from the curse of sin and the penalty of transgression, that the transgressor might be forgiven. He planted the cross between earth and heaven, and between divinity and humanity; and as the Father beheld the cross, he was satisfied. He said, "It is enough, the offering is complete." God and man may be reconciled. Those who have lived in rebellion against God, may become reconciled, if as they see the cross, they become repentant, and accept the great propitiation that Christ has made for their sins. In the cross they see that "mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 5]          We do not appreciate the love of God as we should. When God gave his Son to die for the sins of men, he gave all Heaven in that one gift. There was nothing that God could withhold from humanity after giving up his beloved Son; for Christ himself had assumed humanity. He was made a child that he might understand the temptations of childhood, and know its weaknesses and be able to help the children to be overcomers. He passed from youth to manhood, and carried our griefs and bore our sorrows. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. When we come to him in sincerity pleading for pardon, he forgives. We need not wait to make ourselves acceptable; for we can never. We cannot do works that will commend us to God when we have sinned. We must come to the cross, and lay our burden of sin upon Jesus Christ, and believe that we are pardoned for Christ's sake who died for us. When we acknowledge our sin, and seek pardon through Christ, the law is exalted. It is the moral standard of God, and tells us what sin is. Says John, "Sin is the transgression of the law." Those who have sinned must hang their helpless souls on Christ.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 6]          You should place your will on the side of God's will. You cannot be overcome of the enemy unless you press positive resistance against God's will. We can be more than conquerors through faith in him who has loved us and given himself for us. When you come to God, you must come with confidence. When Satan presses upon your soul his temptations to doubt that God will have mercy in your case, you should press back his suggestions with the promises of God. Our heavenly Father has expressed his love for us individually in the cross of Calvary. The Father loves us, he is full of compassion and tender mercy.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 7]          Jesus came to this earth to represent the character of the Father to the world. He said, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." Satan had misrepresented the character of God, and placed him in a false light. But Jesus came to reveal the Father's love and compassion toward the fallen children of men. When those who profess to be the servants of God draw down their countenances in gloom, and are ever complaining, they misrepresent their heavenly Father. They are confirming the impression that Satan has made concerning his character. They say to the world, "The service of God is a hard service. It is bondage to keep the law of God." This is all false. What is it that puts the shackles on men's wrists? Is it obedience to law? No, indeed. Those who keep the laws walk at liberty. It is the transgressor that is in bondage. The curse of the law is not upon those who are striving to fulfill God's holy precepts through faith in the Redeemer. They are covered with his righteousness. They are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 8]          How wrong it is for those who profess to be engaged in the service of God, to dishonor God by misrepresenting his service. The Lord has proclaimed himself as "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." Will we believe this declaration of his character? He says again, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God; for he will abundantly pardon."  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 9]          How long we have resisted the pleading of the Spirit of God! How long he has borne with us! We would not bear such resistance as we have made against him. But he says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." "As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him." It is because the Lord is not like one of us that he can forgive sins when we come to him with repentance. Satan tries to discourage every soul that seeks to come to God. He will tell you that you are a sinner, unworthy of the love of God. And you can tell him that you know it, but that you have repented of your transgressions and by faith you depend upon the merits of the blood of Christ, and the mercy of God is for you. Reach over the doubts that he suggests to your mind, and grasp the promise of God. Tell your enemy that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 10]          The followers of Jesus should be living stones in the temple of God, so that they may emit light to those around them. They should work with a cheerful heart to show forth the praises of Him who has called them out of darkness into his marvelous light. They should seek to unfold to men the glories of the law of liberty. If they go forth to labor for God with a gloomy countenance, and despondent heart, they will not accomplish anything that will glorify their Redeemer; for their attitude of doubt will destroy the effect of their words. The conflict is coming on the law of God in the world. Satan carries on the same warfare from age to age against the precepts of Jehovah. The sinner hates the law because it points out his shortcoming, and he tramples upon it in derision.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 11]          Those who profess to love God should search the Scriptures diligently, for they cannot afford to be found transgressors of the law. The time is coming when no one will be able to render an excuse to God for disobedience to his law. There are those who say now that they cannot keep the commandments of God. They excuse themselves from obedience to the fourth commandment because of business, or their family, or social relations. But these excuses will not be found to avail in the day of God. They will not stand the test of the judgment.  {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, September 30, 1889 par. 12]          Christ left the royal throne, he stepped down from his high command in the heavenly courts, and for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty, might be made rich; and what answer can be framed before him for trampling on the holy law of God? When God gave his Son, he made provision in him for every emergency connected with man's salvation; and in the day of reward and meeting out the penalty for transgression, every mouth will be stopped, and all the world will become guilty before God. But of those who have obeyed the precepts of heaven, Jesus says, "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." Do you want to enter into the city of God? Christ has stated the condition upon which you may enter. It may seem to you now that commandment-keepers are in the minority; but it will not seem so when the gates of the heavenly city swing back on their glittering hinges. God is on the side of those who obey him. God is a majority. Christ is on their side, the angels of heaven are on their side, and all the good are on their side. The doers of the law of God are in the majority. They have access to the power that the world cannot give or take away. Let us not exalt Satan by dwelling upon his power. Let us talk of the power of God. Let us think of the King in his beauty. Let us behold Christ, and by beholding, become changed into his divine image.                                                                   -    {ST, September 30, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 1]       October 14, 1889 The Work of God's People  ［SERMON AT CHICAGO,  APRIL 9, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 2]         We should take heed that we do not make a mistake in this life that can never be remedied either here or in eternity. It is the purpose of your heavenly Father that his servants should carry the truth to all nations, but it is the design of the enemy to fasten their affection on the things of this life, and so thwart the purpose of God. There was a great work to be done after the ascension of Christ, but the disciples did not comprehend this fact. After the crucifixion they were placed in a situation of peculiar sorrow and trial. They had lost their Master, and were in despair, unable to understand why he should be taken from them.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 3]         While two of the disciples were journeying toward Emmaus, talking sadly of what had occurred, a stranger drew near and joined them as they toiled up and down the hills from Jerusalem to their place of abode. The stranger asked, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" They were surprised that he should ask such a question, and said, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive."  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 4]         "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." The disciples were not able to believe the testimony of the women at the sepulcher. Their hearts were filled with unbelief and disappointment. Though Jesus had told them while he was yet with them that he would suffer these very things, all his words were forgotten in the hour of trial; but when this stranger showed from the prophecies the relation of these events to the Sacred Word, they were filled with new hope. Light began to break upon their minds, and when they came to their journey's end, they insisted that the stranger should abide with them. He entered their dwelling at their urgent invitation, and as they sat at meat, as he lifted up his hands, they saw the print of the nails, and recognized their risen Lord. As they rose to greet him, he vanished from their sight.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 5]         Then they began to talk of their experience as he talked with them by the way, and they said, "Did not our heart burn within us?" But the disciples were not content to enjoy this great blessing alone. They felt that they must hasten back over the rough way to communicate the good news to those who were bowed down in sorrow and disappointment. How is it with us? Do we feel this interest in others? When we have found some precious jewel in the mine of truth, are we content to keep it to ourselves? We cannot do this, if Christ is with us. If we have found the field that contains the treasure, we shall want everybody to rejoice with us.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 6]         The disciples went back the way they had come, but the distance did not seem long as they talked of their hope. They hastened through the streets of Jerusalem to the upper chamber where the disciples were wont to gather. They knew just where to find them. They had also heard the reports of the women, but they did not believe them to be true, and now these two others come to add their testimony to the certainty of Christ's resurrection. The disciples from Emmaus told over all the circumstances of their meeting with Jesus, and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread. They declared that though their hopes had been buried with Christ, they now believed that he would indeed reign on the throne of David. And while they were uttering these words of faith, Jesus himself stood among them, and said, "Peace be unto you." Those hands that were uplifted in blessing, were the same hands that had been pierced upon the cross. He unfolded to their minds the prophecies concerning his life and death and resurrection. He took up the Old Testament and confirmed it by the facts that are now recorded in the New Testament. He proved to the disciples that he was indeed the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 7]         Christ did on this occasion just as he desires us to do now. We are to show that the specifications of prophecy have been fulfilled in the history of the world. In the light of the prophetic word the disciples did not have the least reason for unbelief, for all had come to pass according to the Scriptures. We should take the Old Testament to explain the New Testament, and the New Testament to reflect light into the Old. The typical service pointed forward to Christ, and in him type met antitype. The disciples were to carry on this very work, for they were to go forth to teach all nations that the Messiah had come.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 8]         When Jesus spoke to them of the work that they must do, and how the Holy Ghost should come upon them, they asked, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" He told them that a great work was to be accomplished before he should reign on the throne of David. He said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The disciples were to begin their work where he had sown the seeds of truth. Multitudes had heard his words, and believed them, but they did not have the moral courage to acknowledge him as their Saviour, lest they should be turned out of the synagogue. When the Holy Ghost was poured out, the seed that Christ had sowed blossomed and ripened into fruit. Courage and hope inspired the disciples, and they were ready to go to the uttermost part of the earth to proclaim a risen Saviour. The early disciples accomplished their work, and from age to age, men have been raised up to carry forward the gospel. Advanced light has shone upon every succeeding generation, and today we are nearer the great white throne, we are nearer the consummation of the Christian's hope, than ever a people were before. We have more distinct views of Jesus than any have had before.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 9]         Is it not appropriate to read this text at this time, "Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal"? How many are laying up their treasures upon the earth. I have known those who professed to love God, and yet who would add field to field and place to place, and the more they accumulated, the less willing they were to give to the cause of Christ. I dare not ask for property. I do not know how I would bear the test. I do not want anything here on which to place my heart. I want my treasure in heaven. I once knew a woman whose husband was a drunkard, and she was obliged to wash for a living. She used to wish that she had riches so that she could help the cause. And the Lord tested her with riches, but she did not remember the cause of God. She built a fine house, and furnished it with every luxury. She added land to land, and kept promising herself that she would give to the cause as soon as she had accomplished this or that. I visited her.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 10]         One of her sons was intemperate and wild. I said, "You should give your means to God while you can. You do not know what may happen. Don't wait. It will prove a perfect loss to you if you do, for you will be tested again with poverty, if you cling to your earthly possessions." She promised that she would give to the cause. She said she meant to do it, but she never gave anything. She became a poor woman, poorer even than she had been in the beginning. When she died, she had nothing to leave to the cause of Christ. It is much safer to be tested with poverty than with wealth; but if God gives you riches, he intends that you shall use them for his glory, to save souls for whom Christ has died. God has given us all that we have, and we should not consider that it is ours at all. All we enjoy is ours, only because of the righteousness of Christ. We should say, "All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own do we give unto thee." We should not rob God, but let his means flow into the treasury.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 11]         Says the prophet, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." If we have robbed God, we should repent and make restitution as far as it lies in our power. If we had faith in God, we should see that we are only stewards of his means. You should mix faith with your prayers, and come up to God's requirement, that he may open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that you shall not be able to receive. As soon as you humble your heart before God, he will fill you with his Spirit and power. How do you expect sinners to be converted unless you do something to place the light of truth before them? You are to "lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven." You should put your treasure in an unfailing bank, into bags that wax not old.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, October 14, 1889 par. 12]         We read of disciples who, although they were poor, sent a contribution by the hand of Paul to distribute for the necessity of the poor saints at Jerusalem. Oh, that selfishness might all go out of our hearts! We should let our sympathies go out to the precious souls for whom Christ has died. I would not be deprived of doing something in the work of salvation, for all this world can afford. Christ left the royal throne, he clothed his divinity with humanity, he came to a world all marred and ［scarred］ by the curse, to rescue lost humanity, to rescue you and me. Oh, I want my heart exercised to carry on the work that he has left for me to do. I want to see the gospel preached to perishing souls. I want an interest in everything that is started for the advancement of the cause of Christ. Every one of us can do something, and we must come up to the responsibility that has been placed upon us. If we do this, we shall see every soul melted into tenderness and humility before God.  {ST, October 14, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 1]      October 21, 1889 The Service of Love.  ［MORNING TALK AT  STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, JUNE 27, 1886.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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."  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 2]          Those who are looking and waiting for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, will purify their hearts. They will realize that they must make continual progress in the divine life, that they must have a daily increasing faith, so as to be able to overcome.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 3]          We have no right to study our own pleasure and convenience; for we have been bought with a price, even with the life of the Son of God, therefore we should glorify God in our bodies, and in our spirits, which are his. Our Saviour has given to every man his work, and it is for each one to do his work to the very best of his ability. It is not for us to overlook the duties that lie directly in our pathway; but in the fear and love of God we must take them up in order, and the blessing of God will abide upon us. You should let your light shine before those who are in darkness. How carefully you should walk before those who do not have a knowledge of the truth, that you may recommend it to them. Our work does not end in simply living an exemplary life in a passive way; we are to work aggressively, and follow up our work with prayer, that God may prosper our efforts. If we do this we shall be as lights in the world. We need living faith, that we may take God at his word; for there is a battle for every soul to fight and it must be fought manfully, or we shall never see the city of God. Lack of faith has been manifested by the professed people of God in every age, and even at the present time the same want of faith is apparent.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 4]          When God sought to lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, they manifested lack of faith by fearing the result of leaving the bondage of Pharaoh. When they came up to the Red Sea, with mountains on either side, and the armies of their enemies in their rear, they forgot how God had wrought for them with mighty signs and wonders, and they allowed unbelief to control their minds. They began to accuse the Lord, and to blame Moses for bringing them out of Egypt into the wilderness; but God commanded them to go forward, and when their feet touched the waters in obedience to his word, the sea opened before them and they passed through it on dry land. Our greatest need today is an increase of faith. We may be bound about by circumstances that make it seem impossible to advance, but if we do the best we can, the Lord will open the way before us.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 5]         The Lord does not propose to do that which we can do ourselves. He will educate us to do his work, and as we go forth to his service, he will work mightily with our efforts. God claims our talents, he requires that they shall be employed in his service. A portion of our substance is the Lord's also, and if we render him his just dues, he will recognize the offering and commend our course. He does not estimate the value of our gifts to his cause by their amount in money, he looks upon our motives. It is the heart service that makes the gift valuable. When we fulfill our obligations in faith, we shall not rob God even in little things, but we shall bear every responsibility that he places upon us to his glory.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 6]          When the Majesty of Heaven became a babe, and was intrusted to Mary, she did not have much to offer for the precious gift; but when she brought her two doves to the altar, they were received as an acceptable offering to the Lord. She could not offer the rare treasure that the wise men came to Bethlehem to lay before the Son of God, and yet the mother of Jesus was not rejected because of the smallness of her gift. It was the willingness of her heart that the Lord looked upon, and her love made her offering sweet.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 7]          Everyone who will do his best, to the utmost of his ability, will find that God will open ways before him. Everyone who will put his talents out to the exchangers will find that they will increase. We should ever remember that Christ for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich, and in faith and love we should act well our part. Let us show by our actions that we believe that we are responsible to God for the best use of our talents. In return for his mercies and blessings, let us render to him all he claims, and his favor will rest upon us.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 8]          I love Jesus, and I must plead with him that I may have more of his Spirit. God is willing to bless us, and he wants us to have a part in his kingdom. As we go out to labor for souls, our hearts should go up to God in gratitude and love for his rich blessing which he has so bountifully bestowed upon us. Let us all make it a principle that we will serve God through all time. Let us not neglect secret prayer. Let us meditate much on the goodness of our God, and on that love that has been manifested toward us in the gift of Christ. In our association with one another in public or in private life, may we ever seek to breathe an influence that will tell on the side of truth. We should grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, October 21, 1889 par. 9]          Let us show by our works how much we value the truth and the souls of our fellowmen. Let us be diligent, sincere, and faithful. Let us trade with the talents that God has bestowed upon us, and intrusted to us as his stewards, and if we work with disinterested, self-sacrificing effort, the Lord will bless us, and by and by we shall have a glorious reward, even eternal life.                                                                   -    {ST, October 21, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 1]       October 28, 1889 A Peculiar People.  ［SERMON IN  COPENHAGEN, OCTOBER 12, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E.G. White.  -         "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 2]          In these words is presented before us the work that is required of every follower of Christ. Through the grace of Christ we are to perfect a Christian character. We must not think that we can wait until Christ comes, and that he will then give us the necessary virtue and grace. It is in this life that we are to represent Christ. He gave himself for us that he might cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 3]          We are not to continue in sin that grace may abound; we are to cease from transgression. The love of Christ manifested in the infinite sacrifice which he has made in Calvary, is without a parallel. It is sincere, devoted, measureless, and meets the emergency of the sinner's case, awakening in the heart of those who receive it, respect and reverence for the holy law of God. In the light reflected from Calvary, the law is seen to be holy, just, and good. It cost the life of the Son of God to pay the debt of transgression which the sinner had incurred. It is when the sinner has a realization of the offensive character of sin, a realization to some extent of what it cost the Son of God to redeem him, to give him another trial and probation, that his heart is filled with love and gratitude, and an earnest faith awakens that works by love and purifies the soul. This faith and love will be seen in the soul of him who is truly converted to God; and he who experiences the love of God, will ever feel humiliation and repentance for past transgression. If Christ had to make so great a sacrifice, if he had to endure such sufferings because of my sin, shall I not bow in humility, and regret that I have inflicted such grief upon his divine soul? Shall I not fear lest I shall crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame? The soul who appreciates the precious gift of salvation will ever behold Christ dying upon the cross, and the language of that soul will be the language of unselfish sorrow that he has ever committed sin to so wound the Son of God. I shall always grieve that I have sinned, and have cost the Man of Calvary so great anguish. I look upon him whom I have pierced, and I mourn that I have transgressed the law of God. When we have a proper appreciation of the sacrifice that has been made in our behalf, we shall not plead for the privilege of continuing in transgression. We shall put away sin, and our hard hearts will melt under the amazing love of Christ for our souls.  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 4]          With correct views of Jesus, we cannot allow our affections to be placed upon earth and earthly things, but we shall center them upon heaven and heavenly things. The hours of probation that are granted us here, are very precious hours; and we are to take heed unto ourselves, lest at any time our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and the day of God come upon us unawares. If Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, we shall ever keep in view the fact that he is soon coming; and when we consider the infinite sacrifice that has been made in our behalf, we shall have respect unto the recompense of reward.  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 5]          If we are thinking soberly, if we are living righteously, we shall have a good influence over those that are associated with us; for we shall be breathing in the atmosphere of heaven. And we should think soberly; for we are not here to bless ourselves only, but as sinners and debtors to God, we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and help others that they, too, may be saved. If we would have the Lord purify us unto himself, we must do on our part all that we can that iniquity may be removed from us. We must have a living experience with Christ; and if we love God, we shall want to talk of him to others, and lead them to the fountain of life.  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 6]          It may look like a discouraging task to seek to present the truth in a large city like this, when there are so few to engage in the work. But if there is only one to lift up the banner of truth, a great work may be done. Isn't it something that there is one scattering the divine rays of truth? If there is only one to go to work, let him begin, and let his light shine; and if he walks in the light, he will leave a bright track heavenward. God has given us our intellect that we may use it for him. With all our powers of mind, we should exalt the standard of holiness, exemplifying the truth by our own piety and integrity, and thus we shall teach others how to glorify God.  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 7]          There are many who desire to forget God; but these will not inherit eternal life. It will be those who walk in harmony with his divine precepts, that God will save in his kingdom. They will often have to endure trial and suffer affliction, but they must remember Jesus, the Lord of Glory, who was supreme over all. He was self-sacrificing. He suffered the loss of all things, that he might bring eternal life within our reach. And he has said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 8]          The lawyer who came to Jesus, asked: "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live." Here are stated the conditions of eternal life; but if you are setting your affections on the things of this life, if you are not loving God with all the heart and your neighbor as yourself, you are not fulfilling these conditions, and cannot expect that you will be saved unless you repent and turn to God with all the soul.  {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, October 28, 1889 par. 9]          I have spent the last forty years of my life in the service of God, and my only regret is that I have not given every hour of my life to his work. I feel that it is my duty to have every power of my being devoted to him. I often wish that the curtain which separates heaven from earth could be swept back, and that we might behold the glories of the eternal world, and have a more vivid sense of the great sacrifice made for man; that we might understand more fully what high claims heaven has upon us. Says the apostle, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."                            (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, October 28, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 1]       November 4, 1889 A Peculiar People.  ［SERMON IN  COPENHAGEN, OCTOBER 12, 1885.］  -  By Mrs E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         All Heaven is interested in our salvation, and I would that our minds were spiritualized, that we might fully realize this great fact. Although Christians will experience trials and difficulties, they should be the happiest people on the earth; for if they are obedient children, they can address God as their Father and Friend. "As a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." God has a deep interest in those who are striving to obey his precepts.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 2]          Although the children of God may at times be placed in situations that are trying and full of sorrow, they need not imagine that the Lord has forsaken them. Joseph was cast into prison without any provocation, and it seemed that God had forgotten him; but Joseph trusted in the Lord. He had been true to the Lord under temptation, declaring, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 3]          And the Lord did not forsake him. Heaven gave him wisdom to answer the tempter, and a firm purpose to resist evil. If one of us were called to go through such trial as Joseph endured, would we have borne without complaint and murmuring? He forgot his own trials, and sought to help others. Even in the prison he made himself a necessity and a blessing.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 4]          Look at the case of Daniel in Babylon. He was surrounded with all the luxury of the king's court, but he refused to participate in the banquets of extravagance. He would not defile himself with a portion of the king's meat, or take of his wine. When men have the principle that will enable them to stand amid temptation, as did Daniel, the God of heaven will look upon them with approval, and will send them needed help and strength at the moment of their trial. If Daniel had weakly yielded to temptation to indulge appetite, he would have placed himself in a position where he could not have received the wisdom and grace the Lord had for him. He would have brought upon himself physical and mental weakness.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 5]          God does not take any man into connection with himself, to give him wisdom and grace, unless he places himself in right relation to the precepts and principles of truth. Man has a work to do to close the door against temptation. He must build a wall around himself, and then God will train his powers for the highest use. It is not possible for us to tell what a man may become, and what he may achieve through the power and grace of Christ. The reason why we are so weak in moral power, is that we are continually venturing on Satan's ground. We should be careful where we go, and see to it that we take no backward steps. For when professed Christians do not live up to the light that God gives them, they can do more harm than open sinners.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 6]          When Daniel had been exalted in the court of Babylon, he was not free from trial and temptation. The wise men of the court were filled with envy, and plotted for his destruction.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 7]          How earnestly the enemies of Daniel watched for an opportunity to accuse him before the king, but they decided that they could find nothing against him, except in his fidelity to his God. They induced the king to frame a decree, according to the custom of the Medes and Persians, that could not be changed, to the effect that if any man for thirty days offered prayer to anyone except the king, he should be thrown into the den of lions. The king was flattered by this proposition, and as he did not understand the motive that prompted it, he signed the desired decree, and made it a law. Did these men think because they had deceived Darius that they had deceived the Lord also? Daniel knew all about the decree, but when the time came for prayer, "he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 8]          The report was quickly carried to the king, and too late he saw that the decree had been proposed and carried into effect through the envy and jealousy of his court. Daniel had determined that he would be true to God. He would let the world know that no king, prince, or power, had a right to come between his soul and God. God did not forsake him, for though he was cast into the den of lions, the angels of heaven were with him, and he suffered no harm. The king, filled with sorrow, spent a restless night in his chamber, and at early light he came to the den, and cried, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" Then Daniel said to the king, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt."  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 9]          Daniel was soon delivered from the den of lions, and his enemies who had plotted his ruin were themselves destroyed.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 10]          Through the trial that was permitted to come upon Daniel, great good resulted to the nation; for it gave opportunity to call the attention of great and small to the fact that God was able and willing to save him who trusted in him. Daniel showed to the nation that Jehovah was a living God. He brought out chapters in his experience showing that God had manifested himself to his servant in a remarkable manner. He told them how he had stood before them as a prophet of the Most High God, and that no earthly power had the right to interfere with a man's personal relation to his God. Thus God was manifested above every king, emperor, or statesman, as the one to be honored and obeyed.  {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, November 4, 1889 par. 11]          Daniel was counted peculiar, and every man who makes God his counselor, and who seeks him in simplicity of heart, will be counted peculiar by the world. But this is the faith we need, this is the experience that we must have; for Christ has died to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. We should live with an eye single to his glory, and then we shall be able to gain the victory over the world. We must come out from the world and be separate, if we would be the sons of God, the heirs of heaven. If we do this, we shall enter in through the gates into the city, we shall have a right to the tree of life, and we shall see the King in his beauty.                                                                   -    {ST, November 4, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 1]       November 11, 1889 Have Light in Yourselves.   ［MORNING TALK AT  MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., OCTOBER 19, 1888.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We have most precious promises in the word of God, which ought to give us courage and confidence. They should enable us to come out of uncertainty and darkness, to come where we may know that the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. There is nothing wanting in the store-house of our God.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 2]          Jesus has said, "Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." The disciples of Christ are to do greater works than Jesus himself has done. He says further: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." "If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it." Christ spoke these words for the comfort of all who should have faith in him, and it is our privilege to believe that God will do just as he has said he would.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 3]          It is not enough to say, "I believe;" we must exercise the living faith that claims the promises of God as our own, knowing that they are sure and steadfast. The enemy of our souls would be glad to steal away these precious promises from us, and cast darkness before our eyes, so that we should not be able to appropriate the good things that God means that we shall have. God is waiting to do great things for us as soon as we come into a right relation with him; but if we hold ourselves in doubt and unbelief, the enemy can keep the control of our minds, and intercept the promises of God. Unbelief always results in a great loss to our souls. It was said concerning one place where Christ visited, "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." Christ cannot work in our behalf if we do not manifest faith in him. We should train our souls to have faith in God. But instead of this, how many there are who educate themselves to doubt. I have heard testimony after testimony in meeting in which there did not seem to be one word of genuine faith, but which cast a shadow over the whole congregation. It is not God's will that we should be in this position. Brethren and sisters, it is our privilege to walk in the light, as Christ is in the light. He is at our right hand to strengthen us, and he tells us that greater works than he has done shall we do, because he goes to the Father. He is ready to impart unto us the rich blessing and grace of God.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 4]          How shall we encourage you to have faith in God? You say, "How can I talk faith, how can I have faith, when clouds and darkness and despondency come over my mind? I do not feel as though I could talk faith; I do not feel that I have any faith to talk." But why do you feel in this way?--It is because you have permitted Satan to cast his dark shadow across your pathway, and you cannot see the light that Jesus sheds upon your pathway. But another says: "I am very frank; I say just what I feel, I talk just as I think." Is that the best way to do?--No; God wants us to educate ourselves so that we shall speak right words,--words that will be a blessing to others, that will shed rays of light upon their souls.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 5]          Suppose that at times we are destitute of the joy we should like to experience, can we not feel assured that the promises of God are still yea and amen in Christ Jesus? The promises of God do not rest upon feeling. They have a foundation as distinct from feeling as light is from darkness. We must learn to move from principle, and when we learn to do this, we shall move understandingly, and not be controlled by varying emotions.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 6]          Christ has said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Brethren, can you explain why we are not more efficient in ministering to others, and why we are not better able to help the church, than we were ten years ago? There is no reason why we should not be growing in efficiency and power to do the work of God. The Lord wants us to use every iota of the ability he has given us, and, if we do this, we shall have improved and increased ability to employ. God desires that we shall have a thorough understanding of the truth as it is in Jesus. We should dig in the mine of truth for the rich treasures of knowledge that are hidden in God's word. If we employ our talents in searching the Scriptures, and in imparting knowledge to others, we shall become channels of light. You should not allow the channel between God and your soul to become obstructed. You should not be moved by circumstances. You should refuse to listen to the suggestions of Satan, that he may not paralyze your efforts to do good.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 7]          What we need is Bible religion; for if Christ is abiding in us, and we in him, we shall be continually advancing in the divine life. If we are connected with the source of all wisdom and power, we shall not fail of becoming strong men and women in Christ Jesus. If we fully receive the truth of heavenly origin, we shall not fail of becoming sanctified through it; and when trials come we shall not go to complaining, as did the children of Israel, and forget the source of our strength. We must gather up the divine rays of glory, not to hide our light by putting it under a bushel or under a bed, but to set it on a candlestick, where it will give light to others. We must put our talents out to the exchangers, that we may accumulate more talent to bring to Jesus. In this way we shall be growing Christians, and every word we speak will be ennobling and sanctifying. We should educate ourselves to speak in such a way that we shall not have cause to be ashamed of our words when we meet them in the judgment. We should seek to have our actions of such a character that we will not shrink from having our Saviour look upon them. Christ is here this morning; angels are here, and they are measuring the temple of God and those who worship therein. The history of this meeting will be carried up to God; for a record of every meeting is made; the spirit manifested, the words spoken, and the actions performed, are noted in the books of heaven. Everything is transferred to the records as faithfully as are our features to the polished plate of the artist.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 8]          We must fight the good fight of faith. Satan will try to sever the connection which faith makes between our souls and God. He will seek to discourage us by telling us that we are unworthy of the grace of God, and need not expect to receive this or that favor because we are sinners. These suggestions should not cut off our confidence; for it is written: "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." There is no reason why we should not claim the promises of the Lord. There is no reason why we should not be light-bearers. There is no reason why you should not advance, why you should not become more and more intelligent in prayer and testimony, and make manifest that God hears and answers your petitions.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 9]          We should have more wisdom and confidence today than we had yesterday. Why are we so well satisfied with our feeble attainments? Why do we settle down content with our present deficient experience? We should not always be fed upon the milk of the word; we must seek for meat, that we may become strong men and women in Christ. God will give you everything that you are prepared for, everything that will minister to your strength. He will make peace with you if you lay hold of his strength. But he will not let his power drop upon you without effort on your part. You must co-operate with God in the work of salvation.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 10]         We need to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must educate ourselves to talk faith, to pray in faith, and to abstain from dropping one seed of doubt and discouragement. We desire that young men shall go forth from this conference to become experienced workers in the cause of God. Let the older ministers take heed that they make straight paths for their feet, that the lame be not turned out of the way. Let no watchman or shepherd of the flock place himself on the judgment-seat, to criticise others, to pick flaws and find fault with the brethren. Oh, that everyone at this meeting would take his position on the Lord's side! We must have light in ourselves. Do not believe anything simply because others say it is truth. Take your Bibles, and search them for yourselves. Plead with God that he will put his Spirit upon you, that you may know the truth and understand its principles. If you gain an experience of this kind, there is nothing that will turn you from the truth. You will be like Daniel in the lions' den, and like Joseph in Pharaoh's prison.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 10}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 11]          From the light that God has given me, I can say that not half of those who profess to believe the present truth have a thorough understanding of the Third Angel's Message. Many believe the truth because they have heard it preached by someone in whom they had confidence. When our people search the word of God for themselves, we shall hear less murmuring than we hear today. We need that faith that will lead us to study the Bible for ourselves, and take God at his word.  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 11}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 12]         Christ says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."  {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 12}
[ST, November 11, 1889 par. 13]          Brethren, you must take advanced steps. God wants every one of you to turn from your iniquity, and connect with him, the source of all wisdom and truth, that when you open your lips the words of Christ may flow forth. Shall we not let the Spirit of God come among us, and flow from heart to heart? The Spirit of God is here this morning, and the Lord knows how you will receive the words that I have addressed to you on this occasion.                                                                   -    {ST, November 11, 1889 par. 13}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 1]       November 18, 1889 The Love of God.  ［SERMON AT CHICAGO,  ILL., APRIL 9, 1889.］  -  By Mrs E. G. White.  -         "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."  {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 2]          The love of God toward fallen man is incomprehensible. The apostle cannot find words to describe it, but he calls upon the world to "behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." The love of the infinite God for his rebellious children is the most wonderful thing that the universe knows, and it will be constantly unfolding throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.  {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 3]          I feel an intense interest that all should comprehend, as far as possible, the love of God. We cannot afford to draw away our attention from this subject, for in it is contained the mystery of God,--the plan of salvation. We may put to the stretch every power of our mind, and yet we shall not be fully able to comprehend the heights and depths of the love of God; for the human mind is not capable of understanding its full significance. It is our privilege, however, to obtain clearer and more distinct views of the plan of salvation. We should not be content with a superficial knowledge of this wonderful plan, but we should seek to behold it in all its greatness, that as far as possible we may understand the love of God.  {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 4]          It is our privilege to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. We should become better and better acquainted with the things of God. It is Satan's design to engage the attention of men with matters of worldly interest, so that they shall have no desire to contemplate the wonders of the love of God.  {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 5]          When our first parents transgressed the holy law of God, the Lord promised that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; the serpent was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. But he was to have no power to touch the head. Humanity was lost, and Christ appeared as the world's Redeemer, the seed to whom the promises were made. He died to redeem mankind. Those who believed in him excited the wrath of the evil one, for Satan claimed man as his property. Satan persecuted the people of God. He tortured them, and put them to death; but in dying they became conquerors. They revealed in this steadfast faith a mightier one than Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison walls, but he could not bind the spirit. Living faith connected the people of God with Him who only hath immortality. They could look beyond the gloom to the glory that was to be revealed at the appearing of Jesus. Paul suffered much. He was persecuted from city to city, in perils oft, in prison, in scourging, in bonds, in fastings, in wearinesses and painful watchings, but he looked beyond the sufferings of the present time to glory beyond, and said: "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." This is what God would have his people do. He would have us reckon and consider the rich reward of the eternal world, that we may appreciate the privileges that are brought within our reach through the plan of salvation.  {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 6]          Christ came to our world to become our sacrifice. He came to discover to our eyes the gems of truth, to place them in a new setting,--the frame-work of truth. He brought out of the treasure-house of God things new and old, that we might be able to trace down the links in the great plan of salvation. Through the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish dispensation, we are pointed forward to Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. When Christ came, it was to engage in the conflict with the enemy of God and man, on this earth, in the sight of the universe of heaven. But why was it necessary to wage the warfare in the sight of other worlds?--It was because Satan had been an exalted angel, and when he fell, he induced many angels to join him in his revolt against God's government. He worked in the minds of the angels as he works in the minds of men today. He made a pretension of loyalty to God, and yet he argued that angels should not be under law. He inculcated his ideas, his rebellion and enmity, and hatred of God's law originated in the minds of the angels in heaven through his influence. He caused the fall of man through the same temptations with which he had caused the fall of angels; and in the world where he proposed to work out his principles of rebellion, the battle had to be fought, that all might behold the real nature and results of disobedience to God's great moral standard. He represented God in a false light, clothing him with his own attributes. Christ came to represent the Father in his true character. He showed that he was not an arbitrary judge, ready to bring judgments upon men, and delighting in condemning and punishing them for their evil deeds. The Lord proclaimed his character to Moses in the mount. "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, 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."  {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, November 18, 1889 par. 7]         This was the description that God gave of his own character. Jesus came to represent the goodness and mercy and love of the Father, and Satan was filled with enmity toward the Son of God, and strove from his very birth to destroy him. He worked through wicked Herod to accomplish his design, but the Lord preserved the life of the young child Jesus, and thwarted the design of the evil one. Repeatedly the life of Christ was in peril. Many times even after the people had listened to his gracious words, and had seen the manifestation of his power in healing the sick and blessing those around him, they were ready to destroy him. He hated sin with a perfect hatred. It was the pure, spotless life of Jesus that stirred up the hatred of Satan and a profligate nation; for Christ did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. The Jewish nation was filled with doubt and prejudice, and this led them to hate the Son of God. Because of their unbelief, they were on the enemy's side, under the control of the evil one.                             (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, November 18, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 1]       November 25, 1889 The Love of God.  ［SERMON AT CHICAGO, ILL.,  APRIL 9, 1889.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Jesus was hunted from place to place during his ministry. Priests and rulers were on his track. They misrepresented his mission and labor. He came unto his own and his own received him not. Angels watched the conflict at every step. They saw the spirit and work of the enemy. They looked with amazement upon the devices of Satan against the divine Son of God. They saw that he who had only been second to Jesus in power and glory had fallen so low that he could influence men to hunt the steps of Christ from city to city. When Christ sought the garden of Gethsemane, the enemy pressed darkness upon his soul. Even his disciples did not watch with him through that hour of trial. They heard the agony of prayer that came from his pale and quivering lips, but they soon allowed sleep to overcome them, and left their suffering Master to wrestle with the powers of darkness alone.  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 2]          It was in the garden of Gethsemane that the mysterious cup trembled in his hand. Would he drink of the bitter portion and save a lost world? or would he forbear and let it perish? The destiny of the fallen race trembled in the balance. If he drank of the cup of suffering, he must open his breast to the griefs and woes and sins of humanity. He prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." He had said to his disciples, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." His suffering almost extinguished his life. The drops of blood beaded his forehead, and dewed the sod of Gethsemane. "His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men." When he fainted as in death, an angel came to the divine Sufferer, and offered him the cup of consolation to strengthen him for the conflict.  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 3]          The Saviour of the world arose, and for the third time sought his disciples, and found them sleeping. He looked sorrowfully upon them, and his words aroused them: "Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 4]          Even while these words were upon his lips, the footsteps of the mob that was in search of him were heard. Judas took the lead, and was closely followed by the murderous throng. Jesus turned to his disciples, as his enemies approached, and said, "Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that doth betray me." The countenance of the Saviour wore an expression of calm dignity; no traces of his recent agony were visible as he stepped forth to meet his betrayer.  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 5]         He suffered himself to be taken by the murderous throng, and was dragged from one tribunal to another. Although Isaiah had written, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace," yet he was now mocked, derided, spit upon, scourged, and maltreated. Was he innocent?--Yes; but innocence does not save men from persecution when the evil one controls the minds of their tormentors. Jesus is our pattern. He has given us an example that we should follow in his steps. Many will have to pass through scenes similar to those through which Jesus passed. After he was judged, he was brought forth to the people, and Pilate declared, "I find no fault in this man," but the people cried, "Crucify him, crucify him." "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children."  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 6]          Christ was the Son of God, equal with the Father; and yet he was abused, ridiculed, scourged, and crucified. There are many who have thought that the Father had no part in the sufferings of the Son; but this is a mistake. The Father suffered with the Son. When the Son of God hung upon Calvary, the darkness gathered like the pall of death about the cross. All nature sympathized with its dying Author. There were thunderings and lightnings, and a mighty earthquake, but the hearts of men were so hardened that they could quarrel at the foot of the cross upon which hung the world's Redeemer, about the dividing of his vesture. Their hearts seemed to be wholly under the control of the powers of darkness. Angels looked upon the scene with sorrow and amazement. As man's substitute and surety, the iniquity of men was laid upon Christ; he was counted a transgressor that he might redeem them from the curse of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was pressing upon his heart; and the wrath of God, and the terrible manifestation of his displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of his Son with consternation. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour, in this hour of supreme anguish, pierced his heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. Sin, so hateful to his sight, was heaped upon him till he groaned beneath its weight. The despairing agony of the Son of God was so much greater than his physical pain, that the latter was hardly felt by him. The hosts of Heaven veiled their faces from the fearful sight. They heard his despairing cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" they saw the divine Sufferer die beneath the sins of the world.  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 7]          Jesus was laid in the tomb. He went into the darkness of the grave, and tasted death for every man. But he did not long remain under the power of the enemy. A mighty angel came from heaven and rolled back the stone from the sepulcher, and for fear of him the keepers did fear and quake, and became as dead men. Christ came forth from the tomb a triumphant conqueror, and led forth from their graves a multitude of captives.  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 8]          The Roman guard hastened to tell the rulers what had occurred, and they were bribed to testify that his disciples had stolen his body away by night. When the women who had followed Jesus came to the sepulcher, the angel said unto them: "Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him; lo, I have told you."  {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, November 25, 1889 par. 9]          We have a risen Saviour; he has ascended up on high, and ever liveth to make intercession for us. Through him those who believe in him shall be crowned with glory, honor, and immortality; 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."                                                                   -    {ST, November 25, 1889 par. 9}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 1]       December 16, 1889 "Pray Without Ceasing."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. . . . Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 2]          We are not always so situated that we can enter into our closets to seek God in prayer, but there is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can hinder us from lifting up our hearts in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God, and plead for divine guidance, as did Nehemiah when he made his request before the king Artaxerxes. A closet of communion may be found wherever we are. We should have the door of the heart open continually, and our invitation going up that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in our souls.  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 3]          Although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure atmosphere of heaven. We may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts by lifting the soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. Those whose hearts are open to receive the support and blessing of God, will walk in a holier atmosphere than that of earth, and will have constant communion with God. But those who reserve their thoughts of God, their earnest soul longings for purity and grace, for certain times, and places, and occasions, will be overcome by temptation. The thoughts will be impure, the promptings of the natural heart will be fulfilled, and the man will be worsted in the conflict; for he will be drawn away of his own lust and enticed. The injunction of the Saviour is, "Pray without ceasing." The heart is to be continually going out in desire for the presence and grace of Jesus, that the soul may have divine enlightenment and heavenly wisdom.  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 4]          We need to have more distinct views of Jesus, and a fuller comprehension of the value of eternal realities. The beauty of holiness is to fill the hearts of God's people, and that this may be accomplished, we should seek for divine disclosures of heavenly things. Brethren, we should pray in all places, and under all circumstances. Our petitions may be only broken ejaculations, or they may be but secret thoughts of the heart, but whatever we have opportunity for, let the soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant us a breath of his heavenly atmosphere. Let the spirit groan after God, and mingle faith with fervent desire. We should encourage gratitude and praise, and always be found warring against every unholy impulse, crushing out of the soul every unclean lust. This is the warfare that must be accomplished. We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts may turn to God as naturally as the flower turns to the sun. The sunflower keeps its face sunward. If it is turned from the light, it will twist itself on the stem, until it lifts up its petals to the bright beams of the sun. So let everyone who has given his heart to God, turn to the Sun of Righteousness, and eagerly look up to receive the bright beams of the glory that shine in the face of Jesus. Thus we may educate the soul to press its way out of the corrupted moral atmosphere of the world, of sin and selfishness, into the atmosphere that is divine and health-giving.  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 5]          We are to pray in the Spirit, with the understanding also, and God will prompt the longings of the soul, and satisfy the desires of the heart. We must become intelligent as to the conditions upon which God will hear and answer prayer. There are many useless, meaningless words employed in prayer, but these heartless petitions are not acceptable, and cannot prevail with God. If the soul is stained with impurity, if iniquity is cherished in the heart, the offering of prayer is an abomination to God.  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 6]          The psalmist says: "Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Says the prophet Isaiah: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 7]          The psalmist says again: "Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." "Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off."  {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, December 16, 1889 par. 8]          The Lord is under no obligation to grant us his favors, yet he has pledged his word that if we will comply with the conditions stated in the Scriptures, he will fulfill his part of the contract. Men often make promises, but do not live up to them. Often we have found that in trusting to men we have leaned upon broken reeds; but the Lord will never disappoint the soul that believes in him. "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." He still speaks to the soul, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." "With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee."                             (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, December 16, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, December 23, 1889 par. 1]       December 23, 1889 "Pray Without Ceasing."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White  -  (Concluded.)         God condescends to meet man in his human weakness. The Lord has pledged us his word, so that there need be no occasion for questioning and doubt. The Scripture says: "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil."  {ST, December 23, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, December 23, 1889 par. 2]         How gracious and merciful is our God to thus meet the thoughts of human minds! Surely God could do no more for his people than he has done. These precious promises are not given to a few talented ones, but to all, high or low, free or bond, rich or poor, who have endeavored to comply with his requirements.  {ST, December 23, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, December 23, 1889 par. 3]         Those who, through faith in the merits of the blood of Christ, have clean hands and a pure heart, will receive the white robe, the crown of righteousness, and the life that will run parallel with the life of God. There is no limit to the blessings that we may receive in answer to sincere, fervent prayer. The love of God to fallen man is measureless, and if our Father sees that we will not be lifted up with the blessings he has power to bestow upon us, but will receive them with humble and grateful hearts, he will abundantly grant unto us our requests. He says: "Ask, and if shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."  {ST, December 23, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, December 23, 1889 par. 4]         The prayer that ascends from a broken and contrite heart, though it should come from the lips of the lowliest saint, is never disregarded. It is as sweet music in the ears of our heavenly Father; for he waits to bestow upon us the fullness of his blessing. It is not in our power to estimate the supplies that are provided by the Lord to meet our demands. What power might attend the church did we but call frequently and in faith for the abundant treasure of the store-house of God. We have only begun to taste of the richness of the divine promises. It is our privilege to drink largely of the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of his children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of God think of poor, helpless, human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God's heart of infinite love yearns toward them, and he is ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little, and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God, they love to be near him. They regard intercourse with God as their highest joy, and yet the children of earth, who need so much help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of his Spirit, the companionship of his presence.  {ST, December 23, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, December 23, 1889 par. 5]         The darkness of the evil one incloses those who fail to pray to God. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin, and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's store-house, where are the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer, without diligent watching, we are in danger of growing careless, and of deviating from the right path. Our backsliding may be so gradual that we may fancy ourselves in a good spiritual condition when we are surely on the enemy's ground. The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy-seat, that we may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain supplies of grace and power to resist temptation.  {ST, December 23, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, December 23, 1889 par. 6]         There is so much cowardice and helplessness, and so much dependence upon others, that we are inefficient to do the great work which has been committed to us. God's work cannot be done without a spirit of independence. Every man is to know by personal experience that he can lean upon God alone, and find in him a support and helper. Every man must learn to say humbly and firmly, "Looking unto Jesus, I dare to stand alone; for the Father is with me." This was the attitude of Jesus. He said to his followers before his hour of trial: "Ye shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me."                                                                   -    {ST, December 23, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 1]      December 30, 1889 What Was Secured by the Death of Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         It became Him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in the redemption of the world to save sinners by the blood of the Lamb. The great sacrifice of the Son of God was neither too great nor too small to accomplish the work. In the wisdom of God it was complete; and the atonement made testifies to every son and daughter of Adam the immutability of God's law. The value of the law of Jehovah is to be estimated by the immense price that was paid in the death of the Son of God to maintain its sacredness.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 1}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 2]          The law of God is a transcript of his character; it portrays the nature of God. As in Christ we behold the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, so also in the law the attributes of the Father are unfolded. Although the law is unchangeable, his having provided a means of salvation for the law-breaker does not in the least detract from the dignity of the character of God, since the penalty of man's transgression was borne by a divine Substitute. The Father himself suffered with the Son; for "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." Man, with his human, finite judgment, cannot safely question the wisdom of God. Hence it is unbecoming for him to criticise the plan of salvation. Before the theme of redemption, let man lay his wisdom in the dust, and accept the plans of Him whose wisdom is infinite.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 2}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 3]          God grants men a probation in this world, that their principles may become firmly established in the right, thus precluding the possibility of sin in the future life, and so assuring the happiness and security of all. Through the atonement of the Son of God alone could power be given to man to establish him in righteousness, and make him a fit subject for heaven. The blood of Christ is the eternal antidote for sin. The offensive character of sin is seen in what it cost the Son of God in humiliation, in suffering and death. All the worlds behold in him a living testimony to the malignity of sin, for in his divine form he bears the marks of the curse. He is in the midst of the throne as a Lamb that hath been slain. The redeemed will ever be vividly impressed with the hateful character of sin, as they behold Him who died for their transgressions. The preciousness of the Offering will be more fully realized as the blood-washed throng more fully comprehend how God has made a new and living way for the salvation of men, through the union of the human and the divine in Christ.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 3}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 4]          The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin. When Satan is destroyed, there will be none to tempt to evil; the atonement will never need to be repeated; and there will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe of God. That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. Fallen men could not have a home in the paradise of God without the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Shall we not then exalt the cross of Christ? The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God. The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it. The gift of God in his beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love. It was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of his law, and still save the transgressor. Why should man not study the theme of redemption? It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind. If men would contemplate the love of Christ, displayed in the cross, their faith would be strengthened to appropriate the merits of his shed blood, and they would be cleansed and saved from sin. There are many who will be lost, because they depend on legal religion, or mere repentance for sin. But repentance for sin alone cannot work the salvation of any soul. Man cannot be saved by his own works. Without Christ it is impossible for him to render perfect obedience to the law of God; and heaven can never be gained by an imperfect obedience; for this would place all heaven in jeopardy, and make possible a second rebellion.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 4}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 5]          God saves man through the blood of Christ alone, and man's belief in, and allegiance to, Christ is salvation. It is no marvel to angels that the infinite sacrifice made by the Son of God was ample enough to bring salvation to a fallen race, but that this atoning sacrifice should have been made is a wonder to the universe. It is a mystery which angels desire to look into. The angels are amazed at the indifference and coldness manifested by those for whom so great a salvation has been provided. They look with grief and holy indignation upon those who do not seek to appreciate the unspeakable gift of God. Instead of offering adoration to God, finite men think themselves capable, without divine unction, of determining what is worthy of praise or blame in their fellow-men. But to be glorified by man is no glory. We should learn to value the praise of man at what it is worth. The Lord says, "Them that honor me I will honor." Let every breath of praise, every word of exaltation, flow to him who is worthy, flow to Jesus, the Prince of life, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Elevate the cross of Christ. Elevate the Mediator. Lift up Jesus. In him is everything noble. Contemplate God in Christ. He is surrounded with angels, cherubim and seraphim continually behold him. Angelic voices day and night cry before him: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.... Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." "Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee." But although God only is holy and worthy to be praised, human tongues are perverted to praise and glorify man rather than God.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 5}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 6]          The greatest gift that God could bestow upon men was bestowed in the gift of his beloved Son. The apostle says, "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?" There was nothing held in reserve. No second probation will ever be provided. If the unspeakable gift of God does not lead man to repentance, there is nothing that ever will move his heart. There is no power held in reserve to act upon his mind, and arouse his sensibilities. The whole character of God was revealed in his Son, the whole range of the possibilities of heaven is displayed for the acceptance of man in the Son of the Infinite One. The way for man's return to God and heaven has no barriers. The matchless depths of the Saviour's love have been demonstrated; and if this manifestation of God's love for the children of men does not prevail to draw men to himself, there is nothing that ever will.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 6}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 7]          Those who will be saved in the kingdom of God will be those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The image of Christ will be perfected in every soul who accepts the gift of his grace, and those who are perfected through his grace, will stand before God equal in elevation, in power and purity, to the angels, and will be honored with them before the eternal throne. The angels of heaven will love those whom Christ has loved, and has bought with his own precious blood.  {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 7}
[ST, December 30, 1889 par. 8]          The attention of all the inhabitants of all worlds will be directed to the cross of Christ, around which will cluster the exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The imagination becomes exhausted in its stretch to comprehend the wonderful work of redemption. The plan of salvation is too high to be fully reached by human thought. It is too grand to be fully embraced by finite comprehension. The apostle says, "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." Can we wonder that Heaven is amazed because men act as though the gift of God were valueless? What will be the eternal loss of those who reject so great a salvation, offered freely through the merits of God's only-begotten and well-beloved Son!                                                                   -    {ST, December 30, 1889 par. 8}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 1]      January 6, 1890 "How Much Owest Thou?"  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The tender mercies and loving-kindnesses of the Lord have been toward us all the days of our life, and the whole world should be filled with thankful voices, proclaiming the benevolence and love of God. The psalmist says: "The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." When we were sold under sin, He who was rich in glory, for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. Well may we ask our souls, "How much owest thou unto my Lord?" The benevolence of Christ is exercised every day in the year. He gives daily his gifts unto men. His Holy Spirit is constantly at work, drawing the hearts of men, guiding them into all truth. Before the crucifixion of Christ, he told his sorrowing disciples that he would send them another Comforter, which should abide with them forever. The grace of Christ is multiplied toward us, and given without stint. The streams of salvation are continually flowing for us.  {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 2]          In view of what Christ has done and is doing for the children of men, should we not bring gratitude offerings to him? Should our gifts flow only to one another, and the Giver of every good and perfect gift be forgotten? The Lord has said, "Them that honor me, I will honor." We should not wait to make an offering to God until we are out of debt. His cause demands the means that he has given to us in trust, and we should present a portion on the altar of God as freely as the infinite sacrifice was made for us. We have no time to lose in passing our treasures on to the bank of heaven. Whatever we may do, let us not forget God. If we love him with all the heart, we shall remember his claims upon us. God requires that we shall be like him, that we shall imitate the self-sacrificing example of Christ, and live a life of self-denial. We should prayerfully consider the question, "How much owest thou unto the Lord?"  {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 3]          Are there those who are robbing God in tithes and offerings? Seek to make your accounts straight; do not leave your obligation to God as the last thing to be settled. Let those who have borrowed, try to pay their debts; especially see to it that no poor person who has labored hard for his means, is left in perplexity because you fail to pay what you owe him. Let no injustice be done to your neighbors, but let everything be made right as far as possible between you and your fellow-men. This is keeping the last six commandments.  {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 4]          Let those who have means give of their means to the glory of God. Let them show that they appreciate the gift of God's dear Son, that they love him with undivided affection, and will manifest their faith in his mission and work by replenishing the treasury of God. The means that God intrusts to men is for the forwarding of his work in the earth. God's word appeals to you to give. There are souls to be saved. There are those who know not the truth, and they must be enlightened by missionary effort. How many have withheld their tithe? How many have withheld themselves from the service of God? When those who have for years withheld their tithes become convicted, and reckon up and see how large is the sum they owe to God, they must not become discouraged and do nothing to diminish the debt. If you can, pay the whole amount, but if you cannot, do the best you can, begin to pay tithes from the first of 1890. Confess to the Lord your robbery toward him, and give yourselves in full surrender as an offering to the Lord. Tell the Lord that if he will place it in your power, you will meet your obligation to him, and render back to him his own.  {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 5]          Do something, do it soon. In the sight of God, in the sight of heavenly angels, make decided moves toward a better life. What does God speak to us at this time? He says: "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." Let the purifying process go on in every soul. Pray that every sin may be revealed, that the corruption of the heart may be made plain; and when it is exposed, pray for grace to put away defilement. Make wrongs right between you and your brethren; and when you do your part, God will not fail to do his part.  {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 6]          Why delay? Why go on in weakness? Why not cast your soul in all its helplessness upon Christ, and lay hold on the merits of his precious blood? He waits to receive you. He longs to help you. And when the soul temple is cleansed from every defilement, you will have a new and precious experience. The Lord says: "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years." But if the work of repentance and reformation is neglected, if you pass on your way, sinning in word and action, the Lord says: "I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."  {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, January 6, 1890 par. 7]          If the Lord did not continue his guardian care over us by day and night, Satan would exercise his power against us, and we should be consumed. The Lord has appointed his angels to shield his people, that the wicked one may not destroy us. But because of the preserving care and tender mercies of the Lord, men become careless. The wise man says, "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." The patience and forbearance of God should soften instead of hardening the hearts of men. Do not presume upon the forbearance of God, but rather seek to understand his dealings with the children of earth. An unerring register is kept with the accuracy of Omniscience of the iniquities of nations and individuals; Christ declares, "I know thy works." But although the figures rapidly accumulate, God's mercy does not cease until a certain amount is reached, which marks the limit of divine forbearance. There is still time for wrongs to be righted by confession and restitution to man and God. By faith we may claim the merits of the blood of Christ, and those who will receive his counsel may be purged and made white. Shall we not now draw nigh to God? Shall there not be confession of sin while it is called today? The record in the books of heaven may be canceled by the shed blood of Jesus. The Lord says, "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them." This is the charge the Lord makes against the unfaithful ones.                              (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, January 6, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, January 13, 1890 par. 1]      January 13, 1890 "How Much Owest Thou?"  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Satan is in controversy with God. Says the prophet: "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 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? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by."  {ST, January 13, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, January 13, 1890 par. 2]          We should seek to appreciate the unparalleled mercy and the inexpressible love of God in not giving those who have dishonored him into the hands of the enemy of souls. It is the care of God that preserves them from Satan's power. Satan constantly presents the sins and wrongs of those who claim to be the children of God, and he taunts the angels of God with their defects. What will bring the Lord's people into a right position before him? The Lord answers the question in Malachi, saying, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." When we seek the Lord with full purpose of heart, he will be found of us.  {ST, January 13, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, January 13, 1890 par. 3]          Daniel purposed in his heart that he would be true to the God of heaven. He determined that he would not eat of the king's meat, or drink of his wine; and his three companions determined that they would not dishonor God by bowing down before the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar set up in the plain of Dura. When we purpose to serve the Lord with a determination like that of these faithful servants of God, the Lord will take our part, and enable us to lay hold of his strength. When there is no repentance for sin, no effort made to reform, Satan will not molest the soul; but when the heart is touched by the love of Christ, when sin is confessed, and in the strength of Christ efforts for reform are put forth, then Satan arouses to oppose the work that God would do for his children. At every step he will seek to hedge up the way; but if the children of God will press on, the Lord will work in their behalf, and reveal himself as a sin-pardoning Saviour, who will impart his grace and righteousness to all that come unto him.  {ST, January 13, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, January 13, 1890 par. 4]          The prophet speaks of a class who are insensible of their need. They ask, "Wherein shall we return?" They do not realize that they are far from God. But the answer is, "Will a man rob God?" as though this was a crime of which man could scarcely be guilty. Angels look with amazement upon the ingratitude of those for whom God has done so much in continually bestowing his favors and gifts. Men forget the claims of God, and indulge in selfishness and worldliness. The Lord says: "Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation."  {ST, January 13, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, January 13, 1890 par. 5]          God cannot bless men in lands and flocks when they do not use his blessings for his glory. He cannot trust his treasure to those who misapply it. In the simplest language the Lord has told his children what he requires of them. They are to pay tithes of all they possess, and to make offerings of that which he bestows upon them. His mercies and blessings have been abundant and systematic. He sends down his rain and sunshine, and causes vegetation to flourish. He gives the seasons; sowing and reaping-time come in their order; and the unfailing goodness of God calls for something better than the ingratitude and forgetfulness that men render to him. Shall we not return to God, and with grateful hearts present our tithes and offerings? The Lord has made duty so plain that if we neglect to fulfill his requirements we shall be without excuse. The Lord has left his goods in the hands of his servants to be handled with equity, that the gospel may be preached in all the world. The arrangement and provision for the spread of his truth in the world has not been left to chance. The tithe is the Lord's, it is his interest money, and it is to be paid regularly and promptly into his treasury. We are to render him his own with gladness for his love toward those who are so undeserving of his mercy. The gospel of Christ is to go to the uttermost part of the earth, and when men fail to pay God his interest money, they are unfaithful stewards. Souls just as precious as their own are to be saved, and missionaries must be sent, that the precious light of the truth which the Lord has permitted to shine upon us in these last days may be diffused. We should see to it that there is provision made for the cause of God and for the relief of the poor; for these claims cannot be neglected; they must be met with the unvarying promptness that their importance demands. The Lord says: "Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts."  {ST, January 13, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 1]       January 20, 1890 God Made Manifest in Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         At the first advent of Christ, darkness, covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. Light and truth seemed to have departed from among men, and Satan appeared to reign in undisputed power. Rival sects existed, and among those who professed to be the servants of God were displayed love of preeminence and strife for power and position. Souls who were desirous of light were filled with perplexity and sorrow. Many were sighing, "What is truth?" Ignorance prevailed, but many were looking for something better, looking for light that would illuminate the moral darkness of the world. They were thirsting for a knowledge of the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the tomb. There were men not of the Jewish nation who prophesied that an inspired instructor would come to teach them of the truth. There were among the Jews men who had not polluted their integrity, who read with eager anticipation the sure word of prophecy that pointed to the advent of the Redeemer. They rejoiced in the promise that God had made to his servant Moses: "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 2]         Again they read how the Lord should anoint Him to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. They read how he would set judgment in the earth, how the isles should wait for his law, how the Gentiles would come to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising.  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 3]          Christ came just as prophecy had foretold. He was the "way, the truth, and the life," and the beams of the Sun of Righteousness dispelled the moral darkness so that the honest in heart might see the truth. The absence of outward display and worldly grandeur, called forth comments of disapprobation from the people. Doubt and criticism met him on every side. Christ himself had chosen the human conditions of his life. He had selected the lowliest place in society. He was the Majesty of heaven, and he knew that the world would bear sway by magnificence, carrying everything before its display and grandeur; but Jesus honored those whom the world looked upon with contempt. Christ's birthplace was devoid of conveniences, not to speak of riches and luxury. And his entire life in this world was in keeping with the humble home of his early experience.  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 4]         The Saviour of the world proposed that no attraction of an earthly character should call men to his side. The light and beauty of celestial truth alone should be the drawing power. The outward glory, the worldly honor, which attracts the attention of men, he would not assume. He made himself accessible to all, teaching the pure, exalted principle of truth as that which was only worthy of their notice. But although so humbly born, so unpretending in life, God did not leave him without a witness. The principalities of heaven did him homage. Wonders in the heavens above and signs in the earth beneath attested his power and majesty. At his baptism a voice from heaven fell upon the ears of men, declaring, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The bright glory of God in the form of a dove of burnished gold encircled him. John declared: "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 5]          Christ came to represent the Father. We behold in him the image of the invisible God. He clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to the world that the erroneous ideas Satan had been the means of creating in the minds of men, in regard to the character of God, might be removed. We could not behold the glory of God unveiled in Christ and live; but as he came in the garb of humanity, we may draw nigh to our Redeemer. We are called upon to behold the Lord our Father in the person of his Son. Christ came in the robe of the flesh, with his glory subdued in humanity, that lost man might communicate with him and live. Through Christ we may comprehend something of him who is glorious in holiness. Jesus is the mystic ladder by which we may mount to behold the glory of the infinite God. By faith we behold Christ standing between humanity and divinity, connecting God and man, and earth and heaven.  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 6]          Christ came to save fallen man, and Satan with fiercest wrath met him on the field of conflict; for the enemy knew that when divine strength was added to human weakness, man was armed with power and intelligence, and could break away from the captivity in which he had bound him. Satan sought to intercept every ray of light from the throne of God. He sought to cast his shadow across the earth, that men might lose the true views of God's character, and that the knowledge of God might become extinct in the earth. He had caused truth of vital importance to be so mingled with error that it had lost its significance. The law of Jehovah was burdened with needless exactions and traditions, and God was represented as severe, exacting, revengeful, and arbitrary. He was pictured as one who could take pleasure in the sufferings of his creatures. The very attributes that belonged to the character of Satan, the evil one represented as belonging to the character of God. Jesus came to teach men of the Father, to correctly represent him before the fallen children of earth. Angels could not fully portray the character of God, but Christ, who was a living impersonation of God, could not fail to accomplish the work. The only way in which he could set and keep men right was to make himself visible and familiar to their eyes. That men might have salvation he came directly to man, and became a partaker of his nature.  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 7]          The Father was revealed in Christ as altogether a different being from that which Satan had represented him to be. Said Christ, "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." The love of Jesus, expressed for the fallen race in his life of self-denial and sufferings, is the manifestation of the Father's love for a sinful, fallen world. Christ endured shame and grief and death for those who despised his love and trampled upon his mercy. He paid the debt of man's transgression upon the cross of Calvary with his own precious blood. The men of his own nation, the leaders of the people, were so ensnared by the deceptions of Satan that the plan of redemption for a fallen race seemed to their minds indistinct and unexplainable.  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 8]          Man was God's workmanship, made after his image, endowed with talents, and fitted for a high destiny. But Satan has worked to obliterate the divine image, and to impress his own image instead of the image of God in man's nature. Jesus condescended to humble himself, to take human nature, and by uniting divinity with humanity, he proposed to elevate man in the scale of moral value. All heaven was poured out in the gift of God's dear Son. Through faith in him the sinner could be justified, and God could yet be just in justifying the sinner; for Christ had become a propitiation for the sins of the repentant soul. The only plan that could be devised to save the human race was that which called for the incarnation, humiliation, and crucifixion of the Son of God, the Majesty of heaven. After the plan of salvation was devised, Satan could have no ground upon which to found his suggestion that God, because so great, could care nothing for so insignificant a creature as man. The redemption of man is a wonderful theme, and the love manifested to the fallen race through the plan of salvation, can be estimated only by the cross of Calvary. The depth of this love even angels cannot sound. That God could consent to become flesh, and dwell among fallen beings, to lift them up from their helplessness and despair, is an unfathomed mystery. He whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, whose dominion endureth throughout all generations, made himself to be sin for us that he might lift up all that are bowed down, and give life to those who are ready to perish.  {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, January 20, 1890 par. 9]          Oh, that men might open their minds to know God as he is revealed in his Son! Truth came forth from the lips of Jesus, uncorrupted with human philosophy. His words were from heaven, such as mortal lips had never spoken nor mortal ears ever heard. His heart was an altar on which burned the flames of infinite love. Goodness, mercy, and love were enthroned in the breast of the Son of God. He set up his tabernacle in the midst of our human encampment, pitched his tent by the side of the tents of men, that he might dwell among them and make them familiar with his divine character and love. No one could love Christ and pay homage to him without serving and honoring the infinite God. Those who had an appreciation of the character and mission of Christ, were filled with reverence and awe, as they looked upon him and felt that they were looking upon the temple of the living God. Officers were sent to take the Son of God, that the temple in which God was enshrined might be destroyed. But as they drew near and heard the words of divine wisdom that fell from his lips, they were charmed, and the power and excellence of his instruction so filled their hearts and minds that they forgot the purpose for which they had been sent. Christ revealed himself to their souls. Divinity flashed through humanity, and they returned so filled with this one thought, so charmed with the ideas he had presented, that when the leaders of Israel inquired, "Why have ye not brought him?" they replied, "Never man spake like this man." They had seen that which priests and rulers would not see,--humanity flooded with the light and glory of divinity. Those who would behold this glory would be drawn to love Jesus and to love the Father whom he represented. Christ exalted the character of God, attributing to him the praise, and giving to him the credit, of the whole purpose of his own mission on earth,--to set men right through the revelation of God. In Christ was arrayed before men the paternal grace and the matchless perfections of the Father. In his prayer just before his crucifixion, he declared, "I have manifested thy name." "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." When the object of his mission was attained,--the revelation of God to the world,--the Son of God announced that his work was accomplished, and that the character of the Father was made manifest to men.                                                                   -    {ST, January 20, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 1]      January 27, 1890 The Most Effective Agent for God.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 2]          The Lord does not delight in the deficiencies of his people, and as we are the objects of his love and pardoning mercy, we should seek most earnestly to come into harmony with his will. The purest, meekest, most child-like Christian will be the most effectual agent in the hands of God for the advancement of his work. The accepted instrument of God will make no great display, but his work will be as enduring as eternity. We are to be laborers together with God. The preaching of the word is an important part of the divine plan of making known Christ and him crucified. The apostle asks: "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 3]          Those to whom the gospel is committed should labor diligently to convert souls; and in doing this work, they will save themselves and those who hear them. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. The faithful workers who have consecrated all to Christ, will receive a hundred-fold in this life, and in the world to come life everlasting. The Lord confers special honors upon the men to whom he has given the work of proclaiming the glad tidings of salvation. The Lord's ambassadors are to stand as a mouth-piece for God, showing forth the love, goodness, and compassion of our heavenly Father. The prayer of Christ for his disciples was: "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, and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 4]          The apostles had been associated with Christ in his work, but there were still greater attainments for them than they had yet reached. They needed to be purified, renewed, and consecrated to God for the important mission before them. The Master had opened before them many precious gems of truth that had been hidden beneath the rubbish of error; he had placed them in their proper frame-work of truth; and yet all this labor of the Son of God would be in vain unless the truth should be enshrined in the inner sanctuary of the soul. The revealed truth of God must become an abiding principle in the hearts of his followers. The teacher of truth must be a living representation of its sanctifying power. The truth he reveals to others must become a living agent to transform his soul into the divine image. The minister must dedicate all his intrusted capital of power to the Lord's service.  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 5]          Ministers and people have lost much by not dwelling more continually upon the work of our Redeemer. We should contemplate the love that led Christ to give himself as a ransom for fallen man, and this amazing love should be revealed in every discourse. The sacrifice of Christ not only makes apparent his compassion for the children of men, but also makes manifest the love of the Father; and this love ought to draw all men to God. The closest relation exists between God and his people, and the ambassador of God's truth should ever represent Christ. He should exemplify, by precept and example, the love of God, that those who are instructed by him may be brought into a position where they shall receive the divine blessing. The servants of God are to be earnest, penitent, trustful, thankful. Their lives should be living epistles, known and read of all men. They should be continually looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. The subjects dwelt upon by the gospel minister will be of a character to elevate, ennoble, and sanctify the soul. The teacher of divine truth should present the necessity of close communion with God, and dependence upon the righteousness of Christ. When the minister fully realizes his own helplessness without the aid of Christ, the danger of his becoming exalted will be removed, and Christ will absorb everything; his presence will pervade the whole soul, and impress all the senses.  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 6]         Faith in the abiding presence of Jesus will not bring gloom and depression, but it will bring the peace that elevates the mind, the pure and holy joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. It is thus that the Christian will become a light to the world. The truth we believe should make us earnest, full of love, and kindle in us desires to communicate to others that which we have found so great a blessing to ourselves. The representatives of Christ will emit light that will shine into the hearts of the people, and lead them to hold up the standard of divine truth. They will be the agents through whom God will call the attention of men to Him who was lifted up on the cross of Calvary.  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 7]          The people of the world would gladly forget all about eternal things; but they cannot do this while the ambassadors of Christ are working together with God to shed light upon the world. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The duty of letting your light shine can be well done only when you diffuse the light of truth in a humble, Christ-like character. Regulation, ceremony, and display may be found in the church, but without inward holiness it will not shed forth warm, softening rays of light that will subdue the heart, awaken the sympathy, and inspire faith and love in the soul. Christ has said, "Without me ye can do nothing."  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 8]          The minister whose discourses simply move the feelings of the people, does not exert the most healthful influence, nor work for his own spiritual advancement or for that of his hearers. The preaching that calls forth the praises of men to a poor, fallible mortal, instead of to God, does not lead to the best results. If a minister has really accomplished a good work, if he has set forth Christ crucified among you, if he has drawn men and women, not to himself, but to God, the church will not bemoan that he cannot always minister to them. If he has indeed been a messenger of light, if he has done a work for the Master, if the church has been illuminated, the church in her turn will let her light shine in clear, steady, bright rays. We shall know those to whom has come the light of life, for they will arise and shine, because the glory of God has risen upon them. To every man the Lord has given his work, and if the members of the church have indeed opened their hearts to the Sun of Righteousness, wherever they are found they will be a light, for in them Christ will be glorified. They will bear an effective testimony. A living energy will attend their words, because they have a rich endowment in the gift of the Holy Spirit.  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 9]          The success of a church does not depend on the efforts and labor of the living preacher, but it depends upon the piety of the individual members. When the members depend upon the minister as their source of power and efficiency, they will be utterly powerless. They will imbibe his impulses, and be stimulated by his ideas, but when he leaves them, they will find themselves in a more hopeless condition than before they had his labors. I hope that none of the churches in our land will depend upon a minister for support in spiritual things; for this is dangerous. When God gives you light, you should praise him for it. If you extol the messenger, you will be left to barrenness of soul. Just as soon as the members of a church call for the labors of a certain minister, and feel that he must remain with them, it is time that he was removed to another field, that they may learn to exercise the ability which God has given them. Let the people go to work. Let them thank God for the encouragement they have received, and then make it manifest that it has wrought in them a good work. Let each member of the church be a living, active agent for God, both in the church and out of it. We must all be educated to be independent, not helpless and useless. Let it be seen that Christ, not the minister, is the head of the church. The members of the body of Christ have a part to act, and they will not be accounted faithful unless they do act their part. Let a divine work be wrought in every soul, until Christ shall behold his image reflected in his followers.  {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, January 27, 1890 par. 10]          I would warn the churches everywhere to respect your ministers, but do not make idols of them; for you not only imperil your own souls, but the souls of God's messengers. Do not flatter and extol your minister, telling him what a fine discourse he has preached. Let him stand in his position as Christ's ambassador. Listen to his words as to one sent from God; heed his instructions, and show by your life that you have heard to some purpose. And as a humble Christian, without any parade, let the minister fulfill his duties, and give to others what he has received of God. We are nearing the judgment, and the Lord has set watchmen upon the walls of Zion, who are never to hold their peace day or night. They are to watch for souls as they who must give an account.                                                                   -    {ST, January 27, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 1]       February 3, 1890 God's Object in Blessing His People.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Christ's church is to be a blessing, and its members are to be blessed as they bless others. The object of God in choosing a people before all the world, was not only that he might adopt them as his sons and daughters, but that through them he might confer on the world the benefits of divine illumination. When the Lord chose Abraham it was not simply to be the special friend of God, but to be a medium of the precious and peculiar privileges the Lord desired to bestow upon the nations. He was to be a light amid the moral darkness of his surroundings. Whenever God blesses his children with light and truth, it is not only that they may have the gift of eternal life, but that those around them may also be spiritually enlightened. Jesus has said of his followers, "Ye are the light of the world," "a city set upon a hill" that "cannot be hid;" "Ye are the salt of the earth." And when God makes his children salt, it is not only for their own preservation, but that they may be agents in preserving others. The religion of Christ is not a selfish religion. It is not to be kept under lock and key, but it is to be an influence of power going forth from every genuine Christian to enlighten those that sit in darkness. Every soul connected with a true Christian will be made better thereby. We are to be God's light-bearers, reflecting the steady beams of heaven upon others.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 2]          It is through the merits of Christ that all our spiritual and temporal blessings are given us to enjoy. The salvation of Christ was placed within our reach that we might lay hold upon it by faith, that we might weave the love of Christ into our characters, and practice it in our lives, that we might be a blessing to all our race. But not one of us can shed light upon others unless we ourselves have gathered rays of divine illumination from the word of God. We must have the Christ-like mould of character or we cannot be true representatives of our Lord. We can do nothing without the help of God. The Spirit of God must work with our efforts, and if God's blessing attends us, we shall be channels of light. The Lord is willing to give us all an experience, which, if improved, will bring us from the lowlands of earth into close, heavenly relationship with God, and every fiber of selfishness will be uprooted from our natures. Do you shine as living stones in God's building? There are many who say, "I am so full of business, I cannot give time to religious things." But if they cannot give time to the service of the Lord, can they expect that he will command his angels to prosper the work of their hands? We have not the genuine religion, unless it exerts a controlling influence upon us in every business transaction. We should have practical godliness to weave into our life-work. We should have the transforming grace of Christ upon our hearts. We need a great deal less of self, and more of Jesus.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 3]         Many who profess to believe the truth, deal too closely with their hired help, and God is not well pleased, and cannot bless and prosper such in their business. They need the converting, sanctifying power of the truth in their souls. They need to become Christ-like. Everyone who has to deal with others, should make their case his own; for just as we deal with others will God deal with us. We are treating Christ as we treat his children; for he is represented in the person of his saints. The truth of God must sanctify the soul, refine and elevate the character, and we must obtain the heavenly mould, before we shall be fitted for the courts above.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 4]          Many are situated where they are brought in contact with believers in present truth, and with those who do not believe, and how important that all the lower lights should be trimmed and burning, that all may catch rays of light from the shining lamps of those who profess to be the followers of Christ. We need plenteous grace for this time of spiritual declension. We need plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, pitiful, tender-hearted, and courteous, that we may deal with others as the Lord designs we should.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 5]          Have you, who have hired help, let your light shine to your workmen, that they, too, may be laborers together with God? God has given you precious privileges and advantages in sending you the light of his truth, and you are to improve these blessings, and let others share your mercies. What large missionary fields there are right around your homes, what opportunities every day for you to speak of the value of God's promises, to revive poor souls who are compelled to labor hard for small wages, to encourage the hearts of those who are struggling with poverty, who have scarcely the bare necessities of life! The children of God are called upon to show forth the praises of him who has called them out of darkness into his marvelous light; for they are to be Christ's representatives. They should ever seek to teach those with whom they come in contact, of higher, holier truths than the questions of commonplace life. The Lord says through the prophet Ezekiel, "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."                          (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 1]       February 3, 1890 A Lesson for the Times.  -         Entire abstinence from every pernicious indulgence, and especially tobacco and intoxicating drink, should be strenuously taught in our homes, both by precept and example. Upon no consideration should wine be placed upon our tables. Our children should grow up to consider it a deadly evil, leading to misery and crime.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 2]          The youth of today are the sure index to the future of society; and as we view them, what can we hope for the future? These young men are to take a part in the legislative councils of the nation; they will have a voice in enacting and executing its laws. How important, then, it is that the voice of warning should be raised against the indulgence of perverted appetite in those upon whom such solemn duties will rest! If parents would zealously teach total abstinence, and emphasize the lesson by their own unyielding example, many who are now on the brink of ruin might be saved.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 3]         What shall we say of the liquor sellers, who imperil life, health, and property, with perfect indifference? They are not ignorant of the result of their trade, but they become callous of heart. They listen carelessly to the complaints of famishing, half-clad mothers and children. Satan has no better agents by which to prepare souls for perdition, and he uses them with most telling effect. The liquor seller deals out his fiery draughts to men who have lost all control of reason and appetite; he takes their hard-earned money and gives no equivalent for it; he is the worst kind of robber.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 4]          We find in the special precepts given by God to the Hebrews, this command: "if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die; then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him." "And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; the owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his."  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 5]          The principle embodied in this statute holds good in our time. The liquor seller compares well with the man who turns a vicious ox loose upon his neighbors. The liquor seller is not ignorant of the effects of the fiery draught which he deals out unhesitatingly to husbands, fathers, youth, and aged men. He knows that it robs them of reason, and in many cases changes them to demons. The liquor seller makes himself responsible for the violence that is committed under the influence of the liquor he sells. If the drunkard commits murder under the effect of the maddening draught, the dealer who sold it to him, aware of the tendency of its effect, is in the sight of God equally responsible for the crime with him who did the deed.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 6]          The liquor dealer digs a pit for his neighbor to fall into. He has seen the consequences of liquor drinking too often to be ignorant of any one of their various phases. He knows that the hand of the man who drinks at his bar is likely to be raised against his own wife, his helpless children, or his aged father or mother. He knows, in very many instances, that the glass he hands to his customer will make him a raging madman, eager for quarrel and thirsting for blood. He knows that he is taking bread from the mouths of hungry children, that the pence which fall into his till, and enable him to live extravagantly, have deprived the drunkard's children of clothes, and robbed his family not only of the comforts, but of the very necessaries, of life. He is deaf to the appeals of weeping mothers, whose hearts are breaking from cruelty and neglect.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 7]          Crimes of the darkest dye are daily reported in the newspapers as the direct result of drunkenness. The prisons are filled with criminals who have been brought there by the use of liquor; and the blood of murdered victims cries to heaven for vengeance, as did the blood of Abel. The laws of the land punish the perpetrator of the deed; but the liquor seller, who is also morally responsible for it goes free; no man calls him a murderer; the community looks calmly on his unholy traffic, because justice is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter. But God, who declared that if a man owned a dangerous ox, and knew it to be so, yet let it loose upon his neighbors, if it caused the death of any man or woman, he should pay the penalty with his own life--that just and terrible God will let fall the bolts of his wrath on the liquor vender who sells violence and death to his fellow-men in the poisonous cup of the inebriate, who deals him out that which takes away his reason and makes him a brute.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 8]          Parents who freely use wine and liquor leave to their children the legacy of a feeble constitution, mental and moral debility, unnatural appetites, irritable temper, and an inclination to vice. Parents should feel that they are responsible to God and to society to bring into existence beings whose physical, mental, and moral characters shall enable them to make a proper use of life, be a blessing to the world, and an honor to their Creator. The indulgence of perverted appetite is the greatest cause of the deterioration of the human race. The child of the drunkard or the tobacco inebriate usually has the depraved appetites and passions of the father intensified, and at the same time inherits less of his self-control and strength of mind. Men who are naturally calm and strong-minded not infrequently lose control of themselves while under the influence of liquor, and, though they may not commit crime, still have an inclination to do so, which might result in the act if a fair opportunity offered. Continued dissipation makes these propensities a second nature. Their children often receive the stamp of character before their birth; for the appetites of the parents are often intensified in the children. Thus unborn generations are afflicted by the use of tobacco and liquor. Intellectual decay is entailed upon them, and their moral perception is blunted. Thus the world is being filled with paupers, lunatics, thieves, and murderers; and disease, imbecility, and crime, with private and public corruption of every sort, are making the world a second Sodom.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, February 3, 1890 par. 9]          For the sake of that high charity and sympathy for the souls of tempted men for whom Christ died, Christians should come out from the popular customs and evils of the age, and be forever separated from them. But we find in the clergy themselves the most insurmountable obstacle to the promotion of temperance. Many are addicted to the use of the filthy weed tobacco, which perverts the appetite, and creates the desire for some stronger stimulant. The indifference or disguised opposition of these men, many of whom occupy high and influential positions, is exceedingly damaging to the cause of temperance.--Mrs. E. G. White, in Bible Echo, Australia.  {ST, February 3, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 1]       February 10, 1890 God's Object in Blessing His People.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         There is a work for every Christian to do right at his own door, in his own neighborhood. But how many lose sight of eternal interests and are completely swallowed up in their temporal affairs. There is no necessity for this, for Jesus says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Make your own and your neighbor's eternal welfare the first and most important consideration. Your neighbors have souls to save or to lose, and God expects those to whom he has given the light, to make decided, interested efforts for others. They must remember the holy claims of the truth in every transaction of life. Let believers and unbelievers see in the life of those who claim to have a knowledge of advanced truth, a steady, clear, strong light shining forth in zeal, in devotion, in nobility of character, in their dealings with men. Then the Lord will deal bountifully with you, his servants. We should take time to pray. The time is all the Lord's, and we should be careful not to give others, in our example, a specimen of how we may rob God. Do not steal the time that should be given to God's service, and for gaining spiritual strength, and appropriate an extra half hour to your temporal affairs. May God forbid that those who have had the light of the truth, shall be found as were the foolish virgins, without oil in their vessels.  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 2]          Suppose that you let your light shine, and through your devotion to the cause of God, a few others are led to consecrate their service to him, then they will be a blessing to still others that you could not reach by your personal influence. The Lord says, "I will make the places round about a blessing." Your light is to be far-reaching. You are God's hired servant to give light, to give time, thought, tact, to his work; and if you do this, you will receive the approbation of your heavenly Father and the gift of eternal life. Talk of the Bible truth, live it out, and when Jesus comes the "Well done" will be spoken to you.  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 3]          May the Lord open the eyes of our brethren that they may see the precious opportunities on every hand, and improve them. Be much in prayer. Let no person, or personal interest, separate you from God, who is the source of your strength. When you arise in the morning, gather all the members of your household together, as did Abraham, and invite them to seek God with you. If your business presses strongly, and urges you to your work, then there is still greater need to take time to pray, to present your petitions to a throne of grace, and secure the protecting care, the aid, the mercy and blessing of God. Do not grudge the time that God requires, and hurry through a faithless, formal prayer, that you may rush to your business. God can do much for you, even in your labor, if you ask him. He can send his angels to preserve you from accidents, from breakage, and losses of life and property. The reason why those who neglect the privileges that God has provided, have no more comfort and peace and joy, is that they do not pause to have communion with God, who is the source of their strength. Can God pour out his Spirit, can he bless us, when there is so much indifference to his service? He cannot give us his rich blessing without our co-operation in his plans. He says, "Them that honor me I will honor."  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 4]          It is just as convenient, just as essential, for us to pray three times a day as it was for Daniel. Prayer is the life of the soul, the foundation of spiritual growth. In your home, before your family, and before your workmen, you should testify to this truth. And when you are privileged to meet with your brethren in the church, tell them of the necessity of keeping open the channel of communication between God and the soul. Tell them that if they will find heart and voice to pray, God will find answers to their prayers. Tell them not to neglect their religious duties. Exhort the brethren to pray. We must seek if we would find, we must ask if we would receive, we must knock if we would have the door opened unto us. If there are only a few assembled, there are enough to claim the precious promises of God. The Father, the Son, and the holy angels will be present with you to behold your faith, your steadfast principle, and there you will have of the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. God has rich blessings in store for those who will bring not only all the tithes into his store-house, but also time and strength of bone and brain and muscle into his service. Those who will do this, will walk in the light, and will triumph in God.  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 5]          Let each professed follower of Christ carry out the principles of practical godliness in his own house. Religion in the home is the best proof of genuine piety. It is not the stranger, the visitor, the minister, that can best judge of your Christian devotion; it is your children, your servants, the workmen who toil in your fields, who can best tell whether or not you love God and keep his commandments. If your household, your workmen, are not better for your Christianity, then the truth has not wrought its designed work upon your soul. Let not your workmen say; "This man for whom we work has a queer sort of religion. There are no morning or evening prayers in his house. We begin and end the day with drudgery, and we have so much to do on the Sabbath that we can scarcely get time for secret prayer."  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 6]          Carry your Christianity into your family. Let a bright, steady light be burning. Let impressions be left upon minds of the truth of your God, and the value of his service, that will be as far-reaching as eternity. Oh, how much need there is of prayer, of tears, of faith! You should pray for the ministers, for those who are weak in faith. You should let your prayers follow the laborers as sharp sickles in the great harvest-field. You should wrestle with God as did Jacob. We may have pentecostal seasons even now, if the people will pray fervently, and believe in the promises of God. And when prayer and faith abound among God's people, the world will see a steady light shining forth from them.  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, February 10, 1890 par. 7]          We should study the experience of past life, study it just as we study the proof-sheets of an article, to find the errors and to note them on the margin of the page. We should do this daily, and note our faults so that we may avoid them in the future. Do not forget to examine yourselves whether you are in the faith. Prove your own selves, for unless Christ is in you, you are reprobates. Reform every unchristlike action, seeking the Spirit of your divine Master. Take your hearts, by nature cold as an iron wedge, and let melting mercy fall upon them, that they may be subdued by the grace of God, and impressed by the Spirit with the image of your divine Lord.  {ST, February 10, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, February 17, 1890 par. 1]       February 17, 1890 Strive Lawfully.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "So run that ye may obtain." Not all who run obtain the prize. Some miss the crown that is to be given at the end of the race. Not everyone that seeketh, not everyone that striveth for the mastery, is victorious. Paul says, "If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."  {ST, February 17, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, February 17, 1890 par. 2]          Multitudes have had light upon the truth for this time. They have understood the claims of the law of God, but because the world keeps Sunday, they reason to themselves that they cannot be singular. They say, "I will serve God, and be correct in everything else; but I cannot keep the Sabbath, because I should lose my influence in the world. I cannot afford to be unpopular." They say, "I will run, I will strive to obtain the crown of life, and the Lord will not refuse to give me the reward simply because I did not keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. I will keep Sunday as sacredly as anyone can keep the seventh day." But the Lord has said, "Yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." "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. 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. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it." "And 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? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen."  {ST, February 17, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, February 17, 1890 par. 3]          Many profess to be children of God who have not taken heed to their ways. They have not understood what Christ meant when he prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and added, "Thy word is truth." The man who presumed to come to the wedding feast with the citizen's dress on represents that class who decide that their own righteousness is sufficient to recommend them to God, and they do not purify their souls by looking to Christ, and striving to run so that they may obtain. They do not put away the evil of their doings. They do not the words of Christ. They do not see the necessity of putting on the robe that has been prepared for them at an infinite cost, the robe of Christ's righteousness, and they will be cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  {ST, February 17, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, February 17, 1890 par. 4]          In the parable of the ten virgins, five of them are described as wise, and five as foolish. The foolish virgins took no oil in their vessels with their lamps. They did not obtain the grace of Christ. They were just like the wise virgins as far as theory and appearances were concerned. They had their lamps, but they had no oil. They made a profession, but they did not know what genuine conversion meant; and when the bridegroom came, they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. "When once the master of the house is risen up," saith Christ, "and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."  {ST, February 17, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, February 17, 1890 par. 5]          There will be multitudes who run but cannot enter into heaven's gates; for they are not crowned unless they strive lawfully. In life and spirit and character they must come into conformity with the will of God.  {ST, February 17, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, February 17, 1890 par. 6]          Genuine faith works by love, and purifies the soul. There is a faith that has power to cleanse the life from sin. The devils believe that Christ came into this world as man's Redeemer, that he wrought mighty miracles, that he was one with the Father, that he died a shameful death to save fallen man. The devils believe that he rose from the dead, that he ascended into the heavens, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. The devils believe that he is coming again, and that shortly, with power and great glory, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel. They believe all that is recorded in the Old and New Testaments. But will this faith save the demons of darkness? They have not the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. That faith, and that alone, which cleanses the soul-temple, is the genuine faith. Everything that defileth must be put away, all filthiness of the flesh and spirit must be removed from us, if we would enter in through the gates into the city. Jesus says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."                                                                   -    {ST, February 17, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 1]       February 24, 1890 Bible Religion.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The religion of the Bible comprises not only faith but works. The Christian is not simply to believe on Christ, but to do the will of God. Genuine love to God will open the heart, and make a man liberal and charitable. He will know what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness, and will continually desire that the power and grace of Christ shall be expressed in his life, that glory may redound to God. Every opportunity to do good to those for whom Christ died will be sought out and improved. The love of God will transform the character, and fashion it after the lovely character of Christ. The apostle says, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 2]          In doing the works of Christ, in imitating his life, in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, in being eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, in manifesting compassion to the widow and the fatherless, we shall be manifesting the characteristics of true religion. The doing of the works of Christ will not bring remorse. If we carry out the principles of God's love for Christ's sake, we shall know genuine happiness and peace. Ambition, covetousness, vanity, inordinate affection, malice, revenge, and envy, carry with them a weight of woe. The exercise of evil passions sows a harvest after their kind that will bring no pleasure to reap. God declares that there is no peace to the wicked, and without repose of mind there can be no true happiness.  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 3]          Everyone who is a new creature in Christ Jesus will have new and elevated motives of action, for the Spirit of Christ within will prompt his deeds. To love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves is genuine sanctification. Pride will be expelled from the sanctified heart, and with all lowliness of mind we shall esteem others better than ourselves. To esteem others better than themselves is a great trial to those who are naturally self-inflated. There are many who despise those who have had advantages inferior to their own, in birth or education. They exalt their own judgment and experience, and look disparagingly upon those who have had to battle with greater obstacles. But could they see as God sees, they would have a different estimation both of themselves and of those whom they think inferior. Every step of progress that is made by those who have to battle for advancement, wins the approval of God, and we should take heed that we despise not one of these little ones, for their angels do always behold the face of the Father.  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 4]          Those who are attaining to holiness, are daily growing in love, in meekness, in patience, and in loveliness of character. As faith increases, holiness grows in the soul. As the knowledge of God is enlarged, love is increased, because God is love. The love of God is unlike the carnal attribute which fastens the mind upon the human, and leads men to neglect the service of God. There are many who have only a kind of half-way religion. At times they appear to be humble, to esteem others better than themselves; and again self rises, and their meekness is broken by impatience. Their love for God is not equal to their love for themselves, and love for their neighbor is fitful, mingled with envy, evil surmising, and jealousy. Those who are in this condition have never fully submitted their will to God's will. They should consider the example and spirit of the Captain of their salvation. He said, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me." When we have the mind of Christ, we shall love and work as Christ has loved and worked. When the love of Christ is in the heart, it exerts a controlling influence over the thoughts and affections.  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 5]          Whatever may be our condition or position in life, it is our privilege to have the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Faith that produces love to God and love to our neighbor is true faith. This faith will lead to genuine sanctification. It will increase our reverence for sacred things. The name of God will not be used carelessly. It is dishonoring God to speak of him as though he were on a level with finite man. We should speak with reverence the sacred name of Christ, for, although he humbled himself and became obedient to the death of the cross, yet he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Let us take this precious name upon our lips with profound reverence. Some have allowed their feelings to control their judgment, in meetings for worship, and have indulged in words and attitudes that have not been in harmony with the solemn worship of God. We have heard men shout and jump, and pound the desk, and use vain repetition, and this they thought was worship to God. But it was not according to the direction or will of God. All that is coarse in attitude or word makes the service of Christ a matter of ridicule, and brings confusion into the house and worship of God. True religion is not to be found in noise, in contortion of the body, which profiteth little, but it is made manifest in good works, and in the holy temper of the soul. Genuine sanctification will make a man calm and sensible. He will be humble, gentle, kind, forbearing, full of love,--this is the fruit of sanctification. Those who possess these graces of the spirit will alone be counted worthy of eternal life.  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 6]          So deceitful is the human heart, so skillfully do the cherished passions justify themselves, that many will pass on in deception, satisfied with counterfeit religion and fraudulent sanctification, until probation closes, and the harvest is past.  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 7]          One of the chief characteristics of true love is humility. The apostle says: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." The man who has true zeal for God will be distrustful of self, and little in his own eyes. Love teaches us to be meek as well as lowly. Sanctified love will enable us to exhibit the grace of patience; it will help us to restrain impetuosity and fretfulness, so that we shall repine at nothing. Love to God and our neighbor will melt away all hatred, bitterness, wrath, malice, prejudice, envy, and evil surmising.  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 8]          A Christian once said that when he reached heaven he expected to meet with three causes of wonder. He would wonder to find some that he did not expect to see there. He would wonder not to see some that he expected to meet, and, lastly, he would wonder most to find so unworthy a sinner as himself in the Paradise of God. Many who have stood in high places as Christians upon earth, will not be found with the happy throng that shall surround the throne. Those who have had knowledge and talent, and yet have delighted in controversy and unholy strife, will not have a place with the redeemed. Their hearts were not in harmony with the meekness and self-denial of Christ. They desired to do some great work, that they might be admired and flattered by men, but their names were not written in the Lamb's book of life. "I know you not," are the sad words that Christ addresses to such. But those whose lives were made beautiful by little acts of kindness, by tender words of affection and sympathy, whose hearts recoiled from strife and contention, who never did any great work in order to be lauded of men, these are found recorded in the Lamb's book of life. Though the world counted them as insignificant, they are approved of God before the assembled universe. They are astonished to hear the word, from the lips of the divine Master, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."  {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, February 24, 1890 par. 9]          I would impress upon all Christians that patience, resignation, humility, and self-control are the fruits of real faith and love, fruits of true zeal for God. But impatience, fretfulness, discontent, and all manner of unkindness, are revealings of an unsanctified heart. What mischief false zeal has wrought in the church. Bigotry, love of one's own opinion and way, has been called zeal for God, but it is of the earth, earthy. The Scripture says, "It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." We are to serve the Lord with the whole heart, might, mind, and strength. We are to walk faithfully in the path of his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Those who study carefully what God requires of them, and will carefully avoid what he has forbidden, will always do zealously what he has enjoined.                                                                   -    {ST, February 24, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, March 3, 1890 par. 1]      March 3, 1890 Jesus Knocking at the Heart.  ［SERMON AT  TORRE PELLICE, ITALY, DECEMBER 3, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  {ST, March 3, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, March 3, 1890 par. 2]          Christ is willing to take possession of the soul temple, if we will only let him. He is represented as knocking at the door of our hearts for admission, but Jesus never forces himself upon us; he will come in only as an invited guest. If we seek him, we shall certainly find him. Many seem to have an idea that Christ is a great way off. It was difficult for the children of Israel to understand that Christ was their divine leader, and that he was enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day, and in the pillar of fire by night. If we could only realize that we do not have to ascend into the heavens to bring Christ down, nor descend into the earth to bring him up, but that he is near us, how different would be our actions. There would not be so much trifling conversation. We would not be so easily led into temptation, and there would not be so many things in our lives to displease Jesus. We would realize that the divine eye is upon us, and that the record is passing up to heaven which we must meet again in the day of final accounts; for the judgment is to sit, the books are to be opened, and everyone is to be judged according to the deeds done in the body.  {ST, March 3, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, March 3, 1890 par. 3]          In order to let Jesus into our hearts, we must stop sinning. The only definition for sin that we have in the Bible is that it is the transgression of the law. The law is far-reaching in its claims, and we must bring our hearts into harmony with it. Men may wrap themselves about with their own righteousness, they may reach their own standard of character, but they do not reach the standard that God has given them in his word. We may measure ourselves by ourselves, and compare ourselves among ourselves; we may say we do as well as this one or as that one, but the great question is, Do we meet the claims that Heaven has upon us? The reason why iniquity prevails to such an alarming extent is that the law of God is made void in the earth. His law spoken from Sinai and exemplified in the life of Christ, is perfect, converting the soul. It condemns every sin, and requires every virtue. Not only does it demand a correct outward deportment, but its principles reach even to the thoughts and affections of the heart. "Behold," said the psalmist, "thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." In the light of the law, covetousness is seen to be idolatry, lust adultery, and anger murder. No wonder that the carnal mind is enmity against God, and not subject to his law.  {ST, March 3, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, March 3, 1890 par. 4]          Those who are loyal to God's law will not always find the way smooth. God has not promised his people exemption from trials, but he has promised that which is far better. He has said: "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." "The God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation." "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth." All who love and fear God will suffer persecution. But Jesus will be near to sustain everyone who is afflicted for the truth's sake. When in the prison of Philippi, the scourged and heavily-manacled servants of Christ had such divine consolation that they sang praises to God, and the walls resounded with their triumph. To these faithful messengers, that cold dungeon, reeking with dampness, was made as the gate of heaven. The glory of the Sun of Righteousness beamed forth into that inner prison, making it radiant with a divine effulgence. Christ, the royal messenger, came to John when on his sea-bound isle, and gave him the most wonderful revelations of himself, and of what was to take place in the world's history prior to his second appearing. Jesus revealed himself to Stephen while he was surrounded with pitiless foes. The martyr was given a view of the glory of God with Jesus standing at his right hand to give help to his suffering servant.  {ST, March 3, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, March 3, 1890 par. 5]          Like Paul and the worthies who suffered for the truth's sake, we may be brought into positions of great trial because of our fidelity to God. But Christ is a tender, pitiful Saviour, and will never forsake his children. When on earth, his heart was ever touched with human woes. On every occasion he relieved the afflicted and suffering that were brought to him; he turned none away. A woman who had suffered for years believed that Christ had power to heal her of her infirmity if she could only go to him and tell him her great need. The multitude thronged him as he passed on his way, but she pressed her way through the crowd, and as Jesus came near, she reached forth her hand, and succeeded in touching the hem of his garment, and in a moment she felt that she was made whole. Hers was not the casual touch; it was the touch of faith. This should impress us all with the importance of having living faith in Jesus as our personal Saviour. Many say that all we have to do is to believe, but they make the service of Christ altogether too superficial. They are satisfied with a nominal belief in Christ; but it is not enough to merely assert that Jesus is the Son of God. We must abide in him as the branch abides in the vine. We must have an experimental faith, a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Then we have evidence that we bear fruit to the glory of God. What is it to bear fruit to the glory of God? It is to manifest the love of Jesus in our daily life, to be kind and courteous and forbearing to those around us, and to try to lead them to the Saviour. The divine light that shines in the face of Jesus shines also in the heart of the believers, and they walk in the light as he is in the light. That same Jesus represents himself as standing at the door of our hearts and knocking for entrance. Every one of us has a work to do to open the door, if we would have Jesus as our guest. The work of perfecting the soul through obedience to all God's requirements must be constantly going on in our lives. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us. Will you open the door of the heart, and let the light of heaven in? Will you just now invite Jesus as a welcome guest to take possession of your heart? We should desire his presence above everything else on the earth. We should regard him as the one altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand. Why do we keep the door of the heart closed, when he has given us such a gracious invitation to open the door and let him in?  {ST, March 3, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, March 3, 1890 par. 6]          Some seem to think that if they accept the religion of Christ, they will take a step down; but that is not so. Those who receive honors from earthly kings feel that they are exalted; how much more are they exalted who receive honors from the King of heaven! The Monarch of the universe has promised to adopt into his family all who come out from the world and are separate. All who are faithful in his service will become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. Is not this an exalted privilege? We should seek to increase in knowledge and wisdom; for we are to take our talents of intellect into the future world. Our minds should become strengthened, and our hearts refined and elevated, that Jesus may take possession of them. We must imitate his character if we would find ourselves in the society of holy angels in the kingdom of glory. All who enter there will be obedient to the law of God. That law may be trampled under foot here by those who are rebels to God's government, but Jesus said, "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." It would be a terrible thing to meet the Lawgiver over the broken law. We should pray, as did David, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."  {ST, March 3, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 1]       March 10, 1890 Look and Live.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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. 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."  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 2]          When the children of Israel were passing through the wilderness toward Canaan, they brought upon themselves the judgments of God by murmuring and complaining. They were bitten by fiery, poisonous serpents of the wilderness, and were smitten with death. A messenger came through the camp, with the news that a remedy had been provided. By the direction of Christ a brazen serpent had been lifted up, and those who would but look upon it would be healed. When this messenger ［message］ was announced, some of the sick and dying did not accept it. Here and there throughout the camp were heard the words, "It is impossible for me to be healed, because I am in such a dreadful condition. Those who are not in so bad a state as I am, may, perhaps, look and live." Others thought they had a remedy of their own that could cure the poisonous bite of the serpent; but only those who accepted the message and looked to the brazen serpent were healed. This serpent represented Christ. He says, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up."  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 3]         Man is poisoned by sin; but a remedy has been provided for the fallen race in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Every hope that we have of salvation out of Christ is a vain hope. We cannot dishonor our Saviour more than by doubting that he will save us. Whatever may have been our life of transgression, however deep may be the stain of our sin, there is One who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Jesus is the remedy for sin. We may have intellect, but human intelligence can devise no way of salvation; we may have earthly possessions, but that will not provide a ransom for the sin of our soul. Salvation is the gift of God through Christ, and the promise is, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 4]          It is not enough to have a nominal faith. We must have faith that will appropriate the life-giving power to our souls. We suffer great loss because we do not exercise simple, living faith in Christ. We should be able to say, "He is my Saviour; he died for me; I look to him as my complete Saviour and live." We are to look to Christ day by day. We are to regard him as our example in all things. This is faith. The true believer in Christ is represented by a branch connected with a living vine. The sap and nourishment of the vine extends through every vein and fiber of the branch, and thus the branch becomes knit with the life of the vine, and bears precious fruit. Every soul that abides in Christ will do the works of Christ. Those who love God will keep his commandments; for Christ has said, "I have kept my Father's commandments." Jesus made an infinite sacrifice in leaving his majesty, to come to a fallen world, that he might lift up sinful man; and everyone that is connected with Christ, as the branch is united with the vine, will manifest the spirit of his Redeemer.  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 5]          We honor our Lord and Master when we place implicit confidence in him. If we distrust the message that he has sent us, we shall be in a position similar to that of the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery serpents, but who would not look and live. If we accept the message of love that has come to us in invitations, exhortation, and reproof, it will prove life and healing to our souls.  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 6]          We should not be satisfied with anything less than a close connection with Christ. Freedom and salvation are offered to us, and we should grasp the precious promises of God by living faith. But if we only partially believe, if we do not show in our experience the power of living faith that works by love and purifies the soul, we shall fail to meet the expectation of our Lord and Master. Jesus says, "Without me, ye can do nothing," but if he abides in us and we in him, we can do all things through the power of his might. We should trust him as a child trusts his earthly parents. We should feel such love toward him that we cannot betray his confidence in us, or distrust him under any circumstances. We should have a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. We should be like the afflicted woman who pressed her way through the throng to touch the hem of Christ's garment. She gave no casual touch; it was the touch of faith; for virtue went out from Christ and healed her. Although the throng were pressing and crowding about the Saviour, he recognized the touch of faith. He turned and asked, "Who touched me?" His disciples looked up in wonder and replied: "Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me; for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 7]          Neither learning, oratory, nor wealth can bring men into favor with God; but simple, trusting faith will bring his blessing. We are to take God at his word. The experience that comes through living faith is the experience that God wants every one of us to have. We should reach out the hand of faith, and grasp the arm of infinite power. The simplest prayer that is put up in faith is acceptable to heaven. The humblest soul that looks up to Christ in faith is connected with the God of the universe. We may walk in the light as Christ is in the light. We are to look into the great mirror of God's law and see if our characters are condemned therein. If condemnation is resting upon us, we need not despair, for he has provided a way whereby we may not perish, but have pardon and life. The promise is given that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I am glad every day I live that this precious promise has been recorded for us. We may be filled with rejoicing that we have a living Saviour who is mighty to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. Jesus desires you to ask much that you may receive much, and we need him with us at every step as we advance. When we see that there are defects in our characters, we must be zealous and repent and reform; for if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Scripture declares that God will not hear us. Christ has given us an invitation full of mercy. He says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." There is nothing worse than a scarlet sin except the sin that can have no forgiveness in this life or in the life to come.  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, March 10, 1890 par. 8]          When I see my Saviour so full of mercy toward us, it seems to me that every heart ought to be melted into tenderness and gratitude toward God. Sin should be hated because it grieves our very best Friend; we should desire to know the truth even though it require a sacrifice, and no one who has stood in defense of truth has done so without sacrifice. Those who have living faith in Christ will pass through difficulties as did Paul. They will say with him: "Our light affliction, 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." Paul measured the difficulties of the present with the glory of the eternal. And the glory to come so far overbalanced the suffering of the present, that he said it was not worthy to be compared with it. We must keep our eyes fixed upon the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus, and as we do this, we shall receive comfort, and peace, and joy.                         (Concluded next week.)  {ST, March 10, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 1]      March 17, 1890 Look and Live   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         The Christian is not to live for this present life. We are to look to Jesus, who through an ignominious death made a way for our escape. We must every one of us lay hold of the hope that is set before us in the gospel, if we would have everlasting life. You should ask yourself, "How much am I willing to sacrifice for the truth's sake?" Before you answer this question, I would direct you to the life and sacrifice of Jesus for you. As you see him whom your sins have pierced, lifted upon the cross of Calvary, you will in contrition of soul lay all at his feet. When we remember how much our salvation has cost, we may be sure that eternal life is worth everything. The enemy is determined that we shall not come into possession of this precious boon. We are traveling through an enemy's land, and we must keep on the whole armor of righteousness, that we may fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life.  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 2]          Satan will come in many ways to tempt the soul away from Christ. He will first tell you that you are good enough of yourself; that you do not need a work of reformation wrought for you. He will suggest to you that you have made but few mistakes in your life, and that these will be overbalanced by the good you have done. If you have lived such a life as he would make you believe you have, it would be like a chain with unsound links in it, wholly worthless. One sin unrepented of is enough to close the gates of heaven against you. It was because man could not be saved with one stain of sin upon him, that Jesus came to die on Calvary's cross. Your only hope is to look to Christ and live. He came to save to the uttermost all who came unto him; and he is fully able to do all that he has undertaken to do for you. He will lift us up from the degradation into which we have fallen because of sin.  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 3]          We should exercise living faith in Christ. When our hopes of life seem to be slipping away, Jesus is ready to put his everlasting arms beneath us, and to draw us to his heart, and to comfort, encourage, and bless us. As soon as you surrender wholly to Christ, he will accept you. Christ has said that it was his will that your joy should be full. Why should you not have fullness of joy, when through Christ you have the prospect of eternal life at his coming? Why should we not every day show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light? "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? He wants us to grow better in his love every day. As we follow on to know the Lord, we shall know that his goings forth are prepared as the morning. The sun rises in dimness; but as it begins to climb the heavens, its rays become more and more bright. Thus it is with the Christian in his life. He catches the bright beams of light from Christ, and by trusting in him he becomes better acquainted with his Saviour. It is a difficult matter for human nature to have perfect confidence in divine power, but the Lord will strengthen our faith, and we may have a precious experience in the knowledge of Jesus. We do not have the simplicity we should have in coming to our heavenly Father. We are sinners, but Christ has died for us, and it is our privilege to place ourselves upon the platform of his promises. If we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we shall express it in our actions toward others. We shall proclaim to those who are out of Christ the beauty of faith and religion. It is not our place to inquire whether we shall have trials if we walk in the path of obedience; we are to search for the truth as for hidden treasures, and to accept it whatever may be its cost.  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 4]          Christ prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth. It is not error but the truth of God that sanctifies the soul. When we follow in the humble path of obedience, we leave a bright track heavenward for others to walk in. It is our privilege to have a deeper experience in the things of God. Will you review your past life, will you see where your defects and mistakes have been, and when you see that they are many, will you remember that Jesus lives to make intercession for you, and not sink down in discouragement? Jesus pleads his blood before the Father, and says, "I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions as a thick cloud." Let this be the language of your heart: "Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Do not even for a moment distrust your Saviour's power to save you. Fall in your helplessness at the foot of the cross; today believe the promise of God. Jesus loves us with a love that is infinite. Oh, what love, what matchless love, he has shown for the children of men! Jesus does not desire you to wait to make yourself better; he desires you to take him today as your Saviour. This very day say: "He is mine, and I am his. I will give my soul into his keeping, and he will keep that which I have committed to his trust against that day. Through faith he will give me victory over the temptations of the enemy. I shall see of his salvation. I shall triumph in God." Do you not think that such language as this will drive back the enemy from the tempted soul? Satan tries to interpose himself between us and Christ, but we must drive him back by talking faith, and by exalting the power of Jesus to save us. Shall we not take steps in advance without delay? Shall we not show that we are not afraid to trust our Saviour in the darkness as well as in the light? I have been tested on this point. One loved one after another has been torn from me by death, and it has seemed as though it would crush me; but in these hours Jesus has seemed to say to me: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 5]         The peace that Jesus gives is not the peace of the world. In my sorest trials, when I could not understand why they had come upon me, the only course I could take was to believe that Jesus doeth all things well. After the death of him who had stood by my side for thirty-six years, I was in great distress, in such anguish that it seemed that I would die; but I had to fight the fight of faith. While Satan suggested temptations, and sought to make me distrust God, I would continually say, "He knows what is best for me, and I will trust him."  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 6]          We should not think that Jesus has forsaken us when clouds and darkness come upon our souls. He is a pitying, loving Redeemer. He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. He is not willing that any of us should perish, but that all should have eternal life; but he wants us to follow him as the sheep follow the shepherd; and by and by he will lead us to living waters, and wipe away all tears from our eyes.  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, March 17, 1890 par. 7]          Jesus loves you, and when trials come upon your soul, as they surely will, you must be often found with God in prayer. The enemy may tell you that God will not hear you; but you must rest in his promise that he will hear the prayer of the contrite soul. Keep your petitions continually ascending to Jesus, and believe that he hears you, and he will hear you and deliver you from every trial and temptation. The apostle says: "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 honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."  {ST, March 17, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 1]       March 24, 1890 Faith Does Not Make Void the Law.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The blood of Christ was shed to atone for sin and to cleanse the sinner; and we must take hold of the merits of Christ's blood, and believe that we have life through his name. Let not the fallacies of Satan deceive you; you are justified by faith alone, but faith in Christ does not absolve you from obligation to keep God's unchangeable law, which is as sacred as his throne. Faith is essential, but genuine faith will enable its possessor to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 2]          Sin is the transgression of the law, and no man can be saved in sin. The sinner must repent toward God, and become obedient to God's law through faith in Christ. Faith is the hand that lays hold on Omnipotence. When we do those things that are lawful and right, through the grace of Christ, we are keeping God's commandments; and to such God has pledged his word that he will do great things. Like Daniel, you may make confession of your sin, and present daily supplication unto God; but however poor and unworthy and erring you may feel yourselves to be, it is your privilege to appropriate the promises of God. You may obtain the grace and help which Christ alone is able to give you. God can no more forget one of his children who is seeking to be obedient to his holy requirements than he can forget himself. The Scriptures declare that Christ has graven us on the palms of his hands, that he holds us in everlasting remembrance.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 3]          An impulse, an emotional exercise, is not faith or sanctification. Sanctification is the doing of all the commandments of God. Some of you have failed to do this, because you have taken your eyes away from Jesus, and have looked to yourselves. Some have kept Christ apart from their lives because they felt their own unworthiness; but Christ died upon the cross of Calvary for the unrighteous and unworthy. If they look to him, will they perish?--No; they are to look and live. You who feel that your work is unworthy and full of imperfections, you who are weary and heavy-laden, Jesus invites you to come to him, that you may find rest to your souls. Jesus desires you to wear his yoke, to lift his burdens, and he says his yoke is easy, and his burden is light.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 4]          Noah was a preacher of righteousness; but all his warnings were despised by the generation to whom they were addressed. Truth will never be popular with the world; for the world is at enmity with God's law. The world is full of sin, full of falsehood, full of transgression. Jesus preached the truth faithfully, affectionately, earnestly, practicing self-denial; and did the world flock to his banner?--No; when did truth ever meet with more stern and positive rejection than at the time of Christ? If we place ourselves in right relation to God, that we may teach the truth, practice the truth, and become sanctified through it, we shall not always meet with success in our efforts for others; we shall have to trust the result with God, and not drive ourselves to the brink of despair because men will harden their hearts and reject the plainest declaration of the Scriptures. We must hold fast our faith, and strengthen our souls by firm reliance upon the promise of God. You may say, "I know I am an unworthy laborer, but I rely upon Christ's righteousness. The merit of the blood of Christ is my only plea. I know I am a sinner, but the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." We must honor God by believing his promises.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 5]          There are those who have had an excellent experience, who have been strong in the truth, who have known what it is to believe God, and their faith has been counted unto them for righteousness, but Satan has worked to discourage them and to break their hold upon God. Although clouds have encompassed them, the Lord has not forsaken, the Lord will lift them up, give them physical strength, and encourage and revive their faith. We shall have to wage a constant battle with Satan, if we preserve our faith to the end amid the discouragements that will press upon us. We must look away from self, for Jesus is our only hope. The language of the soul must be, "He is mine; I will never let go his arm. He will bless me; the cleansing blood will be applied to my soul."  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 6]          Whatever may be our difficulties, Jesus knows all about them; we may tell them all to our sympathizing Saviour. He pities our every weakness, he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Let us carry our burdens to him trustingly, and we shall see his salvation. If we pray for it, if we believe for it, we shall have the heavenly endowment of his Spirit. Stretch forth your hands in faith today, for Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. Send up your petitions, crying, "Abide with us; we need thy presence, thy love, thy pardon." He will not pass you by, he will abide with you and bless you.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 7]         The Lord is willing to give each of you a rich experience; for he would have you able to appreciate the knowledge of the truth he has given you, and to value the precious tokens of his love. He desires to give you greater evidences of his love, still more marked answers to your prayers, a deeper and closer acquaintance with himself; for the Lord has a work for each one to do. If you will come up to your exalted privileges, you will have increased faith. Remember that faith is not feeling. We are inclined to measure our religious attainments by our emotions; but feeling is no criterion by which to judge. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Those who have had moral courage to stand in defense of the faith in times past, should now be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. We have a work to do for the Master, and we should put on the whole armor of righteousness. When Satan tells you of your unworthiness, you can acknowledge it, but at the same time you can present a compassionate Saviour, who will save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. Talk faith, talk hope and courage, and come into the light. It is by beholding the loveliness of the character of Christ that we are to be changed into his image. Look away from the darkness, look away from yourself to your compassionate Redeemer, and let your soul be inspired by faith and prayer. Bring Jesus into your life, the virtues of his character into your character.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 8]          We are not to yield to the suggestions of Satan. It is his design to deceive you either by flattering your vanity, or by causing you to become discouraged in dwelling upon your unworthiness. He will seek to surround you with the society of those who will confuse your faith and break your connection with God; but you should keep a holy trust in God, and maintain a Christian character consistent with your religious faith. You should be meek yet resolute, cheerful yet devout, that sin may not be sanctioned by you in any form.  {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, March 24, 1890 par. 9]          In your home life you should manifest patience, forbearance, and love. You should walk circumspectly, wisely, and in a perfect way. You should begin and end the day with prayer, and be full of faith and gratitude toward God. Let your words be select, well chosen, seasoned with salt, that your soul may be constantly reaching up for higher attainments. If this is your attitude, the peace of God will not be an occasional visitor, but an abiding guest, ruling in the heart. The Spirit of God will soften and subdue the soul, and ennoble the character. What is healthful piety but a well-balanced experience? We must have more faith. The language of the soul should be, "Because Jesus lives, I shall live also." There is freedom for us in Christ, and if we look to him in faith at all times, we shall have the blessed assurance of his presence; but if we distrust his love and power, we shall dishonor God. It is our privilege to have Jesus as our constant helper.                                                                   -    {ST, March 24, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 1]       March 31, 1890 Genuine Faith Leads to Obedience.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Without faith it is impossible to please God." It is our privilege to appropriate to our own use the promises which God has given us in his word. We have had great light, most wonderful truths have been unfolded to us; and our faith should correspond to the light and power of the truth that has been opened to our understanding. Our prayer should be as was the prayer of David, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." We have a great and solemn work before us. We are to present the last message of mercy to the world,--the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. We should have faith corresponding to the message we have to bear to the world. We shall need more than finite wisdom in doing this work. We must have divine power connected with our efforts, that we may reach the people.  {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 2]          It is our privilege to take God at his word. As Jesus was about to leave his disciples to ascend into heaven, he commissioned them to bear the gospel message to all nations, tongues, and peoples. He told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. This was essential to their success. The holy unction must come upon the servants of God. All who were fully identified as disciples of Christ and associated with the apostles as evangelists, assembled together in Jerusalem. They put away all differences. They continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, that they might receive the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit; for they were to preach the gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit and in the power of God. It was a time of great danger for the followers of Christ. They were as sheep in the midst of wolves, yet they were of good courage, because Christ had risen from the dead, and had revealed himself to them, and had promised them a special blessing, which would qualify them to go forth to proclaim his gospel to the world. They were waiting in expectation of the fulfillment of his promise, and were praying with special fervency.  {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 3]          This is the very course that should be pursued by those who act a part in the great work of proclaiming the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven; for a people are to be prepared to stand in the great day of God's preparation. Although Christ had given the promise to the disciples that they should receive the Holy Spirit, this did not remove the necessity of prayer. They prayed all the more earnestly; they continued in prayer with one accord. Those who are now engaged in the solemn work of preparing a people for the coming of the Lord, should also continue in prayer. The early disciples were of one accord. They had no speculations, no curious theory to advance as to how the promised blessing was to come. They were one in faith and spirit. They were agreed. The disciples of Christ should become one with him, and one with each other. All differences should disappear. Soul should blend with soul. No strife should be permitted to sway the soul; no love of supremacy, no thought of self, should be cherished; we should be one in Christ.  {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 4]          It is the privilege of God's people to go forth to their work in the strength of Jesus. We should go forth, not depending upon our talents, but wrestling with God for sanctification through the truth. We should feel a constant assurance that Jesus is present to help us. If success attends our labors, we should give all the glory to God. The frail, defective beings of earth should not take one particle of honor to themselves. The worker for God is to be clothed with humility; for Christ has condescended to be his helper. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God that gives the increase.  {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 5]          We shall have to meet many false doctrines and deceptive theories, and it will require more than human intelligence to discern their falsity, and to keep clear of their influence. Many claim sanctification who are wholly deceived in themselves; and we should inquire, How can we present their deceptions in a true light, that souls may be delivered from the snare of the enemy? There is only one test for all doctrines, and that is God's great standard of righteousness. Says the prophet, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Many of those who claim sanctification present themselves, like the enemy of God and his law, in the garments of their own righteousness. They oppose the commandments of God, and show that their heart is carnal. Many years after the crucifixion of Christ, the apostle wrote these words, that test the profession of those who claim holiness, and yet oppose the law of God,--"The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be."  {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 6]          With ruthless hands many have sought to remove the landmarks, to tear down God's great moral standard, and to erect one of their own. In claiming holiness they measure themselves by their own standard. They do not test their actions and character by the law of God. It was by his own standard that Satan measured his actions, he represented himself before men as an angel of light; but his pretension does not make him such, by any means. There is a class of persons who are not following the example of Christ in keeping God's law, yet they claim to be holy. They are ready to appropriate the promises of God without fulfilling the conditions upon which they are given. But their faith has no foundation; it is like sliding sand. There is another class who see the claims of the law of God, and, although it involves a cross, they choose the path of obedience, coming out and separating themselves from the world. They do not consult convenience, nor shrink from accepting the truth for fear of reproach. They step out from the path of transgression, and place their feet in the way of God's commandments. The promises of God, which are given on condition of obedience, are for those who walk in the light of his holy word. Those who do his will may claim all the benefits the Lord has promised. The obedient do not simply cry, "Believe, all you have to do is believe in Christ;" but their faith is like Noah's and Abraham's, which led them to keep the commandments. They follow the example of Christ, they listen and wait to catch every word of direction from the Captain of their salvation. They respond to the voice that says, "This is the way, to walk ye in it." Every step that Noah and Abraham took in obedience to God's word was a step of victory. A "Thus saith the Lord" fortified Noah in doing his work of warning the world. The testimony in regard to Noah is, "And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him." The path of obedience is the path in which our safety lies; for it is the willing and obedient that shall eat the good of the land. If we keep the commandments of God, we may claim his recorded promises in all their fullness. Many feel so unworthy that like the poor publican they dare not lift up so much as their eyes to heaven. They should encourage faith. We may have an intelligent faith; we may not only say we believe, but we may in meekness and confidence be able to define what we believe, and why we believe as we do. We should exercise living faith, not a blind credulity. All heaven is at the command of those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.  {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, March 31, 1890 par. 7]          We need to come up to a higher standard, to go forward and claim our exalted privileges. We should walk humbly with God, make no proud boasts of perfection of character, but in simple faith claim every promise in the word of God; for they are for the obedient, not for the transgressors of God's law. We are simply to believe the testimony of God, and have entire dependence on him, and all possibility of self-glory or pride will be removed. We are indeed saved by faith, not by a passive faith, but by the faith which works by love, and purifies the soul. The hand of Christ can reach the veriest sinner, and bring him back from transgression to obedience; but no Christianity is so lofty that it can soar above the requirements of God's holy law. This would be beyond Christ's power to help, it would be outside of his teachings and his example; for he says, "I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love," and all who follow Christ will render obedience to God's holy law.                                                                   -    {ST, March 31, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 1]       April 7, 1890 Be Strong in the Grace of Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Those who engage in the work of God in any capacity should strengthen themselves for the work. They should not lift themselves up in self-conceit, but by their humility of spirit, make it manifest that they are strong in the grace of Christ. As opposition and trials increase, the Christian should grow stronger in the power that comes from Heaven. There is always great weakness where there is self-sufficiency, but when, through humble contrition of soul, we take hold of the strength of Jesus, special help will be given as our need may require. We are exhorted to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."  {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 2]          Great self-sufficiency was manifested by Peter when he confidently declared, "Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee." Peter supposed himself to be strong, but when the test came he discovered that he was weakness itself. He had been with Jesus and had often obtained his help, but past grace does not avail for present needs. Daily, hourly, we must have divine strength imparted to us. We must trust at all times in Christ, dwell upon his words till we long to realize their fulfillment in our own case. The reason that more power does not attend the proclamation of the truth for this time, is that there is too much reliance placed upon the ability of man, too much trust in the talent and tact of the workers, and not enough reliance upon the arm of Infinite Power. The gospel of truth is not preached in demonstration of the Spirit and in the power of God. Self is ready to take the credit if any measure of success attends the work, self is flattered, self is exalted, and the impression is not made upon minds that God is all and in all.  {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 3]          Paul gave a solemn charge to Timothy that has the same importance in this day as it did when given. He said, "And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." This injunction we must cherish, as did Timothy, as a sacred trust from the apostle. Paul saw that the night in which he could no longer work, was fast hastening upon him. He was to die a martyr's death, and the precious light given him of God was not to lose any of its brightness, but to be committed to others as a rich legacy. Timothy was to train up others to succeed him in the ministry of the gospel. He was not to think that his work was done in merely teaching the truth to unbelievers; he was to impart the knowledge he had received, to repeat the precious instruction he had heard from the lips of Paul, and to record the things which he himself had witnessed, that the light of truth might be passed along to others who were faithful, and who should be ordained to the ministry. These, in their turn, were to realize their responsibility, and teach others also, and thus the sacred truth of the gospel would be communicated from one to another throughout the ages.  {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 4]          Timothy was to have discernment that would enable him to choose men of fidelity and integrity, for he was to commit the word of God to faithful men. The men to whom the solemn truth of God was to be given in trust were not to be self-seekers, but men who would lose sight of self, and have an eye single to the glory of God, and work for the salvation of souls. They were to be willing to do everything in their power to advance the Redeemer's kingdom. They must not only be capable of comprehending the evidences of the truth themselves, but they must be able from their knowledge and experience to impart truth to others; they must be apt to teach. This was the precious light that Paul had received through inspiration, and it was his work to see that no part of this instruction should be lost. He charged Timothy with the responsibility of committing it to faithful men, who would in their turn transmit the precious legacy of truth, pure and uncorrupted, to others. The words, the ideas, of men were not to be mingled with the sacred truth of God in any way to lessen its divine importance. Men of ability, of humility,-- men who had a conscientious realization of the fact that they were not to misstate the lessons given them by Paul, were to be chosen, who would not take from or add to the sacred teaching of Scripture. Mark the care with which Paul guards the matter so that the light and knowledge of the gospel shall be imparted in its purity. Timothy was instructed to commit it to faithful men, who would seek others equally faithful, so that the precious truth might reach even to our day, and shine upon our pathway in undimmed brightness.  {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 5]          The New Testament was not then written, therefore there was need of the greatest caution, that the teachings of Christ might be imparted without adulteration. What a responsibility rests upon the chosen men of God for this time; for they, too, are to train up others to succeed them in the ministry, and they are also to see to it that self does not mingle with their work.  {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 6]          The work of the ministry is no common work. Christ is withdrawn only from the eye of sense, but he is as truly present by his Spirit as when he was visibly present on earth. The time that has elapsed since his ascension has brought no interruption in the fulfillment of his parting promise,--"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." God has provided light and truth for the world by having placed it in the keeping of faithful men, who in succession have committed it to others through all generations up to the present time. These men have derived their authority in an unbroken line from the first teachers of the faith. Christ remains the true minister of his church, but he delegates his power to his under-shepherds, to his chosen ministers, who have the treasure of his grace in earthen vessels. God superintends the affairs of his servants, and they are placed in his work by divine appointment.  {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, April 7, 1890 par. 7]          The work of the messengers the Lord sends to earth is not understood, and the message of truth is too lightly regarded. The energizing presence of Christ is not felt as it should be among the ministers of God. They do not sacrifice all to him as they should; but Paul further charged Timothy to "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." All Christians are represented as soldiers of the cross of Christ, but especially this figure applies to the ministers of the gospel. They are to fight under the banner of Prince Emmanuel, and wage war against his enemies, trusting in Christ, for he is the Captain of their salvation. The soldiers of Christ must prove themselves faithful, they must have courage, and be willing to endure hardness. They must expect to have hard things to meet, and they must accustom themselves to bear burdens with patience and fortitude, always maintaining and representing the simplicity of Christ.                            (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, April 7, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, April 14, 1890 par. 1]       April 14, 1890 Be Strong in the Grace of Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         We should educate the mind so that we can hold communion with God constantly. We must learn to glance upward in sincere desire, sending a prayer to Heaven in all places and under all circumstances. You may have that faith that will place your hand in the hand of Jesus, and by faith you may keep hold of him. You should keep your mind filled with the precious promises of God. As Christians we do not make half enough of the promises, for God will never fail in any good thing which he has promised. We should take these promises singly, view them critically in all their richness, meditate upon them until the soul is burdened with their greatness, and delighted with their strength and power. I am so sorry that we deprive ourselves of the blessing we might have, and it is simply because we do not cherish the thought that the promises of God are for us. God has left them in this word for us, and we should dig for them as for hidden treasures. Why are we so easily satisfied with little flashes of light when there is a heaven of illumination for us? We drink at shallow streams, when there is a great fountain just above us, if we will only rise a little higher in the pathway of faith. Our natures must be raised from their earthliness, they must be kindled and purified in the upper brightness of God's divine presence. But you must remember that only those who obey the commandments of God through his grace have a right to appropriate the promises written for the consolation of the children of God. The psalmist says: "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."  {ST, April 14, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, April 14, 1890 par. 2]          When a man gives himself to the work of the gospel and is made overseer of the church of God by the Holy Ghost, he is to keep himself as free as possible from everything that would hinder his work. The apostle writes: "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." Christ has given the command, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." And when one gives himself to the ministry he should not in his very first move entangle himself with the perplexities and burdens of this life, but he should seek to be free that he may attend to his Captain's orders. He must so arrange his affairs that he may be able to give undivided attention to the work of saving souls. If he is so circumstanced that he is drawn away from his duty to God, he should not claim to be an enlisted soldier in the service of God. The greatest anxiety of the soldier should be to please his captain, and the greatest care of Christ's soldiers should be to please their divine Master. Many have become cumbered with care; earthly things have taken up their attention until their spiritual discernment is dimmed. They cannot appreciate the wants of the cause of God, and therefore cannot put forth well-directed efforts to meet its emergencies, and to advance its interests. They constantly seek to shape the work in accordance with their circumstances, in place of shaping circumstances to meet the demands of the cause of God.  {ST, April 14, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, April 14, 1890 par. 3]          The minister's first thought should be, How shall I labor so that I will meet with God's approval? If a soldier loads himself down with extra burdens, he unqualifies himself both for the march and the battle, and if a minister becomes absorbed in the temporal things of this life, he cannot be a success as a soldier of Christ. "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully . The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits." The minister is to present the truth to others, not in a harsh, dictatorial manner, manifesting fretfulness when opposed, and becoming impatient when those for whom he labors are slow to accept the truth; he is to be patient, gentle unto all men, in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves, if peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. The laborer for God will not receive the crown unless he strives according to the requirement of God, and that is in the spirit of Christ.  {ST, April 14, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, April 14, 1890 par. 4]          The apostle says: "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."  {ST, April 14, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, April 14, 1890 par. 5]          Those who strive lawfully will have complete victory at last, but there is too much striving that is not done in the Spirit of Christ. We should strive to obtain the victory over every unholy passion of the soul, over every spiritual weakness, over every defect of character. We should seek to excel in the graces of the Spirit of God, in meekness, patience, goodness, love, peace, and joy. If we strive for this, it will be a worthy, lawful striving that will be rewarded of God. In contending for the faith, we must be careful to stand as did Christ before the people; we must have a spirit that will correspond to the purity and greatness of the doctrines we advocate. We must teach the truth as it is in Jesus. We must labor as does the husbandman, with diligence and patience, that we may be partakers of the fruits. We must do the will of God before we can receive the promise. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."  {ST, April 14, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 1]       April 21, 1890 The Danger of Skepticism in Our Youth.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The words of Jesus addressed to this generation may well be regarded with sorrow and awe. He asks, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Christ looked down the ages, and with prophetic eye marked the conflict between the antagonistic principles of truth and error. He saw how real Christianity would become almost extinct in the world, so that at his second advent he would find a state of society similar to that which existed before the flood. The world would be engaged in festivity and amusement, in theatrical shows, in the indulgence of base passions. Intemperance of every grade would exist, and even the churches would be demoralized, and the Bible would be neglected and desecrated. He saw that the desperate revelries of the last days would only be interrupted by the judgments of God.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 2]          Society is now in a state of demoralization, and this will ripen until the nations become as lawless, as corrupt, as were the inhabitants of the world before the flood. The degradation that is found in the world today is largely due to the fact that the Bible no longer exerts a controlling influence upon the minds of men. It has become fashionable to doubt. The law of God has been made void to those in sacred office, and what can be expected of those who have listened to their sophistry and error? What can be expected of the youth who have come under the influence of those who have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel? It is no wonder that the Bible has come to be lightly regarded.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 3]         Infidelity is increasing in our land. Our youth are sent to college, and are brought into association with those who hold skeptical views; for even well-educated young men now boast of their unbelief in the word of God. Who is chargeable for this state of affairs? Is it not chargeable to those who from the sacred desk have belittled the claims of the law of God? Is it not chargeable to those who lead men away from the path of truth by terming the law of God a yoke of bondage, and who thereby picture transgression as a state of liberty? Oh, if those who make light of the requirements of God's law, did but know what they are doing, if they did but realize that they were undermining the faith of our youth in the Bible, sending them adrift without anchor or compass on a shoreless sea, they would recoil with horror from their fearful work!  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 4]          I feel the most intense anguish for our youth. I warn you, as one who knows the danger, not to be entrapped by Satan through the little knowledge of science which you may have acquired. It is better to have a pure and humble heart than all the knowledge you can possibly gain without the fear of the Lord. The youth of today will be likely to meet skeptics and infidels wherever they may go, and how necessary that they be equipped, so that they may be able to give a reason of their hope with meekness and fear. Thomas Paine has passed into his grave, but his works live to curse the world, and those who doubt the truth of God's word, will place these infidel productions in the hands of the young and inexperienced, to fill their hearts with the poisonous atmosphere of doubt. The spirit of Satan works through wicked men to carry on his schemes for the ruin of souls.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 5]         We are living in an age of licentiousness, and men and youth are bold in sin. Unless our youth are sacredly guarded, unless they are fortified with firm principles, unless greater care is manifested in choosing their associates and the literature which feeds the mind, they will be exposed to a society whose morals are as corrupt as were the morals of the inhabitants of Sodom. The appearance of the people of the world may be very attractive, but if they are continually throwing out suggestions against the Bible, they are dangerous companions; for they will ever seek to undermine the foundations of your faith, to corrupt the conscientiousness of old-fashioned, gospel religion.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 6]          The youth often come in contact with those of skeptical tendencies, and their parents are in ignorance of the fact, until the terrible work of evil is consummated, and the youth are ruined. The young should be instructed diligently, that they may not be deceived in regard to the true character of these persons, and not form friendships with this class, or listen to their words of sarcasm and sophistry. Unless our young people have moral courage to sever their connection with these persons when they discover their unbelief, they will be ensnared, and will think and talk as do their associates, speaking lightly of religion and the faith of the Bible.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 7]          Could the eyes of deluded youth be opened, they would see the exultant leer of Satan at his success in ruining souls. In every conceivable way he seeks to adapt his temptations to the various dispositions and circumstances of those whom he wishes to entangle. He will try every device, and if the subjects of these temptations do not seek God, they will be blinded to his deceptions, and will be self-confident, self-sufficient, and in ignorance of their condition and danger. They will soon come to despise the faith once delivered to the saints. I speak to the youth as one who knows, as one to whom the Lord has opened the perils that attend their pathway. Self-confidence will lead you into the snare of the enemy. The youth do not ask counsel of God, and make him their refuge and strength. They enter society with all assurance, confident that they are fully able to choose the right and to comprehend divine mysteries, because of their powers of reason, as though they could discover truth for themselves. We fear more for those who are self-confident than for any others, for they will surely be entangled in the net that has been set by the great adversary of God and man. Some associate who has been chosen as a familiar friend, who has been tainted with the corruption of doubt, will instill his leaven of unbelief into the minds of this class. By fulsome flattery of their talent, their intellectual superiority, by inciting in them an ambition for high position, their attention will be gained, and moral blight will fall upon them. Those who are exalted in their own opinions will despise the blood of the Atoning Sacrifice, and will do despite to the Spirit of grace.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 8]          The children of Sabbath-keeping parents, who have had great light, who have been the objects of the tenderest solicitude, may be the ones who will leave a heritage of shame, who will sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind. In the judgment the names of those who have sinned against great light, will be written with those who are condemned to be separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. They will be lost, lost, and will be numbered with the scorners of the grace of Christ. I would rather see my children laid in the grave, than see them taking the path that leads to death. The terrible fact that I had nurtured children to fight against the God of heaven, to swell the ranks of apostates in the last days, to march under the black banner of Satan, would indeed be a thought of horror to me.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 9]          Our youth will meet temptations on every hand, and they must be so educated that they will depend upon higher power, higher teaching, than can be given by mortals. There are despisers of our Lord everywhere, who habitually throw contempt upon Christianity. They call it the plaything of children, invented to impose on the credulity of the ignorant. Those who have not moral power cannot stand in defense of the truth; they have not courage to say: "Unless such conversation ceases, I cannot remain in your presence. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, is my Saviour; in him is centered my hope of eternal life." But this is the very way in which to silence them. If you argue with them, they will have arguments with which to meet you, and nothing you may say will touch them; but if you live for Christ, if you are firm in your allegiance to the God of heaven, you may do for them that which argument will fail to do, and convince them of the fallacy of their doctrines, by the power of godliness.  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 10]          There is no sadder spectacle than that of those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ, who have been intrusted with talents wherewith they may glorify God, 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. 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!  {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, April 21, 1890 par. 11]          The Christian's hope is as 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. 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."                                                                   -    {ST, April 21, 1890 par. 11}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 1]       April 28, 1890 The Words and Works of Satan Repeated  in the World.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Before Lucifer was banished from heaven, he sought to abolish the law of God. He claimed that the unfallen intelligencies of holy heaven had no need of law, but were capable of governing themselves and of preserving unspotted integrity. Lucifer was the covering cherub, the most exalted of the heavenly created beings; he stood nearest the throne of God, and was most closely connected and identified with the administration of God's government, most richly endowed with the glory of his majesty and power. The prophet writes of his exaltation, saying: "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 2]          The angels had been created full of goodness and love. They loved one another impartially and their God supremely, and they were prompted by this love to do his pleasure. The law of God was not a grievous yoke to them, but it was their delight to do his commandments, to hearken unto the voice of his word. But in this state of peace and purity, sin originated with him who had been perfect in all his ways. The prophet writes of him: "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Sin is a mysterious, unexplainable thing. There was no reason for its existence; to seek to explain it is to seek to give a reason for it, and that would be to justify it. Sin appeared in a perfect universe, a thing that was shown to be inexcusable and exceeding sinful. The reason of its inception or development was never explained and never can be, even at the last great day when the judgment shall sit and the books be opened, when every man shall be judged according to the deeds done in the body, when the sins of God's repentant, sanctified people shall be heaped upon the scapegoat, the originator of sin. At that day it will be evident to all that there is not, and never was, any cause for sin. At the final condemnation of Satan and his angels and of all men who have finally identified themselves with him as transgressors of God's law, every mouth will be stopped. When the hosts of rebellion, from the first great rebel to the last transgressor, are asked why they have broken the law of God, they will be speechless. There will be no answer to give, no reason to assign that will carry the least weight.  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 3]          The change from perfection of character to sin and defection did come even in heaven. Lucifer's heart was lifted up because of his beauty, his wisdom was corrupted by reason of his brightness. Self-exaltation is the key to his rebellion, and it unlocks the modern theme of sanctification. Satan declared that he had no need of the restraints of law, that he was holy, sinless, and incapable of doing evil; and those who boast of holiness and a state of sinlessness, while transgressing the law of God, while willfully trampling under-foot the Sabbath of the Lord, are allied on the side of the first great rebel. If the sanctified, holy angels became unsanctified and unholy by disobedience to God's law, and their place was no longer found in heaven, think you that men, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, will be received into glory who break the precepts of that law which Christ came to magnify and make honorable by his death upon the cross? Adam and Eve were in possession of Eden, and they fell from their high and holy estate by transgression of God's law, and forfeited their right to the tree of life and to the joys of Eden.  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 4]          Satan had told them that they were under restriction, under bondage to the law, and that they might be free and independent by disregarding the divine prohibition concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He informed them that they would be as the angels if they would but partake of its fruit, for they would then be able to discern both good and evil. But what angels would they be like?--Not holy angels, but like the angels who had left their first estate, who were reserved under everlasting chains unto the judgment of the great day. The holy pair had received the positive word of God in regard to what they should do, but they presumed on God's mercy, and ate of the forbidden fruit.  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 5]          Is not the story of the fall repeated by thousands of lips today, and even from the pulpit do we not hear the words of the tempter, "Thou shalt not surely die"? Is not the law of God represented as a yoke of bondage which men are free to violate as they choose? Satan insinuated to Adam and Eve that they might reach a higher, happier state by violation of the divine command, and today the same falsehood is spread through the world, even by those who claim to be sanctified. Do not these who claim sanctification while violating the commands of God, become a false and fatal sign to the world? Do they not say to the sinner, "It shall be well with thee"? The Lord has defined sin as the transgression of his law, but they say they are saved in sin, and thus make Christ the minister of sin. These professed Christians are doing the very work that Satan did in Paradise, they are leading souls astray by precept and example. They say to the sinner, to the transgressor, It shall be well with thee; you will rise to a higher, holier state by violating the law of God. The lesson that is heard throughout the land is, "Disobey and live." But how different is this teaching from the lessons of Christ. He declared: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 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."  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 6]         If the law of God should relinquish its claims upon men, if its restraints were removed, the result would be a state of society in which lawlessness would be rife, and our world would be in a condition similar to that which existed before the flood, which brought down on the earth the wrath of God. If the law of God could have been changed, or altered in one of its statutes, it would have been so altered when sin originated in heaven, when the brightest son of the morning, who was good, noble, and lovely above all the beings that God had created, found fault with the precepts of that law in the counsels of angels. If ever a change was to have been made, it would have been accomplished when rebellion revealed itself in heaven, and so have prevented the great apostasy of the angels. The fact that no change was made in God's administration, even when the most exalted of the angels drew away from allegiance to God's law, is evidence enough to reasonable minds that the law, the foundation of God's government, will not relax its claims to save the willful transgressor.  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 7]          Satan and his followers were expelled from heaven in consequence of rebellion, and the spirit of the evil one now works in the children of disobedience; Satan carries on his rebellion against God in this world. He seeks to corrupt all; but the instruments most favorable to his purpose of ruining souls, are men who have had great light and blessing from God; for they can accomplish more harm in making void the law than can those who have been less favored of heaven. They use the same flattering sophistry that Satan used in heaven and in Eden; they speak of the law as a yoke of bondage, and picture the liberty of him who disregards its claims, as a state of holiness and sanctification. Those who claim holiness and make a boast that they cannot sin, though at the same time living in transgression of the law, are in the same condition as the angels that sinned in heaven. They make great pretensions to the favor of Heaven, claim to possess exalted knowledge of spiritual things, while they go on in reckless disregard of the word of the Lord.  {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, April 28, 1890 par. 8]          Satan deceives and corrupts the world and makes men believe that they are sinless and holy while sinning against God, but in so doing he is only carrying on his original work. He has introduced no new arguments, he has created no new empire of darkness from which to draw supplies for the furtherance of his deceptions. And sin that was sin in the beginning is sin today; and sin, the apostle declares, is the transgression of God's law. In these days it is Satan's determined purpose to intensify sin by making it legal in the children of disobedience. He is to reveal to the world and to heaven what is the order and result of a government carried on according to his ideas of administration and law. He is working with secret yet with intense zeal in both Church and State, to cause men to throw off all the restraints of God's law, and take a decided stand with him in the ranks of rebellion; but when his work is accomplished, the Lord will interpose, and vindicate his honor as the supreme Ruler of the universe.                                                                   -    {ST, April 28, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, May 12, 1890 par. 1]      May 12, 1890 God's Requirements in Grace, the Same as  in Paradise.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When our first parents were placed in the beautiful garden of Eden, they were tested in regard to their loyalty to God. They were free to choose the service of God, or by disobedience to ally themselves with the enemy of God and man. If they would abstain from that which God had forbidden, they might keep possession of their beautiful Eden home, and remain in the favor of God, but if they disregarded God's commands, and listened to the voice of Satan, as he spoke through the serpent, they would not only forfeit their claim to Eden, but to life itself. The penalty for sin had been set before them, and they were informed as to the tremendous issues depending on their action in obeying or disobeying the requirements of God.  {ST, May 12, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, May 12, 1890 par. 2]          With what intense interest the whole universe watched the conflict that was to decide the position of Adam and Eve. How attentively the angels listened to the words of Satan, the originator of sin, as he placed his own ideas above the commands of God, and sought to make of none effect the law of God through his deceptive reasoning! How anxiously they waited to see if the holy pair would be deluded by the tempter, and yield to his arts. They asked themselves, Will the holy pair transfer their faith and love from the Father and Son to Satan? Will they accept his falsehoods as truth? They knew that they might refrain from taking the fruit, and obey the positive injunction of God, or they might violate the express command of their Creator.  {ST, May 12, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, May 12, 1890 par. 3]          The mildest test was given them that could be given; for there was no need of their eating of the forbidden tree; everything that their wants required had been provided. The special work of Satan was to misrepresent the character of God, and in the first effort at man's overthrow he impeached the veracity of God. God had said to them of the forbidden tree, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die;" but the enemy of all righteousness declared: "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." Satan represented God as a deceiver, as one who would debar his creatures from the benefit of his highest gift. The angels heard with sorrow and amazement this statement in regard to the character of God, as Satan represented him as possessing his own miserable attributes; but Eve was not horror-stricken to hear the holy and supreme God thus falsely accused. If she had turned her thoughts toward God, if she had looked upon beautiful Eden and remembered all the tokens of his love, if she had fled to her husband, she might have been saved from the subtile temptation of the evil one. One word of repulse would have brought to her the aid that God could give. One word in vindication of her Creator would have caused the accuser to flee, and her integrity would have been untarnished. If she had resisted the first temptation, she would have stood on higher, holier ground than ever before; but she yielded to the flatteries of her enemy, and became a captive to his will.  {ST, May 12, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, May 12, 1890 par. 4]          Our first parents fell through disobedience to God's express command, and this is where thousands fall today. The Lord says, "Thou shalt not," but Satan persuades that it is for man's interest to disobey God. There are many who even claim to be sanctified, who do not yield obedience to God's expressed command, and these cannot be sanctified through the truth. They seek to climb up to heaven some other way than the way which has been appointed. They say, "Believe, only believe," and they make a great boast of their faith, but the faith they claim to possess is simply presumption, and they have no knowledge of what constitutes genuine faith. The Jews cast aside Christ, and rejected the idea that faith in him would be efficacious in saving their souls; but they trusted in their works as a means of salvation. Genuine faith in Christ works by love and purifies the soul. Faith and works go hand in hand, for faith without works is dead. God requires of every soul today what he required of our first parents in Eden,--perfect obedience to his law. There must be found in the life unswerving allegiance to God, righteousness without a flaw in the character. We must be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and stand without blemish before God. The requirement that God has made in grace is the requirement that God made in Paradise.  {ST, May 12, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, May 12, 1890 par. 5]         It is a dangerous theory that leads men to declare that all that is necessary to salvation is to simply believe in Christ, while disregarding his plain commands. The gospel is not the Old Testament standard lowered, it requires faith that works righteousness, that keeps the commandments of God. Says the apostle, "This is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." When men claim to be saved while living in violation of God's law, they claim that to which they have no right. Their salvation is not assured, but they are deceived by the falsehood of the evil one. The same sophistry is indulged, the same lie repeated by men, as was first spoken in Eden through the mediumship of the serpent. Though the medium is changed, the sentiment is the same.  {ST, May 12, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, May 12, 1890 par. 6]          God's law appeals to man as an intelligent being; he possesses a mind to understand its demands, a conscience to feel the power of its claims, a heart to love its requirement of perfect righteousness, a will to render prompt and implicit obedience. God does not compel men to render obedience to his law. If man purposes to defy God, and transgress his law, as did Adam, he may do so, but he must suffer the terrible consequences. If he chooses to obey God, he may attain to the experience of the psalmist when he says, "I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold."                                                                   -    {ST, May 12, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 1]       May 19, 1890 Obedience is Sanctification.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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 sweet-smelling savor." In all the fullness of his divinity, in all the glory of his spotless humanity, Christ gave himself for us as a full and free sacrifice, and each one who comes to him should accept him as if he were the only one for whom the price had been paid. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive; for the obedient will be raised to immortality, and the transgressor will rise from the dead to suffer death, the penalty of the law which he has broken.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 2]          Obedience to the law of God is sanctification. There are many who have erroneous ideas in regard to this work in the soul, but Jesus prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and added, "Thy word is truth." Sanctification is not an instantaneous but a progressive work, as obedience is continuous. Just as long as Satan urges his temptations upon us, the battle for self-conquest will have to be fought over and over again; but by obedience, the truth will sanctify the soul. Those who are loyal to the truth will, through the merits of Christ, overcome all weakness of character which has led them to be moulded by every varying circumstance of life.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 3]          Many have taken the position that they cannot sin because they are sanctified, but this is a delusive snare of the evil one. There is constant danger of falling into sin, for Christ has warned us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation. If we are conscious of the weakness of self, we shall not be self-confident and reckless of danger; but we shall feel the necessity of seeking to the Source of our strength, Jesus our righteousness. We shall come in repentance and contrition, with a despairing sense of our own finite weakness, and learn that we must daily apply to the merits of the blood of Christ, that we may become vessels fit for the Master's use. While thus depending upon God, we shall not be found warring against the truth, but we shall always be enabled to take our stand for the right. We should cling to the teaching of the Bible, and not follow the customs and traditions of the world, the sayings and doings of men. When errors arise and are taught as Bible truth, those who have a connection with Christ will not trust to what the minister says, but, like the noble Bereans, they will search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so. When they discover what is the word of the Lord, they will take their stand on the side of truth. They will hear the voice of the true Shepherd saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." Thus you will be educated to make the Bible the man of your counsel, and the voice of a stranger you will neither hear nor follow.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 4]          If the soul is to be purified and ennobled, and made fit for the heavenly courts, there are two lessons to be learned,--self-sacrifice and self-control. Some learn these important lessons more easily than do others, for they are exercised by the simple discipline the Lord gives them in gentleness and love. Others require the slow discipline of suffering, that the cleansing fire may purify their hearts of pride and self-reliance, of earthly passion and self-love, that the true gold of character may appear, and that they may become victors through the grace of Christ. The love of God will strengthen the soul, and through the virtue of the merits of the blood of Christ we may stand unscathed amid the fire of temptation and trial; but no other help can avail to save but Christ, our righteousness, who is made unto us wisdom and sanctification and redemption. True sanctification is nothing more or less than to love God with all the heart, to walk in his commandments and ordinances blameless. Sanctification is not an emotion, but a heaven-born principle that brings all the passions and desires under the control of the Spirit of God; and this work is done through our Lord and Saviour.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 5]          Spurious sanctification does not glorify God, but leads those who claim it to exalt and glorify themselves. Whatever comes in our experience, whether joy or sorrow, that does not reflect Christ and point to him as its author, bringing glory to him, and sinking self out of sight, is not true Christian experience. When the grace of Christ is implanted in the soul by the Holy Spirit, its possessor will become humble in spirit and will seek for the society of those whose conversation is upon heavenly things. Then the Spirit will take the things of Christ and show them unto us, and will glorify, not the receiver, but the Giver. If, therefore, you have the sacred peace of Christ in your heart, your lips will be filled with praise and thanksgiving to God. Your prayers, the discharge of your duty, your benevolence, your self-denial will not be the theme of your thought or conversation, but you will magnify Him who gave Himself for you when you were yet a sinner. You will say: "I give myself to Jesus. I have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write." As you praise him, you will have a precious blessing, and all the praise and glory for that which is done through your instrumentality will be given back to God.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 6]          The peace of Christ is not a boisterous, untamable element made manifest in loud voices and bodily exercises. The peace of Christ is an intelligent peace, and it does not make those who possess it bear the marks of fanaticism and extravagance. It is not a rambling impulse, but an emanation from God. When the Saviour imparts his peace to the soul, the heart will be in perfect harmony with the word of God; for the Spirit and the word agree. The Lord honors his word in all his dealings with men. It is his own will, his own voice, that is revealed to men, and he has no new will, no new truth, aside from his word to unfold to his children. If you have a wonderful experience that is not in harmony with the expressed directions of God's word, you may well doubt it; for its origin is not from above. The peace of Christ comes through the knowledge of Jesus whom the Bible reveals.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 7]          If happiness is drawn from outside sources, and not from the Divine Fount, it will be as changeable as varying circumstances can make it; but the peace of Christ is a constant and abiding peace. It does not depend on any circumstance in life, on the amount of worldly goods, or the number of earthly friends. Christ is the fountain of living waters, and happiness and peace drawn from him will never fail, for he is a well-spring of life. Those who trust in him can say: "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. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High."  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 8]          We have reason for ceaseless gratitude to God that Christ, by his perfect obedience, has won back the heaven that Adam lost through disobedience. Adam sinned, and the children of Adam share his guilt and its consequences; but Jesus bore the guilt of Adam, and all the children of Adam that will flee to Christ, the second Adam, may escape the penalty of transgression. Jesus regained heaven for man by bearing the test that Adam failed to endure; for he obeyed the law perfectly, and all who have a right conception of the plan of redemption will see that they cannot be saved while in transgression of God's holy precepts. They must cease to transgress the law, and lay hold on the promises of God that are available for us through the merits of Christ.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 9]          Our faith is not to stand in the ability of men but in the power of God. There is danger of trusting in men, even though they may have been used as instruments of God to do a great and good work. Christ must be our strength and our refuge. The best of men may fall from their steadfastness, and the best of religion, when corrupted, is ever the most dangerous in its influence upon minds. Pure, living religion is found in obedience to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Righteousness exalts a nation, and the absence of it degrades and ruins man.  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, May 19, 1890 par. 10]          From the pulpits of today the words are uttered: "Believe, only believe. Have faith in Christ; you have nothing to do with the old law, only trust in Christ." How different is this from the words of the apostle, who declares that faith without works is dead. He says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." We must have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Many seek to substitute a superficial faith for uprightness of life, and think through this to obtain salvation. The Lord requires at this time just what he required of Adam in Eden,--perfect obedience to the law of God. We must have righteousness without a flaw, without a blemish. God gave his son to die for the world, but he did not die to repeal the law which was holy and just and good. The sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is an unanswerable argument showing the immutability of the law. Its penalty was felt by the Son of God in behalf of guilty man, that through his merits the sinner might obtain the virtue of his spotless character by faith in his name. The sinner was provided with a second opportunity to keep the law of God in the strength of his Divine Redeemer. The cross of Calvary forever condemns the idea that Satan has placed before the Christian world, that the death of Christ abolished not only the typical system of sacrifices and ceremonies but the unchangeable law of God, the foundation of his throne, the transcript of his character. Through every device possible Satan has sought to make of none effect the sacrifice of the Son of God, to render his expiation useless, and his mission a failure. He has claimed that the death of Christ made obedience to the law unnecessary, and permitted the sinner to come into favor with a holy God without forsaking his sin. He has declared that the Old Testament standard was lowered in the gospel, and that men can come to Christ, not to be saved from their sins but in their sins. But when John beheld Jesus he told his mission. He said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." To every repentant soul the message is, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  {ST, May 19, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 1]      May 26, 1890 Candid Investigation Necessary to an  Understanding of the Truth.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We must have greater wisdom than we have yet manifested in regard to the manner in which we treat those who in some points of faith honestly differ from us. It is unbecoming in anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ to be sharp and denunciatory, to stoop to ridicule the views of another. The spirit of criticism unfits men for receiving the light that God would send them, or for seeing what is evidence of the truth. Should the Lord reveal light after his own plan, many would not respect or comprehend it; they would ridicule the bearer of God's message as one who set himself up above those who were better qualified to teach.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 2]          The papal authorities first ridiculed the reformers, and when this did not quench the spirit of investigation, they placed them behind prison walls, loaded them with chains, and when this did not silence them or make them recant, they finally brought them to the fagot and the sword. We should be very cautious lest we take the first steps in this road that leads to the Inquisition. The truth of God is progressive; it is always onward, going from strength to a greater strength, from light to a greater light. We have every reason to believe that the Lord will send us increased truth, for a great work is yet to be done. In our knowledge of truth, there is first a beginning in our understanding of it, then a progression, then completion; first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear. Much has been lost because our ministers and people have concluded that we have had all the truth essential for us as a people; but such a conclusion is erroneous and in harmony with the deceptions of Satan; for truth will be constantly unfolding.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 3]          The greatest care should be exercised lest we do despite to the Spirit of God by treating with indifference and scorn the messenger, and the messages, God sends to his people, and so reject light because our hearts are not in harmony with God. When Christianity is truly received, it will always transform the heart and mould the character. Let those who have been accounted worthy to be expositors of God's word, who have been intrusted with the care of the flock of God, like humble, wise men, open their Bibles with grateful hearts and study its precious utterances. The messenger of God should not only search the Scriptures, but he should also urge the people to study the word of truth. As the miner seeks for gold in the rocks and the mountains, so men should dig in the mine of truth, that they may find out what God has revealed concerning the salvation of man.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 4]          If you come to the Bible to find texts simply to prove your theory or vindicate your opinion, you will not be enlightened by the Spirit of God; but if you come with fasting and humiliation of soul, with love for man and God in your heart, your prayers will be answered, and light will break upon you. We every one need to seek the Lord with our whole heart and in humble prayer. We need to lay down the prejudices that have for years bound us about. If you have been in the truth for many years, and some brother who is much younger in years and in the faith is called upon to teach, your age, your position, your intelligence, and understanding of the Scriptures, will not give you license to treat this brother with indifference and disrespect. Timothy learned many things of Paul. Although a young man, he obtained knowledge of the word of God by patient industry. He put his powers to the task of understanding the word of God, and he was richly rewarded. Paul writes to Timothy: "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.... Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." Grave responsibilities were laid upon Timothy, who was a mere youth. The injunction comes sounding down to our time concerning him and other youthful disciples of Christ, "Let no man despise thy youth."  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 5]          Samuel was chosen as a servant of God even from his childhood. God could communicate to him his word, although he had to pass by the ancient Eli, who had not been careful to do the will of God or to carry out his instruction. It will not answer to think that unless messages shall come from old and honored servants of God, they cannot be authoritative and God-given. With all deference to the youthful agent, Eli accepted the word of God from the lips of the child Samuel. Great care should be manifested by those who have acted a prominent part in the work, that they may not think that light cannot come to God's people except through them. When they are meek and lowly of heart, without prejudice or self-exaltation because they have been highly privileged, they will be one with youthful men whom God has educated to act a special part in his work. These young men would find a great blessing in depending upon the experience of older brethren, if those who have been long in the work do not stand upon their dignity, if self does not assume prominence, and the younger brethren seem insignificant. But if this is the case, the Lord cannot use them in the work.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 6]          There is a witness ever present with you who reads the motives, who knows the thoughts and purposes of the heart. It is safe to be always kind and courteous, to manifest a hearty friendship and love for your brethren. In counsels or assemblies where differences of views are to be discussed, you should remember that the Master of assemblies is with you. Unfairness, hard speeches, and efforts to turn others away from an impartial decision, will all be recorded in the books of heaven. If, upon a candid investigation, your cherished ideas should be weakened by a comparison with the law and the testimony, do not let a willful, hard, stubborn spirit rise up in opposition to that which you see to be evidence against your views. If a brother differs with you, do not become provoked; treat him with candor; do not overwhelm him with assertions. Do not handle the word of God deceitfully, presenting detached passages of Scripture which you think favor your ideas, and withholding other passages which seem to weaken your position. Let God speak in his word. If you think your brother believes an error, you should deal with him considerately, manifesting tenderness, patience, and courtesy. You should reason with him from the word of God, comparing scripture with scripture, considering carefully every jot of evidence. In no case should his words be made a matter of ridicule, for "with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 7]          Paul charged Timothy: "Flee also youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 8]          "Brethren, 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. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." Let every man obey these directions. You have before you the example of Christ. Although the homage and service of all was his due, yet he sought not honor of men; he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." All the world belonged to him; but when he was rejected in towns and cities, he did not assert his right to his own, he went to another village to teach the truth whether men would hear or whether they would forbear. Let every soul be careful lest he prove himself to be among those who despise and wonder and perish, who turn from Christ in the person of his saints, and bring upon themselves the condemnation that fell upon the Jews.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 9]          The teachers of the people in the time of Christ were fully satisfied with themselves. They held counsels and strengthened one another in their ideas and opinions, and Satan was in their assemblies controlling their decisions. They strove to make the people afraid of hearing the words of Christ. They threatened to turn those who would heed his doctrine out of the synagogue, and this was regarded by the people as the greatest curse that could fall upon them. The scribes and Pharisees had formed their plans, and they did not intend to change their course of life or their manner of teaching. They would hear Christ, but they refused to let his teachings have any weight with them. They feigned to be his friends in order to draw him out on different subjects. They questioned him concerning difficult problems, that whatever he might answer, they would be able to turn his words against him.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 10]          On one occasion the scribes and the Pharisees "brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned; but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last."  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 11]          Although Jesus gave evidence of his divine power, yet he was not permitted to teach his lessons without interruption. The rulers sought to hold him up to ridicule before the people. They would not allow him to state his ideas and doctrines in a connected way, but, although frequently interrupted, light flashed into the mind of hundreds, and when the rulers heard the words of Jesus, that were clothed with power and held the people spell-bound, they were angry, and said, "Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil." Jesus met these charges with quiet dignity, fearlessly and decidedly claiming that covenant rights were centered in himself, and were not received through Abraham. He declared, "Before Abraham was, I am." The fury of the Jews knew no bounds, and they prepared to stone him, but the angels of God, unseen by men, hurried him out of their assembly.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 11}
[ST, May 26, 1890 par. 12]         There are men among us who profess to understand the truth for these last days, but who will not calmly investigate advanced truth. They are determined to make no advance beyond the stakes which they have set, and will not listen to those who, they say, do not stand by the old landmarks. They are so self-sufficient that they cannot be reasoned with. They consider it a virtue to be at variance with their brethren, and close the door, that light shall not find an entrance to the people of God. It will require heavenly wisdom to know how to deal with such cases. Light will come to God's people, and those who have sought to close the door will either repent or be removed out of the way. The time has come when a new impetus must be given to the work. There are terrible scenes before us, and Satan is seeking to keep from our knowledge the very things that God would have us know. God has messengers and messages for his people. If ideas are presented that differ in some points from our former doctrines, we must not condemn them without diligent search of the Bible to see if they are true. We must fast and pray and search the Scriptures as did the noble Bereans, to see if these things are so. We must accept every ray of light that comes to us. Through earnest prayer and diligent study of God's word, dark things will be made plain to the understanding.  {ST, May 26, 1890 par. 12}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 1]       June 2, 1890 "Is Not This A Brand Plucked Out Of  The Fire?"  ［SERMON AT CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 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? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 2]          Joshua represents those who are seeking God and keeping his commandments. Ever since the fall, Satan has sought to bring a reproach upon God's cause. The word of God declares that he is an accuser of the brethren. As the end is brought near, he will work with more determination to bring God's people under condemnation. Satan is represented as presenting the mistakes and errors that he has caused the people of God to commit, urging this as a reason why the Lord should not bless and guard them. He claims that it is his right to do with them as he pleases. It is impossible for us to understand his plans unless we have the Spirit of God abiding in our hearts. It is the care of the heavenly angels that keeps us from being destroyed by Satan's cruel power; for those who seek God and are preparing for the coming of Christ, are the objects of his enmity. He constantly seeks to bring them into reproach before God. He is represented as resisting the work of Jesus in behalf of his people. Joshua stands before the angel of the Lord, and Satan stands at his right hand to resist him. But "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?"  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 3]          Jesus speaks of his people as a brand plucked out of the fire, and Satan understands what this means. The infinite sufferings of the Son of God in Gethsemane and on Calvary were endured that he might rescue his people from the power of the evil one. The work of Jesus for the salvation of perishing souls is as if he thrust his hand into the fire to save them. Joshua, who represents God's people, is clothed in filthy garments, and stands before the angel; but as the people repent before God for the transgression of his law, and reach up by the hand of faith to lay hold on the righteousness of Christ, Jesus says, "Take away the filthy garments from them, and clothe them with change of raiment" It is through Christ's righteousness alone that we are enabled to keep the law. Those who worship God in sincerity and truth, and afflict their souls before him as in the great day of atonement, will wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Satan seeks to bind about the human mind with deception, so that men will not repent and believe, that they may have their filthy garments removed. Why will you cling to your miserable defects of character, and by so doing bar the way, that Jesus may not work in your behalf?  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 4]          During the time of trouble, the position of God's people will be similar to the position of Joshua. They will not be ignorant of the work going on in heaven in their behalf. They will realize that sin is recorded against their names, but they will also know that the sins of all who repent and lay hold of the merits of Christ will be canceled. Jesus says: "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." The judgment of the dead has been going on, and soon the judgment will begin upon the living, and every case will be decided. It will be known whose names are retained upon the book of life, and whose are blotted out. Every day the angels of God keep a record of the transactions of men, and these records stand open to the eyes of angels, and Christ, and God. Those who have manifested true repentance for sin, and by living faith in Christ are obedient to God's commandments, will have their names retained in the book of life, and they will be confessed before the Father and before the holy angels. Jesus will say, "They are mine; I have purchased them with my own blood."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 5]          The time of trouble is soon to break upon us, and the decree will go forth that everyone who will not keep the first day of the week shall be put to death. Those who have not regarded the Sabbath as they should, who have exalted their business above God's commandment, will trample upon the Sabbath and keep the first day of the week, because they have consulted their own convenience before the honor of God. They did not learn to bring themselves into harmony with the Sabbath, but sought to bring the Sabbath to meet their own convenience. With the preparation they have made, they are no more fitted to stand in the day of judgment than the greatest sinner. Their ideas are confused; they have tried to serve God and mammon; they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Those who love God with all the heart, and their neighbor as themselves, will be the only ones who will stand the test of the decree. When Satan brings his power to bear upon half-hearted professors, he will sweep them over to his side, he will claim his right to do with them as he pleases. But of those who honor God, the Lord says, "They shall be mine, . . . in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 6]          Those who are in the favor of God will not be deceived. Many now pass as Sabbath-keepers who, when the test comes upon the question, will no longer have a place among those who observe God's commandments. The prophet says, "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." Those who are determined to have their own way, who measure themselves by their own standard, will have their time of trouble. The prophet declares: "For, 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. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 7]          The Sun of Righteousness shall arise upon those who have kept the commandments of God. Those who think that they can set their will against God's will are in the greatest danger. Those who wish to be covered in the day of God's anger, must be true to God now. Now is the time to show our fidelity to God, and our faith in Christ. The sins that have been committed against God will be blotted out if they are repented of. Christ said: "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." Who are these that stand by?--The angels of God. They will be as a wall of fire round about the people of God, and the hosts of evil will not be able to pass their ranks. The angels of Satan are working with the children of disobedience to inspire them with madness against those who are loyal to the law of God. Although the people of God are despised by the world, and "it doth not yet appear what we shall be," yet the wicked will one day see God's people glorified; they will see the promise fulfilled, "Them that honor me, I will honor."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 8]          While we are in the world, we should be the light of the world; for God has a work for each one to do. Only a few will choose to obey the truth, and we should seek for the grace of God that we may represent his service aright. There is a spirit in the church which greatly misrepresents the exalted character of the truth. In place of having your attention turned toward Jesus, in place of studying his life and character that you may copy the divine pattern, you have measured yourselves among yourselves, and in this way the truth of God has been greatly dishonored. Envy, jealousy, criticism of others, love of supremacy, have all flourished among the professed people of God. Some have claimed that special messages have been given them of God, and their attention has been turned away from the preparation of heart necessary to meet Christ in peace. Satan will invent everything possible to lead men away from the real work. If the members of the church are not subject one to another, if they go here and there with a message God has not given them, the church will become demoralized, and fanaticism of the worst order will come in. There are conscientious souls who will accept anything that calls for sacrifice. Christ has said, "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." God sends his messenger, and if the people will receive the message, they will not be led into error.  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 9]          The Lord wants you to consult together. If, in years past, there had been more consultation concerning the work in Norway, it would have been far in advance of what it is today. Personal effort, personal opinion, personal plans, have placed upon the work a mould that does not elevate and ennoble the people of God. The enemy is trying to make of none effect the word of God. Those in the church who ought to set an example to the flock, have had such a lax hold of God that they have not been able to influence the people.  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 10]         You are to be obedient to all the requirements of God. When you bring your own work into God's time, when you violate the Sabbath, your moral sense becomes clouded, and you cannot discern that your course is an offense to God. If your eyes could be opened, you would see the Saviour by your side with blood-stained hands. He was wounded for your transgressions; will you refuse to accept the great sacrifice that was made in your behalf? For your sake, Christ became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich in heavenly riches. Today we present the cross of Calvary. It speaks in plain language to every soul that is not deluded by the temptation of Satan in consequence of disobedience to God's law. Christ came to our world and died a shameful death because the precepts of the law could not be changed. He endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He suffered all this for the joy that was set before him,--the joy of bringing many sons and daughters to God. He died to bring us into harmony with the law of Heaven. He has said: "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."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 11]          Many are in peril today; their eyes have been blinded; and as Christ said to Nicodemus, I say to them, "Ye must be born again." I expect to meet my words in the last great day. When I look at the people here who are trying to serve God, I would try to fulfill the words of the prophet, and comfort the people of God. Your Saviour is a living Saviour, who is pleading with the Father in your behalf. Everyone who will keep the word of his patience will be saved from the temptation that will come upon all the world. The smallest acts are written in the book of God, but God says that he will not despise a humble and a contrite heart. If you had all the wealth of the world, it would not provide a ransom for your soul, or elevate you in the favor of Heaven. Will you be a child of God? Will you walk in humility before him? Your talents, your ability, your means, belong to God. Give all to him; for he has purchased all with an infinite price.  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 11}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 12]         We exhort you to come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Shut out everything that will separate you from God; put away sin from among you. The people of the world may seem to pass on without perplexity, and to be more favored than the righteous. David says: "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. . . . When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." There are many who are in the same condition of mind today as was David; but if they would go into the sanctuary, and understand the latter end of the wicked, they would be no more envious of them.  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 12}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 13]         "Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for everyone that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and everyone that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof."  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 13}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 14]          The angel is represented as flying through the midst of heaven with a roll in his hand, on which are written the deeds of our daily life. God bears long with the children of men, but there is a time coming when he will cease to bear with them. God wants them to get under the cover of his wings. Jesus is pleading his blood in our behalf, but Satan is standing at his right hand, resisting every effort in our behalf. May God help us to humble our hearts, before it shall be forever too late to make wrongs right.  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 14}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 15]          Let the Spirit of God fashion our character and our work. We are responsible for the manner in which the truth is presented. We should seek to impress unbelievers with its exalted character. Christ is soon coming, and those who have not kept the Sabbath sacredly should reform. God will frown upon those who disregard his commandments, and he cannot bless the church that retains Sabbath-breakers in its fellowship.  {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 15}
[ST, June 2, 1890 par. 16]          Oh, that Christ might walk among you, that he might say, "Take away the filthy garment, and clothe them with change of raiment." We want to know that we are on the Lord's side. We want to dwell with him through all eternity. Those who sit with Christ on his throne must be partakers with him of his sufferings. They must drink of the cup that he drank of, and be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized with.                                                                   -    {ST, June 2, 1890 par. 16}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 1]       June 9, 1890 "He that Hath Seen Me Hath Seen the  Father."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Through Jesus, the Son of God, the Father is more fully revealed to the world. Jesus said to his disciples: "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." The souls of thousands are crying out today, "Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied. We cannot claim God as our Father until we see him." Jesus says to every such soul, as he said to Philip: "'Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?' Have you seen my works, have you listened to my teachings, have you witnessed the miracles that I have wrought in my Father's name, and yet have you not understood the nature of God? I have prayed with you and for you, and yet can you not comprehend that I am the way, the truth, and the life, and that in my life I have unfolded to you the character of my Father? I am the brightness of my Father's glory, I am the express image of his person. 'Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.'"  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 2]         The time had come for Jesus to stand in contradiction to the work of Satan, to rebuke and oppose his power. At the beginning of his ministry, John was baptizing in the Jordan, and Christ came to him to receive the baptismal rite. As man's example he took the step in conversion requisite for the repenting, believing sinner; and the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, and lo, a voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He was consecrated to his office by God himself. He was anointed by the Spirit, invested with the authority, and endowed with the attributes, of God; and his mission was to reveal the Father to the world.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 3]          As Christ was to reveal the Father, so those who believe in Jesus are to reveal Christ to the world in spirit and character; they are to be good, and to do good. Wherever Jesus went, he taught his disciples concerning the kingdom of God; he turned every event into an occasion of usefulness, and his followers are to do the same.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 4]          After the ascension of Christ, his disciples were left to carry forward the work which he had been doing. They were to be the instruments through which the Lord should speak, and many were to believe on their word, and engage in the work that Jesus had done when he was upon earth. God's appointed agents are to study carefully the lessons which Christ taught his disciples. They are to contemplate his precious instruction, and to imitate the holy characteristics of his teachings; if they fail to do this, they fail to represent Christ as he represented the Father. There is need of fervent and frequent prayer that we may understand the import of his instruction, and carry forward the work he has given us to do. We are to bear in mind that it is only a small proportion of what Jesus taught and did that has been recorded.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 5]          That the disciples of Christ might be prepared for the great work which they were to do, Jesus had instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem until they should be endowed with power from on high. On the day of Pentecost, as they were assembled together, and with one accord were seeking for the fulfillment of his promise, the Spirit of God descended, and the hearts of those who believed were filled with the Holy Ghost. The most signal evidence of the power of God was manifested, and thousands were converted in a day. Our Saviour has provided that those who go forth to fulfill his commission of preaching the gospel to the world, shall not go without the divine unction. He has said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." If men would come to God and make an entire surrender to him in full assurance of faith, they would have grace to do the great work committed to them.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 6]          When Moses was called out to lead the children of Israel, he prayed earnestly to the Lord, and said: "See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people; and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight; and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, 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."  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 7]          The Lord did not rebuke Moses as presumptuous because he asked greater and greater favors at his hand. Every laborer in the cause of God should have firm, earnest faith and determined purpose, that he may know that he has the favor and presence of God with him. Co-workers with God may obtain all that they ask for if they will but seek the Lord with faith. In the time of Christ, many of his disciples remained ignorant of the very thing that it was their privilege to know. Jesus sought to teach them of spiritual things. He reproached his disciples because of their dullness of comprehension. If it had been impossible for them to comprehend the things he uttered, he would not thus have reproved them. They might have exerted their mental powers to a greater extent, and stimulated their souls, by prayer and faith, and so have been enabled to understand the mysteries of godliness. Jesus saw that they did not lay hold of the real meaning of the great truths that he presented, and he compassionately promised that the Holy Spirit should recall these sayings to their minds, and revive in their remembrance many of the truths which they had lost. He tried to impress upon them the fact that he had opened before them great truths, the value of which they had failed to comprehend. After his resurrection, when he opened to them the scriptures concerning himself, he said unto them, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you. . . . Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures." Although Christ had been with them, and they had heard his exposition of the prophecies, they had failed to comprehend the great plan of the atonement, and they needed the power of the Spirit of God to make plain to their minds its deep significance.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 8]         When the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples of Christ, they saw their Saviour in a light in which they had never seen him before. Gladness and peace came to their souls. Jesus had told them what would be the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit. He had said. "He shall glorify me." Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, the soul is sanctified by obedience to the truth, and Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He unfolded to man the important lesson that the sum of all science is to be found in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge can be incorporated into everyone's experience. The Scriptures declare, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 9]          The knowledge of God and Christ lies at the foundation of all knowledge. Through the study of the Bible, moral power is developed; and while the mind is put to the task of comprehending its truths, the intellect expands; as the image of Christ, the Author of all truth, brightens to the vision, the understanding becomes enlarged to comprehend more fully the elevated character of the standard of perfection. Those who study the Bible in the right manner, drink from a fountain which is inexhaustible. The teaching of Christ is simple, and yet the greatest and best disciplined minds are charmed with his profound and comprehensive utterances. In all his lessons, Jesus presented to men the worthlessness of ceremonial obedience. He sought to impress men with the spirituality of the law, unveiling its vital principles, and making plain its eternal obligations. The righteousness of the law was presented to the world in the character of Christ, and the holy, benevolent, and paternal attributes of God were revealed in his dealings with mankind. He explained the solemn relation which existed between man and God, between man and his fellow-man. He taught the necessity of prayer, repentance, faith, virtue, and perfection of character.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 10]          Through Christ, moral power is brought to man that will change the entire affections, and enable man to work with a will for the cause of God. Where all the power of mind and body was before concentrated to work the works of evil, by the Spirit of God a revolution is brought about. The Holy Spirit enlightens, renews, and sanctifies the soul. Angels behold with inexpressible rapture the results of the working of the Holy Spirit in man. By the revelation of the attractive loveliness of Christ, by the knowledge of his love expressed to us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued, and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of God. Love is the agency which God uses to expel sin from the human soul. By it he changes pride into humility, enmity and unbelief into love and faith. He does not employ compulsory measures; Jesus is revealed to the soul, and if man will look in faith to the Lamb of God, he will live.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 11]          Jesus has given this invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." In coming to Jesus, we reveal our faith. The law condemns the sinner, and by this condemnation he is led to see the necessity of a Saviour. He seeks refuge in Jesus, and the Son is glorified and exalted as the Redeemer of the world; he is the sinner's substitute and surety.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 11}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 12]          No man can keep the law of God apart from Christ, and God will not accept his unaided efforts. The nature of man is in opposition to the divine will, depraved, deformed, and wholly unlike the character of God expressed in his law. Man is accepted through the righteousness of Christ, through obedience to God's law. God imputes beauty, excellence, and perfection to man through the merits of his Son, and thus places the highest honor upon Christ by making him the pattern by which he works to fashion the character of all believers. Christ is presented to men that they may catch his temper, his perfection; and as the model is complete and perfect in every part, so, as man is conformed to the image of Christ, he is made complete in him; for aside from Christ there never can be righteousness in the human heart.  {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 12}
[ST, June 9, 1890 par. 13]          When the Spirit was poured out from on high, the church was flooded with light, but Christ was that light; the church was filled with joy, but Christ was the subject of that joy. When the Spirit is poured upon his people in this day, Christ's name will be upon every tongue, his love will fill every soul; and when the heart embraces Jesus, it will embrace God; for all the fullness of God dwells in Christ. When the beams of Christ's righteousness shine upon the soul, joy, adoration, and glory will be woven with the experience.                                                                   -    {ST, June 9, 1890 par. 13}
[ST, June 16, 1890 par. 1]       June 16, 1890 Faith and Works.  ［MORNING TALK AT BASEL,  SWITZERLAND, SEPTEMBER 17, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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. 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. 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 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. You need not wait for your way to be made smooth before you; go to work to improve your intrusted 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.  {ST, June 16, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, June 16, 1890 par. 2]          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. 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 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.  {ST, June 16, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, June 16, 1890 par. 3]          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.  {ST, June 16, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, June 16, 1890 par. 4]          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." Faith and works will keep us evenly balanced, and 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.  {ST, June 16, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, June 16, 1890 par. 5]          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.  {ST, June 16, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, June 16, 1890 par. 6]          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. 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 to his Father's commandment. 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."                                                                   -    {ST, June 16, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, July 7, 1890 par. 1]       July 7, 1890 "What shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?"  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, 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 neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."  {ST, July 7, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, July 7, 1890 par. 2]          The scribes and Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. They looked with contempt upon the Samaritans, and Jesus related this parable to show them that it is the spirit of the man that makes him of value with God, and not his nation or profession. The priest and Levite had passed by the man who was in need of their help, and had left him to die by the wayside; but the Samaritan had had compassion upon him, and had acted the part of a Christian neighbor to him. It would not have been best to present this lesson to the haughty priests except in a parable, yet in this parable Jesus made it evident that they had only a religion of ceremonies. They rested in outward observances of the law, but did not keep it in heart. The Scriptures declare that "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." In the gospel the great standard of righteousness is not presented in a dimmer light than in the Old Testament. Christ declared that not one jot or tittle of the law should pass until heaven and earth should pass. The divine Teacher held up the perfect standard of righteousness as the only thing by which to test human character. The law reveals to men the deformity of the heart, and the gospel enforces the law by presenting Christ in contrast to man.  {ST, July 7, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, July 7, 1890 par. 3]          In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus gave a picture of himself and his mission. Man had been deceived, bruised, robbed, and ruined by Satan, and left to perish; but Christ had compassion on our helpless condition. He left his glory to come to our rescue. He found us ready to die, and he undertook our case. He healed our wounds, he opened to us a refuge of safety, made complete provision for our needs at his own charges. He died to redeem us. We are to look to Christ's life, we are to see his Spirit and work, that we may view our life and work in the light reflected from the life of Christ. We may see how far short we come of keeping the commandments of God, how far short we come of loving our neighbors as ourselves.  {ST, July 7, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, July 7, 1890 par. 4]          When the rich young ruler came to Christ, inquiring the way of salvation, Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The ruler answered that he had kept them from his youth up, but he who could penetrate into the secrets of the heart, showed him that he had failed. Jesus said to him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions."  {ST, July 7, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, July 7, 1890 par. 5]          Conviction of sin is the first step in conversion, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. When the sinner has a realization of his sin, he is in a condition to be drawn to Christ by the amazing love that has been shown for him on the cross of Calvary. When he is humble and penitent, he does not look for pardon to the law which he has broken, but he looks to God, who has provided forgiveness and sanctification through his well-beloved Son. As he beholds the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, he grows to love him, and by beholding he becomes changed into his image. The apostle wrote, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." The meek and holy Sufferer bore our sins, that the plan of salvation might be opened before men, that whosoever should believe on him might not perish, but have everlasting life.  {ST, July 7, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, July 7, 1890 par. 6]          All who see their own ignorance and sin, will have some appreciation of the great work of redemption, through which man is chosen as the object of God's patience and loving-kindness. As man sees the sinfulness of his nature in the light of the law, he will realize his great need of a Saviour. We all need to search the Scriptures, that we may become acquainted with the conditions of salvation, by which reconciliation may be brought about between man and God. Man must find the path that leads back to the Father's house, and every step away from transgression is a step toward Paradise. Every step in repentance, contrition, obedience, and faith, is a step toward the Father. True faith in Christ will lead to obedience to the requirements of God.                                (To be continued.)  {ST, July 7, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, July 14, 1890 par. 1]       July 14, 1890 "What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?"  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Continued.)         There are many who say, "Believe, believe; all you have to do is to believe." But faith must have foundation, and those who preach that all we must do is to believe, do not themselves know what constitutes true faith. They do not carefully search the Scriptures to know on what ground faith should rest. The advocating of faith, and the disparaging of the keeping of the commandments of God, is only another phase of the controversy originated by Satan in heaven. Indifference to the precepts of the law lowers the conception of what constitutes righteousness; and one who opposes the law at this time, places himself in a more perilous position than that in which Adam and Eve were when they disobeyed God's commandments, for they afterward repented of their sin, and turned away from their allegiance to his enemy.  {ST, July 14, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, July 14, 1890 par. 2]          After Satan brought sin into the world, he tempted man to set himself in rebellion against the authority of God. He inspired him with hatred against God because of the results that followed sin. He suggested that God was arbitrary, destitute of mercy and benevolence, because the penalty of the law fell upon the transgressor. When fallen man views God in this light, he casts aside his authority as a moral governor. God has a right to enforce the penalty of the law upon transgressors, for law without a penalty would be without force. God's law is the foundation of all law and government. The fact that Christ suffered the penalty of the law for all transgressors, is an unanswerable argument as to its immutable character, and it will justly condemn those who have sought to make it void. When the curse fell upon the beloved Son of God, who became sin for us, the Father made it manifest that the unrepenting transgressor of his law would have to suffer its full penalty. The word of God declares, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." The law of God was upheld and vindicated by the Son of God. The death of Christ, as an expiatory sacrifice, opens a way whereby the sinner may be pardoned, and turn from the path of transgression into the path of truth and righteousness, while at the same time it vindicates the honor and unchangeableness of the law. In the plan of salvation, justice and mercy clasp hands together.  {ST, July 14, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, July 14, 1890 par. 3]          The sinner will find no saving quality in law; he must look to the surety and substitute, for it is the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin. The repenting prodigal is taken into fellowship with God, and he becomes one with Christ, as Christ is one with the Father. The obedient children of God recognize the law as a divine law, the sacrifice on Calvary as a divine sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit as their divine sanctifier. All the claims of the law are met in Jesus. In him we have a perfect foundation for our faith. The Son of God did not die that man might always remain a transgressor; for Christ is not a minister of sin. He died that by that act man might no longer remain a rebel against God's law. He died to point men to the way of faith and obedience, that they might see to the end of that which is abolished. When sinners have a view of the plan of salvation, there is no more disposition to cavil concerning the law; for the way of truth and light is open to their understanding. They see that "whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." In the light of the law the sinner is convicted as was Paul.  {ST, July 14, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, July 14, 1890 par. 4]          Christ revealed himself to Paul in a flood of glory, and he was struck down helpless before him. He asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" and the Lord answered, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." Paul then inquired, "What will thou have me to do?" When Christ is revealed to the soul, the sinner's relation to the law is made plain. There must be repentance toward God for the transgression of his law, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ as the sinner's substitute. The convicted sinner sees his bruised, demoralized condition, feels his need of a physician, sees Christ as his only hope, and lays hold of him by faith. He is deeply conscious of his sin and ruin, and seeks the divine remedy in the world's Redeemer.                         (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, July 14, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 1]       July 21, 1890 "What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?"  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Man is prone to forget God, even while claiming to be his servant. When Jesus stood up in the synagogue at Nazareth, announcing himself to be the Messiah, the people thought they loved him. They were glad to hear the tidings he brought them as he read the words of the prophet Isaiah concerning himself, saying: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Divine light flashed upon their darkened minds, and their hearts were stirred to adoration. But when Christ showed them that they were no more in favor with heaven than were the Gentiles, who had had less light and fewer privileges, but who had walked in all the light they had, and improved all the opportunities they had been given, they dragged him from the synagogue, and sought to hurl him from the brow of the hill.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 2]          The multitudes who had been fed by Christ in the desert place imagined that they loved Jesus; but when he reproved them, charging them with caring more for the bread which perisheth than for the bread of life, they were angry, and many turned away from him. The rich young ruler came to Jesus, calling him master. He had listened to his wonderful words, he had seen his wonderful works; but when Christ showed him that he loved his riches more than his neighbor, he went away sorrowful, clinging to his idols. Simon thought he loved Jesus, but when he found that a poor, sorrowful, repentant woman was esteemed more highly than himself, the shallowness of his love was proved.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 3]          Many will see beautiful characteristics in Christ, and will admire them; but that love which embraces his entire character, will never dwell in a heart filled with self-righteousness, will never dwell in a heart that does not realize and abhor its own sinfulness. Not to hate ourselves in sin, is not to love Jesus. Not to see our own deformity, is not to see the beauty of Christ; for it is when the heart is fully aroused to its own state of degradation that Jesus will be appreciated. The more humble our views of self, the more exalted will be our views of Christ, and the more clearly we shall discern the sacred, spotless character of our Redeemer.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 4]          There are many who say, "We are holy, we are sinless." By their words they give the impression that they think themselves as good as Jesus, and some have even dared to assert that they were Christ; but even to entertain such thoughts as these is blasphemy. Not to see the marked contrast between ourselves and Jesus is not to know ourselves, and to be ignorant of our Lord.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 5]          Jesus died to save his people from their sins, and redemption in Christ means to cease the transgression of the law of God, and to be free from every sin; no heart that is stirred with enmity against the law of God, is in harmony with Christ, who suffered on Calvary, to vindicate and exalt the law before the universe.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 6]          Those who make bold assumptions of holiness give proof in this that they do not see themselves in the light of the law; they are not spiritually enlightened, and they do not loathe every species of selfishness and pride. From their sin-stained lips fall the contradictory utterances: "I am holy, I am sinless. Jesus teaches me that if I keep the law I am fallen from grace. The law is a yoke of bondage." The Lord says, "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." We should study the word of God carefully, that we may come to right decisions, and act accordingly; for then we shall obey the word and be in harmony with God's holy law.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 7]          While we are to be in harmony with God's law, we are not saved by the works of the law, yet we cannot be saved without obedience. The law is the standard by which character is measured. But we cannot possibly keep the commandments of God without the regenerating grace of Christ. Jesus alone can cleanse us from all sin. He does not save us by law, neither will he save us in disobedience to law.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 8]          Our love to Christ will be in proportion to the depth of our conviction of sin, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. But as we see ourselves, let us look away to Jesus, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity. By faith take hold of the merits of Christ, and the soul cleansing blood will be applied. The more clearly we see the evils and perils to which we have been exposed, the more grateful shall we be for deliverance through Christ. The gospel of Christ does not give men license to break the law; for it was through transgression that the flood-gates of woe were opened upon our world. Today sin is the same malignant thing that it was in the time of Adam. The gospel does not promise the favor of God to anyone who in impenitence breaks his law. The depravity of the human heart, the guilt of transgression, the ruin of sin, are all made plain by the cross where Christ has made for us a way of escape.  {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, July 21, 1890 par. 9]         Self-righteousness is the danger of this age; it separates the soul from Christ. Those who trust to their own righteousness cannot understand how salvation comes through Christ. They call sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. They have no appreciation of the evil of transgression, no understanding of the terror of the law; for they do not respect God's moral standard. The reason there are so many spurious conversions in these days, is that there is so low an appreciation of the law of God. Instead of God's standard of righteousness, men have erected a standard of their own by which to measure character. They see through a glass darkly, and present false ideas of sanctification to the people, thus encouraging egotism, pride, and self-righteousness. The doctrine of sanctification advocated by many is full of deception, because it is flattering to the natural heart; but the kindest thing that can be preached to the sinner is the truth of the binding claims of the law of God. Faith and works must go hand in hand; for faith without works is dead, being alone. The prophet declares a truth by which we may test all doctrine. He says, "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Although error abounds in the world, there is no reason why men need remain in deception. The truth is plain, and when it is contrasted with error, its character may be discerned. All the subjects of God's grace may understand what is required of them. By faith we may conform our lives to the standard of righteousness, because we can appropriate to ourselves the righteousness of Christ. In the word of God the honest seeker for truth will find the rule for genuine sanctification. The apostle says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. . . . For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, 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. 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. For to be carnally-minded is death; but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."                                                                   -    {ST, July 21, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 1]       July 28, 1890 God's Infinite Love to Man.  ［SERMON AT  CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1885.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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.  {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 2]          The love of the Father is an infinite love; and as John contemplates its fullness, he can find no language in which to express his wonder. He exclaims, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." It is not possible for the human mind to fully comprehend the height, the depth, and the breadth of this love, which passeth knowledge.  {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 3]          Our first parents transgressed the law of God in the garden of Eden, and fell from their high estate, and death was pronounced upon Adam and his posterity; but the human race was not left to hopeless misery. The Son of God consented to become man's substitute and surety; he consented to take the wrath of the Father upon himself. Through the infinite sacrifice of Christ in man's behalf, the star of hope illuminated the dark future of Adam, and another probation was granted him in which to prepare for eternal life. Jesus came to our world to be a man of sorrows, to become acquainted with grief. He did not take his position with the lofty and rich of this world, although he owned the world. Had he done this, there might have been some excuse for the haughty bearing of the rich, as though they thought salvation was only for them. Jesus said that he came to preach the gospel to the poor. With his human arm he reached to the very depths of human woe, in order that he might lift up fallen man, and elevate and ennoble the race, and finally exalt the overcomers to his throne.  {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 4]          Jesus might have remained in heaven, to receive the adoration of the heavenly host, but he did not do this. For man's sake he stepped down from the throne, laid aside his royal robe, clothed his divinity with humanity, and for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. In assuming humanity, he exalted the fallen race before God, and made it possible for sinful man to become an heir of heaven. Can we wonder that John exclaimed, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God"? Men think that it is a great honor to be connected with an earthly king, but John tells us that by a life of obedience we may become the children of the heavenly King, and have connection with the Majesty on high. When Christ became man's substitute and surety, it was that he might unite finite man with the infinite God, and connect earth with heaven. The Son of God took upon him the nature of man, bore insult, ignominy, shame, and death, in order to save a wicked world. He was tempted in all points like as we are, that he might become acquainted with our temptations; by this experience of suffering and trial, he opened the way that the sons and daughters of Adam may return to allegiance to God, and make their way back to the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. That Jesus has been tempted in all points like as we are, that he is able to succor those who are tempted, has given men confidence to come to him and pour out all their sorrows before him; for he has borne our griefs, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. After he has made an infinite sacrifice for us, will any of us be so ungrateful as to refuse to accept it? He was our example in all things, and we are to study the life and character of our Lord, and learn of him meekness and lowliness of heart.  {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 5]          He received baptism at the hands of John, and in coming up out of the water he bowed upon Jordan's banks, and offered up a prayer to Heaven. Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as came from his lips. The Father heard the petition of his Son in man's behalf, and the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit, like a dove of burnished gold, encircled him, while a voice from the highest glory was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." How many have read over this relation, and have not had their hearts stirred by its significant truths! Many have thought that it did not concern mankind; but it is of the greatest importance to each one of them. Jesus was accepted of Heaven as a representative of the human race. With all our sin and weakness, we are not cast aside as worthless; we are accepted in the Beloved; for heaven has been opened to our petitions through the Son of God. The gates are ajar, and the light of heaven will shine upon all those whom Jesus came to save, if they will but come within the circle of the beams of the Sun of Righteousness; for ample provision has been made for the salvation of every soul.  {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 6]          Man did not, of himself, have moral power to enable him to gain the victory over Satan. From his baptism in Jordan, Jesus went into the wilderness of temptation, and fasted forty days and forty nights. He was assaulted by the fierce temptations of Satan, and, passing over the ground where Adam fell, he resisted every suggestion of the wily foe. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall. When he was faint and hungry from his long fast, Satan appeared to him as an angel of light, tempting him to employ his divine power in his own behalf. He urged him to command the stones to become bread; but Jesus met him with the word of God, the only weapon that could defeat him, the weapon that each one of his followers must use if they would obtain the victory. Jesus said to the evil one, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, July 28, 1890 par. 7]          The lesson here presented to us by our great Exemplar is that it is of far greater consequence to obey the word of God than to sustain our natural life. We are God's property, and we are not to feel it our privilege to use even that which we claim as our own as we please, in eating and drinking and feasting. The favor of God is of far higher value to us than our temporal food. Jesus made it manifest, though assailed with the fiercest pangs of hunger, that he trusted in his heavenly Father with unshaken confidence. He knew that his Father was acquainted with his position of trial, and would strengthen him to endure it. In the unfaltering trust of Jesus there is a lesson for us; we are to have an eye single to the glory of God.                             (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, July 28, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 1]       August 4, 1890 God's Infinite Love to Man   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         When Satan saw that Jesus maintained faith in God in the first temptation, he changed the character of his temptation, and came to him in another guise. He took him to the pinnacle of the temple, and appealed to his unswerving faith. And he said unto him, "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 met him again with the word of God, saying, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Another precious lesson is presented to man in the attitude of our Saviour. We are not to presume that God will manifest miraculous power in our behalf to save us from the consequences of our own folly. It is proper for us to manifest perfect confidence in God when in the path of duty, but if we go aside from the way of his direction, we have no ground to presume that God will deliver us. Satan knew he could not hurl Christ from the lofty pinnacle, for his power was prescribed. Jesus overcame the artful foe in this temptation also.  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 2]          "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." Satan claimed to be the prince of the world, but he offered to release his claim upon the earth if Jesus would thus acknowledge his supremacy. And he said unto him, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." When Jesus was invited to acknowledge allegiance to the prince of the powers of darkness, his indignation was stirred. Divinity flashed through humanity, and he said, "Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Satan then left Jesus. The Prince of Life was faint and dying on the field of battle; but angels came and ministered unto him. The lesson Jesus has given us in his dealing with these temptations is summed up in these words, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 3]          Adam fell through yielding to appetite. Man never could have overcome the power of appetite unless Christ had overcome in his behalf; but now man may obtain the victory. Christ came to bring divine power to unite with human effort, so that although we have been debased by perverted appetite, we may take courage, for we are prisoners of hope. We are not required to overcome in our own strength; by living faith we can grasp the hand of Infinite Power, and when Satan comes with his temptations, we can point to the cross of Calvary, and say, "Christ died for me; in his name I can and will overcome. I want the Eden home that Adam lost. I must, I will, fight the battles of the Lord, and become a victor, and have a place in the kingdom of glory."  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 4]          Only in the light shining from the cross of Calvary can we estimate the value that God places upon man. He says, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." Man can be thus elevated through the merits of Jesus. How few look at religion in its true light. Many have it confused with traditions and ceremonies. The religion of Christ will convert men, and separate them from the world; but it does not take them out of the world, for God has said, "Ye are the light of the world." Our work is to reflect light in good works to those who know not God. God has given us a cross to bear, but under no circumstances does he want us to manufacture tests and crosses for ourselves. Jesus says: "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."  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 5]          Why is it that so many wear a sad countenance, that so many complain of the cross and of the hardness of the way that leads to heaven? It is because they are yoked up with the world, and not with Christ. They do the very things that Christ has told them not to do. They place their affections upon the things of earth; but Christ says: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 6]          We are to make God the supreme object of our affection. There are many who are seeking to serve God and mammon at the same time; but if they continue in this course, they will lose both worlds. Everyone that truly submits to the yoke of Christ will say that his yoke is easy; all who bear his burdens will say that they are light. The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver. When the truth of God takes possession of the mind and soul, it purifies, refines, and ennobles the character. Some have said that religion brings us all down upon a level; but there is no low level in the religion of Christ. The truth of God brings those who receive it, up to walk in a high and holy pathway cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. Those who are coarse, harsh, and uncourteous in manner, will, as they learn in the school of Christ, become meek and lowly in heart. Those who claim to be serving God, and yet are not daily refined, are in darkness; for everyone that is in harmony with Christ will bear the Christ-like mould. We are to be sanctified through the truth. Our conversation is to be on heaven and heavenly things. God would not have the mind dwell upon the trivial matters of earth, but upon the themes of eternal interest. There are some who seem to have the impression that in order to be humble you must be odd, impolite, uncourteous; but this is an evidence, not of true humility, but of selfishness. The religion of Christ will never make you uncourteous. We do not think it essential to imitate the politeness of the world, which is simply affectation and display; but everyone who is connected with Christ will be elevated in character, and be an example of piety to others.  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 7]          The world is not in harmony with the religion of Christ. When the people of the world are hungering and thirsting for the treasures of earth, the people of God will be hungering and thirsting for righteousness. The true followers of Christ will not make a compromise with the world; but they will be as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Christ gives the test by which the world will judge of our relation to him. He says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." If Christ abides in my heart by faith, and abides in the hearts of my brethren, we shall love one another, and present an example of unity to the world.  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 8]          We are sojourners here, pilgrims and strangers on the earth; but we are fitting up for a better country, even a heavenly. We must now learn the language of that country, and prepare for the life that runs parallel with the life of God. Our life in this world is but a vapor, that vanisheth away. Then shall we devote all our powers to securing the treasures of earth for this little, short life-time, or shall we apply all our abilities in such a way that we may gain the future, immortal life? Christ says, "Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 9]          Everyone that shall see the King in his beauty, must be without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. We now have an opportunity to form characters for the future life, and what a rich blessing we shall receive if we obtain the recompense of the reward! There is no comfort in sin. Men are made miserable because they refuse to obey the commandments of God. The whole world lieth in wickedness, but Christ came to remove the woe that comes as a consequence of sin. He came to our world to show us how to live a pure, holy life, and I have purposed in my heart that he shall not have lived and died in vain for me. I want to say with the apostle: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." I want to leave a bright track heavenward for all that may be attracted in the way of life.  {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, August 4, 1890 par. 10]          Who will be among the happy throng that will sing praise around the throne of God? Who will serve God, whatever may be the consequences? I see in Jesus matchless charms. Let us lift up the Man of Calvary. If those who are burdened with sin will come and give their hearts to Jesus, and then go forth to gather sheaves for him, what joy will be theirs by and by. Although glory will be given to Jesus for full redemption, there will be those in heaven who will say to the co-workers with God, "I never would have had the light if you had not opened the word of God to me. I never would have accepted the truth if you had not manifested Christ in your life." God would have us co-laborers with himself, that, when the pearly gates of the city of God shall be swung back upon their glittering hinges, he may say to us, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." "Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."                                                                   -    {ST, August 4, 1890 par. 10}
[ST, August 11, 1890 par. 1]       August 11, 1890 Christ Gives Repentance.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick of his place, except thou repent."  {ST, August 11, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, August 11, 1890 par. 2]          Many think that repentance is a work which wholly devolves upon man as a preparation to come to Christ, his mediator; but this is an error and deception. Repentance must precede forgiveness, but the sinner does not repent until he has faith in Christ as his mediator. The Bible does not teach that man must repent before he comes to Christ. Our Saviour has been lifted up upon the cross of Calvary, and the love of Christ shining from the cross speaks constantly to the sinner of the sufferings of Jesus for fallen man. His love for the fallen race constantly draws sinners to him. The transgressor may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist, he will be drawn to Jesus, and a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the sufferings of God's dear Son.  {ST, August 11, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, August 11, 1890 par. 3]          Could sinful man repent of his sins in his own strength, there would be no more virtue in that repentance than in the offering made by Cain. Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. If it were possible for man to repent of himself, the virtue of the atoning sacrifice would be in vain. But this is not possible. As Peter bore his testimony before the high priest and the Sadducees, he spoke by the power of God in reference to Christ, and 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." Repentance comes from Christ just as much as does pardon for transgression. That repentance is a work which man must do without any special help from Christ, is a false theory. The sinner cannot take the first step in repentance, without the help of Christ. He cannot keep the moral law unless Christ imputes to him his righteousness. The grace that works contrition and repentance, as well as the forgiveness of sins, is the grace of Christ. If one step could be taken without Christ, every step in the way of salvation might be taken without him. It is true that great reformations in outward conduct are often made where there is no expressed faith in Christ; many have not even a knowledge of Jesus; but it is a divine influence that makes man capable of any change, and leads him to reformation. This reformation is the result of a blind faith, and the one who changes the habits of his life without an intelligent faith in Jesus, worships he knows not what, but he worships that which leads him to respect his own manhood; and as he takes steps toward the light, increased light will shine upon him, that he may see the sinfulness of sin, and be led to recognize the fact 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.  {ST, August 11, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, August 11, 1890 par. 4]          The repentance required of those who seek God is that repentance that needeth not to be repented of,-a repentance manifested in a radical change of mind and heart. The heart must be brought in subjection to Christ, and a repentance that works such a result can never be brought about by man; it can only proceed from Christ, who has ascended on high, and has imparted gifts unto men. Christ said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." When the heart and mind submit to the drawing power of Christ, the love of Jesus will lead the sinner to repentance, and as he earnestly seeks help from God, power from on high will be given him. The Saviour says, "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me."  {ST, August 11, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, August 11, 1890 par. 5]          We are to watch unto prayer, and our earnest efforts to overcome evil in our character, will make manifest the sincerity of our prayers. We are to look into the royal mirror, the law of God, that we may understand our moral standing, and detect the imperfections of our character; then we are to appropriate the righteousness of Christ, that we may keep the law of God. As we realize the worthlessness of our own righteousness, as we feel our dependence upon Christ, we fall upon the Rock and are broken, and then Jesus moulds and fashions our characters after his own divine character. Let us all bear in mind that those whom God pardons are first made penitent. Some will say that we leave man with nothing to do, with no task to take up in the struggle. This is not so; all the powers with which God has endowed man must be employed in order that we may do the will of God.  {ST, August 11, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, August 18, 1890 par. 1]       August 18, 1890 Christ Gives Repentance   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Man can never be saved in indolence. Christ has said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work;" and man, for whom Christ has given his life, is designated as a co-laborer with him. No one can be saved in idleness and slothfulness. We must watch and pray lest we enter into temptation. We must keep down pride, self-esteem, envy, jealousy, evil-surmising, evil-speaking, and refrain from evil-doing. We must wrestle with infirmities, with human passions; we must keep the perfect Pattern before us; we must search the Scriptures for their hidden treasures of truth. We should be diligent to dig in the mines of truth for new and precious gems; we should bring forth from the treasure-house of God's word things new and old. Those who are indeed followers of Christ must leave the ninety and nine and go into the wilderness to hunt for the lost sheep that has strayed from the fold. He who loves Jesus must seek to convert sinners from the error of their way, must seek to save souls for whom Christ has died, and hide a multitude of sins. To every man the Master has given his work; and in order to do this work acceptably, he must gather every ray of light God sends, and reflect it upon others. He must abase self and exalt Jesus, realizing more and more his own unworthiness and the worthiness of Christ. Through an experimental knowledge of the way of life, he must be able to lead the sinner to repentance, faith, and obedience. He must cast down the idea that has prevailed, that repentance is to spring from ourselves, and that then we are to come to Christ; this is a false theory, a deception fatal to the soul.  {ST, August 18, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, August 18, 1890 par. 2]          There are many who conclude that they are saved, simply because they have good impressions; but this is not enough. The entire affection must be renovated. Every individual must learn by experimental knowledge where lies his true strength. No one can leave his first love without a forfeiture of the Christian character. The Church must come up out of the wilderness, leaning upon the arm of her Beloved. When each member of the church can say, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me," then Christ, the hope of glory, will be revealed in his people.  {ST, August 18, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, August 18, 1890 par. 3]          Faith is the gift of God, and "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." Those who feel that they are sinful and poor and wretched, are the very ones to whom the invitation of mercy is extended; they may ask and receive. Jesus says, "I came not to call the righteous,"-those who are clothed with the garments of their own righteousness,-"but sinners to repentance." Those who are rich and honorable in their own eyes cannot hunger and thirst after righteousness, therefore they cannot ask in faith and receive the blessing of God; for they feel no need. They are full, therefore they must go away empty. We must not think for a moment that we can do anything to merit the blessing of God. It is by faith alone that we can claim his promise; by faith alone we can say, "I receive the things I ask for of thee; for thy word is sure, it cannot fail."  {ST, August 18, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, August 18, 1890 par. 4]          How precious to the believer are the rich promises of God! Jesus himself endured the penalty of the law in his own body upon the accursed tree, that he might make it possible for all the human family to keep the commandments of God. Without the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour, fallen man could never meet the claims of the law, God could not sustain his holiness and justice, and justify the sinner; but how glorious is the truth of the atonement! what a firm foundation have the saints of the most high God upon which to rest their salvation! Not one of the promises can fail; the condemned sinner may be purified and made white through the righteousness of Christ. Those who love Jesus will love the law of God, because it is a transcript of his character. Through the merit of Christ the transgressor is freed from the charges the law held against him. The world's Redeemer has carried the burden of guilt and woe that rested upon the sinner, and he is able to strengthen him for the conflicts he will meet day by day in his pathway to heaven. Why should not the Christian rejoice always? By faith the followers of Christ may view the eternal glory of their Redeemer. The thought that we are privileged to commit the keeping of our souls to God as unto a faithful Creator, is a most precious thought; for he says that those who love him shall be his when his jewels are made up. Oh, what love God has manifested for his church, that he has purchased with his own precious blood!  {ST, August 18, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, August 18, 1890 par. 5]          From the beginning of my labor with pen and voice, my greatest fear has been that I should make altogether too feeble efforts in seeking to set forth Christ crucified among you. I have never feared that I should place the subject before you in too strong a light. Every line my pen has traced, has been unsatisfactory because of the feebleness of my language to unfold the wonderful theme of redemption. My expressions have fallen far below the magnitude of the subject. The pen of man, the tongue of an angel, can never adequately describe the love of God as manifested in Christ. We see through a glass darkly; we have but dim and imperfect glimpses of him who is the expression of his Father's glory. Oh, that every worker in the cause of God might have a practical experience in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Oh, that every ambassador of Christ might raise his hands, as did John, and say to the people, not with lips only, but with heart and soul, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!"  {ST, August 18, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, September 1, 1890 par. 1]       September 1, 1890 Devote Yourselves to God's Service.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         It should be your determined purpose to bring every power of your being into the service of Christ. His service is profitable for the life that now is, and for that which is to come. If your thoughts, your plans, your purposes, are all directed towards the accumulation of things of earth, your anxiety, your study, your interests, will all be centered upon the world. The heavenly attractions will lose their beauty. The glories of the eternal world will cease to have the force of reality to you. Your heart will be with your treasure, and every faculty of your mind will be so concentrated on the work you have chosen, that you will not heed the warnings and entreaties of the word and Spirit of God. You will have no time to devote to the study of the Scriptures and to earnest prayer that you may escape the snares of Satan and render intelligent obedience to your heavenly Father.  {ST, September 1, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, September 1, 1890 par. 2]          "The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." 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. You will lay up your treasure in heaven. Your thoughts will be fixed upon the great rewards of eternity. All your plans will be made in reference to the future immortal life. You will be drawn toward your treasure. You will not study your worldly interest; but in all your pursuits the silent inquiry will be, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Bible religion will be woven into your daily life.  {ST, September 1, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, September 1, 1890 par. 3]          The true Christian does not allow any earthly consideration to come in between his soul and God. The commandment of God wields an authoritative influence over his affections and actions. If everyone seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness would be always ready to work the works of Christ, how much easier would become the path to heaven! The blessings of God would flow into the soul, and the praises of the Lord would be on your lips continually. You would then serve God from principle. Your feelings might not always be of a joyous nature; clouds would at times shadow the horizon of your experience; but the Christian hope does not rest upon the sandy foundation of feeling. Those who act from principle will behold the glory of God beyond the shadows, and rest upon the sure word of promise. They will not be deterred from honoring God, however dark the way may seem. Adversity and trial will only give them an opportunity to show the sincerity of their love. When depression settles upon the soul, it is no evidence that God has changed. He is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever." You are sure of the favor of God when you are sensible of the beams of the Sun of Righteousness; but if clouds sweep over your soul, you must not feel that you are forsaken. Your faith must pierce the gloom. Your eye must be single, and your whole body will be full of light. The riches of the grace of Christ must be kept before the mind. Treasure up the lessons that his love provides. Let your faith be like Job's, that you may declare, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Lay hold on the promises of your heavenly Father, and remember his former dealing with you, and with his servants; "all things work together for good to them that love God."  {ST, September 1, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, September 1, 1890 par. 4]         The most trying experiences in the Christian's life may be the most blessed. The special providences of the dark hours may encourage the soul in future attacks of Satan, and equip the servant of God to stand in fiery trials. The trial of your faith is more precious than gold. You must have that abiding confidence in God that is not disturbed by the temptations and arguments of the deceiver. Take the Lord at his word. You must study the promises, and appropriate them as you have need. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Become rooted and grounded in the word, and then you will not renounce the important truths for this time, which are to exert a sanctifying influence upon your life and character.                                                                   -    {ST, September 1, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, September 8, 1890 par. 1]       September 8, 1890 Courtesy and Christlikeness.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         No man can be a Christian without having the Spirit of Christ; and if he has the Spirit of Christ, it will be manifested in kind words and a refined, courteous deportment. The religion of Jesus is designed to soften whatever is hard and rough in the temper, and to smooth off whatever is rugged or sharp in the manners. External change will testify to an internal change. The truth is the sanctifier, the refiner. Received into the heart, it works with hidden power, transforming the character. But those who profess to be followers of Christ, and are at the same time rough, unkind, and uncourteous in words and deportment, have not learned of Jesus. A blustering, overbearing, fault-finding man is not a Christian; for to be a Christian is to be Christlike. It is no mark of the Christian to be continually jealous of one's dignity. All these manifestations show that men are still servants of the wicked one.  {ST, September 8, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, September 8, 1890 par. 2]          Very many who are seeking for happiness will be disappointed in their hopes, because they seek it amiss, and indulge in sinful tempers, and selfish feelings. By neglecting to discharge the little duties and observe the little courtesies of life, they violate the principles on which happiness depends. True happiness is not to be found in self-gratification, but in the path of duty. God desires man to be happy, and for this reason he gave him the precepts of his law, that in obeying these, he might have joy at home and abroad. While he stands in his moral integrity, true to principle, and having the control of all his powers, he cannot be miserable. With its tendrils twined about God, the heart will be full of peace and joy, and the soul will flourish.  {ST, September 8, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, September 8, 1890 par. 3]          Kind words, pleasant looks, a cheerful countenance, throw a charm around the Christian that makes his influence almost irresistible. It is the religion of Christ in the heart that causes the words to be gentle, and the demeanor winning, even to those in the humblest walks of life. In forgetfulness of self, in the light of peace and happiness he is constantly bestowing on others, is seen the true dignity of the man. This is a way to gain respect, and extend the sphere of usefulness. It costs but little to be gentle and kind; and the one who pursues this course will not complain that he does not receive the honor that is his due. But Bible rules must be written on the heart; Bible rules must be carried into the every-day life.  {ST, September 8, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, September 8, 1890 par. 4]          Genuine faith is followed by love,--love that is manifested in the home, in society, and in all the relations of life,--love which smooths away difficulties, and lifts us above disagreeable trifles that Satan places in our way to annoy us. And love will be followed by obedience. All the powers and the passions of a 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.  {ST, September 8, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, September 8, 1890 par. 5]          To become a disciple of Christ is to deny self, and follow Jesus through evil as well as through good report. It is to close the door to pride, envy, doubt, and other sins, and thus shut out strife, hatred, and every evil work. It is to welcome into our hearts Jesus, the meek and lowly One, who is seeking admittance as our guest.  {ST, September 8, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, September 8, 1890 par. 6]          "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." Jesus is a pattern for humanity, complete, perfect. He proposes to make us like himself,--true in every purpose, feeling, and thought,--true in heart, soul, and life. The man who cherishes the most of the love of Christ in the soul, who reflects the image of Christ most perfectly, is, in the sight of God, the truest, most noble, and most honorable man. But he that has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his.                                                                   -    {ST, September 8, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 1]       September 22, 1890 Love is the Fulfilling of the Law.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, 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 neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 2]          To love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves is to keep the first four and the last six commandments. God has given to man a large field in which he may work; and in doing the work appointed him of God, man will not lift up himself, but will exalt Christ. He will cherish love for God, and love for his brethren, and for all men. Love will soon die out of the heart if it is left without cultivation; we can only keep divine love in the soul by doing the words of the Master. Are there not many claiming to keep the commandments who are living in transgression of the sacred precepts? We cannot keep the law of God unless we give to our Creator and Redeemer our undivided affection. It is impossible to keep the last six commandments unless we keep the first four.  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 3]          John says: "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." "We love him, because he first love us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 4]          Are we obeying the words of Christ, or are we following the impulses of our own depraved hearts? Do we have a clear conscience that we are doing our whole duty to our God in the line of raising joyful thanksgiving and praise for his constant care and love? We must cultivate the precious traits of character that abound in Jesus in all their divine fullness. We must daily learn in the school of Christ, and practice the graces of his spirit, till our lives shall shed the divine fragrance of his life. We shall be representatives of Christ if we are thoughtful of others, ministering to their necessities.  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 5]          When we come into close sympathy with Jesus, he will impart his love, and this will flow out in loving acts, in tender compassion to others. When we fail to love God supremely, we surely fail to love our neighbor as ourselves. When you love God with all your heart, might, mind, soul, and strength, you will be as a living stream in the desert to all around you. There will be no expressed doubts, no sowing of tares in your suggestions. You will not rest satisfied with a meager experience. You will say with Paul: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but 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."  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 6]          There is no standing still in the Christian life. The follower of Jesus sees ever before him higher things to be attained, and he will not be satisfied with a low standard. There is great danger in being satisfied, in not pressing forward for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Why is it that so many are content with a limited knowledge of Christ? Why do not all professed Christians strive earnestly for growth in knowledge and experience, that they may grow up into Christ, even to the full stature of men and women in him? It is painfully evident that many have ceased to advance heavenward. There is no growth in Christian character; they are but dwarfs in their religious life. When you see such persons, you long to open before them the value of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. You desire to inspire them with spiritual vigor that they may grow. You do what you can to open before them the privileges and opportunities of the gospel; you urge them to have faith and love and hope, and yet when you meet them in a year's time, you are pained to see the same listless spirit, the same stunted growth. They say the same things as before; there is no new idea in their testimonies, no fresh feature in their experience.  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 7]          Again you set before them the prize of the high calling of God. They assent to all you say, declare that they are benefited, but the next year you meet them with sadness, for you see that they indeed can say, "I have not attained;" and yet they would not go further and say, "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." It is evident that they are not convicted of sin, nor converted to God. They have not responded to the drawing power of Christ. Like Nicodemus, the Holy Spirit must move upon them, and they must be born again. The truth must be received into good and honest hearts, before light can shine forth to the world in clear, distinct rays. Every follower of Christ is required to let his light shine forth to the world. But then they fail to gather increased light from the Sun of Righteousness, how can they diffuse light to others?  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 8]          Why cannot the followers of Christ understand that they are to be taught, disciplined, and trained--that they are to learn obedience by the things which they suffer? Why is it that we do not have more love for Jesus? more love for the truth? "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward."  {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, September 22, 1890 par. 9]          In the truth, Jesus is unfolded in all his matchless loveliness; but of what advantage will be our knowledge of truth, if it does not lead us to Jesus, if it does not increase our knowledge of him and our love for him? As soon as you surrender your whole heart to God, you will render self-denying, cheerful obedience. God requires that we shall be found in him, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. When, with grateful appreciation of his love, we open the door of our heart to Jesus, saying, "Come in," the heavenly Guest is with us. When we love Jesus, we love all whom Jesus loves.                                                                   -    {ST, September 22, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 1]       October 6, 1890 Sin Perverted, Grace Restores, Man's Faculties.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When God created man, he endowed him with a well-balanced mind, with noble qualities and powers. Man was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, and his aims holy. But through disobedience to God, his powers were perverted, his affections misplaced, his high and holy purposes were lowered, and selfishness took the place of love. The fall did not create in man a new set of faculties, but worked the perversion of all that was good in his character.  {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 2]          Through the plan of salvation a way was provided whereby man could return to God; and in returning to his allegiance to God, he places himself in right relation to his Creator, where he is susceptible to the reproving, warning, instruction, and comfort of the Holy Spirit, where he can live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, and be in direct communication with God through Christ. In such a connection and communion, he is placed where he can regain the moral image of God.  {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 3]          The affections, perverted by sin, become degenerated and depraved; but through a connection with Christ they are brought into a higher, holier channel; and, aided by divine grace, man may be an overcomer. The faculties, warped in a wrong direction through the influence of sin, need no longer be misused and perverted, need no longer be wasted on accomplishing selfish purposes, or fastened upon the perishing things of earth. When the soul has been convicted of sin, has accepted of Christ, the character becomes transformed, and there is an elevation and purification of all the powers of the being. They are no longer debased by selfish aims and unholy actions. What may not man become through the grace given him of God! Through the sanctification of the truth, he may become a partaker of the divine nature, and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. He may show forth an example of righteousness, of true holiness.  {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 4]          Through the degradation of man's highest, noblest powers, sorrow, crime, and suffering came into our world, a result of breaking the commandments of God. Oh, that men would practice the holy principles of the law of God! We see those who are eagerly bent on amassing wealth. They give all their energy, tact, wisdom, and inventive power to the gaining of worldly treasure,--treasure that they will never need themselves, and that will fail to benefit their children. They are so intent on the pursuit of this one object that they have no time for prayer, no time to seek or serve God, or to place themselves on the side of Christ. Heaven and eternal things have no charms for them. All their moral powers are dwarfed, and they spend their lives for the one purpose of obtaining worldly treasure. The opportunity granted them of Heaven for gaining eternal life is squandered in striving for the perishing things on earth.  {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 5]          Would that the melancholy picture described above were only applicable to those who are of the world, who have made no profession of Christ! Sadder is it to see those who profess godliness presenting to the world an exhibition of misused powers! The passion for laying up treasures upon the earth, for making provision for an unknown future, for laboring for corruptible possessions, which pass away with the using, is not all confined to those who have not tasted the good word of God. It is sad indeed to see men who have had a knowledge of Christ, casting away their hope of an immortal inheritance for the sake of heaping up treasure upon earth.  {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 6]          If men were as eager candidates for the honors of heaven as they are for those of earth, if they were as anxious for an immortal inheritance as they are for worldly gain, if they employed the same concentration of mind and energy for the accumulation of divine riches as for the accumulation of treasures that pass away, what might not be done in the world? What light would flash upon the world from men who were whole-hearted in the service of their God! Such would reflect the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness upon the pathway of others.  {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, October 6, 1890 par. 7]          Oh, how many mind earthly things, striving only for that which is perishable and fleeting! The whole power of their being is employed in securing earthly treasure, and their talents are dwarfed, their spirituality is crippled. God sets before men a heaven to gain, a crown of immortal glory to win, honors that will never tarnish, joy that will never fade. Oh, shall we allow Satan to pervert our powers, to set our eyes upon an unworthy object, so that we shall mind earthly things, and give soul and body for the fleeting treasures that serve us but a day, and miss of securing the eternal inheritance?                                                                   -    {ST, October 6, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, October 13, 1890 par. 1]       October 13, 1890 Result of Genuine Conversion.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Genuine conversion brings the soul into living connection with Christ, and makes the person who has this experience a channel of light to the world. We have all had objectionable traits of character transmitted to us, and many have cultivated these until wrong habits of thought and action have taken deep hold on the nature; but when the truth of heavenly origin finds a place in the heart, a new, divine power begins to fashion the character after the divine Pattern. In the soul consecrated to the service of Christ will be a growing distaste for coarse thought, rough manners, and unseemly language, for it is all in opposition to the chaste, pure Spirit of Christ, which dwells within. How necessary that everyone who professes to be a follower of Christ should be so indeed, and practice the truth he professes!  {ST, October 13, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, October 13, 1890 par. 2]          Among the youth there are many whose names are on the church record, but who fail to bring themselves under discipline that they may improve in thought, speech, and manners. They persist in carrying with them their objectionable traits of character. They have vulgar sentiments, coarse manners, low habits. They carry these to others through their school association, and through life they sow tares instead of precious wheat. If low, common ways are indulged in childhood and youth, in the forming period of life, the future will be marred by blemishes; and even in manhood, many will fail to see the necessity of overcoming these defects, and of rectifying their hateful malformations of character. Temptation will overcome them, because they are weak in moral power.  {ST, October 13, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, October 13, 1890 par. 3]          Those who have divine enlightenment will see the necessity of overcoming, for they will realize something of the purpose of Heaven in regard to the influence they are to exert upon others for their salvation. If those who have serious faults to overcome, would rely on God with earnest faith, he would work for them; and the more diligently they devoted themselves to the cultivation of virtue and the discharge of duty, the more grace would they receive to become like the Pattern. With the experience of conversion to Christ, a new life begins. The apostle says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Whoever accepts Jesus will make determined efforts to overcome through the strength imparted to him from Heaven; his whole character must and will be transformed. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith, he will go on from grace to grace, from strength to strength, and power will be given him to uproot every evil. He will turn from the service of Satan to the service of God. Faith, living, active faith, works by love and purifies the soul; it becomes an abiding principle in the life. Everyone who has accepted the righteousness of Christ is placed on high vantage-ground. His conversation, his habits, will be of a high, refined character, after the example of his Lord, and then he will not lie against the truth. He will rise above all baser things into the pure atmosphere of heaven.  {ST, October 13, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, October 13, 1890 par. 4]          Every soul who is drawn to Christ is to be a co-laborer with him. The apostle writes, "Ye are laborers together with God." But to be laborers together with God necessitates some high qualifications. The Lord requires those who would labor with him to be refined in language, to be polished in manner, and he is ready to bestow the grace of Christ on every earnest seeker. Through the help that Christ can give, the laborer with God may cultivate habits of neatness, of thoroughness, and present to the world an example which will in all things be worthy of imitation; for he may grow up unto the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus.  {ST, October 13, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, October 13, 1890 par. 5]          Those who have a careless, clownish manner, either in the family or in society, dishonor their divine Lord. Even ministers have thus misrepresented Christ, when in the pulpit they have made a display of theatrical actions and eccentric manners. This is not of God. Eccentricities are sometimes looked upon as virtues by men, but they do not aid in representing Christ. Careless attitudes and irreverent expressions may serve to please men of unrefined tastes, anecdotes may amuse, but the minister who seeks to cater to such tastes has a meager appreciation of the dignity, simplicity, goodness, and loveliness of the character of the divine Lord.  {ST, October 13, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 1]       November 3, 1890 Justification by Faith.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When through repentance and faith we accept Christ as our Saviour, the Lord pardons our sins, and remits the penalty prescribed for the transgression of the law. The sinner then stands before God as a just person; he is taken into favor with Heaven, and through the Spirit has fellowship with the Father and the Son. Then there is yet another work to be accomplished, and this is for a progressive nature. The soul is to be sanctified through the truth. And this also is accomplished through faith. For it is only by the grace of Christ, which we receive through faith, that the character can be transformed.  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 2]          It is important that we understand clearly the nature of faith. There are many who believe that Christ is the Saviour of the world, that the gospel is true and reveals the plan of salvation, yet they do not possess saving faith. They are intellectually convinced of the truth, but this is not enough; in order to be justified, the sinner must have that faith that appropriates the merits of Christ to his own soul. We read that the devils "believe, and tremble;" but their belief does not bring them justification, neither will the belief of those who give a merely intellectual assent to the truths of the Bible bring them the benefits of salvation. This belief fails of reaching the vital point, for the truth does not engage the heart or transform the character.  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 3]          In genuine, saving faith, there is trust in God, through the belief in the great atoning sacrifice made by the Son of God on Calvary. In Christ, the justified believer beholds his only hope and deliverer. Belief may exist without trust, but confidence born of trust cannot exist without faith. Every sinner brought to a knowledge of the saving power of Christ, will make manifest this trust in greater degree as he advances in experience.  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 4]          The words of the apostle shed light upon what constitutes genuine faith. He says, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." To believe with the heart is more than conviction, more than assent to the truth. This faith is sincere, earnest, and engages the affections of the soul; it is the faith that works by love, and purifies the heart.  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 5]          God reveals Christ to the sinner, and he beholds him dying upon Calvary for the sin of his creature. He then understands how he is condemned by the law of God, for the Spirit works upon his conscience, enforcing the claim of the broken law. He is then given the opportunity of defying the law, of rejecting the Saviour, or of yielding to its claims, and receiving Christ as his Redeemer. God will not compel the service of any man, but he reveals to him his obligation, unfolds to him the requirements of his holy law, and sets before him the result of his choice-to obey and live, or to disobey and perish.  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 6]          The command from Heaven is, "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 neighbor as thyself." When the force of this requirement is understood, the conscience is convicted, the sinner is condemned. The carnal mind, which is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, rises up in rebellion against the holy claims of the law. But as the sinner beholds Christ hanging upon the cross of Calvary, suffering for his transgression, deeper conviction takes hold upon him, and he sees something of the offensive nature of sin. Where there is a true conception of the spirituality and holiness of the divine law, the sinner is under condemnation, and his sins stand arrayed before him in their true character. By the law is the knowledge of sin, and in its light he understands the evil of secret thoughts and deeds of darkness. God's law presents matters in a light in which he has never before viewed his life. He sees that what we speak with our tongue, what we do with our hands, what we exhibit in our outer life, is but a very small part of what goes to make up our character. The law penetrates to the thoughts and intents of the heart. It searches out the dark passions indulged in secret, the jealousies, envyings, theft, murder, malignity, ambition, and evil that lurk hidden from the eyes of men. How often do men exalt those in whose hearts are dark things that for want of opportunity to display themselves are kept from sight. But God's law registers all hidden evil. The wise man declares, "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 7]          Many who claim to believe that the law has a binding obligation upon human intelligences, think lightly of secret sins, and carry themselves with boldness, as satisfied in their self-righteousness as if they were really doers of the word of God. Their work bears the impress of their defective character, and God cannot stand as their helper. God cannot cooperate with them.  {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, November 3, 1890 par. 8]          Character is tested and registered by Heaven more by the inward spirit, the hidden motive, than by that which appears to men. Men may have a pleasing exterior, and be outwardly excellent, while they are but whited sepulchers, full of corruption and uncleanness. Their works are registered as unsanctified, unholy. Their prayers and works, devoid of the righteousness of Christ, do not ascend before God as sweet fragrance, but they are abomination in the eyes of the Lord. To those who will open their eyes, the law presents a perfect likeness of the soul, a complete photograph of the inner man; and as this picture is unveiled before the sinner, he is constrained to acknowledge that he is sold under sin, but that the law is holy, and just, and good.                                                                   -    {ST, November 3, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, November 10, 1890 par. 1]       November 10, 1890 Justification by Faith   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Paul declared, "I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." The apostle recognize the claims of the law, and did not break out against it because it revealed to him his true situation. He acknowledged the likeness which it presented, but he did not say to the law, "Cleanse me, purify me." He turned at once to Calvary. He fell on the Rock Christ Jesus, and was broken. He knew that repentance which needeth not to be repented of. He understood that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified;" for it is not the province of law to save, but to condemn; not to pardon, but to convict. It cannot to any degree lessen the rigor of its claims. If one requirement could be set aside, the whole law might be abolished; for to change any commandment to save a defaulter would make of none effect the value of the rest. The law cannot save those whom it condemns; it cannot rescue the perishing. There is but one hope for the sinner. Is it in outward ceremonies? in rigorous performance of religious duties? is it in mourning and penance, and in devoting hours to prayer and meditation? in practicing self-denial? in giving to the poor, and in doing deeds of merit?--No, none of these things will work the salvation of the soul. The question is asked, "Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"--No; no man can stand before God in his own merit. Those who are saved will be saved because Jesus has paid the full debt; and man can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to merit salvation. Christ says, "Without me, ye can do nothing." Then whose is the merit?--It all belongs to our Redeemer. All the capabilities of man come alone through Christ, and we may say of our best performances, "All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given to thee."  {ST, November 10, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, November 10, 1890 par. 2]          It is the grace of Christ that draws men unto himself, and in him alone is hope and salvation for the sinner. Man is unworthy of any favor from God; but as Christ becomes his righteousness, he may ask and receive, in his name and through his merit, the grace and favor of God. Jesus bore the just penalty of the law, that we might have his grace; but this fact does not mean the subversion of the law. Paul asks, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." The bestowal of the grace of Christ upon the repentant sinner is that he may be brought into perfect harmony with the government of heaven. In the cross, mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.  {ST, November 10, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, November 10, 1890 par. 3]          When we look to the cross of Calvary, we see that the highest claims of the law were met in the efficiency of the offering. Hence, Jesus is called "the Lord our righteousness." When we lay hold on the merit of Christ, and are able to say, "The Lord is my Saviour, my righteousness," then we are justified by faith, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.                                                                   -    {ST, November 10, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 1]       November 24, 1890 "God So Loved the World."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 2]          Who can measure the love of God? Angels cannot comprehend it; it is to them a depth of mystery that they cannot fathom. Angels marvel at the divine love manifested for fallen men; but men themselves remain indifferent and unimpressed. Few respond to the love of God. Few appreciate the marvelous love of Christ in his life of suffering, in his death of shame. Behold him humiliated, mocked, sent from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod to Pilate, condemned, crucified, suspended on the cross, a reproach of men, despised of the people. The sentence of condemnation that was merited by guilty man, angels saw fall upon the innocent Son of God, the loved Commander of their hosts. Well might they be astonished at the love that sustained the Sufferer, who died that we might live. Paul writes, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." This should be the language of our hearts also. It is in the cross that our hopes of eternal life are centered; and as we look to Calvary, seeing what sin has done, how can we live any longer therein? It was our sin that caused the Son of God to humble himself unto death, even the death of the cross; and in him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead.  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 3]          Christ was the Majesty of heaven; and yet behold him dying in man's stead. What love is this! "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 4]          Well might the angels forsake heaven when Christ was crucified, and behold the spectacle of the cross with sorrow and astonishment. They looked upon a sight never before seen, never to be forgotten. Beholding him upon the cross revealed to them, as it should to us, the hatefulness of sin. They saw how much it cost to free man from the terrible power of evil. And after this display of divine love, shall man exalt himself? shall man be lifted up? Shall he robe himself in the filthy rags of his own righteousness, and presume to stand before God? Shall he reject the precepts of God, and live in rebellion against the commandments of the Lord?  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 5]          In the cross is an unanswerable argument as to the immutability of the divine law. Looking to Calvary, we can see how vain are man's efforts when devoid of Christ's merit to give them efficiency. The great acquisition to an impenitent world is the cross of Calvary. Paul gloried in the cross, and well he might; for it was here that he humbled himself that he might be lifted up to true greatness. The price paid for his redemption revealed to him the value of his soul. The Son of God had to die for the sins that Paul had committed; the blood shed on the cross was for him, to save him from eternal ruin. The precious blood of Christ was of such value that a full atonement was made for the guilty soul, and this was to Paul his "glory." It was through the blood of Christ that he had redemption, even the forgiveness of sins.  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 6]          Paul realized his weakness, and well he might distrust his own strength. Referring to the law, he says, "The commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." He had trusted in the deeds of the law. He says, concerning his own outward life, that as "touching the law" he was "blameless;" and he put his trust in his own righteousness. But when the mirror of the law was held up before him, and he saw himself as God saw him, full of mistakes, stained with sin, he cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 7]          Paul beheld the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He heard the voice of Christ saying, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." He determined to avail himself of the benefits of saving grace, to become dead to trespasses and sins, to have his guilt washed away in the blood of Christ, to be clothed with Christ's righteousness, to become a branch of the Living Vine. He walked with Christ, and Jesus became to him--not a part of salvation, while his own good deeds were another part, but--his all in all, the first and last and best in everything. He had the faith that draws life from Christ, that enabled him to conform his life to that of the divine example. This faith claims nothing for its possessor because of his righteousness, but claims everything because of the righteousness of Christ.  {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, November 24, 1890 par. 8]          In the gospel the character of Christ is portrayed. As he descended step by step from his throne, his divinity was veiled in humanity; but in his miracles, his doctrines, his sufferings, his betrayal, his mockery, his trial, his death by crucifixion, his grave among the rich, his resurrection, his forty days upon earth, his ascension, his triumph, his priesthood, are inexhaustible treasures of wisdom, recorded for us by inspiration in the word of God. The waters of life still flow in abundant streams of salvation. The mysteries of redemption, the blending of the divine and the human in Christ, his incarnation, sacrifice, mediation, will be sufficient to supply minds, hearts, tongues, and pens with themes for thought and expression for all time; and time will not be sufficient to exhaust the wonders of salvation, but through everlasting ages, Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed soul. New developments of the perfection and glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, will be forever unfolding. And now there must be perfect reliance upon his merit and grace; there must be distrust of self, and living faith in him.                             (To be continued.)                                                                   -    {ST, November 24, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, December 1, 1890 par. 1]       December 1, 1890 "God so Loved the World."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Those who depend upon their own righteousness instead of relying upon the righteousness of Christ, will lose the prize; they will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting. Let everyone who is striving for the precious boon of eternal life distrust his own strength, and, in much prayer, cast his helpless soul upon Christ. There is too little searching of the word of God for definite direction in the way of life. The larger number of those who profess to believe on Christ have only superficial ideas as to what constitutes Christian character. A sad awakening will come to such souls sooner or later. The thoughts of these superficial believers are not deep or strong enough to comprehend the work of the atonement, and the relation of that work to their own work and life. So terrible a deception has come upon many, so many false ideas have become inwrought in the character, that it seems necessary to tear the whole experience to pieces in order that self-dependence and self-sufficiency may be laid aside, and outward obedience deepened to inward piety and truth. Do not deceive yourself with the idea that your own inherent righteousness will bring you into harmony with God. Do not fail to look upon yourself as a sinner in the sight of God. Do not fail to look upon Jesus lifted up upon the cross; and as you look, believe and live; for by faith in the atoning sacrifice you may be justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Believe that you are forgiven, that you are justified, not in transgression and disobedience, but in submission to the will of God. If through faith you lay hold of the righteousness of Christ, then be not careless of your thoughts, your words, your works. Study much, and pray that as Christ has shown you the way, he may by his grace keep you in the way. For we are "kept by the power of God through faith;" and even faith is not of ourselves, but it also is the gift of God.  {ST, December 1, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, December 1, 1890 par. 2]          In order to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, it is essential that you meditate much upon the great themes of redemption. You should ask yourself why Christ has taken humanity upon himself, why he suffered upon the cross, why he bore the sins of men, why he was made sin and righteousness for us. You should study to know why he ascended to heaven in the nature of man, and what is his work for us today.  {ST, December 1, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, December 1, 1890 par. 3]         If thoughts of Christ, his work and character, are cherished, you will be led to sink deep the shaft of truth, and you will be enabled to come into possession of precious jewels of truth. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to you. As you meditate upon heavenly things, and walk with God, as did Enoch, you will lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset, and will run with patience the race set before you. We think that we are familiar with the character of Christ, and we do not realize how much is to be gained by the study of our glorious Pattern. We take it for granted that we know all about him, and yet we do not comprehend his character or mission. If we neglect to search the Scriptures, which testify of him, we shall be led from the truth into the error of the wicked one. Our building must be founded upon the Rock Christ Jesus or it will not stand the test of the tempest.                                                                   -    {ST, December 1, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, December 8, 1890 par. 1]       December 8, 1890 Transformation Through Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. . . . For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  {ST, December 8, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, December 8, 1890 par. 2]          A great change takes place in the character of him who accepts Christ; for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." When we see those who profess Christianity manifesting the old carnal desires in word and action, we may know that they are not in Christ, that the transforming grace of Christ has not touched the soul, moulded the character, and cleansed the defilement of the heart. They lack the essential elements of Christian character.  {ST, December 8, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, December 8, 1890 par. 3]          Those who have an experimental knowledge of the grace of Christ will feel their obligation to him to be representatives of his power to the world. They will realize that he who knew no sin was made to be sin for them, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him. An appreciation of this fact will enable us to get correct views of the work of our Redeemer. True believers will realize that while they were separated from him through impenitence and sin, he did not forsake them, but rather interceded for them, that they might have the benefits of the salvation which he had purchased for them at an infinite sacrifice. In accepting Christ they know that they must come out from the world, and be separate, and touch not the unclean, that they may be the children of God. They must love Christ supremely. It is impossible for finite minds to make a just estimate of the love of God toward his fallen creatures. We are ever in danger of forgetting this great love, because we fail to meditate upon it, and allow ourselves to become absorbed in the things of this world. We permit our hearts to be divided by placing our affections on things below, and so separate from the true Source of happiness. Christ should be the theme of our thoughts, the object of our tenderest affection. We should let our minds dwell upon the precious characteristics of our Lord; we should contemplate the rich promises of his word; we should meditate upon the glories of heaven. We should not be satisfied with but occasional glimpses of our Redeemer, but our minds should be stayed upon God by continual trust in his word. We should search the Scriptures diligently in order that we may have an understanding of the claims that Christ has upon us, and that we may have right views of the truth. Our wills must be subdued, and brought into harmony with the will of God.  {ST, December 8, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, December 8, 1890 par. 4]          Precious light has been permitted to shine upon our pathway, and around us are the angels of heaven, who are interested in our welfare. God is willing to do great things for his people, and he has promised that if we ask we shall receive; but many fail to grasp the promises of blessed assurance and help. These precious promises are to be fulfilled to those who keep the commandments of God, and who do those things that are pleasing in his sight. We should praise God for his abundant goodness, and manifest our love to him by our obedience. The love of Christ manifested toward us in his life of humiliation and self-denial, in his death on Calvary, should call forth songs of gratitude from our lips. The hope of his soon coming should fill us with sacred joy, and we should lay hold of the merits of the divine character of him who endured insult, mockery, shame, and death in our behalf. He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  {ST, December 8, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, December 8, 1890 par. 5]          God has given us a perfect standard of character, which we are ever to keep before us. Through the strength that Christ can impart, we may keep the law of God. We should be obedient children, whatever difficulty we may have to encounter. We must not expect to enter heaven without conflict and trial, but we have the assurance that if we will not consult our own pleasure, but the will of God, we shall not be left to fight the battle alone.  {ST, December 8, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, December 8, 1890 par. 6]          There is a great work to be done in the world, and every one of us should let his light shine upon the pathway of others. We need to gather divine rays of light from Christ. We need to search the Scriptures, and dig deep in the mines of truth; for the precious jewels do not always lie on the surface; we should search for them as for hidden treasure. There is a heaven of bliss to gain, for Christ has gone to prepare mansions for us; and now is the time for us to seek a preparation for that which he is preparing for us. In order to do this, we must bring Christ into our life daily; for those who dwell in the abodes of bliss must have hearts free from all envy, jealousy, hatred, malice, and selfishness. Jesus is waiting to do great things for us, to fill us with all the fullness of God. We should believe in his promises, for "he keepeth truth forever," "and there is no unrighteousness in him."                             (Concluded next week.)  {ST, December 8, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, December 15, 1890 par. 1]       December 15, 1890 Transformation Through Christ   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         There is a connection between earth and heaven through Christ, the mystic ladder that Jacob saw in his vision at Bethel. When we were separated from God, Christ came to reconcile us to the Father. In pitying love he placed his human arm about the fallen race, and with his divine arm he grasped the throne of the Infinite, thus connecting finite man with the infinite God; through the plan of salvation we are united with the agencies of heaven. Through the merits of a crucified and risen Redeemer, we may look up and see the glory of God shining from heaven to earth. We should be grateful to God for the plan of salvation. We have been blessed with many blessings, and in return we should give to God our undivided hearts. How sad it is that through our indifference to our eternal interests we are far from Christ, we do not keep our eyes directed above, to the eternal glory that awaits the overcomer. We do not see the glory of God shining upon every round of the ladder; we do not climb up by Christ, making advancement in the divine life. If we did this, we should reflect the image of Christ, have purity of character, and become like lights in the world. We should constantly behold him, until we should be charmed with the graces of his character; then we would not fail to talk of him and his love. We should then be in possession of rich blessings which the world cannot give or take away, and we should lose our relish for sin.  {ST, December 15, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, December 15, 1890 par. 2]          Darkness will sometimes gather about the Christian, but let the hand of faith reach up and lay hold of the arm of Jesus; for he has promised that if we follow him, we shall have the light of life. Christ is our leader; we cannot lead ourselves; but in order to obtain his help, we must believe. We should pray much; but we do not always have the spirit of prayer, and Satan takes advantage of our weakness on this point. We should never be discouraged, however, but in times of temptation and trial we should hang our helpless souls upon Jesus. We must learn to rest our case with our Redeemer; he has promised to be with us to the end of the world. We should learn to trust the word of God; for heaven and earth could easier pass away than that one of his promises could fail. When you do not feel the spirit of prayer, you should remember that feeling is not faith; you should seek to prove the pledged word of God. I have had to learn by experience that feeling is no criterion for us; we must take the word of God as the man of our counsel. If we had true faith, we could move the world; we could plead with God and with our friends, and many conversions would be the result.  {ST, December 15, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, December 15, 1890 par. 3]          If we want our faith to grow, we must bring it into exercise; and the nearer and clearer views we get of Jesus, the more we shall see our need of him. God is willing to reveal himself to us in a remarkable manner; the reason we do not see greater manifestations of his power is that we lack faith. If God should answer some of our faithless prayers, it would astonish us. We should go to God in earnest, and mix faith with our petitions; persevering faith will bring us answers of peace. Christ says, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Our minds should be filled with the thought of our precious Redeemer, and we would become more and more like him, and thus reveal Christ to the world. We should so lift up the risen Saviour that the world may see that we are acquainted with him. Shall we not take such advance steps in the divine life that men may see that the grace of Christ has had a transforming effect upon us?  {ST, December 15, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, December 15, 1890 par. 4]          I see matchless charms in my Redeemer, I see unsurpassed loveliness in his character, and I want to be like him. But oh, how much pain Christ has to bear because of our crooked and perverse ways! Let us walk with God as did Enoch of old; then our Saviour will not be ashamed to call us brethren. But we cannot expect to receive this favor unless we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. God has given us precious advantages, that we might understand his will as revealed in his word; and in return shall we not yield our will to him, and with all the heart believe what he has said to us? If we will, our heavenly Father will bestow abundant blessings upon us, and he will say to us by and by, "My child, come up higher;" but if we neglect our duty, we have nothing but condemnation to look for. While probation lasts, we must make the most of our opportunities in seeking the Lord, and the promise is given, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."                                                                   -    {ST, December 15, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 1]       December 22, 1890 Are We Representatives of Christ?  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The year 1890 is drawing near its close. Let us individually consider what is the record made in the books of heaven concerning our life and character, and our attitude toward God. Has our love for God been increasing during the past year? If Christ is indeed abiding in our hearts, we shall love God, we shall love to obey all his commandments, and this love will continually deepen and strengthen. If we represent Christ to the world, we shall be pure in heart, in life, in character; we shall be holy in conversation; there will be no guile in our hearts or upon our lips. Let us examine our past life and see if we have given evidence of our love for Jesus by seeking to be like him, and by working, as he worked, to save those for whom he died.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 2]          Of the zealous, self-sacrificing disciples of Christ, it is written that Jesus was not ashamed to call them brethren, so fully did they manifest his Spirit, and bear his likeness. By their works they constantly testified that this world was not their home; their citizenship was above; they were seeking a better country, even a heavenly. Their conversation and affections were on heavenly things. They were in the world, but not of the world; in spirit and practice they were separate from its maxims and customs. Their daily example testified that they were living for the glory of God. Their great interest, like that of their Master, was for the salvation of souls. For this they toiled and sacrificed, counting not their lives dear unto themselves. By their life and character they made a bright track heavenward. Upon such disciples, Jesus can look with satisfaction as his representatives. His character will not be misrepresented through them.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 3]         How is it with those who now profess to be Christ's followers? Can the Lord Jesus and the witnessing angels now look with pleasure upon his church? Our spiritual life, our zeal, our self-sacrifice, our love for sinners,--do these give evidence that Jesus can trust us to represent his character to the world? Wherein is Christ made all in all? Where are the people who are showing forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light? Will the world ever learn the melting, subduing power of the grace of Christ,--its refining, uplifting influence,--from the church in its present condition? I answer, No. Christ says, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." And through the apostle James he declares, "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world"--in patterning after their pride, conforming to their selfish practices and sinful indulgence--"is the enemy of God." Christ does not acknowledge them as brethren,--laborers together with him. The lack of self-sacrifice on the part of professed Christians emboldens the worldling in his carnal security. Their self-indulgence misrepresents the self-denying life of Jesus, their pattern. While professing to be disciples of Christ, they follow the impulse of their own unsanctified hearts, and thus give the world a false conception of Jesus.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 4]          God has made the advancement of his cause in the world dependent upon the labors and sacrifices of his followers. The salvation of our souls was purchased by the infinite gift of the Son of God. Jesus left heaven, laid aside his glory, left the communion and adoration of the sinless angels, and for our sake humbled himself, even to the death of the cross. And now we, who have become partakers of his great gift, are to be partakers also of his sacrifice, extending to others the blessings of salvation.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 5]          There was not one trace of selfishness in the life of Christ. All who are laborers together with God, will have the same spirit as their Master had. They will be continually growing away from selfishness, and renouncing self-indulgence, even in things that had once appeared innocent to them.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 6]          There is now such a demand as never before for labor and money to sustain the cause of Christ, to send the gospel to the world. Everywhere there are doors open for the entrance of the word of life. Everywhere there are souls that sit in darkness, only waiting to receive the light from heaven. It is not in foreign lands alone that the need exists. Close beside your own doors there are souls that you might win for Jesus,--souls to whom your life may be the revelation of Christ. To these souls, God has set you as a light-bearer on the way to heaven. If your light burns dim, if it goes out in darkness, they may be lost. You cannot neglect these souls, you cannot refuse to become a partaker with Christ in his labor and sacrifice, and yourselves find entrance as redeemed sinners into the city of God. Those who fail to represent Christ, who have not his self-sacrificing love, and are not doing his work, give evidence that they themselves are not united to him. Whatever their profession, they do not belong to Christ.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 7]          There is a sad withholding from God on the part of his professed people. The means and efforts that should be given to Christ are devoted to self-pleasing. God is robbed of time, money, and service. Self-love, self-gratification, exclude the love of Jesus from the soul, and this is why there is not in the church greater zeal and more fervent love for Him who first loved us. So many indulge selfish ease, while souls for whom Christ died are perishing.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 7}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 8]          This is why the Lord cannot impart to his church the fullness of his blessing as he longs to do. To honor them in a distinguished manner before the world would be to put his seal upon their works, confirming their false representation of his character. When the church shall come out from world, and be separate from its maxims and habits and practices, the Lord Jesus will work with his people. But his blessing cannot be bestowed in its fullness while they are so corrupted with the spirit and practices of the world.  {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 8}
[ST, December 22, 1890 par. 9]          Shall Christ continue to be misrepresented by his professed people? Shall the grace of God, the divine enlightenment, be shut away from the church because of her lukewarmness? Shall there not be a renunciation of the world, a turning to God with full purpose of heart? "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." Then Jesus will not be ashamed to call them brethren. They will be partakers of Christ's suffering, and when his glory shall be revealed, they will be glad also "with exceeding joy."                                                                   -    {ST, December 22, 1890 par. 9}
[ST, December 29, 1890 par. 1]       December 29, 1890 A Symbol of the Final Destruction.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah."  {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 1}
[ST, December 29, 1890 par. 2]          The destruction of Babylon pictures to some degree the final destruction of the world, of which the prophet writes, "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." Destruction came upon Babylon while the king and his lords were engaged in feasting and revelry. Cyrus and his army marched up the bed of the river Euphrates; for trenches had been dug, and the river turned from its course, so that there was no obstruction to their entering the city, provided the gates were opened. The guardsmen were indulging in merriment and revelry, and the city was left without defense. Before the officers were aware, the enemy had entered the city, and escape was impossible. Those in one part of the city were slain or captured before those in another part knew that the city was invaded. No alarm was sounded, no cry could be raised to warn the people that the forces of Cyrus were upon them.  {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 2}
[ST, December 29, 1890 par. 3]          The monarch, his princes, and guardsmen, were given up to feasting, and, intoxicated with strong drink, they knew nothing of the peril of the kingdom. There was a noise at the palace gates, the doors were forced open, the troops of Cyrus rushed in, and in a short time the king and his guests were lying mangled in the heaps of the slain, and the drunken slept a perpetual sleep. Thus was the prophecy of Isaiah and Jeremiah fulfilled to the letter.  {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 3}
[ST, December 29, 1890 par. 4]          The prophet describes Babylon as the glory of kingdoms, and in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar it was represented by the head of gold. But although it was the greatest kingdom of the earth, the prophet had declared: "I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts."  {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 4}
[ST, December 29, 1890 par. 5]          Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord declares what shall come upon those who pursue a course similar to that of these despisers of his word. He says: "The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty." He looks down the ages, and declares what shall be: "Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt; and they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 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." The prophet then describes the signs of the day of God, and Christ also speaks of these signs as tokens of his near coming. "For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 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."  {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 5}
[ST, December 29, 1890 par. 6]          Babylon is a symbol of the world at large. When its doom was made certain, its kings and officers seemed to be as men insane, and their own course hastened its destiny. When the doom of a nation is fixed, it seems that all the energy, wisdom, and discretion of its former time of prosperity, deserts its men of position, and they hasten the evil they would avert. Outside enemies are not the greatest peril to an individual or a nation. The overthrow of a nation results, under the providence of God, from some unwise or evil course of its own. But the people who fear God, who are loyal to his laws, who carry out the principles of righteousness in their lives, have a sure defense; God will be the refuge of those who trust in him.                                                                   -    {ST, December 29, 1890 par. 6}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 1]       January 5, 1891 What is Involved in Neglect of Salvation?  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         To neglect to comply with the conditions of salvation is to choose a character of defection and sin, wholly unlike the character of Christ. It is to bar the only way whereby sinners may escape the wrath of God. If men show no disposition to come into communion with Christ, and through him into communion with God the Father, but hour by hour, and day by day, dare to manifest indifference to Christ by withholding the service which is due to God, robbing the Lord of their time, their reasoning powers, their co-operation, rendering back no talent improved, but rather uniting with Satan to further the influence and power of evil, can God honor them by the gift of eternal life? Can the impenitent sinner, who treats with contempt the gift of God, declaring by his words and attitude that he does not want to wear the yoke and bear the burden of Christ, does not desire that his life shall be hid with Christ in God,--can such a one enter into the kingdom of heaven? Would the sinner, who hated God and would not yield to the overtures of mercy on earth, enjoy everlasting life with Christ and the Father? Could he who despised the companionship of the Father and the Son on earth come into fellowship with them in heaven?  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 2]          Satan was once an angel of light, but he was cast out of heaven when he became rebellious against God. Sin separates both men and angels from God. And "if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment," how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? God "spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." The history of the past furnishes examples of the fate of those who persist in indifference to the provisions of salvation. God revealed his character to Moses, declaring how he would deal with the obedient and the disobedient. "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering 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."  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 3]          Satan is the author of all doubt, all transgression. He leads men captive, binding them to do his will; in order to fulfill his purpose, he holds them in the veriest slavery. To break this bondage, the Lord, in man's behalf, has given to the world his only-begotten and well-beloved Son. Through the power of Christ, the captives of Satan may all be set free. Had there been no interference on the part of God, Satan and men would have united in an unbroken warfare against the God of heaven. When Christ came to the world, evil angels conspired with evil men, and the energies of apostasy were united to destroy the Saviour of the world. This enmity was due to the fact that Christ would not license the evil passions of the natural heart, and made a decided warfare against all lust and every form of evil.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 4]          In the great controversy between good and evil, each one of us has to choose on which side he will stand, and our life and character will make manifest who is our master. If we refuse to be obedient to the law of God, we shall make terms with Satan, and Christ will be unloved, and unhonored in our heart and life; but the heart insensible to so great salvation, closed to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, must indeed be hard as adamant.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 5]          The heart is like a field, and good and evil are like seeds that take root and bear their harvest, either for eternal life or eternal death. Those who refuse to be moulded by the operations of the Spirit of God, who refuse to be drawn to Christ, to stand under his banner, and to war the good warfare, educate others by both precept and example to cut themselves off from the Source of their strength, and to neglect the great salvation provided for them.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 6]          Parents who refuse the knowledge of God, influence their children against the truth by their own unbelief and hardness of heart. The Lord speaks to fathers and mothers by all the lessons of the gospel; he admonishes them by the agony and death of his own beloved Son; he warns them by the terrors of his judgments upon the impenitent nations of the past, and entreats them by all the rewards of eternity, to bring up their children in the fear and nurture of the Lord.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 7]          Christ manifested his interest in the salvation of every soul. When he endured the death of the cross, he made provision for the pardon of every soul, and to those who would obey his commandments, he promised eternal happiness in his kingdom. How is it that so few respond to this love? God is our Creator, and we are dependent upon him for every blessing, for shelter and food and clothing, for religious opportunities, for the grace we enjoy; and yet how cold are our hearts! Many are even led to behold Calvary, they are pointed to the crucified Saviour, and yet they are unmoved by the manifestation of Infinite Love. But shall we look with stoical indifference upon all the revealing of his love? Rather, shall not our hearts be melted and subdued in fervent gratitude and love? Shall we not sing the praise of our Creator and Redeemer? God has endowed men with emotional powers, and these are to be exercised and strengthened, but many seem to be devoid of feeling. They manifest no gratitude, give no praise to God, the giver of all their mercies. They display affection toward their friends, but the great Source of all blessing, the gracious Benefactor, receives not that love to which he is entitled. All heaven looks with amazement upon this unnatural exhibition of ingratitude toward Him who sends his sunshine and rain on the evil and on the good.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 8]          An enchanting power has been at work, stealing away the senses of man, deadening all his powers, so that he might not be able to respond to high and holy things, and carry out his purposes to serve God and man. Satan, the great deceiver, has been taking possession of the human mind.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, January 5, 1891 par. 9]          Paul said concerning those who were in this state, "Who hath bewitched you that ye should not believe the truth?" The sorcerer, Satan, has been putting his spell upon men, and they have surrendered to the powers of darkness. A beguiling infatuation controls the reason, and men do not love the Saviour, and so refuse to do his will. Heaven is astonished that the love of Christ does not awaken every power of the being, and call forth songs of adoration, and a life of obedience to God.  {ST, January 5, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 1]       January 12, 1891 The Christian's Obligation.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed 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 I will I give it. If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."  {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 2]          Thus the possession of worldly power was offered to Christ on condition that he would pay homage to Satan. What a contrast between the way in which our Saviour met this test and the way in which men meet it. The hope of gaining power in the world by means of wealth or position brings them to the service of the god of this world. Love of gain controls their affections, and what Satan failed to secure from the world's Redeemer, he easily obtains from men. Even those whose names are enrolled on the church records, who hold positions of trust as the followers of Christ, will sacrifice principle, throw away their religious experience, simply to obtain some coveted earthly treasure.  {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 3]          There is no reason that man should fall a prey to the devices of the enemy. Christ has conquered in man's behalf, and if man places himself under the leadership of the Captain of his salvation, he, too, may be a conqueror. The trouble is that men will not submit themselves to Christ. They step out of the ranks of King Emmanuel, and place themselves in the ranks of the enemy. They devote all their powers to the gaining of wealth or some other earthly treasure, and they have other gods before the Lord of hosts.  {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 4]         The man of the world is not content when his immediate wants are supplied, or even when he has an abundance stored away for future use; but the more he gets, the more he desires to have. He wants a greater capital, a larger stock, a larger income. Every power of his mind is bent on the object of his covetous desires,--the amassing of fortune. The man of God has an entirely different end in view. He is seeking for heavenly riches, for eternal joy. As we behold the diligence and energy of those who are seeking for temporal wealth, how it should stir us who profess the name of Christ to earnestness in the work of salvation! With how much greater zeal and perseverance should we put to the stretch every power, that we may gain the heavenly prize! We should work with as much greater earnestness as our object is higher, as our treasure is of more value. The man of the world is laying up treasure on earth, doing that which the Lord has commanded should not be done. The sincere Christian is laying up his treasure in heaven, where nothing can tarnish or destroy. How should we labor to obtain the reward offered to those who are faithful in the service of their God! Is not an eternity of bliss worth a life-long, persevering effort? Those who truly follow Christ will not be left to misdirect their efforts. They will be led to set their affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Transformed by the grace of God, their life will be hid with Christ in God. The energy of the true Christian will be employed in gaining spiritual power. He will appreciate his intrusted talents, and will feel his responsibility to use them for the glory of God. The servant of God will prize his property, but will not hoard it. He will value it only as it can be of use in advancing the kingdom of God on the earth. He will work as did Christ, to bless humanity. He will put his powers to their highest use, not to glorify self, but that every gift may be strengthened to render to God the best use. He will be "not slothful in business," but "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."  {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 5]          God does not condemn prudence and foresight in the use of the things of this life, but he does condemn feverish ambition, undue anxiety, concerning the things of the world. This spirit of greed and lust is in the world, all about us, but it will not do for us to float along with the current of covetousness that flows on all sides. We are to be laborers together with God. God has imparted to us moral powers, and made us susceptible to the influences of his Spirit. He has given his only-begotten and well-beloved Son as a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world, that we all might be reconciled to God. He has brought light and truth to our knowledge, and we must use our powers in harmony with these saving agencies. We must with earnestness lay hold of the helps that God has provided. We must pray, we must study the Scriptures, we must believe and obey the word of God. We must make use of every opportunity and privilege God gives us, that we may make our calling and election sure. We are to be laborers together with God; for he will not complete his work without human co-operation. Jesus has made an infinite sacrifice in our behalf, and he expects far more of his followers than they give him. He looks for voluntary, zealous, disinterested effort and co-operation. The love of God has brought the treasure of heaven within the reach of man, and shall we be indifferent to such love, to such opportunity? God is waiting, angels are waiting, to see what will be done by the people to whom have been committed the treasures of truth. Oh! if you who have been so highly favored of heaven fail to come up to the help of the Lord, what will be your doom? How will you escape? If you fail, it had been better that you had never been born, for not only will you lose heaven yourselves, but you will influence others by your example; you will scatter from Christ.  {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 6]          Many nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples are to be enlightened; and can it be possible that the chosen, royal people of God, those who have a knowledge of Christ, will remain indifferent to those who are dying without a knowledge of God, when this is life eternal? Oh! that all might realize what a privilege it is to become laborers together with God! Christ has said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Fidelity to Christian principle demands that each professor of Christ come into active service in his vineyard. Those who withhold their talent from the cause of God, will have no part in the reward at last. The light must shine forth from every soul that receives the grace of Christ.  {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, January 12, 1891 par. 7]          But with what indifference many professed Christians look upon those in ignorance and sin. They do nothing with their money, nothing with their influence, nothing with tongue or pen. They do not even take upon themselves the burden of their own souls, but leave themselves a constant anxiety for others, and thus bring care upon the church. These would be a burden and clog in heaven itself. For Christ's sake, for your soul's sake, make diligent work for eternity. Christ has gone to prepare heavenly mansions for all who will comply with the conditions stated in the word of God. Souls for whom Christ died are dwelling in darkness and error; God has done his part to enlighten them, and is waiting for the co-operation of his followers. The plan of salvation has been fully developed. The blood of Jesus has been shed for the sins of the world. The word of God has been given, and it speaks to man in counsels, in reproof, in warning, in instruction, in promises, in encouragement. The Holy Spirit has been given to help man in all his efforts to overcome, and yet the world is perishing in darkness and sin. Who will be laborers together with God to win souls to Christ? Who will bear to dying souls the glad tidings of salvation? The people whom God has blessed with light and truth are to be messengers of salvation. Their money should flow in a channel of beneficence to bless their fellow-men, and they should devote all their powers to the cause of God, becoming laborers together with him. They should be self-denying, self-sacrificing, like him who, "though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."                                                                   -    {ST, January 12, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 1]       January 19, 1891 Christ's Invitation to the Heavy Laden.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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.  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 2]          In these words Christ invites all the weary and heavy laden to come to him and find rest. It is through Jesus alone that we can find peace and happiness, and yet men seek to find rest and satisfaction in almost everything except in Christ. All we enjoy in this life is provided for us through his merit and love, and we only can have hope of heaven through faith in his name.  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 3]          Jesus sees the great mass of mankind seeking after happiness in vain, and he would turn men's attention to himself, away from the false hopes and delusive joys of the world; he would have them place their affections upon him, their mighty Helper and Deliverer.  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 4]          Jesus invites all the weary and heavy laden to come to him. There is no one excluded from the school of Christ, no one debarred from the privilege of learning the precious lessons he would teach his followers. But notwithstanding the fact that Christ has promised rest to all who are heavy laden, how many of us cling to our griefs, and will not part with our sorrows, and refuse the comfort and hope he assures to those who will come to him. The condition upon which we shall find rest to our souls is in coming and in taking upon us the yoke of Christ, and in learning of him who is meek and lowly of heart. He says: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 5]          But instead of taking the yoke of Christ, how many bind upon their souls a galling yoke, a grievous burden. Many wear a load of care, worldly perplexities are accepted, worldly customs are followed, worldly fashions practiced, and their character is marred, their life made a weariness. Jesus would have them lay aside this yoke of bondage, and take upon them his yoke of love, that they may learn to be meek and lowly in heart. The weakest soul, wearing Christ's yoke, bearing his burden, may become strong in his grace, and he will find the yoke easy, the burden light.  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 6]          The greatest Teacher the world has ever known, says, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls." The pain, the sorrow, the unrest, the disappointment, that come into every life, are evidence that there is no rest outside of Christ. Jesus has redeemed us to himself, we are his property, and he desires us to learn the path of peace and joy by learning to obey the law of God, the rule of his kingdom. All the suffering and distress of this woe-stricken life is the result of disobedience to the law of God, of refusing to come to Christ, that meekness and lowliness of heart may be learned of the great Teacher. If men would come to Christ and learn his meekness and lowliness, they would not refuse to render obedience to the law of God. But they forsake the fountain of living water, and hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 7]          But Christ is able to do all that he has promised to do for the sin-sick soul. Those who have an experimental knowledge of Christ can testify to his faithfulness and truth. We may have an appreciation of our sinfulness, and realize that we are full of uncleanness, but as the light of heaven reveals the heart's depravity, we should not become discouraged, for there is help in Jesus for the vilest sinner. The promises of God are for all who will accept them, and Jesus says, Come, and I will give you rest. He does not say, Come, and perhaps I will give you rest, but the promise is positive, "Ye shall find rest." As we take his yoke, and learn of him, we find sweet solace in his promises, and our hope of eternal life grows stronger and brighter.  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, January 19, 1891 par. 8]          I have seen persons in trouble, who, instead of looking to Jesus, kept looking at their trouble, kept talking of their discouragements, and kept dwelling upon their trials. Why did they not comply with the invitation of Jesus? Why did they not come to him? It was because they had a divided heart; but God wants the whole heart. When we are in trial and sadness, we must look to Jesus. We must take our sorrow to the Lord in prayer; for he has said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Why is it that we do not comply with the conditions upon which the promises are based? We have a precious Saviour, and he knows our trials before we present them before him. He loves us with a love that is infinite, and he will do for us all that he has promised to do. We need not walk in darkness. We need not go on in uncertainty. We are willing to believe what our friends tell us, then why not believe the word of our best Friend? Why not take God at his word? Why not "come" and find rest unto our souls, according to the invitation and promise of Jesus?  {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 1]       January 26, 1891 "Learn of Me."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." How can we learn the lessons he would teach us?--We can learn them by looking constantly unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. As we study the Example, as we behold the character of Christ, note his life of humility, patience, self- denial, and love, we become changed. If we do not keep the Pattern before us, we shall make a failure of the Christian life; we shall make crooked paths for our feet, and others will follow in our steps, and many be turned out of the right path.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 2]          The character of Christ is without spot or stain, and we should be like our Lord. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Do we retaliate when others injure us? Jesus did not; when he was reviled, he reviled not again. Jesus said that the world hated him, and that the world would hate those who followed him. He was a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. He knows how to succor those who are tempted now.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 3]          Jesus was meek and lowly of heart, and we must earnestly strive to be like him. If we are indeed learning of him who is meek and lowly of heart, we shall be afflicted. Trials will come upon us, but day by day we must come to Christ and find rest, for he will lift the soul above the daily sorrow and perplexity into a realm of peace. We must remember that Jesus endured insult and mockery and false accusation. He has told us that we must learn to endure suffering, as he has endured it in our behalf. When we have his Spirit, we shall bring our trials to him and find rest unto our souls. Those who are seeking peace and rest will find it alone in Jesus. We are to come to him trusting implicitly that he will give us all that he has promised. The experience I have had for the past forty years proves to me that the promises of God are unfailing.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 4]          Many think that Jesus is a great way off, high in the heavens, and far from the sound of their prayers; but he says, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst." When we assemble for religious service, we may be certain that Jesus is with us. However few and humble the worshipers may be, the heavenly Guest is there. Jesus does not want you to remain away from him in order that you may make yourself more worthy of his favor and blessing, for you cannot do this. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only efficient agent for the cleansing of sin. He wants us to trust him as our best Friend, and when we do this, we shall find comfort and rest. Genuine Christians are the only really happy people in the world, and it is because they have a living faith in a living Saviour. They have the assurance that Jesus is by their side ready to help them in every time of need, and they know that he will never leave them nor forsake them while they trust in him.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 5]          Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you." If we were bearing his yoke, we would not be wearing yokes of our own manufacturing. We would not be impatient, full of fault-finding, hateful, and hating one another. If we wear the yoke of Christ, we shall be patient, loving, and unrevengeful under injury; for we shall be learning of him who is meek and lowly of heart. If we are indeed the followers of Christ, we shall be called upon to bear reproach, but if we are not understood, if we are falsely accused, we must not be discouraged, but remember that our Lord suffered mockery and scorn, and even the chief priests and rulers hedged up his way, and falsely accused him of evil. Whatever may befall us, we should look to Jesus, knowing that he is our best Friend, or Elder Brother.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 6]          In the Christian life, we must daily lift up the soul, and be in constant communion with Heaven. When we abide in Christ, and his words abide in us, our words and actions will testify to the fact that we are learning of the divine Teacher. As we learn meekness, self-control, patience, and love, from day to day our light will grow brighter, we shall go from strength to strength, and become more and more like Jesus. As the light of Christ shines upon us, we shall reflect it to others, and thus become the light of the world. Oh, if the disciples of Christ were all reflecting the light of Christ, how many who now sit in darkness would be won to his service, would praise God for his marvelous grace and love! It is the duty of every one of us to make straight paths for our feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. We should order our steps according to the word of God, and leave a bright path heavenward. Jesus says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 7]          The children of God profess to be pilgrims and strangers on the earth, seeking a better country. It is not for them to set their affections on things below. They are not to conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind. They are to learn daily in the school of Christ, so profiting by the lessons of the divine Teacher that they shall be able to serve God better and better, better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today. This is the hour of probation, when opportunity is given us to perfect such characters as will fit us for a place in the mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love him. In order to perfect Christian character, we must dwell upon the perfection of Christ, and as we behold his matchless charms, we shall desire to be like him, and become changed, reflecting more and more of his spirit of love.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 8]         Jesus has prepared many mansions, he has made a place for his children in the city of God. He has not forgotten those who are upon earth. His great heart of love is open to our griefs, our sorrows, our trials; for he has loved us with an everlasting love, and with loving-kindness he has compassed us about. He invites all the weary and heavy laden to come unto him and find rest. Then come to him all ye that are heavy-hearted, who are care-worn, and bowed down beneath heavy burdens. Carry your burdens to him, and when you rise to go to your daily task again, do not gather them up, but leave them all with him. When you are tempted to gather your cares and griefs again to your heart, say, "No, I'll not do it. I have taken them to the Burden-bearer, and I will leave them with him." Keep the heart stayed upon him, and meditate upon his loving-kindness all the day long.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, January 26, 1891 par. 9]          We have a cruel enemy ever upon our track, and Jesus bids us to watch and pray lest temptation come upon us unaware, and we be led into the snare of the evil one. Satan will seek to discourage you, he will tell you that it is of no use for you to go to Christ, that you are too sinful; but take the promise of God, and declare in his face: "It is written," "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." The blood of Jesus is able to cleanse you from all unrighteousness, and he can save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. He has esteemed you of so great value that he has given his life for you, and will you allow anything to separate you from him? Let nothing come between you and your Lord. Come unto him in full assurance of faith, lay your every care upon him, for he careth for you. Take his yoke upon you and learn of him, for he is meek and lowly in heart, and find rest unto your soul.  {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, February 9, 1891 par. 1]       February 9, 1891 Faith Manifested by Works.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         I will never advocate the popular theory that it does not matter what doctrine men espouse, if they only have faith. "Faith without works is dead, being alone." Genuine faith will be expressed by good works. We are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. We may not be living when Christ shall come in power and great glory, for all are subject to death at any time, but if we are righteous, in harmony with the law of God, we shall respond to the voice that will call the people of God from their graves, and shall come forth to receive immortality. It is only the blessed and holy who will be ready for the first resurrection; for when Christ comes, he will not change the character. The change that will take place will be that change spoken of by Paul when he says: "We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." The word of God declares that we must be found blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Now we are to learn obedience, submission to the divine will, that God may work in us to will and to do of his good-pleasure, and that we may work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. But our own efforts are of no avail to atone for sin or to renew the heart. Only the blood of Christ can atone for us; his grace alone can create in us a clean heart, and enable us to obey God's law. In him is our only hope.  {ST, February 9, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, February 9, 1891 par. 2]         An infinite sacrifice has been made. Christ clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to the world to be our example. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The prophet says: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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." Jesus bore insult and mockery while he was toiling, going from place to place to save fallen men. He was hunted by the scribes and the Pharisees, and he fled from town to town, from city to city, to escape their malice, and to preserve his life till his mission should be completed. He was the light of the world, but the world knew him not. Those who professed to be devout servants of God, acted as spies, and sought to find something in him by which they might condemn him. His life was one of self-denial and self-sacrifice for others, one of love, that reached out to the suffering and the fallen.  {ST, February 9, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, February 9, 1891 par. 3]          Behold him in the garden of Gethsemane. The burden of the sins of the world was upon him, while the powers of darkness oppressed his soul, and he poured out his prayer of agony to his Father, saying, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Great drops of blood fell from his brow and moistened the sod of the garden, and the mysterious cup trembled in his hand; the destiny of a lost world was hanging in the balance. Should he wipe the drops of agony from his brow, and go out from Gethsemane, and leave lost man in his sins?  {ST, February 9, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, February 9, 1891 par. 4]          Then came up before him the misery of the lost race, and he consented to take the cup of suffering and drink it to the very dregs. He gave himself up to the hands of his enemies. Judas betrayed him into the power of the exultant priests and rulers. He was taken to the judgment-hall, and it seemed that all humanity was lost from the hearts of these men, who professed the greatest piety. They dragged him from one tribunal to another that they might rejoice and gloat over the sufferings of their prisoner. They exulted that at last the man Jesus was in their power, and they delighted to insult, mock, and humiliate him. Thus, pale and weak and weary, he was treading the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with him. But yet he was not unnoticed; angels were watching the divine Sufferer. The heavens grew dark, the earth was rent when he cried in agony, hanging between two thieves, and dying as a malefactor. And who was he?--He was the Majesty of heaven, the divine Son of God. He was suffering that sinful man might not perish in his transgression. Jesus did not endure all this that we might continue in sin, but that he might save us from our sins. He came to bring moral power to men, to unite humanity with divinity, so that through his grace man might be an overcomer. How desirous we should be to build upon Christ, to rivet our souls to the eternal Rock! The religion of Jesus is the only genuine religion, and this we should possess, cost what it may, but we should desire nothing of that cheap counterfeit of religion that has a name to live and is dead. We should seek for the converting power of God in our hearts. We should forsake sin because it is an offense to God, the transgression of his law, and turn to Christ, to love and follow him, that he may not be ashamed to call us brethren.                                                                   -    {ST, February 9, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 1]       March 16, 1891 Words For Mothers.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The king upon his throne has no higher work than has the mother. The mother is queen of her household. She has in her power the molding of her children's characters, that they may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for a higher mission; for in doing this work she is doing service for God. Let her only realize the high character of her task, and it will inspire her with courage. Let her realize the worth of her work, and put on the whole armor of God, that she may resist the temptation to conform to the world's standard. Her work is for time and for eternity.  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 2]          Among the first tasks of the mother is the restraining of passion in her little ones. Children should not be allowed to manifest anger; they should not be permitted to throw themselves upon the floor, striking and crying because something has been denied them which was not for their best good. I have been distressed as I have seen how many parents indulge their children in the display of angry passions. Mothers seem to look upon these outbursts of anger as something that must be endured, and appear indifferent to the child's behavior. But if an evil is permitted once, it will be repeated, and its repetition will result in habit, and so the child's character will receive an evil mould. I have heard persons argue that their children were too young to be corrected. They said, "When the children are older, they will be ashamed of their manifestations of temper, and will overcome the habit of displaying anger."  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 3]          The little ones, before they are a year old, hear and understand what is spoken in reference to themselves, and know to what extent they are to be indulged. Mothers, you should train your children to yield to your wishes. This point must be gained if you would hold the control over your children, and preserve your dignity as a mother. Your children quickly learn just what you expect of them, they know when their will conquers yours, and will make the most of their victory.  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 4]          The mother's influence is an unceasing influence; and if it is always on the side of right, her children's characters will testify to her moral earnestness and worth. Her smile, her encouragement, may be an inspiring force. She may bring sunshine to the heart of her child by a word of love, a smile of approval.  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 5]          The power of a mother's prayers cannot be too highly estimated. She who kneels beside her son and daughter through the vicissitudes of childhood, through the perils of youth, will never know till the judgment the influence of her prayers upon the life of her children. If she is connected by faith with the Son of God, the mother's tender hand may hold back her son from the power of temptation, may restrain her daughter from indulging in sin. When passion is warring for the mastery, the power of love, the restraining, earnest, determined influence of the mother, may balance the soul on the side of right.  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 6]          The work of the mother is fraught with tremendous responsibility; but when her influence is for truth, for virtue, when she is guided by divine wisdom, what a power for Christ will be her life! Her influence will reach on through time into eternity. What a thought is this,--that the mother's looks and words and actions bear fruit in eternity, and the salvation or ruin of many will be the result of her influence.  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 7]          To fashion the character after a heavenly mould is no ignoble work. Is it a little matter to develop, train, and educate the powers of your children in such a way that they shall bring glory to God? Is it a little thing to teach a child how to restrain his passions, how to cultivate his noble powers, how to use God's wondrous gifts of intellect and affection? The parents receive the child a helpless burden in their arms; he knows nothing, and he is to be taught to love God, is to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He is to be fashioned after the divine model.  {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, March 16, 1891 par. 8]          When parents see the importance of their work in training their children, when they see that it involves eternal interests, they will feel that they must devote their best time and thought to this work. Amid all the activities of life, the mother's most sacred duty is to her children. But how often is this duty put aside that some selfish gratification may be followed. Parents are intrusted with the present and eternal interests of their children. They are to hold the reins of government, and guide their households to the honor of God. God's law should be their standard, and love should rule in all things.                                                                   -    {ST, March 16, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, March 23, 1891 par. 1]       March 23, 1891 Words for Mothers. No. 2.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We hear much of the education of women, and it is a subject that is deserving of careful attention. The highest education for woman is to be found in the thorough and equal cultivation of all her talents and powers. The heart, the mind, the spirit, as well as the physical being, should be properly developed. There are many who are uncultured in mind and manners. Many are full of affectation, and the aim of their life seems to be to make a display. When we see this state of affairs, we cannot help breathing a prayer that God will bless the world with women who are developed as they should be in mind and character, women who have a true realization of their God-given responsibility.  {ST, March 23, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, March 23, 1891 par. 2]          How essential to a mother is the knowledge of the love of God. She who has children to train cannot do it successfully without the fear of God before her eyes; for in the training of her little ones she must have in view their eternal interests and the interests of society. The education of children for practical life receives far too little attention. Our girls who are blossoming into womanhood are not thoroughly educated when they simply have a knowledge of books. Mothers who hold a place in fashionable society crave for their daughters only superficial accomplishments. They desire to see them making a pleasing appearance, and when this is accomplished, they feel that their responsibility is over. But the superficial accomplishments of society will not take the place of solid acquirements, in useful branches of knowledge, and it is often found that those best versed in the ways of society are least educated. Music, painting, embroidery, are too often regarded as the most essential part of education, but these accomplishments are not sufficient either to develop the mind or to prepare one for the practical duties of life. Education should be a strengthening process, preparing its recipient for a higher, nobler life. Its object should be to fit the soul for usefulness in this life; the thought of display should be no part of the motive in obtaining an education. Mothers are committing a great mistake in confining the minds of their children to the attainment of superficial accomplishments; for the mind thus trained narrows down to the standard set before it, and instead of growing in efficiency because obstacles are met and overcome, the children manifest weakness of mind and instability of purpose.  {ST, March 23, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, March 23, 1891 par. 3]         No one who is not growing daily in capability and helpfulness is fulfilling the purpose of life. And mothers who are training their daughters for display should consider their work in the light of this thought. Let them read the instruction of the apostle. He says: "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." It is the heart that needs culture; for it is with the heart-life that women have to do. The mother should call into exercise all the purer, nobler emotions which are to be wrought into principles. The precious finer feelings are to be carefully nourished that they may bloom into actions of goodness, truth, and holiness. How carefully and prayerfully should the soil of the heart be cultivated and enriched. Precious seed should be sown, both by precept and example. The words that are spoken by a mother should be choice words. The looks, the dress, and every act, should be of such a character that its reproduction in the daughter may not in any way deface her character. If the character of the mother is pervaded with benevolence and love, the character of the children will also be pervaded, to a greater or less degree, with these noble feelings. Unselfishness, patience, gentleness, kindness, forbearance, must all be cultivated by the mother; she is a learner as well as a teacher. These precious traits must be well cultivated, for they will be found essential in the home-life of the mother. The best impulses must be encouraged, the noblest affections cherished. If the mother's heart is filled with holy love, her life and character will be a savor of life unto life to her children and friends, and will bring forth abiding fruit. She will be enabled to mould the developing minds of her children so that they may be useful in this life, and be fitted for the future, immortal life.  {ST, March 23, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, March 23, 1891 par. 4]          The same Heavenly Father who gave to woman hands to labor and a heart to love, gave her talents to be improved that she might become a home missionary. The extent to which the mind can be cultivated is little understood, but the greatest and most essential education is that which results in the formation of a true character. Children should be educated so that they will answer the purpose of God. The education essential for the performance of life's practical duties is the noblest education your children could have. In this education the judgment must be matured before the taste, principle must be cultivated before fancy and inclination. After true principles are established, and the character is given balance, the taste may be indulged, and the fancy may be disciplined. The mind that is filled with wisdom, and established in principle, will be symmetrical, and will have the inward adorning that is of great price in the sight of God. The spirit, too, must have its proper discipline; and nothing so enlarges the soul, ennobles the mind, and enlightens the intellect, as the religion of Christ. Religion will give to him who is in pursuit of knowledge a holy purpose and a definite aim. He who is enlightened by the spirit of God will feel that he is a steward of the grace of God, endowed with gifts for whose improvement he is responsible.  {ST, March 23, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, March 23, 1891 par. 5]          Mothers, keep before your daughters the value of a true education, the worthlessness of that education that is simply acquired for display. Constantly seek to elevate the mind of your daughters, for the influence of woman in the missionary work, in the field of reform, is of vast importance. She can be a power for Christ in the world. When Christ is enthroned in the heart, his grace will appear in the life. The deportment, the good works, the tender spirit, will all proclaim their possessor a child of God. What might not women do if they would open their minds and hearts to receive the light of heaven from the Source of all truth? and then they would live up to their God-given responsibility and privilege.  {ST, March 23, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, March 30, 1891 par. 1]       March 30, 1891 Words for Mothers. No. 3.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         God has given to the father and mother a sacred trust, and he requires them to rule in his love and fear. Many abuse their trust, and become despots, controlling by severity and oppression. All such will see their actions reproduced in their children, and in their old age will probably reap a harvest in despotism from their misgoverned children.  {ST, March 30, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, March 30, 1891 par. 2]          The training of children puts the parents as well as the children to school. The dependent children look to father and mother to have their wants supplied, and in this is a lesson to the parents of their own dependence upon their heavenly Father. The children look to the parents for precept and example, and for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, and the parent sees himself as dependent upon God for wisdom and knowledge. The father and mother find that they have to acquire habits of self-control in order to teach the same to their children. Parents may find cause for humiliation in the manifestation of perversity in their children; for their own evil nature is reflected, and their own defects of character reproduced. Oh, what need there is that parents flee to God in order to obtain his grace and power to train their children in the way of the Lord!  {ST, March 30, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, March 30, 1891 par. 3]          Parents should ever remember that the salvation of their children is placed in their hands. They should teach their children from infancy the true aim of life. There are unnumbered dangers around the youth in this degenerate age, and parents should study how they may teach their children to avoid the perils in society and in private life. The mother should teach her children how to gain eternal life; and in training them in obedience with reference to immortal life, she will be securing for them the best happiness for this life, besides developing in them the most manly and womanly characters. Connection with Heaven will ever lead to purity, to elevation of character, to the acquirement of Christian courtesy.  {ST, March 30, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, March 30, 1891 par. 4]          The mother may be compared to a sculptor working for eternity, and she need not look upon her task as drudgery. It is her life-work, and if that work is well done, God will look with approval upon the humble worker. Angels, who have ministered to her through her days of trial and temptation, will say, "Well done." Her husband, her children, may not have appreciated her hard conflicts with herself, her daily vexations, and may not have known how near she came to despair; but Heaven appreciated all, and her reward will be great when she kneels before the throne and says, "Here am I, and the children whom Thou hast given me."                                                                   -    {ST, March 30, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, April 6, 1891 par. 1]       April 6, 1891 "Sanctify Them Through Thy Truth."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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." Just before his betrayal and crucifixion, during the last peaceful moments that he spent with his disciples, Christ prayed for his followers in the words I have read; and he said: "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." Those who profess to be followers of Christ should seek to answer the Saviour's prayer, by becoming sanctified through the truth, the word of God. But how few see and feel the importance of knowing what is truth! How few diligently search for the truth as for hidden treasures! And yet there is power in the truth to sanctify the soul.  {ST, April 6, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, April 6, 1891 par. 2]          There are many who declare that it does not matter what a man believes, if he is sincere in his faith; but the words of Christ have a different import; the truth is the medium through which the soul is to be sanctified; therefore we should search the Scriptures diligently, that we may know what is truth. The truth received into the heart and practiced in the life will elevate, ennoble, and purify the soul. The espousal of error does not lead to this result; its influence is of a widely different character. Truth is from above, error is from beneath, and those who will not give close attention to the study of God's word will not understand the principles that should control the life, and will be inclined to accept error, because it is easier for them to do this than to search for truth. In order to know the truth as it is in Jesus, we must give ourselves to thoughtful, prayerful study of the Scriptures. We must know what the word of God is to us, what the truth is to us, and what it means to be doers of the word of God, and not followers of cunningly-devised fables. The greatest blessing bestowed upon the world is the privilege of understanding the oracles of God. The word of God should not be a dead letter to us, but spirit and life; for through the truth we are to be sanctified.  {ST, April 6, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, April 6, 1891 par. 3]          The word of God has been neglected and abused, and this is as Satan would have it, for well he knows that through a knowledge of the truth, through obedience to its divine precepts, believers will be sanctified, fitted for eternal life. The truth, God's word, has been brought within the reach of all; and if men will but make the right effort, they may lay hold upon the knowledge of God.  {ST, April 6, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, April 6, 1891 par. 4]          Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." How many of us place a right estimate upon the word of God? Do we receive the testimony of the Scriptures as the voice of God? Through the Scriptures the voice of God comes to us as veritably as it came to Israel when he spoke on Sinai in the audience of all the people. How many of us regard it in this light? If we did regard it thus, what a change would be seen in our daily words and actions. With what reverence and awe would we search the word of God to know the truth, the medium through which the soul's sanctification is accomplished. No indifference, no carelessness, is allowed in our searching of the Scriptures. Our spiritual development depends upon our knowledge of the truth, upon our practice of its divine principles as embodied in the precepts of the law and in the teaching of our Lord.  {ST, April 6, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, April 6, 1891 par. 5]          The words of Christ were not always comprehended by the disciples; and even when they were understood in a measure, the comprehension of them did not measure their full significance. In order to understand the sayings of our Lord, we should carefully and prayerfully contemplate the words of truth, not merely to reach that comprehension of them which the people of an earlier age might have had, but to reach a deeper significance; for if our minds are illuminated by the Spirit of God, more and more of the force and meaning attached to them by the Saviour himself will come to our hearts. When Christ expounded the Old Testament to his disciples, it was to bring out deeper spiritual truths than had been understood before, even by those who had written them. The disciples acknowledged that they did not understand him when he spoke to them of his sufferings and death, quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He reproached them for their slowness to comprehend his words, and promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to recall his sayings to them when they were better qualified to understand. They did not clearly distinguish the spiritual from the earthly. He had left in their possession truth whose value they could not estimate, and of whose worth they had no realization. After his resurrection he opened their minds that they might understand the Scriptures, and told them the same things which before they could not comprehend, saying, "These are the things which I spake unto you while I was yet with you." We should pray that our understanding may be opened, that we may comprehend what Christ has said unto us; for we are to be sanctified through his word.  {ST, April 6, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, April 13, 1891 par. 1]       April 13, 1891 "That They May Be One."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Christ prayed 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; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." The unity of believers is to be an evidence to the world of the divine power and mission of Christ. This should be the mighty argument to convince the world that Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of fallen man. The love existing between believers is to be similar to the love existing between the Father and the Son. And this love in the soul is the evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are to love God supremely, and our neighbors as ourselves. It is in the lack of this love that thousands fail, and are found transgressors of the law. Supreme love for God will lead to love for our fellow-men, and the commandment of Christ is, "Love one another as I have loved you," "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another." We cannot have this love unless Jesus is abiding in the heart by living faith. The very unity of disciples, the love manifested one for another, will be evidence to the world that God has sent his Son into the world as its Redeemer. This unity and love will exist wherever the Spirit of the Lord abides; heart will be bound to heart, and works of righteousness will appear in the daily life.  {ST, April 13, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, April 13, 1891 par. 2]          Jesus saw there was constant danger that his disciples would lose the divine image, through Satan's suggestions of using policy toward one another, and he gave many lessons upon that sanctified, unselfish love that should be cherished by believers one for another. Love is the fruit of genuine sanctification. A true estimate of man is the thing that is lacking in the hearts of many professed followers of Christ. A confession of love, a profession of friendship, is not enough to meet the divine requirement; there must be deeds of kindness, feelings of tenderness, sincere sympathy and love toward our fellowmen. The fruits we bear will reveal the condition of our hearts, and give evidence of our sanctification through the truth. This sanctification takes in not only our greatest, but our smallest actions. The little things done for Christ's sake, humble acts of kindness, a cheerful disposition to do others good,--this is confession of Christ. There must be patient continuance in well doing, a wise improvement of talents. Jesus must be formed within, the hope of glory, before you can rightly represent him to the world in words and works. In every little matter of life, in your deportment, in your forbearance, patience, long-suffering, you make known to others whether or not you are abiding in the living Vine. Jesus must be revealed in our every-day life, by the practice of the virtues that he revealed in his life.  {ST, April 13, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, April 13, 1891 par. 3]          The church is made up of persons of different temperaments and of various dispositions; they have come from different denominations; for the Cleaver of truth has separated one here and one there from the great quarry of the world, and in the church of Christ all these various members must be cemented together by the Spirit of God. If the love of Christ is in the hearts of the members of the church, through the abundant grace of Christ, there will be oneness, unity, among brethren. We must close the door of the heart to every suggestion that shall have the least tendency toward keeping us from this state of harmony. We must not hamper the soul and cripple its powers by the indulgence of selfishness. Selfishness is sin, and it grieves away the Spirit of Christ. When we cherish unkind thoughts, and harbor suspicions against our brethren, we are cutting ourselves off from the channel of God's light and love. Jealousy is as cruel as the grave, and should never be cherished in the heart, much less expressed in the actions. How cruel it is to cherish evil surmising against those who are members of Christ's body! Accusation, condemnation, and revenge are all of Satanic origin, and evil thoughts of others should be at once rejected from the mind, for these things repulse, and separate the hearts of brethren. Satan rejoices when he can create division in the church of God; for weakness follows, and the things that remain are ready to die.  {ST, April 13, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, April 13, 1891 par. 4]          Those who keep the truth will be found faithful to God and to one another. While base passions will surge in the hearts of unregenerated men, while pollution will corrupt the multitudes, those who love Christ and one another with pure, unselfish love will stand in Christ-like nobility, free from the contaminations of the age. By a life of truth and faithfulness they will confess their Lord before men. Their separation from evil will be manifested by silence as well as by words. By purity of character, by forbearance, by the manifestation of unselfish love for others, by the peace and joy of heart, the living witnesses for Christ will be made manifest, and will preach effective sermons of the power of Christ in the soul. Thus will genuine sanctification be displayed.                                                                   -    {ST, April 13, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, April 20, 1891 par. 1]       April 20, 1891 The Character of John.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, because he was believing and trustful, and loved his Master with devotion. His love for Christ was characterized by simplicity and ardor. There are many who think that this love for Christ was something natural to the character of John, and the disciple is frequently represented by the artist as of a soft, languid, feminine appearance, but such representations are incorrect. John and his brother were called the "sons of thunder." John was a man of decided character, but he had learned lessons from the great Teacher. He had defects of character, and any slight shown to Jesus aroused his indignation and combativeness. His love for Christ was the love of a soul saved through the merits of Jesus; but with this love there were natural evil traits that had to be overcome. At one time he and his brother claimed the right to the highest position in the kingdom of heaven, and at another he forbade a man to cast out devils and heal diseases because he followed not with the disciples. At another time when he saw his Lord slighted by the Samaritans he wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume them. But Christ rebuked him, saying, "The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  {ST, April 20, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, April 20, 1891 par. 2]          In the character and teaching of Christ, the disciples had both precept and example, and the grace of Christ was a transforming power, working marvelous changes in the life of the disciples. The natural traits of character, the spirit of criticism, revenge, ambition, evil temper, were all in the beloved disciple, and had to be overcome in order that he might be a representative of Christ. He was not only a hearer but a doer of the words of his Lord. He learned of Jesus to be meek and lowly of heart, to wear his yoke, to bear his burden. This was the result of companionship with his Master.  {ST, April 20, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, April 20, 1891 par. 3]          The opportunities and advantages offered to John were given to Judas also. The same principles of truth were set before his understanding, the same example in the character of Christ was his to contemplate and imitate. But Judas failed to become a doer of the words of Christ. Evil temper, revengeful passions, dark and sullen thoughts, were cherished, until Satan had full control of the man. John walked in the light, and improved the opportunities given him to overcome; but Judas chose his defects, and refused to be transformed into the image of Christ, and therefore became a representative of the enemy of Christ, and manifested the attributes of the evil one. When Judas came into association with Christ, he had some precious traits of character that might have been used of God and made a blessing to the church. If he had been willing to wear the yoke of Christ, to become meek and lowly of heart, he might have been among the chief of the apostles; but he hardened his heart when his defects were pointed out, and in pride and rebellion chose his own selfish ambitions, and so unfitted himself for the work God might have given him. John and Peter, though imperfect, became sanctified through the truth.  {ST, April 20, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, April 20, 1891 par. 4]          It is the same today as it was in the days of Christ. As the disciples were brought together, each with different faults, some inherited or cultivated tendency to evil, so in our church relations we find men and women whose characters are defective; not one of us is perfect. But in Christ, and through Christ, we are to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit, that at last we may be received into our eternal habitation. We shall have our tests, our grievances, our differences of opinion; but if Christ is abiding in the heart of each, there can be no dissension. The love of Christ will lead to love of one another, and the lessons of the Master will harmonize all differences, bringing us into unity, till we shall be of one mind and one judgment. Strife for supremacy will cease, and no one will be disposed to glory over another, but we shall esteem others better than ourselves, and so be built up into a spiritual temple for the Lord.  {ST, April 20, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, April 20, 1891 par. 5]         In the work of overcoming there will be confessions to be made one to another, but the word of God forbids man to put an erring man in God's place, making confessors of frail humanity. We are to confess our faults one to another, and pray one for another that we may be healed. The appointment of men to the confessional of the Roman Church is the fulfillment of the design of Satan to confer upon men power which belongs to God only. God is dishonored by the absolution of the priest and by the confession of the soul to man. Confessions of secret sins are made to men whose own hearts may be as sinks of iniquity. There are sins which are to be confessed to God only, for he knows the whole heart and will not take advantage of the trust reposed in him; he will not betray our confidence, and if we submit ourselves to him, he will cleanse the heart from all iniquity.  {ST, April 20, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, April 20, 1891 par. 6]          The lessons given to Peter, Judas, and the other disciples are profitable to us, and have a special importance at this time. We have need of constant watchfulness, for we are nearing the coming of Christ, nearing the time when Satan is to work "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." We must study the Pattern, and become like Jesus, who was meek and lowly of heart, pure and undefiled. We should ever remember that God is near us, and all things great and small are under his control. We must obey his law, come to Christ in faith as to him who is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him; thus we shall be overcomers, and at last have a seat with him upon his throne.                                                                   -    {ST, April 20, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 1]       April 27, 1891 What is Sown Will Be Reaped.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The value of salvation, purchased at infinite cost, makes its neglect more terrible, and insures certain destruction to the soul who is indifferent to its provisions and benefits. The mercies of God, so inexpressibly great, will, if neglected and scorned, make the sinner's doom more sure. When man despises the love of God, he chooses the association of those who are at enmity with God and not subject to his law, and he could not be happy with God even in the kingdom of heaven. The Bible declares that "he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Those who are at enmity with God sow to the flesh, and they cannot enter heaven; for they would be out of harmony with God, and with the spirit and joy of his kingdom.  {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 2]          The Bible declares that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate God. Many wonder over this statement, but it can be understood. The father who sows iniquity educates his children to sow iniquity, for through the sight of the eyes and the hearing of the ears the children will receive seed that will bear a harvest of evil, unless they yield the heart to divine influences outside of their own family. Those who set themselves to work evil may carry on their work with bold defiance of God, but the influence of their unbelief and impenitence will reach beyond their own generation. The kind of training that evil men give their children will perpetuate ungodly principles and habits; the children will be averse to religion, they will not recognize the claims of God upon them, and when they attain maturity, they will stand forth with godless characters, defiant of Christ and the claims of God's law.  {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 3]          The Lord cannot give those who are insubordinate a place in his kingdom of peace. Satan and the angels that united with him were expelled from heaven because of insubordination, and men who choose evil rather than righteousness, unite with the great rebel, and they can no more enter the kingdom of God with their characters wholly unlike God's, than can Satan himself become an inhabitant of heaven.  {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 4]          "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."  {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 5]          Parents whose affections are given to God, who love to meditate upon his character, who are sowing seeds of truth and righteousness, are making sure of a rich harvest; for that which they sow, they will reap. Every good deed accomplished for Christ's sake, with reliance upon his merits through personal faith in his power, places them upon vantage-ground in the family and in the neighborhood, and gives them fresh strength for the practice of virtue. They grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their love and reverence for God are manifested in a life of obedience to his commandments. They sow love and reverence for God in the hearts of their children, and the practice of virtue and righteousness produces a harvest--to be reaped from the virtuous lives of the children.  {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 6]          As parents educate their children according to God's order, teaching them both by precept and example to love and reverence God, to obey every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, they educate themselves, and strengthen their own souls in the love of Christ. He who teaches the lessons of Christ sows precious seed that not only reproduces itself in the hearts of those taught, but takes new root, and springs up afresh in the heart of the teacher. In presenting the truth so that it may be comprehended by undisciplined youthful minds, the parent or teacher finds that it has new power and vividness to his own soul. In seeking to impress its importance upon the conscience of the young, we realize its value to a greater extent than before, and better appreciate the divine character of our Redeemer. By dwelling upon the character of Christ, the teacher, beholding him, will become changed; he will catch his Spirit, and diffuse the light of the Sun of Righteousness, flashing the bright beams of Christ's righteousness into the minds of his pupils, and his own soul will be refreshed, and he will realize that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, April 27, 1891 par. 7]          As you lift up Christ to others, you will behold his charms in a new light, and as you teach, your faith and works will agree. Those whom you instruct will receive ideas, which will be communicated to others, and they in turn will give the lessons you have given them, and use the illustrations you have impressed upon their minds, in teaching their children or pupils. Thus the good seed will be continually scattered, and will reproduce itself in an abundant and blessed harvest.                                                                   -    {ST, April 27, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 1]       May 18, 1891 The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White  -         Jesus left the glory of heaven, laid aside his royal robes, and clothed his divinity with humanity, that he might uplift fallen man, and make him a partaker of the divine nature. The heart of Infinite Love was touched with the sorrows of man. As Jesus looked upon the lost race, his heart was stirred with pity, for he saw them bound in cruel captivity to the prince of evil. Jesus freely devoted all his power and majesty to the cause of fallen humanity, that a plan might be worked out that would make the salvation of man possible, and bring the ruined race back to allegiance to God.  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 2]          Satan had misrepresented the character of God to the world, and had tempted man to rebellion; but Jesus came to make manifest in his own life and character what was the true nature of the Father. Everywhere he went, he revealed the Father as a God of infinite love and unbounded compassion.  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 3]          Christ says, "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." Through knowledge of Christ we may be brought into union with the Father. Oh, that our dull comprehension might be enlarged, that we might realize what there is in this thought of oneness with Christ! Perfection of character is offered to fallen man through the righteousness of Christ. The repentant sinner may be robed in the robe of righteousness, and God will behold in him only the unspotted purity of his Son. Then we shall be loved by the Father as he loves his Son. Jesus declares that nothing less than oneness with him and his Father will ever satisfy the divine requirement; but when we are united with Christ, our life is hid with Christ in God, and we are represented as members of the body of Christ.  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 4]          Christ may abide in our hearts by faith. God manifested in the flesh is the mystery that has been hidden "from ages and from generations." Oh, the depth of the riches of the love of God that hath abounded to man in the person of his Son! God in Christ, and Christ in God, and Christ abiding by faith in man, is so large a truth that the mind cannot fully comprehend it. It is so great a theme, so grand a conception, so far beyond the power of reason to explain, that, as we speak of it, we feel our insufficiency. Our comprehension is too restricted, our language too limited, to unfold this great truth. The mind fails and sinks down weary under the effort, and we can speak of this truth only in softened, subdued tones, acknowledging our helplessness, and bowing in adoration before the infinite love that has provided so great a salvation.  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 5]          We cannot explain the unsearchable riches of Christ, but we can embrace them by faith. Let us bring faith into exercise. When Paul obtained some glimmerings of the light, and the immensity of the plan of salvation, and saw something of the richness of the treasures of grace, his soul was oppressed with a sense of their overwhelming greatness. He says: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 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, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 6]          In Christ the character of the Father was made manifest, and, by contemplation of Christ, we may be changed into the same image. We are to represent Christ to the world as he represented the Father. By appropriating the righteousness of Christ, we represent not only the character of Christ, but also the character of the Father. We can have a knowledge of God only through a knowledge of Christ. Christ declared, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Christ was the brightness of his Father's glory. Turning from every other representation of God as dim and veiled in comparison, we may, with open face, behold in Christ the glory of the Lord.  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, May 18, 1891 par. 7]          The less we cherish self, and the lower we lie at the foot of the cross, the more distinct and full will be our comprehension of the excellency of our Lord and Saviour. But all the lessons that Christ has given will be lost to us unless we appropriate them and bring them into our daily life. We cannot reflect the likeness of Christ to the world unless we grow continually in love for God and man. Every power of the renewed soul must be put to the stretch that the character may be fashioned after the divine Pattern. When the image of Christ is reflected in the life and character of his followers, the church will be vocal with praise to Him who is glorious in holiness.  {ST, May 18, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, May 25, 1891 par. 1]       May 25, 1891 Faithful in Little.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Those who enter the city of God as overcomers will hear the words of commendation, "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." A strong, well-balanced, symmetrical character is built by the thorough and faithful performance of duty. Joseph had an unblemished character, and as he was found faithful in that which was least, he was finally intrusted with the affairs of a nation. Daniel is another example of integrity, for he was so faithful that even his enemies were not able to point out one flaw in his performance of duty. They declared, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." The secret of Daniel's strength was found in his conscientious attention to what the world would call things of minor importance. He was found before God three times a day in prayer and thanksgiving, and he was equally steadfast in his attention to his duties to the king. It is this conscientious attention to what the world despises that makes a strong, symmetrical character.  {ST, May 25, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, May 25, 1891 par. 2]          By indulgence in little extravagances men become careless in the use of money and form spendthrift habits, while self-denial in little things leads to self-denial in greater things. If moments are carefully treasured and put to a wise use, hours will not be wasted. If small opportunities are improved, greater opportunities will not be neglected. If limited talents are employed, larger usefulness will come; and by patient continuance in well doing, you will gain power to do well and patiently. Our work may not be noticed by men, and no credit may be given to the faithful soul; but God marks the diligent servant, and gives wisdom to do a larger work. It is faithfulness in little things that makes a man great in the sight of God.  {ST, May 25, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, May 25, 1891 par. 3]          The apostle Peter presents before us the ladder of progress that we must climb round by round in order to meet the approval of God. He says: "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." Those who would make men of honor, men of trust, men of fidelity, must begin to be faithful in the smallest matters, and they must begin at home. Everyone who would be perfect must mount this ladder of progress. Many have neglected to put their feet upon the first rounds of the ladder. They want to mount to the topmost rounds without the trouble of climbing, but the only sure way is to take the painstaking way of going up by gradual advance, round after round. Many of the youth of today are superficial in all their undertakings. At the very beginning a fatal mistake is made in their education. Their careless habits are passed over by indulgent parents who would criticise with severity the same mistakes in others. Thus many fail to lay the right foundation. Peter says, "Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." A virtuous character must precede all other acquirements. All sowing of wild oats will be followed by a harvest of the same order. "God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  {ST, May 25, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, May 25, 1891 par. 4]         The youth should remember that there is a day coming, and it is not far distant, when an account will have to be rendered for wasted opportunities, misspent hours, and neglected privileges. The nature, the effect of all our past life is registered in the books of heaven. We cannot change the figures, cannot undo the past, nor erase the record of good done or ill committed. Day by day the deeds done in the body make our record above, and in the judgment the books will reveal our evil course, unless through sincere repentance, through thorough reformation, our sins are blotted out by the blood of the atonement. We shall be judged, every man according as his works have been. Let everyone think upon the character of his works, and repent, and become transformed by the power of Christ.  {ST, May 25, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, May 25, 1891 par. 5]          In these perilous times, when a form of godliness is popular in the world, and a profession of Christianity is fashionable, only a few will discern the living way of self-denial and cross-bearing. "Watch and pray" is the injunction of Him who endured temptation in our behalf. Christ knows our danger, for he has contended with our powerful foe. He knows that our enemy is on the track of all who are striving to do the right. With all his specious arts and devices, Satan seeks to ensnare the servants of God, and turn them from Christ into the broad path that leads to destruction. He watches our going out and our coming in, and, although unseen, he works earnestly and diligently, seeking to destroy those who are ignorant of his designs. He works with agencies and instruments that will best conceal his malicious intentions.  {ST, May 25, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, May 25, 1891 par. 6]          Through the influence of the evil one, even the religion of Christ has been perverted to the minds of many who profess to know and obey the truth. But no matter how high is your profession, you will not stand the test unless you are doers of the word of God. Those only who have a living, abiding principle in the heart, who will not turn aside to do anything that has even an appearance of evil, who will not venture to tarnish the soul with impurity, are washing their robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb. The washing of the robes of character must go on from day to day, that at last we may be found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but blameless before Him with whom we have to do. This work of purifying ourselves even as He is pure must be taken up individually. We should examine our motives, our actions, in the light of God's holy law. We should ever ask, "Is this the way of the Lord?" Every earnest, sincere seeker will be answered of the Lord. The petitions of honest inquirers are always heard by the Author of our salvation. He has promised, "The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his way." Angels of God are watching to see the development of our character; they are weighing moral worth; and may the great day of God reveal the fact that we have not been weighed in the balances and found wanting.                                                                   -    {ST, May 25, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 1]       June 1, 1891 The Vine and the Branches.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Christ said, "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. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."  {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 2]          The apostle John presents before us in these words the necessity of a close connection with Christ. It must be as intimate as is the connection between the vine and the branches. As the graft becomes part of the living stalk, so the Christian is to become one with his Lord. Fiber by fiber, vein by vein, the graft is identified with the vine, drawing its life from the vine, and manifesting the life of the vine by its life and fruit. If the Christian is nourished by the life of Christ, he will manifest this in his life and character. He will follow in the steps of Jesus in all things, following in the path of self-denial and sacrifice.  {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 3]          Christ denied himself. He did not count heaven a place to be desired while we were lost, and he left the heavenly courts to suffer a life of shame, reproach, insult, and mockery. For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. He lived a life of self-sacrifice and self-denial, and passed over the ground that we must travel, in order to leave us an example that we might follow in his steps. And we love him, because he first loved us. We should cultivate love for Christ by yielding obedience to all his commandments. If we truly follow our Lord, we shall depart from all iniquity, the transgression of God's law, and become loyal and true to the requirements of Heaven. The church has been made the depository of precious truth, and its members are not only to believe these truths, but to disseminate their glorious light to those who sit in darkness, that souls may be brought to the Sun of Righteousness. In this way they may represent Christ to the world.  {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 4]          Christ has said, "Without me ye can do nothing." A great change must take place in us before we can live a true Christian life. We must become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions which are in the world through lust. We must be nourished by the life of the Living Vine, and then we shall become fruit-bearing branches. Christ has said, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." The branch planted in Christ will bear the same order of fruit as he himself has borne. If we are in Christ, we shall love the things which he loved, hate the things which he hated, and be obedient unto all the commandments of God. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so will the soul pant after the things pertaining to the Spirit of God. And we shall make manifest to the world that we are the children of God by the fruits we bear.  {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 5]          "Faith without works is dead." If we really believe in Christ, we shall work the works of Christ. We shall say, "Jesus is my Saviour, and I will commit the keeping of my soul to him as unto a faithful Creator." The apostle declares: "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." He who is purest, meekest, most obedient, will be most mighty upon earth. He who realizes that his strength, talent, means, all belong to God, will comprehend the meaning of the text I have quoted.  {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 6]          All was lost in Adam, and the race was left in hopeless misery, but "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Christ offered to become man's surety and representative. He offered man another trial, and came to bear our guilt, to suffer the penalty of our sin. He came not to please himself, but to work out the plan of redemption. He became a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Those who follow in his steps will not shun self-denial and the cross, but will imitate the example of Christ. And do you imagine in this life you will be unhappy? No; you will esteem it a privilege to be a partaker with Christ of his sufferings. You will have respect unto the recompense of the reward. Jesus will withhold nothing from those that walk in obedience to his commands; he will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly.  {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, June 1, 1891 par. 7]          Jesus has promised to be our friend, to stand close at our side, and we should tell him our griefs and trials as a child would tell its earthly parent its troubles. Without Christ you can do nothing, but with him you can do all things, for his grace will be sufficient for you. We must bring Christ into everything, and then we shall bear abundant fruit to the glory of God. Our good works cannot save us, for they are as filthy rags without Christ. Self-righteousness is as the offering of Cain. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground unto God, instead of bringing the blood of a slain lamb, the type of Christ, slain for the sins of the world. Abel brought that which God had commanded, and his faith was made manifest, his offering was accepted. These two brothers represent two classes of those who profess the religion of Christ. One are worshipers as was Cain, the other are worshipers as was Abel. How many claim to be the children of God, and yet refuse obedience to the plain commandment of God! The commandment reads: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, not thy stranger that is within thy gates." But instead of conforming their practice to the word of God, they make excuses, and offer to God the first day of the week, which he has not commanded or sanctified. Is not this offering as defective as was the offering of Cain? He who truly believes in Christ will be obedient to all of God's commandments. There is no bondage in obedience; obedience brings peace and assurance and fullness of joy. Those who complain that the Christian life is full of trial, show that they think a great deal more of their inconveniences than they do of the rich blessing of God, the reward of faithful obedience. They are not connected with the Living Vine, for he that is connected in vital connection with the Living Vine will be in a flourishing condition.                                                                   -    {ST, June 1, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 1]       June 8, 1891 Abiding in Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus says, "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." Those who truly come to Christ, find rest unto their souls; and is it not an evidence that you have not come to him if you find the Christian life one of hardship and perplexity? Does it not prove that you are wearing a yoke of your own manufacture? Have you not gathered up burdens that Christ never meant you to carry? We are to live a life of meekness and simplicity, following the example of Christ, our Master. Christ is close at our side to counsel and help us in every time of need.  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 2]          Why do we go to others with our trials and difficulties? Why not take all our griefs and burdens to the Lord in prayer? The reason we do not bring all our care to Christ is that we have too little faith in him.  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 3]          By living faith we must abide in Christ. He says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The promise is positive; there is no "perhaps" about it. We need more faith; we are not simple enough to believe just what the Lord has spoken. If you did believe, you would come and say, "I take thee at thy word, Lord; I am trusting, believing in thy promise. "This is living faith. We have an example of the faith that lays hold of Christ in the story of the woman who touched his garment. Christ was teaching by the seaside, and a crowd had gathered around him, and a poor woman who had suffered many years from bodily infirmity, pressed her way through the crowd, for she felt that if she could only touch the hem of his garment she should be whole. She finally came near the Lord, and reached forth her trembling hand, and touched his garment, and felt that she was made whole. Jesus recognized the touch of faith, and asked, "Who touched me?" His disciples were astonished that he should ask such a question, and said, "Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me; for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 4]          The touch of living faith brings virtue from Christ to the soul; but without this faith we are like the multitude that thronged the Saviour and yet felt nothing of his saving power, because they did not bring themselves in close connection with Christ.  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 5]          We must realize our need of Christ, believe in his power to supply our wants, and then come unto him. Our love is to be quickened by the love he has given us. By trusting, confiding faith, we may have joy in the midst of sorrow. I know this by experience. Affliction upon affliction has fallen upon me. When my eldest-born was taken from me by death, I found Jesus a precious helper. And when my youngest-born was laid in the grave, I rejoiced that Christ was my Saviour. When my husband was taken away by death, and we laid the faithful, worn warrior away to rest till the morning of the resurrection, I felt that it was my duty to testify to the people of the sustaining power of Jesus' grace and love. Since then I have taken up my life-work alone, and yet not alone, for Jesus has been with me.  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 6]          The faith that will bring us peace in sorrow and tribulation is the faith we must all have, for it is an anchor to the soul, entering into that within the veil. In times of sorrow or joy we all need a Saviour to love us, and he is at our right hand to help and comfort in every time of trial and affliction. He says, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 7]          When our minds are engrossed with the things of this life, we cannot bear fruit to the glory of God. Living faith, expressed by a life of faithful obedience, will avail to lift us out of this bondage to the world. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Steadfast faith gives evidence that we are closely connected with the Saviour. Let us put away everything like fretfulness, and make melody in our hearts unto the Lord. Let us talk of his love, and sing of his grace and power. Faith will connect us with him, and we shall be part of the Living Vine, and bear much fruit. We shall be patient and loving, and all the powers of our being will be devoted to God. Whatever gift you have, it is of God, and it should be given back to him; but how many devote their God-given ability to the glorification of self! Christ wants us to come close to himself, to accept the great sacrifice he has made for us. He is anxious to be our Helper, to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. Will you let him help you? Say to the world, "Jesus is my Saviour; he saves me today, making me his obedient child, and enabling me to keep all his commandments." If you knowingly disregard one of God's commandments, you do not have saving faith. Genuine faith is a faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Genuine faith will lead you to seek for the salvation of precious souls for whom Christ has died. We are to reveal Christ to them in our character and life.  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 8]         If we are living Christians, we shall not inquire, when some new requirement is presented to us, "Is this convenient?" but we shall render willing obedience to all the commands of the Lord. It was not convenient for Christ to come from his throne of glory to this dark world and die, but it was expedient for us; for it is through his death that we are to find life and salvation.  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 9]          Christ never repulses those who would come close to him; he welcomes them. Shall we not believe his promises, and become one with the Living Vine? If we do this, we shall bear much fruit. How I long to see the people of God come up to their high privilege. Jesus says, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."  {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, June 8, 1891 par. 10]          The Christian's mission in the world is to reveal the character of Christ, to represent the Lord to the fallen children of men. If we are ever to enter heaven, we must bring heaven into our life here. We must be pure and holy, and if we gain heaven at last, we shall be with the Saviour throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. We shall hear him say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." The crown of glory will be placed upon the brow of the overcomer, and he will enter the city of God a conqueror. We are now upon the battle-ground, and Jesus will do the fighting for us, if we will only let him. He will lift up a standard for us against the enemy; for he hears our prayers, and help will come when we most need it. Then let us live for the future, immortal life, "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."                                                                   -    {ST, June 8, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, June 15, 1891 par. 1]       June 15, 1891 "He that Hath an Ear, Let him Hear."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." "Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name." "To him that overcometh 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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."  {ST, June 15, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, June 15, 1891 par. 2]          The words, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," are repeated after these promises, weighty with importance to the children of God. It is for our eternal interest to know and understand what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and we should search carefully for light and knowledge that we may not be in ignorance of what God has commanded and promised in his precious word. We have souls to be saved or lost, and with the greatest earnestness we should inquire, "What shall I do in order to obtain eternal life?" At the best, life is but short, and it is necessary that we should live this short life in harmony with the law of God, which is the law of the universe. We must have ears to hear, and hearts to understand, what the Spirit saith unto the churches.  {ST, June 15, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, June 15, 1891 par. 3]          The angels of God attain unto no higher knowledge than to know the will of God; and it is their greatest delight to accomplish the perfect will of the Heavenly Father. Fallen man has the privilege of becoming intelligent in regard to the will of God. While probationary time is granted us, we should put our faculties to the very highest use, that we may make of ourselves all that it is possible; and while we endeavor to reach a high standard of intelligence, we should feel our dependence upon God, for without his grace, our efforts cannot bring lasting benefit. It is through the grace of Christ that we are to be overcomers; through the merits of his blood we are to be of that number whose names will not be blotted out of the book of life. Those who are final overcomers will have the life that runs parallel with the life of God, and wear the crown of the victor. When such great and eternal reward awaits us, we should run the race with patience, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.  {ST, June 15, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, June 15, 1891 par. 4]          We have no hesitancy in telling you that in order to obtain the immortal inheritance and the eternal substance, you must be overcomers in this probationary life. Everything that blots and stains the soul must be removed, must be cleansed from the heart. We must know what it means to be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Are you willing to wage war against the lusts of the flesh? Are you ready to battle against the enemy of God and man? Satan is determined to enslave every soul if he can; for he is playing a desperate game to win the souls of men from Christ and eternal life. Will you permit him to steal from you the graces of the Spirit of God, and plant in you his own corrupt nature? or will you accept the great provision of salvation, and through the merits of the Infinite Sacrifice made in your behalf, become a partaker of the divine nature? God has given his only-begotten Son, that through his shame, suffering, and death, you might have glory, honor, and immortality. Are you not willing to lay hold on the gracious hope set before you in the gospel? Is it humiliating to seek to win a crown of immortal glory?  {ST, June 15, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, June 15, 1891 par. 5]          Christ was one with the Father from the beginning; he shared the glory of the Father; and yet he consented to become fallen man's substitute and surety, to stand in man's place, that he might bring hope and salvation to every soul who would receive him as a sin-pardoning Saviour. With his human arm he encircles the lost race, and with his divine arm he grasps the throne of the Infinite, connecting man with God, and earth with heaven. It was impossible for man, who had weakened his moral power through transgression of God's law, to keep the commandments of God; but Christ came to save his people from their sins, and by faith the soul is clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and brought into the favor of God. Christ stepped down from his exalted throne, left the royal courts, clothed his divinity with humanity, and became a man among the children of men; he humbled himself even to the suffering and death of the cross, that man might be exalted, that man might become a partaker of the divine nature, be an overcomer, and have a place with Christ upon his throne in glory.  {ST, June 15, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, July 20, 1891 par. 1]       July 20, 1891 Results of Refusing to Walk in the Light.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. . . . Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." While they were engaged in this sacrilegious feast, a bloodless hand traced opposite the king, characters of writing that could not be read or interpreted by any of the magicians or wise men of the court. "Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him." But if they could not understand the writing, why were they so troubled? The writing on the wall gave evidence that there was a witness to their evil deeds, a guest not invited or welcome to their idolatrous feast, and his presence convicted of sin, and foretold doom and disaster. Before them passed, as in panoramic view, the deeds of their evil lives, and they seemed to be arraigned before the Judgment, of which they had been warned.  {ST, July 20, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, July 20, 1891 par. 2]          Belshazzar was most terror-stricken of them all; for great had been his opportunities for knowing the God he had blasphemed and derided. He knew the history of his grandfather; how, because of his exaltation of self, his wisdom and reason had been taken away, and he had gone forth to be a companion of the beasts of the field. But Belshazzar disregarded the lesson as completely as though these things had never occurred, and made himself guilty of the very sins for which his grandfather had been condemned. He was guilty because he had had the privilege of knowing and doing the right, and of leading others in the way, and yet refused to heed the light that God had permitted to shine upon his pathway. He had every opportunity of becoming acquainted with God and with his truth, but he would not deny himself in order to know and do righteousness. Now in the midst of his most pronounced idolatry and defiance of God, the bloodless hand writes his doom.  {ST, July 20, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, July 20, 1891 par. 3]          Daniel is remembered, and brought to the banqueting hall. The servant of God sees the evidences of the degradation and idolatry of the feast, so suddenly brought to an end; but Daniel was not disconcerted in the presence of the king and his lords.  {ST, July 20, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, July 20, 1891 par. 4]          "I have even heard of thee," said the king, "that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. . . . And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." Then Daniel reviewed the past, bringing before Belshazzar the light which he had received from the history and judgment of Nebuchadnezzar. God had given his grandfather a kingdom, majesty, glory, and honor; but instead of feeling gratitude to God Nebuchadnezzar had taken the glory to himself, and his mind was lifted up and his heart hardened. God deposed him from his throne, and took his glory from him. Daniel faithfully repeated the story of Nebuchadnezzar's renown and degradation, and set forth the mercy of God in granting him another opportunity of acknowledging God as the Supreme Ruler in heaven and earth, the One to whom kings and nations owed allegiance. "And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified."  {ST, July 20, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, July 20, 1891 par. 5]          Then the writing on the wall was read and interpreted. Belshazzar heard the irrevocable sentence: "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it." "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." Belshazzar was without excuse, for abundant light had been given him to reform his life. He had had opportunity for knowing the truth; but he lost all the benefits of the knowledge by his course of self-indulgence; he did not meet the mind of God, as a man or a king, and because of this the kingdom had been taken from him. He who has power to set up and to tear down, gave the kingdom to another.  {ST, July 20, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, July 20, 1891 par. 6]          In the history of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, God speaks to nations of today. We are to take to heart the lessons he sought to teach these rebellious kings; for if Belshazzar had pursued a course in harmony with the instruction given to his grandfather, he would have retained not only his kingdom but his life. He disregarded the lessons, and went on in rebellion against God, committing the very sins for which his grandfather had been reproved and punished. He, too, lifted himself up in pride and exaltation, and the final judgment of God fell upon him and his house. His great sin was that, notwithstanding God had given him light, he refused to walk in the paths of righteousness.  {ST, July 20, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, July 27, 1891 par. 1]      July 27, 1891 Results of Refusing to Walk in the Light.  No. 2.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The condemnation that will fall upon the nations of the earth in this day will be because of their rejection of light, and will be similar to that which fell upon the kings of Babylon; it will be because they have failed to make the most of present light, present opportunities for knowing what is truth and righteousness. Our condemnation in the judgment will not result from the fact that we have lived in error, but from the fact that we have neglected heaven-sent opportunities for discovering truth. The means of becoming conversant with the truth are within the reach of all; but, like the indulgent, selfish king, we give more attention to the things that charm the ear, and please the eye, and gratify the palate, than to the things that enrich the mind, the divine treasures of truth. It is through the truth that we may answer the great question, "What must I do to be saved?"  {ST, July 27, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, July 27, 1891 par. 2]          On every page of God's word the injunction to obedience is plainly written, and yet how often his commands are lightly regarded or wholly set aside! The command for the observance of the holy Sabbath of the Lord is placed in the very bosom of the decalogue, and is so plain that none need err as to its import, and yet it is treated with as great profanation as were the sacred vessels at the feast of Belshazzar. God sanctified and blessed the seventh day, setting it apart to be observed as holy time. Yet the Sabbath of the Lord has been used as a common working day, while a day which possesses no sanctity whatever has been put in the place of God's sanctified day. The religious world has accepted error for truth, and many who claim to be the children of the light are the children of darkness. The condemnation of those who trample upon God's holy Sabbath, and exalt a Sabbath instituted by the man of sin, will not come because they have conscientiously observed the first day of the week, but because they neglected opportunities for searching the Scriptures and learning, not what man has said, not what the ministers say, not what the fathers have said, but what saith the infinite God? What day has God specified as his holy day? What did he command men to honor when he spoke with an audible voice from Sinai? That voice is to be obeyed above every other; the edicts of kings and nations are void before a command of God. The Lord of hosts commands our obedience.  {ST, July 27, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, July 27, 1891 par. 3]          If ministers would search their Bibles, they would know what saith the Scriptures; but the voices of false shepherds cry, "Lo here! or, lo there!" but we are safe only in following Him who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The Lord declares, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."  {ST, July 27, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, July 27, 1891 par. 4]          In the transgression of Eve there are important lessons for us to learn. Eve was deceived by a strange voice telling a story that contradicted the plain statements of the word of God, and she accepted the words of the deceiver as the words of truth; she believed a lie, and suffered the consequences of her deception and transgression. So it is with the sons and daughters of Eve in our day; they believe the same strange voice. It is not the voice of God or of Christ which declares to you that the law of God is not binding; for Jesus has said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 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." He said again, "I have kept my Father's commandments."  {ST, July 27, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, July 27, 1891 par. 5]          You should turn from those who promise you wonderful liberty in breaking the commandments of the Lord, and should avail yourself of every opportunity for becoming acquainted with the truth. The fact that you conscientiously believe a lie will not save you from ruin, when the truth might have been yours. You can be saved in honest obedience to the truth; but if God vouchsafes to you the privilege of knowing and obeying the truth, and you neglect so great salvation, your very privileges will be recorded against you, to appear for your condemnation in the judgment. God has sent his ministers, his light-bearers, who hold forth the word of life; he has given you his word, he has sent his Son to be your Saviour and example, and you will be without excuse if you fail to appropriate the promises of God and become his obedient child.  {ST, July 27, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 1]       August 3, 1891 Genuine Religion.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." "He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. 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; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer." All who are in living connection with Jesus, will be imbued with his Spirit, and will work the works of Christ.  {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 2]          "Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." Angels in the form of men have come as strangers to the dwellings of the righteous, to preserve them in times of peril, to protect them from the plans the enemy had laid to destroy them. Angels, as travelers, visited Abraham, and his courtesy to them, whom he supposed to be men like himself, was rewarded with the promise from God that Sarah should have a son. Lot, also, urging the strangers to abide with him because it was unsafe to remain in the street, entertained angels, and was blessed by being delivered from the city that was doomed to destruction.  {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 3]          But there is a fulfillment of this scripture in a broader sense. No child of God, however poor or oppressed, is neglected or passed by; for heavenly angels minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. As you open your doors to the children of God, whether high or low, rich or poor, and extend to them your hospitality, you invite these unseen visitors with them. Could your eyes be opened, you would see that you were not only entertaining the guests who needed the comforts and attentions you could bestow, but that guests from heaven were also partakers of your hospitality, you were entertaining angels unawares.  {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 4]          You are not controlled by the Spirit of Christ when you select a few associates congenial to your own mind, and lavish favors upon them, while you neglect those who most need the help you can give them. Yet how often the encouraging words, the kindly acts, are all given to a few whom you estimate by your finite judgment to be worthy of them; while the very ones whom the Lord would have you regard and bless receive no particular favor, no words of sympathy or compassion. These things need to be considered. The admonitions of God should be heeded in our every-day life. "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."  {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 5]          The reason why many walk apart from God is that they do not choose to do his words and keep his way. They do not follow the example and teachings of Christ. They misrepresent his character. Professing to be Christians, they lie against the truth. Jesus came from heaven to earth that he might, through association with humanity, by precept and example, reveal to men the character they must possess if they would be admitted to the family of heaven. He brought light and life, richness and fullness of good, that men might be partakers of his divine nature. He is the living vine, and every branch "in him" partakes of the life and fatness of the vine. The dry, leafless twig is grafted into the vine stock, and, fiber by fiber, vein by vein, becomes united to it. The adopted branch becomes one with the vine; it is nourished by the parent stock, and buds and blossoms and bears fruit.  {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 6]          The sinner who comes to Christ in faith, is joined soul to soul with his Redeemer, united in holy bonds with Jesus. Then he has love and benevolence through his constant union with Christ. And through faith and experience he has confidence that Jesus not only will but does save him to the uttermost. This confidence brings to his soul an abiding trust, a peace, a joy, that passeth understanding. Christ is to him an all-sufficient Saviour; he clings to Christ, receiving of his Spirit, until he works as Christ worked, is compassionate as Christ was compassionate, having an unselfish love, giving disinterested service, not to a few who are most congenial, but to those who most need the help he can give.  {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, August 3, 1891 par. 7]          If Christ had waited for man to make himself worthy of the divine presence and love, not a soul could have been a partaker of the divine nature. All must have perished. But there is hope for our world, for Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost; and this is exactly the work that must be done by every branch of the True Vine. Cherishing likes and dislikes is not Christ's way, but according to the principles and sentiments of the natural, unrenewed heart, and the fruit borne is in accordance with it.                           (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, August 3, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, August 10, 1891 par. 1]       August 10, 1891 Genuine Religion   -  By Mrs.  E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Christ and his obedient children love one another. Their tastes are identical. The true followers of Jesus are so abiding in him that they love that which he loves, and hate that which he hates. One spirit pervades the whole body. How then can the branches of the True Vine bear anything but good fruit? If Christ's words abide in the Christian, how can he do otherwise than work the works of Christ? He lives, he abides, in Christ, and like Christ ever has an eye single to the glory of God. "If ye keep my commandments ［not profess to regard them, and then work contrary to them］, ye shall abide in my love." You shall be united with One superior in vital power and wisdom, the weaker depending on the stronger, "looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith."  {ST, August 10, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, August 10, 1891 par. 2]          "Without me ye can do nothing." It is at the peril of the soul that so many feel able to work in their own finite wisdom. Without Christ we cannot subdue a single sin nor resist the slightest temptation. It is connection with a power that is almighty which will make us overcomers. Then let everyone who comes to Jesus walk humbly, and feel daily that he needs a power out of and above himself, to soften his stony heart; that he needs to be melted over, that the dross of self may be consumed. The same power that turned the water to wine at the marriage feast of Cana is able to eradicate all evil from our nature, and to make us partakers of the divine nature. The very same power that made the leper clean can make the heart pure, fit for the society of God, of angels, and of the redeemed host. Holy obedience will be found only in the righteousness which Christ imparts to the believing soul. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." And every soul that abides in Christ and has Christ abiding in him, is as dear to God as is his own beloved Son. Accepted in the Beloved, he is an object of the Father's tender care, and he will bear much fruit as the result of his union with the True Vine.  {ST, August 10, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, August 10, 1891 par. 3]          Sanctification of the soul, body, and spirit is the sure result of this union with Christ. What is the character of the fruit?--Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Wherever there is union with Christ, there is love. This is the crowning grace of the divine attributes. If love is not the abiding principle in the heart, whatever other good qualities we may possess will profit nothing. "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own." "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." "Is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth."  {ST, August 10, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, August 10, 1891 par. 4]          Obedience to all the commandments of God is the sure result of supreme love to God, and love to our neighbor. This is Christianity. Have we this love? Christ is asking us each, "Lovest thou me?" Can we answer from the heart, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee?" If you love Jesus, you will love him for whom Jesus died. Oh, that all could look on Jesus, and learn what is love! Purity and divine compassion shine forth in his character. The meekness and lowliness of Christ made his influence fragrant among the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and the oppressed. Oh, how many who claim to be Christians need the pruning knife of God! Unless by looking to Jesus, the perfect standard of character, they learn their own defects, they become lifted up when in prosperity, and flaunt the world's colors; luxury, pride, and selfishness mark their footsteps. They study their ease, they seek to benefit themselves, to the neglect of their fellow-men. And they go on in this way until the Husbandman, seeing the unproductive branches, with his pruning knife cuts the tendrils and the stray offshoots. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."                                                                   -    {ST, August 10, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 1]       August 17, 1891 Missionary Work.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The cross of Calvary is to be a constant reminder of the future, nobler world, the mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for all who love him. We are to be enthusiasts. And as we by faith view the glories within the temple of God, we shall seek to awaken enthusiasm in others, a desire to behold things unseen. Our work is to attract minds away from earth to heaven; to take others with us as companions, to walk the path that is cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. The children of the Heavenly King are to move among men, not as citizens of the world, but as citizens of the kingdom above. We are pilgrims and strangers in this world, seeking a better country, even a heavenly. "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 2]          We do not realize the claims of redemption. Christ has purchased us by his own precious life. His tender care has been over us every moment of our existence. Then has he not a right to our service? He has the claims of redemption, but we have lost the sense of what it means. Redemption has been accepted in a vague way by us, but it seems like a long-past transaction, when we were lost to heaven, lost to God, condemned by the law, without hope. But here we are with the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness shining upon us. Look at the cross of Calvary. Shall its solemn mysteries fade from our minds? It is a theme that should quicken us into gratitude, 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." How can the church look upon these words, and yet be slothful servants?  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 3]          The Lord has work for all to do. God intends that men shall be laborers together with him. He has laid fathers and mothers under tribute to him, to begin the work in their homes in a decided, Christ-like spirit, that the love of Christ may win their children. They must do everything possible to save their loved ones. Christ is constantly making intercession for the fallen race. He will furnish the grace, the Holy Spirit, if human agencies will become his channels to communicate the same to the world. The benevolence of Christ, his yearning love for souls, is deep and full. Where are the workers to help him? Where is the money to sustain them in their fields of labor?  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 4]          The cross of Christ is to be the great center round which everything must revolve. Everything else must be in subordination to it. The cross is planted midway between divinity and humanity, between heaven and earth. It never moves nearer the earth. All things concerning the salvation of man must lie in the shadow of the cross. Heavenly intelligencies, uniting with the earthly, bow to this central attraction, and voices from heaven and earth unfold to the universe the plan of redemption. The cross is not to lose its significance to either world. All property, all wealth, that finds its way into the Lord's treasury, finds its true place in the arrangement of God.  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 5]          The truth must ever struggle with error in order to lift high the standard of God's law, and to exalt Christ, because he bore its penalty that he might save man, and yet vindicate the immutability of the law. If Christians are like Christ, they will not hoard their Lord's money, or bind it up in worldly projects, but will invest their all in the cause of God and bring an ample revenue of glory to lay at the feet of their Redeemer.  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 6]          Brethren and sisters, will you work for selfish purposes? Will you let the world with its selfish aims and principles come between you and your God? Will you serve mammon? Christ plainly declares that you cannot serve God and mammon. Will you subscribe your name on the pages of the world's record, or will you relate yourself to God, and let him write your name in the record books of heaven, to be immortalized in the universe of God? Christ has the first claim on you. "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 7]          I entreat you, spring into action at once, and be all that the name Christian signifies. You will then have no desire to live for self. You will have the high distinction of living wholly for Christ. By his mediatorial right all things belong to Christ. For him and by him all things were created. But when man sinned, the Son of God chose to assume human nature, and come to our world to die for the guilty race. By the cross of Calvary was revealed to the sinless universe the character of Satan. In putting to death through human agencies the Lord of life and glory, Satan made manifest the wickedness of his deceptive character. Christ had cast up the immeasurable sum of guilt to be canceled because of sin, and he gathered to his dying soul this vast responsibility, taking the sins of the whole world upon himself. Human nature was to him a robe of suffering; and when the crisis came, when he yielded himself a victim to Satan's rage, when he hung agonizing upon the cross, dying the cruelest, most ignominious of deaths, the hosts of evil exulted, but man was saved.  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 8]         While we contemplate the cross, the Son of God assuming the mass of human guilt, the mystery of redemption seems wonderful. Jesus points us to the love of God; the Father provided this propitiation because he loved us, that there might be a medium through which he could be reconciled to man and man to him. And our Lord, having committed himself to the wonderful work of redemption, would withhold nothing necessary to the completion of his plan. He poured out all heaven to man in that one great gift. And then he completed the work by surrounding man with unlimited blessings, favor upon favor, gift upon gift, opening to our view all the treasures of the future world.  {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, August 17, 1891 par. 9]          But what of man? Is he so palsied with sin that he is incapable of appreciating the elements of a divine life? Christ draws man, but, alas! how few respond to the influence. Human selfishness is the barrier to eternal life. How can Heaven look upon any disloyalty or rebellion against the authority of God? It is stirred with indignation at the greatness of the guilt of man, the widespread rebellion that would turn all things created by him for the benefit of man, into weapons of war against him, exalting human wisdom above God's, and human achievements above the works of God. Wherever we may go, into business places, into national councils and government offices, God is there to assert his original claims. He declares, "I made all things; all are mine." The cross was planted midway between heaven and earth in order that Christ might reach both ways, and bridge the gulf that sin had made between God and man.                                                                   -    {ST, August 17, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 1]       August 24, 1891 Christ our Hope.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." The knowledge of God and of Christ is the only knowledge which can lead to true and eternal happiness. This knowledge all may obtain; all may win the crown of glory, and the life which measures with the life of God.  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 2]          Sin, that cost Adam beautiful Eden, exists everywhere in our world. Evil triumphs wherever God is not known or his character contemplated. We could not commit sin if we realized the presence of God, and thought upon his goodness, his love, and his compassion. Satan knows that if he can obscure the vision so that the eye of faith cannot behold God, there will be no barrier against sin. It is necessary to know God in order to be attracted to him. And the perception of his image as represented in Christ changes the sinner's views of evil. The shadow of Satan obscures the character of Jesus and of God; but if we by faith gain a knowledge of God, and hold steadfastly to Jesus, we shall be changed. In Jesus is manifested the character of the Father, and the sight of him attracts. It softens and subdues, and ceases not to transform the character, until Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. The human heart that has learned to behold the character of God may become, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, like a sacred harp, sending forth divine melody.  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 3]          What benefit to the world are those professed Christians who have nothing to say about Jesus? Are they indeed standing under the banner of Prince Emmanuel when they are not doing him the service of faithful soldiers? Has your study of the law of God, the standard of all righteousness, led you to exclaim with Isaiah: "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"? Has the sight brought you to see that your only hope is in Christ, the sin-pardoning Saviour? Has the sight of Jesus on the cross, dying for the guilt of man, brought you in contrition to the foot of the cross, so that you can say with Job, "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"? Have you made an entire surrender of your will to God's will, your ways to God's ways? Have you renounced self-confidence, self-boasting, and accepted Jesus, who is made everything to you,--wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption? Do you see Christ as the anti-type of all the types, the precious, glorious substance of all the shadows, the full signification of all the symbols? The types and shadows were instituted by Christ himself, to transmit to man an idea of the plan devised for his redemption.  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 4]          When Moses was feeding his flock in the pastures of Midian, the Lord was preparing him for a position of great responsibility; he was to be a laborer together with God. Educated in the court of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, he was imperfectly qualified to take his place as the leader of a suffering, tempted people, to help them in their oppression, sympathize with their sufferings, and conduct them through a rough and dangerous desert to the land of promise. The Lord in his providence took Moses from the king's court, and gave him the humble work of a shepherd, that, while caring for the sheep in the desert, he might be trained for the trials and hardships and perils of the wilderness, and qualified for the office of a shepherd of his own flock, for a church whose God was the Lord.  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 5]          Forty years was Moses in this training school in the mountains. At Mount Horeb the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. "He looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from of thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 6]         How many today see evidences of God's work, but their attention is not arrested! The enemy has cast his hellish shadow over them, so they do not perceive that God would have them pay special attention to his requirements, and be prepared to answer at any time as did Moses, "Here am I."  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 7]         In the Jewish service, under the special direction of God the sacrifices were to be offered only at the tabernacle, through the medium of the priest. If he who wished to make an offering was negligent, and failed to carry out the specified arrangement of God, he was to be cut off from his people. "What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people."  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 8]          This was strictly enjoined in the typical service, in order to give it its fullest significance. The object was to impress the minds of the people with the great truth that man can have access to God only through Christ. The Saviour says, "No man cometh to the Father but by me."  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 9]          All religious service, however attractive and costly, that endeavors to merit the favor of God, all mortification of the flesh, all penance and laborious work to procure the forgiveness of sin and the divine favor,--whatever prevents us from making Christ our entire dependence, is abomination in the sight of God. There is no hope for man but to cease his rebellion, his resistance of God's will, and own himself a sinner ready to perish, and cast himself upon the mercy of God. We can be saved only through Christ. Not by any good works which we may do, can we find salvation. There is no mercy for the fallen race except that which comes as the free gift of God. There is no blessing we receive but that which comes through the mediation of Christ. It is ever to be borne in mind that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him" as his personal Saviour, able to save to the uttermost all who come unto him, "should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Father gave his well-beloved Son, that through this divine channel his love might reach to man. The Father loves those who believe on Christ, even as he loves the Son, for they are made one with Christ. 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."  {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, August 24, 1891 par. 10]         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 four hundred and thirty years before the law was spoken on Sinai was a covenant confirmed by God in Christ, the very same gospel which is preached to us. "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant. The plan of redemption was not conceived after the fall of man to cure the dreadful evil; the apostle 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." (Revised Version.)                                                                   -    {ST, August 24, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 1]       September 7, 1891 Soldiers of Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We are Christ's soldiers, and we must have an abiding faith in our great Leader, looking unto him as the Author and Finisher of our faith. We have a common enemy also, even our adversary the devil. There is the greatest necessity for wisely-laid plans and careful management in the cause and work of God, that all may fight the good fight with faith and courage, and never suffer defeat.  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 2]          The privates in an army must obey orders. They often have to perform duties, the purpose of which they cannot see. They are sometimes brought into places of danger when no reason for the move is given them. So in the army of Christ; we must have confidence in our great Commander, we must rely implicitly upon his guidance, and he will bring us safe out of every danger, victorious through every conflict.  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 3]          The best soldiers are those who are trained, who are intelligent, faithful, courageous, true. A soldier needs to think. Through right discipline he should acquire habits of carefulness and painstaking. The training of all the faculties, whether mental or physical, the ability to use every power, are essential to those who would obtain the victory. If this is so in earthly warfare, how much more essential is such a preparation for those who are soldiers of Christ. They must realize that they are not their own, that they belong to God.  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 4]          The warfare in which we are engaged is largely mental, and the mind that is the most thoroughly trained will do the most acceptable work. Poor soldiers will they be whose powers have, through long disuse, become well-nigh incapable of exercise. It is a most dangerous thing for one who professes to be a soldier of Christ to be inexperienced, inefficient, and unable to render real, earnest, sincere service to the Lord. The servants of Christ should seek to understand the requirements for this time. The conditions of warfare are not what they were years ago, because increased light has been shining upon us, and great and solemn warnings have come to us. Unless we have an understanding of the times in which we live, we may, even with the best of intentions, make great mistakes, and stand in the way of the advancement of the work. The claims upon the Christians are the same now as ever,--perfect obedience,--but Satan's attacks are more deceptive. His manner of warfare is so different from that expected that, unless the senses are sharpened to comprehend his plans, we shall not be prepared for defense. Satan has many wily agents who will avail themselves of every means to assault those who vindicate the claims of God's law. They may not meet them in open warfare, with arguments, but will work with all their power to press them into difficult places, to restrict their privileges and liberties, and to annoy them in other ways.  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 5]          Of all men on the face of the earth, the servants of Christ should not, under any circumstances, leave their faculties uncultivated. The greater the work, and the more worthy the Master we serve, the more efficient should be his workers. Those who wish to honor God will render to him the very best and most thorough service in their power. God requires every faculty to be in its highest state of culture and vigor. Under the old dispensation men were not allowed to lay on his altar the maimed, or the halt, or the blind; and shall men and women in the Christian age be content to offer him defective service, which is the result of uncultivated intellects, and faculties crippled and dwarfed from disuse or idleness? God calls for better service and higher work than we give him. Christ says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 6]          Soldiers engaged in battle have to meet difficulties and hardships. Coarse food is given them, and that often in limited quantities. They have long marches, day by day, over rough roads and under burning suns, camping out at night, sleeping on the bare ground, with only the canopy of heaven for a covering, exposed to drenching rains and chilling frosts, hungry, faint, exhausted, now standing as a target for the foe, now in deadly encounter. Thus they learn what hardship means. Those who enlist in Christ's army are also expected to do difficult work, and to bear painful trials patiently for Christ's sake. But those who suffer with him shall also reign with him. Then who of us have entered the service to expect the conveniences of life, to be off duty when we please, laying aside the soldier's armor and putting on the civilians' dress, sleeping at the post of duty, and so exposing the cause of God to reproach? The ease-loving ones will not practice self-denial and patient endurance; and when men are wanted to make mighty strokes for God, these are not ready to answer, "Here am I; send me." Hard and trying work has to be done, but blessed are those who are ready to do it when their names are called. God will not reward men and women in the next world for seeking to be comfortable in this. We are now on the battle field. There is no time for resting, no time for ease, no time for selfish indulgence. After gaining one advantage, you must do battle again; you must go on conquering and to conquer, gathering fresh strength for fresh struggles. Every victory gained gives an increase of courage, faith, and determination. Through divine strength you will prove more than a match for your enemies.  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 7]         In spite of all the good qualities a man may have, he cannot be a good soldier if he acts independently of those connected with him. Occasional and uncertain movements, however earnest and energetic, will in the end bring defeat. Take a strong team of horses. If, instead of both pulling together, one should suddenly jerk forward and the other pull back, they would not move the load, notwithstanding their great strength. So the soldiers of Christ must work in concert, else there will be a mere concourse of independent atoms. Strength, instead of being carefully treasured to meet one great end, will be wasted in disconcerted, meaningless efforts. In union is strength. A few men and women who unite together, having the glory of God in view, will be growing in strength and wisdom, and gaining new victories. There is much hard work to be done for the Master, and much wisdom must be brought into the work. It is the unconquerable perseverance, the never-failing endurance, which will bring the victory. Many have a theory of truth, but know scarcely anything of the sweet victories through that faith which overcometh the world. An experience must be gained by each one for himself, or we shall never sit down with the suffering Man of Calvary. It will cost us all we have, but as a reward we shall inherit all things.  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, September 7, 1891 par. 8]          Our enemy may appear to have the advantage of us in number, in the variety of resources, and in position; but we must not be discouraged, nor turn cowards. We have Christ with us, and he is continually going forward, leading to advanced truths and greater light. Those who will follow must go forward in spite of manifold foes, powerful and difficult to resist because they work in a subtle, underhand manner. We shall have to meet, not only human power, but the principalities of the kingdom of darkness,--"wicked spirits in high places." Even our friends will oppose us, and we shall have to meet scornful sneers, because we venture to choose the better way. Our motives will be misjudged, and even our character and habits maligned. But "ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." We have an incessant strife, but is not the reward at the end of the conflict worthy of all the labor? Will not the eternal weight of glory more than compensate for every wound, every grief, every sorrow? Will not every sacrifice bring returns in treasures that are without price?  {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 1]       September 28, 1891 "Ye are the Light of the World."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." Those who walk in darkness are following another leader than Jesus. Darkness is the atmosphere of Satan. "The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." There is light for the willing and obedient. You are to "show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." No words of complaint, no murmuring at hardship and trial, will escape the lips of him who is walking in the light as Christ is in the light. He will rejoice in the light, and will enjoy the pure atmosphere that surrounds the Light of the world. The light shining from Christ upon his obedient children, will be reflected from their lives into the darkness of the world. The Light giver makes them light bearers. "Ye are the light of the world."  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 2]          How many who profess to believe the word of God are, day by day, with earnest faith and prayer, gathering the precious light from Jesus, and letting it shine forth to the world so brightly that the darkness and evil are rebuked, and the world is forced to give glory to God? Are you bringing the purity, the patience, and the love of Jesus into your life? Is your light shining in clear, steady rays? If not, your profession is only mockery. Have the mists of worldliness gathered about your soul, so that your light is growing feeble and obscure? Come close to the great Source of light, that they may be dispelled. Why remain in darkness? Why talk gloom? "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 3]          When Jesus was to leave the disciples, he said to them, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." These words were spoken to all who should be disciples of Christ to the end of time. The Master has given to his servants talents, "to every man according to his several ability." He knows the capacity of every man, and he bestows his gifts according to the capability of each person to use them. God's whole family, from men in humble stations to those in high positions of trust, are made responsible moral agents. All are intrusted with the goods of heaven. Our work is to trade upon the capital intrusted to us, and by use to multiply the gifts of God. Some have talents of wealth, some of influence, others of intellect; and every capability and power is from God, and should be appreciated. With God's blessing, and unwearied diligence in putting out to the exchangers the intrusted talents, there will be a constant gain to the faithful stewards, and they will have more talents to use for the Master.  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 4]          The word of God is to be our meat and our drink. No earthly consideration should be allowed to absorb the mind and affections so that the Lord will be crowded out of our thoughts and knowledge. We are to keep the Lord ever before us. He is at our right hand, to help us in every emergency.  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 5]          Christ plainly defines the duty of every believer. We are to exercise repentance toward God for having transgressed his holy law; to receive the truth into the heart; to give ourselves to Christ, and with genuine faith make him our personal Saviour; to obey his commandments, cherishing his love, which will lead to unity and peace. No one will be excusable for so managing his business that he must be a slave to the world, and have no time for missionary work. Faithful, spiritual workers will show in their own life and character the power of the grace of Christ. They will shine as lights in the world.  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 6]          Every professed Christian who has not the missionary spirit, will be a missionary for the enemy; for by precept and example he gives the impression that the work of the Lord is of secondary importance, not worthy of consideration, and that it can be set aside at his own pleasure or convenience. Such persons are false lights in the church, beguiling others to follow them away from the path of self-denial, away from the cross of Christ, into careless indifference. All who continue in this course will make shipwreck of faith.  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 7]          There is a work for every one of us to do in this world. There are great responsibilities to be borne, and there are small duties to be done. With deep regret we see many who have physical strength and mental capabilities, devoting those God-given powers to unworthy objects. They have no time, no vital energy, to give to eternal things. This is because they choose to follow their own inclinations, and do not ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" A large number of Christ's professed followers choose the work that is most gratifying to themselves. What is life if it is not devoted to the service of God? Everyone who has enlisted under the banner of Christ has pledged himself to become a missionary for God. Is there any work that can compare in importance with that which the Lord of glory has undertaken in man's behalf? He left his honor, his riches, his high command, to lift up fallen man, to enlighten him, to refine him, to ennoble his life. The Majesty of heaven has evinced how highly he values man formed in the image of God. He who reigns supreme in the heavens, who created the world, who made man in his own likeness, who weighs the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance, came to our world as a missionary, to bring back to God the fallen sons and daughters of Adam. And he has taken man into his confidence and service, and given to everyone his work, that all may be sharers with him in the joy of seeing souls redeemed. He has condescended to make fallen men laborers together with him. The thought is almost beyond belief,--that Jesus looks to his followers, to you and me, to be helpers in the great work of saving sinners for whom he has given his own precious life. Now is a precious and important time for us, when we can be channels of light to others.  {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, September 28, 1891 par. 8]          Let not one who has named the name of Christ refuse to take up the work God has given him to do. Let no one indulge the thought, "I have no influence; I am too insignificant to be a light to others." If you have reasoning powers, you will have an influence, either for good or for evil. You will be Christ's missionary, gathering with him, or you will scatter from him. By doing nothing you will encourage in others a spirit of indifference and slothfulness. Our life always exerts an influence, whether consciously or unconsciously. You may not occupy a prominent position, yet you must associate with some who will be affected by your example, either being led away from devotion and self-sacrifice, or being encouraged to work with all the ability they have, for the conversion of souls. Listen to the words of the apostle: "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works." In this world we shall never know the result of our words and example, but when the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, then all secrets will be revealed. Our only safety is in closely following the Pattern. While we present Jesus to the world, our example should correspond to the doctrines we advance; but if our daily life is unlike that of Christ, we are only helping on the cause of the enemy; we are representing the character of the great deceiver.                           (Concluded next number.)                                                                   -    {ST, September 28, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 1]       October 12, 1891 "Ye Are the Light of the World."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         We must daily and hourly press close to the side of Jesus, to receive strength and grace to do that which he has given us to do. We may be laborers together with God. Our precious, golden moments must not be wasted in self-pleasing, but they must be given to glorifying God.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 2]          Our missionary work should begin with our own hearts, to set them in order. If we have unkind thoughts and feelings toward others, we must put them away. Nothing of this kind should be cherished. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." We must ourselves be faithful Christians if we expect to do the work of a missionary. Our words must be like apples of gold in pictures of silver.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 3]          The first missionary that Jesus sent to the region of Decapolis was the man out of whom he had cast the legion of devils. The man had begged to accompany Jesus constantly, but Jesus "suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." This man bore in his own person the evidence that Jesus was the true Messiah. He related his own experience, telling how great things God had done for him, and thus the way was prepared for the message of truth from the lips of Jesus himself.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 4]          We all have an important work to do for God, and we should watch for opportunities of presenting Jesus to those who know him not. And opportunities will not be lacking if we are prepared by the grace of Christ to be workers together with God. Your example in living for Christ, in showing that you have the mind of Christ, will be far more impressive than any words you may utter, any profession you may make.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 5]          "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." "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Through the grace given us, we must control our thoughts and feelings, and have the mind that dwelt in Christ. He has sent each one of us to be a missionary to the world; and if you partake constantly of his Spirit, by earnest prayer and faith, you may live as he lived. Then what good you might do in your own family, in the church, in the world! The bright beams of light from Jesus would be reflected from his light-bearers into the darkness, and many who are longing for light and truth would come to Christ for the pardon of their sins. As we do the work committed to us, an invigorating power will come to our own life, and we shall better comprehend the unsearchable riches of Christ.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 6]          You must not become discouraged. The minister may have only a few to hear him, but how do you know that among the few hearers there is not one with whom the Spirit of the Lord is striving, and that by your message he may not be led to give his heart to God? God may give you a message for that very soul. That one, if converted, may become a missionary, and may bring the light to many more hearts. The one for whom you labored may become as a thousand. You may be disappointed in numbers, but not in the result. Therefore do not look at the empty seats, but tell the few what the Lord is doing in bringing the truth before the world. Speak with all the earnestness and faith and assurance that you would have if thousands were before you.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 7]          The messenger is to speak the truth in all simplicity, bringing before his hearers the unsearchable riches of Christ. Sow beside all waters, and when we can do no more for him, can bring no more sheaves into the garner of the Lord, when every man shall receive as his works have been, all the efforts made in behalf of souls will be remembered. Christ has left his work to be carried forward to completion by his true followers, while he goes before them as he did before Moses, guiding them in the way.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 8]          There is great need of personal influence. The influence of God-fearing men and women is wanted as workers for the Master, as devoted missionaries. Jesus will bestow his grace in rich abundance upon those who let it flow out to others. He who left heaven to save fallen men, sends none forth to work in his vineyard at their own charges. He says, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end." "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." We are to feel our dependence, that we can do nothing without him, and then when we call, he will answer us. We must have hearts full of faith, having God's glory constantly in view. We need to be aroused upon one point,--that God has made us stewards; and we need to pray constantly for tact and a clear conception and heavenly wisdom to use his gifts of speech, of influence, aright for the Master, who has said, "Occupy till I come." All the blessings we enjoy are from the Lord, granted to us because of his great goodness.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 9]          We must have faith in the Scriptures. All who are pressing forward to the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, will see and feel the necessity of having humble thoughts of themselves, and praying earnestly for wisdom from Jesus, that they may have an understanding heart to believe and live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. As this faith does not originate with ourselves, but is the gift of God, it will be constantly given to all who seek for it earnestly and prayerfully.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 10]          There are those who have only a nominal faith; they draw nigh to God with their lips, while the heart is far from him; but the true wrestler for the victory has a real, living faith, which is implanted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, and it makes every difference in the world with his life and words and actions. He has an aim in life, a living purpose, which shapes the character. This hope is not vague; it rests on a solid basis, which is the truth. It braces the soul for trial, and nerves it for duty, irrespective of inconvenience or inclination. A stubborn, willful spirit is not of Christ, but of Satan; hence, it will not be cherished by him who has the mind of Christ. All impurity of thought will be overcome, and the mind will be trained to pure and holy thoughts. Backbiting and evil speaking will be put away. Jealousy and selfishness will be overcome, for they are Satanic, and not Christlike. Bitter are the fruits of self-indulgence, of unsanctified traits of character. There is no rest or happiness in a life of opposition to God. But sweet is the joy and peace experienced by those who close the door to Satan, and open it to Christ.  {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, October 12, 1891 par. 11]          The one who has struggled day by day for the victory, and conquered, knows how to help others. He has patience to try to strengthen the faint-hearted who have been overcome again and again. By precept and example the one who has had to watch and pray and fight the battles against self, can reveal to others the preciousness of faith and hope, which give light amid the darkness, joy in the midst of sorrow.                                                                   -    {ST, October 12, 1891 par. 11}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 1]       November 9, 1891 Christian Homes.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Suppose that because some ship had disregarded his warning beacon and gone to pieces on the rocks, the lighthouse keeper should put out his lights, and say, "I will pay no more attention to the lighthouse;" what would be the consequence? But that is not the way he does. He keeps his lights burning all night, throwing their beams far out into the darkness, for the benefit of every mariner that comes within the dangerous reach of rocks and shoals. Were some ship to be wrecked because the lights went out, it would be telegraphed over the world that on such a night, at such a point, a ship went to pieces on the rocks because there was no light in the tower. But if some ships are wrecked because they pay no attention to the light, the lighthouse keeper is guiltless; they were warned, but they paid no heed.  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 2]          What if the light in the household should go out? Then everyone in that house would be in darkness; and the result would be as disastrous as though the light were to go out in the lighthouse tower. Souls are looking at you, fellow-Christians, to see whether you are drunken with the cares of this life, or are preparing for the future, immortal life. They will watch to see what the influence of your life is, and whether you are true missionaries at home, training your children for heaven.  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 3]          The Christian's first duty is in the home. Fathers and mothers, yours is a great responsibility. You are preparing your children for life or for death; you are training them for an abiding place here in the earth, for self-gratification in this life, or for the immortal life, to praise God forever. And which shall it be? It should be the burden of your life to have every child that God has committed to your trust receive the divine mould. Your children should be taught to control their tempers and to cultivate a loving, Christlike spirit. So direct them that they will love the service of God, that they will take more pleasure in going to the house of worship than to places of amusement. Teach them that religion is a living principle. Had I been brought up with the idea that religion is a mere feeling, my life would have been a useless one. But I never let feeling come between heaven and my soul. Whatever my feelings may be, I will seek God at the commencement of the day, at noon, and at night, that I may draw strength from the living Source of power.  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 4]          Mothers, you have no right to spend time in ruffling, and tucking, and embroidering your children's dresses for display. Has not your time been given you for a higher and nobler purpose? Has it not been given you to be spent in beautifying the minds of your children, and cultivating loveliness of character? Should it not be spent in laying hold of the Mighty One of heaven, and seeking him for power and wisdom to train your children for a place in his kingdom, to secure for them a life that will endure as long as the throne of Jehovah?  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 5]          But how many mothers there are who are so far from God that they devote their time to their own gratification, and leave their children to be cared for by unconsecrated hands. Or perhaps the mother sits at her work night after night, while her children go to bed without a prayer or a good-night kiss. She does not bind their tender hearts to her own by the cords of love; for she is "too busy." And is this as God would have it?--No, indeed! Something has taken away the mother's reason, and what is it? Is it not a desire to meet the world's standard and to conform to its customs?  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 6]          Some may wonder why it is that we say so much about home religion and the children. It is because of the terrible neglect of home duties on the part of so many. As the servants of God, parents, you are responsible for the children committed to your care. Many of them are growing up without reverence, growing up careless and irreligious, unthankful and unholy.  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 7]          If these children had been properly trained and disciplined, if they had been brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, heavenly angels would be in your homes. If you were true home missionaries, in your daily life exemplifying the teachings of the word of God, you would be preparing yourselves for a wider field of usefulness, and at the same time fitting your children to stand by your side, as efficient workers in the cause of God. What an impression it makes upon society to see a family united in the work and service of the Lord. Such a family is a powerful discourse in favor of the reality of Christianity. Others see that there is an influence at work in the family that affects the children, and that the God of Abraham is with them. And that which has such a powerful influence on the children is felt beyond the home, and affects other lives. If the homes of professed Christians had a right religious mould, they would exert a mighty influence for good. They would indeed be the "light of the world."  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 8]          A well-ordered Christian household is an argument that the infidel cannot resist. He finds no place for his cavils. And the children of such a household are prepared to meet the sophistries of infidelity. They have accepted the Bible as the basis of their faith, and they have a firm foundation that cannot be swept away by the in-coming tide of skepticism.  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, November 9, 1891 par. 9]          Then, Christian friends, fathers and mothers, let your light grow dim--no, never! Let your heart grow faint, or your hands weary--no, never! And by and by the portals of the celestial city will be opened to you; and you may present yourselves and your children before the throne, saying, "Here am I, and the children whom thou hast given me." And what a reward for faithfulness that will be, to see your children crowned with immortal life in the beautiful city of God!  {ST, November 9, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 1]       November 16, 1891 Christ the Power that Draws Men to God.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The Spirit of inspiration addresses those who refuse to be drawn to Christ, "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" How is this? Divine agencies are constantly at work to bring men into harmony with God. Every means in heaven and in earth is employed to draw men to the great Center of the world's hope. And as they fasten their eyes upon the dying Man of Calvary, they are led to exclaim, "Why, oh why, is all this suffering?" And the answer comes, "It is the revelation of the goodness of God, to lead thee to repentance."  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 2]          Christ suffered the penalty of man's transgression of the holy law of God. The mercy and love of God, so full, so rich, so free, breaks down every barrier, and the soul is surrendered to God. Such agony, such humiliation of the Son of God, leads the sinner to repent of the sins that have cost such a sacrifice. He has repentance toward God, because his holy law has been transgressed; and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, the sinner's only hope, the One who can save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. The sinner's position before God is then that of one whose sins are forgiven, whose transgressions are covered, and he becomes a partaker "of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." A new element of life and power is imparted, which cannot be accepted and received by man until he views Christ as his only hope; then through Christ he discerns the magnitude of his guilt in transgressing the law of Jehovah.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 3]          Man must be emptied of self before he can be in the fullest sense a believer in Jesus; and when self is subdued, then the Lord can make of man a new creature. New bottles can contain new wine. Truth will be received into the heart, the character will be transformed into the likeness of Christ; the Son of God will be revealed to the world by his followers, as the Father was revealed to the world by the Son. And all who reveal Christ, are revealing the Father also.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 4]          The word of inspiration pronounces judgment against all who pass by the wonderful exhibition of the love of God, and refuse the gift that the Father has given to the world, even his only-begotten Son. "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in welldoing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life." Mark the terms; for it is essential for everyone to know the conditions on which we are called to the service of Christ, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. We are "laborers together with God." And we should desire most earnestly to know, and we must know or die in our sins, what terms or conditions he requires in this partnership. You cannot trust to the multitude, because they walk in a false way. You must learn for yourself what are God's requirements, and know whether you are obeying them.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 5]          Is not the reward of obedience rich and full? What more can we ask? Has not the Lord Jesus opened for us the gates of paradise? Has he not, in doing this, given the faithful seeker all the treasures of the eternal world? "But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth ［the commandments of God］, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first ［for he has the greatest light, and his guilt will be proportioned to the knowledge which he might have had, had he followed on to know the Lord］, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God."  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 6]          Mark the words of Christ: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." In keeping his commandments there is "great reward." It is in obeying the commandment that man is called a worker together with God. "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot ［but Judas the brother of James］, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" Mark the answer: "If a man love me, he will keep my words." There will be no betraying of sacred trust, no disrespect or careless inattention to the words of Jesus, but the commandments of God will be revered. Human enactments and requirements may lead men away from God. The "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not" of earthly laws often interpose obstacles in the way of obeying God's holy requirements.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 7]          Every idol that men raise--their own ideas and opinions--obscures the true commandments of God, and then the only progress made will be into error and darkness. Those who are doers of the words of Christ will exemplify their love for him; and when the church is living, not in profession merely, but in spirit and in truth, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, they will keep the commandments. Their words and example will reflect light to the world, because they work the works of God. Their light will shine clear and distinct amid the moral darkness, for it is the light of the gospel, which "is the power of God unto salvation."  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 8]          "And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning ［the law of Jehovah, the ten commandments］. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 9]          "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." God has made known his truth to the world through his Son. Christ taught his apostles, and they have given to us his words. The words of Christ are to dwell in his followers, and thus the truth is to be made manifest to the understanding and conscience of men. The aggressive power of the gospel is more dependent upon the personal piety of its disciples than upon any other means; and the world has a right to expect the highest virtue and the purest, Christlike works from them. Christ abiding in the soul by faith will enable us to represent his character in all meekness and gentleness, in true goodness and love. Thus, through the consistent lives of the people of God, the world will see the Father and the Son.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 10]          "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But 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." The Holy Spirit is ever waiting to do its office work upon the human heart. Those who desire to learn can place themselves in close connection with God, and the promise that the Comforter shall teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance, whatever Christ had said to his disciples when he was upon the earth, will be fulfilled. But if we disconnect from God, we can be no longer students in the school of Christ. Then we shall feel no special burden for the souls for whom Christ has died.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 11]          It was most difficult for the disciples of Christ to keep his lessons distinct from the traditions and maxims of the rabbis, the scribes and Pharisees. The teachings which the disciples had been educated to respect as the voice of God, held a power over their minds and moulded their sentiments. The disciples could not be a living and shining light until they were freed from the influence of the sayings and commandments of men, and the words of Christ were deeply impressed upon their minds and hearts as distinct truths, as precious jewels, to be appreciated, loved, and acted upon.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 11}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 12]          Jesus came to the world, lived a holy life, and died, to leave to the church his legacy in the valuable treasures he intrusted to them. He made his disciples the depositaries of most precious doctrines, to be placed in the hands of his church unmixed with the errors and traditions of men. He revealed himself to them as the light of the world, the Sun of Righteousness. And he promised them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father was to send in his name.  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 12}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 13]          After his resurrection he said unto them: "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, 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."  {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 13}
[ST, November 16, 1891 par. 14]          "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." "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. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." The glorious promise is unto us who live in the last days: "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; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."                                                                   -    {ST, November 16, 1891 par. 14}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 1]       November 23, 1891 The Comforter.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." The divine Spirit that the world's Redeemer promised to send, is the presence and power of God. He will not leave his people in the world destitute of his grace, to be buffeted by the enemy of God, and harassed by the oppression of the world; but he will come to them. The world cannot see the truth; they know not the Father or the Son, but it is only because they do not desire to know God, they do not wish to look upon Jesus, to see his goodness, his love, his heavenly attractions. Jesus is inviting all men to accept him; and wherever the heart is open to receive him, he will come in, gladdening the soul with the light and joy of his presence.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 2]          "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own ［the Jewish nation］, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by ［or through］ Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 3]          "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more." The world will be pleased that they are no more to have their feelings disturbed by the solemn warnings and forcible truths that he set before them in symbols and parables; for whenever they looked at the things of nature, the objects with which he illustrated his instructions, the lessons he had taught them, were brought to mind. Christ held the key to all the treasures of wisdom, and he could diffuse knowledge as no other one could. He was indeed more than a teacher come from God; he was the only-begotten Son of the Father, the one sent into the world to save those who should believe on him.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 4]          How terrible a thing it is to reject the Saviour! how perilous to neglect the great salvation! Christ would fill the world with his redeeming power, he would scatter abundantly the imperishable seeds of truth in all hearts, if the world was only prepared to receive them. Kings and nobles marveled at the gracious words that proceeded from his lips. Many of the priests and rulers were convinced that he was the promised Messiah, but they dared not acknowledge him for fear of being thrust out of the synagogue. They could not consent to join themselves to Jesus and his disciples, and be in the minority.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 5]          Christ saw that that which prevented the truth from reaching many hearts was their misconception of the nature and claims of the law. They neglected to cultivate spirituality. They did not know the Lord whom they professed to serve and obey. They did not discern the relation of Jesus to the Father, neither did they know by experience the paternal character of God, or understand that his law requires us to love God supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves. If they would have emptied the soul of selfishness, pride, and self-love, and humbled their hearts to be instructed by the greatest Teacher the world ever knew, they would have recognized the grace of God in the gift of Jesus to our world to save those who were ready to perish.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 6]          It was difficult to make any permanent impression upon the minds of even the disciples in regard to the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. If they had only comprehended this, they would have received his teachings as a precious treasure. The necessity of prayer, of repentance, and of having a forgiving spirit toward one another, was often urged. The necessity of confessing faults, of walking in humility, was faithfully presented to the disciples of Christ. But because of the blindness of their minds and the hardness of their hearts, many of his lessons seemed almost lost upon them. But now, as he is about to leave them, he promises to send the Holy Spirit to bring to their remembrance all things that he had said unto them. And lest they should sink down in discouragement, as they look at the warfare in which they are to engage, he promises the Holy Spirit to enlighten and renew them, and purify the soul from all defilement.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 7]          After declaring that the world should see him no more, Jesus added, "But ye see me; because I live, ye shall live also." He referred to his living after his resurrection. He would not leave them comfortless; he revealed himself to them after his resurrection, that they might not look upon him as dead, lying in Joseph's new tomb, but as a living Saviour, one who could lay down his life and take it again. "Because I live, ye shall live also." "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. . . . Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." He died, that whosoever would believe on him might have life eternal; for "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." "Because I live, ye shall live also;" for I will bring you from your graves; for this power is given unto me.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 8]          "At that day ye shall know," without a dimming veil to obstruct your view, "that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." How many read this promise, so rich, so glorious, and yet do not grasp its preciousness! Jesus virtually says to all such, "Your faith is feeble; you do not discern my oneness with the Father; neither do you comprehend the fact that I am identified with all who believe in me, that they are one with me, their interest is my interest, my interest and work is theirs." The perfect oneness of Christ with his obedient believing children is the same as that which exists between the Father and the Son.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 9]          "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." Here is the word plain and decided: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." For every sacrifice we make in Christ's service, he has given us his word as a guarantee that he will reward us, but not as though he was in any way indebted to us; for the most solemn obligations rest upon us to devote to God all our powers, they belong to him as our Maker, yet the returns made to man for obedience are a hundred-fold in this life, and in the world to come, life everlasting.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 10]          The Lord knows our weakness. He valued man, even though finite, and incapable of any good in and of himself; and for this reason he sent Jesus. Every struggle of the human mind against sin, every effort to conform to the law of God, is Christ working through his appointed agencies upon the human will; and if the will is submitted to God, we shall not transgress the holy principles of his law. Every power we have is the Lord's, and men are laid under tribute to him, whether they obey or disobey his requirements. God will surely require the past. "For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Those who work the works of God, which can be done only by accepting Christ as our only hope, will, through the rich promises made, be sharers in the recompense awarded to the just.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 11]         Oh, if we only knew and could comprehend what Jesus is to us, what an amount of needless worry would be forever laid aside! Unbelief would be swept away. Then the Lord Jesus could unfold to us the value of the human soul. Then would every voice be heard, as was the voice of John, "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us." Wonderful statement! Let the souls who have been undecided and hesitating, trust in God, and no longer cherish doubt and unbelief; for they have the assurance that Christ identifies his interest with ours. Take courage, only believe, and do not give up the struggle.  {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 11}
[ST, November 23, 1891 par. 12]          True as the love of a mother to her child, is the love of Jesus to us. It abides unchangeable as himself. The dear Saviour does not fail, neither is he discouraged; and if we are one with him, our faith will be of the same enduring nature. We shall cling to Jesus with unyielding faith, surrendering our will and way to his, binding up our hearts with his great heart of love. We shall live as he lives, work as he works, and because we depend on him as our helper, we shall not fail or be discouraged in the great work of saving our own souls or the souls of others. Oh, what love, what matchless love! He will not fail or be discouraged in watching over our interests, in summoning us to arise to a nobler, purer life. We must draw nearer to the throne of God, where we may breathe the atmosphere of heaven, and through the mercy of God be permitted to glorify Him who is the One "altogether lovely," the "Chiefest among ten thousand."                                                                   -    {ST, November 23, 1891 par. 12}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 1]       November 30, 1891 Results of the New Birth.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Christ said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." But Nicodemus could not understand this, because he, like the rabbis and scribes and Pharisees, looked at the natural law instead of the spiritual. No man explain it, because it is supernatural, but the new birth shows practical results. As "the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth," so will it be with everyone that is "born of the Spirit." One of the strongest evidences that the new birth has taken place is that the new-born soul is not self-centered.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 2]          The Spirit of God operates differently with different individuals. All have the peace of Christ, and fervent, joyous gratitude ascends as incense to heaven. And as the deep movings of the Spirit of God are felt on one's own heart, there is awakened a desire that others shall be born again. The love of God constrains him to labor most earnestly, with tears and prayer, that his relatives and friends may be reconciled to God.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 3]          Every truly-converted soul is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. All such have implanted in them an earnest zeal and longing to turn many souls to righteousness. They do not wait for these souls to come to them, by they go forth to seek and save those that were lost. They have the heavenly anointing; a new spiritual strength is imparted to them; for this is the work of the Comforter. They know by their own experience, and through the Spirit of God, how to reach the people. They know how to be patient, and how at all times to manifest the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Through the Spirit of Christ they reach souls in darkness and rebellion against the holy law of God, presenting the truth as it is in him. They are not silent partners, but laborers together with God, longing to bear their testimony for Christ, that they may comfort others with the consolation wherewith they are comforted. If they fall into discouragement, and lose their fervor, because those who have been long in the faith are so indifferent, then they need to pray more and work harder, that they may not fall into the same lethargy, and become unfaithful and disappoint the Master, who has given to every man his work.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 4]          The atmosphere in many churches is oppressive, because they do not let in the pure air that comes from the throne of God. Their life is not hid with Christ in God. They are not constantly submitting to the discipline of Christ, seeking to acquire his virtues and obtain that wisdom which the Comforter is ever ready to impart. Without a constant, growing interest in the cause of Christ, they will not, cannot, be laborers with God.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 5]          Those who are self-centered are losing most precious opportunities. "Ye are the light of the world." A clouded sky does not awaken pleasant feelings; but when the clouds part, and the cheerful beams of the sun shine forth, we say it is as the smile of God. And when the mournful countenance lights up, sending forth the pleasant beams of cheerfulness, we feel comforted. If not a word is spoken, we see the light of Jesus in the human face.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 6]          The light that shines upon us is not to be hoarded, but to be given to others in clear, steady rays. It is to be an attractive light. The mind is to be stored with the "all things" that Christ will teach us, and the things he will bring to our remembrance, that will strengthen, bless, and console us, and give us his peace; but this great blessing can be retained and increased only by dispensing to others. The attractions of heaven are our light, the words and promises of Christ are our assurance. On these we must rely, and reveal Christ to our world. We must keep the sunny side of our religion in view, instead of becoming a shadow by talking doubts. Murmuring and complaining will never give the right impression of what Jesus has promised to all who will believe on him, accept his word, and be doers of it.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 7]          "Peace I leave with you, may peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you." "Be careful ［that is, unduly anxious］ for nothing." "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid;" "but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts."  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 8]          "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." The disciple of Christ is not to bear a troubled, anxious countenance, as though he were comfortless. Said Christ, "I will not leave you comfortless."  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 9]          There is in these rich promises the pledged word of One who has evinced how much he loves and values man, and we should ever remember that we are co-workers with God. And as we are thus linked with Jesus, we must manifest the spirit of Christ at all times; we must not fall into discouragement, because of Christ it is said, "He shall not fail nor be discouraged."  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 10]          Unexpected disappointments will come. Jesus was often grieved at the hardness of heart of the people, and you will have a similar experience. Your prayers, your tears, your entreaties, may fail to awaken a response. Hearts are dead in trespasses and sins. There seems to be no penitence, but only indifference and opposition, and from some even contempt, when you looked for certain victory. But you are not to relax your efforts. If one refuses, turn to another. Have faith that the Comforter will do the work which it is impossible for you to do. Have faith in all the blessed promises which Christ has given you. Work with charity and invincible courage, for you must do this if you would succeed. "Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 11]          "You do not have to follow your own way, to plan and devise in your own wisdom; if you did, you would certainly fail. But place yourself as a learner in Christ's school. He will teach you; he will discipline and train you in his manner of working. And the Comforter will bring all things to your remembrance. You will find, as you submit to the educating process, that you are becoming spiritually efficient. Even your memory will be strengthened. The words of Jesus will flash into your mind when you need them, and you can repeat the rich promises of God to your own heart and to others. When perplexed, you will not burden others, but will go to the help provided--the Comforter. In this way you will grow, looking unto Jesus, trusting in him, believing him. You will cast all your care on him. And while you move in God's order, carrying on the aggressive warfare, and are personally useful in co-operating with Jesus, you will grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 11}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 12]          Growing Christians are always working Christians. No one should be idle now. The thought of being laborers together with God in turning sinners from the error of their ways, should spur us on to diligent efforts. One soul saved for whom Christ has paid the purchase money of his own blood, will give joy to the Redeemer.  {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 12}
[ST, November 30, 1891 par. 13]          The Comforter is to abide with you forever, aiding in every effort. The Holy Spirit is promised to every soul who will be a follower of Jesus. Shall we who profess to love Jesus, profess to have this great hope, which is big with immortality and full of glory, go with disconsolate hearts and mournful countenances? Why are we not all alive with love for Jesus? Why are not our hearts joyful in God, even amid trials and temptations? "My peace I give unto you." Then why do you not take it, and show that you are indeed doers of the words of Christ? "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Shall we not be joyful in God?                                                                   -    {ST, November 30, 1891 par. 13}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 1]       December 7, 1891 Relying Upon God's Word.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I." "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." The faith here brought to view is not a casual faith, it is a living, earnest, active faith, that takes God at his word, and relies upon his pledged promises. This faith brings peace, and constitutes the children of God the light of the world. They live in the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. It is enough to make the soul joyful to have such assurances,--a Comforter always with us, and we revealing to the world in hopefulness, in joyfulness, that we have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light.  {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 2]          Christ said, "I am the Light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The quickening, sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God is given to every member of the church who is joined to Christ as the branch is united to the vine. We must show that we believe the words of Christ that he has gone to the Father to be an advocate in the courts above for every humble child of God.  {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 3]          If we truly love Jesus, we shall encourage cheerfulness and warmth of love, as we consider our opportunities and privileges. Jesus must go away in order to come again. It is a cause of rejoicing that we have an advocate with the Father, that our prayers ascend to the Father in his name, and that he is there to prepare mansions for those who love him, and also to prepare a people for those mansions. He gives us the assurance that it is because he loves us that he has gone away, because he can, by the side of his Father, better represent our cases. He hears our prayers, and knows our needs, and has sent his Spirit in his name, to do even greater things than he did when he was on the earth.  {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 4]          "Now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe." When the Holy Spirit should be manifested to them on the day of Pentecost, they would then see that, although Christ was removed from them, he was ever working in their behalf; and that if they believed on him, his representative, the Comforter, would act in his name, to be a present help in every time of need. "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 5]          The enemy is at work to draw men and women into the attractive amusements of the world, and to eclipse their views of Jesus and heaven. Here is where Christ's living agents, those who have tasted and found that the Lord is good, should reveal him in words, in actions, in cheerfulness, in patience, in long-suffering, in hopefulness, in joyousness. "Blessed are your eyes, for they see" the marvelous love of God; "and your ears, for they hear" the precious words of him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And we must see to some purpose, that we may present the glad tidings,--show that it is glad tidings. Put off the spirit of heaviness. Speak of the mercy, the goodness, and the love of Jesus; for "we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Keep your face heavenward. Look at the heavenly attractions, and then you may in truth "show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." With all the precious promises given us from the lips of Jesus, let us act our thankfulness. Let us contemplate our duty in the light of the commandments of God.  {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 6]          "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, . . . and thy neighbor as thyself." We are altogether too indifferent to God's blessings. We share his loving care through Jesus Christ, and then forget how much it has cost the Father and the Son to make us fallen mortals sharers of his paternal sympathies. We are made the depositaries of rich blessings, and have monopolized them, as if they were wholly our own; but all who are enlightened by the grace of Christ should communicate the same to others. For God, through the Comforter, will work with every effort made in sincerity and truth, with his glory in view. He has paid the redemption price for a lost world, the world that Jesus loved, the world for which he died. Let the compassion and love of Jesus urge us to earnest efforts to reveal Christ to the world.  {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, December 7, 1891 par. 7]          "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself."                                                                   -    {ST, December 7, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 1]       December 14, 1891 The Vine and its Branches.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus, with his disciples, was on his way to Gethsemane, and, as his custom was, he used the things of nature to illustrate his lessons to them. He varied his messages of mercy to suit his changing audience. He had tact to meet the prejudiced minds, and to surprise them with figures and illustrations that exactly met their case. Thus his lessons struck conviction to the heart. He ever had a message for the illiterate, who could not read the Scriptures for themselves; and by voice and look and the expressions of human sympathy, he made the heathen to understand that he had a message for them. His character and the expression of his countenance brought warmth to all hearts, a yearning desire to know more. He himself was the living embodiment of the truth he taught, the essence of all spiritual life, example of the peace which he promises to all who come to him.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 2]          But this is a very solemn moment for his disciples. They are receiving the last lesson from his lips. Jesus does not allow his mind to dwell on the suffering that is just before him; he has a purpose,--to give his disciples a lesson that will be a benefit to them after he shall be removed from them. He would impress it upon their minds that, if they are successful, they must be constant partakers of the Spirit of Christ, whose blessing alone can make them fruitful in good works, in the conversion of souls.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 3]          From the beautiful symbol of the vine is drawn one of the most important lessons which Christ gave to his disciples. Whenever their eyes henceforth shall look upon the vine, this lesson of Christ's will be repeated. When they see an unproductive branch, they will know that that branch must be taken away; and when they see the fruit-bearing branches, they remember that such must be pruned, that they may bear more fruit. And all this brings vividly to mind the warning and instruction conveyed in the Saviour's words: "I am the True Vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away."  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 4]          "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." True faith will be revealed; for it works by love and purifies the soul. There is the renunciation of self, of pride, of all sin, and an entire reliance upon the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour. There is evidence that the soul has communion with God, is constantly seeking his grace, and imparting that grace to others.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 5]          But there may be an appearance of being united to Christ when no vital union exists. If you have not faith in him as your personal Saviour, you are symbolized by the withered branch, which will be taken away because it is fruitless. An appearance of Christianity and a profession of piety may place you in the church, but it cannot unite you to Christ. There is no virtue in having our names registered on the church books, if we have no vital connection with Jesus. If you have not a union with Christ, you will produce no fruit to his glory. Your unfruitfulness will bear testimony that you are not abiding in Christ, and that your formality is but a stumblingblock to sinners. You must draw life from the True Vine in order to bear fruit.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 6]          It is impossible to tell just when the useless branches will be taken away. God will give everyone a chance to repent, and will set all the human and divine influences to work to attract minds and hearts to Jesus; but if these influences are resisted, the time will come when a voice is heard from heaven, saying, "He is joined to his idols; let him alone." He did not represent Christ, he made no growth in grace, he had no genuine Christian experience, and gave no light to bless and benefit the world.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 7]          How carefully should we compare our life and character with the true standard! Are we individually fruit-bearing branches? If, after trial, we do not bear fruit to the glory of God, he will take us away. "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Growth in the knowledge of Jesus is essential. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." "But if any man love God, the same is known of him." There can be growth in grace only by a vital union with Jesus, represented by abiding in Christ, making advancement in religious experience, and becoming more and more intelligent in the knowledge of God and of Christ.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 8]          "Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." The entire Christian experience, from its beginning to its close, is marked with temptations and conflicts. But the more we look to Jesus, the more we think of him and love him, the more we shall grow into oneness with him; and the more our former lusts in our ignorance will be purged from us. The Lord Jesus has received power to impart his wisdom and blessings, that every soul may make improvement. There is no possibility of being in Christ as the branch is in the vine, and yet bearing no rich clusters of fruit.  {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, December 14, 1891 par. 9]          "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." This he said, referring to the lessons he had just given them. They were without excuse if they missed the way or became discouraged; for he had promised them the Comforter. He had told them he would not leave them comfortless, but that if he went away, he would prepare mansions for them, and would come again and take them to himself. If they loved him, they would show it by obeying his commandments. He told them he would give them whatsoever they should ask in his name. He could say no more to them in the line of promises than he had spoken. Everything depended upon their obedience.                                                                   -    {ST, December 14, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 1]       December 21, 1891 Abide in Me.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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." These are statements of the highest consequence to every one of us. Everyone who is indeed a child of God will be doing something in the great and solemn work of saving souls. Said Christ, "He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." Let each one of us ask himself: "What am I doing for Christ? Am I winning souls for his kingdom?" If you are not interestedly at work in the service of Christ, your interest and work are reckoned on the side of the prince of darkness. There are professed Christians who, by wrong words, deportment, and spirit, are doing a great deal to counteract the work that others are seeking to do for the Master.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 2]          Satan can so associate himself with a certain class who are weak in moral power that, by leading them to make a careless remark about being so particular, so over-righteous, so wonderfully conscientious, or by a careless laugh, he can create impulses for evil. Even the most secret whisper of an evil thought, a suggestion of wrongdoing, will be passed from mind to mind, growing in force, extending and widening, and all the time exerting its deleterious influence to separate souls from God, until the branches that bear no fruit are taken away.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 3]          Satan was a beautiful, exalted angel, and would have remained so forever had he not withdrawn his allegiance from God. From the moment when he ceased to exert his influence for good, he became an influence for evil. He might have been the center of a hallowed influence, loyal and true, being good, and doing good, but he would not. In separating himself from God, he became a power for evil. Each act of selfishness exerts an influence on others.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 4]          In the hands of Satan, temptation has become a science. He is the god of this world because the world has chosen him as its master. In Satan's hands, the world is a treasure house of evil, upon which he can draw for his weapons and help to do him service. It is dangerous for the followers of Christ to walk on Satan's ground, or place themselves in his power; for if they do this, they do a work in connection with him that will extend down through the ages, and be as lasting as eternity. In his temptation of our first parents, Satan could not force them to transgress, but he could suggest allurements to sin, and the mind that is open to his suggestions is the medium through which he works to allure other minds. That first sin is at work still; it is constantly being reproduced, as one mind is brought to bear upon another for evil. Satan is the root of all evil. Every evil branch draws its sustenance from him, and presents its unholy, poisonous fruit for others to taste.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 5]          How striking is the power of influence as here presented! And how necessary it is for each of us to know the character of our influence, when that first sin could bring such a flood of woe upon our world! Not an evil deed has been performed but an unseen witness has marked it, and followed its influence from one person to another, and a faithful record has been made of it. If men could only read the record of the past, a most solemn impression would be made upon their minds. The record of the future would be altogether changed in its character. They would see that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that their life experience must be in keeping with the way of the Lord. What a scene will be presented when Jesus shall open the book of remembrance, and read from its unerring pages the history of every soul!  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 6]          It is for our well-being, for our eternal interest, to heed the words of Christ, "Abide in me, and I in you." This work is mutual. You must choose to abide in Christ, and then Christ will choose to abide in you. The soul must feel its dependence on Christ, and that only in entire dependence can we receive strength to work the works of Christ. All who have lived to themselves, self-centered, should know that they are not abiding in Christ, and that Christ is not abiding in them. Let these souls, so full of self and self-esteem, determine now, in these last hours of probation, that they will take Christ as all and in all, and then in and through him they may exclaim, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 7]          In giving Christ to our world for the redemption of the human family, God planned to change the destructive tendencies of man's influence, and he lays special claim upon that influence, seeks to press it into his service, and by his Holy Spirit sanctify the ability. He wants to make man a chosen vessel unto honor, to be a coworker with him in suppressing evil, and extending righteousness in the earth. Christ, co-operating with human agencies, will restore man to favor with God. Satan planned to draw men's minds away from God, that the knowledge of God might become extinct, and that the human agency might, through his power, become a means of destruction; but Christ, the Restorer, came to counteract the work of Satan, to set in operation plans of the highest order, and by giving man a glimpse of the future world, and the exceeding great reward, to make him see things in their true light. With the golden chain of his matchless love, he would bind men to the throne of God. The plan of God was that the highest influence in the universe, emanating from the Center of all power, should be brought to bear on human minds. The goodness and love of God subdues the heart, and then man becomes a channel to communicate these divine impressions to his fellow-men. Thus in Christ he is a fruit-bearing branch. No man, saint or sinner, liveth to himself.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 8]          Christ sets in operation all good influences to oppose sin and evil. For every supposed sacrifice we make in his service, he has promised to requite us, but not as if he were in debt to man, as the magnitude of the gift shows. He has pledged his word to repay us a hundred-fold in this present life, and in the world to come to give us everlasting life. But that which to us bears the appearance of a sacrifice is not so in reality; for whatever Christ asks us to give up for his sake is only that which it would be to our injury to retain. And in its place he gives us that which is of the highest value. Every struggle against sin, every victory over evil, every holy principle exerted for God, he registers as a good work, and he who does it will be a claimant for his grace at the recompense of the just.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 9]          "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." Is this the test? Then is not here given a reason why so little is accomplished by so many laborers? They have not a living connection with Christ. The dry branch is to be united to the living vine, grafted into it. Fiber by fiber, vein by vein, the graft grows into the vine stock, until the life of the vine becomes the life of the branch, and the branch buds and blossoms, and matures its clusters of rich fruit. Jesus says to all, whatever their riches, their learning, their talents, their position, "Without me ye can do nothing." There is the soul dead in trespasses and sins, and how is that soul to be made a partaker of the divine nature?--By coming to Christ and connecting with him, as the dry, sapless branch connects with the vine, and thereby lives. The sinner may unite his ignorance to Christ's wisdom, his weakness to Christ's strength, his frailty to Christ's enduring might; and in this union there is confidence, love, and dependence. When this union is formed, the principle of the law of association takes effect, the will is surrendered to Christ's will, and the sinner has the mind of Christ. The humanity in Christ has touched our humanity, and our humanity has touched divinity. Thus, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. He then abides in Christ, living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. New and heavenly principles are received through mental, moral, and spiritual association with Christ.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 10]          Satan has tried to prevent men from receiving a correct view of God. Our ideas of God have become perverted. The true ideas have been lost, and the mind has been thrown into confusion in regard to him. Passion has taken the place of reason. To see God as he is, is to love and reverence him as supreme. To know God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, is eternal life. Satan knows that if the attention of men is turned to Christ, they will believe on him.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, December 21, 1891 par. 11]          The greater the efforts of Satan to accomplish our destruction, the greater is the victory achieved in overcoming them. The world's Redeemer presents the plan of the battle, with all the difficulties, and bids us count the cost. He does not wish his followers to be ignorant of Satan's devices. They must know what they will have to meet, and the preparation they must make in order to counteract his devices. He shows them the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against himself and his followers, but he makes it plain to them that they shall have the help of the Holy Spirit in the battle. Angels of God, unseen by mortal sight, will mingle in their ranks. As soldiers of Jesus they must put on the armor, for they "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." They could do nothing against such formidable foes without Christ to direct the warfare.  {ST, December 21, 1891 par. 11}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 1]       December 28, 1891 "If My Words Abide in You".  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you," are the words of Christ, which, abiding in the heart of the believer, transform his character. They are not a dead letter, but they are spirit and life. They are motive power to all action. If they are lightly regarded, nominally received, without working in us, they are useless, and will only condemn us in the judgment. We shall grow no better under their influence, but shall continually become worse in character, more careless, more self-willed, more filled with self-esteem, puffed up in our own conceit; so that we are worse off than if we had no knowledge of them. Christ's words are to a purpose, to lead men to will and to do. They are an impelling power, causing men to resolve and to act. But none are forced against their will. God's grace will not supply the place of man's co-operation. No amount of light, conviction, or grace can transform the character, only as man shall arouse to co-operate with God. The Holy Spirit puts forth its energies to break the power of Satan's attractions and temptations upon the human mind; but the will must yield, human co-operation must be enlisted, for this is the indispensable condition of salvation.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 1}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 2]          "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." What! must man do this work of himself unaided?--No, no. This is his part in the action, but hear the conclusion: "For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good-pleasure." Your will must blend with the divine will, and you must submit to the divine working. Your energies are required to co-operate with God. Without this, if it were possible to force upon you with a hundred-fold greater intensity the influences of the Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian, a fit subject for heaven. The stronghold of Satan would not be broken. There must be the willing and the doing on the part of the receiver. There must be an action, represented as coming out from the world and being separate. There must be a doing of the words of Christ. The soul must be emptied of self, that Christ may pour his Spirit into the vacuum. Christ must be chosen as the heavenly guest. The will must be placed on the side of God's will. Then there is a new heart, and new, holy resolves. It is Jesus enthroned in the soul that makes every action easy in his service. He is the fountain of all righteousness, the source of all happiness, the reservoir of all power. There must be a full trust in Christ's words, and Christ must be all in all to the receiver. Grace, truth, and joy will fill the soul.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 2}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 3]          "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Christ abiding in the heart will prompt right desires. Then we may press to the mercy seat, and in the name of Jesus, our Advocate, in the full assurance of faith, claim all that the soul needs. What a hold on heaven has everyone who complies with the conditions Christ has given! He surely is not left comfortless. He need despair of nothing; he may hope for everything; for he has a right, a guarantee from Christ to call at every step of the way for the divine agency to work with his effort, and to bless with that effort all with whom he associates.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 3}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 4]          "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." This is evidence of our being indeed sons and daughters of God, because we do the will of our Heavenly Father, and work the works of Christ. We have the mind of Christ. We do not devote our God-given powers to needless things, and so fill our minds and hearts with worldly cares and activities, that a sense of the great work to be done in connection with the Holy Spirit, is excluded. We realize our dependence on his aid in reaching those who are out of Christ, who know not the saving power of the truth.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 4}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 5]          The indolent professed Christian may well be startled by the words of Christ, "Why stand ye here all the day idle? Go ye also into the vineyard." Work while the day lasts, for "the night cometh, when no man can work." Let not the night find you belated, your work negligently done.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 5}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 6]          The worker is not to follow inclination, or to live day by day merely to amuse himself. God has intrusted you with talents, to be wholly consecrated to him. If he has given you but one, use that one, and you will certainly have two or even more to render back to the Master.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 6}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 7]          Active Christian influence Christ expects of us. We are to educate and train ourselves in the service of Christ, by constant activity, becoming efficient in work for the Master. "It is your Father's good-pleasure that ye bear much fruit;" not the least possible amount. Day after day is passing into eternity with its burden of record. What fruit are we bearing?  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 7}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 8]          "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love." Here Christ places us in the same position toward himself that he occupies toward the Father. With this intimate connection we should have much power in the work of saving souls. Nothing can be so valuable as this intimate communion with Christ. He identifies his interest with that of the hearers and doers of his word, as the Father identifies his interest with that of the Son, and this union with Christ means everything to us. "Continue ye in my love."  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 8}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 9]          The True Witness says to the church of Ephesus: "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly; and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." We must continue in the love of Christ. We must keep that love aglow on the altar of the heart, and this love, thus kept burning, will increase our love for one another.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 9}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 10]          "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." This is a wonderful requirement, to love one another as Christ has loved us. If we are doers of the words of Christ, we cannot harbor pride or selfishness. The purifying blood of Christ alone can purge away everything of this character,--all envy, all evil surmising, all thinking evil and practicing evil toward one another.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 10}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 11]          "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." Here again the Lord Jesus presents his relationship to the Father as the exact counterpart of our relationship to himself. Let these lessons, so full of instruction, be carefully considered. Nowhere else can be found such large and comforting assurances. Nothing shows so much as this how the Lord Jesus estimates the souls he came to save, and his purpose in exalting them to the closest, most elevated and sacred companionship with himself. He identifies man with himself before the Lord and the whole universe.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 11}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 12]          What a favor, what mercy, what inexpressible love, is thus revealed! This intimacy of Jesus with man can be brought about only through his taking upon himself our sins and imputing unto us his own righteousness.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 12}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 13]          "He hath made him to be sin for us, . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." If Christ is abiding in the soul, our prayers and works are wholly acceptable to God. Through obedience to all the commandments of God, we are accepted in the Beloved. We enter into the rights and privileges of Jesus, and the victories which he achieves.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 13}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 14]          All those who say, "I am saved! I am saved!" but do not obey God's commandments, are resting their salvation on a false hope, a false foundation. No one who has an intelligent knowledge of the requirements of God, can be saved in disobedience. Just so far as men have a knowledge of the words of Christ, so plainly laid down in the Bible, they will be held responsible.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 14}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 15]          In the fourteenth chapter of John much is said about keeping the commandments of God. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." No one can abide in Christ and treat the law of God with indifference and disrespect; for this would be arraying Christ against Christ. In a heart renewed by the Spirit of truth there will be love for all the commandments of God. Jesus declares, "I have kept my Father's commandments;" and all who love Jesus will live in communion with God and with the Son. Those who make so much show of rejoicing, saying they are in Christ, but do not obey the commandments of God, do not partake of the nourishment of the living vine. All who are grafted into the parent stock will have a vital union with the living vine. They will love that which Christ loves; their taste will be identical with his. Jesus plainly stated that when we treasure up his words and do them, we give evidence that we have that genuine love which makes us one with the Father. We are one in taste and inclination. The Spirit of Jesus fills the Christian with his love, his obedience, his joy. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 15}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 16]          Man has voluntarily departed from God. Jesus came to do a work which no other could do,--to bring man back to his allegiance to God. How unreasonable it is for fallen man to say that Christ's great work of redemption was for the purpose of making it possible for man to be saved in transgression of the law of God! If one precept of God's law could be changed, then Christ need not have died; but it was because the law of God was unchangeable, and would hold the sinner in its claims, that Jesus came and died, to reconcile man to God. His death shows the immutability of the law. The law of God is as changeless as his own character. Man's only hope was in the death of Christ. And in his death Christ bore testimony to the whole universe that Satan's efforts to change the law were an utter failure. Now it is demonstrated that even for the human beings that have been deceived by Satan and made to transgress the law, there can be no pardon except through the death of the only-begotten Son of the Infinite God himself, who suffered the penalty of man's transgression. And this is the testimony that in the judgment will condemn every transgressor.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 16}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 17]          Was such an infinite sacrifice made by the Son of God for the purpose of perpetuating sin?--No; it was not possible. There was no possibility that man, who had estranged himself from God, would be able to keep God's holy law. Christ died that he might, by virtue of his own righteousness, elevate humanity. He gave man another trial. Man, weak, sinful, ignorant, must look to Jesus if he would live. "Without me ye can do nothing." He has learned to be obedient to all the commandments of God, through Jesus Christ, who is made to him wisdom, sanctification, and righteousness.  {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 17}
[ST, December 28, 1891 par. 18]          "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me." He who is united to Christ is accepted in the Beloved. That soul is dear to the heart of God. The benefits of this union will be manifest. The child of God, abiding in Christ, will have the character of Christ. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Wherever a soul is united to Christ, there is love. Whatever else the character may possess, it is valueless without love, not love that is soft, weak, sentimental, but such love as dwells in the heart of Christ. Without love, everything else profiteth nothing; for it cannot possibly represent Christ, who is love.                                                                   -    {ST, December 28, 1891 par. 18}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 1]       February 8, 1892 "Ye are Complete in Him."  ［ABSTRACT OF  A SERMON AT MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, DECEMBER  19, 1891.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily." Now mark the following words: "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power."  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 2]          "Ye are complete in him." Is not this a wonderful statement? Notwithstanding all our various temperaments, our different defects and imperfections, notwithstanding the attacks of the enemy, his grievous temptations and suggestions, we are said to be complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. Very much has been presented before you in the words which I have read, but we shall be able to notice but few of the points contained in this scripture, in the short address which I shall give. But I desire that you should be able in some measure to comprehend the possibilities to which we may attain in our Christian life. We are to walk even as Christ walked, or the words of inspiration would not so present the course of the follower of Christ: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him."  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 3]          In order to attain to this high calling of God in Christ Jesus, you must begin the day with your Saviour. The very first outbreathing of the soul in the morning should be for the presence of Jesus. "Without me," he says, "ye can do nothing." It is Jesus that we need. His light, his life, his Spirit must be ours continually. We need him every hour. And we should pray in the morning that, as the sun illuminates the landscape and fills the world with light, so the Sun of Righteousness should shine into the chambers of mind and heart, and make us all light in the Lord. We cannot do without his presence one moment. The enemy knows when we decide to do without our Lord, and he is there ready to fill our minds with his evil suggestions, that we may fall from our steadfastness; but it is the desire of the Lord that from moment to moment we should abide in him, and thus be complete in him, accepted in the Beloved. God designs that every one of us shall be perfect in him, so that we may represent to the world the perfection of his character. He wants us to be set free from sin, that we shall not disappoint the heavenly intelligences, that we may not grieve our divine Redeemer. He does not desire us to profess Christianity and yet not avail ourselves of that grace which is able to make us perfect, that we may be found wanting in nothing, but unblamable before him in love and holiness.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 4]          "Well," I hear one say, "if that is what I must be, I might as well give up, for I can never reach that standard." But this is what you must be, or you will never enter heaven, and heaven is our desire and aim. But we desire to enter heaven, for there there is no disappointment, no sorrow, no sin, no one who shall say, "I am sick." There, there is no burial train, no mourning, no death, no parting, no broken hearts; and Jesus is there, peace is there. Oh, we must be with him, for in his presence is fullness of joy, at his right hand there are pleasures forevermore! And it is here that we must behold him, and become changed into his image. "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." Oh, it is important that we behold him here by the eye of faith, that we may be made like him, but what will it be to behold him as he is without one dimming veil between?  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 5]          And who is he?--He is the One who has made an infinite sacrifice in our behalf, the One who has brought eternal redemption to our view; and should we behold in him all he is to us, how gladly would we yield our hearts to him, to love him and obey him! Can we not do it now? Is there not need that we behold him by faith, and become changed into his image, when the world is covered with moral darkness like the pall of death, that we may reflect light into the gloom, that as we flash the light of heaven along the pathway of those who are in perplexity and error, they may see that there is brightness and attractiveness in the Christian's hope? But all this depends upon your reception of the Holy Spirit. It is your privilege to be anointed from on high, or you cannot represent Jesus as he is, and the world cannot take knowledge of you that you have been with him, and have learned of the Divine Teacher. You are to walk in him, to love him, because he first loved you.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 6]          Jesus did not seek you and me because we were his friends, for we were estranged from him, and unreconciled to God. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. But he has promised to give us his Holy Spirit, that we may become assimilated to his nature, changed into his image. Therefore we must put away everything like passion, impatience, murmuring, and unrest, and find a place for Jesus in the heart. We must have the buyers and the sellers cleared out of the soul temple, that Jesus may take up his abode within us. He stands at the door of the heart as a heavenly merchantman; he knocks there, saying, Open unto me, buy of me the heavenly wares, buy of me the gold tried in the fire, which is faith and love, the precious, beautiful attributes of our Redeemer, which will enable us to melt our way into the hearts of those who do not know him, those who are cold and alienated from him through unbelief and sin. He invites us to buy of him the white raiment, which is his glorious righteousness, and the eyesalve, that we may discern spiritual things. Oh, shall we not open the heart's door to this heavenly voice? He says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 7]          But everyone who is Christ's, who has tasted of the powers of the world to come, has crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. As the physical nature is sustained by the food we eat, so the spiritual nature must be sustained by the word and Spirit of God. God desires us to have a healthful experience. We shall be feeble and dying Christians if we have the experience described by the apostle as fashioned after "the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." It is Christ abiding in our hearts by faith that we must have, and then we shall manifest the fruits of the Spirit, which the word of God declares are "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 8]          But sometimes those who profess to be followers of Christ will say, "You must not be surprised if I am rough, if I speak bluntly, if I manifest temper, for it is my way." You ask us not to be surprised. Is not heaven surprised at such manifestations, since the plan of salvation has been devised, since an infinite sacrifice has been made on Calvary's cross, that we might reflect the image of Jesus? Will your way enter heaven? Suppose one comes up to the pearly gates and says, "I know that I have been rude and unkind, and it is my disposition to lie and to steal, but I want an entrance into the heavenly mansions." Will that way find an entrance into the portals of the heavenly city?--No; it is those who keep Christ's way that will enter there. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." If anyone thinks he can climb up some other way, he will find that it will not lead him to the mansions of glory. We want Christ's way, His life must be in us. Jesus has said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. . . . He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." We should study to understand the meaning of these words, for they are of vital importance to us. Jesus has explained their significance. He says, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 9]          We should take time to study the Bible, for we must know what saith the Scripture. The Bible is the garden of God, and as we see the lovely flowers of promise, we should gather them to our souls, for "exceeding great and precious promises" have been given unto us, that by these we might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.                            (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 1]       February 8, 1892 Faith and Works.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         God will work for us just in accordance with our faith. At the slow rate our people in many States are working, it would take a temporal millennium to warn the world. The angels are holding the four winds that they should not blow until the world is warned, until a people has decided for the truth, the honest of heart have been convicted and converted. Their power, their influence, and their means will then flow in the missionary channel. This is putting out the money to the exchangers, that when the Master shall come, his stewards may present the talents doubled in the ingathering of souls to Jesus Christ. But the wealthy farmers are some of them acting as if in the day of God the Lord only would require of them to present to him enriched, improved farms, building added to building, and they say, "Here, Lord, are thy talents; behold, I have gained all this possession." If the acres of their farms were so many precious souls saved to Jesus Christ, if their buildings were so many souls to be presented to the Master, then he could say to these men, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But you cannot take these improved farms, or these buildings, into heaven. The fires of the last days will consume them. If you invest and bury your talents of means in these earthly treasures, your heart is on them, your anxiety is for them, your persevering labor is for them, your tact, your skill is cultivated to serve earthly, worldly possessions, and is not directed or employed upon heavenly things. And you come to look upon the means invested for larger plans in extending the work as so much means lost which brings no returns. This is all a mistake, because the earthly is exalted above the eternal. While the heart is on earthly treasures, it can only estimate such; it cannot appreciate the heavenly treasure. It is fully occupied just as the devil wants it should be; and the eternal is eclipsed by the earthly.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 2]                               Burying Talents in the Earth.          Now there are many diligently at work just as though their salvation depended upon their wonderful economy in investing means in the cause of God, as though the least money they consumed in plans and efforts to broaden and build up the work of God was a virtue. And money is held in farms and in business as though their salvation depended upon the improvements to be made upon their earthly property. Do these men know that they are bound up in selfishness? Do these men know that they are robbing God every day of their lives? Do they know that they are devoting their time, their physical and mental talents, in laying upon the foundation, hay, wood, and stubble? All the improvements of years will be consumed with the fires of the last day, and if they themselves are saved, it will be only as by fire. Their whole life work is in ashes. The reward that they might have gained if they had been faithful stewards, is lost, eternally lost. A host of souls that they might have saved are not saved, because of their neglect. All their powers God had given them to prove them as probationers, whether they are worthy to be intrusted with eternal riches. And there are many whose testimonies have been heard in meetings in continual cautions, lest some advance move shall be made calling for some of their means to reflect light to the world. They are found so buried up with earthly things that they have no right estimate of the eternal riches, and would not prize heaven if it were given them. Their taste, their appetite, their pursuits, their inclinations, are all of an earthly, worldly character; they are unfitted for heaven; they perish with their treasures. All our talents are to be used to the utmost. We are required to develop our abilities by exercise until they have reached the highest standpoint in doing--your farming? your building?--No; but God's work, as stewards of the grace of God.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 3]          Your powers are to be used as a blessing to the world. To take God's intrusted talents and employ them for earthly, selfish, worldly purposes, and neglect the work of God in winning souls to Christ,--unfaithful servants is charged upon all who do this and neglect a sacred responsibility. It is a fearful thing to take the powers of the body and of the mind, given you to be employed to be a blessing to the world, and use them in such a way that God is not honored. It is also a fearful thing to fold up the talent in a napkin, and hide it in the earth, or world, for fear God would demand it of you. This will be the cutting off of our own hopes of an eternal reward; it is the forfeiting of the crown of life, and showing that we have no esteem for an eternity of bliss.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 4]                                  Transformation Necessary.          God calls upon you who have the precious light of truth to no longer have your time and talents devoted to selfish purposes, and thus lost to humanity, and lost to God, by folding up your talents and hiding them in the earth. All these talents must be employed to bring glory to the Giver. Accept your God-given responsibilities and take up your cross, denying yourself, or you cannot be disciples of Christ. God did not design that you should devote brain, bone, and muscle to earthly employments; he intended you should improve your talents to fill some grand and noble place in God's plans, in saving of souls, and in doing God's work. The selfish thoughts and feelings have dried up your souls. The moisture of heaven is not upon many of you. You are as dry as the hills of Gilboa, that were not visited by dew nor rain. Grand opportunities are being lost, and you are shriveled and dying spiritually of non-use of your talents. You cannot fulfill your solemn responsibilities to God unless you are transformed in character. Your unconscious influence in your spiritual attitude of selfish love of the world is saying to the world, "My Lord delayeth his coming." Your guilt is similar to that of the inhabitants of the old world. You are planting and building, and your works testify that you are not looking and watching and waiting for our Lord's appearing.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 5]                                  Accountability to God.          How can you, who are men and women blessed with so great light, so high and sacred privileges, render an account to God why you have done so little as his servants? why you have fulfilled life's grand works so unworthily? God lays responsibilities in your hands to do his work, to educate, to train all your powers to do his work with that efficiency which shall earn for you the, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Wherein does this faithfulness consist? in your withdrawing your interest, your time, your influence, from the work of God, and devoting all your powers to earthly, selfish purposes?-- No, the blessing will be pronounced upon those who yoke up with Christ in doing his work. Ye are laborers together with God. You will reveal to the world all the faith you have.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 6]          You are not all compelled to go to heathen lands; there are souls just as precious in the sight of God and valuable as your own soul right within your own borders. And how few, very few, workers are employed in giving the message of warning in the large cities? What excuse will you have prepared to offer to God for this terrible neglect of your God-given responsibilities? These souls unsaved within your reach, I was shown, will confront you in the day of judgment. You worshiped your farms, you worshiped your money, you prided yourself upon your wisdom as wise financiers in worldly affairs; but how does all this weigh with God? He said of the rich man, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? Now the application: "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." The Lord has given you light in testimonies of warning, of reproof, and counsel, but you do but little in accordance with the light given. The words of Christ are explicit, but you are not doers of his words, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 7]          Do you contemplate that Christ sacrificed his majesty, his honor and glory, to bring salvation within your reach, and save every son and daughter of Adam? He for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.  {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, February 8, 1892 par. 8]          "We are laborers together with God." When he ascended on high, he left his work in the hands of his followers to carry it forward, as he has given us an example in his self-sacrificing life. He went about doing good. Do you follow his example in this? Does your own business seem of greater importance than the precious souls Jesus came to the world to save? Oh, that I could open many eyes that Satan has blinded. Oh, that pen and voice could have an influence to arouse you from your paralysis. Oh, that you could see that you are doing nothing while all heaven is engaged in intense activities to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God.                                                                   -    {ST, February 8, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 1]       February 15, 1892 "Ye are Complete in Him."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Continued.)         "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." Does this mean that we are not to associate with the world?--No, for how then can you bring to them the light of truth if you do not come in contact with them? But you cannot do them good if your association with the world leads you to beg the world's pardon for your faith in Christ, for then you do not mould the world, but the world moulds you. Jesus has signified what is to be your position in the world. He says: "Ye are the light of the world." "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 2]          Since God has given us this assurance, why is it that we see so many clouded, mixed experiences?--It is because many of the professed followers of Christ have given heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. It is because they have not responded to the drawing of Christ. When you respond to the drawing of Jesus, you draw others to him by your consistent life and Christian example, for by faith you become rooted and grounded in the truth. You must search the precious word of God, that you may know what is truth.  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 3]          Jesus prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth. Let no one think that he can permit himself to indulge in any sin, however secret it may be, for God requires truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part wisdom. You need not feel complacency because you are sure that your brethren do not know of your misdeeds. Does not One who is acquainted with your brethren know all about your life? Does not he read your heart as an open book? You cannot indulge in sin and still be a witness for the Lord, for in works you deny him. Where is the holy boldness that should characterize your faith and prayers because you are not under condemnation before man or God? Where is your ringing testimony on the side of truth?  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 4]          If you are indulging in any known sin, you cannot utter words to the glory of God, because there is something in your heart that condemns you. The Spirit of God is not in your soul. But let the heart, with all its affections, be surrendered to God, and you will have joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. Your intellect, your ability, your soul, body, and spirit have been purchased at an infinite price by the Son of God, and all belong to him. And yet, though Christ has redeemed men, how few render to him that which is his own. How many rob him in thought. Oh, shall we not gird up the loins of our minds, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and hope unto the end for grace that shall be given unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ?  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 5]          We cannot enter heaven with any deformity or imperfection of character, and we must be fitted for heaven now in this probationary life. We want the deep movings of the Spirit of God, that we may have an individual experience, and be complete in Him who is the fullness of the Godhead. Through the power of the righteousness of Christ, we are to depart from all iniquity. There must be a living connection of the soul with its Redeemer. The channel of communication must be open continually between man and his God, that the soul may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. But how many do not pray. They feel under condemnation for sin, and they think they must not come to God until they have done something to merit his favor or until God has forgotten about their transgressions. They say, "I cannot hold up holy hands before God without wrath or doubting, and therefore I cannot come." So they remain away from Christ, and commit sin all the time in so doing, for without him we can do nothing but evil. Just as soon as you commit sin, you should flee right to the throne of grace, and tell Jesus all about it. You should be filled with sorrow for sin, because through sin you have weakened your own spirituality, grieved the heavenly angels, and wounded and bruised the loving heart of your Redeemer. When you have asked Jesus, in contrition of soul, for his forgiveness, believe that he has forgiven you. Do not doubt his divine mercy, or refuse the comfort of his infinite love.  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 6]          If your child had disobeyed you, and committed wrong against you, and that child should come with a breaking heart to ask your forgiveness, you know what you would do. You know how quickly you would draw your child to your heart, and assure him that your love was unchanged, and his transgressions forgiven. Are you more merciful than your merciful Heavenly Father, who "so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"? You should go to God as children go to their parents. Ask your Heavenly Father to forgive your errors, and pray that, through the grace of Christ, you may be able to overcome every defect of your character.  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 7]          Jesus came to this world to save his people from their sins. He will not save us in our sins, for he is not the minister of sin. We must respond to the divine drawing of Christ, and repent of our sins, and unite ourselves to Christ as the branch is united to the vine. Jesus says, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Jesus is drawing all men, and who will respond to this drawing? Many will be greatly influenced by the life and example of those who profess to have responded to this divine love that is drawing the hearts of men. Many will watch you who profess his name, to see whether it makes you better men and better women. They will watch to see if you are Christlike, kind and courteous in your family. The Lord has said, "By their fruits ye shall know them."  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 8]          Your home life will be an index to your Christianity. A man's religion before God is no more or less than the religion that is manifested in his family. Those who profess to be followers of Christ will reveal in the home circle just what is their attitude toward Christ. As the mothers brought their children to Christ that he might place his hands upon them, and bless them, so parents should take their children to him today.  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 9]         Talk to your children as though you would have them Christ's children. The agencies of heaven will co-operate with you in your work of drawing the children to Jesus. God is a lover of the beautiful, but that which he most loves is a beautiful character. These lovely flowers on the desk today are an expression of the love of God for us and for what is beautiful. Flowers are the adornments that God has made for the earth. Christ has said, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Jesus tells us that there is something higher for our consideration and aim than what we shall eat, and what we shall drink, and what we shall wear, and that is beauty of character, that shall last as long as eternity.  {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, February 15, 1892 par. 10]         Jesus would have the fathers and mothers teach their children of this beauty of character. He would have them teach their children that God loves them, that their natures may be changed, and brought into harmony with God. Do not teach your children that God does not love them when they do wrong; teach them that he loves them so that it grieves his tender Spirit to see them in transgression, because he knows they are doing injury to their souls. Do not terrify your children by telling them of the wrath of God, but rather seek to impress them with his unspeakable love and goodness, and thus let the glory of the Lord be revealed before them.                             (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, February 15, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 1]       February 22, 1892 "Ye are Complete in Him".  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         When Moses prayed, "Lord, show me thy glory," the Lord took this atom of humanity, and yet this mighty man of faith, and placed him in the cleft of the Rock, and covered him with his hand, and the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, 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." He first puts Moses in the cleft of the Rock, and this is where each one of us must be placed before we can see the glory of the Lord, for no man knoweth "the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." The glory of the Lord is his goodness and love. Then do not teach your children that God frowns upon them, but that when they sin they grieve the Spirit of Him who always loves them. Draw your children to Jesus.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 2]          But if you would draw your children to Jesus, you must not enter your home with cross words, with a frown upon your brow. If you come from your business weary and worn, just plead with God for his grace, for his restful Spirit, that your heart may be melted into tenderness, that your lips may be filled with words of kindness and comfort. Bind your children to your heart. Recommend your religion to them by its pleasantness. Your children are a part of you, and you do not want to have them separated from you in the day of Christ's coming. Give them a representation of the character of Christ, and let your home be as a heaven upon earth. Do not live in such a way that your children will feel that they do not want to go to heaven if father is to be there. Do not live in such a way that your wife will think heaven is an undesirable place if you are to be there, and let not the wife manifest such a spirit that husband and children will feel a relief in being away from her presence.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 3]          The religion of Christ will take away all the ruggedness of the character, and will melt and subdue the soul. It is the Spirit of God that we need, and we are looking for its revelation among us, even at this conference, and if this is to be, we must now begin the work of reformation by turning unto the Lord with full purpose of heart. Let the work begin, that the heart may be softened, and that Christ may mould and fashion you after his own divine image. But many feel that they cannot go to Jesus in confidence. They say: "It does not seem as if God heard my prayers. I have tried and tried to rid my soul of sin, but I cannot do it." Then say, "Lord, I am powerless, and I cast my helpless soul on thee." That is what Jacob did. All night long he had been wrestling with One whom he supposed was his enemy, but it was the great I AM, the mighty God, the Prince of peace, and just as long as he continued his wrestling, he found no comfort, no hope. It was a life-and-death question with him, and his strength was almost exhausted. Then the Angel touched his thigh, and he knew that he wrestled with no common adversary. Wounded and helpless, he fell upon the One with whom he had wrestled, just as you and I must do, just as any soul does when he falls upon the Rock and is broken. "Let me go, for the day breaketh," pleaded the Angel, but Jacob ceases not his intercession, and Christ has to make terms with this helpless soul. He cannot tear himself away from a soul wounded and helpless, and crying unto him for help. And Jacob pleads, with determined spirit, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Who was it that inspired his spirit of persistence?--It was He who wrestled with him, it was He who gave him the victory, who changed his name from Jacob to Israel, and said, "As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 4]         But many of you say, "The nearer I seek to come to Christ, the worse I feel." Did not Jacob have this very experience? Will you not be bruised and wounded as you see the wounds and bruises that sin has made in you and in your divine Redeemer in your behalf? Have you not felt distressed again and again as you have looked to yourself for merit? I have. And now the question is, What will you do? You can say, "I cannot wash away one stain of sin from my soul, I must come to Jesus--                       'Just as I am, without one plea,                       But that thy blood was shed for me.' I can only come, saying:--                       'Nothing in my hand I bring,                       Simply to thy cross I cling.'"  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 5]         You might say, "I'll give all my goods to feed the poor; I'll give my body to be burned," but that would not better your case. Man can do nothing to merit the favor of heaven. That which avails for the sinner is to accept with gladness the sacrifice that Christ has made, to appreciate his love, and to lay hold of his righteousness by faith. You are to realize that he loves you, and that you love him because he first loved you. Then you will feel that every power belongs to him. You take his free gift to you, and then come to him and give yourself freely to him. Say, "I come to present myself to God in the name of Him who has died for me. I give my heart to Jesus, and I desire his blessing and his Spirit;" and the power of God will come upon you.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 6]          But when you ask God for his blessing, do not mark out a way in which you think the Lord must give you that blessing. You will not always receive the blessing in just the way you think it will come. Just ask the Lord to give you the very blessing you need, in the very way in which he sees it will be for your best good. Let your prayer be, "Give me that which my soul needs in order that I may be a faithful sentinel for God."  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 7]          "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Can we not believe the promise of God, and know that he will do just that for us which he has declared. That which we need is the vital touch of faith, that we know that the mercy of God is extended toward us. God accepts us through Christ, and we are not to feel that we are of no value in his sight. He sent his only-begotten Son into the world to die for us, and we are to value ourselves in the light of the cross of Calvary. Jesus declares, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." And we may all be made precious in Christ, for he says, to those who feel their own weakness, "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me."  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 8]          If the life of Jesus were in you, you would be filled with vital energy. The church would not be in a cold, backslidden state, but we should see the revival of the missionary spirit. You would not rest in ease, taking the privileges of the gospel as if they were meant exclusively for you, but you would seek to extend the glad tidings of salvation to this and that relative, to this and that neighbor or friend. You would go to them, not in a Pharisaical spirit, but in the spirit of love, seeking to break down all opposition. You would melt your way into their hearts by telling them of the love of Jesus. You would select those for whom you carried a burden to present to the Lord in prayer, praying him to give you this or that soul as a precious sheaf for the heavenly garner, to bring to the feet of the Master.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 9]          We are all to be missionaries, and we are now on missionary soil, and it is essential for every one of us that we have the righteousness of Christ to go before us, and the glory of the Lord to be our rearward. My heart is lifted up as I think of the blessings that are in store for those who rightly relate themselves to God, and it causes a hope to spring up within me that we may be baptized with the Holy Ghost in this place. Jesus is holding out his precious gift to you, and will you receive it? It is the Comforter that he promised should come and abide with you forever. Thank God for this precious promise.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 10]          I want to glorify him by my words and in my character. I want to reveal to others that do not know him what a Savior I have found, that they too may love him. How important it is that we reveal the fact that we have been with Jesus and learned of him. Do any of us who profess to know him indulge in light, trifling conversation? Oh, do not permit your lips to utter that which will be as a stumbling-block to those who are looking to see what benefit you have received by your faith in Christ. Lift the minds of those around you to dwell upon eternal realities. God will work with the church, but not without their cooperation. "Ye are laborers together with God." May every soul of you who has tasted of the good word of God, "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 11]          The Father knows how you represent him to the world. He knows just what impression you make upon those around you. Your words and actions are all written in the books of heaven, and in order to rightly represent Jesus to the world, the converting power of God must be felt upon your own heart from day to day. When you go forth to the people, in the market-place, as you walk the street, in whatever occupation you are engaged, you are to have a living connection with God, and represent the character of Christ to the world. Jesus said, "As the Father hath sent me, so have I sent you." As Christ was to represent the Father, so the followers of Christ are to represent their Lord to men. Your life is to be hid with Christ in God.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 12]          Self must be hidden in Christ. There is to be no great I in heaven except the great I AM, and we must learn to lift up Christ before the people, realizing and rejoicing in the fact that he must increase and we must decrease. I would glorify his name before you, for I want you to be like him, to love him. Jesus says, "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." The saving salt, the savor of the Christian, is the love of Jesus in the heart, the righteousness of Christ pervading the soul. If the professor of religion would keep the saving efficacy of his faith, he must ever keep the righteousness of Christ before him, and have the glory of God for his rearward. Then the power of Christ will be revealed in life and character.  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 13]         Oh, when we come to the pearly gates, and have an entrance into the city of God, will any who enter there find room to regret that they devoted their lives unreservedly to Jesus? Let us now love him with undivided affections, and co-operate with the heavenly intelligences, that we may be laborers together with God, and, partaking of the divine nature, be able to reveal Christ to others. Oh, for the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Oh, that the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness might shine into the chambers of mind and heart, that every idol might be dethroned and expelled from the soul temple!  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 13}
[ST, February 22, 1892 par. 14]          Oh, that our tongues might be loosed to speak of his goodness, to tell of his power! If you respond to the drawing of Jesus, you will not fail to have an influence on somebody through the beauty and power of the grace of Christ. Oh, let us behold him and become changed into the image of Him in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead, and realize that we are accepted in the Beloved, "complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power."  {ST, February 22, 1892 par. 14}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 1]       February 29, 1892 Christ's Manner of Teaching.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When Jesus spoke the words of truth and life to the people, they were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. There was not an endless repetition of fables and maxims and customs, trivial ceremonies, to which they had been accustomed to listen. The object and limit of his instruction appears to have been to present the character of his kingdom, and the qualifications essential for those who would enter therein. He sought to enlarge their perceptions, that they might feel their dependence upon divine power, the work of the Holy Spirit to produce the change in them, that they might be the children of the light and the day.  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 2]         Jesus was to reveal the Father in himself. He said to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." While he spoke of his meekness and lowliness as that which all must learn, he sought to direct the minds of his hearers to himself as the center of attraction. He assured them that he was the bread of life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life." "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." Then, lest they should not discern the spiritual meaning of his words, he states definitely: "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 3]          Dullness of apprehension on the part of the disciples hindered the freedom of his communication. He could not unfold to them, as he desired, the spiritual truths connected with his work of salvation. The Lord's words have a depth, a breadth, and height of meaning that none but those who eat his flesh and drink his blood can comprehend. His sayings were to the disciples as a new revelation; but they were not new. He was but unfolding the old truths, long obscured. His teaching were to simplify the truth, to enlighten the understanding, to open blind eyes to the wonderful works of redemption, the divine revelation in regard to the doctrines of grace. By his own practice Christ substantiated every doctrine. He appealed to the Old Testament Scriptures, laying open in a clear light the spiritual bearing of truths that had become obscured through tradition and misinterpretation.  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 4]          The Lord requires the same manner of teaching on the part of all his servants. All who are laborers together with God should instruct the people that a life of personal piety, by simple repentance and belief in Jesus as the Savior of the world, prepares the soil of the heart for the reception of truth. The Holy Spirit makes us capable of apprehending the doctrines, and giving the true importance to every statement of truth, receiving it in the sense which Christ himself attached to it.  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 5]          The apostle Paul says: "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves, your servants for Jesus' sake. 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. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." If the love of God is abiding in the soul by faith, if the mind and heart are brought under the discipline of truth, Jesus will be magnified, self will be hidden, and Christ will appear as all in all. When, in all our efforts for the presentation of truth, Christ is made to appear as the great central light, the work will be conducted in meekness and lowliness of heart, and Christ will be with us to convict and convert souls.  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 6]          We should not feel that it is necessary to work ourselves up into a highly emotional state before we can reach hearts. We need not seek for something sensational to suit the appetite of the people, for something new and strange to startle them. Christ Jesus is the old and the new. His self-sacrificing love for man dates back before the creation of our world, yet it is ever new. It is the most marvelous theme that can ever be unfolded to human minds. Infinite condescension led him, with unchanging purpose, to advance to the cross of Calvary to die a shameful death, revealing to man what love such as Jesus possessed can do. God in Christ gave himself for the saving of the world, and the presentation of this truth will do more to convert sinners than any other argument.  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 7]          The reason why more are not turned from sin to obedience and holiness, from the service and power of Satan to the service of God, is that the teachers do not work in the same lines with Christ. They do not dwell sufficiently upon Christ's self-denial in lifting the cross and bearing it in behalf of man. As did the Master so must his servants do. His self-sacrifice in becoming the substitute and surety for man led him in the path of humiliation; and this was the appointed way for humanity. He was our example in all things. In Christ are the cross and crown united; and all who are partakers with him in his sufferings and humiliation here will, if they hold fast their confidence to the end, be partakers with him in his glory hereafter.  {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, February 29, 1892 par. 8]          These are truths that the people need to have presented before them. They may plead before God the righteousness of Christ, the love of God in giving to our world his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Lift up Jesus; talk more, a great deal more, of this only way whereby man may be saved. Dwell much more on the unselfishness of Christ. Present his love before the people. Teach men that their life is complete only when hid with Christ in God.                                                                   -    {ST, February 29, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 1]       March 7, 1892 Workers With Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         From the very opening of his public ministry to his last prayer for his disciples Jesus kept it constantly before them that they were to be one with him in his work for the recovery of the world from the slavery of sin, from Satan's dominion. When he sent forth the twelve and then the seventy to proclaim the kingdom of God, he was teaching them their duty to impart to others what he had made known to them. In all his work he was training his church for individual labor, to be extended as their numbers increased, and eventually to reach to the uttermost parts of the earth.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 2]          Just before his ascension he bade them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." This obligation was urged upon them again and again. On the day of his resurrection, in that meeting with his disciples in the upper chamber, he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. And he said: "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in this name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." And he added, "Ye are witnesses of these things." This great work required great efficiency. The tide of iniquity was strong. A mighty leader was in command of the agencies of evil, and Christ's followers could resist and overcome the powers of darkness only through the help that God should give them. Jesus assured them, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Here is the only boundary to their labor; it is to extend to the whole world. But first there is home missionary work to be done. Those who are nearest are to receive the first attention. Jerusalem would be the very hardest field of labor for the disciples. The most unpromising places are those where much light has been given, but where it has been neglected or despised. Here peculiar dangers would assail the disciples, as with the lamp of life in their hands they should go forth to remove the rubbish of tradition and reveal the hidden jewels of truth.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 3]          "Go," said Christ, "and ye shall move under the shield of Omnipotence. First labor among those that are nigh. Here you will gather some souls, who will strengthen your forces to push the work in the regions beyond. But you must work as one, even as I and my Father are one." "And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 4]          Thus the Lord Jesus makes provision for the aggressive work, and takes upon himself the whole responsibility of conducting the warfare, of supplying the needed qualifications, and he promises success.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 5]          His last act on earth was to bless his disciples, and while his hands were outstretched in benediction, he ascended to heaven, surrounded by the angelic host. The last lesson he gave his followers was that they held in trust the conveyance of his gospel to all the world. In harmony with this was his first work in heaven. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on the praying disciples, and they testified of its source to all wherever they went. Here the missionary spirit was poured out in unlimited power upon those who should testify of Christ and convince the world of sin.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 6]         The apostles obeyed the directions of Christ. They began the work in Jerusalem, where was the deepest prejudice against Jesus, where he had been crucified as a malefactor. Thousands received the message and were converted. The malice of the enemies rose high. Some of the disciples were imprisoned, but they were not intimidated. Even in the prison evidence was given that angels of heaven were in the army in which they were enlisted. When the high priest and the Sadducees "laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison, . . . the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." And when Peter was held in prison, to be offered next day as a sacrifice for his faith, angels came to open the strong-barred gates, and set the Lord's servant at liberty. The disciples continued to speak with all boldness the words of truth, setting forth Jesus, his ministry, his crucifixion, his resurrection and ascension; and daily "believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women."  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 7]          As success attended the ministry of the word, there was danger that the disciples would linger too long in Jerusalem and Judea, forgetful of the Saviour's commission to go to all the world. Then he allowed persecution to come with such violence that the disciples were forced to flee from Jerusalem. They were "scattered abroad," and so widely was the gospel preached that Paul declared, even in his day, it had been made known to every creature.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 8]          The commission given to the first disciples is given to us also. When Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel." He said also, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." We are to begin, as they did, with the home field, and to extend our labors to all the world.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 9]          The mission of Christ--how little it is understood! His infinite condescension in descending from the throne of heaven to the cross of Calvary --how little is it appreciated! Yet here is the source of every other mission. The messengers of the gospel receive their inspiration at the cross. Then, reaching out through all the circles nearest them, they are to encompass the world.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 10]          All the followers of Christ are to be laborers together with God. Filled with the Spirit, having the mind of Christ, in perfect sympathy with him, they are, in their sphere, to bend every energy to the salvation of souls. Christ expects, yes, requires all who claim discipleship to make this work their first consideration. Here all will show their real estimate of the claims of Christ, and their sympathy with him who gave his life for the saving of the world.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 11]          All who have received the message are to repeat it, and to all whom they have opportunity to reach. Christ would lift us from the narrow circle that our selfishness prescribes; he abolishes all territorial lines and artificial distinctions of society. He makes no difference between neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies. He teaches us to look upon every man who needs our aid as our neighbor, and the world as our field.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 12]          And the time to work is now. "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." Look out over the earth. See the vast multitudes of human beings in the darkness of error. Many there are who are longing and weeping for light, praying--to whom they know not. Multitudes who think they know God are yet in ignorance of him. There is need for the voice of Christ's messengers to be heard, as Paul's was heard in Athens; "whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 13]          All the members of the church, as reapers in the great harvest field, are to be earnestly praying and diligently working. Not once should they think or speak of failure. They are not to rely on their human ability, but wholly on the divine agency. If you are in the way of the Lord, his promise is yours, "Thy righteousness shall go before thee." We have no righteousness but that imparted by Christ. "And the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward." Angels of God will go before you, preparing hearts to receive the divine message; and the promised power, which is the glory of the Lord, shall be your rearward.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 13}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 14]          The Lord Jesus is our example and our efficiency in all things. Our means of doing good are never exhausted. Our source of power is the fullness of Christ. Upon this we may draw, and draw again. There is no limit to the supply. "Without me," says Christ, "ye can do nothing." But he also says, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." Therefore we are to pray without ceasing, for we have the promise, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do." When you make God your trust, and call upon him with your whole heart, he will be found of you.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 14}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 15]          On every hand there are sheaves to be gathered for the garner of God. But where are the reapers? The field is wide, and there is a place for everyone to work, according to his ability. He who fails to do something manifests indifference to the claims of Christ. If we are not, as faithful stewards, working for him, we are serving another master. Jesus says: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." Inaction in Christ's service is an evidence of positive hostility against him.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 15}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 16]          Professed Christians, Jesus is speaking to you: "Why stand ye here all the day idle? Go work in my vineyard." Work while it is called day, for the night cometh, when no man can work. We are never to set a limit to our efforts in his service, saying, "This will I do, and no more." It is enough for us to know that we are Christ's servants. The ransom money has been paid for our souls, and every jot of power or ability we have is the gift of God, not inherent in ourselves, and hence not to be employed to please or glorify self.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 16}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 17]          It is an exalted privilege that Christ offers to men, of being connected with him in the great work of salvation. And he who feels that he is not his own, and keeps his eyes fixed on Jesus, will grow into the likeness of the Saviour, his will becomes one with Christ's, and his influence for Christ is constantly increasing.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 17}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 18]          God does not require of the man with one talent the improvement of two or five. But he does require of every man, not merely the talent intrusted, but also that which might be gained by its right improvement.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 18}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 19]          The obligation which Christ lays upon us is so broad and deep that in fulfilling it we shall lose sight of self. There is no place for self-gratification in the work of Christ. He says, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Jesus does not present to his followers worldly glory, earthly riches, and a life free from trial, but he asks them to walk in the path where he has led the way. He denied himself, he endured suffering, he was despised and rejected, because the world knew him not.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 19}
[ST, March 7, 1892 par. 20]          Our Lord does not deceive his followers. He shows us the confederacy of evil arrayed against us, Satan, the mighty prince of evil, leading his hosts. But the Saviour tells us we are not to fight alone; all the heavenly intelligences will come to our help. Amid the darkness of the world we are to catch the radiance from the throne of God, and diffuse it, not merely to irradiate the surrounding gloom, but, as a church, we may unitedly shed a light that will extend to the uttermost part of the earth.  {ST, March 7, 1892 par. 20}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 1]       March 14, 1892 "Judge Not."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Christ does not here teach that members of the church who are unworthy shall not be dealt with according to the rules that he himself has given. And in this same chapter he warns us to beware of false prophets, and says, "By their fruits ye shall know them." But Christ puts his rebuke upon those who are criticising others, upon those who are self-sufficient, presumptuous, and censorious, judging the motives of others, and seeking to condemn them. This class give evidence that they are looking for failings in others, and these are what they will see and comment upon. They pass by many estimable qualities, to dwell upon and distort and magnify seeming inconsistencies.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 2]          The practice of passing judgment upon others is common, indeed, it is almost universal, even among those who claim to be Christians. Many regard it as a mark of superior discernment to criticise the motives of others. But in the light of the Saviour's words it is a very serious thing thus to sit in judgment upon another. The wisdom displayed in discerning stains upon the character of others is that described by the apostle James, which "descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 3]          When one by his words or deeds gives occasion for unfavorable judgment, the consequence must come upon his own soul. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." But it is not safe for finite man to take upon himself the responsibility of judging others, for we cannot read the heart. Self-centered human beings are inclined to judge according to appearances, and hence make grave mistakes. More than this, they are themselves imperfect, and for this reason are not qualified to sit in judgment on others. The Saviour says: "How wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." When one is very forward to criticise and try to correct others, it is too often the case that he himself has faults, of which he may be all unconscious, that are far more serious than those that he condemns, and thus even when he tries to correct others, his efforts may do far more harm than good. How much more when he sits in judgment to criticise and condemn!  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 4]          If men could see themselves as God sees them, they would have such a sense of their own weakness and defects, and would see such a work to be done for themselves, they would have such a sense of their own need of the long-suffering mercy of God, and the forbearance of their fellowmen, that they would have no disposition to judge and condemn others.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 5]          We need to put a restraint upon ourselves in this matter of making the faults of others the theme of conversation, or even making mention of them. It fosters in us an unhappy disposition, a habit of looking for evil, magnifying trifles. The habitual fault-finder looks at everything through a distorted medium, and, finally, nothing will look good, or amiable, or sincere in the life or character of others. When anything is said in their favor, he will stand ready with some accusation of evil.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 6]          Some excuse this habit of judging and condemning on the ground that they are nervous; and the nervous system has to bear the responsibility of a heart that is not garrisoned against the temptations of Satan. Pride is hurt when another receives confidence or respect which they do not. They have a high estimation of themselves, and this leads them to think they do not receive the attention which is their due. The grace of God is the only remedy for these maladies of the soul. The work of the Holy Spirit will be far more effectual in correcting this evil disposition than will the skill of the physician who treats the nervous system. The trouble is in the heart.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 7]          When Miriam and Aaron accused Moses, they were doing the very work that Christ here condemns. They were jealous of Moses, and this jealousy led to the exhibition of selfishness, bitterness, and almost hatred. They censured Moses because he did not consult them, and move according to their judgment. "And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?" Moses did not seek to vindicate his course, but God interposed. "And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow." Numbers 12:5-10.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 8]          He who spoke to the disciples in the sermon on the mount is the same that spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, and let the signal marks of his displeasure rest upon Miriam for her censure of one through whom God had chosen to communicate his will. God had laid the burden of his work upon Moses, and when others presumed to heap upon him the burden of their censure and condemnation, the Lord declared them guilty of a great sin. He judged and condemned her who had unjustly judged and condemned his servant. He to whom the hearts of all men are as an open book, read the hidden motives. He saw that the heart was leprous with sin, and he caused the plague of the heart to be revealed in the dreadful judgment of physical leprosy. As leprosy was sure death if permitted to take its natural course, so the leprosy of sin would destroy the soul unless the sinner received the healing of the grace of God.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 9]         Since we cannot read the heart of another, let us beware of ascribing wrong motives to any man, lest we find ourselves involved in guilt similar to that of Miriam,--condemning those whom the Lord is teaching and guiding,--and thus bring upon ourselves the rebuke of God.  {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, March 14, 1892 par. 10]          And yet how many there are who place the worst possible construction on the words and acts of others. By these would-be judges every little thing is scrutinized in the light of their own perverted understanding; and instead of considering that they themselves may be in error, as were Aaron and Miriam, they repeat their suspicions to others, who take up the reproach; and thus the very work is wrought that Satan desires to accomplish. This work is what is called "rejoicing in iniquity." Love "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things; love never faileth." This is the Christ side of the question. The opposite spirit has already been described. It leads one to dwell on all the faults of others, and overlook their good qualities. When an error is committed, it looks back to gather up all the similar deeds, and treasures up all these, to confirm the darkest suppositions and attribute the worst motives.                            (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, March 14, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 1]       March 21, 1892 "Judge Not."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         The Lord has brought his children into church relation that they may be benefited and blessed by associating with one another. All have not had the same education and training. Widely different circumstances have had an influence in forming the character. Everyone has his own ideas and habits, his own stamp of character.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 2]          We are in a school where there is need of constant watchfulness, not to mark the things that do not please us in another, but to guard ourselves, lest we, by word or deed, come in collision with our brethren or our neighbors. If love dwells in the heart, the feelings and words will be kind. There will be no harsh criticism or censure. Love must be nurtured as a tender plant if it grows to perfection.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 3]          Comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise. Let not the difference be made prominent. There are imperfections in human nature, and if one chooses the work of magnifying little things and becoming irritated over the faults of others, he will always find occasion. Until we cease to demand in others perfection which we do not possess ourselves, we shall find time to do little else than dwell upon the mistakes and disagreeable things. But it will be found that these are very poor food for the soul. Those who feed upon it are doing the greatest injury and injustice to themselves. They are developing character that will unfit them to enter the family of God in heaven; for if permitted to enter there, they would carry on the same work which has been their meat and drink here in this life.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 4]          There is a depth of meaning in the Saviour's words, that but few appreciate: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Paul says, "Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." And God declares by the prophet: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 5]          When we condemn or criticise others, we declare ourselves guilty; in the very act of judging them, we are breaking God's law. Our own character is revealed in the way we treat others. He who is censorious, self-sufficient, in judging others, shows that he himself is devoid of the grace of Christ. It is those that are blinded by the enemy to their own defects of character who are forward in criticising and condemning. Their own lack of the spirit of forbearance and love leads them to make a world of an atom. He who is watching for the defects of others, ready to accuse and condemn, is doing the same work in which Satan has been engaged since his rebellion. He links himself with him who is the accuser of the brethren.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 6]          Thus in accusing others we are passing sentence upon ourselves, and God declares that this sentence shall stand. Remember this, you who are so ready to criticise others. The sentence which you think to pass upon them you are passing upon yourselves, and thus it stands in the records of heaven. God accepts the sentence, your own verdict against yourselves. Are you willing to abide by it in the final day?  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 7]          God declares that he has committed all judgment unto the Son. Not to finite men, who can judge only from the outward appearance, but to Him who reads the heart, who knows the secret springs of action, and who deals tenderly and compassionately,--to Him it is given to decide the case of every soul. And those who take upon themselves the work of passing judgment or pronouncing upon the motives of another, are assuming the prerogatives of the Son of God. Are they not thus also linking themselves with Satan, the usurper?  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 8]          Jesus did not come to the world as a judge, but as the Friend and Saviour of sinners. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 9]          When the Samaritans refused to receive Jesus, because he was on his way to Jerusalem, the disciples filled with indignation, said: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 10]          With this example before them, how can the professed followers of Christ manifest so little of the tender mercy and compassion of their Lord? If there is in their number one even of perverse disposition, one who makes them trouble, how can they feel at liberty to cut him off from the church so readily, and treat him as an alien and an outcast? Let us be careful how we hurt and bruise the souls of men and women for whom Christ died. Suppose that one has erred, do not therefore thrust him into the dungeon of despair; do not pass him by with a harsh word, or with positive neglect. Let everyone who is charged with wrong have ample opportunity to explain himself, but do not bring him before a set of hard-hearted judges, who stand ready to magnify the wrong, and to pronounce condemnation. Do not take the testimony of one or two against him without thoroughly sifting that testimony. See whether the accuser is not, by his own unadvised course toward the accused, a sharer in his guilt, if guilt there be. Only those whose hearts are filled with sympathy, those who love as Christ loved, who realize the value of the precious souls for whom he paid the ransom of his own life, are qualified to deal with the erring.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 11]         When a man fails in business, not because he is dishonest, but through misfortune, or lack of judgment, do not seek to humiliate him, or to crowd him into the hardest places. Do not sit down and make no effort to help him. He is a soul for whom Christ has given his precious life. Many a man has been driven to desperation, and has given up in despair, because of the spirit of distrust and censure manifested toward him by his brethren, and these perhaps the very ones who did their part in bringing about the train of circumstances that helped or drove him into the hard place.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 12]          Even if you cannot help the man, do not condemn him; you yourself may sometime have a similar experience, and what you have meted out to your brother may be meted out to you. Remember that those with whom you deal have sensibilities just as keen as your own. A kind word, a helping hand, an arm thrown around them in compassion, may save them from ruin.  {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, March 21, 1892 par. 13]          "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness."                                                                   -    {ST, March 21, 1892 par. 13}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 1]       March 28, 1892 Tribulation Worketh Patience.  ［FROM A SERMON AT  OAKLAND, CAL., NOVEMBER 7, 1891.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us". I would that we all could continually bear in mind what Christ is to us, and what we are to him. If we could constantly realize this relation between Christ and our souls, we would rejoice in hope of the glory of God, even in the midst of tribulation. But when tribulation comes upon us, how hard it seems to rejoice; for we are like Peter, and look upon the troublous waves about us instead of keeping the eye fixed upon Jesus. But I would have you see the importance of keeping the eye fixed upon him who is the Author and Finisher of our faith; for when we take our eyes off the difficulties and trials and fix them upon our Helper, we shall see his matchless charms, and know that "all things work together for good to them that love God."  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 2]          The Lord would not have us depreciate ourselves, or think that he has forsaken us, when tribulation comes upon us; for we are of value in his sight. He declares, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." He places upon us a value equal to the sufferings of Christ, who died for us upon Calvary's cross; he clothes us with his righteousness; and when trial comes upon us, his eye is upon the purchase of the blood of his only-begotten Son. In this we are to rejoice.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 3]          The Lord will have a tried people. We are to be tested and proved, to see whether we are worthy of an entrance into the city of God, to have right to the tree of life. If we gain eternal life, we gain everything; and if we lose it, we lose everything; it would be better for us had we never been born than to lose heaven. It is only as we depend upon the strength and righteousness of Christ that we can stand the testing of God. We shall have to educate the mind, and again and again bring to our remembrance the fact that Christ has his hand upon us. With his own divine lips he has said, "Without me ye can do nothing," but through Christ we can do all things. It is not for us to mark out the way in which we shall walk; but if we take everything that comes to us as in the providence of God, even our tribulation will work patience, and we need not sink in discouragement while we look by faith to Jesus. When the fogs and mists rise here in Oakland, you cannot see the sun, but you do not despair of ever seeing the sun again. You know that behind the clouds the sun is still shining. And by and by the mists roll back, and the sun shines forth, and gladdens the hearts of men by its radiant beams. Then why should we despair when our spiritual sky is clouded? Can we not have faith that the Sun of Righteousness is still shining? Can we not say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth"? We should let our faith penetrate the darkness. It is Satan that casts his dark shadow between our souls and God so that we may not see Jesus; but by living faith we may keep him in view, and let nothing interpose between the soul and God. Then you will be in a position where you can rejoice in tribulation.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 4]          If I had given way to the attacks of the enemy, I should long ago have been out of the work; for Satan has been on my track ever since I started in the service of the Lord. But after all the trials and conflicts through which I have had to pass, I have only this testimony to bear: There is help for every soul in God. There is no respect of persons with God; for every soul for whom Christ has died is precious in his sight. Jesus loves every soul, from the least to the greatest. The entire family circle is precious before him, and whatever he permits to come upon us is for the purpose of perfecting our characters. He desires that we shall bring the solid timbers into our character building in this life, that nothing may mar our religious experience, or unfit us for the future immortal inheritance. We are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent."  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 5]          We may gain a better knowledge of God through tribulation than through any other experience; for we may then learn to trust God in the dark. Paul says: "For our light affliction, 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." Can we measure such a reward as is promised in these words, an exceeding and eternal weight of glory?  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 6]          We are living in the last days, and we read that "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." The powers from beneath are moving the people to take the measures that will bring the people of God into tribulation. Satan is ever seeking to weaken the church by bringing in dissension and discord, that we shall not fulfill the words of Christ, and be one as he and the Father are one, and so bear a decided testimony to the world of the divinity of Christ. But we must look by faith to Jesus, and the trial will lose its force, and no art of the enemy can avail to cripple our hope in Christ; for we shall realize that we have a Saviour who is mighty to save. Through the darkness of trial and sorrow, we shall be able to distinguish the marks of the crucifixion in his hands and feet and side, and shall hear the voice of the Lord of glory saying: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." Our whole future eternal life depends on whether we shall so live that our names may remain graven upon the palms of his hands.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 7]          We are to follow our Lord in the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice. We are not to choose the easiest path. The way that we shall be required to walk will necessitate the exercise of living faith; for it is by faith that we are to rejoice in tribulation, and send forth steady beams of light into the moral darkness that surrounds us. There are about us many who have not an experience in the things of God, and we are to be to them as living epistles to be known and read of all men. The Lord would have us receive that mould of character which will make us fit to be living members of the heavenly family. We are to shed forth light to those who are in darkness and the shadow of death. We are to put out our talents to the exchangers, using, to the best of our ability, the power that God has given us. Jesus is looking to see how you behave yourselves now, that he may judge you worthy of a place in the mansions above; that he may gather you home as children of his family, subjects of the Heavenly King. You are to clothe yourselves now with the garment that has been woven in the loom of heaven, even with the glorious righteousness of Christ, that you may be prepared to stand at his appearing, and be found worthy of a place at his right hand.                                                                   -    {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 1]       March 28, 1892 The Father in the Family.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The meaning of "husband" is "houseband." All members of the family center in the father. He is the lawmaker, illustrating in his own manly bearing the sterner virtues of energy, integrity, honesty, patience, courage, diligence, and practical usefulness.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 2]          His children are the younger members of the Lord's family,--brothers and sisters intrusted to his care by his Heavenly Father, to be trained and educated for heaven.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 3]          He should never correct his children while impatient or fretful, or while under the influence of passion. If correction is demanded, he should punish them in love, manifesting the unwillingness he feels to cause them pain. He should never raise a hand to give them a blow unless he can, with a clear conscience, bow before God and ask his blessing upon the correction he is about to give. He should encourage love in the hearts of his children, ever presenting before them high and correct motives of self-restraint. He should not give them the impression that they must submit to his control because it is his arbitrary will, because they are weak and he is strong, but because it is for their highest and lasting good and happiness.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, March 28, 1892 par. 4]          The father is in one sense the priest of the household, laying upon the altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice. The wife and children should be encouraged to unite in this offering, and also to engage in the song of praise. Morning and evening the father, as priest of the household, should confess to God the sins committed by himself and his children through the day. Those sins which have come to his knowledge, and also those which are secret, of which God's eye alone has taken cognizance, should be confessed. This rule of action, zealously carried out by the father when he is present, by the mother when he is absent, will result in blessings to the family.  {ST, March 28, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 1]       April 4, 1892 The Christian a Guardian of Sacred  Trusts.  ［FROM A SERMON AT OAKLAND, CAL., NOV. 7, 1891.］  -  By Mrs. E .G. White.  -         God wants every member of the church to stand faithfully at his post of duty, to realize his responsibility, and create a heavenly atmosphere about his soul by continually gathering the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness to shed upon the pathway of those about him. When you do this, you will be holy in all manner of conversation. You will not indulge in jesting and joking and in trifling conversation, because Christ will then abide in your hearts by faith, and you will have a realizing sense of his sacred presence.  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 2]          We are to be representatives of Christ, as Christ was a representative of the Father. We want to be able to attract souls to Jesus, to point them to the Lamb of Calvary, who taketh away the sin of the world. Christ does not clothe sin with his righteousness, but he removes the sin, and in its place he imputes his own righteousness. When your sin is cleansed, the righteousness of Christ goes before you, and the glory of the Lord is your reward. Your influence will then be decidedly on the side of Christ; for instead of making self a center, you will make Christ a center, and will feel that you are a guardian of sacred trusts.  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 3]          When you remember that Christ has paid the price of his own blood for your redemption and for the redemption of others, you will be moved to catch the bright rays of his righteousness, that you may shed them upon the pathway of those around you. You are not to look to the future, thinking that at some distant day you are to be made holy; it is now that you are to be sanctified through the truth. The prophet exhorts: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." And Jesus says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth." We are to receive the Holy Ghost. We have had an idea that this gift of God was not for such as we are, that the gift of the Holy Spirit was too sacred, too holy for us; but the Holy Spirit is the Comforter that Christ promised to his disciples to bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever he had said unto them. Then let us cease to look to ourselves, but look to him from whom all virtue comes. No one can make himself better, but we are to come to Jesus as we are, earnestly desiring to be cleansed from every spot and stain of sin, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are not to doubt his mercy, and say, "I do not know whether I shall be saved or not." By living faith we must lay hold of his promise, for he has said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 4]          We are to be witnesses for Christ, reflecting upon others the light which the Lord permits to shine upon us. We are to be as faithful soldiers marching under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel. There is to be no indifference, no stupidity among the followers of Christ; for they are to reflect Christ to the world, to serve God with the whole heart, to be watching, waiting, and praying, and not to be ignorant of Satan's devices. The Captain of our salvation knows the plan of the battle, and we shall come off more than conquerors through him.  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 5]          Do not continue to talk of your weakness; for Jesus came to bring moral power to combine with human effort, that we might advance step by step in the heavenward way. Let your faith lay hold on the promise of God, and if clouds have encompassed your path, the mists will begin to roll back. Let us not lose sight of the fact that the angels of God are ready to help us in every emergency. What could we do if we were left to battle with the powers of darkness unaided? But God has not left us as a prey to the mighty, for he has provided that his grace shall be our support.  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 6]          To every one of us is committed some sacred responsibility; for we are to show by both precept and example that the Lord is our strength and our Redeemer. By our lives we are to make confession of Christ; but you cannot do this unless you are crucified to self and to the world. The carnal affections and lusts must be denied, or you will never be able to endure the struggle and obtain the victory. You must be able to give the right testimony, and say, "We are abundantly able to go up and possess the goodly land." What is your condition? Are you putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof? Or are you settling down into hopeless lethargy and death?  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 7]          The enemy is working with an increasing intensity, and the powers of darkness are uniting with evil men to form a confederacy against the people of God. Shall we be able to meet every assault of the enemy with the sword of the Spirit? Can we follow the example of our Lord at every step, and when tempted to disloyalty to God, say, "It is written." Our adversary is acquainted with the Bible, and he knows that if you are to stand his fierce assaults of temptation, you will have to wear the armor of Christ's righteousness. We are not safe in placing ourselves on the ground of the enemy, we must keep our feet in the way that is cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, that we may not be as false lights along the shore. The Saviour has commanded, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." You should never rest until you know how to win souls to Christ, and give all the praise and honor and glory to God for your success.  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 8]          Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may lift us up. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. We must have the Holy Spirit, or we shall not be able to represent Christ to the world. The Lord has said: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 9]          Let those engaged in the office of publication remember that they are handling sacred things. Let them remember that the angels of God are round about them. Let them plead that the light of God's Holy Spirit may shine into the chambers of their heart and mind. Through the power of Christ they may be victorious over every besetment. Jesus says: "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." "To him that overcometh 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."  {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, April 4, 1892 par. 10]          How strange it seems that with all the assurances of God's love, with all the manifestation of his power in our behalf, many are cold and indifferent, even among those who profess to believe the truth for this time. They do not bear a ringing, living testimony to the praise of God, for their faith and love have diminished to a feeble flame. Oh, that we all might be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Oh, that we might be as vessels unto the Lord. We want to see all the folly weeded out of the hearts of those who profess to be followers of the Lord, that the joy of the Lord may come in. Jesus has said: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." I desire that you shall be saved with an everlasting salvation. I want you to be around the great white throne triumphant conquerors, to sing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" and lives again. I want you to be with Jesus, in whose presence there is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures forevermore. There, there will be no sin, no sorrow, no sickness, no death, no burial train, no sound of mourning. Oh, I want to see the King in his beauty. I want to praise him with an immortal tongue. I want to give glory to God, who has provided for us the richest blessings of heaven; for when he gave his Son, he gave all. Heaven's resources were exhausted in Christ, and all the treasures of eternity are at our command through the infinite merit of our Redeemer.                                                                   -    {ST, April 4, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 1]       April 11, 1892 The Knowledge of God is Life Eternal.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus saw how Satan had control of the souls and bodies of men, how he had cast his shadow athwart the path of humanity, so that men could not discern the love of the Father toward the fallen race. Satan claimed to be the prince of this world, and he held men under his power, and Jesus came to break this bondage. The mission of Jesus is set forth in his words by the prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 2]          From the time when Jesus entered into the world Satan was upon his track. The evil one was determined that the power of Christ should not be exercised to break men's bondage, and Satan and his angels, in league with evil men, were united against Christ and his work. But Jesus was not to fail nor be discouraged, and he steadily went forward to accomplish his mission. He worked his works of mercy, and rolled back the shadow of misrepresentation that Satan had cast athwart the pathway of humanity that they might not behold the love of the Father. Satan had filled the minds of men with heresy, and the truth of heaven was obscured by human opinion, superstition, and tradition. Jesus came to bring to light the precious jewels of truth, and to place them in their proper setting in the framework of truth, where their true luster might appear. He came to represent the Father. He said, "I and my Father are one." "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 3]          The enemy is continually seeking to misrepresent the character of God to us, and we should have the words of Christ abiding in us, so that when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord may lift up a standard for us against Satan. We want to have the precious jewels of truth to adorn our knowledge. We should prize the truth above everything else, and be like the man who sold all that he had to buy the field that contained the treasure. We need the light and peace of Christ in our hearts, we need to have our souls barricaded with truth, that we may know God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent; for the knowledge of God is life eternal. If we have a correct knowledge of the character of God, Satan will not be able to overwhelm our souls with doubt and discouragement. The enemy will come to you and say: "It is of no use for you to pray. Did you not do that evil thing? Have you not transgressed against God? and have you not violated your own conscience?" Answer him, "Yes; but Christ has bidden me to pray." He has said, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 4]          Do not listen to the enemy's suggestion to stay away from Christ until you have made yourself better, until you are good enough to come to God. If you wait till then, you will never come. You might wait till the judgment, but you would not be fit to come to Christ. It is today that you are to yield to the drawing power of Christ, and come to him as you are. He will continue to draw you as you come, until every thought shall be brought into captivity to him. When the enemy seeks to keep you from your Saviour, tell him that Jesus has said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And why does Christ draw you to himself?--It is that he may make you more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir. One soul is of more worth to Jesus than the whole world.  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 5]         Then if we are so precious to Jesus, shall we not seek to come into as close relation to him as is the branch to the vine? Shall we not abide in him as he has commanded us to do? The moment we separate from Jesus, the enemy knows it, and he begins to cast his shadow across our pathway, that we may lose sight of Jesus. Satan presents his specious temptations, that we may fall into sin, and then when we yield to his allurements, he has more power over us, and will keep the mind in darkness. Oh, let the tempted soul rise up, and in the strength of Jesus say: "I will have no more connection with the enemy. I stand under the blood-stained banner of the Prince Emmanuel."  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 6]          Satan will point to the filthy garments of those who have been in his power when they seek to come to the Saviour. But let the repenting soul repeat the promise of Jesus, "Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out." Let him tell the enemy, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." Tell the enemy that you know your garments are stained with sin, but that by faith you claim the righteousness of Christ. Turn to Jesus, and tell him all your trouble. Christ sees all your circumstances, and knows all your temptations and sorrows. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." What is it that is expected of you?--You are expected to open the door of the heart, that your soul may be illuminated with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, that you may be all light in the Lord.  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 7]          When the enemy tells you that you are a sinner, tell him, "Yes, I know it." The accuser of the brethren told the repenting publican that he was a sinner, and he dared not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but cried, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner," and he went down to his house justified. If you are a sinner, you need to seek Jesus. Your coming will not be unwelcome to him, for he invites all those that are weary and heavy laden to come to him, and find rest unto their souls. In the days when Christ was upon earth, certain Greeks came, saying, "Sir, we would see Jesus." All about the Master were those who were cruel and vindictive, who were seeking an opportunity to put Jesus out of the way, who rejected the Lord of glory, and how welcome was the request to see Jesus. The Master's heart warmed with satisfaction that someone wanted to see Jesus. When the voice of God speaks to the heart, and the heart responds to it, we shall hear the inquiry, "Sir, I would see Jesus." Heaven is all ready to receive those who would see Jesus. And now let us come to him, asking for the very things we need, believing that we shall receive them. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 8]          There are many who desire an evidence from the Lord as to what course they shall pursue. They want some tangible proof that they are in the path of duty. When the General Conference advised that I should visit Australia, I wanted an evidence that it was my duty to make the journey. In a few days after boarding the steamer I should be sixty-five years old, and it seemed like a great undertaking for a woman of my age to come across the ocean; but no evidence came, so I took my journey, trusting in the Lord, and wholly by faith. I had no evidence but the word of God, for Christ has declared, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me ... unto the uttermost part of the earth." I knew that if God had directed me to this land, it was that I might give the message that he had given me, and I have every reason to praise God, for he has preserved me in health on the voyage. Thank God for that.  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 9]          The best evidence that we can have is the word of God. There are many who, like the Jews, are ready to cry out, "Show us a sign, work us a miracle." But is there not a miracle performed every time a soul who is at enmity with God is converted, and learns to love God and to keep his commandments? 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 has to be put into the heart by the manifestation of divine power. It is a miracle when the heart is changed, and we love Jesus, and desire to do those things that please him. We then want to come into close unity with him, and be connected with him as is the branch with the vine. How closely the branch adheres to the vine, drawing sap and nourishment from the stock, until it blossoms and bears fruit. Those who truly know the Lord do not regard it a task to serve their Master. They do not count it a hardship to deny self for his sake, and to be colaborers with him for the salvation of souls.  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 10]          Let us elevate our souls by faith in Christ, for he alone can cleanse us from sin, and purify us from all unrighteousness. Without him we can do nothing. Let us be true to God; let us pray that the Holy Spirit may be poured out upon us. The Lord has said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." The Holy Spirit is the gift of God; will we take it? Will we say, "I will place my hand in the hand of Jesus; I have no power, no merit, of my own"?        "Nothing in my hand I bring,         Simply to thy cross I cling."  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 11]          I point you to the cross of Calvary. The cross is everything to us. It is the pledge of our salvation, the pledge that we shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. It is to be our support in every trial, our refuge in every sorrow. It is the assurance to us that the Father loves us, and has given his Son for us. It is the assurance to us that our joy may be full.  {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, April 11, 1892 par. 12]          Oh, shall we go mourning along the way to Mount Zion?--No; let us make melody in our hearts unto the Lord. There is a path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, and we are on our way to the haven of rest. Let us go forward united to Christ as closely as is the branch to the vine, with our life hid with Christ in God.                                                                   -    {ST, April 11, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 1]       April 18, 1892 The Conditions of Fruit Bearing.  ［SERMON  AT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, DECEMBER 11, 1891.］    By Mrs. E. G. White.  -       The Saviour said: "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. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 2]          What great reason we have to praise God for the wonderful promises contained in these words; and shall we not let gratitude spring up in our hearts as we meditate upon the provisions that have been made for our salvation? Shall not all distrust and doubt be banished from our souls, that we may give evidence that we have indeed been grafted into the living Vine? Jesus says, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." In all the teachings of Christ he seeks to unfold to us the relation he sustains to us, and the relation we should sustain to him, by revealing his relation to the Father, and the Father's love to him.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 3]          "These things," said Christ, "have I spoken unto you," that you should be sad and discouraged, wavering and distrustful?--No; but "that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." Christ desires that we should be happy, and he points out the way in which we may have fullness of joy. Is there anything more that we can desire? Is not this completion of joy, the joy of Christ, fulfilled in you? God has made provision that this joy may be yours.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 4]          Jesus saw that man was plunged in sin and misery, and had not moral power to overcome in his own strength, so Jesus gave himself, that he might unite man with himself, and make provision that sinners might lay hold of his strength and make peace with God. When Adam and Eve transgressed, Jesus said: "I will take upon me the sin of the fallen race. I will bear the penalty of sin, that I may impart to men my strength and righteousness." When Jesus came to the world it was as our substitute and surety. He passed through all the experiences of man, from the manger to Calvary, at every step giving man an example of what he should be and what he should do. Behold him on the banks of the Jordan, asking for baptism at the hands of John. "But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 5]          What does this scene mean to us? How thoughtlessly we have read the account of the baptism of our Lord, not realizing that its significance was of the greatest importance to us, and that Christ was accepted of the Father in man's behalf. As Jesus bowed on the banks of Jordan and offered up his petition, humanity was presented to the Father by him who had clothed his divinity with humanity. Jesus offered himself to the Father in man's behalf, that those who had been separated from God through sin, might be brought back to God through the merits of the divine Petitioner. Because of sin the earth had been cut off from heaven, but with his human arm Christ encircles the fallen race, and with his divine arm he grasps the throne of the Infinite, and earth is brought into favor with heaven, and man into communion with his God. The prayer of Christ in behalf of lost humanity cleaved its way through every shadow that Satan had cast between man and God, and left a clear channel of communication to the very throne of glory. The gates were left ajar, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God, in the form of a dove, encircled the head of Christ, and the voice of God was heard saving, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 6]          The voice of God was heard in answer to the petition of Christ, and this tells the sinner that his prayer will find a lodgment at the throne of the Father. The Holy Spirit will be given to those who seek for its power and grace, and will help our infirmities when we would have 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." We are to come in faith, believing that we shall obtain the very things we ask of him.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 7]          Christ would have his joy fulfilled in us. He would have us abide in him, that we may bring forth much fruit. The only thing for which each should have anxiety is to know how it is with his soul. The question to put to ourselves is, "Am I fighting the good fight of faith? Am I a living graft in the True Vine? Am I a branch of the parent stock, drawing sap and nourishment from Jesus?" How shall we know how to answer this question? Jesus has said, "By their fruits ye shall know them." And our fruits are dependent upon our abiding in Christ. Jesus says, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 8]          What is it to bear fruit? It is not all comprised in coming to meeting once a week, and bearing our testimony in prayer or social meeting. We are to be found day by day abiding in the Vine, and bringing forth fruit, with patience, at our home, in our business; and in every relation in life manifesting the Spirit of Christ. There are many who act as though they thought an occasional connection with Christ was all that was necessary, and that they can be accounted living branches because at times they make confession of Christ. But this is a fallacy. The branch is to be grafted into the Vine, and to abide there, uniting itself to the Vine fiber by fiber, drawing its daily supply of sap and nourishment from the root and fatness of the Vine, until it becomes one with the parent stock. The sap that nourishes the Vine must nourish the branch, and this will be evident in the life of him who is abiding in Christ; for the joy of Christ will be fulfilled in him who walks not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 9]          Our professions are worthless unless we abide in Christ; for we cannot be living branches unless the vital qualities of the Vine abound in us. In the genuine Christian the characteristics of his Master will appear, and when we reflect the graces of Christ in our lives and characters, the Father loves us as he loves his Son. When this condition is fulfilled in those who profess to believe the present truth, we shall see a prosperous church; for its members will not live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and they will be flourishing branches of the living Vine.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 10]          If Jesus is with you, all the heavenly intelligences will minister unto you. The apostle says, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" All heaven is interested in the salvation of men. Jesus says, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Then when we bow in prayer, let us remember that Jesus is with us. When we go into the house of God, let us remember that we are not going into the place of worship alone. We bring Jesus with us. If the people of God could have a realizing sense of this fact, they would not be inattentive hearers of the word. There would not be a cold lethargy upon hearts, so that those who profess his name cannot speak of his love. If we had a realizing sense of the fact that all heaven is bending over us, anxious to bless us, we would not see the indifferent, listless worship that so much characterizes the service of our churches in this day. We have altogether too low ideas of what it means to be Christians, of what the service of God requires. Jesus came to be our example, to teach us that the Father seeketh those to worship him who worship him in spirit and in truth.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 11]          Jesus came to the world not as an angel of light; we could not have endured his glory if he had come thus. One angel at the tomb of Christ was of such exceeding brightness that the Roman guard fell powerless to the ground. As the angel came from the heavens, he parted the darkness from his track, and the sentinels could not endure his glory; they fell as dead men to the earth. Suppose that Jesus had come in the glory of an angel, his brightness would have extinguished the feeble life of mortal men. For our sake Jesus emptied himself of his glory; he clothed his divinity with humanity that he might touch humanity, that his personal presence might be among us, that we might know that he was acquainted with all our trials, and sympathized with our grief, that every son and daughter of Adam might understand that Jesus is the friend of sinners. But he left not his divinity without a witness. Again and again in his sojourn on earth, divinity flashed through humanity, and the glory of God was manifested among men. At one time the priests and rulers, who hated Christ and who were studying how they might put him to death, sent the officers to take Jesus; but when the officers came into his presence, they were spellbound at his words. They listened entranced to the gracious utterances of his lips, and when they returned without taking him prisoner, the priests and rulers asked, "Why have ye not brought him?" The officers replied. "Never man spake like this man." They had been charmed with his words, which had seemed to them as precious jewels. They had listened in utter forgetfulness of their errand, and had returned pondering his teaching. Divinity had flashed through humanity, and they had been deeply impressed, and would not lay hands upon him.  {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, April 18, 1892 par. 12]          This was the Saviour who had come to fight our battles for us; for he alone could conquer the powers of darkness. "Wherefore in all things it behooved 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 succor them that are tempted." "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. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."                                                                   -    {ST, April 18, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 1]       April 25, 1892 The Purpose and Plan of Grace.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         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; "known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." Therefore redemption was not an afterthought--a plan formulated after the fall of Adam--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.  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 2]          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. The Lord of heaven and earth revealed his glory to Moses, when he offered his prayer to Jehovah in behalf of idolatrous Israel, and pleaded, "Show me thy glory." And the Lord said: "I will make all my goodness to 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. . . . And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock." "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, 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." Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock when the glory of the Lord was revealed to him, and it is when we are hidden in Christ that we obtain some view of the majesty and love of God.  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 3]          The prayer of Moses was heard and answered, and we also may present our earnest petitions to God, and receive of his grace and power. Jesus has said: "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." The promises of God are not yea and nay, but yea and amen in Christ. If we would importune God, laying before him our needs in simplicity, with unfaltering confidence, in the name of Christ, we should receive of the abundance of the blessing of God. Tell the Lord exactly what you want in the way of spiritual blessings; and you need not fear to lay before him your temporal needs and perplexities. He has said: "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." He has said: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." "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." "Him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out."  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 4]          It is the privilege of every follower of Christ to behold the glory of God, to understand his goodness, and know that he is a God of infinite mercy and love. Jesus has said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Jesus came to reveal the Father, to make his glory known before the children of men. No one was excluded from the privileges of the gospel. Jesus stooped from infinite greatness, from indescribable glory, and assumed the nature of man, and to him who had known such exaltation, who had suffered such humiliation, the rank and caste and distinctions of human society seemed trivial and unworthy. The exaltation of the great had no influence upon his mind. Christ had come to deliver man from the terrible power of the enemy, and to him who had so great a mission to accomplish, poverty and humiliation, discomfort and reproach, seemed insignificant. When one came to Christ, thinking that the Saviour was to establish a temporal kingdom and would have honors to bestow upon those who advocated his cause, Jesus said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." Jesus made the worlds; for "without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. . . . He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 5]          Indulgence and ease and luxury were unknown to the Son of God. Had he presented himself to the world in worldly pomp and state, it would have been out of harmony with his lowly birth and humble life. Jesus chose to take the position of the lowly, and not the state of those who had power and wealth and influence. He did not design that outward display should attract men to him; the power of celestial truth was to be the drawing power. Sinless and exalted by nature, he consented to take the habiliments of humanity, to become one with the fallen race. In the nature of man he took the risk of meeting the temptations of the fallen angel, permitting himself to be tried on every point wherewith man was tempted.  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 6]          Satan gloried in the opportunity of thus besieging the Son of God. Because he had taken upon him the nature of man, Satan deemed that the victory was certain, and with every malignant device in his power, he strove to overcome Christ. The issues at stake were beyond the comprehension of man, and the steadfast resistance of Christ to the temptation of the enemy brought the whole confederacy of evil to war against him. In an unpitying confederacy, men and evil angels united their forces, and arrayed themselves against the Prince of peace. The temptations that assailed Christ were as much more intense and subtle in their character than those which assail man as his nature was purer and more exalted than is the nature of man in its moral and physical defilement. In his conflict with the prince of darkness in this atom of a world, Christ had to meet the whole confederacy of evil, the united forces of the adversaries of God and man.  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 7]          How Satan and his angels triumphed as they discovered that the Son of God had taken upon him the nature of man, and had come to be man's substitute, to engage in the conflict in his behalf.  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 8]          The human family had been overpowered by the deceptions of the enemy; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and it was the enemy's hope that Christ also would be a victim to his seductive wiles; but at every point he met the tempter and put him to flight. Christ was the conqueror over the powers of darkness. We do not comprehend the infinite condescension of Christ in consenting to war with the enemy, or the infinite risk he ventured in engaging in the great controversy in our behalf.  {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, April 25, 1892 par. 9]          The mystery of the gospel had been spoken in Eden when the lost pair were first in the guilt of transgression, for God said to the serpent, "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." If Satan could have touched the head with his specious temptations, the human family would have been lost; but the Lord had made known the purpose and plan of the mystery of grace; 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."                                                                   -    {ST, April 25, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 1]       May 2, 1892 The Fullness of Christ's Grace.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Although the Saviour had no wealth, displayed no outward grandeur, came with no worldly pomp, yet his words of promise, of command, of reproof, were uttered with the dignity of goodness, greatness, and power. The people listened with wonder and admiration, and the impression made upon their minds was expressed by the officers who came to take him, in obedience to the command of the rulers and priests. They listened entranced to his words of heavenly wisdom, and, forgetting their errand, they returned without their prisoner. The priests and rulers asked, "Why have ye not brought him?" and they answered, "Never man spake like this man."  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 2]          No one could listen to his gracious words and escape the conviction that he was a being of superior goodness and wisdom. The emotions of his listeners changed from admiration of his eloquence to desire to attain to the lofty character which he presented, both by precept and example. As he discoursed on themes of eternal interest, they hung upon his words as if spellbound under their power. Those who were thus attracted to the vital truths which Christ presented, were standing on holy ground, near to the rivers of the water of life. With what deep, impressive power he called to the multitudes on the last day of the feast, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." At another time he declared, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 3]          Christ is an open fountain, an inexhaustible fountain, from which men may drink and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. But none will ever come to him save those who will respond to the drawing of his love. None will feed on the bread of life which came down from heaven, no one will drink of the water of life flowing down from the throne of God, save those who yield to the pleadings of the Spirit. Since God has given the treasures of heaven in the gift of his only-begotten Son, how shall the sinner escape who neglects so great salvation, and sets at naught the great provision of God? The justice of God is manifested in the condemnation of all who are finally impenitent and unbelieving. There will be no excuse for the sinner who willfully rejects and neglects so great salvation.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 4]          The gift of life has been freely, graciously, joyously offered to fallen man. Through Christ we may become partakers of the divine nature, and obtain the gift of eternal life; for it has been abundantly provided for all who will come and receive it through God's appointed means. When Paul beheld the wonders of redemption and the foolishness of those who did not comprehend its nature, he exclaimed, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 5]          Jesus said, "Ye also have seen me, and believe not." How had they seen him?--By the eye of faith, by the witness of the Holy Spirit, by the revelation of Christ to their souls. But they had resisted the work of the Holy Spirit, until the impression of the precious truth of Christ wore away their hearts. They did not give heed to their convictions. They did not cultivate their faith, but indulged in questioning and caviling until they were hardened in unbelief and rebellion.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 6]          Those who go on to know the Lord know that his goings forth are prepared as the morning, and everyone who receives the precious jewels of truth will hasten to impart the knowledge of his riches in Christ to those who are around him. When men respond to the drawing of Christ and view Jesus as the royal Sufferer on the cross of Calvary, they enter into oneness with Christ, they become the elect of God, not by works of their own, but through the grace of Christ; for all their good works are wrought through the power of the Spirit of God. All is of God, and not of themselves. The Lord chose us by his Spirit. Jesus says, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 7]          The fruit we are to bring forth is the fruit of the Spirit. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Your fruit is to remain, to be of such a character that it shall not perish, but reproduce after its kind a harvest of a precious order.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 8]          The grace of Jesus Christ alone can change the heart of stone to a heart of flesh, and make it alive unto God. Men may perform great deeds in the eyes of the world; their achievements may be many and of a high order in the sight of men, but all the talent, all the skill, all the ability of the world will fail to transform the character and make a degraded child of sin a child of God, an heir of heaven. Men have no power to justify the soul, to sanctify the heart. Moral disease cannot be healed save through the power of the great Physician. The highest gift of heaven, even the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, is alone able to redeem the lost. What gratitude, what love, should fill our hearts as we contemplate the love of God! The heart should be softened and subdued as we meditate upon the risk that Jesus took in order that man might be elevated and restored. The world's Redeemer endured sufferings commensurate to all the guilt of a lost world. The sacrifice of Christ on Calvary's cross is a consideration that surpasses all the overwhelming power of sin; and when a sense of sin presses upon the heart of the sinner, and the burden seems intolerable, Jesus invites him to look to him and live. There is power in Christ to cleanse the soul. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 9]          How the wondrous provision of the plan of God for the salvation of men widens and exalts our ideas of the love of God! How it binds our hearts to the great heart of Infinite Love! How it makes us delight in his service, as our hearts respond to the drawing of his loving-kindness and tender mercy! John calls upon men to behold the marvelous love of God. He exclaims: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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."  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 10]          This is the work that is before us. We are to have the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Through faith our lives are to be hid with Christ in God. We shall then be God's hidden ones; for the value of Christian character is not discerned by the world. The world admire honesty, and the manifestations of the virtues and graces of Christian character; but at the same time they make a jest of true Christian conscientiousness, because it is a rebuke to their own lives of sin. The living stones that shine in the spiritual temple of the Lord are a great annoyance to Satan, and he ever seeks to cut off the light, and eclipse the Sun of Righteousness, by interposing his shadow between the soul and God.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 11]          But Jesus says unto us: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." The Lord would save us from the corruptions of the world; for he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Jesus, our precious Saviour, has redeemed us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has clothed us with the garments of salvation, even in his own robe of righteousness. Christians are to be clothed with humility as with a garment, and not to be prominent in the world, seeking for position or popularity. If heaven has sent you to be indeed light bearers amid the moral darkness, you will be content to shine in any place which God may assign to you. The praise of men, the attraction of the world, its pleasures, its amusements, its bribes, will all be powerless to win the true Christian from his allegiance to God. Neither will threatening, persecution, loss of liberty or life, induce him to turn from the commandments of God, to obey the dictates of men. He will fill his appointed place, and let his light so shine before men that they may see his good works, and glorify his Father who is in heaven.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 12]          Before men and angels, Christians are required to show by precept and example the value of Christian character. Those who receive Christ as their personal Saviour will be able to do this, and for them Christ has gone to prepare mansions in heaven. There are some who declare that all men are entitled to a place in heaven, and in the same breath they acknowledge that all men are not fitted for that heavenly abode. If all men would but accept the truth as it is in Jesus, and give it a place in the inner sanctuary of the soul, that they might become sanctified through it, they would be fitted for heaven.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, May 2, 1892 par. 13]          A title to a possession in this world must be without flaw, or it is valueless, and the right of inheritance is not given. And will heaven be given to those who have a faulty title? The apostle reveals the line through which the heavenly inheritance is to come. He says: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." If we are Christ's, our title to the heavenly inheritance is without flaw, for we are then under the only saving covenant, the covenant of grace; and through grace we shall be able to make our calling and election sure by putting on the excellency of Christ in faith, in spirit, in character; for no one will be entitled to the heavenly inheritance who has not been purified, refined, ennobled, elevated, and wholly sanctified. Those whose lives are hid with Christ in God, who have been clothed upon with his righteousness, will have a right to the inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.  {ST, May 2, 1892 par. 13}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 1]       May 9, 1892 The Beatitudes.  ［SERMON AT N. FITZROY,  VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, DECEMBER 13, 1892.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         I want to speak to you today from the words of the Saviour found in Matthew the fifth chapter. "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him." As far as possible we should try to bring before us the scene of our Saviour's labors, that we may fasten our attention upon the occasion of the lessons which our Lord addressed to the people. The words of our lesson are from the lips of no other than the Majesty of heaven. They are not the words of man, that may be criticised, but are the words of Him who was equal with the Father, one with God. In these words we recognize the voice of the highest authority that ever spake to man.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 2]         "And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are"--those who are filled with joyful emotion? who are highly elated? who feel that they are rich in spiritual attainment?--No; "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Do you ask what it means to be poor in spirit? The next verse is of a like character, and says, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." To be poor in spirit means that we feel our deficiency and need because we have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is this that causes us to mourn. But because the Saviour says, "Blessed are they that mourn," are we to come to the conclusion that he would have us always lamenting our poverty of spirit, our lack of spiritual grace? Is it necessary to make it manifest that you are mourning, in order to be counted among those whom the Saviour pronounces "blessed"?--No; for by beholding we become changed, and if we talk of our poverty and weakness, we shall only become more poverty-stricken, more feeble in spiritual things. If we talk darkness, we shall have darkness. To be poor in spirit is to be never satisfied with present attainments in the Christian life, but to be ever reaching up for more and more of the grace of Christ. The poor in spirit is one who looks upon the perfection of Jesus' character, and sees his own unlikeness to him who is glorious in holiness. The poor in spirit is one who is ever responding to the drawing of Christ, and who is obtaining nearer and nearer views of the perfect righteousness of Christ, and in contrast sees his own unworthiness and unlikeness to his Lord.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 3]          He is poor in spirit, but he is not making a parade of his poverty; he shows that he is of this class by manifesting humility and meekness, by not depreciating others that he may exalt himself. He has no time for doing this; he sees many defects in his own character which demand his attention, and he knows that he cannot afford to be found criticising others. As he beholds the infinite love and mercy of God towards sinners, his heart is melted. He feels his poverty of spirit, but instead of calling attention to his weakness he seeks continually for the richness of the grace of Christ, for the robe of his righteousness. The language of the heart of him who is poor in spirit is, "Less of self and more of Thee." He desires Jesus. He knows that there is nothing in him whereby he can procure the freedom which Christ has purchased for him at the infinite price of his precious blood. He sees that the good works which he has done are all mingled with self, and he can take no glory to himself because of his attainments in the Christian life. He realizes that there is merit in naught else but the blood of Christ. But it is because of this very realization that he is blessed; for if he did not feel his need, he would not obtain the heavenly treasure.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 4]          When Christ was upon earth, the Pharisees made bitter complaint against him because he was the friend of publicans and sinners. They said to his disciples: "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." The Pharisees felt that they were whole; they felt that they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing, and knew not that they were poor and miserable and blind and naked and wretched. They were satisfied with their moral condition, but Jesus said, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It is the needy that Jesus is seeking. Brethren and sisters, do you feel that you are needy? Are you saying, as did the Greeks that came to Jerusalem, "We would see Jesus"? The Greeks came to seek Jesus at the time when the Pharisees were upon his track, trying by every possible way to find something whereby they could accuse and condemn him. How grateful to the Master was the sincere desire and confidence of the Greeks at this time of trial and sorrow. The Greeks wanted to see him because they had heard of his mighty works, they had heard of his wisdom and truth, and they believed on him; for they knew that he was the desire of their hearts.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 5]          The great danger with the people who profess to believe the truth for this time is that they shall feel as if they were entitled to the blessing of God because they have made this or that sacrifice, done this or that good work, for the Lord. Do you imagine that because you have decided to keep the Sabbath of the Lord, God is under obligation to you, and that you have merited his blessing? Does the sacrifice you have made look of sufficient merit to you to entitle you to the rich gifts of God? If you have an appreciation of the work that Christ has wrought out for you, you will see that there is no merit in yourself or in your work. You will see your lost condition and become poor in spirit. There is but one thing for the poor in spirit to do, and that is to look continually to Jesus, to believe in him whom the Father hath sent.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 6]          When the people came to Jesus, they asked him at one time: "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Now the question is, Are we doing this? Do we feel our need? God has committed to us sacred trusts. The hereditary trusts of patriarchs and prophets have come down along the lines to us, and with them precious light has shone upon us. We have received divine enlightenment, and yet we have not made the advancement in the pathway of holiness that we should have made. Our obligation and responsibility have been faithfully pointed out, but we have not taken hold upon the strength of God, that we might fulfill our obligations to him. Throughout all the churches there is one subject of vital importance that has been neglected. We have failed to make the Holy Spirit the theme of our thought and instruction. Light has come to us concerning the offices of the Spirit of God, and with burdened heart some have presented to the church the great provision that God has made for the people in the gift of his Holy Spirit.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 7]          Jesus said to his disciples: "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. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." The Comforter is to come as a reprover, as one who is to lay open before us our defects of character, and at the same time to reveal to us the merit of Him who was one with the Father. Jesus says, "He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." In Christ dwelt all the fullness of the God-head bodily, and we are to be complete in him. With all our defects of character, we are to come to him in whom all fullness dwells.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 8]          But many of you say, "I have prayed, I have tried, I have struggled, and I do not see that I advance one step." What is the trouble? Have you not thought you were earning something, that you were by your struggles and works paying the price of your redemption? This you never can do. Christ has paid the price of your redemption. There is only one thing that you can do, and that is to take the gift of God. If you feel that you are poverty-stricken in spirit, you can come in all your need, and plead the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. But you cannot come expecting that Christ will cover your wickedness, cover your indulgence in sin, with his robe of righteousness. He has come to save his people from their sins. The people of God are to be as branches grafted into the living Vine, to be partakers of the nature of the Vine. If you are a living branch of the True Vine, Jesus will prove you by affliction, that you may bring forth fruit more abundantly.  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, May 9, 1892 par. 9]          The reason why we have not more of the Spirit and power of God with us is that we feel too well satisfied with ourselves. There is a marked tendency among those who are converted to the truth, to make a certain measure of advancement, and then settle down into a state of solidity, where no further progress is attained. They stand right where they are, and cease to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But the religion of Christ is of a character that demands constant advancement. The Lord does not design that we shall ever feel that we have reached to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Through all eternity we are to grow in knowledge of him who is the head of all things in the church. If we would draw upon his grace, we must feel our poverty. Our souls must be filled with an intense longing after God, until we realize that we shall perish unless Christ shall put upon us his Spirit and grace, and do the work for us.                                (To be continued.)  {ST, May 9, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 1]       May 16, 1892 The Beatitudes   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Continued.)         But as we come to feel our utter reliance upon Christ for salvation, are we to fold our hands and say, I have nothing to do, Jesus has done it all?--No; we are to put forth every energy, that we may become "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." We are to be overcomers, to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are to be continually watching, waiting, praying, and working. But do all that we may, yet we can do nothing to pay a ransom for our souls. But while we see our helplessness, we are to be continually looking unto Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. We can do nothing to originate faith, for faith is the gift of God. Neither can we perfect it, for Christ is the Finisher of our faith. It is all of Christ.  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 2]          All the longing after a better life is from Christ, and is an evidence that he is drawing you to himself and that you are responding to his drawing power. You are to be as clay in the hands of the potter, and if you submit yourself to Christ, he will fashion you into a vessel unto honor, fit for the Master's use. The only thing that stands in the way of the soul who is not fashioned after the divine Pattern is that he does not become poor in spirit; for he who is poor in spirit will look to a higher Source than himself, that he may obtain the grace which will make him rich unto God. While he will feel that he cannot originate anything, he will say, "The Lord is my helper."  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 3]          The Lord has commanded us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." But what does this mean? It means that you feel your necessity, that you are poor in spirit, that you rejoice with trembling. It means that you know that in the very words you utter you may make a mistake, that in the very best of your work self may be so mingled that your efforts may be valueless, that you realize that your efficiency is in Christ. Oh, let the cry of the soul continually be--                        "Hangs my helpless soul on Thee."  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 4]          Look to Jesus when you come in and when you go out, and pray without ceasing. You should realize that temptation is on every side. Around you are those whose conversation is only chaff and nonsense. In the world pride and vanity are displayed, and you will be tempted to feel poverty concerning these things that the world admires, which can never satisfy the soul's hunger. Oh, then pray, "Lord, make me a jewel for thy kingdom."!  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 5]          This is the meaning of working out your salvation with fear and trembling. If you do not work out your salvation in this spirit, your righteousness is of as much worth as was the Pharisee's who went into the temple to pray, who exalted and extolled himself, and thanked the Lord that he was not as other men were. He was rich in spirit, or thought that he was; for he knew not that he was poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked. But at the same time a poor publican entered the temple, and he would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, and cried, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." The Pharisee saw this man, and thanked God that he was not as this publican, and he went down to his house feeling satisfied with himself-feeling rich in spirit and lifted up in spiritual pride. But he who had so exalted himself in his own eyes was not exalted in the sight of God, for Jesus says that the publican went down to his house justified rather than the other.  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 6]          "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The humility that Jesus speaks of in the text is not a humility on stilts, as was the Pharisee's, parading itself before the eyes of men, that his righteousness might be seen and praised of men. Humility is before honor. The apostle exhorts the followers of Christ: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Fear lest you shall make a mistake, and bring dishonor upon the name of the Lord. Cry unto him, believing that he has power to save. This is the humility that we want. We need a physician and restorer for our souls, and when we come unto Christ petitioning for his grace, the Comforter will breathe his words into our souls, "My peace give I unto you." "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We are to come as little children to God; and as we realize our poverty, we are not to tell it to men, but to God. Do not tell your weakness to those who can give you no strength. Tell it to God; for he will know just what to do for you. Jesus said: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; . . . to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified."  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, May 16, 1892 par. 7]          How thankful we should be that we have a heavenly Intercessor. We may be clothed in Christ's righteousness, that the Father may bestow his favor upon us. Jesus presents us to the Father robed in his righteousness. He pleads before God in our behalf. He says" "I have taken the sinner's place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on me. Look not upon his filthy garments, but look on my righteousness." When we are forgiven for our sins, when our filthy garments are taken away, then we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; but we are not left to do the work alone, "for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." God works and man works, and as this co-operation is maintained, the richest blessings will come upon those who labor together with God. The Lord says, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."                              (To be continued.)  {ST, May 16, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 1]       May 30, 1892 The Beatitudes   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Continued.)         "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." But although the Lord says the mourner shall be comforted, it is not that he shall exalt himself as did the Pharisee. He who has mourned for his sin knows that there is nothing in him whereby he has merited the returns that God has bestowed. He beholds in Jesus "the Chiefest among ten thousand" and "the One altogether lovely," and he centers his affections upon Christ. If Jesus were the center of attraction to you, the One on whom your affections were placed, would you hide this love in your heart, and never let it out?--No; you would tell of his love, you would catch his spirit, and imitate his example.  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 2]          "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." But the earth promised to the meek will be a better one than this. It will be purified from all sin and defilement, and will bear the image of the divine. Satan has placed his throne in the earth; but Jesus says where the usurper has set up his throne, there will I place my throne, and there shall be no more curse. The glory of the Lord is to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Jesus is working for us. He desires to give his children a home where there will be no more sin, no more sorrow, no more death; but all will be joy and gladness. He says: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God."  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 3]          The Lord desires to take every son and daughter of Adam, and purify them from their iniquity, and lift them up from their state of misery and degradation and wretchedness, and write upon them his divine superscription. But it is man's sin and unbelief that oppose the work that God would do for humanity. Jesus died for the whole world, but in stubborn unbelief men refuse to be fashioned after the divine pattern. They will not yield themselves to Christ to be molded after the heavenly model. Oh, shall we not submit, and give up our own way, that the Lord may have a chance to do the work for us?  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 4]          How tenacious are men of their own way. They try to excuse their sinful habits by saying, "Oh, this is my way." But will your way be acceptable to God? Will you present your way at the gate of the city into which nothing that defileth shall enter, and expect to have an entrance there? The Lord will say: "I know your way, and it is a wicked way. You would not permit me to rule over you on earth, and you are not prepared for an entrance here. You refused to be led by my spirit, you rejected my counsel, and set at naught my grace, and heaven would not be heaven to you, for nothing that defileth can enter here. We emptied sin from heaven when we cast out the great deceiver, and we cannot have sin here again." Then let us yield our wills to God, that he may mold and fashion us after the Divine Pattern.  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 5]          How blessed will be the lot of those who enter into that glorious abode where there will be no more sin, no more suffering. What a prospect is this for imagination. What a theme for contemplation. The Bible is full of the richest treasures of truth, of glowing descriptions of that heavenly land. We should search the Scriptures, that we may better understand the plan of salvation, and learn of the righteousness of Christ, until we shall exclaim in viewing the matchless charms of our Redeemer, "Thy gentleness hath made me great." In the word of God we shall see the infinite compassion of Jesus. The imagination may reach out in contemplation of the wonders of redeeming love, and yet in its highest exercises we shall not be able to grasp the height and depth and length and breadth of the love of God, for it passeth knowledge. In Christ was the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In him every treasure of heaven was given, and he has it in trust for us. Oh, then why do we not trust him? why do we doubt his tender mercy and love? Do you think that he who died for you, cares not whether you are saved or not? Do you imagine that he cares not for the bereaved, the mourning ones, that he looks not with pity on the poor in spirit, who are under the bondage of Satan? The tender, compassionate Jesus, who died for the sins of the world, will not turn away from the cry of the needy. He asks: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 6]          Jesus invites the needy to come to him and find completeness in him who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The Saviour of men designs to cleanse his children until no particle of selfishness shall remain. While we feel our poverty, we are to eat of the flesh and drink of the blood of the Son of God. We are to co-operate with Christ in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The heavenly intelligences are waiting to co-operate with the most helpless, the most sinful soul who feels his need. Those who are great sinners may find great grace.  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 7]          Jesus said to Simon, "I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? And Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. . . . To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."  {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, May 30, 1892 par. 8]          In view of our weakness, how does it become us to indulge in criticism of others? Do not fault-finding and picking flaws in the character of those with whom you associate make it evident that you are stricken with spiritual poverty? You are feeding on the faults of others, instead of growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are to be laborers together with him in bringing souls to the knowledge of the truth. But we must not expect that souls are to be converted simply by hearing a sermon. We are to bring them one by one to Christ, and all that have ever tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come are to be missionaries for God. When you become engaged in the work of Christ, seeking to bring in those who are lost, you will not have time to look for the defects in the character of your brethren. You must now build yourselves up in the most holy faith, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. You are not to stand to one side as a spectator, looking on to see what this one or that one is doing; your business is to see that you are making straight paths for your feet, that the lame be not turned out of the way. When a follower of Christ turned to one of his brethren and asked, "Lord, what shall this man do?" Jesus answered, "What is that to thee? follow thou me." The follower of Christ is not to look to any man. He is to look to a crucified and risen Saviour.                             (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, May 30, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, June 6, 1892 par. 1]       June 6, 1892 The Beatitudes   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." All through this sermon on the mount is a line of advancement for Christian experience. The angels of darkness are to stand back, that the soul purchased by the infinite sacrifice of Christ may attain unto perfection of character. The word is sounded: "Stand back, this soul is not yours, it has been purchased by the precious blood of Christ. Stand back, I and my Father are one, and we have come to draw this soul to righteousness." If the soul is not drawn to Christ, it is because the will is not on the side of God's will, but on the side of the enemy. If man will but cooperate with God, God will work in him to will and to do of his good pleasure, and man will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. The reason you do not realize the help of the Lord to a far greater degree is that you are so self-centered, your will is not on the side of God's will. The Lord would have you make it manifest in your manners, in your dress, in your spirit, that you are blessed. He would have you show that the line of demarkation between the world and the followers of Christ is a distinct line, so decided that the difference between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not is always discernible. If the people of the world do not see that you are different from those around them, they will not be influenced by your profession of religion; for you will not be a savor of Christ, and you will win no soul to the service of God.  {ST, June 6, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, June 6, 1892 par. 2]          Yet there will be no one saved in heaven with a starless crown. If you enter, there will be some soul in the courts of glory that has found an entrance there through your instrumentality. Then why not entreat the Lord to put upon you his Spirit, that you may be able to awaken an interest in the truth in the minds of those around you? Think of your neighbors and friends and relatives who are out of Christ. Think of those you have left in various foreign lands; how much do you care for their souls? You should be so filled with love for the lost that you cannot forbear working for the salvation of souls. What you need is Jesus. He says, "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." If the rich blessing of Jesus is in your hearts, you will be able to refresh others.  {ST, June 6, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, June 6, 1892 par. 3]          How many have their names upon the church books who know not what it means to have Christ abide in their hearts by faith. There are many who make a profession of Christianity who will have to be born again or they cannot see the kingdom of heaven. They will have to become partakers of his love and grace before they can present to others the great salvation that has been provided for those who are dead in trespasses and sins. But the promise is given to those who feel their want, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." God has promised the fullness of salvation, and yet the world is full of those who are hungering and thirsting after the pleasures, the fashions, the applause of the world. Many are hungering and thirsting, that they may have their own way. But those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness are directing their desires along the channel where the fullness of heaven shall be given. Why not determine that you will place your will on the side of God's will, that you may become a laborer together with God. Jesus says, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me." Then is there any excuse for our weakness, for our coldness, for our lethargy? There are many who seem to think that when they have acknowledged that they are full of weakness, they have put a plaster over their sins. But we are not to talk of our inefficiency, but to find in Christ a full salvation. He says, "Him that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out."  {ST, June 6, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, June 6, 1892 par. 4]          When our weakness becomes strength in the strength of Christ, we shall not be craving for amusement. These holidays that are considered so indispensable will not be used simply for the gratification of self, but will be turned into occasions in which you can bless and enlighten souls. When weary, Jesus sought for a place of rest in the desert, but the people had had a taste of the heavenly manna, and they came out to him in large companies. In all their human woe and suffering and distress, they sought his retreat, and there was no rest for the Son of God. His heart was moved with compassion, for they were as sheep without a shepherd, and his great heart of love was touched with the feeling of their infirmities, and he taught them concerning the kingdom of heaven.  {ST, June 6, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, June 6, 1892 par. 5]          Jesus has presented to us precious truth full of spiritual light and vitality. But has this truth been brought into the inner sanctuary of the soul? Does Christ abide in your hearts by faith? If Christ is in you, you will make him manifest to others. We must have more of Jesus, and less, far less, of self. The prayer of our hearts should be, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Jesus must abide in the heart; and where he is, the carnal desires will be subdued and be kept in subjection by the operation of the Spirit of God. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."  {ST, June 6, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, June 6, 1892 par. 6]          I feel like mourning that the image of Christ is not clearly discernible in those who profess to be his followers; for I know that Jesus is disappointed, that the heavenly intelligences are disappointed, and those who are seeking for the truth are disappointed. Unless Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, you cannot rightly represent him to those with whom you come in contact.                                                                   -    {ST, June 6, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 1]       June 13, 1892 "Blessed is He That Considereth the Poor."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy." There never was a time when there was greater need for the exercise of mercy than today. The poor are all around us, the distressed, the afflicted, the sorrowing, and those who are ready to perish. Those who have acquired riches have acquired them through the exercise of the talents that were given them of God; but these talents for the acquiring of property were given to them that they might relieve those who are in poverty. These gifts were bestowed upon men by Him who maketh His sun to shine and His rain to fall upon the just and the unjust, that by the fruitfulness of the earth men might have abundant supplies for all their need. The fields have been blessed of God, and "of his goodness he hath prepared for the poor." In the providence of God events have been so ordered that the poor are always with us, in order that there may be a constant exercise in the human heart of the attributes of mercy and love. Man is to cultivate the tenderness and compassion of Christ; he is not to separate himself from the sorrowing, the afflicted, the needy, and the distressed. Job declares: "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me; because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy."  {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 2]         How many there are who claim to be followers of Christ, yet who do not follow him in truth. They do not manifest the sympathy and love of Christ by being merciful and compassionate. They do not make the widow's heart sing for joy; they treat the fatherless with coldness, indifference, or contempt. Said Job: "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out." This was an evidence that Job had righteousness that was after Christ's order. Through Jesus men may possess a spirit of tender pity toward the needy and distressed. They may have the mind of Christ. He was the Son of God, rich in heavenly treasures, yet for our sake he became poor, he descended to the lowest humiliation and was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, that he might exalt us to be joint heirs with himself. The whole world was in need of that which Christ alone could give them. He did not withdraw himself from those who called upon him for help. He did not do as many now do, say, "I wish they would not trouble me with their affairs, I want to hoard up my means, to invest it in houses and lands." Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, turned from the splendor of his heavenly home, and in the gracious purpose of his heart he demonstrated the character of God to men throughout the world. The requirement of God from those who claim to be his children is that they be doers of his word, that they follow his example, represent the life of Christ in tender, pitying love to the world; that they reflect his image.  {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 3]          Jesus says, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father which is in heaven is merciful." To pursue the course that Jesus did, to follow in his divine footsteps, is not in harmony with the feelings of the natural heart; but if we are Christians, we shall practice the words and works of Christ, who gave himself in order to ransom an apostate race. The root of selfishness has a firm growth in many hearts, and worldliness and pride spring from this root; but selfishness is not a Christian characteristic; it is an attribute of the great apostate. No one can live for himself and at the same time be united with Christ. Conformity to the world, attachment to the world, manifests a decided denial of Christ.  {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 4]          The rich are not to be favored above the poor. How inconsistent is it to make favorites of men because the Lord has intrusted his goods to them to be wisely dispensed to those who are needy. Unless the rich manifest the spirit that moved Christ to come to our world to seek and to save that which was lost, they are none of his. They are training under another general. The important question is not, "Is a man rich?" But the important question is, "What use does he make of his riches?" The value and character of a man is determined by the use to which he puts his intrusted talents. Does he do good in this life? Does he seek to bless humanity, to build up the kingdom of Christ in the world? Shut away the rich from the poor in large and costly dwellings, make churches too splendid for the entrance of the poor, so that the rich man may not be brought in contact with the distressing needs of the fatherless and the widow, and the result will be that his sympathies will be withered, mercy will not be exercised, and the rich man will be in imminent danger of losing his soul.  {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 5]          Christ says, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God." Unless the grace of Christ controls the heart, the tendency of the rich man is to grow more proud, more self-sufficient, more self-righteous. He acts as if he were made of better flesh and more costly blood than his poorer brother. But Christ looks on, and says, "All ye are brethren." There is no respect of persons with God. The rich man has plenty, and makes no effort to put himself in the poor man's place; but because he does not consider the poor, he becomes unfeeling, indifferent, and hard-hearted. He does not try to understand the conflicts, temptations, and struggles of his poor brethren, and mercy dries up in his heart.  {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 6]          The poor are robbed daily of the education and training they should have concerning the tender mercies with which the Lord would have them regarded; for he has made ample provision that they should be comforted with the necessities of life. They are compelled to feel the poverty that narrows life, and they are often tempted to become envious, jealous, and full of evil surmisings. Their sympathies are alienated from their more prosperous neighbors; but when men are born again, when they are truly converted, old things pass away, and behold, all things become new. A new moral taste is created, and he that was exalted because God had intrusted him with means will seek to aid and exalt others. His responsibilities will seem weighty upon him and will humble his heart before God; for he will realize that his goods are intrusted of the Lord, that he may relieve the needy, comfort the distressed, feed the fatherless, and make the widow's heart sing for joy.  {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, June 13, 1892 par. 7]          But instead of using their means for the Master, how many embezzle it, invest it for themselves, furnishing their homes with rich carpets, fine furniture, and multiplying lands and houses to glorify themselves in the earth, while the needy call upon them in vain. If they do anything for the poor, they call them paupers, and look upon them with contempt. They do not consider from whence comes their intrusted capital, and that they are all the time receiving unnumbered blessings from God. If he should withhold his beneficence, they would be numbered with the poor. We are all dependent upon the benevolence of a gracious God. The day will come when those who have cherished selfishness and covetousness, who have defrauded the poor, who have withdrawn mercy and love from them, will be made manifest.                            (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, June 13, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, June 20, 1892 par. 1]       June 20, 1892 "Blessed is He that Considereth the Poor."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         God has placed property in the hands of men in order that they may learn to be merciful, to be his almoners to relieve the suffering of his fallen creatures. Further than this, they are to consider the wants of the cause of God, and keep his treasury supplied according to the gifts bestowed upon them. Satan has had power to make men haughty and like himself in character, so that the money given them of God has been used for the gratification of self, and the cry of the poor has reached unto God against them; for they have been unmerciful in their conduct toward the needy. Whatever we spend for that which is not necessary for health and godliness will be charged as robbery against God; because all that was spent for the gratification of self someone needed to obtain necessary food and clothing.  {ST, June 20, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, June 20, 1892 par. 2]          Those who have the Spirit of Christ will see all men through the eyes of divine compassion. No matter what may be the social position, no matter what his wealth or how high his education, if a man is in Christ, he will not be unkind, uncourteous, hard-hearted, and merciless. Since every soul is entirely dependent upon God for every blessing he enjoys, how patient, how merciful, we should be to every creature. God looked upon man in his lost condition, in his degradation and guilt, and paid the same price for the ransom of the poor and the outcast that he paid to ransom the rich with all his intrusted talents. There is no respect of persons with God. All are candidates for heaven or hell. All need to be taught every hour of God, to be diligent students, that in their time they may make a wise use of their intrusted ability, that they may be living agencies to cooperate with the heavenly intelligences for the saving of men's souls, that with tender hearts, overflowing with mercy and true goodness, they may work as Christ worked. The apostle says, "Ye are laborers together with God." You are to look after the poor, you are to look after the fatherless ones, who need your wisdom, your care, your love, and help. You are to look after the widow. You are to look after those who go in want, in hunger, in rags, who are depraved in principle; for Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost. God cares for the outcast, and do you think yourself too good, too honorable, to bear the yoke with Christ, in seeking to save the perishing? Will you despise your fellow-men? Will you become an offense to God by slighting and despising his image in man? In distinct lines Christ has revealed the relation of man to his fellow-man. Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, has settled that question forever in the example he has set to the world. Ask yourself: Am I my brother's keeper? And who is my neighbor?  {ST, June 20, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, June 20, 1892 par. 3]          There is in society an increasing tendency to separate the rich from the poor, to set them apart in distinct, definite classes; but this is not at all after God's order, but after the policy of Satan. Heaven looks with pain and amazement upon the scenes that are daily enacted among those who are called Christians. Many cannot read the meaning of the great plan of redemption because Satan has cast his shadow upon their pathway. Many who could be as lights in the world, as the salt of the earth, who command great resources for doing good to their fellow-men, are not in union and sympathy with Christ, that they may be laborers together with God. They have felt that a high value was set upon them, that they were placed above their brethren, and even above their own flesh and blood. They have expended their Lord's goods in lifting up their souls unto vanity, in cultivating pride, envy, self-exaltation. They have surrounded themselves with costly luxuries, and placed themselves in a position which it was impossible for their brethren to reach, and they have left the poor in their poverty to get along as they could without sympathy and love. God looks down from heaven, and hates all these pretensions. He calls for men who have intellect, men who have property, men who have moral worth, to change this order of things.  {ST, June 20, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, June 20, 1892 par. 4]          Let every leader of the people associate with the people; for they really need his help, so that sympathy shall not congeal in the human breast.  {ST, June 20, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, June 20, 1892 par. 5]          No church should become so lifted up that its members shall feel above the poor, and the poor feel that they cannot enter freely into the house of God. A church that is too rich for the poor to feel at home in is too aristocratic for Jesus to make one in its assembly. This narrow exclusiveness that shuts man away from his brother is an abomination in the sight of God. When men are converted, they will have an abiding sense of the fact that they have been bought with a price. Whatever may be the sum of our talents, whether one, two, or five, not a farthing of our money is to be squandered upon vanity, pride or selfishness. Every dollar of our accumulation is stamped with the image and superscription of God. As long as there are hungry ones in God's world to be fed, naked ones to be clothed, souls perishing for the bread and water of salvation, every unnecessary indulgence, every overplus of capital, pleads for the poor and the naked. It is no light thing to be intrusted with riches, although men treat their position and property as though they were not accountable to any one, as though it was by their own virtue that they had these things. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God." Those who consecrate themselves to God, with their riches, becoming laborers together with him, are the only ones to whom the King of glory will give the benediction: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things."                                                                   -    {ST, June 20, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, June 27, 1892 par. 1]       June 27, 1892 Christ's Mission to the World.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Christ came into the world to represent the Father to man; for Satan had presented him before the world in a false light. Because God is a God of justice, of terrible majesty, who has power to destroy as well as to preserve man, Satan caused men to regard him with fear, to look upon him as a tyrant. Jesus had been with the Father from the everlasting ages, before the creation of man, and he came to reveal the Father, declaring "God is love." Jesus represented God as a kind Father, who careth for the subjects of his kingdom. He declared that not a sparrow falls to the ground without the notice of the Father, and that the children of men are of more value in his sight than many sparrows, that the very hairs of their head are all numbered.  {ST, June 27, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, June 27, 1892 par. 2]          The Lord is represented in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament not only as a God of justice but as a Father of infinite love. The Psalmist says: "The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. . . . The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. . . . He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. . . . But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all."  {ST, June 27, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, June 27, 1892 par. 3]          Satan had clothed the Father in his own attributes, but Christ represented him in his true character of benevolence and love. In the character in which Christ presented him to the world it was as if he gave a new gift to man. Jesus said in his prayer to the Father: "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And 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." "Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."  {ST, June 27, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, June 27, 1892 par. 4]          The Son of God declared in positive terms that the world was destitute of the knowledge of God; but this knowledge was of the highest value, and it was his own peculiar gift, the inestimable treasure which he brought into the world. In the exercise of his sovereign prerogative he imparted to his disciples the knowledge of the character of God, in order that they might communicate it to the world. The only nation who claimed to be worshiping the true God at the advent of Christ had not a proper conception of his character. They were sitting in Moses' seat, but they did not present God as Moses presented him, but after the distorted representation of Satan. The character of God was falsified before the people. Truth was so overlaid with tradition, religion was so burdened with man-made tests and commandments, that the purity and luster of truth were completely hidden, and virtue was considered unattainable. The existing religion left man without God and without hope in the world. But the Sun of Righteousness shines forth into the midnight darkness of superstition and error, and rolls back the cloud, and presents himself as the one in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, as the exact representation of the Father. This is his message to the world: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  {ST, June 27, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, June 27, 1892 par. 5]          As a transgressor of the law man was condemned as hopelessly ruined; for he was the enemy of God, without strength to do any good thing; but Christ came to reveal to him the justice and love of God, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins. When the sinner beholds Jesus lifted up upon the cross, suffering the guilt of the transgressor and the consequences of sin, he beholds God's abhorrence of evil in this fearful manifestation, and sees his love for fallen man: "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."  {ST, June 27, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, June 27, 1892 par. 6]          The Lord could have cut off the sinner and utterly destroyed him; but the costlier plan was chosen. In his great love he provides hope for the hopeless in giving his only-begotten Son to bear the sins of the world. Since God has poured out all heaven in that one rich gift, he will withhold no needed aid from man. All the agencies of heaven are at the command of the believing soul, that he may be successful in the warfare against the powers of darkness. He who believes in Jesus Christ as fully able to save his soul, believes the gospel, and hath eternal life. This is the point to which every soul must come, and everyone who believes the message of God should lift up Jesus, point men to Christ, and say, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." This is the message that everyone will bear who believes in Jesus Christ as his Saviour. This is the message we are to bear to warn the impenitent, encouraging those who love and fear God, inducing souls to look to the cross of Calvary, to behold the Lamb of God. The soul imbued with the love of Christ is one with him; he communes with Christ, Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, and the Christian goes forth to represent the Father and the Son to the world.  {ST, June 27, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 1]      July 4, 1892 Accepted in Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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." This message is for the world, for "whosoever" means that any and all who comply with the condition may share the blessing. All who look unto Jesus, believing in him as their personal Saviour, shall "not perish, but have everlasting life." Every provision has been made that we may have the everlasting reward. Christ is our sacrifice, our substitute, our surety, our divine intercessor; he is made unto us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. "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."  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 2]          The intercession of Christ in our behalf is that of presenting his divine merits in the offering of himself to the Father as our substitute and surety; for he ascended up on high to make an atonement for our transgressions. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." "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."  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 3]          From these scriptures it is evident that it is not God's will that you should be distrustful, and torture your soul with the fear that God will not accept you because you are sinful and unworthy. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." Present your case before him, pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary's cross. Satan will accuse you of being a great sinner, and you must admit this, but you can say: "I know I am a sinner, and that is the reason I need a Saviour. Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' I have no merit or goodness whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is my only plea. The name of Jesus gives me access to the Father. His ear, his heart, is open to my faintest pleading, and he supplies my deepest necessities."  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 4]          It is the righteousness of Christ that makes the penitent sinner acceptable to God and works his justification. However sinful has been his life, if he believes in Jesus as his personal Saviour, he stands before God in the spotless robes of Christ's imputed righteousness.  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 5]          The sinner so recently dead in trespasses and sins is quickened by faith in Christ. He sees by faith that Jesus is his Saviour, and alive forevermore, able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. In the atonement made for him the believer sees such breadth, and length, and height, and depth of efficiency,--sees such completeness of salvation, purchased at such infinite cost, that his soul is filled with praise and thanksgiving. He sees as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and is changed into the same image as by the Spirit of the Lord. He sees the robe of Christ's righteousness, woven in the loom of heaven, wrought by his obedience, and imputed to the repenting soul through faith in his name. When the sinner has a view of the matchless charms of Jesus, sin no longer looks attractive to him; for he beholds the Chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely. He realizes by a personal experience the power of the gospel, whose vastness of design is equaled only by its preciousness of purpose.  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 6]          We have a living Saviour. He is not in Joseph's new tomb; he is risen from the dead, and has ascended on high as a substitute and surety for every believing soul. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The sinner is justified through the merits of Jesus, and this is God's acknowledgment of the perfection of the ransom paid for man. That Christ was obedient even unto the death of the cross is a pledge of the repenting sinner's acceptance with the Father. Then shall we permit ourselves to have a vacillating experience of doubting and believing, believing and doubting? Jesus is the pledge of our acceptance with God. We stand in favor before God, not because of any merit in ourselves, but because of our faith in "the Lord our righteousness."  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 7]          Jesus stands in the holy of holies, now to appear in the presence of God for us. There he ceases not to present his people moment by moment, complete in himself. But because we are thus represented before the Father, we are not to imagine that we are to presume upon his mercy, and become careless, indifferent, and self-indulgent. Christ is not the minister of sin. We are complete in him, accepted in the Beloved, only as we abide in him by faith.  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 8]          Perfection through our own good works we can never attain. The soul who sees Jesus by faith, repudiates his own righteousness. He sees himself as incomplete, his repentance insufficient, his strongest faith but feebleness, his most costly sacrifice as meager, and he sinks in humility at the foot of the cross. But a voice speaks to him from the oracles of God's word. In amazement he hears the message, "Ye are complete in him". Now all is at rest in his soul. No longer must he strive to find some worthiness in himself, some meritorious deed by which to gain the favor of God.  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 9]          Beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, he finds the peace of Christ; for pardon is written against his name, and he accepts the word of God, "Ye are complete in him." How hard is it for humanity, long accustomed to cherish doubt, to grasp this great truth! But what peace it brings to the soul, what vital life! In looking to ourselves for righteousness, by which to find acceptance with God, we look to the wrong place, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We are to look to Jesus; "for 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." You are to find your completeness by beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 10]          Standing before the broken law of God, the sinner cannot cleanse himself; but, believing in Christ, he is the object of his infinite love and clothed in his spotless righteousness. For those who believe in Christ, Jesus prayed: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth: . . .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. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And 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."  {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, July 4, 1892 par. 11]          Who can comprehend the nature of that righteousness which makes the believing sinner whole, presenting him to God without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? We have the pledged word of God that Christ is made unto us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. God grant that we may rely upon his word with implicit trust, and enjoy his richest blessing. "For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."                                                                   -    {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 1]       July 11, 1892 By their Fruits Ye shall Know them.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." At the beginning of the chapter from which this verse is taken, Jesus says: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." To the repenting sinner, God is ever ready to show his mercy and truth; he is ready to bestow upon him forgiveness and love; and he requires that those who have been blessed by his compassion, shall reveal the same mercy and love toward their fellowmen; for this is doing the works of Christ, this is keeping the commandments of God. Those who show true gratitude glorify God by loving him supremely and their neighbors as themselves. They manifest the fact that they have received not the spirit which is of the world, but the Spirit which is of God. By an experimental knowledge they know what are the good things freely given them of God; for they are illuminated by the Holy Spirit. They work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who worketh in them to will and to do of his good pleasure. Christ abides in the soul of the believer, a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 2]          When we look upon ourselves as the purchased possession of Christ, we shall more clearly realize our need of his constant presence in order that we may represent him by manifesting sympathy and love to all who are brought within the sphere of our influence. Our life is charged with solemn responsibilities, and it is only when we are fully consecrated to God, only when he cleanses us, and puts his own life and spirit upon us, that we can rightly represent him to others. Our accountability extends to our thoughts, words, and acts, as well as to our larger transactions among our fellow-men.  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 3]          In order to fulfill the law, we are to carry out the golden rule, and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Our influence must be sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God, if it is to be a blessing to humanity. We are not to be anxious as to what we will do for weeks or months or years ahead; for the future does not belong to us. One day alone is ours, and during this day we are to live for God, beautify our characters by faith in the righteousness of Christ. This one day we are to place in the hands of Christ in solemn service, in all our purposes and plans to be guided by him. This one day we are to do unto others exactly as we wish them to do unto us. We are to be ready to speak kind words from hearts full of sympathy and love. We are to manifest patience, revealing to the world what it means to be a practical doer of the words of Christ, ever remembering that our life is bound up with the life of Him who died for us. Christ and the child of humanity become one, so that the Spirit and character of Christ are represented in his followers day by day and hour by hour. By faith Christ becomes unto the believer righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 4]          Jesus says, "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." It is not enough to talk about the strait gate, to point to the strait gate, to preach sermons about the strait gate; the only safe thing for every soul to do is to enter in at the strait gate. The only safe thing for the sinner to do is to respond to the drawing of Christ's love, to repent, and come to Jesus, asking him with a penitent heart for the gift of his righteousness, whereby he may obtain wisdom and grace to abandon sin. It is not safe to wait for a flight of feeling, to wait to make yourselves better before entering the strait gate; the only safe thing to do is to obey the invitation, "Come, for all things are now ready."  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 5]          Excitement will not avail to save any soul. To have faith in Christ, to become a child of God, it is not necessary to be stirred with powerful emotion. You are to come to Jesus just as you are, for you know it is the only right thing to do. You know that it is at the peril of your souls that you refuse to enter the strait gate. You manifest saving faith when you respond to the drawing of Christ, and join yourself with him. The Saviour says to the sinner: "Come; I am thy salvation. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." Will you forsake all for Christ? Will you learn of Jesus, who is meek and lowly of heart? Will you enter in at the strait gate? If you cling to any besetting sin, you will find the way too narrow for you to enter. Your own ways, your own will, your evil habits and practices, must be given up if you would keep the way of the Lord. He who will follow Christ cannot follow the world's opinions or meet the world's standard.  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 6]          The road to death is broad, and the gate is wide. The whole fallen race may go in thereat, with all their worldliness, all their selfishness, all their pride, dishonesty, and moral debasement. The gate is so wide, the road is so broad, that there is room for every man's opinions and doctrines, space for everyone to follow his inclinations, to do whatever his self-love would dictate. The covetous, the spendthrift, the infidel, the profligate, the gambler, the murderer, the hypocrite, and the self-deceived, all find paths suited to their taste, in which to walk. Divided in their opinions, they yet find one point for purpose and action; for they all agree in opposing the counsel of God.  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, July 11, 1892 par. 7]          There are many in the broad way who are not fully satisfied with the path in which they walk. They long to break from the slavery of sin, and seek to make a stand against their sinful practices in their own strength. They hear the warning call to repentance. They hear that the only hope of the sinner is found in Christ. They look toward the narrow way and strait gate; but selfish pleasure, love of the world, unsanctified ambition and pride, place a barrier between them and the Saviour. They realize that all their idols must be expelled from the soul, that every sinful indulgence must be given up, all worldly encumbrances must be laid aside, in order to enter the strait gate. Jesus says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."                              (To be continued.)  {ST, July 11, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, July 18, 1892 par. 1]       July 18, 1892 By their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         In order to walk in the narrow way the believing one must follow the leader, turning not to the right hand or to the left. On every hand waits the enemy to present before the soul the attractions of the world. Jesus presents the attractions of the eternal world; but many who see that they cannot enter heaven and indulge themselves in this world, turn away from the eternal realities and choose the broad way that leads to destruction. The Lord saw the danger incurred by his followers in mingling with the world, and he entreats them to examine themselves, and see that they make no mistake as to which road they will travel. The line of demarkation between the church and the world has become sadly obliterated because many professors of religion have thought they could please themselves, and meet the world's standard, and at the same time have their names upon the church book. Even in the pulpits of the land there are many false shepherds who cry to those who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, "Peace and safety," when there is no peace or safety. Jesus gives a positive warning against these false shepherds. He says: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."  {ST, July 18, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, July 18, 1892 par. 2]          In every age false prophets have been the most dangerous enemies Christianity has had. Men have appeared who claimed to be champions of truth, professing to have a great burden for the souls of their fellow-men. But they taught false doctrines, and perverted the truth. The spirit they manifested, the work they wrought, testified to the character of their religion. Such men have arisen and do arise, and will continue to arise, in our own day. They will criticise, judge others, will be always ready for controversy, and will resist the truth. They will put false interpretations upon the Scriptures. They will misstate the words of those who advocate truth, and some who listen to them, who do not have spiritual discernment, will be misled by these false teachers, and be found fighting under the black banner of the adversary of God and man.  {ST, July 18, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, July 18, 1892 par. 3]          There are many who profess to know Christ, "but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear; clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots." There are many who can make excellent speeches, speak smooth things, and prophesy deceit; but they are not to be received simply because of their smooth words and fair speeches. It is an easy matter to talk. The question is, What fruit do they bear unto holiness? It is the fruit that testifies to the character of the tree. To say and to do not is to be as a tree full of pretentious leaves, yet barren and fruitless. The punishment that awaits the hypocrite will be unmingled with mercy. Those who profess to know Christ, and in works have denied him, have passed themselves off as gold, but in the sight of God they have been as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. In professing faith in the gospel, the hypocrite may gain the confidence of men, but nothing short of doing the sayings of Christ will give him an entrance into the strait gate, into the way cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in,--the only way that leads from earth to heaven.  {ST, July 18, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, July 18, 1892 par. 4]          Those who profess to have light from the Lord, who win the confidence of men, and lead souls to ruin, will bring swift destruction upon themselves. They are represented as that class who "destroy the way of my paths, saith the Lord." Wearing the insignia of Christ, they serve the Lord's worst enemy, and heed not the injunction, "Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Christ plainly states that this class of teachers are as wolves in sheep's clothing. They talk of grace, they preach of grace, apparently they pray for grace; but they have not the grace of Christ in their hearts. In the pulpit such ministers may appear to be excellent; but they destroy the force of their words when out of the pulpit by such a course of iniquity that they prove themselves to be ministers of sin, wolves in sheep's clothing.  {ST, July 18, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, July 18, 1892 par. 5]          Christ came to teach us how to live. He has invited us to come to him, to learn of him to be meek and lowly of heart that we may find rest unto our souls. Because Jesus has lived our example, we have no excuse for not imitating his life and works. Those who profess his name and do not practice his precepts are weighed in the balances of heaven and found wanting. But those who reflect the image of Christ will have a place in the mansions which he has gone to prepare.  {ST, July 18, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, July 18, 1892 par. 6]          Jesus will reward every man according to his works. He says, "By their fruits ye shall know them." Jesus calls upon me to judge him by his actions. He said, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not." He does not ask men to take him for their Saviour if they can find anything in his life and character contrary to his claims. Men are to be known in the same way; for a profession of Christianity does not make a man a Christian. If his words, his deportment, his business transactions, are not of a Christlike order, he denies his profession. As Christ was in the world, so his followers are to be. The world notices every inconsistency in him who professes to be a Christian. The sun may shine day after day in pure splendor, and call forth no remark; but let an eclipse take place, and everyone's attention is attracted to the darkened orb of the day. So it is with a Christian; for he is a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men. Satan is constantly on the alert to cause the Christian to stumble, that he may point the world to the inconsistency of the follower of Christ. Men may not have observed you in your consistency, but in your waywardness, in your unchristlikeness of character, how the world subjects you to criticism. How Satan delights to taunt the ministering angels, unseen by human eyes, by presenting the inconsistent Christian in all his deformity before them, by pointing to the garments spotted with the flesh, for to Satan this is an occasion of triumph. Then let us walk carefully and prayerfully before the Lord, knowing that the world will judge us by our fruits.                                                                   -    {ST, July 18, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 1]      July 25, 1892 The Necessity of Receiving the Holy  Spirit.  ［SERMON AT HEALDSBURG, CAL.,  SEPTEMBER 26, 1891.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This was the promise that Jesus made to his disciples just prior to his ascension, and he bade them tarry in Jerusalem until they should be endowed with power from on high. Jesus had said: "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. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. . . . I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." "But 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."  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 2]          The disciples were unable to comprehend the meaning of the words of Christ, and needed the heavenly enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. This is the condition of the followers of Christ in these days just before his coming in the clouds of heaven. The things of earth have the supreme place in the heart, while the things of heaven are held in subordination. The people of God need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, that the instruction of Christ may be brought to their remembrance. They need to have their understanding enlightened, that they may understand the Scriptures.  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 3]          After the crucifixion of our Lord, two of his disciples were traveling towards Emmaus, and as they walked together, they noticed a man toiling along the road with them; but they had no thought that it was their risen Lord. Jesus drew near, and joined himself to them, and asked, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" And they answered: "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulcher, and found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and break, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures? . . . Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures."  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 4]         What was it that made their hearts burn within them as they talked by the way?--It was the illumination of the Holy Spirit. When we take hold of the Scriptures as truth, the word will kindle within us the love of God, and our hearts will burn within us. Have we not experienced this when we have studied the word of God? Have we not found out that faith in the word of God brought gladness to the heart? We need to be touched with the enthusiasm that is kindled by love of God in the heart. Why is it that we do not manifest more of this enthusiasm in the service of God?--It is because those who profess to love God do not serve him with undivided heart.  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 5]          Christ has said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." No man can serve two masters. No matter how long you have been a Christian, if you do not seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, you do not know Christ or the power of God. If you do not make the service of God your first business, you commit robbery toward God. The question you should ask your soul is: "What right have I to rob God of intelligent service? What right have I to take God's gifts of strength and intellect and devote them simply to advancement of self?" You may have a position of trust and responsibility, and be crowded with work and care, but should you permit yourself to be so burdened that you cannot take time to understand what is your relation to God? Jesus says, "Without me ye can do nothing." Then of what benefit are you to your fellow-men unless you have a connection with Christ? When you become absorbed in the temporal things of life, eternal things are dropped out of your reckoning, and because of your interest in the fleeting things of earth, you rob God of your ability to serve him in sending the gospel to all the world. "Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up."  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 6]          The disciples asked: "Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." "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." In order to go in the path of destruction, there is no necessity for searching for the way; the gate is wide, and the way is broad, and the feet naturally turn in the path that leads to death. Those who go in this way are intoxicated with the spirit of the world, and how sad it is to see those that profess to be children of God walking in the road that leads to perdition.  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 7]          The line of demarkation between the church and the world has been well nigh obliterated; and unless there is reformation, unless the eyes of those who have been blinded by the enemy are opened, they will be lost. Jesus has given us a warning for this time. He says: "Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to 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. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 8]          We need to watch that the enemy may not steal a march upon us and allure us away from allegiance to Christ by attracting us to the things of the world, that the things of eternal interest shall be looked upon as of minor importance, so that we shall make an atom of a world and a world of an atom.  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 9]          The enemy leads those who do not yield entirely to God to exalt self, to seek for supremacy and power. When the eye is not single to the glory of God, eternity is dropped out of your reckoning. Oh, we need to pray for the vitalizing influence of the Spirit of God. Unless the professed people of God yield themselves to the influence of God's Holy Spirit, they will be overcome by the temptation of Satan; they will have a name to live and be dead, be a curse to the world; for while professing to be the children of God, they will lead men in the path to death. Their record in the books of heaven will be hard to meet. Souls are to be saved. The messengers of God are to fulfill the words of the prophet: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 10]          What we need is a conscience quickened by the Spirit of God; for with many, conscience has been stupefied by indulgence in sin and unbelief. We must know what religion is, and realize that we must have a living connection with the God of heaven; for "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 11]          Why do we devote so little time to prayer? Would you not be surprised if you should know God when you do not seek his face? The message to you is, "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." You have often been taught of the love of God, and you know that it was a whole Saviour who died on Calvary's cross; but the fact that so great a sacrifice was made in our behalf will condemn our poverty and lukewarmness before God. What excuse can you offer to God that you have had a murmuring spirit, that you have represented your Saviour to the world as a hard master, that you have been exacting and severe with others, domineering over those who were under your control? What excuse can you give to God for manifesting cruelty to dumb creatures that were provided for your use? The spirit of unkindness, of pomposity, of complaining, is not the manner of spirit that will find an entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, July 25, 1892 par. 12]          Religion is a personal matter. We are not to be saved as churches, but as individuals who have appropriated the merits of Christ. The question each one should ask is: "Is it well with my soul? Has the transforming grace of Christ renewed my heart? Have I a kind, tender, compassionate spirit? Am I like Him who, though he was rich, yet for my sake became poor, that I through His poverty might be made rich? What sacrifice have I made for Him who died for me?"                            (To be continued.)                                                                   -    {ST, July 25, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 1]       August 1, 1892 The Necessity of Receiving the Holy  Spirit.  ［CONTINUATION OF SERMON AT  HEALDSBURG, CAL., SEPTEMBER 26, 1891.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "For he shall grow up before him," says the prophet Isaiah, "as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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."  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 2]          Jesus did not come to the earth in the glory that belonged to him in the courts of heaven. He covered himself with the habiliments of humanity, that he might reveal unto many the mercy and compassion of the Father by coming into the closest relationship with the sons of men. Clothing his divinity with humanity, he took step after step in the path of humiliation, that he might save unto the uttermost all who would come unto God by him.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 3]          If he had come in the glory of an angel, men could not have endured his brightness; but he came taking upon him the form of a man, in all things made like unto his brethren, tempted in all points like as we are, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 4]          In view of what Jesus has borne for us, have we any cause for pride? Have you great talents? Who gave them? It was Christ; he gave them that you might employ them in his service. We need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, that we may realize what is our obligation, and have power from on high to carry out our purposes to serve God and him only. But how little is said concerning the Holy Spirit, although it is a divine influence whereby we are to reach the souls of men. We should study upon this subject. We should talk of it in our families, in our meetings, and pray that we may be baptized with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will not come upon the man whose mind is a highway for sensuality. We cannot afford to make a mock at sin. We cannot afford to say to the sinner, It shall be well with thee. We can only point the transgressor to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 5]          When the heart is emptied of self, it will be ready for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then you will be fitted to strengthen the sheep and lambs of the flock of Christ; for self will be hid with Christ in God. The Spirit of Christ will be manifested in your daily life. The apostle says, "Be ye holy in all manner of conversation." You are to be found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Your whole body, soul, and spirit are to be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord. What we need is the deep movings of the Spirit of God; for the standard of Christian life is expressed in these words: "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. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 6]          In order to fulfill this divine requirement, we need to look upon Him whom our sins have pierced, and become changed into His image. We need the endowment of the Holy Spirit.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 7]          Those who profess to be waiting for the coming of Christ, are represented in the parable by the five wise and the five foolish virgins. The wise virgins had oil in their vessels with their lamps; they had their lamps trimmed and burning, and were ready to go out and meet the bridegroom. But the foolish virgins had no oil in their vessels; and when the solemn cry was sounded, they were found unprepared, and could not go forth to meet the bridegroom. Many profess to be wise; but have they the Holy Spirit? As a people, we profess to know the truth, but of what avail will this be if we do not carry out its principles in our life? How many say, "Oh, yes, the coming of Christ is at the door. The end is so near that there is no time to carry the message to those who sit in darkness. There is no need of spending money on foreign work; for the end will come before it will be accomplished." Is this the way that you carry out the injunction of your coming Lord, to preach the gospel in all the world for a witness to all nations? It is your business to be ready for the coming of the Lord, and you cannot be ready while failing to carry out his commands. There are some who seem to feel no responsibility concerning paying their tithes into the treasury of the Lord. They withhold from Him who has given them everything else, the small portion He has named as His own. They say they cannot see that it is their duty to pay tithe; but there is no reason why they should not see it, except that self is before their eyes.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 8]          May God help you that you may repent, and pay your honest debts to God, saying, "Of thine own have we given thee." God has given us everything, providing for us the rain, the sunshine, the dew, and all the bounties of nature, and can we be hard-hearted, ungrateful, and selfish? Would you not think that you would naturally be glad to give back to God his own? If anyone is robbing God, he may see by studying the Bible that he should repent and make restitution; for his case has been presented in the word of God. He should fear to continue in blindness of mind, lest for his selfishness he should lose eternal life, which Christ died to obtain for him.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 9]         The Lord says concerning those who withhold their tithes, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?" And the answer is: "In tithes and offerings. . . . Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts."  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 10]          Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." God asks for his portion; he knocks at the door of the heart. We are to divest ourselves of everything that separates our souls from him. When this is done, we shall see of the salvation of God.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 11]          The soul is of more value than the whole world. Jesus has said: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" There are souls to be saved. The gospel is to be preached in all the world for a witness, and may God help us to fulfill all our God-given responsibility. If we had a realizing sense of the worth of souls, would we be found expending money and time in the needless decoration of our persons or our homes? Would we be satisfied in serving self alone? We should open our Bibles to those around us. The work of warning the world does not all devolve upon the minister. Every Christian has a work to do, and let everyone resolve to be clear from the blood of souls. If you were consecrated to the Master, your prayers, like sharp sickles, would follow the laborers in the harvest field, and you would be workers together with God. Rise above the world and fix your eyes upon Him who is chiefest among ten thousand, the one altogether lovely.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 12]          All heaven has been poured out in the one rich gift of Christ. When God gave his Son, he gave the choicest gift of heaven. The treasures of heaven are at your command. We are not to go in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord, for he has said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." There is no limit to the power that may be vouchsafed to the worker for God. Jesus says, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Do you believe that promise? Our minds have been so engrossed with earthly things that we have lost sight of heavenly things, and may God help us to arouse before it is eternally too late.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 13]          In seeking to reform our lives, let us not look at the defects of our brethren; we are to copy the Pattern. When Peter was charged with a certain duty by the Master, he pointed to John, and asked, "Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." You are to keep your eye single to the glory of God. A saint on earth is to be just what a saint in heaven is. A man in the church will be the same sort of a Christian there as he is in his family. If he is a Christian in his home, he will be a Christian in heaven. How is it with you? Do you stand the test? The Lord will bring circumstances to bear upon you that will lead you to make manifest your true character. You will be tested upon one point, and then upon another, until it is made manifest whether or not you have the spirit of a true Christian.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 13}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 14]          If those who handle the word of God will come to God as little children, they will see of his salvation, and Jesus will walk among them to make them vessels unto honor. Those who follow in the light need have no anxiety lest that in the outpouring of the latter rain they will not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If we would receive the light of the glorious angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory, let us see to it that our hearts are cleansed, emptied of self, and turned toward heaven, that they may be ready for the latter rain. Let us be obtaining a fitting up to join in the proclamation of the angel who shall lighten the earth with his glory. Let us be colaborers with Christ. Now is the time for us to let self die, to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts, to deny the cravings of appetite and passion. The minds of many are channels for impure thoughts. They do not have a realizing sense of the offensive character of sin. I call upon you to clear the King's highway. Weighty responsibilities are resting upon you; for you are to represent the character of your Lord to the world. Faith without works is dead. There must be corresponding works, or the faith is worthless, a mere pretension, an empty profession. You are to manifest your faith by a life of integrity, making it evident that Christ is abiding in the heart, and that you are able to show forth what is the hope of his calling.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 14}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 15]          Then ask yourself: "Am I a Christian? Am I looking unto the Author and Finisher of my faith? Is my hope of eternal life centered in him? Have I fallen upon the rock and been broken?" God help us that we may surrender all to him, seek him as never before, that he may be found of us, and that we may love him with all the heart.                                                                   -    {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 15}
[ST, August 1, 1892 par. 16]          You may well be alarmed for your soul if you allow cares to supplant the truth of God in your heart. If your associates are worldlings who flatter you, telling you how smart you are, and what great things you can do, and you love this unhallowed nonsense, you may well feel that you are in peril; for your moral taste is perverted, your perceptions are blunted.--Mrs. E. G. White.  {ST, August 1, 1892 par. 16}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 1]       August 8, 1892 The Necessity of Receiving the Holy  Spirit.  ［CONCLUSION OF SERMON PREACHED AT  HEALDSBURG, CAL., SEPTEMBER 26, 1891.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         In repenting of our sins, we need not go into a cell, as did Luther, and scourge ourselves as a punishment for our iniquity, thinking by so doing to gain the favor of God. The question is asked by the prophet, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" The Scripture says, "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and savest such as be of a contrite spirit." "Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 2]          You are to die to self, to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts. You need not devise ways and methods of bringing about your own crucifixion; self-inflicted penances are of no avail, and will be found worthless when the test comes upon you. We are to surrender the heart to God, that he may renew and sanctify us, and fit us for his heavenly courts. We are not to wait for some special time, but today we are to give ourselves to him, refusing to be the servants of sin. Do you imagine that you can leave off sin by your own human power a little at a time? You cannot do this; Jesus was treated as a sinner when he assumed the likeness of sinful flesh, that the sinner might be treated as righteous. The Father loves us who believe in Christ as he loves his only-begotten Son. Thus by faith we can grasp the righteousness of Christ, and our Saviour saves us from all sin. The converted soul will hate the thing that Christ hates, and love the thing that Christ loves. Has he not by his death and suffering made provision for your cleansing from sin? You must take the blood of Jesus and apply it to your heart by faith; for that alone can make you whiter than snow. But you say, "The surrender of all my idols will break my heart." This is what is needed. In giving up all for God, you fall upon the rock and are broken. Give up all for him without delay, for unless you are broken, you are worthless.  {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 3]         Why wait any longer? Why not take God at his word and say, "I give myself to thee; it is all that I can do." If Satan comes to cast his shadow between you and God, accusing you of sin, tempting you to distrust God and to doubt his mercy, say, "I cannot allow my weakness to come between me and God; for he is my strength. My sins, which are many, are laid upon Jesus, my divine sacrifice." Satan desires to keep you in the lowlands of sin, but will you not decide that you will go free? Will you not say:--             "Nothing in my hand I bring,              Simply to thy cross I cling"?  {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 4]          Jesus wants all there is of you. He has paid an infinite price for your soul; all that you have and are belongs to him. May God help you to look and live. Christ is coming in a little while. He has been our brother in suffering, and what joy it brings to hope that we shall soon see him as he is! We shall suffer here but a few days longer, and then enter into an eternity of happiness; for there is rest in the kingdom of God. For those who fight the good fight of faith, there is reserved the glory of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Let the determination of every soul be, "I must run the race with patience; I must overcome." If we do not overcome, we lose the crown; and if we lose the crown, we lose everything; there is eternal loss for us. But if we attain to the hope of our calling, we gain the crown, we gain all things; we become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.  {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 5]          What greater reward could we desire than that presented in the word of God? The invitation is extended to all, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." We are to live by the day for God, and not take upon us the burdens of tomorrow. We are to fight the good fight of faith today; and when tomorrow comes, strength for its duties will be given. The question today should be: "Am I the Lord's? Have I the witness of the Spirit today? Does my name come into the lips of the divine Intercessor today? Am I a coworker with heavenly intelligences today? Am I laboring together with God today? Am I a watchman upon the walls of Zion today, sounding a note of alarm to the people, saying, The morning cometh, and also the night?"  {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 6]         When the watchman sounds the alarm, do the people have no part in the work of warning the world? Do they hear the watchman's voice only to go on indifferently, and act as though they heard nothing? No; they are to catch the message of warning and hope, and sound it again, following the injunction of Scripture, "Let him that heareth say, Come." The people are to be ready to hear the word, and then they are to call to others to catch the divine message from the throne of glory, and send it on to those who sit in darkness. If this were the attitude of the church, do you think that there would be division and discord, evil surmising, evil speaking, and criticising among the professed followers of Christ? May God help us that we may all become converted, and be alive to the importance of the times in which we live. The lower lights must be kept burning.  {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, August 8, 1892 par. 7]          You say that you want heaven. How much do you want it? What is your faith worth? You will act out all the faith you have. What will be the verdict of the judgment if you go to your farm, to your family, to your earthly affairs, and care not for the message of heaven? There is a world to be warned, and while you sleep, Satan is sowing tares. All heaven is interested in the work that engages the attention of Christ and his angels in the heavenly court, and will you be indifferent who have been purchased at infinite cost? What we need is elevation of character, nobility of soul. Thank God it is not too late for wrongs to be righted. We may still find pardon; we may still find a hiding-place in the Rock of Ages, that has been cleft for us. We may still accept the light, and grow up into Christ, our living head. Jesus says to the trembling, repenting soul, "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Will you let him reason with you? Will you commit to him the keeping of your soul as unto a faithful Creator? Come, then, and let us live in the light of his countenance, and pray, as did David: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . . . 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. . . . O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise."                                                                   -    {ST, August 8, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, August 15, 1892 par. 1]       August 15, 1892 "Ask and Ye Shall Receive."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." We need have no fear that we shall run into extremes on the right hand or on the left in seeking the Lord. We are to go forward, inquiring at every step, Is this the way in which the Lord would have me go? We are to consecrate ourselves to him, in order that we may render him acceptable service. Whatever may be our calling in life, we may do our duty with an eye single to the glory of God. We are called to do our daily tasks with exactness and fidelity, realizing that Jesus has his eyes upon us, and that we are doing our work for his sake. Whether pleasing or unpleasing, we are to do the duty that lies directly in our pathway. If the Lord would have us bear a message to Nineveh, it will not be as pleasing to him to have us go to Joppa or to Capernaum. The Lord has reasons for sending us to the place in which our feet are directed. There may be souls pleading with God for light in the very place to which the Lord calls you, and God would have you make plain unto them the way of salvation.  {ST, August 15, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, August 15, 1892 par. 2]          When we are called to work for those we love, however hard may be the work, however unpleasant, we can still do it with ease and grace. When the heart is full of love for Jesus and those for whom he died, all our service will become easy; for his sake the burden will be light. We are surrounded with responsibilities, and we feel that it is necessary to exert our influence wholly on the Lord's side. When we realize what is involved in our service to Christ, we are driven to the throne of grace to ask the Lord for the very things we need. He whose eyes are anointed with spiritual discernment feels that it means something to be a worker together with God. He will realize that it is perilous to trust in self; for self-confidence is vain. It is only when we accept solemn responsibility, relying upon God and distrusting self, that we can become efficient workers in his cause. To be clothed with humility does not mean that we are to be dwarfs in intellect, deficient in our aspirations, and cowardly in our lives, shunning all burdens for fear we shall not carry them successfully. In the strength of Christ we are to take up our responsibilities, bearing them for his sake, and ever going to him for rest.  {ST, August 15, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, August 15, 1892 par. 3]          Jesus says: "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." We are to come to the Lord with all our burdens, seeking wisdom from above to guide us at every step.  {ST, August 15, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, August 15, 1892 par. 4]          We need not walk stumblingly, or in uncertainty. If we ask guidance of the Lord, the promise is, "Ye shall receive." The promise is yea and amen in Christ Jesus. "Seek and ye shall find." This is what we need to do every hour of our life; for if we seek the right way in sincerity, we shall find it. We must feel the need of help from the Lord, and seek for it in humble prayer. There is need of dependence upon God; for Christ has said, "Without me ye can do nothing."  {ST, August 15, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, August 15, 1892 par. 5]          However active you may be, if Jesus is not in all you do, your work will savor of self; dishonor his holy name, work injury to others, and be accounted as worse than nothing. A service that springs from self cannot be sanctioned with the presence of Christ, and will bring no reward to the toiler, but give his name a place upon the losing side. It is vain to ask the Lord to assist you to do a work that will have an injurious influence upon others, and bring disgrace upon his cause.  {ST, August 15, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, August 15, 1892 par. 6]          How many are seeking to gain heaven in their own way. They go to the Lord with hypocritical prayers, and do as did the Pharisee, present their merits before the God of heaven, and make themselves an offense before God. It is not to such knocking that the door will be opened. To the earnest, humble seeker, the promises of God are full of hope and assurance. The asking, the seeking, the knocking, are the things to which we are to give our first attention. The world, our temporal and personal affairs, are not to be placed first, and our spiritual interest to be considered second. The Lord says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Through the name of Jesus, the divine advocate, you are to come as a repentant sinner to a merciful, forgiving Father, believing that he will do just as he has promised to. Let those who desire the blessing of God knock, and wait at the throne of mercy with firm assurance, saying, "For thou, O Lord, hast said that everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." To leave no chance for unbelief or misunderstanding or misinterpretation of his word, the Lord repeats his promise; he makes assurance doubly sure. He longs to have those who would seek after God believe in him who is able to do all things. Jesus looked upon those that were assembled to listen to his words, and earnestly desired that that large mixed multitude might understand their privileges and appreciate the mercy, the beneficence, and loving-kindness of God. He sought to make the matter clear to their darkened understanding by the use of the most familiar and commonplace occurrence. He says, "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Christ makes an appeal to them on the ground of their natural parental love. The father would not turn from his son who is hungry asking for bread; and should anyone dishonor God by imagining that he would not respond to the appeals of his children? Would they think him capable of trifling with his child, of tantalizing him by raising his expectations only to disappoint them? Would he promise to give him good and nourishing food, and then give him a stone? If ye, then, being human and evil, give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? The Lord assures those that ask him that he will give them the Holy Spirit.                            (To be continued.)                                                                   -    {ST, August 15, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, August 22, 1892 par. 1]       August 22, 1892 "Ask and Ye Shall Receive."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         If Christians give the impression by a mournful attitude that they have been disappointed in the Lord, they misrepresent their Heavenly Father, and put arguments into the mouth of his enemies. How false is such an impression when the gifts of God are freely bestowed upon those who seek, who ask, who knock! The Lord specifies no conditions except that you hunger for his mercy, desire his counsel, and long for his love. "Ask." The asking makes it manifest that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith, you will receive. The Lord has pledged his word, and it cannot fail. That you feel and know that you are a sinner is a most efficient argument to present to God in asking for his mercy and compassion. The conditions upon which you may come to God are not that you shall be holy, but that you shall ask God to cleanse you from all sin, and purify you from all iniquity.  {ST, August 22, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, August 22, 1892 par. 2]          The words of Jesus in connection with the promise of receiving upon presenting your petition to God have an application to every soul. He says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Or, as Luke says, "How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" In the teachings of these verses there is not a place in which to put a peg to hang a doubt upon. In the relation chosen to represent the love of God, the beseeching soul is brought close to the heart of Jesus. The Holy Spirit imparts love, joy, peace, strength, and consolation; it is as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. The blessing is free to all: "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat,; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." With overflowing heart you may say:--              "In my hand no price I bring,               Simply to thy cross I cling."  {ST, August 22, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, August 22, 1892 par. 3]          Then come, and seek, and find. The reservoir of power is open, is full and free. Come with humble hearts, not thinking that you must do some good thing to merit the favor of God, or that you must make yourself better before you can come to Christ. You can never do anything to better your condition. In the name of Jesus, come with full assurance of faith, because you are a sinner; for Christ said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. You are to ask, to seek, to knock, and to believe that you are accepted through Christ Jesus, trusting him alone to do those things for you which you can never do for yourself.  {ST, August 22, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, August 22, 1892 par. 4]          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. You must trust him, saying:              "Just as I am, without one plea,               But that thy blood was shed for me,               And that thou bidst me come to thee,                O Lamb of God, I come, I come."  {ST, August 22, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, August 22, 1892 par. 5]          Jesus is our atoning sacrifice; we can make no atonement for ourselves, but by faith we can accept the atonement that has been made. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." It is by virtue of this precious blood that the sin-stricken soul can be restored to soundness. While you are putting up your petition to God, the Holy Spirit applies the faithful promises of God to your heart. In moments of perplexity, when Satan suggests doubt and discouragement, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up as a standard against him the faithful sayings of Christ, and the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will flash into your mind and soul. When Satan would overwhelm you with despair, the Holy Spirit will point you to the intercession made for you by a living Saviour. Christ is the fragrance, the holy incense, which makes your petitions acceptable to the Father. When the light of Christ's righteousness is fully understood and accepted, 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."  {ST, August 22, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, August 22, 1892 par. 6]                                  Importunate Prayer.          In coming to God the prayer of importunity should be offered, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me." You are invited to spread out all your perplexities before the Lord; but do not gratify the enemy by pouring them into the minds of others, lest they stumble over them to their ruin. Jesus knows how to cure all the maladies of the soul. When we beseech the Lord to pity us in our weakness and distress, to guide us by his Holy Spirit, that we may understand his word, he will no more turn away from the prayer of the humble suppliant than the parent will turn away from the hungry child who comes to him for bread. When you turn away from the broken cistern that can hold no water, and in the name of Jesus, your Advocate, come directly to God, asking for the things you need, difficulties will disappear, the righteousness of Christ will be revealed as your righteousness, the virtue of Christ as your virtue. You will then understand that justification can come alone through faith in Christ; for in Jesus is revealed the perfection of the character of God; in his life is the revelation of the genuine principle of true holiness. Through the atoning blood of Christ, the sinner is set free from bondage and condemnation; through the perfection of the sinless Substitute and Surety, he may run in the race of humble obedience to all of God's commandments. Without Christ he is under the condemnation of the law, always a sinner, but through faith in Christ he is made just before God, and loving God, he keeps his commandments, and realizes through an experimental knowledge that the Father loves him, and takes up his abode with him.                                                                   -    {ST, August 22, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, August 29, 1892 par. 1]       August 29, 1892 "They That Have Done Good."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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." It is those that have done good who will come forth to the resurrection of life. The question of most importance to us is, How can we do good? The greatest good that we can do is to help one another to become earnest followers of Christ, and in the day of God we shall be able to render no excuse for not doing good to those around us. We are to love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves, and the Lord Jesus Christ has provided means by which we may fulfill the conditions upon which we may obtain eternal life. We cannot do evil, and work wickedness, and yet stand justified before God at last. Now is our day of probation, and we are now to perfect characters that will stand the test of the judgment. When Christ comes, there is to be no change of character; this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption; and those who are alive and remain upon the earth will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, if their characters are blameless and pure. Transformation of character must take place during the precious hours of probation.  {ST, August 29, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, August 29, 1892 par. 2]         There are many who in their hearts murmur against God. They say, "We inherit the fallen nature of Adam, and are not responsible for our natural imperfections." They find fault with God's requirements, and complain that he demands what they have no power to give. Satan made the same complaint in heaven, but such thoughts dishonor God. And the Lord knoweth our thoughts afar off. He speaks to his people, saying, "O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me." The complainers have an opportunity to bring their accusations against him; their Maker gives them an opportunity to speak. What charge have you to bring against Him that ruleth in the heavens? What have you to say against His dealings with you? What against His government? What against His law? If you have any excuse to offer for your neglect to comply with the conditions upon which your salvation is based, now make them known. If you have any excuse for sin, for impenitence, for covetousness, or for sensuality, you are permitted to give your reasons. Those who would justify themselves in wrongdoing, and lay the blame of their disobedience upon God, will be heard. They argue that they are born with strong passions and appetites, and are surrounded with objects that solicit to sin, and under such circumstances how is it just to condemn them? But God answers: "I did all that could be done for your forefather Adam; I gave him the noblest qualities and the highest powers; my requirements were light upon him. It was because he did not believe my word, did not choose to stand the simple test I imposed upon him, but believed the word of my enemy, that he fell from his holy estate. But in his fallen condition did I not send help? I sent my Son, who was equal with myself, that he might live an example upon earth, and die for man's transgressions, that you might make no mistakes or failures in obtaining eternal life."  {ST, August 29, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, August 29, 1892 par. 3]          Since such ample provisions have been made for our salvation, shall we be excusable if we put forth no effort to obtain eternal life? God has given his beloved Son to die that we might be saved. What an infinite condescension on the part of the God of heaven! By the death of Jesus Christ life and immortality are brought to light. What a hope we have! And with such a hope as this shall we cling to sin? Shall we not consent to be purified from every spot and stain? It is for us to search the Scriptures; for said Christ, "They are they which testify of me." And while we have the precious testimony of the word of God before us, we can be both hearers and doers of the word. As we see the weakness of human nature, instead of trying to justify ourselves in wrongdoing, let us become more familiar with the word of God. It will strengthen our minds in the time of temptation. We do not think half enough upon the Bible. The ministers may explain the Scriptures, but this is not enough; we must practice their teaching in our lives. We must be fortifying our souls with the precious promises of Jesus. We are to avail ourselves of all the help God has provided for us, that we may not fall at last. If it is not in accordance with your inclination to study the word of God, I beg of you to plead with God for his divine Spirit; for those who love Jesus take comfort in communion with him.  {ST, August 29, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, August 29, 1892 par. 4]          Our Heavenly Father paid an infinite price that we might come to him; and if our past life has been full of sin, we can now repent and come to God. The promise is that all who repent and turn from their transgressions shall be forgiven. None need be discouraged because their past life has been marked with objectionable characters. Hear what the God of heaven says: "When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him." "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." I am so grateful today that we have a living Saviour. There are many who go about as mournfully as though Christ were still in Joseph's tomb with a great stone rolled before the door. Our hearts should be full of hope and joy, and we should be able to say with grateful tongues, Christ is risen, and is at the right hand of God to make intercession for us. He has carried his blood into the sanctuary, and will cleanse us from every sin.  {ST, August 29, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, August 29, 1892 par. 5]         Since Jesus has made such an infinite sacrifice for us, how cruel it is that we should remain indifferent. Individually we have cost the life of the Son of God, and he desires us to walk out by living faith, believing in him with all the heart. He would have you bring the truth of God into the inner sanctuary, to soften and subdue the soul; for when Christ is dwelling in your heart by faith, you will love those for whom he died. Suppose that the trump of God should sound tonight, who is ready to respond with gladness? How many of you would cry, "Oh, stay the chariot wheels; I am not ready"? Of how many would it be written, as it was written of Belshazzar, "Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting"? To be wanting in that day is to be wanting forever; for when Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, we must be all ready to be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Your only safety is in coming to Christ, and ceasing from sin this very moment. The sweet voice of mercy is sounding in your ears today, but who can tell if it will sound tomorrow? How precious will be the appearing of Christ to those who have done good upon the earth. Jesus, our Redeemer, is coming back to the world, and all those who believe in him, who love him, and keep his commandments, will be able to say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us."                                                                   -    {ST, August 29, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 1]      September 5, 1892 Righteousness Through Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The holy law of God is both brief and comprehensive; for it is easily understood and remembered; and yet it is an expression of the will of God. Its comprehensiveness is summed up in the following words: "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. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." "This do, and thou shalt live." "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments; which if a man do, he shall live in them; I am the Lord." "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 2]         If the transgressor is to be treated according to the letter of this covenant, then there is no hope for the fallen race; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The fallen race of Adam can behold nothing else in the letter of this covenant than the ministration of death; and death will be the reward of everyone who is seeking vainly to fashion a righteousness of his own that will fulfill the claims of the law. By his word God has bound himself to execute the penalty of the law on all transgressors. Again and again men commit sin, and yet they do not seem to believe that they must suffer the penalty for breaking the law. They parade their good intentions before the Lord, and soothe their consciences by pleading his mercy; but the only ground of hope for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam is to turn from their sins and accept the righteousness of Christ, giving up all hope of salvation on the ground of self-righteousness. The Lord can save no man because of his good works.  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 3]          In the gospel of Christ Jesus, proclaimed by the angels as glad tidings of great joy, the terms of salvation were fully revealed. The law stands in all its original force and purity; not one jot or tittle was to be set aside or altered; for the law is the transcript of the character of God. But the Lord made a covenant of grace whereby his mercy is extended to fallen man, and provision is made so ample and powerful that souls ruined by the fall may be uplifted to glory, honor, and immortality. "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." Encircling the throne of God is the rainbow of the covenant, a symbol of the pledged word of God that he will receive every sinner who gives up all hope of eternal life on the ground of his own righteousness, and accepts the righteousness of the world's Redeemer, believing that Christ is his personal Saviour, able to save him from his sin, and to keep him from falling. Unless Christ is the ground of our hope, we shall not inherit eternal life.  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 4]          The provision made for the salvation of men through the imputed righteousness of Christ, does not do away with the law, or lessen in the least its holy claims; for Christ came to exalt the law and make it honorable, to reveal its exceeding breadth and changeless character. The glory of the gospel of grace through the imputed righteousness of Christ, provides no other way of salvation than through obedience to the law of God in the person of Jesus Christ, the divine substitute. In the old dispensation believers were saved through the grace of Christ, as presented in the gospel, as we are saved today. The only means of salvation is provided under the Abrahamic covenant.  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 5]          The condescension of God in extending his mercy to the sinner is described by Zacharias as a salvation come unto us "through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." This salvation comes to us not as a reward for our works, not bestowed because of the merits of sinful man, but it is a gift unto us, having its foundation for bestowal in the spotless righteousness of Christ. It is when the sinner realizes that he is without hope, lost, condemned to eternal death, incapable of doing anything to redeem himself, and believes in Jesus as his righteousness and salvation, that the word of God is fulfilled toward him. The Lord says, "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 6]          The Psalmist says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." The apostle declares, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Then for what reason should the Lord set aside his law to provide an escape for the sinner, or to make it possible for him to transgress with impunity? There is no reason, and the law of the Lord "endureth forever." In his sermon on the mount Jesus said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 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. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 7]          Under the covenant of grace God requires from man just what he required in Eden,--perfect obedience. The believing sinner, through his divine Substitute and Surety, renders obedience to the law of God. Christ kept the law perfectly, and through him the believer shall not perish, but have everlasting life. He says, "I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." Mercy granted to man is the reward of the merit of Christ, "who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Through the plan of salvation, God can be just, and yet be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.  {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, September 5, 1892 par. 8]          The apostle says: "The kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Now mark what the apostle says of those who cherish this hope. He continues: "Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I will that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they which have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." (Revised Version.) Good works will follow as the blossoms and fruit of faith. Appropriation of the righteousness of Christ will be manifested in a well-ordered life and godly conversation.                                                                   -    {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 1]       September 12, 1892 The Promise Verified to Faith.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." How many who ask a blessing of the Lord would be surprised should they receive their request. Of what is this want of expectation that our prayers will be answered, a proof?--It proves that we have no definite belief that the blessing will be granted, that we have no genuine faith that God will hear, that we do not watch for the answer, so that when it is received, we may connect it with the prayers we have offered. The Lord: said "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Luke says: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"  {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 2]          If we would only believe, we should receive the Holy Spirit. The question is asked, "Is the Lord's arm shortened that it cannot save? is his ear heavy that he cannot hear?"--No, he now works in the hearts of those who ask, who believe that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. We must not be discouraged if Satan seeks to leaven the mind with subtle unbelief while we are engaged in prayer, and our hearts are impressed with the high standard of holiness to which we would attain. The enemy will suggest that the Lord will not keep us from sinning, and make us obedient to all his requirements. He will direct our mind to our past imperfections, to our sins, failures, and mistakes, and tell us we need not expect to come off conquerors at last. We are not to listen to the suggestions of the enemy, or think that our unaided efforts can save us, but we are to believe that Jesus does the work for us. At times when we have exercised a little faith, we have experienced a little help, and we have hoped to be victorious overcomers. But have we had faith that through Christ we should be able to overcome every temptation as he overcame? We have not generally exercised this quality of faith.  {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 3]          Many think that they have not time to pray, or that it would be useless to pray if they had time; for they have an inheritance of unchristlike traits of character that are strong by heredity, and stronger by cultivation. The least crossing of their will arouses their combativeness and upsets their temper. I am describing not simply the experience of children and youth, but of men and women, fathers and mothers, who have had a limited experience in the Christian life. They have allowed secular interests to divert the mind and to engage the attention. They have indulged a strong passion to meet the world's standard, and have been filled with a desire for human praise. While they are thus unemptied of self, they cannot expect to receive answers to their prayers; for evil tempers and corrupt inclinations will make prayer of none effect. The Psalmist says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." The tremendous load of evil upon these souls must be rolled off into the sepulcher, that they may believe, not from impulse, but from calm assurance, that God is true, knowing that whatever he has promised he will fulfill.  {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 4]          The Lord has promised to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, and as an illustration of our need and his willingness to give, he presents before us a hungry child asking his earthly parent for bread. The question is asked, "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?" He appeals to the strong, natural affection of the parent for his child, and then says: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Is it any wonder that we receive not, when we believe not? Should we receive in our faithless condition, we would not appreciate the grace given us of God, or render glory to him for the benefits. "Taste and see that the Lord is good;" this is asking and receiving. Those who have tasted of the goodness of God cannot keep the knowledge of this blessing to themselves; for Christ is in them a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. Those who are most blessed of God have the most constant indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and they diffuse the light of heaven to others. Wherever there is distinguishing mercy, there is always distinguishing duty. Jesus said to his followers: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."  {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 5]          To none will it be granted to enjoy the presence of Christ in the paradise of God if they do not enjoy his presence and love in this probationary life, if they do not have a likeness of character to him on earth. Since nothing short of Christlikeness is expected of the followers of Jesus, God has left abundant promises whereby this expectation may be fulfilled. The apostle says: "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; 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." The storehouse of unlimited resource is opened to all who knock in faith.  {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 6]          Unbelief is the sin that so easily besets us; and this sin is obnoxious to God. However secret is its working in the heart, the guilty one stands revealed and convicted before heaven. The Redeemer of the world has pledged his word, saying, "Ask, and it shall be given you." Is it any marvel then that the blessing of God is withheld when you dishonor his name by your unbelief? Who is it that has made to you these promises? It is He who "so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Who is it that says, "Ask, and it shall be given you"? Who is it that stands before the great multitude holding forth the divine promise?--It is He who came into the world to rescue us from the bondage of Satan, and make us free men and women in Christ Jesus.  {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, September 12, 1892 par. 7]          Then come to God with full assurance of faith, knowing that he who hath promised is faithful, and will fulfill his word. Like Habakkuk, say, "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me." Having asked the Lord for good things, as a hungry child asks his parent for bread, believe from your heart that the Heavenly Father giveth not the Spirit by measure unto you; for to them that ask in faith the Holy Spirit will be given in its fullness, as free as the river that proceedeth from the throne of God, slaking the thirst of all who will come and drink. Come, then, feeling that all Heaven invites you. Come, then, in steadfast faith, knowing that all Heaven welcomes you. Fasten your soul on the blessed assurance, God has spoken this promise, God has invited me, not to mock me, not to disappoint me, for before I knocked, he was unlocking the door for me; while I was yet speaking, he answered, "Here I am." Then put away this distrust of God; come to him now, and let all the angels of God have occasion for rejoicing, as they see those who are athirst partaking of the waters of life.                                                                   -    {ST, September 12, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 1]       September 19, 1892 No Man Putteth New Wine into Old Bottles.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And he spake also a parable unto them: No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better."  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 2]          At the time Jesus uttered this parable, the old typical service was soon to pass away, and the temple courts were to be left desolate. Christ, the great Antitype, both Sacrifice and High Priest, clothed in his own spotless righteousness, was soon to be slain as a lamb without blemish, for the sins of the world. But both his disciples and the disciples of John misapprehended the relation of his teaching to the doctrine of the scribes and Pharisees. The disciples of John had sought to unite the teaching of the reformer with the doctrines held by the Jewish leaders; but the teaching of scribes and Pharisees was fast hastening to decay, and to unite the truth with their jargon of tradition would make confusion worse confounded.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 3]          The principles presented by Christ, the manner of observing feasts, of praying to God, could not be properly united to the forms and ceremonies of Phariseeism. Instead of closing up the breach that had been made by the teachings of John, the teachings of Christ would make the separation between the old system and the new more distinct, and to attempt to unite the two would only result in making the breach wider. Jesus illustrated this fact, saying, "No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish." The bottles to which he refers in his illustration were made of skins, and, after once being used as vessels in which to place the new wine, they were worthless to serve the same purpose again. In this familiar illustration Jesus presented the impossibility of making those who are satisfied with a legal religion the depositaries of the living truth of heaven.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 4]         Those who would not receive the light and grace of Christ, who rejected the truth he came to bring them, were compared to old bottles, to worthless and worn-out garments. Rejecting the truth themselves, they were ever seeking to sow the seed of doubt and questioning in the mind of the disciples, in order that the truth unfolded to them by Christ should not make its impression on heart and spirit. They exalted ceremonies, human exactions, and the commandments of men, as more essential than the teachings of Christ. The difference between the fresh, pure doctrines of heaven and the lifeless teaching of the Pharisees made manifest the fact that the vital truth of God could find no place for expansion in the old religious rites that were ready to vanish away.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 5]          As a result of intercourse with Christ, the disciples were led to behold the precious gems of truth recovered from systems of error, and reset in the framework of truth. As their minds expanded to comprehend the doctrines of Christ, they saw that the faith which works by love and purifies the soul could find no place for union with the old religion of the Pharisees, which was made up of ceremonies, injunctions, and the traditions of the elders. An effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would have shown the utter mistake of such a course. For the new doctrines, like fermenting wine, would have burst the old decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition. To the Pharisees the teaching of Jesus was new in almost every respect, was unrecognized and unacknowledged as truth. They professed to have respect for the religion of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. But, although Christ taught the original truths that had been committed to the fathers, his teaching was new to the Pharisees, because they had perverted, and misinterpreted, and burdened down the requirements of God, until the truth had lost its original significance and beauty.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 6]          The Pharisees opposed the teachings of Jesus with all their force, and Jesus turned from the recognized religious leaders to find in others new bottles for the new wine. In the untutored fisherman, in the publican at the market-place, in the woman of Samaria, in the common people who heard him gladly, he found his new bottles for the new wine. Priests and scribes and rulers were fixed in a rut of ceremonies, observances, and traditions. For long years they had lost their vitality, and their hearts had become contracted, like the old withered, dried-up bottles to which he had compared them; but in the fishermen, the Samaritans, the publicans and sinners, Jesus found hearts that he could impress and make receptacles for his divine truth.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 7]          God's people must go on from light to a greater light, or they will become, as did the Pharisees, unwilling to receive additional light. They will find themselves in the condition represented by withered, dried-up bottles. In their religious faith they will be unmovable, inflexible, like the withered fig tree dried up by the roots. Those whom Jesus chose for his work were people to whom the world gave little attention; the fishermen, the despised publicans and Samaritans, had no connection with the schools of the scribes and Pharisees; but Christ saw in them the requisite qualifications for the work of God. The Pharisees looked upon his association with publicans and sinners as a matter that merited their condemnation; for it was in marked contrast to their habits, customs, and traditions. But Christ taught his disciples lessons concerning the broad character of his kingdom, which was to be perpetuated through eternal ages.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 8]          The lessons which Jesus taught in the parables should be carefully studied; they contain instruction for his people in these last days, that we may not make the mistakes which the Jewish nation made in the time of Christ. The gospel was first preached to the Jews; but they felt whole and in no need of a physician. Christ came to minister to the sin-sick soul; for only those will be converted who feel and know that they are sinners. Christ came holding forth precious truth for the acceptance of men, presenting heavenly principles to be woven into the life, bestowing spiritual benefits to be passed on to others. Christ, the consolation of Israel, had come unto his own, but his own received him not. He must find new bottles to contain his new wine.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 9]          Why could not the old bottles contain the new wine? Why were the lessons of Jesus refused? The life of Christ should have been a constant inspiration. But the scribes and Pharisees refused him, because they allowed pride, ambition, and bigotry to stand in their way. Jesus did not follow the teachings of the schools; he did not copy any living model, nor draw his lessons from any earthly source. His teachings were simplicity itself, so clear that a child could understand them, so deep that the prejudiced Pharisees and priests could not comprehend them. No one but a heavenly teacher could present so lofty a morality in such simple words, making his sayings applicable to the necessities of all. The brightness of the Father's glory was revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. But the old bottles could not contain the precious new wine. The bigoted Pharisees, scribes, and rulers had no preference for the new wine; they were filled with the old, and, until emptied of the old traditions, old customs, old practices, they had no place in mind or heart for the truth of Christ.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 10]          In the question, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God?" the attitude of scribes and Pharisees is set forth; for the question meant, What shall we do to deserve heaven? Mark the answer of Christ: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent." The price of heaven is the Messiah. The way to heaven is Christ. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent. "But the Pharisees scoffed at his doctrine, and the Sadducees derided him. The most precious truth could find no harmony with the false theories and commandments of men. But the common people, who were not filled with the wine of superstition and tradition, heard him gladly. They recognized the heavenly power of his teaching, and were charmed with the new truth concerning his kingdom. Many, many, found the living Bread that came down from heaven, and drank of the living Water. Their hungry souls were satisfied with heavenly manna, and refreshed with the streams of salvation. In their acceptance of his doctrine, they proved the truth of his words, "My sheep know my voice, and they follow me."  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 11]          Let it not be with us who are living in the last days as it was with the Pharisees. Let it not be said of us, as it was of them, that new wine cannot be put into old bottles. Let not those who have been long in the truth, who have been made the depositaries of the law of God, exalt the ideas and opinions of men above the advancing truth of heaven, lest they be left as old, withered bottles, whose place will be filled by new bottles which the Lord shall select for the new wine. We must be in a position where we shall ever have an appetite for the fresh manna, for the new wine of heaven.  {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 11}
[ST, September 19, 1892 par. 12]          Let all beware lest they imitate the example of the Jews, and, fearing they must give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, refuse the truth which cometh down from the Father of lights. It was adherence to tradition that proved the ruin of the Jews, and will prove the ruin of many, many souls in every age. Let us fear to become satisfied, with that which we already have acquired, but ever advance with the light, that Jesus may not have to cast us aside as worthless bottles, when he would present to us new truth.                                                                   -    {ST, September 19, 1892 par. 12}
[ST, September 26, 1892 par. 1]       September 26, 1892 "Ye Must be Born Again."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." This man was a ruler, and held in high esteem by the people, and he thought it was a condescension for him to admit as much as he had to Christ. Thinking himself righteous, he was astonished at the answer of Jesus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  {ST, September 26, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, September 26, 1892 par. 2]          The blindness of Israel in discerning spiritual things closed their senses to the mission and work of Christ. This change represented as a new birth they would have to experience before they could take in the meaning of what constituted the kingdom of God. Their whole conception had been perverted. All they could see was a temporal kingdom, established in Jerusalem, and they would not change these ideas, because they wanted this kind of a kingdom. Jesus had lessons of highest importance to give to the ruler in Israel, and the lesson which Christ gave to him is of the highest consequence to every soul. It is neither profound learning nor high positions nor professions that give character to the man. The question to be answered is, Is the man quickened into spiritual life? Is he a new man in character? In proportion as the spirit and life of Christ are in us, in that proportion is man enlightened and can discern spiritual things. There is greater indulgence in sin than many dream of, and he who commits sin will seek for all kinds of excuses to palliate sin.  {ST, September 26, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, September 26, 1892 par. 3]          Churches are represented as having faith in Christ for salvation; but do they have faith in Christ? Christ has said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." This vital union with Christ is represented by the union of the vine and the branch. Jesus says: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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." "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." Here is represented the same vital connection with Jesus Christ as is represented by eating his flesh and drinking his blood.  {ST, September 26, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, September 26, 1892 par. 4]          Christ overcame every temptation of the enemy, because in him divinity and humanity were combined; but there is no safety for any soul who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness, a round of ceremonial exactions. To attend services on the Sabbath, to pray occasionally or regularly, makes no one a Christian. The important thing is to become united to Christ, to believe in Christ as a personal Saviour, to live by faith in the Son of God. The question to ask the soul is, "Am I a partaker of the divine nature, represented as being born again? Has a new moral taste been created? If not, the soul is in deadly peril. He who is born of God is a new man. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." The old imperious will is gone. The pride is cleansed from the soul. Selfishness is uprooted. The quick, passionate temper no longer masters the man; for Jesus Christ has brought the thoughts into captivity to himself. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let no arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 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. 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."  {ST, September 26, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, September 26, 1892 par. 5]         "Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." Why, then, do not men exercise themselves unto godliness? Why do they bear thorn berries? it is because they are not grafted into the tame olive tree. They are not converted. Their works testify of them that they do not abide in Christ. They do not, as is represented by Christ, eat his flesh and drink his blood. If they did, they would through faith have a vital connection with Christ, and work the works of God. The character is transformed, not by a slight change in some customs and practices, but by a work divine; for the Lord says, "A new heart will I give thee." This is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. "I live," said Paul; "yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Has the dry branch been grafted into the living vine stock? Then has the graft taken connection with the vine fiber by fiber? Is it one with the parent stock? If it is, then will it bear the fruit of the vine. If we are one with Christ, we shall be Christlike. This is the great power of God. And yet we are commanded: "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." The great privileges of the Christian have been opened before us. He who daily depends upon Christ will work out Christ in spirit, in words, in actions. He may be compelled to rebuke sin, to reprove, to exhort, to rebuke with all long-suffering and doctrine. On special occasions his spirit may be stirred within him to expose sin and wickedness; but in it all he has the Spirit of Christ. It is a work that must be done. We may live a life of close connection with Jesus, of oneness with Christ. The mind should be kept in a prayerful frame, looking to Jesus moment by moment, asking at every step, "Is this the way of the Lord?" This is the way Enoch walked with God. We are to be learners of one another, and doers of the word of God.  {ST, September 26, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, September 26, 1892 par. 6]         Let those who believe in Jesus show their saving faith in a well-ordered life and a godly conversation. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come." That means you and me. "And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."                                                                   -    {ST, September 26, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 1]       October 3, 1892 Faith Brings Light.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus hath said: "I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." We should be thankful that the Lord knows our circumstances and experiences. Jesus is near, close to us, and he has given the precious promise, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" What reason we have for encouragement! We are assured that the Lord hears our prayers. The promise is, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Who is this that speaks? Is it one whose word is doubtful, one who does not know what he is talking about?--No, it is the world's Redeemer. He who so loved us that he died on Calvary, that "whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 2]          Shall we take his pledged word as truth? The Lord hears our sincere prayers, and knows how to answer; for nothing is hidden from him. The Psalmist says: "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." The Lord looks upon the heart; he seeth all its workings, and he "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 3]          The Holy Spirit indites all genuine prayer. I have learned to know that in all my intercessions the Spirit intercedes for me and for all saints; but his intercessions are according to the will of God, never contrary to his will. "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities;" and the Spirit, being God, knoweth the mind of God; therefore in every prayer of ours for the sick, or for other needs, the will of God is to be regarded. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." If we are taught of God, we shall pray in conformity to his revealed will, and in submission to his will which we know not. We are to make supplication according to the will of God, relying on the precious word, and believing that Christ not only gave himself for but to his disciples. The record declares, "He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 4]          Jesus is waiting to breathe upon all his disciples, and give them the inspiration of his sanctifying spirit, and transfuse the vital influence from himself to his people. He would have them understand that henceforth they cannot serve two masters. Their lives cannot be divided. Christ is to live in his human agents, and work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities. Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his spirit, that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them. Jesus is seeking to impress upon them the thought that in giving his Holy Spirit he is giving to them the glory which the Father has given him, that he and his people may be one in God. Our way and will must be in submission to God's will, knowing that it is holy, just, and good.  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 5]          John says, "This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Let us dwell much upon these points before the people, that their ideas may be enlarged, their faith increased. They should be encouraged to ask largely, and expect without a doubt the riches of his grace; for through Jesus we can come into the audience chamber of the Most High. Through his merits we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Oh, that we may have a deeper experience in prayer! With confidence we may come to God, knowing what it is to have the presence and power of his Holy Spirit. We may confess our sins, and right there, while asking, know that he pardons our transgressions, because he has promised to forgive. We must exercise faith, and manifest true earnestness and humility. We can never do this without the grace of the Holy Spirit. We must lie low at the feet of Jesus, and cherish no selfishness, reveal no self-uplifting, but in simplicity seek the Lord, asking for his Holy Spirit as a little child asks bread of his parents.  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 6]          We should act our part, take Christ as our personal Saviour, and, standing under the cross of Calvary, "look and live." God sets his children apart for himself. And as they connect themselves with him, they have power with God, and prevail. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but through the grace of his Holy Spirit, life and light are imparted, and the soul is filled with longing, earnest desire for God, for holiness. Then it is that Christ leads us to the throne of grace, and clothes us with his righteousness; for the Lord God of heaven loves us. We would be willfully blind and stubborn to doubt that his heart is toward us. While Jesus, our Intercessor, pleads for us in heaven, the Holy Spirit works in us, to will and to do of his good pleasure. All heaven is interested in the salvation of the soul. Then what reason have we to doubt that the Lord will and does help us? We who teach the people must ourselves have a vital connection with God. In spirit and word we should be to the people as a wellspring, because Christ is in us a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. Sorrow and pain may test our patience and our faith; but the brightness of the presence of the Unseen is with us, and we must hide self behind Jesus.  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, October 3, 1892 par. 7]          Talk courage to the church; lift them up to God in prayer. Tell them that when they feel that they have sinned, and cannot pray, it is then the time to pray. Many feel humiliated at their failures, that they have been overcome by the enemy in the place of overcoming. Worldliness, selfishness, and carnality have weakened them, and they think it is no use to approach unto God; but this thought is one of the enemy's suggestions. Ashamed they may be, and deeply humbled; but they must pray and believe. As they confess their sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive them their sins, and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. Though the mind may wander in prayer, be not discouraged, bring it back to the throne, and do not leave the mercy seat until you have the victory. Are you to think your victory will be testified by strong emotion?--No; "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." The Lord knows your desire; by faith keep close to him, and expect to receive the Holy Spirit. The office of the Holy Spirit is to control all our spiritual exercises. The Father has given his Son for us that through the Son the Holy Spirit might come to us, and lead us unto the Father. Through divine agency, we have the spirit of intercession, whereby we may plead with God, as a man pleadeth with his friend.  {ST, October 3, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 1]       October 10, 1892 Draw from the Source of Strength.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Angels, cherubim, and seraphim bow in holy reverence before God. "Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands" of angels are round about the throne, and are sent to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. The ruling principles of God's throne are justice and mercy. It is called the throne of grace. Would you have divine enlightenment?--Go to the throne of grace. You will be answered from the mercy seat. A covenant has been entered into by the Father and by the Son to save the world through Christ. "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." No power save that of Omnipotence could make such a covenant. The rainbow above the throne is a token that God through Christ binds himself to save all who believe in him. The covenant is as sure as the throne, and his throne is established in righteousness. Then why are we so unbelieving, so distrustful? Why doubt so frequently, and trust God so fitfully? Whenever we come to the throne of God to ask his mercy, we may look up, and behold the rainbow of promise, and find in it assurance that our prayers shall be answered.  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 2]          But let no one flatter himself that he may transgress the commandments, and yet receive the favor of God. In the government of God, justice and grace stand side by side. The law cannot be transgressed with impunity. Justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne. In Christ mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Christ himself gave the law from Mount Sinai, and he has not lessened a jot or tittle of its claims. He has given his own life to atone for man's transgression of the law, and to enable him to obey its precepts. Justice is satisfied with the divine sacrifice. Through the merits of Christ God can be just and justify the sinner who believes in Jesus.  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 3]          Christ knows the sinner's trials; he knows his temptations. He has taken upon himself our nature; he was tempted in all points like as we are, and he knows how to succor those who are tempted. He has wept, and he knows our sorrows, he has experienced all our griefs. To all who believe and trust in him, he will be a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest. As a man, Christ ascended to heaven. As a man, he is the substitute for humanity. As a man, he liveth to make intercession for us. He is preparing a place for all who love him. As a man, he will come again with kingly power and glory to receive his children. And that which should cause us joy and thanksgiving is that God "hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained."  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 4]          Those who claim that it was not possible for Christ to sin, cannot believe that he took upon him human nature. Christ was actually tempted, not only by Satan in the wilderness, but all through his life, from childhood to manhood. In all points he was tempted as we are; and because he successfully resisted temptation under every form, he gave man a perfect example, and through the ample provisions Christ has made, we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Jesus says, "To him that overcometh 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." Here is the beginning of our confidence, which we must hold steadfast unto the end. If Jesus resisted Satan's temptations, he will help us to resist. He came to bring divine power to combine with human effort.  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 5]          Jesus was free from all sin and error; there was not a trace of imperfection in his life or character. He maintained spotless purity under circumstances the most trying. True, he declared, "There is none good but One, that is God," but again he said, "I and my Father are one." Jesus speaks of himself as well as the Father as God, and claims for himself perfect righteousness.  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 6]          In Christ dwelt the fullness of the God-head bodily. This is why, although tempted in all points like as we are, he stood before the world untainted by corruption, though surrounded by it. Are we not also to become partakers of that fullness? and is it not thus, and thus only, that we can overcome as Christ overcame?  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 7]          We lose much by not dwelling constantly on the character of Christ. "Believe me," he says, "that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake." "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth." Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." And he says of 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 comfortless; I will come to you." "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." "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."  {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, October 10, 1892 par. 8]          Why are we so dull of comprehension? Why do we not cling to Jesus, and draw from him by faith the strength and perfection of his character, as the vine branch draws the sap from the living vine? We are to look to Jesus, and as temptations close us about, climb up step by step in the work of overcoming. Abiding in Christ, we become one with him. Then we are safe, entirely safe, against all the assaults of Satan. Christ living in the soul is revealed in the character. Man is nothing without Christ. But if Christ lives in us, we shall work the works of God. We shall represent Christ in our life, we shall talk of Christ because we meditate upon him. We shall grow up into Christ to the full stature of men and women in spiritual understanding.                              (Concluded next week.)                                                                   -    {ST, October 10, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 1]       October 17, 1892 Draw from the Source of Strength   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." The eternal Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. This theme will quench unbelief; and yet, sad to say, Jesus has been dropped out of many discourses that have been preached by Seventh-day Adventist ministers. And why?--Because the ministers had not Jesus abiding in the heart by faith; they were not clothed with Christ's righteousness. Jesus could not lead them by the side of still waters, and into the green pastures of his matchless love, because they would not be led. They had not the love of Jesus in their hearts, and it is the love of Jesus that, as a golden chain, binds our hearts in tenderest sympathy with humanity, and brings us into complete unity with every soul who believes. The Spirit of Jesus in my heart will recognize Jesus in the hearts of my brethren and sisters. Our prayers and hopes are one.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 2]          Christ said to his disciples, "Love one another, as I have loved you." Is this commandment obeyed? Do we love one another with that unselfish love which Jesus has manifested for our souls? If we are Christ's, we shall be one, even as he is one with the Father. His grace will unite the hearts of his disciples. Jesus took the nature of humanity in order to reveal to man a pure, unselfish love, to teach us how to love one another.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 3]          The power of an ever-abiding Saviour is greater now than ever before, because the emergencies are greater; and yet we are weak in spiritual life and experience. Oh, how much we have lost as a people by our lack of faith! We have suffered loss to our own souls, and have failed to reveal to others, by our words and in our character, what Christ is and will be to everyone who comes to him believing. He is "made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." To give glory to God is to reveal his character in our own, and thus make him known. And in whatever way we make known the Father or the Son, we glorify God.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 4]          False views of God, and hence of Christ, are largely entertained today. Well may we offer the prayer of Moses, "Show me thy glory." What did the Lord answer?--"I will make all my goodness pass before thee." God might have answered Moses: "Why do you ask this question? Have I not revealed to you my glory in the deliverance of my people from Egyptian bondage? Did I not deliver you by the right arm of my power, and lead you dry shod through the midst of the Red Sea? Did I not reveal my glory in giving you bread from heaven? Did I not bring you water out of the flinty rock? Have you not looked upon my glory in the pillar of fire by night, and the cloud by day?" Moses might have answered that all this only kindled his desire for greater manifestations of God's power. The Lord granted the prayer of Moses, and he desires to answer us in the same way. We need to have our perceptions quickened, our hearts enlarged, that we may comprehend his glory--his goodness, his forgiveness, his forbearance, his inexpressible love.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 5]         "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful"--precious ray of light from the Sun of Righteousness--"and gracious"--another bright beam from the Light of the world--"long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth"--oh, what flashes of his glory!--"keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Bring all these precious rays together, and talk of them, shed their light upon the path of him who walketh in darkness. Look to Christ, behold the attractive loveliness of his character, and by beholding you will become changed to his likeness. The mist that intervenes between Christ and the soul will be rolled back, as we by faith look past the hellish shadow of Satan, and see God's glory in his law, and the righteousness of Christ.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 6]          Satan is seeking to veil Jesus from our sight, to eclipse his light, for when we get even a glimpse of his glory we are attracted to him. Sin hides from our view the matchless charms of Jesus; prejudice, selfishness, self-righteousness, and passion blind our eyes, so that we do not discern the Saviour. Oh, if we would by faith draw nigh to God, he would reveal to us his glory, which is his character, and the praise of God would flow forth from human hearts, and be sounded by human voices. Then we would forever cease to give glory to Satan by sinning against God and talking doubt and unbelief. We would no longer stumble along grumbling, and mourning, and covering the altar of God with our tears. If we would behold Jesus, believing his words, we would reflect the image of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, and what a wave of glory would flow back from earth to heaven!  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 7]          The word of God must be exalted with pen and voice; neglect it not; it is the highest folly to keep out of sight the manna for which the world is starving. It is not God's plan that his word should be given a secondary place in our system of education. We want the word of God as our guide. It is our light; without its divine rays we grope in darkness. Its study affords discipline that strengthens and elevates and enriches the soul. It furnishes us unto all good works, and guides into safe and high enterprises. It is the wisdom of God.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 8]          The Holy Spirit is given to all who will heed its voice; it is a purifier, a sanctifier. Not a soul is safe without it, for all are struggling with natural defects of character, with sinful tendencies. Who will be so foolish as to think they can struggle single-handed with enemies that have overmatched them again and again? The heart needs to be constantly softened and subdued by the Spirit of Christ. In contact with the world, or even with that which has to do with the advancement of God's cause, the heart grows hard and selfish, unless constantly brought in contact with the heart of Infinite Love. The conscience grows callous and feeble when we neglect to receive the rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Those who flatter themselves that they can safely occupy their time in business, having no special seasons of prayer either in public or private, drawing no spiritual strength from the Source of all light and power, are under a delusion of the enemy.  {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, October 17, 1892 par. 9]          All should fear to accept and hold responsible positions, without daily and hourly consecration to Christ, an entire surrender of the will to God. They should fear to encounter temptations unless their souls are under the transforming grace of Christ and they are determined to inquire at every step, "Is this the way of the Lord?" to ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"                                                                   -    {ST, October 17, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 1]       October 24, 1892 Christ's Use of Parables.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "The disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 2]          Jesus said to his disciples, "It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." He did not mean by mysteries the things that could not be understood; but those things that could be comprehended by the human mind when enlightened by the Spirit of God. To those who were humble of heart, who trusted not in their own wisdom or righteousness, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven could be revealed. "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent ［the worldly wise,］ and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 3]          "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in man. For all things are yours." Nothing is withheld from him who earnestly and sincerely seeks for truth and wisdom. For "ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's."  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 4]          "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 5]          In his instruction to his followers the Lord used scenes from nature, occurrences from life, the habits and customs of the world, as illustrations whereby to convey to the minds of men the significance of truth. If they desired to understand divine things, they might have perceived the import of his words; for the divine Teacher was ever willing to explain what he taught, to the honest inquirer after truth. In figurative language he brought before the multitudes that which pertained to their eternal interest. He pictured before them the perils of the times, and made plain the way of escape to those who had ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand.  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 6]          It is only the honest seeker after truth who can be benefited by the presentation of truth. Those who have not a heart to receive the truth, be it ever so plainly presented, will find a way whereby they can misinterpret its plainest portrayal, and evade its evident conclusions. Jesus had to meet this class in his day, as we have to meet them today. They perverted his word, distorted his utterances, and presented his teaching in a false light, declaring that the mission he proclaimed he had come to accomplish, was needless and would not be fulfilled. "Without a parable he spoke not unto them." In this way he could present the plainest truths, and the Pharisees and Sadducees were placed at a disadvantage; for they could not find fault with his words, or bring an accusation against him. His warnings, rebukes, and denunciations were spoken in the language of parables. In figures and symbols he presented the principles of truth, and those who had a heart to understand were not left in doubt as to the meaning of his words; for the Holy Spirit was ever present to make the right impression upon heart and conscience.  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 7]         This characteristic of the teaching of Jesus is presented in the words of the Psalmist when he says, "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which have been kept secret since the foundation of the world." The words of Christ were necessarily clothed in mystery, in order that those who would have made him an offender for a word should have no opportunity to take advantage of his plain speaking. Christ had to deal with many who would hear, and not understand, who would have eyes, and not perceive, and hearts that stubbornly refused to admit one ray of heavenly light. They clung tenaciously to their old traditions and superstitions, and they could not consent to give up the customs and habits handed down to them by their fathers. They were fortified against truth by their proud self-righteousness. They would not admit that they were in need of a Saviour, or consent to alter the character of the instruction which they had been giving to the people. Christ taught the precious truth of redemption through faith in himself, through the unmerited favor of God bestowed upon men because of the merits of his only-begotten Son. His mission to the world was to reveal to men the character of God, and by the revelation of his love win men to the Father.  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 8]          Christ came to teach men of God, and he made manifest the fact that everything in nature teaches of spiritual and eternal things. To the eye that is not dimmed, the ear that is not closed, the heart that is not gross through selfishness, prejudice, and pride, the glories of nature unveil the things of the Father. "For the invisible things of him from the beginning of the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." To illustrate heavenly truth, Jesus employed the things of nature, and imparted to man divine enlightenment. He harmonized science and the word of God, leading the mind from nature to nature's God, and blending the spiritual with the natural. So wide was his view of truth, so extended his teachings, that every phase of nature was employed by the great Teacher in illustrating truth. The scenes upon which the eye daily rests are all connected with some spiritual truth, so that nature is clothed with the parables of the Master. Through familiar objects he attracted the minds of his hearers to his subject, and impressed upon them solemn, eternal truth.  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 9]          The Lord Jesus was the maker of the things in heaven and earth, and the expositor of his own truth, and he called upon nature to reflect the light of the glory of God. The birds of the heaven, the flowers of the field, the trees of the forest, the fruitful fields, the barren land, the grain ripe for the sickle, the fruitless tree, the goings forth of the morning, the setting of the sun, the sowing of the seed, the gathering in of the harvest,--all were employed as emblems of divine truth. He connected the visible works of the Creator with the words of life, and led the mind up from nature to nature's God. Every humble shrub and delicate flower bears testimony to the heart of the love of God. If the eye is not closed, if the ear is not heavy, if the heart is open to receive the impressions of the divine Spirit, nature will speak of the harmony of the natural with the spiritual. Through illustrations drawn from the natural world, Christ has taught lessons of vast importance to the soul; and in thinking of his words while contemplating the object with which he associated his lessons, the divine significance becomes clearer to the mind, and the truth of God enlightens the understanding like a flash of light. Mysteries grow clear, and that which was hard to grasp becomes evident.  {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, October 24, 1892 par. 10]          The heart that has not become hardened through error, and has not been perverted through false theories,--the heart that honestly desires to know what is truth, will joyfully accept the message which Christ brings to the soul. Great multitudes listened with attentive ear to the precious words that fell from the lips of Christ. Many among them were wayside hearers, many were stony-ground hearers; but many were hungering and thirsting for a knowledge of spiritual things, such as they failed to receive from the religious teachers of the time. In the exposition of truth by these Jewish leaders were mingled the doctrines and commandments of men, and their injunctions were burdened with exactions which the people could not bear. The people were as men lost on a highway, where the sign-boards were placed above their reach, and the directions were written in a language they could not understand. But Jesus, the greatest Teacher this world ever knew, looked with compassion upon the people, as on sheep that had no shepherd, and invited them to come to him. He said: "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." Who is it that makes this gracious announcement, that extends to men this precious invitation?--It is he who is one with the Father. "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."                                                                   -    {ST, October 24, 1892 par. 10}
[ST, November 7, 1892 par. 1]       November 7, 1892 Christ's Use of Parables   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The Lord has momentous truths to reveal to those who would understand the things of the Spirit. His lessons are for all, and adapted to the needs of all. While his lessons are clothed in language so simple that a child might understand them, the truth is so deep that the most learned may well be charmed, and worship the Author of matchless wisdom. Though the wisest may find abundant food for thought in his simplest utterance, the humblest may comprehend his truth, and appropriate his promises to the need of the soul. Jesus taught men for the purpose of arousing desire to understand the things of God, that they might behold the excellence of the divine character, and make application for the righteousness of Christ, in which they might stand accepted before the Lord Jehovah. Have you a sense of want in your soul? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Then this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your heart, and created this sense of need in your soul, 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.  {ST, November 7, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, November 7, 1892 par. 2]          Among the multitudes that listened to the words of Christ, were scribes and Pharisees, Sadducees and elders, rabbis and priests, Herodians and rulers. Most of this class were proud, world-loving, bigoted, ambitious men, who loved the praise of men more than the approval of God; for they were ignorant both of the Scriptures and of the power of God. In their ignorance they did not scruple to supplant the teaching of the prophets with their own expositions of the word of God. They wrested the Scripture from its relation to truth, and made it serve the cause of error. But they were exceedingly jealous of their position as teachers of the people, and looked with hatred upon the divine Teacher, who taught as one having authority. Above all things they desired to find something whereby they might bring accusation against him; and for this purpose they set spies upon his track to see if they could not catch something from his lips that would cause his condemnation, and forever silence him who seemed to draw the world after him. But Jesus knew the hearts of all, and understood the character of the men who watched him with malignant looks from the multitudes that gathered to hear his words, and he presented truth in such a way that they could find nothing whereby they might bring his case before the Sanhedrin. In parables he exposed the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and clothed in imagery truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would have put an end to his ministry. But while he evaded the treacherous spies, he made truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest in heart could readily discern what was truth.  {ST, November 7, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, November 7, 1892 par. 3]          The parables of Christ have been placed on record, and to the honest, diligent searcher after truth, their meaning will be made plain, their mystery unveiled. Those who will not seek for truth as for hidden treasure, make manifest the fact that they do not sincerely desire to know what is truth. Christ still says to his true followers, "It is given to you to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven." "Whosoever hath to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance." He who responds to the drawing of Christ, will be found inquiring as to what is truth, that his feet may be directed into the way of righteousness. Christ is drawing all men, but all do not respond to his drawing. Those who yield their will to God's will, who are willing to follow where the Spirit of God may lead, who receive the light and walk therein, will seek for still more of heavenly enlightenment, and "shall have more abundance." But whoever resists the drawing of the Spirit of God, and refuses to walk in the light, choosing to walk in the path of his own selecting, will not be compelled to yield his stubborn will, or be forced to walk in the path of peace and holiness. Those who follow this course are of those who, having eyes, see not, but are blind to the terrible results of their choice, and walk in sparks of their own kindling, and shall lie down in sorrow.  {ST, November 7, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, November 7, 1892 par. 4]          Isaiah prophesied of the moral darkness that would enshroud those who were lifted up in their own esteem; he said: "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." The Jewish leaders had corrupted their hearts with vain imaginations, with earthly, sensual, and devilish knowledge; and although they professed to believe in the typical sacrifice that had prefigured the Lamb of God through all the centuries since the fall of man, they set themselves in opposition to Christ, and rejected the Light of the world. As a pall of death they covered their souls with error; and though Christ presented to them the inner meaning of the Jewish economy, that they might discern that he was the great Antitype, they closed their eyes, that they might not perceive, and hardened their hearts, that they might not understand.  {ST, November 7, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, November 7, 1892 par. 5]          Jesus was the originator of the religion of the Jews, and how clearly could he open to the mind the significance of every shadow and symbol, and reveal the relation of the whole system to himself. That which had been misinterpreted, he set before them in its clear connection with truth, and made plain the glory of the Levitical service. He sought to open to men the fact that the Jewish system of religion presented in types and shadows the whole mystery of the gospel. The service of the past was in no way to be held in contempt; for in Christ, type met antitype, and shadow substance.  {ST, November 7, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, November 7, 1892 par. 6]          The lessons that Christ presented in his words of truth are like precious pearls; for in them he bestowed upon men an inestimable possession. Much that he taught is still but dimly understood, and the rubbish of error covers many a glorious gem of truth. These jewels of truth should be searched for with as great diligence as men search for hidden treasure. Those who know the love of Christ should regard it as did the man who found the hidden treasure, and for joy thereof went and sold all that he had, that he might buy the field, and dig over every inch of it to discover the rich veins of gold and silver. The teaching of Christ is more precious than any mine of earth can be, and it demands more zeal on our part to seek for the gems of truth than does any possession we can secure in the world. We should put forth most strenuous efforts to understand the full meaning of the truth he would convey to the mind in parables or maxims. Let him who would comprehend spiritual things, dig deep in the mines of truth.  {ST, November 7, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 1]       November 14, 1892 The Sacred Duties of Home Life.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him." "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. . . . 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. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 2]          If we are doers of the word, we shall daily bear the cross after Jesus, subdue self, and thus bring harmony into the home life. The sweetest type of heaven is a home where the Spirit of the Lord presides. If the will of God is fulfilled, the husband and wife will respect each other, and cultivate love and confidence. Anything that would mar the peace and unity of the family should be firmly repressed, and kindness and love should be cherished. He who manifests the spirit of tenderness, forbearance, and love, will find that the same spirit will be reflected upon him. Where the Spirit of God reigns, there will be no talk of unsuitability in the marriage relation. If Christ indeed is formed within, the hope of glory, there will be union and love in the home. Christ abiding in the heart of the wife, will be at agreement with Christ abiding in the heart of the husband. They will be striving together for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love him.  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 3]          Those who are constantly at disagreement in the home life, who do not practice the words of the Lord, will not enter into the heavenly mansions, because they would find that which did not suit their taste even in heaven. Heaven is to be the home of those only who are sanctified, refined, and made meet for the society of the saints in light. If we manifest the character of Christ here, keeping all the commandments of God, we shall be cheered and blessed with glimpses of the pleasant home in the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare. Those who, through the grace given us, represent, not their own crude ideas, their own peculiar, hereditary, and cultivated objectionable traits of character, but the character of Christ, will be fit inhabitants for the heavenly city. Our ways, our will, are to be under subjection to God's will, to be disciplined by his Holy Spirit. If we are courteous and gentle at home, we shall carry the savor of a pleasant disposition when away from home. If we manifest forbearance, patience, meekness, and fortitude in the home, we shall be able to be a light to the world. All murmuring, all complaining, will be put aside by the true Christian.  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 4]          We are children of the Heavenly King, members of the royal family, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. The mansions Jesus has gone to prepare are to receive only those who are true, who are pure, who love and obey his words. In the mansions above we shall meet to part no more. We shall know each other in our heavenly home. But if we would enjoy eternal bliss, we must cultivate religion in the home; for the home is to be the center of the purest and most elevated affection. Peace, harmony, affection, and happiness should be perseveringly cherished every day, until these precious things abide in the hearts of those who compose the family. The plant of love must be carefully nourished, else it will die. Every good principle must be cherished if we would have it thrive in the soul. That which Satan plants in the heart,--envy, jealousy, evil surmising, evil speaking, impatience, prejudice, selfishness, covetousness, and vanity,--must be uprooted. If these evil things are allowed to remain in the soul, they will bear fruit by which many shall be defiled. Oh, how many cultivate the poisonous plants, that kill out the precious fruits of love and defile the soul! Some of these who cherish evil, think they have a burden for souls. They make public profession of their love to God, and yet see no necessity for weeding the garden of the heart, for uprooting every unsightly, unholy weed, for letting the beams of the Sun of Righteousness shine into the soul temple. They do not know Jesus. They have no knowledge of what it is to be a practical Christian, that is, to be Christlike.  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 5]          There is need of prayer, of genuine faith, of patient, untiring effort to war against every evil disposition, so that even our thoughts may be brought into subjection to Christ. That which will make the character lovely in the home is that which will make it lovely in the heavenly mansions. 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. Unless you have the Spirit of Christ, you are none of his, and will never see the redeemed saints in his kingdom, who are to be one with him in the heaven of bliss. God desires you to consecrate yourself wholly to him, and represent his character in the home circle.  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 6]          When religion is manifested in the home, its influence will be felt in the church and in the neighborhood. But some who profess to be Christians, talk with their neighbors concerning their home difficulties. They relate their grievances in such a way as to call forth sympathy for themselves; but it is a great mistake to pour our trouble into the ears of others, especially when many of our grievances are manufactured, and exist because of our irreligious life and defective character. Those who go forth to lay their private grievances before others might better remain at home to pray, to surrender their perverse will to God, to fall on the Rock and be broken, to die to self that Jesus may make them vessels unto honor. When self is crucified, and Christ lives in the soul, they will cherish sincere and noble affections, such as will give fragrance to the character, and be revealed to the world in consistent words and actions. Let us all heed the words of the Lord,--"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."  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 7]          In many families there is a great lack in expressing affection one for another. While there is no need of sentimentalism, there is need of expressing love and tenderness in a chaste, pure, dignified way. Many absolutely cultivate hardness of heart, and in word and action reveal the Satanic side of the character. Tender affection should ever be cherished between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. Every hasty word should be checked, and there should not be even the appearance of the lack of love one for another. It is the duty of everyone in the family to be pleasant, to speak kindly. Children are to respect and reverence their parents, and parents are to manifest patience, kindness, and affection for their children. Each one should seek in every possible way to please and make happy the members of the family circle.  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 8]          Our words and actions in the home bear testimony to our true character, and they are recorded in the books of heaven. The daily acts of life tell the measure and mould of our disposition and character. Where there is a lack of home religion, a profession of faith is valueless. Then let no unkind words fall from the lips of those who compose the home circle. Make the atmosphere fragrant with tender thoughtfulness of others. Only those will enter heaven who in probationary time have formed a character that breathes a heavenly influence. The saint in heaven must first be a saint upon earth. The habits of speech, the character of our actions, put a mould upon us; and that which we cultivate in our association with others in this life, goes down into the grave with us, and will be unchanged when we come up from the grave. 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.  {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, November 14, 1892 par. 9]          Then, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, do not educate yourselves in the line of vulgarity of action, word, or thought. Coarse sayings, low jests, lack of politeness and true courtesy in the home life, will become as second nature to you, and will unfit you for the society of those who are becoming sanctified through the truth. The home is too sacred a place to be polluted by vulgarity, sensuality, recrimination, and scandal. Silence the evil word, put away the unholy thought; for the True Witness weighs every word, sets a value on every action, and declares, "I know thy works." Then let love, truth, kindness, and forbearance be the precious plants that you shall cultivate in the garden of the heart. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in welldoing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."                                                                   -    {ST, November 14, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 1]       November 21, 1892 Make All Things According to the Pattern.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When the sanctuary was to be built, the Lord directed Moses, saying, "Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount." Moses was full of zeal to do God's work. The most talented, skillful men were at his command to carry out his suggestions; and yet it was not given to him to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him as God's ideal. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly things. The Lord covered him in order that he might see God and live, and behold the things that God would have made according to the pattern. Forty days he was in direct communication with God; and when he descended the mount, his face shone with glory, and he was ready to give directions as to how the sanctuary should be made according to the pattern shown him in the mount.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 2]          It is in neglecting to follow the exact directions of the word of God that many err. They turn away from God's plans, to follow their own ideas. Christ himself declared, "The Son of Man can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." So utterly was he emptied of self that he made no plans for himself. He accepted God's plan for him, and day by day the Father unfolded his plans. If Jesus was so wholly dependent, declaring, "I do nothing of myself," how much more should the human agents depend upon God for constant instruction, so that their lives might be the simple working out of God's will. Oh, that failing, erring mortals would be content to seek wisdom from God, and be entirely submissive in working out his directions, in exemplifying his character! If ever mortals needed to send to heaven an earnest cry, "Lord, show me thy way; teach me the way of the Lord," it is now. Only those will have a fitness for the mansions above who give to God full and implicit obedience. God knows that we would not appreciate his rarest gifts if we were not perfectly submissive to his will.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 3]          And in keeping the way of the Lord there is great reward. We shall be tempted by the adversary of souls to deviate from God's way, to neglect to search the Scriptures in order that we may find out whether we are walking in the sparks of our own kindling, or seeking the light which God has given us. Oh, that we may be vessels unto honor, prepared for the Master's use! Oh, that the work of the grace of God may so go forward in our hearts that we may come to see the matchless charms that are revealed in Jesus!  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 4]          Whatever may be our temperament, we are to form a character after the divine Pattern; we have no excuse for retaining the mold and superscription of our nature; for Christ has died that we may have his mold and superscription. We cannot retain self and yet be filled with the fullness of God. We must be emptied of self. If heaven is gained by us at last, it will be only through the renunciation of self, and the receiving of the mind of Christ. Pride and self-sufficiency must be crucified, and the vacuum supplied with the Spirit and power of God. Are we willing to pay the price required of us for eternal life? Are we ready to sit down and count the cost, and conclude that heaven is worth the sacrifice of dying to self, of having our will brought into perfect conformity with the will of God? Until we are willing, the transforming grace of God will not be manifested upon us. When we present our emptied nature to God, he will by his Holy Spirit supply the vacuum made by the renunciation of self, and give us of his fullness. The Lord would not have us perish. He would have us consecrate to his service all there is of us; for he desires to bless us more than we desire to be blessed. He would have us abide in Christ, receive his blessing, and diffuse it to others while we live, that we may enjoy a blessed eternity. Life is short, but eternity is endless.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 5]          We should ask ourselves, For what are we living and working? And what will be the outcome of it all? We need the religion of Jesus Christ daily; for everything we do or say comes under the notice of God. "We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." What we are at heart, we reveal in life. Our thoughts, our words, our actions, are the result of what we are; and our influence is a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death, according to whether we abide in Christ or not. In the judgment we shall be brought face to face with those whom we have had opportunity to help by directing them, through choice words of counsel, into right, safe paths. If we have a daily connection with God, we shall have a living, abiding interest in the saving of the souls of men, and our influence will be a savor of life unto life.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 6]          The Lord has blessed us with the light of truth, and we are to let that light be seen, by being doers of the word. We are to let the bright rays of God's word extend to others, to cheer and bless all that are in the house. If we do not have oil in our vessels, accept of the grace of Christ, which is abundantly provided for us, our light will burn dim, and, if neglected, will die out. But if from the treasure of the heart you bring forth good things, then your light shines out to those who are in darkness. But if you indulge in slang phrases and foolish talk, you bring forth from the treasure of the heart evil things, and darkness comes upon your soul, and upon the souls of others; for evil words bring forth a harvest after their kind. Evil words do more mischief than you have any idea of; they are seeds sown to produce a harvest, and your influence as a Christian is weakened. Foolish, idle jesting fails to exalt the character of Christ; and when he is not lifted up, souls are not drawn to him. The Lord Jesus calls upon you to place yourself in the channel of light, that the result of thorough faith in Christ as your personal Saviour may appear. Christianity is not to be put on and off at will, but it is to be our constant adorning; we are to be clothed with Christ's righteousness as a garment.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 7]         Let no one rob God of the service he requires. Half-hearted service is of no value. Have we not tried our own way again and again, and found it was but foolishness? In following our independent judgment, have we not virtually said, "Lord, I want not thy way, for it does not please me; I want my own way; and if I cannot do as I please, I will not serve thee?" How many have let go of Christ, to follow their own plans? Did Christ, the Majesty of heaven, have his way? Behold him in travail of soul in Gethsemane, praying to his Father. What forced those blood drops of agony from his holy brow? Oh, the sins of the whole world are upon him! It was separation from the Father's love that forced from his pale, quivering lips the cry, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Three times was the prayer offered, but was followed by, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, O God, be done." This must be our attitude: "Not my will, but thine, O God, be done." This is true conversion.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 8]         The church of Christ is to represent his character. Its members, if their names are written in the Lamb's book of life, will be united by a vital connection with Christ, as the branch is united with the living vine. Jesus says, "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." Christ devoted himself entirely to the work of saving souls. He left the glories of heaven, and clothed his divinity with humanity, and subjected himself to sorrow, and shame, and reproach, abuse, denial, and crucifixion. Though he had all the strength of the passion of humanity, never did he yield to temptation to do that which was not pure and elevating and ennobling. He says. "I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified." He devoted himself wholly to God in an infinite sacrifice to redeem the world. What a wholeness in his life, his character! The plan of salvation, devised prior to the beginning of time, expresses the love of Christ to man, the devotion of the Son to the Father's glory. "To the intent that now the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." This eternal purpose embodied before the universe the glory of the divine love in the salvation of man.  {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, November 21, 1892 par. 9]          Charged with his exalted mission, Jesus came into the world as the visible representative of the invisible God. He said to Philip: "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? . . . From henceforth ye know him and have seen him." "I and my Father are one." What height, and depth, and breadth of meaning in the Saviour's words! They are clothed with a mysterious power that can only be spiritually discerned.                                                    -    {ST, November 21, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 1]       November 28, 1892 Representing Christ to the World.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         In order to save fallen man, under a sense of the infinite magnitude of the task, Christ undertook to represent to the world the character of God in his great love for the world. Nothing was allowed to divert his attention for a moment. His one effort was to carry out the plan of God laid before the foundation of the world. Said Christ, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." That is: "My Father hath so loved you, that he even loves me more for giving my life to redeem you. In becoming your substitute and surety, by surrendering my life, by taking your liabilities, your transgressions, I am endeared to my Father; for by my sacrifice, his will is fulfilled, his law vindicated, and God can be just, and yet justify him who believes in Jesus."  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 1}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 2]          This is a love that passeth knowledge. Shall we not be filled with astonishment at the amazing riches of the grace of Christ? Jesus alone could do the work. Knowing the height and depth of the love of God, he engaged to come into the world to make it manifest to sinners. Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the love of God to lost humanity. It is impossible for us to conceive of the riches of his grace abundantly provided for all who believe on Christ. And having thus himself represented the love of the Father, he has enjoined upon those who believe in him to represent his character to the world, and thus reflect the glory of God in their own character.  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 2}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 3]          Jesus says, "As Thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world," to be witnesses for me. Christ calls upon each of his followers to represent his goodness, his mercy, and his love to the world, as he has represented the love of the Father. He has made those who believe in him as their personal Saviour, partakers of the divine nature, that they should not perish, but have everlasting life; and those who are saved by his grace are to reveal his power to others, that others may be saved through their instrumentality. All who are truly converted are commissioned of God to be light bearers to the world.  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 3}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 4]          "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 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, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." It is the privilege and duty of every child of God to obtain day by day a living experience in the things of Christ. Through a connection with Christ, we are to go forth in his Spirit, with his mind, as agents to cooperate with the divine, to bear to the world the message of the love of God to man. We are to proclaim that Christ is our advocate, that the bow of promise encircles the throne, that the Lord is waiting to be gracious. This work must not be set aside because it requires self-denial and self-sacrifice. Looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith, we must see there our pattern, and shape our life after the example he has given.  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 4}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 5]          All the heavenly intelligencies are looking with intense interest to see what the human agencies will do at this time. As ministering spirits sent forth to minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation, they look with yearning desire upon the world for whom Christ died. They know that Jesus has died that the world might believe in him and not perish, but have everlasting life. They know that Jesus now says to the sincere, believing ones: You have given yourselves to me, and I have given you to the world as my representatives. Ye are to be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. You are my witnesses, dedicated to me, that ye should go forth to represent the gracious character of God."  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 5}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 6]          When by faith we grasp what Jesus has done for us, all hardness of heart will be melted under the softening, subduing influence of his matchless love, and we shall bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. We shall then feel that we are under obligation to task to the uttermost our capability, that our talent may be brought into highest service to diffuse the light and grace we have received. There will not be exhibited a disposition to tear down, but the mind and spirit which dwell in Christ Jesus, to restore, to build up. Jesus was a fountain of healing mercy for the saving of the world; for by precept and example he represented the justice and love of God to men. When the nature of man is renewed by grace, he will be full of tenderness, sympathy, and love. Thus the character of God will be unfolded to the world as it is, and Satan will not be able to fasten the minds of all humanity in his snare, charging God with his own attributes, and misrepresenting his character.  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 6}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 7]          Jesus could not express in words to the understanding of man the love of the Father; he could only say, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But he did express the love of God in his actions. Never can we equal the goodness and the love of Jesus, but he calls upon every man and woman, youth and child, to behold him, and by beholding his perfection of character, to become changed into his image. Call every talent into exercise to copy the Pattern. Christ died to save man, and he calls upon us to live as seeing Him who is invisible, that we may save souls. Then seek the Lord most earnestly. Eternal life at the right hand of God is worth a lifelong, persevering, untiring effort. Look to the cross of Calvary, and be no longer half-hearted. It is either life or death with every one of us; and when we surrender all, then Jesus will open ways that we may serve him with every power of our being. The Lord would have us gather up the rays of light, and be witnesses for Christ.  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 7}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 8]          Says the prophet, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And 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. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."  {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 8}
[ST, November 28, 1892 par. 9]          The church may individually be all that they profess to be; for if they will seek the Lord with all the heart, they will be filled with the Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Pattern, and everyone who copies the Pattern will estimate the value of his own soul as the purchased possession of Christ. He will see that the Lord requires all the members of his church, as living, human agencies, to exert a sanctified influence in unity to build up the Redeemer's kingdom in the earth. The careless inaction, the indolence, the neglect to improve a single faculty and intrusted capability which might have been employed for blessing humanity, robs the world of the promised influence of the Holy Spirit, which might have accompanied with its presence the living witness for God. A message from heaven is sent to the world by those whom the Lord has called. They are to make known the salvation of God, that, by the testimony of those who are sanctified, many may be saved.                                                                   -    {ST, November 28, 1892 par. 9}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 1]       December 5, 1892 The Way to Christ ［Reprinted in full in 1SM 320-325］  December 12, 1892 The Way to Christ ［Reprinted in full in 1SM 326-330］  December 19, 1892 The Way to Christ ［Reprinted in full in 1SM 331-335］  December 26, 1892 The Way to Christ ［Reprinted in full in 1SM 336-339］    January 2, 1893 Chosen in Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Many have confused ideas as to what constitutes faith, and they live altogether below their privileges. They confuse feeling and faith, and are continually distressed and perplexed in mind; for Satan takes all possible advantage of their ignorance and inexperience. Through manifold temptations, Satan often succeeds in making the experience of the Christian dark and bitter, according to his evil designs. We are to accept of Christ as our personal Saviour, or we shall fail in our attempt to be overcomers. It will not answer for us to hold ourselves aloof from him, to believe that our friend or our neighbor may have him for a personal Saviour, but that we may not experience his pardoning love. We are to believe that we are chosen of God, to be saved by the exercise of faith, through the grace of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit; and we are to praise and glorify God for such a marvelous manifestation of his unmerited favor. It is the love of God that draws the soul to Christ, to be graciously received, and presented to the Father. Through the work of the Spirit the divine relationship between God and the sinner is renewed. The Father says: "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. I will exercise forgiving love toward them, and bestow upon them my joy. They shall be to me a peculiar treasure; for this people whom I have formed for myself shall show forth my praise."  {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 2]          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. Of the church at Ephesus, the apostle writes:--  {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 3]          "Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; 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. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him; in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."  {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 4]          In the council of heaven, provision was made that men, though transgressors, should not perish in their disobedience, but, through faith in Christ as their substitute and surety, might become the elect of God predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. God wills that all men should be saved; for ample provision has been made, in giving his only-begotten Son to pay man's ransom. Those who perish will perish because they refuse to be adopted as children of God through Christ Jesus. The pride of man hinders him from accepting the provisions of salvation. But human merit will not admit a soul into the presence of God. That which will make a man acceptable to God is the imparted grace of Christ through faith in his name. No dependence can be placed in works or in happy flights of feelings as evidence that men are chosen of God; for the elect are chosen through Christ.  {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 5]         Jesus says, "Him that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out." When the repenting sinner comes to Christ, conscious of his guilt and unworthiness, realizing that he is deserving of punishment, but relying on the mercy and love of Christ, he will not be turned away. The pardoning love of God is appropriated, and joyful gratitude springs up in his heart for the infinite compassion and love of his Saviour. That provision was made for him in the councils of heaven before the foundation of the world, that Christ should take upon himself the penalty of man's transgression and impute to him his righteousness, overwhelms him with amazement, and calls forth from his lips words of praise and songs of gratitude.  {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 6]          Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 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 to be kept before men, and imprinted upon mind and heart, was this, "Without shedding of blood is no remission." In every bleeding sacrifice was typified "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." 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.  {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, January 2, 1893 par. 7]          In the old dispensation many failed to see the force of the lesson presented to them in sacrifice and offering, and they were without excuse. But today we are living when type has met antitype in the offering of Christ for the sins of the world; we are living in the day of increased light, and yet how few are benefited with the grand and all-important truth that Christ has made an ample sacrifice for all! What justice required, Christ had rendered in the offering of himself, and "how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" Those who reject the gift of life will be without excuse; "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."                                                                   -    {ST, January 2, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 1]      January 9, 1893 "Seek Those Things Which are Above."  ［SERMON AT NORTH  FITZROY, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, SEPTEMBER 10, 1892.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 2]          These words are simple and plain, but do we understand them? Do we have a practical knowledge of what they mean? If we do not, as professed followers of Christ, we are to understand that we need to make haste, and place our affections on those things that are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Why are we commanded to do this?--Because if we place our affections on the things of earth, we shall become earthly, common, and evil. Our minds take the level of the things on which our thoughts dwell, and if we think upon earthly things, we shall fail to take the impress of that which is heavenly. We would be greatly benefited by contemplating the mercy, goodness, and love of God; but we sustain great loss by dwelling upon those things which are earthly and temporal. We allow sorrow and care and perplexity to attract our minds to earth, and we magnify a molehill into a mountain. In speaking of that which we are called upon to endure, Paul says: "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look"--at our difficulties, while we magnify our trials, and think only of our hardships? No, but "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."  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 3]          Temporal things are not to engage our whole attention, or engross our minds until our thoughts are entirely of the earth and the earthly. We are to train, discipline, and educate the mind so that we may think in a heavenly channel, that we may dwell on things unseen and eternal, which will be discerned by spiritual vision. It is by seeing Him who is invisible that we may obtain strength of mind and vigor of spirit. This is the way in which Daniel received strength. He was called to act a part in the first place in the kingdom of Babylon, and proved himself a noble statesman in all his connection with the court. He lived a noble life, and presented a worthy example. His eye was fastened on things unseen and eternal. He realized that he was fighting in the sight of the heavenly intelligences, and his dependence was in God.  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 4]          We may not be called upon to act a part in public affairs, but in whatever place we are called by the providence of God, we may confidently expect that God will be our helper. We are not to be a toy to circumstances, but to be above circumstances. We are not to be controlled by circumstances. When we are placed in trying positions, and find things about us that we do not like, that try our patience, and test our faith, we are not to sink down in despondency, but to take a firmer hold upon God, and prove that we are not setting our affection on things on the earth, but on things above; that we are looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is to be the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He is to be our strength in every time of trial. God must be our sole dependence. When we drop God out of our reckoning, and cease to place our affections upon him, we deprive ourselves of great benefit. We cannot afford to do this, and God cannot afford to have us do it! Why?--Because we have been bought with an infinite price, even with the precious blood of his only-begotten Son. God cannot afford to have us glorify the powers of darkness by turning our eyes upon things seen and temporal; for instead of being workers together with him, we cast our influence on the side of the enemy.  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 5]          You are to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, at the same time realizing that it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. When we are laborers together with God, we cannot set our affections upon things below; for where our affections are, our thoughts will be; and where our thoughts are, there will be our treasure. When we dwell upon things seen and temporal, we fail to obtain divine knowledge, as did Daniel. What is our position today? Are we learners in the school of Christ, earnestly seeking to know what is the will of God concerning us? How many in this congregation believe that Christ is their personal Saviour? How many can say, "He saves me"? I know that he wants that I should be saved. He looks upon me as of value in his sight, and therefore I know that my thoughts, my words, and my works, all pass in review before him. Everything that is connected with the purchase of the blood of Christ is of value in the sight of God. By the price paid for our redemption we are under obligation to devote our entire affections to Christ. We are to give God all there is of us; and in giving to God our all, are we to consider that we sustain a great loss?--No, for in giving to him our talents, we are doubling them. Every gift he has given to us, when returned to him, receives his blessing, that it may have increased influence in the work of God. Wherever you may be, you are to realize that you belong to Christ, and that your influence is to be as far-reaching as eternity.  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 6]         At one time a lawyer came to Jesus, and said, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Is there anyone here that wants that question answered? Jesus turned the question back upon the questioner, and said unto him, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" The lawyer answered him in a way that made manifest that he understood what the law comprehended. He quoted the words found in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, and said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart ［not giving half to the world and a third to self, but all to God. Will there be anything left for the world?］ and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live." Our whole being is required in the service of God. No reservation is to be made. But someone says, "Well, I do not know how I would succeed in the things of this world were I to carry out this instruction." You would succeed much better; for you would find that godliness is profitable unto all things, providing that which is essential for your welfare in this world and your happiness in the next. You would succeed much better; for you would have God to work with you. You would live as seeing him who is invisible, realizing that you were working in the sight of the unseen world.  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 7]          This is the way in which Moses succeeded. He lived as seeing Him who is invisible, and was therefore able to count the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. If men would live in this way, we should see their faces aglow with the glory of God; for they would be viewing the glory of the eternal, and by beholding, would be transformed into the image of Christ. But instead of this, how general is forgetfulness of God! How few are constantly beholding the unseen Guest, realizing that he is at their right hand! How many ignore his presence! Did we treat others as we treat Jesus, what discourtesy it would be thought!  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 8]          Suppose a friend were with us, and we should meet an acquaintance on the way and direct our whole attention to our new-found acquaintance, ignoring the presence of our friend, what opinion would men have of our loyalty to our friend, of our degree of respect to him? And yet this is the way we treat Jesus. We forget that he is our companion. We engage in conversation, and never mention his name or include his instruction in our words. We talk of worldly business matters, and where it does not bruise the soul, where it is essential, we do not dishonor Jesus, but we do dishonor him when we fail to mention him in our intercourse with our friends and associates. He is our best friend, and we should seek for opportunities to speak of him. We should ever remember that he is at our right hand, that we should not be moved, and we should ever keep him in view. Our conversation should be of a character that would be of no offense to God. We are to be overcomers, copartners with Jesus, not lending our influence to the work of the enemy. Although "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," yet not a soul of us will be saved who fails to cooperate with God. Although our salvation is dependent upon our cooperation with God, yet we can take no glory to ourselves; for Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith; all the glory is to rebound to God. Christ is the beginning and the end, and we are utterly dependent upon him.  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 9]          Jesus says, "Without me ye can do nothing." Since this is our position, shall we permit our minds to wander to the ends of the earth? Shall we spend our probationary time in jesting and joking? Shall we fail to realize that it is a solemn thing to live? Men generally agree that it is a solemn thing to die; but it is a far more solemn thing to live. Why?--Because every soul surrounds itself with an atmosphere that has a telling influence upon those with whom we are brought in contact. Many gather to themselves the atmosphere that breathes from the powers of darkness. Even professed followers of Christ often permit the hellish shadow of Satan to interpose between the soul and God. Their thoughts, their words are of a cheap, common order, and they give others the impression that religion is a cheap thing. Oh, we cannot afford to give any such instruction! We who may be imbued with the Spirit of Christ, who may have his love in our hearts, his vivifying influence in our souls, should shed upon men a beneficial influence. We should be copartners with Jesus. He says:--  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 10]          "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 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. And the glory 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." "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, January 9, 1893 par. 11]          These are the truths upon which we should dwell. Our bodies are built up from what we feed upon, and our minds, our experiences, will be after the order of that which composes our spiritual food. Jesus says: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  {ST, January 9, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 1]       January 16, 1893 "Seek Those Things Which are Above."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         We are looking forward to the change from mortality to immortality; but what more can we have than it is now our privilege to have? We may have Jesus abiding in our hearts by faith. He died on Calvary's cross, that he might abide in you, and you in him. We may have the presence of Christ with us, as had Daniel in Babylon. God gave him wisdom in all knowledge, and he had understanding in all mysteries. But we may be as was Daniel. The Source of Wisdom is open to us. We may come to God, we may grow in wisdom.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 2]          There is no need of our being ignorant. James says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not." The exhortation is given, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 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 moulded 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. It was the grace of Christ that made Moses the meekest man on earth. As we learn of the divine Master, we shall manifest this precious attribute. How long did it take Moses to learn the lesson of meekness, and become fitted to be a general to lead the armies of Israel out of Egypt? He went through a long discipline. For forty years he tended sheep in the land of Midian, learning how to be a good shepherd to the flock. In his position of shepherd he was called upon to care for the weak, to guide the wayward, to seek for the wandering. This was an essential training for him who was to be the leader of Israel; for in the care of the flock of God he would be called upon to nourish the weak, to instruct the wayward, and to bring the lost one back to the fold. This is the work of the follower of Christ. We are to watch for souls as they that must give an account, to do all in our power that those with whom we associate may grow to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 3]          We are to realize to what we are called in Christ; for by faith we are to attain unto his righteousness. Since this is the standard for our attainment, how can any of us be satisfied with our present attainments? If we have been dwelling upon things seen and temporal, let us turn our attention to the things unseen and eternal. Let us not wait for a revival in the church, or for special conviction; but, realizing our need, and knowing that all heaven is at our command, let us now yield our hearts to God. Let us not think that we may wait until some Conference meeting, until a large company is called forward, to seek God's blessing. It is best for us to be awake individually, today yielding our hearts to God. Decide now to dedicate yourself to him, not only as a congregation, but as individuals; decide to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Do not wait one for another. Do not look about you to see if your neighbor is going to make the surrender, but, realizing that each one of us must give an account of himself to God, that we have a living Saviour, who is our substitute and surety, draw nigh to God.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 4]         The word of the Lord says, "Draw nigh to God, and" perhaps he will draw nigh to you? No, the promise is, "He will draw nigh to you." God does not do anything for man without his cooperation. He draws you by the tender cords of his love, and as you respond to this drawing, you draw nigh to him. As you are seeking his face, the angels minister unto you. He has at his command ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of angels. They are constantly ascending and descending; for are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation? They are ministering in the cities, towns, and villages. They receive their commission from God, whose eye beholds all things; and when a soul is in discouragement, he sends help from heaven, even before the prayer for help is uttered. Before we ask, he commissions his ministers to go forth with divine aid. During the sleepless nights I have passed through the months of my illness, I have taken indescribable comfort in these thoughts. As soon as my mind was fixed on Jesus, the clouds of darkness were transformed, and all was light in the Lord. My soul was melted with his love. Fix the eyes upon Jesus, and say, "Lead me, guide me." Your prayer will ascend before the Father as fragrant incense; for the merit of Christ will make it of value before God.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 5]          When Christ's righteousness is your plea, you will be accepted in the Beloved. Jesus encourages us to present his merit at the throne. He says, "If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Oh, educate the soul to believe the promises of God. Would he make such promises if he did not love us? We are his purchased property; bought at an infinite price. Would you know the manner of love that has been bestowed upon you? I point you to the cross of Calvary. "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." Christ died in behalf of the world. Our Heavenly Father has valued us at the price of Jesus, and, having been bought at such a cost, what right have we to spend our God-given capabilities in the service of the world and sin? What right have we to fritter away our time, to use our talents in aiding the work of the powers of darkness? "Set your affections on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 6]          It means something to be a Christian, a joint heir with Jesus Christ. To what?--To an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. But are we preparing for such an inheritance when the mind is all full of lightness and trifling and folly, when we devote our God-given time to that which has no substantial value? We need the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to his disciples, "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. . . . When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 7]          We are to commune with God through the agency of the Holy Spirit; and when we pray, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. The plow-share of truth must go deep. We are full of self, satisfied with our condition. Jesus says,"Thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; 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." We must fall on the Rock and be broken, and then the Spirit of God will take possession of us, and mould us after the divine Pattern.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 8]         Then make the surrender at once. Don't wait till you get home, but make it manifest that you realize what is required of you. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." You are to set your affections upon God. In order to do this it is not necessary to sound a trumpet before you, to make a proclamation to the world that you have turned from darkness to light, and that you do not wish anyone to come near you to cast a cloud of darkness over you. Religion means the making of a daily consecration of yourself to God; it means meekness and lowliness of heart; it means to take everything that comes to you as a blessing, to let praise flow back to God. The Lord says, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." As we praise God, the soul becomes strong in spiritual power.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 9]          At morning, noon, and night we should meditate upon the goodness and love of God, that we may know God; for this is life eternal. The Father has given the best gift, the greatest treasure of heaven, to us, and we are of value to God, and should render praise to him. But when we surround ourselves with a dark atmosphere, we forget that the Father knows our trials, and has sent them to us in love. The praise that should reach him never comes to his throne; for our affections are not centered upon him.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 10]          We should lay hold upon God with all our strength, and love him with undivided heart. Do not look to see what others are doing, but be yourself a copartner with him, a laborer together with God, a partaker of the divine nature. We are to consecrate ourselves to God, to help others, to surround ourselves with a fragrant atmosphere. Our words are to be cheerful and kind; we are to come heart to heart as members of the family of Christ. We are to be one, as Christ is one with the Father. Let us seek for this oneness, and by and by we shall see him as he is, and enjoy his presence through the ceaseless ages of eternity. We shall have the life that measures with the life of God. It will take all eternity to comprehend the science of redemption, to understand something of what it means that the Son of the infinite God gave his life for the life of the world. Then shall we not seek for glory, honor and eternal life? Shall we not make it our first business? We can have but a short lifetime here, but the life to come is eternal. We may attain unto this through daily consecration of ourselves to God, through the aid of the Holy Spirit, through following the example of Christ, who was tempted in all points like as we are, yet who sinned not, that he might be able to succor those who are tempted. Let us come to the throne of infinite love, and there wait and watch to see the fulfillment of the promises of God. Make your appeal to heaven, knowing that what God hath said he will do, and will make his light shine through you to others. You may not know that you are giving light to others, but God will know it. To those on the right hand the Lord will say: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." They did not know that they were doing good to others; for it was the Spirit of Christ that wrought with them, and others took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus, and learned of him. Let us have personal religion, and become rooted and grounded in love.  {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, January 16, 1893 par. 11]          While the Conference was assembled at South Lancaster, Mass., a faithful old sister was dying, and she sent in this message to those assembled, "The anchor holds." This is what we want, a hope that we can cast like an anchor, entering into that which is within the veil. We want to be able to bear testimony that the anchor holds in the time of sickness, trial, or bereavement. In our darkest hours we want to be able to see matchless charms in Jesus, to set our affections on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, that our life may be hid with Christ in God, that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also may appear with him in glory.                                                                   -    {ST, January 16, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 1]       January 23, 1893 Our Obligation to Improve Our Talents.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         From this far distant field of Australia I would address you in America, asking to what use you are putting your intrusted talents? Every talent is to be returned to the Master with interest; for the Lord has a work for one and all to do, which, if performed, will result in the accumulation of talent and blessing. All are called upon to work while it is day; for the night cometh, in which no man can work. There are towns and villages and cities that are white already to harvest; but where are the reapers? Seed sowers are needed, and the reapers should be ready to follow after. Time is short, and there is need of earnest laborers to go all through Michigan, for in this State especially the fields are white for the harvest.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 2]          Let not the work that needs to be done wait for the ordination of ministers. If there are not ministers to take up the work, let men of intelligence, with no thought of how they can accumulate the most property, establish themselves in these cities and towns, and lift up the standard of the cross, using the knowledge they have gained in winning souls to the truth. The knowledge of the truth is altogether too precious to be hoarded up, and bound about, and hid in the earth. Even the one talent intrusted by the Master is to be faithfully employed to gain other talents also. Where are the men and women who have been refreshed with rich streams of blessing from the throne of God? Let them ask themselves what they have done to communicate this light to those who have not had like advantages? How will those who have neglected to use their talents stand in the judgment, when every motive will be brought under scrutiny? The heavenly Master has committed to every one of his servants talents. "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability."  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 3]          God has not given talents to merely a chosen few, but to everyone he has committed some peculiar gift to be used in his service. Many to whom the Lord has given precious talents have refused to employ them for the advancement of the kingdom of God; nevertheless, they are under obligation to God for their use of his gifts. Everyone, whether serving God or pleasing himself, is a possessor of some trust, whose proper use will bring glory to God and whose perverted use will rob the Giver. That the possessor of talents does not acknowledge God's claims upon him, does not make his guilt the less. If he chooses to stand under the black banner of the prince of darkness through this life, he will stand unconfessed by Christ in the day of final accounts.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 4]          "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The ransom money has been paid for every son and daughter of Adam, and that those who have been ransomed by the precious blood of Christ, refuse allegiance to him, will not shield them from the retribution that will come upon them in the last day. They will have to answer for their neglect to use their intrusted talents for the Master. They will have to answer for their reproaches against their Maker and Redeemer, and for their robbery of God in withholding their talents from his service, and burying their Lord's goods in the earth.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 5]          The human family is composed of responsible moral agents, and from the highest and most gifted to the lowest and most obscure, all are invested with the goods of heaven. Time is an intrusted gift of God, and is to be diligently employed in the service of Christ. Influence is a gift of God, and is to be exerted for the forwarding of the highest, noblest purposes. Christ died on Calvary's cross that all our influence might be used to lift him up before a perishing world. Those who behold the Majesty of heaven dying on the cross for their transgressions, will value their influence only as it draws men to Christ, and they will use it for this purpose only. Intellect is an intrusted talent. Sympathy and affection are talents to be sacredly guarded and improved, that we may render service to Him whose purchased possession we are.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 6]          All that we are or can be belongs to God. Education, discipline, and skill in every line should be used for him. The capital is his, and the improvement is the usury that rightfully belongs to the Master. Whether the amount intrusted is large or small, the Lord requires that his householders do their best. It is not the amount intrusted or the improvement made that brings to men the approbation of heaven, but it is the faithfulness, the loyalty to God, the loving service rendered, that brings the divine benediction, "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." This reward of joy does not wait until our entrance into the city of God, but the faithful servant has a foretaste of it even in this life.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 7]          Instead of burying our talents in the earth, those who are willing to trade upon them, will not trade in vain. God pronounces his blessing upon unselfish, unwearied diligence; and though we may have but one talent, and can make but a small investment, yet God will make the effort fruitful in results. The man who works in faith will realize that his intellect, his affections, his whole power, belongs to God, and he will seek to make diligent use of his powers, and will improve his faculties and talents. But, instead of realizing that all our faculties belong to God, how many are reckless, little thinking that their influence, their cheap, light words, are moulding the characters of those with whom they associate, and bringing down their minds to a low level. If they did but understand what they are doing, and could realize that they are accountable for their influence, and that in the sight of heaven they are wasting their opportunities, would they so belittle their talents of speech and mind, and so mould the minds of their companions to what is low and ignoble, by their trifling, cheap conversation? It is by the influence of reckless triflers that the confederacy of evil is strengthened and the intrusted talents of God are corrupted and buried in the earth.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 8]          But the very talents that men pervert to the service of evil have been bestowed by the Lord for their elevation and the elevation of those with whom they associate. Through the exercise of the faculties of the mind, through the power of speech, they are to be constantly improving, and feeding other minds with rich, intellectual food, thus becoming a blessing to the world. Shall we not individually make the best possible use of the natural powers of mind and body? Shall we not carefully treasure every intrusted talent, and by exercise strengthen every faculty, and live in such a way that the young and inexperienced and the aged and experienced shall be benefited by association with us?  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 9]          The atmosphere that surrounds the soul is fraught with influence for good or evil according to the character of the thoughts. It may be full of poison and malaria, or be fragrant and pure and health giving. This moral influence will be according to our connection with Christ or our separation from him, who is light and life. Those who are united with Christ will realize that he has given them trusts according to their several ability; and, whatever their surroundings, they will consider them favorable for the development of moral character. We are to make the most of every advantage and opportunity. We may continually remember that we must train and improve our ability that we may not disappoint our Master, but reach the highest possible standard, and thus influence others to follow in the footsteps of our Example. We may say, "Neither society nor intimate companions must have their ideas of Christian character cheapened by my course of action." Those who take and keep this position will find that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Such will receive the commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 10]          In the work of disseminating the gospel, Christ sent his disciples out by two and two. In our efforts we should follow the plan of our Master. There are many that think it would be more advantageous to scatter our forces as much as possible so as to take in as much territory as possible; but Christ's way is best, and it will always result in loss to follow other methods than his. If two workers could come to this distant field, qualified by the Holy Spirit, and would deny self and take up the cross and follow Jesus, making it manifest that they were true disciples, an important work could be accomplished in the cities and their suburbs. We desire that men and women should come to these fields who have a knowledge of the truth, who are not as children tossed to and fro, who want not a pleasant time, but who are willing to carry burdens.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 11]          Oh! that the Lord would baptize men and women who were once in darkness and have seen great light, with his Holy Spirit, that they may realize their duty to let the light shine forth to others who are in darkness.  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 12]          The advantages of you who have heard the truth in America have been great; but what use are you making of your privileges? What are you doing with your talents? Are you putting them out to the exchangers? Have you treasured up the truth in good and honest hearts, accepting the light ray after ray as it has come to you, and do you feel under obligation to diffuse the light you have received? Do you comprehend what the Lord would impress upon you by the parable of the talents? The Lord committed to every man talents according to his ability, and all were to trade upon these intrusted goods. By doing as their Lord commanded, they doubled their talents. But there was one who had but one talent intrusted to him, and he went and wrapped it in a napkin, and hid it in the earth; and when the Master returned and reckoned with his servants, he returned the talent to his Lord, bearing false witness against his Master, accusing him of being a hard man, who reaped where he had not sown, and gathered where he had not strewn, and he made this misapprehension of his Lord's character an excuse for his slothfulness. But the Lord penetrated his disguises and answered him according to his estimate:--  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 12}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 13]          "Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give unto him that hath ten talents. For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 13}
[ST, January 23, 1893 par. 14]          But upon those who faithfully employed their talents, and who by wise use of their gifts doubled their ability, the Lord pronounced his divine benediction. To them he said, "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."                                                                   -    {ST, January 23, 1893 par. 14}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 1]       January 30, 1893 Benefits of Bible Study.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." In the word of God is contained everything essential to the perfecting of the man of God. It is like a treasure house, full of valuable and precious stores, but we do not appreciate its riches, nor realize the necessity of equipping ourselves with the treasures of truth. We do not realize the great necessity of searching the Scriptures for ourselves. Many neglect the study of the word of God in order to pursue some worldly interest, or to indulge in some trifling pleasure. A passing affair is made an excuse for ignorance of the Scriptures given by inspiration of God. Oh, we might better put off anything of an earthly character than the investigation of the word of God, which is able to make us wise unto life eternal.  {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 2]          "Given by inspiration of God," "able to make us wise unto salvation," rendering "the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works"-- the Book of books has the highest claims to our reverent attention. Superficial study of the word of God cannot meet the claims it has upon us, nor furnish us with the benefit that is promised. We should seek to learn the full meaning of the words of truth, and to drink deep the spirit of the holy oracles. To read daily a certain number of chapters, or to commit to memory a stipulated amount of Scripture, without careful thought as to the meaning of the text, will profit but little. To study one passage until its significance is clear to the mind, and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. We cannot obtain wisdom from the word of God without giving earnest and prayerful attention to its study. It is true that some portions of Scripture are, indeed, too plain to be misunderstood; but there are many portions whose meaning cannot be seen at a glance; for the truth does not lie upon the surface. In order to understand the meaning of such passages, scripture must be compared with scripture; there must be careful research and prayerful reflection. Such study will be richly repaid. As the miner discovers precious veins of metal concealed beneath the surface of the earth, so will he who perseveringly searches the word of God as for hid treasure find truths of the greatest value which are concealed from the careless seeker.  {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 3]          You must dig in the mine of truth till you find its richest treasure, and by comparing scripture with scripture you may find the true meaning of the text. But if you do not make the sacred teachings of God's word the rule and guide of your life, the truth will be nothing to you. Truth is efficient only as it is carried out in practical life. If the word of God condemns some habit you have indulged, a feeling you have cherished, a spirit you have manifested, turn not from the word of God, but turn away from the evil of your doings, and let Jesus cleanse and sanctify your heart. Confess your faults, and forsake them wholly and determinedly, believing the promises of God, and showing your faith by your works. If the truths of the Bible are woven into practical life, they will bring the mind up from earthliness and debasement. Those who are conversant with the Scriptures will be men and women who exert an elevating influence.  {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 4]          In searching for heaven-revealed truths, the Spirit of God is brought into close connection with the sincere searcher of the Scriptures. An understanding of the revealed will of God enlarges the mind, expands, elevates, and endows it with new vigor, by bringing its faculties into contact with stupendous truth. No study is better to give energy to the mind, to strengthen the intellect, than the study of the word of God. No other book is so potent in elevating the thoughts, in giving vigor to the faculties, as is the Bible, which contains the most ennobling truths. If God's word were studied as it should be, we would see breadth of mind, stability of purpose, nobility of character, such as is rarely seen in these times.  {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 5]          But the study of the word of God is made a secondary consideration, and a great loss is sustained thereby. The understanding takes the level of the things with which it becomes familiar. If all would make the Bible their study, we would see a people who were better developed, who were capable of thinking more deeply, who would manifest greater intelligence than those who have earnestly studied apart from the Bible the sciences and histories of the world. The Bible gives the true seeker for truth 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. It is because men are unacquainted with the precious Bible histories that there is so much lifting up of man and so little honor given to God.  {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 6]          The Bible contains that which will give the Christian vigor of spirit and intellect. The Psalmist says, "The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." The Bible is a wonderful book. It is a history that opens up to us the past centuries. Without the Bible we would have been left to conjectures and fables in regard to the occurrences of past ages. It is a prophecy that unveils the future. It is the word of God unfolding to us the plan of salvation, pointing out the way by which we may escape eternal death and gain eternal life. Of all the books that flood the world, however valuable, the Bible is the Book of books, most deserving of our study and admiration. It gives not only the history of this world but a description of the world to come. It contains instruction concerning the wonders of the universe, it reveals to our understanding the character of the Author of the heavens and the earth. In it is the revelation of God to man.  {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, January 30, 1893 par. 7]          The searching of all books of philosophy and science cannot do for the mind and morals what the searching of the Bible can do, if its teaching is made practical. He who studies the Bible holds converse with patriarchs and prophets. He comes in contact with truth clothed in elevated language, which exerts a fascinating power over the mind and lifts the thought from the things of earth to the glory of the future immortal life. What wisdom of man can compare with the revelation of the grandeur of God? Finite man who knows not God, seeks to lessen the value of the Scriptures, claiming that their supposed knowledge of science will not harmonize with the word of God; but the word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.                                                                   -    {ST, January 30, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 1]       February 6, 1893 Blessings of Bible Study.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Those who boast of wisdom beyond the teaching of the word of God, need to drink deeper of the fountain of knowledge, that they may learn their real ignorance. Men boast of their wisdom when it is foolishness in the sight of God. Let no man deceive himself. "If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness." The greatest ignorance that now curses the human race is in regard to the binding claims of the law of God; and this ignorance is the result of neglecting the study of the word of God. It is Satan's plan to so engage the mind that men shall neglect the great guidebook, and thus be led into the path of transgression and destruction.  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 2]          The Bible is not exalted to its place among the books of the world, although its study is of infinite importance to the souls of men. In searching its pages the imagination beholds scenes majestic and eternal. We behold Jesus, the Son of God, coming to our world, and engaging in the mysterious conflict that discomfited the powers of darkness. Oh, how wonderful, how almost incredible it is, that the infinite God would consent to the humiliation of his own Son that we might be elevated to a place with him upon his throne! Let every student of the Scriptures contemplate this great fact, and he will not come from a study of the Bible without being purified, elevated, and ennobled. The truth will be opened to the mind, and applied to the heart by the Spirit of God. Through connection with God the Christian will have clearer and broader views, unbiased by his own preconceived opinions. His discernment will be more penetrating, his judgment be better balanced and far seeing. His understanding, exercised in contemplation of exalted truths, will be expanded, and in obtaining heavenly knowledge, he will better understand his own weakness and grow in faith and humility. When there is little attention given to the word of God, divine counsels are not heeded, admonitions are in vain, grace and heavenly wisdom are not sought that past sins may be avoided, and every stain of corruption may be cleansed from the character. David prayed: "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts; so shall I talk of thy wondrous works." "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 3]          There is a great work to be done by earnest Bible students, for gems of truth are to be gathered up, and separated from the companionship of error. Though the Bible is a revelation from heaven, yet many do not comprehend its divine teaching. We are to discover new aspects of truth in both Old and New Testaments, to behold the exceeding breadth and compass of truths which we imagine we understand, but of which we have only a superficial knowledge. He who earnestly searches the Scriptures will see that harmony exists between the various parts of the Bible, will discover the bearing of one passage upon another, and the reward of his toil will be exceedingly precious.  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 4]          All over the field of revelation are scattered glad springs of heavenly truth, of peace and joy. These glad springs of truth are within the reach of every seeker. The words of inspiration, pondered in the heart, will be as living streams flowing from the river of the water of life. Our Saviour prayed that the mind of his followers might be opened to understand the Scriptures. Whenever we study the Bible with a prayerful heart, the Holy Spirit is near to open us the meaning of the words we read. The man whose mind is enlightened by the opening of God's word to his understanding, will not only feel that he must more diligently seek to understand the word of God, but that he must have a better understanding of the sciences. He will feel that he is called to a high calling in Christ Jesus. The more closely connected man is with the Source of all knowledge and wisdom, the more he will be convinced that he must advance in intellectual and spiritual attainment. The opening of God's word is always followed by a remarkable opening and strengthening of man's faculties; for the entrance of God's words giveth light. By contemplation of great truths the mind is elevated, the affections purified and refined; for the Spirit of God through the truth of God quickens the lifeless spiritual faculties, and attracts the soul heavenward.  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 5]          Then take your Bible and present yourself before your Heavenly Father, saying, "Enlighten me; teach me what is truth." The Lord will regard your prayer, and the Holy Spirit will impress the truth upon your soul. In searching the Scriptures for yourself, you will become established in the faith. It is of the greatest importance that you continually search the Scriptures, storing the mind with the word of God, for you may be separated from the companionship of Christians, and placed where you will not have the privilege of meeting with the children of God. You need the treasures of God's word hidden in your heart, that when opposition comes upon you, you may bring everything to the Scriptures.  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 6]          Truth is eternal, and conflict with error will only make manifest its strength. We should never refuse to examine the Scriptures with those who we have a reason to believe desire to know what is truth as much as we do. Suppose a brother holds a view that differs from yours, and he comes to you, proposing that you sit down with him and investigate that point in the Scriptures; should you rise up filled with prejudice, and condemn his ideas, while refusing to give him a candid hearing? The only right way would be to sit down as Christians and investigate the position presented in the light of God's word, which will reveal truth and unmask error. To ridicule his ideas would not weaken his position, though it were false, or strengthen your position, though it were true. If the pillars of our faith will not stand the test of investigation, it is time that we knew it, for it is foolish to become set in our ideas, and think that no one should interfere with our opinions. Let everything be brought to the Bible; for it is the only rule of faith and doctrine.  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 7]          We must study the truth for ourselves; no living man should be relied upon to think for us, no matter who he may be or in what position he may be placed. We are not to look upon any man as a perfect criterion for us. We are to counsel together, and be subject one to another, but at the same time we are to exercise the ability God has given us to learn what is truth. Each one of us must look to God for divine enlightenment, that we may individually develop a character that will stand the test in the day of God.  {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, February 6, 1893 par. 8]          We are living in the last days, when error of a most deceptive character is accepted and believed, while truth is discarded. Many are drifting into darkness and infidelity, picking flaws with the Bible, bringing in superstitious inventions, unscriptural theories, and speculations of vain philosophy; but it is the duty of everyone to seek a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. The importance and benefit of Bible study cannot be overestimated. In searching the Scriptures our minds are caused to dwell upon the infinite sacrifice of Christ, on his mediation in our behalf. As we see his love, as we meditate upon his humiliation and sufferings, the same spirit of self-denial and sacrifice for the good of others will be kindled in our hearts. As we behold Jesus by the eye of faith, we shall be "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."                                                                   -    {ST, February 6, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 1]       February 13, 1893 The Plan of Salvation.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The law of love is the foundation of God's government, and the service of love the only service acceptable to heaven. God has granted freedom of will to all, endowed men with capacity to appreciate his character, and therefore with ability to love him and to choose his service. So long as created beings worshiped God they were in harmony throughout the universe. While love to God was supreme, love to others abounded. As there was no transgression of the law, which is the transcript of God's character, no note of discord jarred the celestial harmonies.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 2]          But known unto God are all his works, and from eternal ages the covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God. It is called the everlasting covenant; for the plan of salvation was not conceived after the fall of man, but it was that which was "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."  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 3]          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 and endowed with power to do the divine will. The fall of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption was not an after thought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose, suffered to be wrought out for the blessing, not only of this atom of a world, but for the good of all the worlds that God had created.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 4]          Before Him who ruleth in the heavens, the mysteries of the past and future are alike outspread, and God sees beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, the outworking of his purpose of love and blessing. Though clouds and darkness are round about him, yet righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 5]          Through creation and redemption, through nature and through Christ, the glories of the divine character are revealed. 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 character of God is revealed to the intelligences of the universe. Through Christ our Heavenly Father is made known as the God of love.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 6]          When man sinned, all heaven was filled with sorrow; for through yielding to temptation, man became the enemy of God, a partaker of the Satanic nature. The image of God in which he had been created was marred and distorted. The character of man was out of harmony with the character of God; for through sin man became carnal, and the carnal heart is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. To the angels there seemed to be no way of escape for the transgressor. They ceased their songs of praise, and throughout the heavenly courts there was mourning for the ruin sin had wrought. Out of harmony with the nature of God, unyielding to the claims of his law, naught but destruction was before the human race. Since the divine law is as changeless as the character of God, there could be no hope for man unless some way could be devised whereby his transgression might be pardoned, his nature renewed, and his spirit restored to reflect the image of God. Divine love had conceived such a plan. It was through Satan's misrepresentation of God's character that man was led to doubt the reality of his love, and came to look upon God as his enemy. As Satan had done in heaven, so he did on earth,--declared God's government unjust, the restrictions of his law unnecessary, and bade man, as he had angels, to throw aside the yoke and let the dictates of their own nature be their only guide and law. He promised liberty; but as he himself is the servant of corruption, he brought the race into bondage, to sin, misery, and death. He represented God as claiming all and giving nothing, as requiring men's service for his own glory, but denying himself nothing for man's good.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 7]          In the work of creation, Christ was with God. He was one with God, equal with him, the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, the representative of the Father. He alone, the Creator of man, could be his Saviour. No angel of heaven could reveal the Father to the sinner, and win him back to allegiance to God. But Christ could manifest the Father's love; for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. Christ could be the "day's man" between a holy God and lost humanity, one who could "lay his hand upon us both." None but Christ could redeem man from the curse of the law. He proposed to take upon himself the guilt and shame of sin,--sin so offensive in the sight of God that it would necessitate separation from his Father. Christ proposed to reach to the depths of man's degradation and woe, and restore the repenting, believing soul to harmony with God. Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, offered himself as a sacrifice and substitute for the fallen sons of Adam though in this offering all heaven was involved in infinite sacrifice. But the Father so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that through his smitten heart a channel might be found for the outflowing of infinite love for fallen man. Man had become so degraded by sin, his nature so perverted by evil, that it was impossible for him of himself to come into harmony with God, whose nature is purity and love. But Christ redeemed him from the condemnation of the law, and imparted divine power, and through man's cooperation, the sinner could be restored to his lost estate.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 8]          The grace of Christ alone could change the heart of stone to a heart of flesh, make it alive unto God, and transform the character, so that a degraded child of sin might become a child of God and heir of heaven. Man had no power to justify the soul, to sanctify the heart. Moral disease could be healed only through the power of the great Physician. The highest gift of heaven, even the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, was able to redeem the lost.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 9]          The only hope for the fallen race was found in becoming reconciled to God. Satan had so misrepresented God that man had no true conception of the divine character. Christ came to the world, and in carrying out the plan of salvation, revealed the fact that "God is love."  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 10]          When the plan of salvation was revealed to the angels, joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven. The glory and the blessedness of a world redeemed outmeasured even the anguish of the Prince of Life. Through the celestial courts echoed the first strain of that song that angels sang above the hills of Bethlehem,--"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will to men." And the lost pair in the garden of Eden, standing as criminals before the righteous Judge, waiting the sentence their transgression merited, heard the first notes of the divine promise. Before the life of toil and sorrow which sin had brought upon them was depicted before them, before the decree that the wages of sin is death was pronounced, they heard the promise of redemption. Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, still through the merits of Christ they could look forward to victory. The mystery of the gospel was spoken in Eden, when God said to the serpent, "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." If Satan could have touched the head with his specious temptations, the human family would have been lost; but the Lord had made known the purpose and plan of the mystery of grace, declaring that Christ had bruised the serpent under his feet.  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 11]         But not only had man come under the power of the deceiver, but the earth itself, the dominion of man, was usurped by the enemy. Through the plan of salvation, the sacrifice of Christ, not only was man but his dominion to be redeemed. Through the merits of Christ all that man lost through sin was to be restored. The time would come when there would be "no more curse, but the throne of God should be in it, and his servants should serve him." The promise would be fulfilled, "The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever."  {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, February 13, 1893 par. 12]          Through the plan of salvation a larger purpose is to be wrought out even than the salvation of man and the redemption of the earth. Through the revelation of the character of God in Christ, the beneficence of the divine government would be manifested before the universe, the charge of Satan refuted, the nature and results of sin made plain, and the perpetuity of the law fully demonstrated. Satan had declared that the law of God was faulty, and that the good of the universe demanded a change in its requirement. In attacking the law, he thought to overthrow the authority of its Author, and gain for himself the supreme allegiance. But through the plan of salvation the precepts of the law were to be proved perfect and immutable, that at last one glory and love might rise to God throughout the universe, ascribing glory and honor and praise to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.                                (To be continued.)                                                                   -    {ST, February 13, 1893 par. 12}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 1]       February 20, 1893 The Plan of Salvation   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  Continued.)         To fallen man was revealed the plan of infinite sacrifice through which salvation was to be provided. Nothing but the death of God's dear Son could expiate man's sin, and Adam marveled at the goodness of God in providing such a ransom for the sinner. Through the love of God, a star of hope illumined the terrible future that spreads before the transgressor. Through the institution of the typical system of sacrifice and offering, the death of Christ was ever to be kept before guilty man, that he might better comprehend the nature of sin, the results of transgression, and the merit of the divine offering. Had there been no sin, man would never have known death. But in the innocent offering slain by his own hand, he beheld the fruits of sin,--the death of the Son of God in his behalf. He sees the immutable character of the law he has transgressed, and confesses his sin; he relies upon the merits of the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 2]          The plan of saving sinners through Christ alone was the same in the days of Adam, Noah, Abraham, and in every successive generation that lived before the advent of Christ, as it is in our day. The patriarchs, the prophets, the martyrs from righteous Abel, looked forward to a coming Saviour, and they showed their faith in him by sacrifices and offerings. The sacrifice of beasts shadowed forth the sinless offering of God's dear Son, and pointed forward to his death upon the cross. But at the crucifixion type met antitype, and the typical system there ceased.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 3]          The Son of God is the center of the great plan of redemption which covers all dispensations. He is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." He is the Redeemer of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam in all ages of human probation. "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." Christ is the substance or body which casts its shadow back into former dispensations. When Christ died, the shadow ceased. At the death of Christ the typical system was done away, but the law of God, whose violation had made the plan of salvation necessary, was magnified and made honorable. The gospel was good tidings of great joy to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses; for it presented to them a coming Saviour. A more clear and glorious light now shines upon the Christian. Those who lived before the coming of Christ looked forward by faith to his coming, but what had to be grasped by faith by them is assurance to us; for we know that Christ has come, as foretold by the prophets. It is just as essential for us to have faith in our Redeemer, who came to earth and died our sacrifice, as it was for the ancients to believe in a Redeemer to come, represented by their offerings and sacrifices.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 4]          In becoming man's substitute, in bearing the curse which should fall upon man, Christ has pledged himself in behalf of the race to maintain the sacred and exalted honor of his Father's law. He came to convince men of sin, which is the transgression of the law, and through divine mediation bring them back to obedience to God's commandments. God has given the world into the hands of Christ, that he may completely vindicate the binding claims of the law, and make manifest the holiness of every principle. Christ was the Father's "appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." He was the "brightness of his glory, the express image of his person." And he upheld "all things by the word of his power." He possessed divine excellency and greatness. It pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell. And Christ "thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Yet Jesus exchanged a throne of light and glory which he had with his Father, counting it not a thing to be desired to be equal with God, while man was lost in sin and misery. He came from heaven to earth, clothed his divinity with humanity, and bore the curse as surety for the fallen race. He was not compelled to do this; but he chose to bear the results of man's transgression that man might escape eternal death.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 5]          The coming of Christ to our world was a great event, not only to this world, but to all the worlds in the universe of God. Before the heavenly intelligences he was to take upon himself our nature, to be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet to leave an example of perfect purity and unblemished character.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 6]          Satan and his angels exulted as they discovered that the Son of God had taken upon himself the nature of man, and had come to be man's substitute, to engage in the conflict in our behalf. The human family had been overpowered by the deception of the enemy; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and the enemy hoped that Christ also would become a victim to his seductive wiles. Satan gloried in the opportunity of besieging the Son of God with fierce temptations. Because he had taken upon himself the nature of man, Satan deemed that his victory was certain, and with every malignant device in his power he strove to overcome Christ. The steadfast resistance of Christ to the temptations of the enemy brought the whole confederacy of evil to war against him. Evil men and evil angels united their forces against the Prince of Peace. The issues at stake were beyond the comprehension of men, and the temptations that assailed Christ were as much more intense and subtle than those which assail man as his character was purer and more exalted than is the character of man in his moral and physical defilement. In his conflict with the prince of darkness in this atom of a world, Christ had to meet the whole confederacy of evil, the united forces of the adversary of God and man; but at every point he met the tempter, and put him to flight. Christ was conqueror over the powers of darkness, and took the infinite risk of consenting to war with the enemy, that he might conquer him in our behalf.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 7]          The Redeemer of the world clothed his divinity with humanity, that he might reach humanity; for, in order to bring to the world salvation, it was necessary that humanity and divinity should be united. Divinity needed humanity, that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man, and humanity needed divinity, that a power from above might restore man to the likeness of God. Christ was God, but he did not appear as God. He veiled the tokens of divinity, which had commanded the homage of angels and called forth the adoration of the universe of God. He made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 8]          He humbled himself to pass through man's experiences, and he would not turn aside from the plan by which salvation could come to man. Knowing all the steps in the path of his humiliation, he refused not to descend step by step to the depths of man's woe, that he might make expiation for the sins of the condemned, perishing world. What humility was this! It amazed the angels. Tongue can never describe it. Pen can never portray it. The imagination cannot take it in. Sinless and exalted by nature, the Son of God consented to take the habiliments of humanity, to become one with the fallen race. The eternal Word consented to be made flesh. God became man.  {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, February 20, 1893 par. 9]          But he stepped still lower; he humbled himself to bear insult, reproach, accusation, and shameful abuse. In the world which he had made, which was sustained by the word of his power, there seemed to be no room for him. He had to flee from one place to another until his life work was accomplished. He was betrayed by one of his followers, and denied by another. He was mocked and taunted. He was crowned with thorns, and forced to bear the burden of the cross. He was not insensible to ignominy and contempt; he submitted to it, but he felt its bitterness as no other being could feel it. Pure, holy, and undefiled, he was yet arraigned as criminal before the eyes of the world. From the highest exaltation the adorable Redeemer took step after step in the path of humiliation. He consented to die in the sinner's stead, that by a life of obedience man might escape the penalty of the law. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death. And what a death! It was the most shameful, the most cruel--the death upon the cross as a malefactor. He died not as a hero in the eyes of men, loaded with honors; he died as a condemned criminal, suspended between the heavens and the earth--died a lingering death, exposed to the tauntings and revilings of a debased and profligate mob. "All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head." He was numbered with the transgressors, and even his kinsmen according to the flesh disowned him. He was forced to see the sword pierce the heart of his mother,--he beheld her sorrow. He expired amidst derision. But all his sufferings were counted as of small account in consideration of the result he was working out in behalf of man, and for the good of the whole universe. He expired on the cross exclaiming, "It is finished," and that cry rang through every world, and through heaven itself. The great contest between Christ, the Prince of Life, and Satan, the prince of darkness, was practically over, and Christ was Conqueror. His death answered the question as to whether there was self-denial with the Father and the Son.                            (Concluded next number.)                                                                   -    {ST, February 20, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 1]      February 27, 1893 The Plan of Salvation   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Through the death of Christ a door of hope was opened for fallen man. Man was under sentence of death for the transgression of the law of God. He was under condemnation as a traitor, as a rebel; but Christ came to be his substitute, to die as a malefactor, to suffer the penalty of the traitors, bearing the weight of their sins upon his divine soul. He descended lower and lower till there was no lower depths of humiliation to sound in order that he might lift up those who would believe in him, and cleanse the guilty from moral defilement, and impart to them his own righteousness. He died to make an atonement, to redeem, cleanse, restore, and exalt man to a place at his right hand.  {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 2]          Through his life upon earth he scattered blessings wherever he went. Though at his word legions of angels would render him homage, yet he walked the earth unhonored, unconfessed. In place of praise he met reproach. He walked among men as one of the poor and lowly. Though he healed the sick, relieved the oppressed, bound up the broken hearted, yet few called him blessed, and the great of the earth passed him by with disdain.  {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 3]          As a member of the human family he was mortal, but as God he was a fountain of life to the world. He could have withstood the advances of death and refused to come under its dominion, but voluntarily he laid down his life that he might bring life and immortality to light. He bore the sin of the world, endured the penalty, yielded up his life as a sacrifice, that man should not eternally die. Contrast his suffering and humiliation with the riches of his glory, with the wealth of praise pouring forth from immortal tongues, with the anthems of adoration, with the homage of millions of holy angels in the heights of the sanctuary, and seek to comprehend what manner of love inspired the heart of Jesus.  {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 4]          How much has God loved the race of men?--Look to Calvary. As you behold Jesus upon the cross, does not the heinous character of sin appear? It was sin that caused the death of God's dear Son, and sin is the transgression of the law. Says the prophet: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. . . . It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, 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; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." When the sinner realizes that Christ died for him, that he might impute his righteousness unto him, he magnifies the love of God in providing the plan of salvation.  {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 5]          "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." At infinite cost the salvation of man has been purchased. The world may refuse the gift, but this will not lessen its value, or relieve men of its responsibility. When he was upon earth Jesus said to those who refused him, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." There are many who are refusing to respond to the drawing love of Christ today. Jesus calls, but many refuse to respond to the invitation. They will not avail themselves of the privilege of having Jesus for their personal Saviour. They do not come in humility and faith, that they may know by a personal experience what they are to Jesus, and what he is to them. But the promise is, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." Jesus will not rest until he leads his followers unto the realms of perfect joy and glory.  {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 6]         The plans of God cannot fail. Men make great plans, but fail to accomplish the object that they design. They begin to build and are not able to finish. They do not count the cost. But Jesus counted the cost of the salvation of every son and daughter of Adam. He provided abundant means whereby all might be saved, if they would but comply with the conditions and lay hold upon eternal life. Unfailing resources are at his command to complete the work which he has begun. Those who respond to his love, yielding their wills to him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.  {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, February 27, 1893 par. 7]          How the wondrous provision of the plan of God for the salvation of men widens and exalts our ideas of the love of God! How it binds our hearts to the great Heart of infinite love! How it makes us delight in his service, as our hearts respond to the drawing of his loving-kindness and loving mercy! John calls upon men to behold the marvelous love of God. He exclaims: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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." Those who are true, who are pure, who love and obey the words of God, will be counted children of the Heavenly King, members of the royal family, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ.                                                                   -    {ST, February 27, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, March 27, 1893 par. 1]       March 27, 1893 Growth in Christian Experience.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus had given the lesson concerning the sower and the seed. He had said, "Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up; some fell upon stony places," and made a pretentious show of life, but "because they had no root, they withered away." And some fell among thorns and briers, and the rank growth of the thorns choked out the seed, and it yielded no fruit; but some fell upon soil prepared for its reception, and it sprang up and increased, and bore fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.  {ST, March 27, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, March 27, 1893 par. 2]          When the soil has been prepared for the reception of the seed, the sower casts it in, and by processes which men cannot control or understand, the seed begins to grow, and advances to maturity. Jesus compared the growth of the kingdom of God to the sowing of seed, and to its development into the full measure of maturity. The seed is the word of God, and the soul who receives it, is said to be born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, which liveth and abideth forever. "And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."  {ST, March 27, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, March 27, 1893 par. 3]          This parable of the kingdom was designed to illustrate to the disciples the growth and progress of Christian character. The good seed of the word falls into the heart, and at once the first development of Christian experience is made manifest. This experience is likened to the tender blade, and to the young child. The blade is beautiful, and the child is attractive, but should there be no further development, we would look upon the plant as stunted, and the child as dwarfed. The young convert is to advance in knowledge, to grow in grace. Christ looks upon his children, and he is not ignorant as to how the seed is developing. Temptations will come, and it will be only through constant trust in his Redeemer that perfection of Christian character can be attained. The convert is to look to the mighty Helper, lest he be surprised off guard, and seduced by the enemy. He is not to be ignorant of Satan's devices, nor rest satisfied with the knowledge he has attained; for "this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."  {ST, March 27, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, March 27, 1893 par. 4]          The experience of the Christian in his earliest love is full of simplicity and freshness; but as his opportunities multiply, his experience should enlarge, and his knowledge increase. He should become strong to bear responsibility, and his maturity should be in proportion to his privileges. But the young convert is not to worry or perplex his mind with questioning as regards his advancement and growth. He is to trust himself wholly to Jesus, and with fear and trembling work out that which God works in; for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Advancement in Christian experience can be accomplished only through cooperation with heavenly agencies, for it is a result of growth in grace. Feeling his helplessness, the young Christian is to place himself in the channel of light, and improve all the opportunities that are graciously bestowed upon him, that he may gain a deeper experience, and take deep root in Christ, as the plant roots in the soil. His faith must increase, his consecration be maintained, his love be made perfect, as is represented by the blade, the ear, and the full corn in the ear. His zeal should be ardent and tireless; and with unwavering trust in Christ, his growth may be unmarred; for a genuine experience will result in the development of a Christlike character.  {ST, March 27, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, March 27, 1893 par. 5]          But unless there is an hourly dependence upon Christ, increasing knowledge and privileges will result in self-trust and self-righteousness. The young Christian is in danger of forgetting that it is Christ that has begun the good work in him, and that it is Christ that must finish it. The soul must renounce all merit, and trust wholly in the merit of Him who is too wise to err. Man of himself can do no good thing. Said Jesus, "Without me ye can do nothing." The soul is to stay itself upon God. In the gift of Christ all Heaven was poured out, and through Christ the Holy Spirit is promised to the believer. Jesus said to 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." Christ not only offers pardon to the believing, repenting soul, but he promises him the constant aid of the Holy Spirit.  {ST, March 27, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, March 27, 1893 par. 6]          In the growth of the seed in the soil, man cannot see the working of unseen agencies that develop the plant to perfection, bringing up first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. But though young in the faith, you may know that you have passed from death unto life, if the fruits of the Spirit are made manifest in your life. If you are growing in faith and hope and love, you may know that your spiritual vision has been cleared. If you delight to dwell upon the plan of salvation, upon the glorious manifestations of the divine character, if your heart, in contemplation of the love of God, glows with thankfulness and joy, you may be sure that you have been illuminated by the beams of the Holy Spirit, and heavenly agencies are bringing your character up to maturity of Christian life. You may not realize that you are growing up into Christ, your living Head. Your part is simply to submit your ways and your will to God. You are to trust yourself fully to God, knowing you cannot make yourself grow. A Paul may plant, and an Apollos may water, but it is God that giveth the increase.                          (Concluded next number.)                                                                   -    {ST, March 27, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, April 3, 1893 par. 1]       April 3, 1893 Growth in Christian Experience   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Through vital connection with Christ, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven will be unfolded, and according to your capacity to receive, the Lord will bless you, if you are willing and obedient. But the young Christian may often be brought into strait places, and into trying circumstances, as were the children of Israel. Of old the Lord brought his people into these trying places that he might finally bring them blessing. He says: "And 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." God knew what was in the hearts of his people before he brought trial upon them; but they were ignorant of the condition of their own hearts. Under trial and test their deficiencies were made manifest, and they felt indeed that they had not understood themselves. But the fierce flames of trial and temptation did not consume them, but rather worked for their purification and refinement, and aided them in the development of Christlike character.  {ST, April 3, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, April 3, 1893 par. 2]          Let the young Christian seek to fulfill all the responsibilities that devolve upon him, and meet obstacles and difficulties with courage, keeping an eye single to the glory of God, that his profiting may appear unto all. In whatever circumstances you may be placed, the Lord designs that you shall find his grace sufficient, that your love may abound more and more, that you may approve things that are excellent, and be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus, unto the glory and praise of God. But unless the Christian continues to grow, he will retrograde, and his experience will become sickly and be fruitless of good. Jesus says, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit."  {ST, April 3, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, April 3, 1893 par. 3]          In order to bear much fruit, we must make the most of our privileges and opportunities, becoming more and more spiritually minded. We must put away all commonness, all pride, all worldliness, and daily receive divine aid. If you grow spiritually, you must employ all the means which the gospel provides, and be prepared to gain in piety by the influence of the Holy Spirit; for the seed is developed from blade to full corn by unseen and supernatural agencies. The promise with which Jesus consoled his disciples just before his betrayal and crucifixion was that of the Holy Spirit; and in the doctrine of divine influence and agency, what riches were revealed to them; for this blessing would bring in its train all other blessings. The Holy Spirit breathes upon the soul who humbly rests on Christ, as the author and finisher of his faith; and from such a believer fruit will come forth unto life eternal. His influence will be fragrant, and the name of Jesus will be music in his ears, and melody in his heart.  {ST, April 3, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, April 3, 1893 par. 4]          The Christian will be a savor of life unto life to others, although he may not be able to explain the mysteries of his experience. But he will know that when clouds and darkness compassed him about, and he cried unto the Lord, the darkness was dispersed, and peace and joy were in the temple of the soul. He will know what it is to have the pardoning love of God revealed to the heart, to experience the peace that passeth all understanding, to have praise and thanksgiving and adoration welling up in the soul unto him who has loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. He has peace through Jesus Christ, and joy in the Holy Ghost. One with Christ, his soul is filled with submission to his will, and heaven is enshrined in his heart while he is enfolded in the bosom of infinite love. Christians of this order will bear much fruit to the glory of God. They will rightly interpret the character of God, and manifest his attributes unto the world.  {ST, April 3, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, April 3, 1893 par. 5]          Jesus illustrated the compassionate mercy and tender love of God in many of the parables that he uttered, and in his own life and character he gave us an exhibition of infinite love. He represents himself as the life of the world. He says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." There is no growth where there is no life. Where there is no life, there is no fruit.  {ST, April 3, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, April 3, 1893 par. 6]          But how shall we know that we are in Christ?--We may know it by the character of our fruit. The fruit borne on the Christian tree is holiness of heart,--wholeness to Christ. God will be in the thoughts of the Christian, and he will love those for whom Christ has died. He will follow in the path of self-denial, and his life will be fragrant with the love of Jesus. He will delight more in contemplation of the love of God than in anything earth can offer. He will prefer his plain, homely duties rather than romantic novelties, and will be satisfied with the place God has appointed him. When the heart is renewed by the Spirit of God, when consecration to God is maintained, there can be only love and thankfulness and praise in the heart, because Jesus is within, the hope of glory, and they live as seeing him who is invisible. Christ is in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life, and the true follower of Christ strengthens the good purposes of everyone with whom he comes in contact. Such believers are living, growing Christians. They carry with them the fragrance of holiness, and are reaching on to the measure of the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.                                                                   -    {ST, April 3, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 1]       April 10, 1893 Overcome As Christ Overcame.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "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; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved 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 succor them that are tempted."  {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 2]          The world's Redeemer passed over the ground where Adam fell because of his disobedience to the law of Jehovah. The only-begotten Son of God came to our world as a man, to reveal to the world the fact that men through divine power could keep the law of God. Satan, the fallen angel, had declared that no man could keep God's law, and he pointed to the disobedience of Adam as proving the declaration true. But the Son of God placed himself in man's stead, and passed over the ground where Adam fell, and endured temptation stronger than ever was or ever will be brought to bear upon the human race. Jesus resisted the temptations of Satan in the same manner in which every tempted soul may resist the evil one. He referred the tempter to the inspired record and said, "It is written." Christ overcame the temptations as a man, by relying solely upon the word of God; and every man may overcome as Christ overcame.  {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 3]          We need not place the obedience of Christ by itself as something for which he was particularly adapted, because of his divine nature; for he stood before God as man's representative, and was tempted as man's substitute and surety. If Christ had a special power which it is not the privilege of a man to have, Satan would have made capital of this matter. But the work of Christ was to take from Satan his control of man, and he could do this only in a straightforward way. He came as a man, to be tempted as a man, rendering the obedience of a man. Christ rendered obedience to God, and overcame as humanity overcome. We are led to make wrong conclusions because of erroneous views of the nature of our Lord. To attribute to his nature a power that it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, is to destroy the completeness of his humanity. The obedience of Christ to his Father was the same obedience that is required of man. Man cannot overcome Satan's temptations except as divine power works through humanity. The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what God in his own divine person could do, but what he could do through humanity. Through faith man is to be a partaker of the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset. It was the Majesty of heaven who became a man, who humbled himself to our human nature; it was he who was tempted in the wilderness and who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself.  {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 4]          We are not to serve God as if we were not human, but we are to serve him as those who have been redeemed by the Son of God and through the righteousness of Christ we shall stand before God pardoned, and as though we had never sinned. We shall never gain strength in considering what we might do if we were angels; but as obedient children we are to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, and show our love to God through obedience to his commands. Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Jesus says, "Follow me." "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Jesus leads the way. Do not wait and continue in disobedience, hoping circumstances may change, making it easier for you to obey. Go forward, for you know the will of God. "To him that overcometh 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."  {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 5]          The Garden of Eden, with its foul blot of disobedience, should be carefully compared with the Garden of Gethsemane, where the world's Redeemer suffered superhuman agony when the sins of the whole world were rolled upon him. Listen to the prayer of the only-begotten Son of God, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." And the second time he prayed, saying, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." And the third time he prayed, saying the same words. Oh, it was here the mysterious cup trembled in the hands of the Son of God! Shall he wipe the bloody sweat from his agonized countenance and let man go? The wail, wretchedness, and ruin of a lost world roll up before him. "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."  {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 6]          The conflict is ended. Jesus consents to endure the curse of sin. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Here we see what was involved in Adam's disobedience, and what the obedience of the Son of God means to us. Adam did not consider what would be the consequences of disobedience. He did not set his mind in defiance against God, nor did he in any way speak against God; he simply went directly contrary to his express command. And how many today are doing the very same thing, and their guilt is of much greater magnitude, because they have the example of Adam's experience in disobedience and its terrible results to warn them of the consequences of transgressing the law of God. So they have clear light upon this subject, and no excuse for their guilt in denying and disobeying God's authority. Adam did not stop to reckon what would be the result of his disobedience.  {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, April 10, 1893 par. 7]         With the after sight we are privileged to have in this age, we can see what it means to disobey God's commandments. Adam yielded to temptation, and we have sin and its consequences laid distinctly before us. Reasoning from cause to effect, we see it is not the greatness of the act of disobedience which constitutes sin, but the fact of variance from God's expressed will in the least particular, for this is a virtual denial of God, a rebellion against the laws of his government. The happiness of man is found in obedience to the laws of God. In obedience to God's law he is surrounded as with a hedge and kept from the evil. No man can depart from God's specified requirements, and set up a standard of his own which he decides he can safely follow, and still find peace and joy. Were each one left to follow his own way, there would be a variety of standards to suit different minds, and the government would be taken out of the Lord's hands, and man would grasp the reins. The law of self would be erected. The will of man would be made supreme; and the high and holy will of God would be dishonored, disrespected. To what extent man would choose to follow the promptings of his selfish heart it is impossible to tell. But whenever man chooses his own way, there is controversy between the man and God.                                                                   -    {ST, April 10, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 1]       April 17, 1893 Overcome As Christ Overcame   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Concluded.)         Since the fall of our first parents, obedience has not been deemed an absolute necessity. Men have followed the imagination of their own hearts, which the Lord has said is "evil, and that continually." The Lord Jesus declares, "I have kept my Father's commandments." How? as a man? "Lo I come to do thy will, O God." To the accusations of the Jews he stood forth in his pure, virtuous, holy character, and challenged them to point out a defect in his life. He said, "Who of you convinceth me of sin?" The world's Redeemer came not only to be a sacrifice for sin, but to be an example to man in all things. He was a teacher, such an educator as the world never saw or heard before. He spake as one having authority, and yet he invites the confidence of all. "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."  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 2]          The only-begotten Son of the infinite God has, by his words and in his practical example, left us a plain pattern which we are to copy. By his words he has educated us to obey God, and by his own practice he has showed us how we can obey God. This is the very work he wants every man to do, to obey God intelligently, and by precept and example teach others what they must do in order to be obedient children of God. Jesus has helped the whole world to an intelligent knowledge of his divine mission and work. He came to represent the character of the Father to our world; and as we study the life, the words, and works of Christ, we are helped in every way in the education of obedience to God; and as we copy the example he has given us, we are living epistles known and read of all men. We are the living human agencies to represent to the world the character of Christ. Not only did Christ show us how we may become obedient children, but he showed us in his own life and character just how to do those things which are right and acceptable with God, so there is no reason why we should not do those things which are pleasing in his sight.  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 3]          We are ever to be thankful that Jesus has proved to us by actual life that man can keep the commandments of God, contradicting Satan's falsehood that man cannot keep them. The great Teacher came to our world to stand at the head of humanity, to thus elevate and sanctify humanity by his holy obedience to all the requirements of God, showing it is possible to obey all the commandments of God. He has demonstrated that a lifelong obedience is possible. Thus he gives men to the world, as the Father gave the Son, to exemplify in their life the life of Christ.  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 4]          Christ redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall, and was conqueror, thus testifying to all the unfallen worlds and to fallen humanity that through the divine power granted to him of heaven man can keep the commandments of God. Jesus, the Son of God, humbled himself for us, endured temptation for us, overcame in our behalf, to show us how we may overcome; by the closest ties he bound up his interest with humanity, and gave positive assurance that we shall not be tempted above that we are able; for with the temptation he will make a way of escape.  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 5]          The Holy Spirit was promised to be with those who were wrestling for victory, demonstrating the power of might by endowing the human agent with supernatural strength, and instructing the ignorant in the mysteries of the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is to be our helper. Of what avail would it have been to us that the only-begotten Son of God had humbled himself, endured the temptations of the wily foe, and wrestled with him during his entire life on earth, and died, the just for the unjust, that humanity night not perish, if the Spirit had not been given as a constant working, regenerating agent to make effectual in our cases what had been wrought by the world's Redeemer?  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 6]          The Holy Spirit implanted in the disciples, enabled them to stand firmly against idolatry, and to exalt the Lord alone. The Holy Spirit guided the pens of the sacred historians that the record of the precious words and works of Christ might be presented to the world. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work seeking to draw the attention of men to the great sacrifice made upon the cross of Calvary, to unfold to the world the love of God to man, and to open to the convicted soul the precious promises in the Scriptures. It is the Holy Spirit that brings to the darkened minds the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. It is the Holy Spirit that makes men's hearts burn within them with an awakened intelligence of the truths of eternity. It is the Holy Spirit that presents before the mind the moral standard of righteousness and convinces of sin. It is the Holy Spirit that produces godly sorrow which worketh repentance that needeth not to be repented of, and inspires faith in Him who alone can save from all sin. It is the Holy Spirit that works to transform character by withdrawing the affections of men from those things which are temporal and perishable, and fixing them upon the immortal inheritance, the eternal substance which is imperishable. The Holy Spirit recreates, refines, and sanctifies the human agents, that they may become members of the royal family, children of the Heavenly King.  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 7]          Jesus says: "Follow me." "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Consider it not a hard duty. The commandments of God are his expressed character flowing out of a heart of love in thoughtful plans that man may be preserved from every evil. They are not to exercise an arbitrary authority over man, but the Lord would have men act as his obedient children, members of his own family. Obedience is the outgrowth and fruit of oneness with Christ and the Father. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 8]          When we unmistakably hear his voice and obey, every murmuring thought will be repressed; and we will leave all consequences with Him who gave the commandment. If, as we see the footprints of Jesus, we step in them and follow him, we shall have love and power.  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 9]          The question is often asked, "What difference does it make which day we keep for the Sabbath?" But it does make a difference; for the same principle is involved as was involved in Adam's case. He was put to the same test. For he was to prove by obedience his loyalty to God or by disobedience to forfeit the right to the tree of life. Satan presented this same specious question. What difference does it make whether you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or of any other tree of the garden? Adam's sin consisted in doing the thing the Lord had forbidden him to do, and this opened the flood gates of woe on our world. We should carefully meditate upon the life of Christ, and desire to understand the reason why he came at all. We should search the Scriptures as Christ has enjoined upon us to do, that we may know those things that are testified of him. By searching we may find the virtues of obedience in contrast with the sinfulness of disobedience. "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 10]          The Lord Jesus has bridged the gulf that sin has made. He has connected earth with heaven, and finite man with the infinite God. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, as our example, could only keep the commandments of God in the same way that humanity can keep them. "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."  {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, April 17, 1893 par. 11]          "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." The glory mentioned is character, and by faith we become changed from character to character. "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." "Ye are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."                                                                   -    {ST, April 17, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, April 24, 1893 par. 1]       April 24, 1893 Obedience the Fruit of Love.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We should contemplate the love of Jesus, his mission and his work in reference to us as individuals. We are to say, Jesus so loved me that he gave his own life to save me. The Father loves me, "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." It becomes us to ascertain upon what terms Christ promises the gift of eternal life. I answer, It is upon our faith. We must have faith in the promises. Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, 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 who love me know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." "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 14:12-17, 21.  {ST, April 24, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, April 24, 1893 par. 2]          "He that hath my commandments" means he that hath light upon what constitutes the commandments of God, and will not disobey his commandments, although it might seem an advantage to do so. "If a man love me, he will keep my words ［my commandments］; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." If it were not possible for us to keep the commandments of God, we should all be lost. But under the Abrahamic covenant, the covenant of grace, every provision for salvation has been made. "By grace ye are saved." "For as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God."  {ST, April 24, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, April 24, 1893 par. 3]          John writes to the children of God, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not." And what is sin?--"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." And if any man sin, he need not give up his hope in Christ. He need not say it is of no use longer to attempt to keep the commandments of God; for this would be placing himself wholly on Satan's ground. Satan follows you with his temptations, in order that he may persuade you to yield and sin; and when you sin, then he tells you it is of no use for you to try, and you might just as well announce yourself an open transgressor of the law of God, for you cannot keep his commandments. In the name and strength given of God we may be obedient to all his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. We are happy in doing them. "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 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. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning."  {ST, April 24, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, April 24, 1893 par. 4]          The Lord would not leave the enemy any opportunity to perplex the soul or to becloud the mind as to the commandments of which he is speaking. It is the commandments which he made when the foundations of the earth were laid, "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Away back in the world's history, before there were any people distinguished as Jews, he laid the foundations of his law, when he laid the foundations of the world. "The old commandment is the word which ye heard from the beginning." John, the beloved disciple, as mouthpiece for God, gives the inspired message, and it comes echoing down the lines, from age to age, to our time. Thank God, we are not left in mist and confusion in regard to the commandments.  {ST, April 24, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, April 24, 1893 par. 5]          We are required to keep the commandments of God, and to demonstrate before the heavenly worlds that we are obedient children, loyal and true to the government of God. We may not expect the world, which is under the power and dominion of Satan, to obey God and keep his commandments. There are but two classes in our world, the obedient and the disobedient, the holy and the unholy. When our transgressions were laid upon Jesus, he was numbered among the unholy on the sinner's account. He became our substitute, our surety, before the Father and all the heavenly angels. By imputing the sins of the world to Jesus, he became the sinner in our stead, and the curse due to our sins came upon him. It becomes us to contemplate Christ's life of humiliation and his agonizing death; for he was treated as the sinner deserves to be treated. He came to our world, clothing his divinity with humanity, to bear the test and proving of God. By his example of perfect obedience in his human nature, he teaches us that men may be obedient.  {ST, April 24, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, April 24, 1893 par. 6]          And the apostle writes, "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; 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." It is here plainly revealed that whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Let divinity and humanity cooperate, and fallen man may be more than conqueror through Christ Jesus.                                                                   -    {ST, April 24, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, May 1, 1893 par. 1]       May 1, 1893 "Never Man Spake Like This Man."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus Christ was the light of the world; for "by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight; if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven."  {ST, May 1, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, May 1, 1893 par. 2]          If Christ had thought it necessary, he could have opened to his disciples mysteries which would have eclipsed and put far out of sight all the discoveries of the human mind. He could have presented facts concerning every subject that would have gone beyond human reasonings, and yet not misrepresented the truth in any particular. He could have revealed that which was unknown, that which would have put imagination to the stretch, and attracted the thoughts of successive generations to the close of earth's history. He could have opened doors into mysteries that the human mind had sought in vain to open. He could have presented to men a tree of knowledge from which they might have plucked from age to age; but this work was not essential to their soul's salvation, and the knowledge of the character of God was necessary to their eternal interests. As it is, men have devoted their time and talents to the pursuit of certain kinds of knowledge merely for the gratification of curiosity, and have neglected the momentous subjects that have been plainly revealed, which concern their eternal interests.  {ST, May 1, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, May 1, 1893 par. 3]          Jesus, the Lord of life and glory, came to plant the tree of life for the human family, and to invite the members of a fallen race to eat and be satisfied. He came to reveal to them what was their only hope, their only happiness, both in this world and in that which is to come. "For this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." He would allow nothing to divert his attention from the work which he came to do. He knew that men would seek out many inventions, and follow the imagination of their own hearts. He knew that they would use their God-given intellect to please and glorify themselves, that they would forget God, and lose the knowledge of his way and will. Jesus saw that men needed to have their minds attracted to God, that they might become acquainted with his character, and obtain the righteousness of Christ represented in his holy law. He knew that it was necessary that men should have a faithful representation of the divine character, that they might not be deceived by the misrepresentations of Satan, who had cast his hellish shadow athwart men's pathway, and to their minds clothed God with his own Satanic characteristics.  {ST, May 1, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, May 1, 1893 par. 4]          Jesus came to the world to reveal, in their beauty, original truths that had been lost sight of through the misconception of men, and had been buried beneath a mass of tradition and error. He severed the old familiar truths from the companionship of error, that they might no longer be clouded and hidden by the customs and superstitions of men, but stand forth in their original, purity. For ages truth had been thrust from its true position, and Jesus reinstated it, reset it in the framework of truth, and established it anew upon the basis of its own eternal merit. The principles of justice and right that through the working of Satan upon the human mind had become powerless in their influence upon men, he revivified, and commanded them, like the stars in the firmament, to stand fast forever and ever.  {ST, May 1, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, May 1, 1893 par. 5]          The Redeemer of the world did not come to encourage curiosity, to stimulate human speculation, but to show the real character of truth, so long falsified by Satan, and set before the world in a distorted light. The suggestions of Satan had been received by the depraved human heart, had been repeated by human agents, and traced by human pens; but Jesus restored the jewels of truth to the world, and made them shine before the eyes of men in all their original splendor and beauty. The Son of Man, our Lord, possessed an intellect of the highest order, and nothing before or since his appearance has been presented that approached to the elevation of the themes which he presented in his lessons to his disciples, which by their testimony have been transmitted to us. Apparently he borrowed the thoughts of minds inferior to his own, but this was not the case in reality, for he was the originator of all truth, and he had given to men all the light they had upon all mysteries, all the knowledge they had in every branch of science. In him were hid all the treasures of wisdom and truth, both of heavenly and earthly things. In quoting the utterances of patriarchs and prophets, he quoted that which he himself had imparted. The uttermost stretch of the human mind can embrace but a fractional part of the infinite whole, and even that fractional part is the outworking of the mind of Him who comprehends all science, all mystery and knowledge. All the wisdom of men should roll back glory and praise to the great Originator.  {ST, May 1, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, May 1, 1893 par. 6]          The Redeemer of the world gave evidence of his superiority over the men of the world in the way in which he presented truth to the human mind. However great and wise the teachers of the world might have been regarded in his day or may be regarded in our day, yet in comparison to him they are not to be admired; for all the truth they uttered was but that which he originated, and all that came from any other source was foolishness. Even the truth they uttered, in his mouth was beautified and made glorious; for he presented it in simplicity and dignity. Such attractiveness was in his words that not only the common people heard him gladly, but wise and noble men declared, "Never man spake like this man."                                                                   -    {ST, May 1, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 1]       May 8, 1893 A Lesson for Our Day.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee."  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 2]          In these words of denunciation a solemn warning is given to the churches of today. It will make every difference with us as regards our eternal future whether we receive or reject the message and the messenger that God sends. All truth originates with God, and according to its character is invested with influence to move men. Spiritual truth is above all else, and Christ came to reveal this manner of truth to the world. The Father came in vital connection with the world through his well-beloved Son, and the revelation of divine truth through the Son was designed to draw men to the Father.  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 3]         Satan has been the central object of the world's worship; but where stands Satan's seat, the throne of God should have been planted. Christ purposed that his cross should become the center of attraction, whereby he should draw the hearts of men to himself. Taking upon him human nature, he became one with the fallen race, and by virtue of the divine nature he laid hold of the throne of the Infinite, and enlisted the cooperation of every heavenly instrumentality to carry out his plan for redeeming a lost race. He sends down upon the hearts of men the bright beams of his righteousness in order to dispel the shadow which Satan has cast upon the world. To counteract his work, Satan and his hosts combined their forces with evil men, and sought to overthrow the work of Christ; but heavenly agencies, united in their great Head, advanced to meet the confederacy of evil, and evil and error were in conflict with goodness and truth.  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 4]          The love of God was to be revealed to the world in the death of his beloved Son, crucified on Calvary for the sins of the world. He was to present to the world the gospel, which was to be the power of God unto salvation. This was not a new truth, but through the traditions of men it had become obscured, and the original truths, by separation from their Author, had lost their meaning to the world. When Christ came, a flood of light was to be shed upon the utterances of patriarchs and prophets. Through this revelation, neglected obligations were to be taken up. Obedience was to take the place of rebellion, and the truth would work a transformation of character in all who should receive it. The great atoning Sacrifice was to be the central and supreme truth, about which all other truths were to cluster. And Christ himself came to the world to bear this truth to his rebellious subjects.  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 5]          Before the coming of Christ, prophets had been sent, and message after message had been delivered to the people of God; but they had beaten one and stoned another, and at length the loving Father said, "They will reverence my Son." But when he came with the message of divine love, their hearts had grown so hard through their rejection of light, their resistance had become so stubborn, that they said, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance." The work of rejection of light was to result in the murder of their Lord. Among the most diligent enemies of Jesus were the scribes and Pharisees. They were ready to bear false witness, and in their blindness even thought that they were doing God service. Jesus went through all the land of Canaan, and mighty works were wrought in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum; but notwithstanding all his mighty works in these cities, they did not believe on him. The great mass of the people would and did listen to the great Teacher, and they would have taken their position with him had it not been for the counterworking of the scribes and Pharisees and those who sat in Moses' seat. But the priests and teachers, filled with intense hatred and unreasonable prejudice, made every possible effort to make his words and works of no effect. They saw the fruit of his doctrine and the results of his work, but when they had exhausted all their objections, they inquired for a sign of his authority.  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 6]          The lessons that Jesus taught, the work he wrought, gave unanswerable evidence that he was the Son of God. Abundant evidence was given of the most conclusive character, but they closed their eyes lest they should see, and their ears lest they should hear, and refused to listen to his appeals. What sadness it brings to the heart as we read that "he came unto his own, and his own received him not"! He had to leave his own, and go from city to city, and from place to place, in order to preserve his life until his work was done. We read, "He walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him."  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 7]          At one time the people came to the priests and asked, "When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" And so enraged were the Pharisees at the evident conviction that had settled upon the people, that they immediately dispatched officers to arrest him. He was teaching the people and healing the sick, and when the officers came within the sound of the melody of his voice, and heard his gracious words, they stood as men entranced, and forgot what had been their errand. Hardened as were their hearts, they were melted under his words of truth and compassion; and when the chief priests and Pharisees inquired, "Why have ye not brought him?" they answered, "Never man spake like this man." Then answered them the Pharisees: "Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed."  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 8]          The Pharisees charged the people with ignorance of the prophecies, and yet it was themselves who were willingly ignorant that Jesus met in his life and works and character every specification of the Scriptures. There was no want of evidence of his Messiahship, no dimness of light concerning his divine claims; but they did not wish to believe, and permitted prejudice to blind their eyes.  {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, May 8, 1893 par. 9]          The Man of sorrows, who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, who was bruised for our iniquities, and wounded for our transgressions, by whose stripes we are healed, was indeed without form or comeliness to the Jews; and yet he was the predicted Messiah, who was to shine before the ancients gloriously, to reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. As he came in his humiliation to our earth, no conquering armies were visible to mortal eyes, and the unbelieving Jews decided that he could not be the illustrious King for whom they were looking, as there was no outward display. And why did the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Jerusalem reject the Lord of life and glory? Why did they keep up a continual controversy with him? It was because those who claimed to believe and teach the word of God interpreted its utterances to suit their own preconceived opinions, so that the word of God might seem to harmonize with the traditions and commandments of men. It was because the people did not see the necessity of searching the Scriptures for themselves, of comparing scripture with scripture, that they might know the truth. They gave credence to what the priests and Pharisees taught, in place of seeking to understand the true meaning of the word of God for themselves, instead of using the reason and judgment which God had given them that they might understand. They placed the priests and rulers where they should have placed God, and rejected the truth of God, that they might keep their own tradition. Let us take a lesson from the mistake of the Jewish people, and not be found committing a similar error.                                                                   -    {ST, May 8, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 1]       May 15, 1893 Transformation of Character Noted by  the World.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost; so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 2]         The apostle wrote these words of encouragement in order that we upon whom the ends of the world have come, might receive benefit. Through the grace of Christ such a transformation of character is to take place in us that the word of the Lord may leave an impression upon many minds, that "in every place your faith Godward is spread abroad." When the people of God yield themselves to be controlled entirely by the Holy Spirit, in them will appear that Christlikeness which is in accordance with the richness and grandeur of the truth. But in order that Christ shall be revealed in the human agent, self must die. The believer is to study the life and character of Christ, that by beholding he may become changed into his divine image in life and character.  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 3]         How cautious should each one be lest he cultivate an unsanctified independence! The enemy is vigilant, working with tremendous power to subvert souls who have had presented before them the light of truth. Satan watches that he may take advantage of every unconsecrated element of character in the human agent, in order that he may use him who professes to be a servant of Christ to further his Satanic designs. He will take advantage of prejudice, of preconceived opinion, of side issues, that he may make of no effect the words of God's messenger to the church. Contention and strife will be aroused, and the message of heaven will be rendered of no effect through the working of this evil leaven.  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 4]         In the days of Paul there was need of warning the churches against bringing in their own ideas and opinions, of setting their stakes, and of holding the measuring tape in their hands, so that if the message or the messenger differed in some little degree from their preconceived ideas, they closed the door firmly against the light and the lightbearer. In the words of Paul, the Lord warns every man to take heed as to entertaining this spirit of jangling and strife. He says: "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity ［love］ out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned; from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." "And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain."  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 5]         From the words of Paul we can see that he had the same difficulties to deal with in his day that we have to deal with in our day. There were in the early church those who made much of matters of minor importance, and wrought mischief among the believers in creating strife and contention. Through pride men and women are led to take the position that rendering service to a brother or sister in certain ways has a degrading tendency; but it is just as commendable to serve in what are called menial positions as to minister from the pulpit. There is no degradation in doing the duties that must be done in the house, and there is no humiliation in being able to do well and thoroughly the duties that devolve on a housemaid or a man of all work. It will never injure self-respect to be a good servant if the right view is taken of the subject.  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 6]         But in whatever branch of the Lord's work you are, you should study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, willing to be taught, ready to learn, faithful in your work, and ever growing in power and efficiency.  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 7]         There is no safety for any of us unless we trust fully in God, and take a decided stand, guarding the avenues of the will, resisting the first insinuations of Satan, rejecting his counsel to yield to questionable impulses. This requires watchfulness, perseverance, and continual adherence to the word of God under all circumstances. We are here as probationers, and are deciding our own eternal destiny. Then how important it is that we daily educate and train the will power to render obedience to God in the least as well as in the greatest tests. How important to ever remember the fact, "Thou God seest me. Thou knowest every thought, and art acquainted with every action"! How important that we regard ourselves as pupils in the school of Christ, that we learn to repress every vain, trifling word! Jesus has been tempted in all points like as we are, and it is our Saviour who admonishes and warns us concerning evil. He has identified his interest with that of suffering humanity, and he bids us "watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." We should esteem his counsel as of the highest value. You are not to be off guard for an instant, but as a faithful sentinel to stand at your post of duty, and having done all to stand. But with all our watchfulness we are to remember that "except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." Man must cooperate with the heavenly agencies; he must use his God-given abilities to their utmost in earnest endeavor to keep his own soul from being degraded by sin; but he must not trust in his own finite strength, for it will be as a broken staff, a bruised reed. With his human endeavor he must mingle faith in a divine Deliverer, and express his dependence upon God in prayer. The promise is given, "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me, and he shall make peace with Me." There is no safety for us outside of entire dependence on Jesus Christ. His wisdom, his power, his grace, his love must be our only support. We are to unite prayer with watchfulness, and thus lay hold upon his mighty power, feeling our insufficiency to cope with self and the powers of darkness.  {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, May 15, 1893 par. 8]         Then looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, with perfect assurance we may commit the keeping of our souls unto him, while we cooperate with divine agencies. Every soul may say: "Lord, without thee I can do nothing in saving or keeping my soul from sinning against thee; but thou art able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of thy glory with exceeding joy. To thee I commit the keeping of my soul as unto a faithful guardian, and I leave all in thy hands, knowing that thou doest all things well."                                                                   -    {ST, May 15, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 1]      May 29, 1893 Walk in the Light.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When John was cast into prison, he sent messengers to Jesus to inquire, "Art thou He that should come? or look we for another?" For an answer to this inquiry Jesus showed them his works. "And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached."  {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 2]          Jesus had seen these messengers as they left John, and he was prepared to answer them. He wrought as only God could for those who were afflicted and suffering, and under the cruel power of the destroyer. He who was seeking to deliver manifested his mighty power, and wrought wonderful miracles. The voice of the mighty Healer penetrated the deaf ear; a word, a touch of his hand opened the blind eyes to behold the light of day, the scenes of nature, the faces of friends, and the face of the Deliverer. Jesus rebuked disease and banished fever. His voice reached the ears of those who were dying, and they arose and became strong. Paralyzed demoniacs obeyed his voice, and their madness left them, and they worshiped him. All this was witnessed by the disciples of John, and they bore back to John the report of Christ's marvelous works. This report was as heaven's light flashing in amid the darkness of the prison. John accepted and appreciated this light.  {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 3]          And Jesus said unto his followers: "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." These words apply to us as well as to them. There is great reluctance to discern and gratefully receive the light from heaven. Moral darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people. Satan has the heart service of the world; his hellish shadow pervades and overshadows all human society, and how positively essential that Christ's professed followers should be channels of light. Says Christ, "Ye are the light of the world;" then how important that we place ourselves directly under the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Those who are sanctified through the truth will be bright and shining lights in the world.  {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 4]          The whole earth is to be lightened with the glory of God. But how difficult for some to see and acknowledge the light and be converted, that I, Christ says, should heal them. The atmosphere of selfishness, pride, formality, and self-righteousness surrounds their souls, and it is very difficult for them to discern light as light and appreciate it. Some walk away from the light into darkness, and how much greater is the darkness that enshrouds their souls because they have had the light. Refusing to walk in the light, they stumble at most precious things. Refusing to see the truth, they stumble and know not at what they stumble. The light that has been graciously given has not been appreciated and brought into the practical life, and many are not doers of the word. Every true believer should have a realization of his solemn responsibility before God, to be a missionary seeking to save those that are lost. We should see armies of consecrated workers seeking to do, not their own will or pleasure, but the will of God. They should be laborers together with God. They should work, pray, and continually look unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of their faith. Those who surrender wholly to God will put thought and prayer and earnest, consecrated tact into their labors.  {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 5]          Young men and young women, if you are true disciples of Christ, you will consecrate every talent, and be able to reach out for the unconverted, by ways and methods that will be effective. You will be active, working agencies for Christ. In every church there should be devoted workers. All should realize that they are to seek counsel of God, that by well-directed personal efforts they may save souls for whom Christ died. No sinner should come within the sphere of a Christian's influence and feel that his interest has not been enlisted on the side of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. Those who profess to believe the truth should walk in the light of the precious beams of the Sun of Righteousness.  {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 6]          Who of our youth will give themselves to God for the purpose of laboring for the salvation of their fellow youth? Who will put their talent out to the exchangers? Who will feel their sacred accountability and put to use every ability given them of God to win souls? Young men and young women, cannot you form companies, and, as soldiers of Christ, enlist in the work, putting all your tact and skill and talent into the Master's service, that you may save souls from ruin? Let there be companies organized in every church to do this work. It is stated that when the householder left his servants, "he gave to every man his work." Not one was to be idle.  {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, May 29, 1893 par. 7]          I appeal to both young and old, and ask, Is Jesus your personal Saviour? If you do not realize that he is yours, by all means make him yours. Then without delay teach others what you have experienced in the Christian life. Instead of being as frail reeds blowing in the wind, show yourselves as those who have root in themselves--that you believe and that you practice the truth, and its sanctifying power is upon your life and character. Then you will be walking in the light while you have the light. Will the young men and young women who really love Jesus organize themselves as workers, not only for those who profess to be Sabbath keepers, but for those who are not of our faith; for there is no respect of persons with God? All souls are precious; they are the purchase of the blood of the Son of God. Why has there been so little interest and soul burden for sinners? Many outside the ranks of Sabbath keepers, who have not had the light, give more promise of becoming children of God, joint heirs with Jesus, than do those who have had the light of truth, and who have not appreciated it, but have walked in the sparks of their own kindling. No one can labor successfully for souls without true, earnest, unselfish interest. Those who do so labor will see souls converted, and will themselves grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They will not have a dwarfed experience in the things of God. They will be learners in the school of Christ, and educators as well, making known to others the things which they have learned of Jesus.                                                                   -    {ST, May 29, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 1]       June 5, 1893 Transformation Through Faith and Obedience ［Reprinted in full in 1SM 345-349］    June 12, 1893 "Build the Old Waste Places."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and 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."  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 2]          The work expected of those who honor God has been plainly opened before us. "They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations." This prophecy refers to the fourth commandment, which has been broken down and laid waste. The prophet brings to view a class of people who see and feel the importance of exalting the day that God has specified as his own, which is being dishonored and disregarded by the Christian world.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 3]          Paul, in his second epistle to the Thessalonians, points out the power that has attempted to break down the law of God. He warns the believers concerning the great apostasy and the blasphemous antichristian power that would be developed and perform its work before Christ should come the second time. He says: "That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.    . . . The mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth ［hindereth］ will let ［hinder］, until he be taken out of the way. And 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." The prophet Daniel, describing the same power, says, "He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws."  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 4]          How strikingly have these prophecies been fulfilled by the Romish Church! Not only has this power attempted to change the times and laws of God, but she openly avows that she has made such changes, and she declares that by the observance of Sunday, which rests solely upon her authority, the Protestant world is acknowledging the supremacy of Rome. It is the breach which has thus been made in the law of God that the people described by Isaiah are seeking to build up.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 5]          "Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. . . . The sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer."  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 6]          Mark the conditions of the promise; it is to him "that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." And the time when this promise especially applies is when "My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed." There is a special work for God's people in these last days, to turn away their feet from trampling upon the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and to exalt it before men, calling it "a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable."  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 7]          But when the claims of the Sabbath are presented, there are many who ask, What difference does it make what day we keep as the Sabbath, so long as we observe one day in seven? We answer, It makes all possible difference whether we obey or disregard the word of God. God has given us the Sabbath as a memorial of the great work of creation. He says: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." He declares through Moses, "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever." And the children of Israel include all who believe in Christ. For "if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed." Again, by the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord says, "Hallow my Sabbaths; for they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God." The Sabbath is a sign of God's creative power; it shows him to be supreme, the Maker and Upholder of the universe, the One from whom we receive "life and breath and all things," and hence the One to whom our allegiance is due.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 8]          Satan is determined that the knowledge of God, of his creative power, shall be banished from the contemplation and remembrance of men. But he cannot accomplish his purpose while the fourth commandment is kept; for the Sabbath directs the minds of men to the Creator. Therefore Satan has worked through the Papacy to set aside this precept. He inspired the Romish Church to "think to change" the times and laws of God. In setting aside the true Sabbath, which is the sign of God's power and authority, and substituting the institution which is the sign of Rome's supremacy, the "man of sin" is indeed "sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself that he is God." He is turning the minds of men away from God, and directing them to himself, and to the one whose instrument he is,--to the prince of evil.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 9]          The Sunday sabbath, the child of the Papacy, has been accepted by the Protestant church, who have fostered and cradled it as if of heavenly birth. But their human sanction can never give it acceptance with God. It is a rival, spurious Sabbath, usurping the place of the holy day upon which God rested, which he blessed and sanctified, and gave to man as an everlasting memorial of the Creator's work. When the facts are brought before them, will Protestants, by their deference to the Sunday, consent to recognize the sacrilegious claims of the man of sin? Will they choose to worship him instead of God?  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 10]          Can we who see the Sabbath as the sign of the living God consent to renounce that sign? Do we wish to renounce it? Or do we desire to keep and cherish the sign which God has given to designate his commandment-keeping people? The world's persistent unbelief of this grand truth does not lessen its importance. Although we may refuse to obey, it remains the truth still; if not allowed to guide, it will condemn us.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 11]          Now is the time when God calls upon us to honor his precepts that have been made void. As soon as the light shines upon us, we are to seek, by voice and pen and influence, to make up the breach in the law of God.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 12]          The mystery of iniquity, which had already begun to work in Paul's day, will continue its work until it be taken out of the way at our Lord's second coming. The climax of the working of iniquity will soon be reached. 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.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 12}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 13]                                   Our Duty.          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.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 13}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 14]          The Lord calls upon his people to rise to the emergency; the human agencies are to cooperate with the divine. It is always difficult to hold fast to the profession of faith, when a deadening, paralyzing influence is exerted in the religious world against loyalty to God. But because iniquity abounds, shall God's people permit their love to grow cold? Shall our hearts faint? Shall we not rather stand to our allegiance, and bear the noblest testimony that man can bear to the honor of God? Those who are not whole-hearted will lean to the world's side of the question; they will advise that the plain, decided truth be suppressed. But such is not the teaching of the word of God.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 14}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 15]          "The dragon ［Satan and all that are imbued by his spirit］ 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." "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." The true children of God will not be less fervent in their adherence to his law because it is made void. As opposition to God's law increases, the chosen and faithful will love his commandments above gold, while the world counts them as dross. All who are loyal to heaven will put on the whole armor of God, that they "may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For 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."  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 15}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 16]          "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." The time when God is especially dishonored by those who make void his law is the time when every loyal subject should unfurl the banner inscribed "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 16}
[ST, June 12, 1893 par. 17]          The Lord's injunction to Joshua when he was about to take command of the armies of Israel, was: "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand nor to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Those who do thus meditate in the commandments of God, and whose hearts are stayed on the Lord, are the ones who will be found repairers of the breach in God's holy law. They will build the old waste places, and raise up the foundations of many generations.  {ST, June 12, 1893 par. 17}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 1]       June 19, 1893 The Gift of God.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 2]          The gifts of God are on every hand, and all his gifts come to us through the merit of Jesus, whom he gave to the world. The apostle Paul breaks forth in an exclamation of gratitude, saying, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." And with Christ God has given us all things. The opening bud, the blooming flowers in their variety and loveliness, delightful to the senses, are the work of the Master Artist's expressions of his love toward us. What beautiful things his hands have made, and yet many behold the lovely things of nature, and do not associate God with these blessings. They do not realize that the beautiful things about them are tokens of God's love to fallen humanity, his efforts to attract them to himself. The Lord has taken great care that everything should be grateful and pleasant to us, and yet how much greater effort he has made to provide us with that gift whereby we may perfect a Christian character, after the pattern of Christ.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 3]          Through the flowers of the field God would call our attention to the loveliness of Christlike character. Jesus says, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." God is a lover of the beautiful. He desires that we shall consider the lovely flowers of the valley, and learn lessons of trust in him. They are to be our teachers. They grow, as God has designed they should, in purity and natural simplicity. The Lord takes care of the flowers of the field, and clothes them with loveliness, and yet he has made it evident that he looks upon man as of greater value than the flowers for which he cares. He has lavished upon us such gifts as human hand could not fashion, and yet the great mass of humanity take his gifts as a matter of course, or as if they came by chance. They offer no grateful thanks; their hearts are not awakened with love toward the gracious Giver.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 4]          Suppose that our benevolent Father should grow weary with man's ingratitude, and for a few weeks should withhold his innumerable bounties. Suppose he should become discouraged in seeing his treasures applied to selfish ends, in hearing no response of praise and gratitude for his unmerited mercies, and should forbid the sun to shine, the dew to fall, the earth to yield her increase. What a sensation would be created! What dismay would fall upon the world! What a cry would be raised as to what we should do to supply our tables with food and our bodies with clothing! And yet, dependent as we are upon his bounties, many have taken his gifts as have the beasts of the field, and have never said, "I thank thee, kind Father, for thy daily benefits." If his mercies should be withdrawn, it would be no more than we deserve; for it would be treating us as unworthy of such unrequited love.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 5]          God has not only supplied us with temporal benefits, but has provided for our eternal welfare; "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." "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Oh, if we did but know the gift of God, if we did but appreciate what this gift of God means to us, we would have been earnestly seeking for it with unwavering perseverance! We would have offered such supplication, such appeals to God, that the gift of grace would not have been withheld, and the living water would have come to satisfy our longing, thirsty souls. "If thou knewest the gift of God." Yes, if the gift of God had been known, there would not be prayerless homes, and hearts as unimpressible as stone.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 6]          Jesus Christ, the Majesty of heaven, has been offered to the world, has been given to man as his Saviour and Redeemer. Well may the inhabitants of heaven and the unfallen worlds look with astonishment upon man's lack of discernment, upon his ingratitude. Many have hated and spurned the gift of God, although Jesus clothed his divinity with humanity, and for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. He left the courts of heaven, and came to the world, all seared and marred and polluted with sin; he practiced self-denial and self-sacrifice, descending lower and lower in the path of humiliation, that we might be enriched and exalted. Rich in houses and lands, in worldly honor?--No, but that we might have all heaven's imperishable treasure, an eternal weight of glory.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 7]          "If thou knewest the gift of God." Oh, if the deceptive, bewitching power of Satan were only resisted, blinded eyes would be opened, unbelieving hearts would be made to perceive, and unsaved souls would have a knowledge of the unspeakable gift, and would press to the throne of grace with importunate prayer, entreating that they might drink of the living water. God is willing to impart to men the knowledge of his gift. Jesus is "to give the knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." If thou knewest the gift of God." Who is there among those who already know the gift of God, who will fail to make known its preciousness to those who know it not? If you know the gift of God, if you have an experimental knowledge of what the blessings are that Christ came to bestow upon the perishing, will your lips be silent, your heart ungrateful? Will you have no interest in others, and be indifferent as to whether or not they know the way of salvation? Will you not make known to others the precious light of truth, that they also may know, that they also may ask of him, and receive the living water?  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 8]          Speaking of Jacob's well, Jesus said unto the woman: "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but 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." How many are drinking of broken cisterns that can hold no water! Some think that if they could only have a certain salary, that would lift them above temporal want, they would be happy. But when the Lord grants them their heart's desire, and tests them by a larger measure of favor, they are just as desirous of a larger amount, and so it is with other things. Their hunger and thirst increase in proportion as his gifts increase, and humanity is ever crying, Give me this or that favor, and I will hunger and thirst no more; but when the desire is gratified, there is still a greater need. But there is one gift that God desires to bestow that will be as living water, and he who partakes of Christ will never hunger, never thirst.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 9]          Jesus, the loving Saviour, entreats the woe-stricken inhabitants of earth to come to him. He says: "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." Oh, have you found this rest? Have you been to the fountain of living water to drink? The knowledge of God is the most vital to you. Have you found it? Jesus says: "As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." The evidence of our knowledge of God and of his Son is seen in the fact that we reveal him in life and character, that we make him known unto others.  {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, June 19, 1893 par. 10]          Shall we open our hearts to Jesus Christ? Shall we enthrone him in the temple of the soul? Shall we not cast away our idols, and surrender our all to God? God has had power to make the flowers fair and fragrant, and he has power to give meekness and lowliness to the heart, to impart purity and nobility to the character, to make us complete in Jesus. We may have loveliness of disposition, a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Let us consider the precious gifts of God, think upon his tender mercies, yield our all to him, that he may give us hearts filled with gratitude, lives filled with the fragrance of deeds of love, a disposition to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, seeking to save those that are lost.                                                                   -    {ST, June 19, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, June 26, 1893 par. 1]       June 26, 1893 What Shall It Profit?  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The question is asked, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" It is dangerous to give time, thought, and strength to the pursuit of worldly gain, even if success follows persevering effort; for in thus doing there is danger of making God and his righteousness secondary. It is better far to be in poverty, to endure disappointment, and have our earthly hopes shattered, than to have our eternal interests imperiled. Flattering inducements may be presented to us, and we may think to obtain wealth and honor, and so set our heart and soul on worldly enterprises. But as we cannot serve God and mammon, we are led to give up the service of God.  {ST, June 26, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, June 26, 1893 par. 2]          Money has become the measure of manhood in the world, and men are estimated, not by their integrity, but by the amount of wealth they possess. Thus it was in the days before the flood. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. . . . And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."  {ST, June 26, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, June 26, 1893 par. 3]          Let us not be determined to get rich. If we see that poverty will be our portion in abiding in the simple truth, let us abide by the truth and enter into life. Jesus said that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." The devotees of the world may smile at this statement, but it is nevertheless the counsel of eternal wisdom. Jesus has left his followers a legacy of peace. He says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The Christian who is called into the world by his business, if he follows Christ, will bear his cross, and meet his perplexities in the Spirit of Christ. He will not make the world his God, and give brain and bone and muscle to the service of mammon. He will realize that Heaven is looking upon him, and whatever success attends him, he will give glory to God. He will realize that God knows, as man does not, that a few more years will roll by, and the treasures of earth be no more.  {ST, June 26, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, June 26, 1893 par. 4]          Our Saviour came to the world to adjust the claims between heaven and earth. He knows that man, formed in his image, has been endowed by his Creator in such a way that he may rise to the highest eminence of moral efficiency through cooperation with divine agency provided for his assistance. With what sorrow Jesus looks upon man wasting his energies in pursuit of that which profiteth nothing. In tones of sorrow in which mingle tears, Jesus asks, "What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? "The arch-deceiver has inspired in man, by his temptations, by his presentation of flattering inducements, an inordinate desire to get the riches of this world, and he leads men to practice every form of sin in order that they may gain every earthly treasure. In the acquirement of this world's wealth, the precious promises of God are cast aside as worthless. Through the service of mammon the love of God has been expelled from the heart, and the love of the world has rushed in to fill the vacuum, and to firmly enthrone itself in the heart, to rule and reign in the life. The power of God alone can force it from its usurped position. Through love of the world the spiritual vision is blinded, and the pleasures and attractions of the future world are hid from sight.  {ST, June 26, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, June 26, 1893 par. 5]          It is the vision of the world to come that balances the mind, so that the things which are seen do not obtain control over the affections, which have been bought with an infinite price by the world's Redeemer. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit the things unseen and eternal are brought before the soul, and the advantages of the eternal, imperishable treasure are made to appear before the mind's eye in their attractive beauty. In this way we learn to look to the unseen and the eternal, and to esteem the reproaches of Christ greater value than the treasures of the world.  {ST, June 26, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, June 26, 1893 par. 6]          The angels are the servants of Christ, and there are ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands who are sent to minister unto them that shall be heirs of salvation. Angels that excel in strength minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, and impart to them divine power; for they become partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust. Heavenly agencies are ever at the side of him who is wrestling for the victory, in order that while lawfully striving for the mastery, he may not be worsted in the conflict. But if the human agent places little value upon the precious things which God, through the gift of his only-begotten Son, has made possible for man to obtain, if he loses eternity out of his reckoning, and listens to Satan's false representation, and is attracted to the things of earth instead of heaven, he sustains great loss, so cultivating the powers of his mind and soul that he will not have a fitness for eternal life. In this way he not only concentrates his mind and affection upon that which cannot possibly bring him happiness in this life, but through the idolizing of the most contemptible things, he degrades himself to a low moral level. In his insane pursuit after earthly gain, he accepts Satan's method, and practices dishonest ways, and is blind to the result. Why should he not do this way when he disconnects himself from Him who is the source of all good, all righteousness and truth? Why will not Satan give him his mind and his attributes, and so mould him by his influence that he shall reflect the image of the earthly? The mind of him who follows the suggestion of Satan becomes like his leader; evil propensities gradually take him captive, and he becomes a slave of Satan. He is led on into deeper idolatry, beholding not the celestial imagery but the deceiving representation of the enemy. Satan pictures before him the advantage of worldly gain, and fills memory's hall with false representations. The mind looks upon these, and becomes debased according to the subjects presented.                                                                   -    {ST, June 26, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, July 3, 1893 par. 1]       July 3, 1893 Seek Those Things Which are Above.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Through every age the experiment of serving two masters whose interests were divergent has been tried over and over, but the world's Redeemer solemnly assures us, as one who knows that the experiment is utterly impracticable, that "no man can serve two masters." He has given important lessons on this matter, lessons that we neglect at the peril of our souls. We are to be intensely in earnest in regard to heavenly things. We are to watch, to pray, to wait, and to work. "Why," he asks, "stand ye here all the day idle?" and adds, "Go work today in my vineyard." Work, earnest work, is before us. We are to consecrate our life wholly to the service of God, and to trade diligently on our Lord's intrusted talents. We are to permit nothing to interpose between us and God, but to look well to our soul's eternal interest, and meet the claim that God has upon his human agents. We would inquire of those who profess the solemn truth for this time, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Is your heart reaching heavenward, and does your soul contemplate heavenly things? Have earthly things more attraction for you than heavenly things? If heaven is the theme of your contemplation, it will be the theme of your conversation. To him who is growing in grace and in a knowledge of the truth, the heavenly attractions become all absorbing, and he grows up into Christ, his living head. Responding to the glory of Christ, our righteousness is brought forth as the light, and our judgment as the noonday. In contemplating the matchless charms of Jesus, in realizing the light of his presence by faith, we have a foretaste of the joy of the heavenly world. He who follows on to know the Lord will know that his goings forth are prepared as the morning.  {ST, July 3, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, July 3, 1893 par. 2]         How much more may we enjoy in this life than that which we have enjoyed! In our present spiritual condition we have only a faint idea of what our life might become, of what our homes might be, if we would cultivate heavenly affections, and yield ourselves wholly to the service of God. We would live in joyful communion with God. Our human affections and sympathies are not to wane away and become extinct, but through living connection with God, our love is to deepen, our interest to become more intense, our efforts more successful in promoting the happiness of those around us. Through Jesus Christ, households are to have blissful harmony and unity, and parents are to live together in peace and love, neither speaking nor thinking evil one of another. Parents and children are to be kind, forbearing, forgiving, having their hearts softened by the grace of Christ.  {ST, July 3, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, July 3, 1893 par. 3]          The truth of heavenly origin received into the heart never makes its possessor coarse, rough, uncourteous, hard hearted, and unsympathetic. The reception of the truth is to work a result exactly opposite to this. Its influence will encourage, and strengthen the tender, finer feelings of human nature. Those who believe the truth, will reveal its influence in their daily life. They will have the mind of Christ. They will be affectionate parents, loving children, faithful friends, and agreeable associates. They will not feel that they have occasion to blush when they give expression to feelings of tenderness and sympathy to those of their own flesh and blood.  {ST, July 3, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, July 3, 1893 par. 4]          He who cherishes the softening, subduing influence of the love of God, will not be coarse and rough and unforgiving, revengeful and full of bitterness. The true Christian will make his home a type of the heavenly home, and this he can do only as he has the abiding love of Christ in his soul. Souls about us are perishing for sympathy which is never expressed. Many have a cold, stern manner, and do not hesitate to reprove, while they withhold all praise, and never give a word of commendation to brighten the pathway of those who serve them. As the heavenly home would not be a home of bliss without the presence of Christ, neither can the earthly home be a happy one without his abiding love. Let us heed the words of Christ, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." If this injunction is obeyed from the heart, the life will be full of grace and peace, and our conversation will not consist simply of a set of dry phrases, but will bring happiness, peace, and joy to the members of the household. Thoughts and actions will reveal that we are in harmony with the divine will.  {ST, July 3, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, July 3, 1893 par. 5]          We shall be judged by our thoughts and words. There is need that we pray much, that all our thoughts may be brought into captivity to Jesus. We should hourly seek the grace of God, that our natural irritability of temper shall not overcome us, or our desire to have our own way make us brace ourselves against the work of God. We should educate ourselves after the divine order, that we may not tear down but build up the interests of humanity. The workers must not draw apart. They will have to meet discouragements from without, and not one who claims to be making up the breach in the law of God, of building up the old waste places, restoring the foundations of many generations, should be found undoing the work that God has set his workmen to accomplish in different branches of his cause.  {ST, July 3, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, July 3, 1893 par. 6]          Cultivate confidence, love, and faith in one another. Let confidence be so thoroughly grounded that your love one for another may not be easily chilled or turned aside. Cultivate good will toward the children of God, and especially toward those whom God hath sent to bear a special message to the world. Do not find fault with and cast reflections one upon another. If you see anything in the servants of God which seems to you unworthy of their high calling, let it not be a matter of discouragement to you, but let it be an incentive to reach a higher level.                                                                   -    {ST, July 3, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, July 10, 1893 par. 1]       July 10, 1893 Necessity of Contemplating Heavenly  Things.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         John says: "I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which was the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."  {ST, July 10, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, July 10, 1893 par. 2]          If we would bear in mind the momentous events which are soon to take place, we would not be so weak in character. We would feel that we were living in the presence of God, and awed and amazed we should heed the injunction, "Be still and know that I am God." Oh, when shall we ever realize the full value of our Saviour's work and intercession? When shall we rely upon him with full confidence, and live a noble, pure, and devoted life? To what heights may the imagination reach when sanctified and inspired by the virtue of Christ! We may take in the glories of the future, eternal world. We may live as seeing him who is invisible. Walk by faith and not by sight. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  {ST, July 10, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, July 10, 1893 par. 3]          Through searching the Scriptures we may come to understand what we are to Christ, and what he is to us. By beholding him we are to become changed into his image, becoming co-laborers with him, representatives of him in life and character. We must learn to realize that we are to live as the sons and daughters of God, loving God supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves. We are to live a pure, perfect life for Christ's sake. We are to love perfection because Jesus is the embodiment of perfection, the great center of attraction. The life we now live we must live by faith in the Son of God.  {ST, July 10, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, July 10, 1893 par. 4]          If we follow Christ we shall not have a spasmodical experience, and be moved by circumstances and influenced by our surroundings. We shall not let feeling control us, and indulge in fretting, envying, fault-finding, jealousy, and vanity.  {ST, July 10, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, July 10, 1893 par. 5]          It is indulgence in these things that puts us out of harmony with the harmonious life of Christ, and prevents us from becoming overcomers. We should be actuated by the noble purpose of winning daily victories, and by watchfulness and sincere prayer attain to complete control of self. When petty trials come upon us, and words are spoken that cut and bruise the soul, speak to yourself and say, "I am a child of God, heir with Jesus Christ, a co-laborer with heaven, and I cannot afford to easily take offense, to be always thinking of self; for this will produce a distorted character, and is unworthy of my high calling. My Heavenly Father has given me a work to do, and let me do it worthily for his name's sake."  {ST, July 10, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, July 10, 1893 par. 6]          We should consider earnestly and continually the excellence of the character of Jesus Christ, and we may impart his blessings, and lead men to follow in his footsteps. If the ministers of Christ would do this, there would be no reason for deploring their inefficiency. If they came to the people filled with the meekness and lowliness of Christ, knowing what it is to grow up into the full stature of men in Christ Jesus, power would attend their labors, and people would receive impressions from their association with them that would be of eternal benefit. The work of God would go deeper than it now does, and the soul would be changed into the likeness of Christ. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed in the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord." "For as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. . . . The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? . . . Now the Lord is that Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." "Wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power; 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."                                                                   -    {ST, July 10, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 1]       July 17, 1893 Christ Adjusts the Claims Between Earth and Heaven.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The abominations of the earth have defiled the minds of men, and made gross their imagination, until nothing is pure to the mind's eye. God designed that the mind should be elevated and noble, that through the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour, the soul should be pure and exalted; but through the contemplation of defiling things, through setting the affections upon the so-called treasures of this earth, the mind is debased, and incapable of appreciating heavenly things. God designed that man's mind should be capable of rising to heights of pure delight, that we might take in the significance of things infinite and eternal, looking upon views of which God is the center; yet through submitting themselves to Satan, men have lowered themselves to fulfill the devices and plans of Satan, thus completing the ruin of soul, body, and spirit.  {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 2]          But "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Lord Jesus sees with what masterly power Satan is working to obliterate in man the image of God, and to place upon him his own image and character. Through his love for the fallen human family, Christ consented to come to this world. He clothed his divinity with humanity, and engaged in the task of correcting the evils which are ruining the world. As he looked upon the world, he saw that the senses of men were closed to the eternal realities, and he sees today the same blindness to spiritual things. He lifts up his voice in warning. Listen, what does he say?--"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 3]         Earth and earthly things will perish with the using. A few years will pass by, and death will come. Your eternal destiny will be fixed, eternally fixed. If your soul is lost, what will compensate you for its loss? Christ the Life Giver, Christ the Redeemer, Christ the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, points you to a nobler world. He brings it within range of your vision. He takes you to the threshold of heaven, and brings you to contemplate the glories of eternal realities, that your aspirations may be quickened to grasp the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. As you contemplate heavenly scenes, desire is kindled in your heart to have friendship with God, to be wholly reconciled to him.  {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 4]          Our Saviour's work is to adjust the claims between earthly and heavenly interests, to put the duties and responsibilities of the life that now is in proper relation to those that pertain to eternal life. The fear and love of God are the first things that should claim our attention. We cannot afford to put off that which concerns our soul's interest till tomorrow. The life which we now live we are to live by faith in the Son of God. We are redeemed from the beggarly elements of the world with a redemption that is full and complete, that cannot be increased by any supplement from human sources.  {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 5]          But in the midst of this flood of mercies, this plentitude of divine love, many hearts continue in indifference, careless, and unimpressed by the provisions of God's grace. Shall we who claim to be Christians make no effort to break the spell which Satan has cast upon these souls? Shall we let them go on in hardness of heart, without God, and without hope in the world?--No; although every appeal we may make may be slighted and refused, we cannot cease to pray for them and to make tender entreaty for their souls. We must do all we can, through the aid of God's Holy Spirit, to break down the barriers by which they have sought to make themselves impregnable to the light of God's truth. We must seek to open their eyes to their blindness, to loose them from the captivity of Satan. These poor, deceived, blinded, deluded souls look upon religion as something that will fetter them, that will deprive them of their liberty, when the truth is that an infinite sacrifice has been made in order to emancipate them from the slavery of Satan, to break every yoke, and to let the oppressed go free. They are victims of the father of lies, and it is the truth of God alone that can set them free, and sanctify them to a blessed service. They seem to feel afraid of the truth lest it should bring them into subjection to Christ. Shall we who know the value of truth arouse our sleeping energies, and become laborers together with God, putting forth personal effort, that we may by both precept and example win souls to Christ?  {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 6]          If once the vision were cleared to behold eternal realities as they really are, many of these poor, deluded souls would decide for Christ and heaven. Would this incapacitate them for the affairs of this life?--No. But Christ would teach them the value of eternal life, and by comparing earthly treasure with heavenly treasure would show them of how little esteem the world is in contrast with eternal blessedness among the redeemed hosts. He would show them that the world and its engrossing engagements are to be kept in subjugation to heavenly interests. Jesus did not come to annihilate the world and its appropriate interests. He made the world, and he had such respect for the world that he came in person to dispute Satan's usurped authority and power over his own purchased possession. In dealing with the souls of men he deposes the world and its interests from its position of usurped authority, and assigns to it its proper place in subordination to the will of God.  {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, July 17, 1893 par. 7]          The object of the world's Redeemer in coming to earth was to impress the minds of men with high and solemn considerations, so that every moment of life might be regarded by them as burdened with momentous interests and freighted with eternal results. The world was in rebellion against him, and he might have swept away all rebellion by annihilating those who were in resistance to his will; but instead of this, he set before men the value of life, the attractions of the heavenly world, and he invites every son and daughter of Adam to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. In place of exhausting the powers of brain, bone, and muscle in securing the bread which perisheth, he warns us not to drop eternity out of our reckoning, but to seek for the bread which cometh down from heaven. It is safe for us to put forth our chief endeavors to secure eternal substance. He encourages us to have our principal interest in heaven, and in so doing to secure our peace on earth; "for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also."                                                                   -    {ST, July 17, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, July 24, 1893 par. 1]       July 24, 1893 Christ's Example in Prayer.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         When Christians complain of being in darkness, when they dwell upon their trials and discouragements, and murmur against God, they virtually say that they are not following the example of Christ in offering to God humble, fervent prayer for grace and strength that they may be fortified for trials and strengthened for duty. Christ's professed followers may be strong in the Lord if they avail themselves of the provisions made for them through the merits of Jesus. God has not closed the heavens against the humble prayers of repenting, humble, believing souls. The humble, simple, earnest, persevering prayer of the faithful one will now penetrate heaven, as surely as did the prayer of Christ. Heaven opened to his prayer, and this shows us that we may be reconciled to God, and that communication is established between God and man through the righteousness of our Lord and Saviour. Christ took upon him humanity, and yet he was in close, intimate relationship with God. He linked humanity with his divine nature, making it possible for men also to become partakers of the divine nature, and thus escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.  {ST, July 24, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, July 24, 1893 par. 2]          Christ is our example in all things. In response to his prayer to his Father, heaven was opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove and abode upon him. The Holy Spirit of God is to communicate with man, and to abide in the hearts of the obedient and faithful. Light and strength will come to those who earnestly seek it in order that they may have wisdom to resist Satan, and to overcome in times of temptation. We are to overcome even as Christ overcame.  {ST, July 24, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, July 24, 1893 par. 3]          Jesus opened his public mission with fervent prayer, and his example makes manifest the fact that prayer is necessary in order to lead a successful Christian life. He was constantly in communion with his Father, and his life presents to us a perfect pattern which we are to imitate. He appreciated the privilege of prayer, and his work showed the results of communion with God. Examining the record of his life, we find that upon all important occasions he retired to the grove, or to the solitude of the mountains, and offered earnest, persevering prayer to God. He frequently devoted the entire night to prayer just before he was called upon to work some mighty miracle. During these nightly seasons of prayer, after the labors of the day, he compassionately dismissed his disciples, that they might return to their homes for rest and sleep, while with strong crying and tears he poured forth earnest petitions to God in behalf of humanity.  {ST, July 24, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, July 24, 1893 par. 4]          Jesus was braced for duty and fortified for trial through the grace of God that came to him in answer to prayer. We are dependent upon God for success in living the Christian life, and Christ's example opens before us the path by which we may come to a never-failing source of strength, from which we may draw grace and power to resist the enemy and to come off victorious. On the banks of Jordan Christ offered prayer as the representative of humanity, and the opening heaven and the voice of approval assures us that God accepts humanity through the merits of his Son.  {ST, July 24, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, July 24, 1893 par. 5]          Christ was the Son of the Most High God, yet throughout his life he did not seek to magnify or exalt himself by any of his works, but sought simply to proclaim the glory of the Father. For thirty years he seemed to be unhonored and unknown, and yet he lived a diligent, faithful life. As individuals we also are not to seek to glorify ourselves, but to keep our souls open to the cheering beams of the Sun of Righteousness, that we may show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. The injunction to each one of us is, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." The ardent desire of the apostles was to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. Jesus lives; he is before the Father in the heavenly courts, making intercession for those who are still upon the earth in the turmoil and strife of life; for the church militant is not yet the church triumphant.  {ST, July 24, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, July 24, 1893 par. 6]          By communion with God we may constantly have a cultivation in mind and heart and character that will elevate us and direct our thoughts heavenward, that we may become partakers of the divine nature. We are to be human agents that will cooperate with divine intelligences. We are to be quickened under the influence of divine power, that will not only strengthen us, but attract our minds from the dust and rubbish of earth, that will set us free from the polluting, deceiving influences of the world, so that we may contemplate heavenly things. Through this influence our hearts are to be purified, our affections sanctified, and set not upon earthly things but upon heavenly things. The treasure of earth will soon pass away, and "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" The soul is capable of purification and sanctification, capable of attaining, through the offering of Christ, the heavenly treasure, even the gift of life that shall measure with the life of Jehovah.                                                                   -    {ST, July 24, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 1]       July 31, 1893 Our Eternal Destiny Decided by Our Course Here.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We have but one probation in which to form character, and our destiny depends upon the manner of character we form. Those who on earth have formed characters that through the grace of Christ bear the heavenly mould, will be ripened through the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit for the eternal reward. They become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is a realization of the fact that our characters are Christlike, that calls forth the song of praise and thanksgiving to God and to the Lamb. Those who appreciate the goodness, mercy, and love of Christ, and by beholding him become changed into his image, will be partakers of eternal life. The attributes of their character are like those of Christ, and they cannot fail of the rest that remains for the people of God.  {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 2]          But those who have developed a character after the Satanic order would not be at home in heaven. The sinful, selfish, passionate accuser and criticiser would be miserable in heaven; and even in the counsels of the court of God, because of his lack of wisdom, he would reveal his uncourteous, unsympathizing, harsh disposition. If he were placed upon the very loftiest pinnacle, and held supremacy in angelic councils, he would still want to be in a higher position, and even covet the throne of God. There would be no happiness for such a man in heaven. He could not practice evil thinking, evil speaking, be boisterous, critical, and condemnatory, amid the peaceful hosts of the redeemed. Could such a one enter heaven, he would find that he had brought his untamable, unmanageable self along, and heaven itself could not afford him relief from his innate disposition. Heaven begins in the soul, and as heavenly-mindedness increases, Christ is more and more appreciated, and finally becomes the Chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely. But as Satan is allowed to control the mind, his attributes become a part of the character of the one whom he controls, and the sinner exercises himself unto more and more ungodliness.  {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 3]          If we would see heaven, we must have heaven below. We must have a heaven to go to heaven in. We must have heaven in our families, through Christ continually approaching unto God. Christ is the great center of attraction, and the child of God hid in Christ, meets with God, and is lost in the divine being. Prayer is the life of the soul; it is feeding on Christ; it is turning our faces fully toward the Sun of Righteousness. As we turn our faces toward Him, He turns his face toward us. He longs to give us divine grace; and as we draw nigh to God with full assurance of faith, our spiritual conceptions are quickened. We do not then walk in blindness, bemoaning our spiritual barrenness; for by diligent, prayerful searching of the word of God, we apply his rich promises unto our souls. Angels draw close to our side, and the enemy with his manifold devices is driven back.  {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 4]          Prayer is the strength of the soul, and yet this exercise has been sadly neglected. By simple, earnest, contrite prayer, heavenly mindedness is greatly increased. No other means of grace can be substituted and healthiness of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the soul into immediate contact with the wellspring of life, and strengthens the spiritual sinew and muscle of our religious experience; for we live by faith, seeing Him who is invisible. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as it is deemed convenient, and you lose your connection with God. The Christian life becomes dry, and the spiritual faculties have no vitality. The religious experience lacks health and vigor. There is a growing tendency to substitute the writings and sayings of men for the word of God.  {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 5]          It is because of a neglect of prayer and of searching the Bible that the multitudes accept men-made theories, vain philosophies, or the flashing speculations of the human mind. God never designed that the soul should be nourished with the traditions and speculations of human invention. The imagination must plume for a higher flight than human ability can originate; for the mind must ascend to the Source of all wisdom. Souls all about us are starving for the bread of life, famishing for the living water, clear as crystal, that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. But the bread of life is denied these poor souls, and even from the pulpits discourses on science and vain philosophy are substituted for the word of God. It is the word of God that is as pure provender, thoroughly winnowed from all the chaff of human uncertainties and suppositions.  {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 6]          It is the grace of God alone which can vitalize and refresh the soul. The precious sure word of prophecy reveals to him who is a searcher for truth, the riches of the grace of Christ. The word of God is a spiritual granary from whence the soul may receive that which will nourish its life. In perusing the word of God we find doctrines, precepts, promises, admonitions, exhortations, and words of encouragement, that will meet the case of emergency in every human mind. Here the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works; for "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. . . . Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith." "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith, so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and a faith unfeigned; from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness."  {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, July 31, 1893 par. 7]          This instruction is vital, and may be considered with profit. We are to rely upon the word of God, and not upon the assertion or speculation of human philosophy. The soul is to be nourished by the pure, unadulterated word of God; and by persevering search the Bible student will find a "feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." Then the language of the heart will be, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart."                                                                   -    {ST, July 31, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, August 7, 1893 par. 1]       August 7, 1893 Ye Did It Unto Me.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."  {ST, August 7, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, August 7, 1893 par. 2]          God's people will be composed mostly of persons from the common walks of life. "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" One of the tokens of Christ's divine mission was, "The poor have the gospel preached unto them." Through our large cities there are many in lowly circumstances who are serving the Lord in singleness of heart, according to the best light which shines upon their pathway. They are hidden ones, for their life is hid with Christ in God. They have an humble opinion of their merits, and yet they love Jesus according to the knowledge they have of him, and put their trust in him as their personal Saviour. They have had no opportunity to understand the philosophy of theology, and are not wise in worldly wisdom; yet they know enough to love Jesus, and Jesus loves them. In humble ways they have done according to their ability what they could to bless others, and they will be surprised when the heavenly benediction is spoken upon them by the Heavenly Master: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me."  {ST, August 7, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, August 7, 1893 par. 3]          Those to whom these blessed words are spoken are those who have cherished the principles and spirit of the character of Christ. They loved the Lord Jesus, and served him in the simplicity of true godliness. They were a blessing to all with whom they associated, although they knew but little of the theory and doctrine of theology. Even among the heathen there are those who cherish the spirit of kindness, who have given all the help within their power to the missionaries that have been sent them. They worship God ignorantly, and to many of them the message of light is never brought; yet they will not perish, for they will receive the blessing, because they have wrought the works of God. Many who have never heard the message of salvation are all ready to receive the light, and God designs that it shall go to them like clear rays of glory. They will hear the living messenger, who brings the living message, as he says: "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being."  {ST, August 7, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, August 7, 1893 par. 4]          How surprised and gladdened will be the hearts of the lowly among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear from the lips of the Saviour: "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me." They will answer, saying, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And 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."  {ST, August 7, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, August 7, 1893 par. 5]          Christ identifies his interest with that of suffering humanity. Every kindly action, if it is simply the giving of the cup of cold water, if it is the best that can be given, will be remembered and rewarded. How glad will be the great heart of Infinite Love as his simple-hearted followers look up with surprise and joy at his words of approval, "Ye have done it unto me." But to those who have been self-centered, who have lived but to please and serve themselves, he will say: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."  {ST, August 7, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, August 7, 1893 par. 6]          Through life the class that are bidden depart from Christ have served and glorified themselves; and in their self-indulgence and self-pleasing it was impossible to form a character after Christ's likeness. They had the word of God, they may have even understood the theory of the truth, but they did not exercise themselves unto godliness. Satisfied in their sufficiency, their daily acts decided their own destiny, and they formed a character exactly contrary to the character of Christ. They failed to comprehend the value and significance of the infinite sacrifice made to save their souls. Had they responded to the great love that had been manifested for them, they would have been convinced of their own weakness and sinfulness, and would have loved God with the whole heart and their neighbors as themselves. But they did not desire an experience in wearing the yoke of Christ, and they cared not to carry his burden in willing service for the Master, and so failed to become colaborers with Christ. They excused themselves from all responsibility for Christ's sake. They were slothful servants, and misapplied their talents, and used their ability for the service of self and the world. While making a profession of godliness, their Christless lives misrepresented the character of their professed Lord. They refused everything of a spiritual nature, and would have nothing to do with that which required sacrifice and self-denial, and their souls were as destitute of the grace of Christ as were the hills of Gilboa of dew or rain.                                                                   -    {ST, August 7, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, August 14, 1893 par. 1]       August 14, 1893 Sanctification Through the Truth.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. . . . Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous 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. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."  {ST, August 14, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, August 14, 1893 par. 2]          Among many who have claimed to accept the precious light of truth, there is a perverted idea of what constitutes Christian character. They have not performed the words of Christ, and instead of advancing, following on to know the Lord, they have been retrograding, backsliding. Christ represents the truth as a treasure that is hid in the field, for which, if men would possess it, they must search diligently. In the field of revelation are hid the unsearchable riches of Christ. As yet we have only come in possession of the most accessible treasures, and yet many have settled down, feeling that they are rich and increased in goods, and in need of nothing. Every part of the field of revelation is to be diligently explored, and searched with persevering effort, in order that precious jewels of truth may reward the diligent seeker, and may be restored to their proper framework in the plan of redemption. Let the shaft sink deep into the mines of truth. If you come to the searching of the Scriptures with contrition of soul, with a humble, teachable spirit, rich and precious treasures will reward your search.  {ST, August 14, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, August 14, 1893 par. 3]         The Lord sends his ministers to hold forth the word of life, to preach, not "vain philosophy" and "science falsely so called," but the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Paul gives his dying charge in the following words: "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: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For 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; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." In this charge every minister has his work laid out before him, and this he can do through the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus gave to his disciples: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."  {ST, August 14, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, August 14, 1893 par. 4]          In the teachings of Christ, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is made prominent. What a vast theme is this for contemplation and encouragement! What treasures of truth did he add to the knowledge of his disciples in his instruction concerning the Holy Spirit, the Comforter! He dwelt upon this theme in order to console his disciples in the great trial they were soon to experience, that they might be cheered in their great disappointment. He said: "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But 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. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  {ST, August 14, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, August 14, 1893 par. 5]          The world's Redeemer sought to bring to the hearts of the sorrowing disciples the strongest solace. But from a large field of subjects, he chose the theme of the Holy Spirit, which was to inspire and comfort their hearts. And yet, though Christ made much of this theme concerning the Holy Spirit, how little is it dwelt upon in the churches! The name and presence of the Holy Spirit are almost ignored, yet the divine influence is essential in the work of perfecting the Christian character. Some are not at peace, not at rest; they are in a state of constant fretfulness, and permit impulse and passion to rule their hearts. They know not what it means to experience peace and rest in Christ. They are as a ship without anchor, driven with the wind and tossed. But those whose minds are controlled by the Holy Spirit walk in humility and meekness; for they work in Christ's lines, and will be kept in perfect peace, while those who are not controlled by the Holy Spirit are like the restless sea.  {ST, August 14, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, August 14, 1893 par. 6]          The Lord has given us a divine directory by which we may know his will. Those who are self centered, self-sufficient, do not feel their need of searching the Bible, and they are greatly disturbed if others do not have the same defective ideas, and see with the same distorted vision that they do. But he who is guided by the Holy Spirit has cast his anchor within the veil wherein Jesus has entered for us. He searches the Scriptures with eager earnestness, and seeks for light and knowledge to guide him amid the perplexities and perils which at every step compass his path. Those who are restless, complaining, murmuring, read the Bible for the purpose of vindicating their own course of action, and they ignore or pervert the counsels of God. He who has peace has placed his will on the side of God's will, and longs to follow the divine guidance, while he who is full of unrest is constantly struggling to sustain himself, and make it appear that he is right, and is sustained by what he estimates as wisdom. But he is controlled by caprice and by the changing passions of a soul not abiding in Christ. To the sincere, contrite heart, truth is truth; and if it is allowed, it will sanctify the soul and transform the character into the divine image. To the other, truth is a theory, and is not brought into the practical life. Those who realize what is the character of the work that they must do in order to represent Christ, will walk softly and tremblingly before God, looking unto Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of their faith. They dare not trust themselves, they dare not kindle a fire of their own, and walk in sparks of their own kindling, for the Lord has said that all such shall lie down in sorrow. The Lord has intrusted to his people the treasures of sacred truth, and in no case will they be excusable if they present the truth in their own unsanctified spirit, or use the truth as a scourge by which to afflict others.                                                                   -    {ST, August 14, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, August 21, 1893 par. 1]       August 21, 1893 The Word of Truth the Way to Heaven.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We are to present the truth as it is in Jesus, made fragrant and attractive by the grace and the courtesy that characterized the life of Christ. Godliness is to be an ornament to the life, as well as the saving salt of character. Why do those who claim to be advanced in knowledge, make themselves objectionable, and bring the truth into disrepute? It is because the truth has not been permitted to sanctify their unholy dispositions. Those who misrepresent the truth are harsh, unsympathetic, and denunciatory. They climb upon the judgment seat, as though they had been ordained to measure character, and lord it over God's heritage. In their uncourteous ways, they make it manifest that love is not in their hearts, and they do not know the plague spot of their own souls. They do not keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, nor value the soul as Christ's purchased possession, although they are charged with treating Christ as they treat the least of his little ones. What is it that constitutes the loveliness of the soul?--It is the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Jesus said , "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." If the things of nature are so clothed in loveliness by our Heavenly Father, shall not the soul be clothed in more desirable beauty? Through the merits and virtues of Jesus Christ, the soul may wear the image of Him who created man in His own likeness. It is holiness of life and Christlikeness of character that constitute the beauty of the soul. Through sin the divine image in man has been marred, and Satan has placed upon the soul the stamp of his own image and character; for it has been Satan's purpose to obliterate the image of God in man, so that man should not occupy the mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love him. Through apostasy Satan lost heaven, and he is determined that the human race, whom he has led to transgress the law of God, shall not enjoy the pure and inexpressible glory from which he is shut out.  {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, August 21, 1893 par. 2]          The Lord Jesus came to earth that he might recreate the image of God in man. He says to the repenting sinner, "A new heart will I give you." "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." He who abides in Christ, and has Christ abiding in his heart by faith, cannot retain the same unlovely traits of character as were made manifest in his life before he had a connection with Christ. Christ came to save men from their sins, not in their sins. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation" "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "We then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."  {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, August 21, 1893 par. 3]          Christ came to the world that we might become new creatures, created after the similitude of his own character; that we might have purity like the purity of God, have perfection like his perfection. In the work of regeneration, the original loveliness begins to be restored. The attributes of the character of Christ are imparted to the soul, and the image of the divine begins to shine forth. "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." It is plainly declared that a change takes place in the character of the human agent.  {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, August 21, 1893 par. 4]          In the Christian life we are not assured that we shall be freed from trials, but that grace will be given us to bear them. We are individually called to go through temptations and trials, but the object for which they are permitted to come upon us is that we may be perfected in grace and love, that the image of selfishness may disappear, and the image of Christ appear in our characters, as we advance from glory to glory, from character to character, following on to know the Lord. The soul polluted by sin, through divine power is recreated after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness.  {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, August 21, 1893 par. 5]          Ushered into the Christian life we no longer complain of darkness; for we have the light of life and joy which Christ said would be in all who abide in him. "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." In place of having less love as we advance in the Christian life, we are to have love that will increase more and more until our love is perfected; and where there is perfect love, there is full joy. We can be happy when we see God in everything. When we can see him in affliction, we have comfort and solace in our sorrow. When the sunshine of prosperity smiles, we recognize that the blessing flows from the fountain of life, and when trial and affliction are ours, we realize that the hand of the Lord is in all our perplexities, and thus we come to understand that sunshine and shadow are needful to perfect the character of the believer, and give him the true joy of perfect trust in God; for through faith he looks beyond the things that are seen to the things that are unseen. He says, "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."  {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, August 21, 1893 par. 6]          Praise God, we have a divine road to heaven. We need not depend upon the conjectures and opinions of men, but upon the infallible decision of the word of God. The word of the infinite God is true, and cannot be distorted to suit men's pleasure, or be turned aside to suit the inclinations of the unsanctified soul. No man can safely judge the word of the Supreme Ruler of the universe. In it is his revealed will. In it we have a guide to the world of bliss, to eternal life. The road to life is summed up in the knowledge of God. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."                                                                   -    {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 1]       August 28, 1893 The Christian's Attitude in Trial.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         In all our afflictions Jesus was afflicted, and the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. In this life we shall be proved to see whether or not we shall be able to bear the test of God. Satan's temptations will come upon us, and we shall be tried, but the question of most importance to us is, Shall we be overcome? or shall we be overcomers? Jesus has said, "To him that overcometh 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." How precious, how full is this promise! Shall we not have the mind stored with heavenly truth, that, like our great Example, we may be able to meet Satan with the weapon of God's word, saying to him as he tempts us to do evil, "It is written"? Satan knows better than many professed Christians what is written, for he is a diligent student of the Bible, and he works to pervert the truth, and lead men into the paths of disobedience. He leads men to neglect the searching of the word of God; for he knows that it testifies against him, that his works are evil. It describes him as the apostate angel who fell from heaven, and drew many of the hosts of heaven after him in a course of rebellion against their Creator.  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 2]          Satan is seeking continually to draw away the minds of men from God and his word. He knows that if he can cause men to neglect the word of God, he can soon cause them to depart from its precepts, and finally to forget their Maker. They will then take the suggestions and instructions of the adversary of God and man, and evil men and evil angels will form a confederacy against the God of heaven.  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 3]          Those who would be loyal to God will be subject to trials and temptations; but if they are truly alive unto God, and have their life hid with Christ in God, they will also know what it is to have the blessings which God bestows upon the faithful and obedient. Every soul will have its trials, disappointments, sickness, and sorrow. Bereavements will come, and because of their own frailties and mistakes, or through sympathy for their friends, heavy grief will press upon the heart. But whatever may be the character of their sorrows, whether heavy or comparatively light, there is no necessity for becoming restless, impatient, rebellious, or morose. There is no need of speaking rash, faithless words. It is a great mistake to dictate to the Lord. Elijah knew not what he was doing when he said to God that he had had enough of life, and asked to die. The Lord did not take him at his word; for there was a great work for Elijah to do before he should be translated to heaven.  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 4]          Instead of murmuring against God in times of trial, let us remember that Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, suffered being tempted. Jesus did not permit the enemy to plunge him into the mire of unbelief, despondency, and despair. But how often we permit it, and because we have but little moral power, not doing the works of Christ, we do not resist the first insinuations of the evil one! The promise is given: "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." How precious to the tempted soul is this positive promise! If anyone is tempted, let him keep his eyes upon Jesus, and draw nigh to God, talking of his goodness and mercy. When the tempted soul realizes that Jesus is drawing nigh unto him, the annoyances that he thought unbearable will vanish. "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 5]          When this precious experience is ours, then there will be vital energy in the church. Love for Christ must be revived, and not permitted to grow cold. We must not only pray for unity with Christ and with one another, but actually have it, know what it means by real experience. Troublous times are before us, but this is not to worry us. To worry is to doubt; but we would impress upon all the necessity of going to God for help, whatever may be your afflictions and troubles.  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 6]          Do not think to obtain help by going to the gods of Ekron. Jesus has left an invitation for every burdened soul. He says: "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."  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 7]          John, who leaned upon the bosom of Christ, says, "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us." If we can individually say this from the heart, we are indeed rich in faith, living on the promises of God. Amid our trials, disappointments, bereavements, and afflictions, we are to learn that God is love, and that he that dwelleth in God, dwelleth in love. "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we ［in heaven?］ in this world." We have reason ever to thank God that he knows all the storms, disappointments, and trials that come upon his people. He follows them through every experience, with tender, pitying love, and expresses his desire to heal our wounds, and restore unto us the joy of his salvation.  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 8]          Jesus has said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." There is but one channel of light, but that is always accessible to us, and through that channel flow streams of forgiveness and love. The streams of God's mercy can cleanse the darkest stain, bring peace to the greatest sinner. The blood of Christ was shed for the sins of the world. In the sacrificial offering, offered by the Jews, was seen a symbol of Christ, whose blood was to be shed for the salvation of the world. In the sacrificial system the truth of the atonement was to be impressed upon the world, that all might know that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Many have wondered why it was that God appointed so many sacrifices in the old dispensation; but it was to teach the world in ever-bleeding sacrifices concerning Christ, the victim of man's transgressions. The offering for sin was a most solemn, sacred offering, and was placed upon the altar with impressive ceremony, and every detail was explained by the priest to the people, that they might understand that the Son of God was to be made an offering for their sins. This is the central truth of the plan of salvation, and it should be often repeated in the hearing of both believers and unbelievers.  {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, August 28, 1893 par. 9]          The angels behold with amazement the indifference with which men hear these sacred truths. They look with sorrow upon those who profess to believe advanced truth, to see how little they make manifest the fact that they are the purchase of the blood of the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." It is only through faith in the cleansing blood that we may have forgiveness of sin, that clings to us like a moral leprosy. Jesus need not have suffered for himself, for "he knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;" yet he suffered agony in proportion to the purity and majesty of his character. Angels are amazed that those for whom so much has been done by the Son of God, still continue to cherish sin. The inexpressible sufferings of Christ were endured that the souls of men might be saved from sin and its penalty. Oh, why is it that men are so indifferent? Why is it that the plan of salvation is so little mentioned in our conversation? We dwell but lightly upon these vital truths, that mean so much to us, and continue willing captives of Satan and sin. Oh, that we might cultivate habits of contemplation of the self-sacrifice, self-denial, and love of Christ, until we should have a deeper sense of the malignant character of sin, and hate it as the vile thing that it is! Let the mind and heart awaken to gratitude, and let us come to the Father in the name of Jesus, asking for the forgiveness of sins, for the cleansing from all unrighteousness. Let us plead with God that he may "cleanse us with hyssop," that we may be clean, wash us, that we may be "whiter than snow." He will restore unto us the "joy of his salvation," put within us a new heart, a right spirit, put a "new song" into our mouths, "even praise unto our God."                                                                   -    {ST, August 28, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 1]       September 4, 1893 The Religion That Is Unto Salvation.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Of Christ it is written, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." God hates sin. It is the work of Satan to allure to evil. Satan has worked adroitly with bewitching power to fascinate the mind with iniquity, and make righteousness to appear undesirable. We need to remember continually that our secret sins are in the light of God's countenance. Of ourselves we cannot see or realize how grievous are our secret sins in the sight of God. Under the influence of Satan we are led to pursue a course of evil until our hearts become hardened, our conscience seared, and our thoughts are brought into captivity to the prince of evil. But God is ever seeking to impress our hearts by his Holy Spirit, that we shall be convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come. We may place our will on the side of God's will, and in his strength and grace resist the temptations of the enemy. As we yield to the influence of the Spirit of God, our conscience becomes tender and sensitive, and sin that we have passed by with little thought, becomes exceeding sinful; for we begin to realize that our secret sins are in the light of his countenance.  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 2]          There is hope for the sinner. Christ uplifted upon the cross of Calvary furnishes that hope; for mercy has provided to the uttermost demand the victim that justice calls for, for man's transgression. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, God can forgive sin, and be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Precious truth of inestimable value to every repenting soul! Shall we not individually seek to appreciate, as far as it is possible, the fact that God forgives sin, that he loves us if we believe in Jesus, though we are erring, ignorant, and sinful, even as he loves his Son? The moment we ask for forgiveness in contrition and sincerity, God forgives. Oh, what a glorious truth! Preach it, pray it, sing it. Lift up the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Say to the people, "Behold the man of Calvary!" God is waiting to forgive all who come unto him with sincere repentance. The Psalmist says, "There is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mightest be feared."  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 3]          Oh, that the salvation of souls was the aim and object of every soul who professes the name of Christ! Let those who know the pardoning love of God speak to the youth, the unconverted, and in tenderness urge them to give their hearts to Jesus. Oh, make an offering of yourselves to the Lord ere it be too late! Jesus has given his own precious life for you. If God had not loved you, he would never have sent his well-beloved Son to live in humiliation, to suffer and to die. "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Do not allow the enemy to crowd this truth out of your mind. It is a theme for meditation. What have we done to show our appreciation of this great love? What have we given to Jesus, who has given himself for us? The gift that will be most grateful to him, most precious and fragrant, will be yourself. You that have not decided to become sons and daughters of God, I would now entreat you to delay no longer. Place your will on the side of God's will. He delights in mercy. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?"  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 4]          Come to Jesus just as you are, weak, sinful, ignorant, unworthy, and he will receive you. He says, "A new heart also will I give thee." Among the Jews there was a continual remembrance made of sin. Every year on the day of atonement a fresh sacrifice was brought forth; for sin was still remembered, and the blood of the sacrifices could not take away sin. But sins forgiven through Christ are remembered no more. The Lord says, "I will remember their sins no more."  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 5]          The Lord accepts the sinner who comes to him through the merits of Jesus, and he treats the transgressor as though he were innocent. Will not the youth and the unconverted begin to inquire, "What shall I do to be saved?" The answer is: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Train and educate the mind to think and to talk of Jesus, and Satan will lose his power over you. He cannot long bear to be in the company of those who meditate and converse upon the love of God. In this way the mind is strengthened. Moral power increases by dwelling upon the goodness, beauty, mercy, and love of Christ. Training the mind in this way will make it natural for you to inquire at every step: "Is this the way of the Lord? Will Jesus be pleased to have me do this? Will this course please self, or my Lord?  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 6]          The Lord would have us follow in his footsteps, and be influenced by the dictates of his Holy Spirit. The influence of man upon man, unless controlled by the Holy Spirit, is a dangerous influence; for Satan causes his suggestions to be acted upon, and draws men into his service through human instrumentalities. But the Lord Jesus by the agency of his Holy Spirit changes this order of things. He takes upon himself the sin of man, and by the power of his divine love draws men to himself, sanctifies and makes them holy. When men are under the control of Christ, he employs them as his agents, and leads them to devote their powers to doing a work exactly opposite to that which Satan had designed they should do.  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 7]          Jesus would enlist men in his service. He would direct their perverted powers in such a way that, through his grace, they may become agents for the working of unmingled good to every other man, and each become his brother's keeper in disinterested love, and thus the world be restored to God. Through faith in Jesus Christ the chain of mutual dependence is fastened to the throne of God, and through the agency of man humanity is bound to God. "God has promised his Holy Spirit, the highest power in the universe, to be embodied in men, that through faith in Jesus Christ humanity may be elevated. An influence emanating from God draws and concentrates the power of the universe, that a lost and rebel race may be reconciled and restored to God.  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 8]          Then let those who would stand firmly for God, hold fast their profession of faith without wavering. Let them maintain a close and living connection with God, because in this is involved the life of the soul. Let them follow in the footsteps of Jesus, obeying to the letter his word of direction,--"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me," "so shall he be my disciple." In the grace of Christ alone can this be done. Whatever may be the Christian's business, if it be a lawful calling, God has provided grace that his chosen, his elect, shall not be discomfited by the enemy. God has provided that men shall be Christians in the market place, in the house of commerce, in all manner of taxing cares in private or public life, as well as at the prayer meeting. Every business enterprise may be conducted on Christian principles; but in attempting to serve God and mammon, there will be betrayal of sacred trusts; there will be the putting of mammon first and Christ last.  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, September 4, 1893 par. 9]          In order to be the blessing to the world which God would have his children, we need to pray and to watch unto prayer. Never should we be placed in a position where we shall be so pressed by care that we shall neglect the study of the Bible or fail to attend the prayer and social meeting. We are not to lose heaven out of our reckoning. The things which belong unto our eternal happiness, which make rich and add no sorrow, are not to be crowded out of our minds by any manner of responsibility. It is not the getting of houses and lands, heaping up treasure on earth, that is to give us peace and happiness; but it is our connection with God, a realization that we are laborers together with him, that is to constitute our joy. We have no right to place ourselves where we shall be loaded down with cares, that will lessen and finally supplant the influence of the truth upon us to sanctify the soul. Let us remember that every moment is charged with responsibility, and that we are to deal with all in the highest integrity, both as regards this life and that which is to come.  {ST, September 4, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 1]       September 11, 1893 Holiness the Power of the Church.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The professed church of God may be possessed of wealth, education, and knowledge of doctrine, and may say by her attitude, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;" but if its members are devoid of inward holiness, they cannot be the light of the world. The church is to reflect light into the moral darkness of the world, as the stars reflect light into the darkness of the night. These who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, do not reflect light into the world, and will not have power to reach the hearts of the unsaved. Without vital connection with Christ the value of truth cannot be made to appear in good fruit in the world; but if Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, his saving grace will be manifested in sympathy and love for perishing souls.  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 2]          Every soul truly converted to God will be a light in the world. Bright, clear rays from the Sun of Righteousness will shine forth through human agents who use their intrusted ability to do good; for they will cooperate with heavenly agencies, and labor with Christ for the conversion of souls. They will diffuse the light which Christ sheds upon them. The Sun of Righteousness shining in their hearts will shine forth, enlightening and blessing others.  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 3]          The rays of heaven shining from human agents will exert a subduing influence upon those whom Christ is drawing to himself. The church is weak before the angels of heaven, unless power is revealed through its members for the conversion of those who are perishing. Unless the church is the light of the world, it is darkness. But of the true followers of Christ it is written: "We are laborers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 4]          The church may be composed of those who are poor and uneducated; but if they have learned of Christ the science of prayer, the church will have power to move the arm of Omnipotence. The true people of God will have an influence that will tell upon hearts. It is not the wealth or the educated ability which the members of the church may possess that constitutes their efficiency. The members of the church may have been so situated that they may have had every spiritual advantage, they may have been so situated that they have had opportunity to know the truth, to know Jesus Christ their Lord; but notwithstanding their advantages, if they are not humble, praying men and women, there will not be with them the hiding of the power of God. They will not exert that influence that will be far reaching as eternity in its results, and men will not see their good works, and glorify God because of his people's faithfulness. It is when the Sun of Righteousness shines forth from the people of God that Christ is glorified and his kingdom advanced. It is then that they are chosen vessels of salvation, and are fit for the Master's use.  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 5]          If the churches established in our world would follow Christ, they would pray as Christ prayed, and the result of their prayers would be seen in the conversion of souls; for when communication is opened up between souls and God, a divine influence is shed upon the world. When the members of the church abide in Christ, they deliver an effective testimony in their lives. They fulfill the words of Christ, "Ye are my witnesses." By their influence all the day long by precept and example, they say, "Come," "behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 6]          The Lord is our light. The Lord is our salvation. This is the period in the earth's history when light will surely be given to the Lord's chosen people. The world's Redeemer "is light, and in him is no darkness at all." Jesus says, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." To those who will appreciate light, and who in their turn will impart light to others, God will give increased light. Saints and prophets of former ages were recipients of precious light and knowledge that was to be unfolded to the chosen of God in these last days. The disciples of Christ were honored in having Christ, the Light of the world, among them. But they failed to appreciate their great privileges and blessings, until Jesus had left them. When his presence was no longer with them, they realized that they had been blessed with association with the only begotten Son of the infinite God. That they might fully realize the blessing that had been bestowed upon them, the Lord Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, which would bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them. In their blindness and unbelief they had not comprehended the value of the celestial truth presented to them; but the Holy Spirit was to illuminate the lessons of Christ before their minds, that they might have an appreciation of heavenly things.  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 7]          Jesus is the fountain head of knowledge, the treasure-house of truth, and he longed to open before his disciples treasures of infinite value, that they in turn might open them to others. But because of their blindness he could not unfold to them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. He said to them, "I have many things to say unto you; but ye cannot bear them now." The minds of the disciples were to a great degree influenced by the traditions and maxims of the Pharisees, who placed the commandments of God on a level with their own inventions and doctrines. The scribes and Pharisees did not receive or teach the Scriptures in their original purity, but interpreted the language of the Bible in such a way as to make it express sentiments and injunctions that God had never given. They put a mystical construction upon the writing of the Old Testament, and made indistinct that which the infinite God had made clear and plain. These learned men placed before the people their own ideas, and made patriarchs and prophets responsible for things they never uttered. These false teachers buried up the precious jewels of truth beneath the rubbish of their own interpretations and maxims, and covered up the plainest specifications of prophecy regarding Christ. They made the keeping of the commandments of God appear to be a rigorous round of ceremonies, so needless and foolish that the force of God's law was destroyed. They heaped exactions upon the commands of God that could never be met, and thereby lessened respect for God.  {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, September 11, 1893 par. 8]          When the Author of truth came to our world, and was the living interpreter of his own laws, the Scriptures were opened to men like a new revelation; for he taught as one having authority, as one who knew whereof he was speaking. The minds of men were confused with false teaching to such an extent that they could not fully grasp the meaning of divine truth, and yet they were attracted to the great Teacher, and said, "Never man spake like this man?"                                                                   -    {ST, September 11, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 1]       September 18, 1893 The Weapon Against Satan's Delusions.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Satan is continually seeking to influence human minds by his subtle arts. His is a master mind, given of God, but prostituted with all its noble capabilities to oppose and to make of no effect the counsels of the Most High. He had an advanced experience in his connection with the God of heaven, and he wields his knowledge of the attributes of God in such a way as to misinterpret the divine character. Satan was an apostate, and all who follow in the way of apostasy will work in the same lines of evil. There was a time when Satan was in harmony with God, and it was his joy to execute the divine commands. His heart was filled with love and joy in serving his Creator, until he began to think that his wisdom was not derived from God, but was inherent in himself, and that he was as worthy as was God to receive honor and power. When he found that he could not be as God, he was filled with rebellion, and would not submit his will to the will of God.  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 2]          When men apostatize from the truth, many will raise the question, What is the reason this has happened? And when they can find no reason for apostasy, they will be inclined to believe that the apostates have never had a genuine experience in the truth and cause of God, that they were wholly insincere in their professions; but this is not safe reasoning. What was it caused Satan to rebel? Was there any just reason that could be assigned for his sin? The place where sin originated has been pointed out, but the reason for sin cannot be found; for there is no reason for its existence. It is written of Satan, "Thou wast perfect in all thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." All who apostatize are destitute of any real excuse. Their apostasy will be manifested in rebellion and self-exaltation, as it was seen in the first apostate. Of him it is written, "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness."  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 3]          The Lord himself gave to Satan his glory and wisdom, and made him the covering cherub, good, noble, and exceeding lovely. But beauty, wisdom, and glory were bestowed upon God's creature as a gift of love. For like reasons the Lord has bestowed upon human agencies talents of intellect, qualities of mind and character, that they may be able to fill positions of trust, and glorify their Creator and Redeemer. But, like Satan, men become lifted up in self because of their beauty and wisdom, and pervert their talents, and corrupt their characters, and use their God-given gifts for the glory of self rather than for the glory of God and the good of others. The whole world has been corrupted by the false principles Satan has led men to follow.  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 4]          Satan works with his arts of infatuation, and weaves a spell about the human mind. The power of spiritual witchcraft steels the heart so that it is not susceptible to heavenly influences, which would counteract the power of the deceptive infatuation. Satan is the root of all deception, the origin of all falsehood, and it was through his witchcraft that the enchanters and sorcerers were bold to withstand Moses, imitating the miracles he wrought. It is Satan who presents the world before the mind in an attractive light, who makes the glories of empires pass before the vision as he did before Christ, promising, "All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 5]          Satan came to Christ in the wilderness of temptation and presented before him in a magnificent panoramic view the splendors of the kingdoms of the earth, and promised all their power to Christ if he would but assent to the superiority of the prince of evil. Satan pretended to doubt the divinity and mission of Christ, and asked of him a sign of his authority and power. He had said, "If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread;" "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." But at his audacious request that Christ should bow down and worship him, divinity flashed through humanity, and Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Satan had the evidence he desired in his summary dismissal, and, under the rebuke of Him who was equal with God, he fled from the field of conflict, a conquered foe.  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 6]          Jesus endured the temptations of Satan in our behalf, that in his name we might come off more than conquerors. But we can overcome only by believing in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. We must know what is written in order that we may not be defeated by the sophistry and enchantments of Satan. The wily foe will work upon our minds in such a way that he will lead us to follow in the way he has gone, and cause us to dream of greatness, worldly honor, and distinction. If we have been ensnared by his enchanting power, let us in the name of Jesus rebuke his power, and break with Satan without delay. Whatever may be the character of the draught you have taken, in whatever way Satan may have led you to exalt self at the expense of Jesus, through the power of divine grace escape from the delusion, away with the infatuation. We inquire, "Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?"  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 7]          Those who cry unto God for deliverance from the terrible spell that Satan would weave about them, will set a high estimate upon the Scriptures. Our only safety is in receiving the whole Bible, not taking merely detached portions, but believing the whole truth. Your feet are upon sliding sand if you depreciate one word that is written. The Bible is a divine communication, and is as verily a message to the soul as though a voice from heaven were heard speaking to us. With what awe and reverence and humiliation should we come to the searching of the Scriptures, that we may learn of eternal realities. When the spell of Satan is broken, and the Bible becomes to us the living word of God, we shall be safe in following our convictions of duty; for if we watch unto prayer, they will be inspired by the Spirit of God. Let everyone study the Bible, knowing that the word of God is as enduring as the eternal throne. If you come to the study of the Scriptures in humility, with earnest prayer for guidance, angels of God will open to you its living realities; and if you cherish the precepts of truth, they will be to you as a wall of fire against the temptations, delusions, and enchantments of Satan.  {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, September 18, 1893 par. 8]          It is the wisdom of God that makes men great. The utterances of men are to be judged, because they are the fruit of human ability, and work either good or evil according to the source from which men draw their inspiration; but the word of God is able to save your souls, to make you wise unto salvation. The Psalmist says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Then let us hide the word of God in our hearts, that we may "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." "For 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."                                                                   -    {ST, September 18, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 1]       September 25, 1893 "Why Halt Ye Between Two Opinions?"  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Those who have set before them in clear lines the self-sacrifice and self-denial of Jesus, his life of shame and suffering, his reproach, rejection, and crucifixion, and yet refuse to open their hearts to him, although he says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me," commit great sin. How great is the magnitude of sin of those who have had Jesus set before them, who have been warned and entreated, and yet pass on their way, following the imagination of their own hearts, and saying, "I will wait for a more convenient season to exercise repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ"!  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 2]          I am deeply moved in behalf of those who are putting off the time of surrender to Jesus, and yet I know that my interest is very feeble in comparison with his who knows the value of your souls, for he paid the price of the soul's redemption with his own blood. In earnest love for your soul, he is waiting for you to decide to throw off the yoke of Satan, and take his yoke, which is easy, and his burden, which is light. There is nothing too precious for us to give to Jesus. Jesus has purchased wife, husband, and children at infinite cost, and though it is right for us to love those whom God has given us, yet God is ever to hold our supreme affection. Your attitude toward God and the truth has a decided influence upon your family, and the atmosphere that surrounds your soul will affect them in every way. If you are bestowing your affections upon the things of this world, the atmosphere which surrounds your soul will be of a malarious character, that will be death to spirituality, and will weaken hope and faith in God. Satan will cast his hellish shadow over your soul, and lead you captive at his will, unless you give yourself without reserve to Christ.  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 3]          Christ has purchased all your capabilities and talents. Why not give him that which is his own? Your intellect is God's property, made to be used for his service and glory. Your affections belong to God, and he demands them as his right. Give him your talents, your best and sharpest thoughts; for they are the purchase of his own blood. He has intrusted them to you as his children. Give all back to him. Seek in earnest prayer for his blessing upon them, and surrender to him husband, wife, children, and your all. Dedicate yourself to his service in a precious offering; and as you give all to Jesus, your heaven will begin upon earth; for as long as you keep all on the altar, Christ is yours, heaven is yours, eternal life is yours. All things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Surely the God of heaven could give no greater proof that he longs for your salvation than the proof he has given in the gift of his only-begotten Son.  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 4]         The free gift of grace is yours; will you by faith accept it? Your surrender to God must be as free and complete as has the offering of Christ been free and complete for you. Then you will be accepted of God in every work you do, in every prayer you offer. Hesitate no longer. "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." In the face of present and acknowledged duty, make no delay to meet the demand of God; for if you do, the light you have will become darkness. The mind and judgment will be come perverted; for when precious opportunities are neglected, blessings unappreciated and unimproved, all good purposes become weakened, and there is less strength to resist temptation to commit presumptuous sins. The ties of worldly influence are subtle and strong, and can be severed only through the power of the grace of Christ. Make it your purpose to break away from every influence and habit, to give up every practice that weakens spirituality, and sunder every tie that binds you to Satanic agencies.  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 5]          Christ says: "Follow me;" "I am the way, the truth, and the life." "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 6]          The word of God should be your study, and if your heart is susceptible to the influence of the truth, you will find in the Bible, instruction that will be a sure guide to your soul from darkness to light, from unbelief to faith. "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for 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; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 7]          The more our faith fastens and holds to Christ, the more peace we shall have. Faith grows by exercise, and God's rule is one day at a time. Day by day we are to go on, doing the work for each day, conscious that we are working in the sight of angels, cherubim, and seraphim, in the sight of God and of Jesus Christ. Ye are a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men. We should pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." As our day is, so our strength will be. We are to be constantly looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and if we live thus in dependence upon him, the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance all things whatsoever he has spoken unto us, and will sanctify every faculty, and keep us reminded of our daily and hourly dependence upon our Heavenly Father's care, wisdom, love and guardianship. When we are thus minded, we have the spirit of a little child, the spirit that Jesus said his followers must possess in order to enter his kingdom. As a little child we are to trust in our Heavenly Father. When this is our spirit, we can more easily discern the temptations of Satan; for we are constantly drawing nigh to God. The feeling of self-sufficiency, that works the ruin of so many souls, has no atmosphere in which to flourish.  {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, September 25, 1893 par. 8]          "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." This precious promise is from One who means every word he speaks. Then why are we fearful, distrustful, unbelieving? Let us go on, doing our duty with an eye single to his glory, filling up our time, working out God's plan as in the sight of an invisible world.                                                                   -    {ST, September 25, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 1]       October 2, 1893 "My People Have Committed Two Evils."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." "For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord."  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 2]          Why is that the people in this age are so easily drawn away from the observance of God's commandments? Why is it that they relish the mockery of those who profess to be teachers of righteousness, who yet cast contempt upon the commandments of Jehovah? Is it not because the heart of this people is carnal? In the scriptures quoted the Lord presents his reproof to those whom he terms "my people," who have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns that can hold no water. "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." Those who profess to be the children of God, cast contempt upon his law, and trample upon the fourth precept,--"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 3]          Instead of keeping the commandments of God, and hallowing the Sabbath day, the churches have substituted for God's holy Sabbath, a day instituted by the Papacy, and do not observe the one of divine appointment. The man of sin, who has "exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God," has thought himself able to change the time and the law of God, and has given to the world a spurious sabbath, thus making a breach in the law of God. The Christian world have accepted the papal sabbath, and have cherished it as a day of divine appointment. Thus they have forsaken the plain commandment of Jehovah, and have honored an institution nowhere approved by the Scriptures. In this, surely, they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water, and have hewed for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water. The Lord of heaven will inquire of the Christian churches, "Who hath required this at your hands?"  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 4]          The sin of those who have been enlightened as to the origin and support of Sunday, is very grievous in the sight of God, when they cling to the tradition of men, and thus make void the commandment of God. When the binding claims of the fourth commandment are presented, many use every subterfuge to avoid the conclusion that God requires the observance of the day which he sanctified and blessed. When every other argument against keeping the commandments of God is shown to be vain, the opposers of his law take refuge in the delusion that there is no law, that the commandments of God were abolished by Christ at the cross. What an astonishing statement, that God has no law! Kings of the earth have laws whereby the nations are governed, and has the God of the universe no law? Those who advocate this doctrine say they rejoice in the glorious liberty wherewith Christ has made them free; but from what have they been made free?--Not from sin surely, since sin is the transgression of the law, and where there is no law, there is no transgression. If there is no law, then it is right for every man to follow the depraved impulses of his own heart; for there is no standard by which evil can be detected. It is plain from the results of this doctrine who is the originator of such a theory, for it is manifestly of Satan's devising, since Christ came to save his people from their sins. Christ is not the minister of sin, and the idea that he came to give liberty to men to break his Father's law, and to free them from the penalty of willful transgression, is utterly out of harmony with his example and teaching.  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 5]          The world and the church are both standing in a position of rebellion against God in casting aside his law, and trampling upon his holy commandment. The larger proportion of the Christian world accept the observance of Sunday, knowing that it is an institution of the Papacy, and keep the day, that they may be in harmony with the customs and practices of the world, thus choosing to honor the tradition of men rather than the commandment of God. To this state of apostasy the words of Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit are appropriate,--"He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment, a God of truth without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?" God chose his people, and planted them a noble vine; how is it that they are turned into a degenerate vine? The description that has been given of the apostasy of Israel, has an application to the churches that have made void the law of God. Isaiah says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters; they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward."  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 6]          The great sin of God's ancient people was their disregard of the commandments of the Lord, and especially their disregard of the day that God had sanctified and blessed. Because of their disregard of his commandments and ordinances, the Lord removed his defense from them, and permitted their enemies to afflict them and scatter them. Has the Lord changed? Did his holy commandments need to be amended?--Not at all. He says, "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips." Has, then, the Majesty of heaven, the Governor of the universe, no law?--Only Satan's sophistry could induce men to entertain such a thought.  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 7]          Jesus was the invisible leader of his ancient people, and every command and direction given to the people through Moses, was the command and direction of Jesus Christ. Jesus has brought before us the importance of giving heed to what has been written in the law and the prophets. In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man is represented as begging that someone be sent back to warn his five brethren, that they come not to the place of torment in which he is found, but the answer is: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 8]          Jesus in the New Testament does the same work as Jesus in the Old Testament did; but men are so determined to do away with the law of God, in order that they may find a way of avoiding the observance of the Sabbath, that they array Jesus in the New Testament against Jesus in the Old Testament. These blind leaders of the blind, who are ignorant both of the Scriptures and of the power of God, pour contempt on the law of God, and at the same time seek to hold up Christ in contrast to the law. But this they cannot do; for Christ gave the law to his chosen people, and in seeking to make void the law of God on the ground that Christ abolished it, they do insult to both the Father and the Son. Jesus says, "I and my Father are one."  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 9]          The blind teachers of this age, who seek to turn the people away from the law of God, tell the people that the law is Jewish, given only to the Jews, and spoken only for their observance. Where is their authority for such a statement? The prophet says, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The Lord gave his law before there was a Jew in the world. Heavenly intelligences were governed by God's law before man was created, and the Sabbath was blessed and set apart for holy use immediately after God had made the world, and had rested from his work of creation.  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 10]          Oh, that I had language to present these lofty themes! I lay down my pen in sorrow that my words are so feeble to deal with grand and awful truth; as I contemplate, I seem to shrink into nothingness before its vast significance. The themes connected with the law and the gospel seem too great for such a weak, ignorant mortal as I to handle. From time to time I venture in the simplest language to present that which has been revealed to me concerning the plan of salvation, but again and again I mourn that my expression falls so far short of the glory of the truth as it is in Jesus.  {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, October 2, 1893 par. 11]          My brethren, be not satisfied with a superficial knowledge of truth, with a surface view of the law of God. Dig deep in the Scriptures of truth, and with an understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit, dwell upon the holy requirements of the law of Jehovah, until you can reveal to the people their spiritual and eternal character. Your researches have not been deep enough. You need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to aid you to search into the truth with reverence and awe, bringing your mind to the task with intense desire, that will not be quenched until you see wondrous things out of the law. Dig deep into the mine of truth, and be not satisfied until you have a more perfect comprehension as to what constitutes the strength of the law of God. You need to search and search, and to weep and fast and pray, in order that you may have revealed unto you such a view of the law of God that you will be fitted to go forth and watch for souls as they that must give an account.                                                                   -    {ST, October 2, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 1]       October 9, 1893 Sodom's Last Warning.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Sodom was situated in a beautiful and fertile plain, and reveled in an abundance of everything that nature and art could bestow. The inhabitants of Sodom seemed to be strangers to want and to work. A poor man was not permitted to become an inhabitant of the city. He was driven out by abuse, or if not driven out, was the victim of an iniquitous plan that compassed his ruin. The people of this wicked city took no thought for the future life. Idleness and wealth and love of excitement carried them into every excess of pleasure and indulgence. The sensual, animal nature was cultivated, and as, like the world before the flood, the imagination of their hearts was evil, and evil continually, they set their minds to work to find out new, unnatural ways whereby they might gratify their abominable, corrupt passions.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 2]          Inspiration gives a testimony concerning the corrupt condition of the world before the flood. The Bible says: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." Before the flood they employed all their powers for the gratification of base passions, and cast contempt upon the law of God, and as it was in the days of the flood, so it was in the time of Sodom. They would not admit for a moment that their devotion to sensual pleasure brought upon them guilt and danger. They knew not that the cloud of divine wrath, which their sin had for years been loading, was about to break forth in vengeance upon them.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 3]          Before the time of Sodom's overthrow, two angels visited Abraham and were courteously entertained. As they were passing on their way to Sodom, Abraham accompanied them, and they revealed to the patriarch the errand for which they had come,--to destroy Sodom. They told Abraham that because of the grievous wickedness of the inhabitants, the city was to be destroyed. Abraham knew that Lot was in this place, and although he had been taught of God, he could not believe that the inhabitants of Sodom were so utterly corrupt. He began to plead that the righteous should not perish with the wicked, that if a certain number of the godly were there, the city might be spared. Pleading for the city, he decreased the number of righteous that would be likely to be found in the city, until he reached the number of ten. But although God would have spared the city if ten righteous persons could have been found there, that number could not be made up to redeem the city.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 4]          As the evening draws on, the men of Sodom see the two messengers approaching, but as they have concealed their heavenly character, they appear as common men coming in from the country to visit Sodom. If the veil could be removed from our eyes we should often see in the form of men, the powerful messengers of mercy or of wrath among us. They warn, they caution, they reprove, they protect from a thousand dangers, and yet we know not that the angel's blessing has come to us.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 5]          As the angels draw nigh unto Sodom, only one man manifests an interest in the strangers. Lot welcomed them in, invited them to his house. He was ignorant in regard to the character of these men, and knew not the terrible errand upon which they had come; but the courtesy which he manifested was in harmony with his character, and he was saved from the general ruin. Had he appeared indifferent to these strangers, he would not have secured to himself such help as only the angels can give. Many a house has been closed to strangers who were God's messengers of hope, and blessing, and peace. In neglecting the commonest duties of life, withholding kindness and courtesy and hospitality, we miss the richest blessings heaven has to bestow.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 6]          When the men of Sodom saw that Lot opened his doors to these strangers, that he did not treat them with derision and contempt, they were stirred with passion. As Lot in Eastern fashion bows in deference, and invites them to share his home, they taunt and jeer. Lot was a man of great wealth, but in showing respect to these travelers he did not meet the mind of these ease-loving Sodomites. They crowded about the house of Lot, and as the crowd increased, vile speeches were made which revealed the state of corruption that existed among the people, and the worst suggestions were received and acted upon. The crowd became more clamorous in their cries to have Lot bring forth the strangers to them; for they had become so base through the indulgence of evil passions, that every good thought had been uprooted, and reason was so clouded that they would even do violence to the angels of heaven.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 7]          The angels had come to see if there were any in the city who were not corrupted, and could be persuaded to flee from the impending doom that threatened Sodom. That night the evil doers added the last drop to their cup of iniquity, and the wrath of God could no longer be delayed. The night of the destruction of Sodom the inhabitants of the city were doing that which they had been doing through all their past life. They were no more base and dissolute and corrupt than on other nights when strangers had entered their city; but there is a point beyond which there is no reprieve, and that night the inhabitants of Sodom passed the mystic boundary that decided their destiny. Lot expostulated with them at his door, and refused to permit them to do violence to the strangers who were in his house. But the evil doers had no idea of being restrained from accomplishing their purpose, but thought to beat Lot to the ground, and get access to the strangers. Before this was done, the angels drew Lot into the house, and smote the men with blindness, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 8]          The angels then told Lot what was their errand, and made known to him that God would bring destruction upon the wicked city. Lot believed the word of the angels, but his family was reluctant to receive their message, for they had so long lived in sight and sound of wickedness that their senses were blunted to the grievous character of sin. Lot had afflicted his soul for the debasing sins that the Sodomites were continually committing, and yet even he had not thought their sin was of the debasing character it was, nor deemed that it was so firmly seated as to yield to no remedy. He begs permission of the angels to go forth and warn his daughters and sons-in-law who live in the city. He made his way through the rabble, who were prevented from injuring him by the power of the angels, and gave his message to his children. With grief and terror he begs them to leave the doomed city, and flee with him ere its destruction shall be accomplished, but they look upon him as upon one who is mad, coming to them with such a message at the midnight hour. They laugh at his fears, and think some horrible nightmare has crazed his brain. They will not trouble themselves about the matter, but treat it as a joke, and these who will not receive the message, sleep on, heedless of the last warning of their lives.  {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, October 9, 1893 par. 9]          Anxious and disappointed, Lot returns to his home through the rabble, and finds the angels still waiting, urging that Lot and his family leave the city before the sun is fully risen. As they go out they see no visible token of God's displeasure. Everything seems to say peace and safety. The sun is illuminating the eastern hills with golden beams, and everything in nature seems to say peace. But the words of the angels ring in the ears of Lot, saying, "The Lord will destroy this city." Unbelief did not prevent the destruction of Sodom. Trifling and gayety did not secure its inhabitants against the doom that overtook the wicked city. They flattered themselves that long days of indulgence in sin were yet to be theirs, but in such an hour as they thought not of, ruin encompassed them.                                                                   -    {ST, October 9, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 1]       October 16, 1893 The Doom of Sodom a Warning for the  Last Days.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         How hard it was for Lot to leave Sodom! Part of his family had to be left behind, and all the wealth he had accumulated had to be sacrificed. He must go out from Sodom a poor man. The labor of years has to be counted in vain. He does not feel the terrible necessity for God's judgment to fall upon the wicked city, and he still lingers. The angels urge his immediate departure; but Lot, stupefied with sorrow for the loss of his children and property, still hesitates. The angels lay hold of his hands, and the hands of his wife and children, and with merciful violence hasten them out of the city. When they reach the city limits, a word of command is given with startling vehemence: "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest ye be consumed." A few moments' delay now, a few moments of hesitancy, a few moments' disregard of the warning, will cost the fugitives their lives. They are not even to turn their eyes back to see if their beautiful home has survived the general ruin, or the storm will burst upon them. God has delayed his retributive judgment only that they may escape. What care, what tenderness, to these four who flee from the doomed city!  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 2]          Lot is confused, terrified, and distracted. He begs to be allowed to rest at a little settlement on this side the mountains. Unbelief sprang up in his heart, and he said: "Oh, not so, my Lord; behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die; behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one; oh, let me escape thither (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar."  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 3]          But why should Lot not have trusted the mercy of the angels in directing him to escape to the mountains, since he ascribed to them the saving of his life? Lot's stay in Sodom had not tended to increase his faith in God, nor had his intercourse with those who knew not God tended to convert them from the error of their way. He had pleaded that the angels permit him to take up his abode in the city of Zoar, saying, "Is it not a little one? and my soul shall live," as though the God who had directed his escape from Sodom did not understand how to preserve the life he had saved. But what mercy and condescension are manifested by the God of heaven! His request is heard, and his plea granted; yet how much better would it have been to heed the angel's voice, and go to the mountains, as far as possible from the wicked city. The angel bids him to hasten, because the fiery storm would be widespread and terrible.  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 4]          One of the four fugitives ventures to cast a lingering look behind, to see the coming storm, and the number is less by one; for she stands as a memento of God's wrath, turned into a pillar of salt. Had Lot earnestly and firmly fled to the mountains, as the angels had directed, without pleading for a new plan, his wife would not have transgressed the commandment of the angels, and would have been at his side.  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 5]          When the first beams of the morning dawn, the inhabitants of Sodom are not aware of the departure of Lot and the angels. They were determined to abuse the strangers, but as they come to the house of Lot, it is found vacant, and the hour of doom comes upon them. And the Lord rains fire and brimstone upon the city, and the beautiful plain that looked like Paradise when the angels passed over it, now looks like a parched and blackened desert. The smoke of the burning goes up like the smoke of a great furnace, and the whole heaven is illuminated with the flames of the great conflagration. Sodom has become a place of desolation and ruin.  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 6]          The sin of the people rose up to heaven, and because of the iniquity of the people, the Lord poured out the vials of his wrath. The fearful doom of Sodom stands forth as a warning for all time, and especially for those who live in the last days. The destruction of Sodom was a symbol of the destruction that will come upon the finally impenitent, when tempests of fire come from above, and fountains of flame break forth from the crust of the earth. The fate of this ancient city should be a warning to all who live for self, and who corrupt their ways before God. The sin of Sodom is the sin of many cities now in existence, that have not been destroyed as was Sodom. Ezekiel says, "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."  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 7]          The warning that was given to Lot comes down to us who live in this degenerate age,--"Escape for thy life." The voice of the tempter is crying peace and safety. The evil one would have you feel that you have nothing to fear, and bids you eat, drink, and be merry. Which voice will you heed, the voice of heaven, or the voice that lures you to destruction? The Redeemer of the world, the compassionate Friend of man, discloses to our eyes the fact that there is a sin greater than the sin of Sodom. It is that of sinning against greater light. To those who have heard and have not heeded the gospel invitation to repent and have faith in Christ, the sin is greater than was the sin of Sodom. To those who have professed the name of Jesus, who have professed to know God, and to keep his commandments, and yet who have misrepresented Christ in their daily life and character, who have been warned and entreated, and still dishonor their Redeemer by their unconsecrated lives, the sin is greater than that of Sodom.  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 8]          Jesus said: "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."  {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, October 16, 1893 par. 9]          The warning of Christ sounds down along the lines to our day. He would arouse the people for whom he gave his life, and attract their attention to himself, the source of all wisdom, righteousness, strength, and hope, and peace. He would have his people let their light shine forth to the world in good works. The sins of Sodom are repeated in our day, and the earth is destroyed and corrupted under the inhabitants thereof; but the worst feature of the iniquity of this day is a form of godliness without the power thereof. Those who profess to have great light are found among the careless and indifferent, and the cause of Christ is wounded in the house of its professed friends. Let those who would be saved, arouse from their lethargy, and give the trumpet a certain sound; for the end of all things is at hand.                                                                   -    {ST, October 16, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 1]       October 23, 1893 The Blind Man Healed.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 2]          In the question the disciples asked Jesus, they showed that they thought all disease and suffering the result of sin. This is indeed truth, but Jesus showed that it was an error to suppose that everyone who was a great sufferer was also a great sinner. While he corrected their errors, he spat upon the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation, Sent," and he went his way, and came seeing. Jesus answered the question the disciples put to him in a practical way, and in the way he usually answered questions put to him from curiosity. The disciples were not called upon to discuss the question of who had sinned or not sinned, but to understand the power of God, his mercy and compassion, in giving sight to the blind. It was that all might be convinced that there was no healing virtue in the clay or in the pool wherein he was sent to wash, but that virtue was in Christ.  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 3]          Although the Pharisees quibbled at and misrepresented his words, yet they made no attempt to give credit to the clay or to the waters of Siloam. They could but be astonished at the wonderful work which he had done, yet they were more than ever filled with hatred; for this was a most convincing argument that he was the Son of God. They could not controvert this testimony, and the miracle could not be hid. The neighbors of the young man, and those who knew before of his blindness, said, "Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he; others said, He is like him; but he said, I am he."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 4]          The friends and neighbors of the young man who had been healed looked upon him with doubt; for when his eyes were opened, his countenance had been changed and brightened, and made him appear like another man. From one to another the question was passed, "Is it he?" And some said, "It is like him;" but he who had received the great blessing settled the controversy by saying, "I am he." He then told them of Jesus, and by what means Jesus had healed him, and they inquired, "Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 5]          The Pharisees thought that they could make a decided impression against Jesus by charging him with breaking the Sabbath, upon which they had heaped traditions and exactions. They knew not that it was He who had made the Sabbath, who knew all its obligations, who had healed the blind man. They appeared wonderfully zealous for the observance of the Sabbath, and yet were planning murder on the very day that they professed to guard with their exactions. They regarded themselves as guardians of the Sabbath, and thought themselves capable of interpreting the principles of the fourth commandment, and in their interpretation declared that, by the bestowal of the blessing of healing, the commandment had been transgressed. This they did because they were anxious to find some way in which to condemn Jesus. They put their construction upon the law, misapplied and misinterpreted it, in order to make Jesus out to be a sinner, and therefore not the Messiah. Many were greatly moved, and convicted that this man who opened the eyes of the blind, was more than a common man. In answer to the charge that Jesus was a sinner, because he kept not the Sabbath day, they said, "How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?"  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 6]          Through this great miracle the power of the Lord Jehovah was made manifest. The work done upon the blind man spoke to their senses and told them that One mightier than a common man was there. Could One that was divine break the Sabbath? They appealed again to the blind man, "What sayest thou of Him, that He hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet." The Pharisees then asserted that he had not been born blind and then received his sight. They called for his parents, and asked, saying: "Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not; he is of age; ask him; he shall speak for himself."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 7]          There was the man himself, declaring that he had been the blind man, and had had his sight restored; but the Pharisees had been taking advanced steps in prejudice and hatred of Christ, and no sign or miracle would be acknowledged by them as evidence of his Messiahship. They would rather deny the evidences of their own senses than admit that they were mistaken, and that their teaching was wrong, so powerful is prejudice, so distorting is Pharisaical righteousness. Here were fallen men, who yet persisted in walking away from the light, yet they claimed to sit in Moses' seat, and were professedly the wisest of man, expounders of the law of God. In their exactions and distinctions they bound heavy burdens upon others, and covered up the commandments of God with the traditions and commandments of men.  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 8]          The Pharisees had one hope left, and that was to intimidate the parents of him who had received his sight. With apparent sincerity they asked the parents, "How doth he now see?" The parents trembled, for they knew what would be the consequences of confessing Christ. The great work wrought for their son had awakened conviction in their hearts, and they answered: "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not; he is of age; ask him; he shall speak for himself." They shifted all responsibility from themselves to their son, for they dared not openly confess Christ. "These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 9]          The dilemma in which the Pharisees were placed, their questioning prejudice, their unbelief in the facts of the case, were opening the eyes of the multitude, and especially the eyes of the common people. The mighty healer had frequently wrought his miracles in the open street, and his work was always of a character to relieve mankind of woe and suffering. The question that agitated the minds of many was, Would God do such mighty works through one that was an impostor, a deceiver, as the Pharisees insisted that Jesus was? The controversy was becoming very earnest on both sides. Those who were convinced by the miracles, claimed that Christ was the Son of God, and this growing conviction in the minds of the people greatly annoyed the Pharisees. There were two decided parties. "There was a division among them." Unable to agree among themselves, the Pharisees again appealed to the man who was born blind. They thought that they could deceive this man, who had been blind and was uneducated, by their perversions and reasonings. But to their question as to what he thought of Him who had restored his sight, he firmly and boldly replied, "He is a prophet."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 10]          The Pharisees see that they are giving publicity to the work that has been done by Jesus, for the multitude is increasing. They cannot deny the miracle. What can they say or do to counteract the effect of Jesus' work? The blind man is filled with joy and gratitude, and beholds the wondrous things of nature, and is filled with intense delight at the beauty of earth and sky. He freely recites his experience, and though they cannot deceive or mislead him, yet they determine to do the talking, and say, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.? Do not ever say again that this man gave you sight; God has done it. The blind man answered and said, "Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." Then they questioned again: "what did He to thee? how opened He thine eyes?" With many words they tried to deceive him, and confuse his senses, so that he might think he was deluded. Satan and his evil angels were on the side of the Pharisees, and united their energies and subtlety with man's reasonings in order to counteract the influence of Christ. They blunted the convictions that were deepening in many minds; for angels of God were also on the ground to strengthen the blind man who had had his sight restored.  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 11]          The Pharisees made apparent their prejudice and unbelief. They did not realize that they had to deal with anyone stronger than the uneducated man who had been born blind; but this was not true. Divine light shone into the chambers of his soul, and as these hypocrites tried to make him disbelieve, God helped him to show by the vigor and pointedness of his replies that he was not to be ensnared, and they could not pervert and misconstrue his experience. "He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be His disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art His disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses; as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is."  {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, October 23, 1893 par. 12]          The Lord Jesus knew the ordeal through which the man for whom he had worked this miracle was passing, and gave him grace and utterance, so that he became a witness for Christ. And he answered the Pharisees: "Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, He could do nothing." The blind man, who now could see, looked upon the wonders of creation, and would he turn from his Restorer to gain the favor of those who sought to entangle him in his talk, or heap ridicule upon him? He felt able to withstand their influence. The Pharisees saw that they could not by their reasonings pervert the man's experience, and they were astonished and held their peace, spellbound, before his pointed, determined words. For a few moments there was silence. The frowning priests and Pharisees gathered about them their robes, as though they feared contamination from contact with him. They shook off the dust of their feet against him, and treated him with derision and contempt, hurling their denunciations against him: "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him." The believer on Jesus was cast out of the synagogue, but was received into union with Jesus Christ.                                                                   -    {ST, October 23, 1893 par. 12}
[ST, November 6, 1893 par. 1]       November 6, 1893 Danger of Spiritual Blindness.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees that were with him heard these words, and said unto him. Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."  {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, November 6, 1893 par. 2]          The Pharisees were spiritually blind, and were leaders of the blind. The physical blindness that Jesus had healed in the man born blind, was not as dangerous as the moral blindness of those who had evidence piled upon evidence in regard to the divine character of the world's Redeemer, and yet who closed the eyes of their understanding, and refused to see, because they were too self-exalted to be instructed by Christ. They claimed to be learned in the Scriptures, to have spiritual eyesight, yet they made the plainest specifications concerning Christ a different matter from that which the records testified. "The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." The light of the world was shining amid the moral darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. The darkness that blinded the minds of the Pharisees was much more deplorable than was the darkness that blinded the eyes of the man who had been born blind.  {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, November 6, 1893 par. 3]         The Pharisees had said to the believing man who had had his sight restored, "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?" Their foolish hearts had been darkened. He who is blind in a physical way is incapable of distinguishing the tints of the flowers, and things of beauty are nothing to him. The beautiful canvas of the heavens, the stars marshaled in order, the solemn beauty of the sun and moon, are not seen, their forms not discerned. Thus it is with the man who closes his eyes to light and knowledge. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The man who refuses to have his understanding quickened by the Spirit of God is in a state of blindness. He cannot appreciate the beauties of holiness, neither can he discern the deformity of sin. What a dreadful thing is willful spiritual blindness. Those who are spiritually blind, claim to be able to lead the blind; but they have closed their eyes to the light which has been graciously given them of God to show them the way to heaven, and in place of traveling the royal path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, they follow another leader, even Satan.  {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, November 6, 1893 par. 4]          How precious to the Jewish nation would have been the light of the Sun of Righteousness! What Christ would have been to the people was all shadowed forth in the types, offerings, and prophecies. They would have been justified through his blood, sanctified through his Spirit. They would have known what it was to have the combined work of the Son and the Spirit in the soul. But the scribes and the Pharisees became blind by failing to acknowledge the spiritual light that God sent to them. "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Blinded by unbelief, they refused to accept the evidences God had graciously given them, and clung to the traditions and maxims of men, that God had not given them. They walked in a way of their own choosing, because it agreed better with their sinful practices than the way of the Lord, and they did not discern the fruit of holiness; for they had chosen darkness rather than light.  {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, November 6, 1893 par. 5]          He whose heart is not open to receive the bright beams of light from the Sun of Righteousness, will meet with terrible loss; for the light that is in him will become darkness, because of the rejection of additional light, and he will walk in darkness, and lead others out of the path of peace and joy and righteousness in the Holy Ghost. He who is thus blinded will cease to grow in grace. The Lord Jesus is waiting to give the light of life to those who are in darkness, in order that they may show forth the praises of Him that hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. If the rejectors of the Lord Jesus Christ could have seen what would be the result of turning away from the world's Redeemer, of cherishing their own ideas and exalting themselves in their own wisdom, what a picture would they have beheld!  {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, November 6, 1893 par. 6]          The miracles that Jesus worked, the spirit and power that attended his ministry, were a live, conclusive testimony to every unprejudiced mind. It was not evidence that was wanting, but an honest heart of faith. With what power Christ worked to save the Jewish nation! He foresaw the result, yet he did not waver in his purpose to bring every evidence to convince them, notwithstanding the fact that Jerusalem would despise the day of her visitation, and the people would fasten themselves in prejudice and unbelief. Christ left no means untried in order that he might win them. The guilt, the responsibility of their rejection of his mercy, lay with themselves.                            (Concluded next number.)                                                                   -    {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, November 13, 1893 par. 1]       November 13, 1893 Danger of Spiritual Blindness   -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         The Jewish nation stood forth among the nations of the earth as a proud, haughty people, who claimed to have great knowledge and to manifest great piety. The Jews looked down upon the Gentiles as upon those who were far beneath them, because of darkness and error. Yet the pretentious fig tree bore not fruit, but leaves only. If they had had spiritual understanding, they would have seen and understood the mission of Christ. The light dimly seen at first would have increased in brightness, expanding unto the perfect day. If they had followed on to know the Lord, they would have known that his goings forth are prepared as the morning. Oh, what a light would have shone upon Judah and Jerusalem had they but welcomed the light that was sent them of heaven! What a transforming power would have been manifest in life and character! They would have been just what Jesus longed to have them be,--a living, shining light in the darkness. They would have borne the noblest credentials that any one of the followers of Christ can bear. They would have been representatives of Christ, monuments of the power of the Spirit of God upon human hearts. The Spirit of God would have worked a miracle upon the heart, changing it from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. They would have known what is meant by the regeneration of the Spirit, for the whole moral taste would have been changed, and they would have loved the things they once hated, and hated the things they once delighted in.  {ST, November 13, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, November 13, 1893 par. 2]         The words of Christ to the Pharisees come home with power to every living soul to whom the light of the Sun of Righteousness has been revealed. To those who have caught a glimpse of celestial truth, to whom have come some rays of enlightenment, is the warning given. For your souls' sake do not turn away and be disobedient to the heavenly vision. You may have seen something in regard to the righteousness of Christ, but there is truth yet to be seen clearly, and that should be estimated by you as precious as rare jewels. You will see the law of God and interpret it to the people in an entirely different light from what you have done in the past, for the law of God will be seen by you as revealing a God of mercy and righteousness. The atonement, made by the stupendous sacrifice of Jesus Christ, will be seen by you in an altogether different light. You will see sin in its heinous character. But this the Jews did not desire to see. Jesus said to them, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." "For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness of the truth. But I receive not testimony from man; but these things I say, that ye might be saved." He appeals to them to recall the deep conviction that was upon them under the messages of John. He said: "He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you; for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not." The witness of the Father had been given. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  {ST, November 13, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, November 13, 1893 par. 3]          Although the men whom he was then personally addressing had not heard the voice, yet they had heard the report, and knew that the testimony of John was not borne in a corner. John's testimony had been positive, had been given in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power. He had testified of what his eyes had seen, of what his ears had heard, of what his hands had handled, of the word of life. Jesus said, "There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true." The scribes and Pharisees had believed the words of John at the time, but pride and unbelief worked in their hearts after Satan's order, and envy, jealousy, and downright hatred of Christ were revealed.  {ST, November 13, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, November 13, 1893 par. 4]          Jesus said to his disciples: "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; . . . but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me; and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."  {ST, November 13, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 1]       November 20, 1893 The Good Shepherd's Estimate of a Lost  Sheep.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And He spake this parable unto them, saying, 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? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."  {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 2]          The mission and work of Christ did not harmonize with the work of the Pharisees. They were full of self-conceit, and they saw that Christ did not approve of their works. He gave them no flattering words to nourish their pride. They were disappointed that Jesus, who manifested to the world so lofty a character, did not mingle with them, and practice their manner of teaching, rather than go about in so unpretending a manner, working among all classes of people. They saw among the people who listened with rapt attention those who did not belong to the Jewish nation, and who had never manifested the least interest in their teaching.  {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 3]          When the Pharisees expressed their discontent because of the class of people with whom he mingled, Jesus set the matter before them in the parable of the lost sheep. But their understanding was darkened; for Satan had power over their minds, and they arrayed themselves in opposition to Jesus. The Pharisees said that if Jesus were a true prophet, he would harmonize with them, and voice their precepts and maxims, and treat the wretched publicans and sinners as they treated them. In giving his Son to die for the sins of the world, the Lord God made manifest what was the estimate he placed upon men; for in giving Jesus to the world, he gave heaven's best gift. For this costly sacrifice the most profound gratitude is demanded from every soul. Whatever may be the nation kindred, or tongue, whether a man is white or black, he still bears the image of God, and "the proper study of mankind is man," viewed from the fact that he is the purchase of the blood of Christ. To show contempt for, to manifest hatred toward any nation, is to reveal the characteristic of Satan. God has placed his estimate upon man in giving Jesus to a life of humiliation, poverty, and self-sacrifice, to contempt, rejection, and death, in order that man, his lost sheep, might be saved. Is it then a remarkable thing that all heaven is interested in the ransom of man? Is it a wonderful fact that ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels are employed in ascending and descending on the mystic ladder to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation? Angels do not come to the earth to denounce and to destroy, to rule and to exact homage, but are messengers of mercy to cooperate with the Captain of the Lord's host, to cooperate with the human agents who shall go forth to seek and to save the lost sheep. Angels are commanded to encamp round about those who fear and love God.  {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 4]         The sympathy of all heaven is enlisted on behalf of the sheep that is wandering far from the fold. If the Pharisees had been working in harmony with God, in place of uniting with the adversary of God and man, they would not have been found despising the purchase of the blood of Christ. As the delusions of Satan are broken from human minds, as the sinner looks to Calvary, and sees the costly offering that has been given to save an apostate and ruined race, he contemplates and is deeply moved by the love of God, and becomes repentant. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us." Oh, that we might comprehend the love of God and even to a faint degree take in the compassion that has been manifested toward fallen man! How would we look and live! By beholding Christ man becomes changed and transformed in character from glory to glory. The conflict between light and darkness is entered upon. Look, poor sinner, represented by the lost sheep after whom the shepherd is seeking, look to the cross! The Pharisees may hold in contempt the very one whom the Lord is anxious to save. In the poor blind man restored to sight by the compassionate Shepherd, was one whom the self-righteous Pharisees thought worthy only of sneers and hatred.  {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 5]          Jesus, the Son of the Highest, is combating the powers of Satan, who is laying every possible device whereby he may counteract the work of God. The prize for which the powers of light and darkness are contending, is the soul of man. The Good Shepherd is seeking his sheep, and what self-denial, what hardships, what privations he endures! The under shepherds know something of the stern conflict, but little in comparison to what is endured by the Shepherd of the sheep. With what compassion, what sorrow, what persistence, he seeks the lost! How few realize what desperate efforts are put forth by Satan to defeat the Shepherd's purpose. When the Shepherd at last finds his lost sheep, he gathers it in his arms with rejoicing, and bears it back to the fold on his shoulders. And the harps of heaven are touched, and an anthem of rejoicing is sung over the ransom of the wandering and lost sheep. "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance."  {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 6]          How does the contrast appear between the scowling scribes and Pharisees and the Christ they condemned, misinterpreting his mission, and putting upon his words the worst possible construction? The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. A lost sheep never finds its way back to the fold of itself. If it is not sought for and saved by the watchful shepherd, it wanders until it perishes. What a representation of the Saviour is this! Unless Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had come to seek and to save the wandering, we should have perished. The Pharisees had taught that none but the Jewish nation would be saved, and they treated all other nationalities with contempt. But Jesus attracted the attention of those that the Pharisees despised, and he treated them with consideration and courtesy. Because he did this, the Pharisees sought to bring a charge against him, and destroy his influence.  {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, November 20, 1893 par. 7]          "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This love on behalf of man, expressed in the gift of his only-begotten Son, called forth from Satan the most intense hatred, both toward the Giver and toward the priceless Gift. Satan had represented the Father to the world in a false light, and by this great Gift his representations were proved untrue, for here was love without a parallel, proving that man was to be redeemed by an inconceivable cost. Satan had tried to obliterate the image of God in man in order that as God looked upon him in his wretchedness, in his perverseness, in his degradation, he might be induced to give him up as hopelessly lost. But the Lord gave his only-begotten Son in order that the most sinful, the most degraded, need not perish, but, by believing on Jesus Christ, may be reclaimed, regenerated, and restored to the image of God, and thus have eternal life.                                                                   -    {ST, November 20, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 1]       November 27, 1893 The True Sheep Respond to the Voice of  the Shepherd.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd."  {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 2]         In the East it is the custom of the shepherd to name his sheep, and as the sheep learn their names, they respond to the voice of the shepherd. The shepherd goes before them and leads them out, guiding them from the fold to the pasture. The sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd and follow him. Jesus declared himself to be the true shepherd, because he gave his life for the sheep. He says; "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."  {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 3]         Jesus spoke these words in the hearing of a large concourse of people, and a deep impression was made upon the hearts of many who listened. The scribes and Pharisees were filled with jealousy because he was regarded with favor by many. Among the multitude were also rulers, who were deeply impressed as they listened to his important words. While he represented himself as the True Shepherd, the Pharisees said, "He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?" But others distinguished the voice of the True Shepherd, and said:--  {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 4]         "These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."  {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 5]         With what firmness and power he uttered these words. The Jews had never before heard such words from human lips, and a convicting influence attended them; for it seemed that divinity flashed through humanity as Jesus said, "I and my Father are one." The words of Christ were full of deep meaning as he put forth the claim that he and the Father were of one substance, possessing the same attributes. The Jews understood his meaning, there was no reason why they should misunderstand, and they took up stones to stone him. Jesus looked upon them calmly and unshrinkingly, and said, "Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of these works do ye stone me?"  {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 6]         The Majesty of heaven stood, calmly assured, as a god before his adversaries. Their scowling faces, their hands filled with stones, did not intimidate him. He knew that unseen forces, legions of angels, were round about him, and at one word from his lips they would strike with dismay the throng, should they offer to cast upon him a single stone. He stood before them undaunted. Why did not the stones fly to the mark?--It was because divinity flashed through humanity, and they received a revelation, and were convicted that his were no common claims. Their hands relax and the stones fall to the ground. His words had asserted his divinity, but now his personal presence, the light of his eye, the majesty of his attitude, bore witness to the fact that he was the beloved Son of God.  {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, November 27, 1893 par. 7]         Had the Pharisees misunderstood his words, he could and would have corrected their wrong impression. He could have told them that he was no blasphemer, although he had called himself the Son of God, and that his words need not necessarily mean that he had invested himself with divine prerogatives, and made himself equal with the Father. But he made no such statement. The impression they had received was the very impression he desired to make. Jesus answered them: "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken; say ye of Him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him." Again the hatred and the wrath is stirred within the breast of the Jews, and they sought "to take him; but he escaped out of their hand, and went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle; but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there.                                                                   -    {ST, November 27, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 1]      December 4, 1893 Jesus the Good Shepherd.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them; but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them."  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 2]          Here it was demonstrated that a worse blindness than that of physical blindness closed the understanding of the Jewish people. By his infinite power Jesus could heal those who were physically blind, but those who were spiritually blind could not discern their need of enlightenment; for they thought themselves righteous. The treatment that Jesus received from those of his own nation is symbolic of the treatment he was to receive from the whole world. He lived in the world, and he had a deep, earnest love for the world, and especially for the Jewish nation. The question was brought to an issue that had been the point of controversy since the fall, concerning the character of God. Satan had charged God with exercising arbitrary power, and of alienating the human race from himself. Satan sowed seeds of enmity, and kept them well watered, in order that he might be successful in deluding souls, and thus triumph over Christ, making the gulf more deep and impassable between earth and heaven. He presented his falsehoods as truth, and became bold in transgression, seeking to wear out the goodness, mercy, and forbearance of God, to extinguish from his heart all love for man, and thus so exasperate divine justice that God would leave the world under Satanic jurisdiction. "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." Instead of being softened by the long patience of God, they encourage themselves in continual resistance.  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 3]          Satan took the field in person against Jesus Christ. Evil angels conspired with evil men to resist good, to trample upon righteousness, and all the energies of evil were confederated together to destroy the champion of God and truth. While success seems to attend the masterly activity of Satan, Jesus takes the field to contest his power. Jesus came "unto his own, and his own received him not." He was charged with an embassage of mercy, sent of the Father at a crisis when rebellion had overspread the world, in order that man should not perish, but have everlasting life through faith in the Son of God. Through Christ they were to bruise the serpent's head, and gain eternal life.  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 4]          Jesus was the truth, yet he was scorned as a deceiver. He was hunted from place to place as a malefactor. His own nation took the most active part in throwing contempt upon him. His friends, and even his own brethren, denied and forsook him. Every cruelty that an apostate angel could instigate was set in operation. He was buffeted with temptations, lacerated with stripes, crowned with thorns, mocked and derided as a false king, and at last crucified on the cross.  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 5]          Satan has kept up his system of cruelty, and still employs his planned agency of crookedness and deception, and accuses and condemns and tortures in order that he may control the conscience. While exercising his power in torturing those whom he controlled through demoniacal possession, he yet laid the blame of it upon the Lord God of heaven. He put his own interpretation on his Satanic actions, and charged God with being the author of all evil. In the parable of the shepherd Jesus puts his own interpretation on his work and mission, and represents himself as the good shepherd, feeding and taking charge of the sheep. He said, "He that entereth not in by the door ［by himself］ into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." Christ said that all who came before him claiming to be the Messiah were deceivers. At the time of Christ's coming there was much agitation concerning the appearance of the world's Messiah. The Jewish nation expected that a great deliverer would come, and there were men who took advantage of this expectation, turning it to the service of themselves, that they might be thereby profited and glorified. Prophecy had foretold that these deceivers would arise. The deceivers did not come in the way in which it was prophesied that the world's Redeemer should come; but Christ came, answering every specification. Types and symbols had represented him, and in him type met antitype. In the life, mission, and death of Jesus every specification was fulfilled.  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 6]          Jesus was the good shepherd to whom the porter openeth, who knows the sheep, calleth his own by name, and leadeth them out. He it is who is stronger than the thief and the robber, those who enter not in at the door, but climb up some other way. The Pharisees were not able to discern that this parable was spoken against them, the professed leaders of the people, pastors of the flock. Jesus presented himself in contrast to them, and when they reasoned in their hearts as to what he could mean by the parable, he said: "I am the door of the sheep. . . . By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Christ presented himself as the only one in whom were qualifications for making a good shepherd. He is represented as the "Chief Shepherd." Peter writes, "When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." Again he is called the great Shepherd. "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, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever." "But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 7]          The Pharisees had just cut one off from the fold because he had acknowledged that Jesus had wrought a wonderful miracle, and had opened his eyes. They had called the blind man to them after his healing and had said: "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner. He could never have wrought the miracle. As to this man doing the miracle, you are wrong. It is only a deception." But the restored man answered, "Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." Then they asked again, "What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? How hard they were to convince! How hard they tried to cover up with unbelief the mighty work of Jesus, and sought to persuade the man to disbelieve his own senses! They were false shepherds indeed, and sought to scatter the sheep. But the blind man who had been made to see answered their caviling, asking them if they too would be his disciples. They were indignant that this ignorant man should presume to teach them, and could scarcely find words to express their contempt. They were men who had been educated in the schools, and claimed to be expositors of the Scriptures. They were not to be thought of as disciples of any pretender, and declared themselves to be the disciples of Moses.  {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, December 4, 1893 par. 8]          But the man upon whom the miracle was wrought was not to be intimidated by their scorn, and said: "Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing." The indignation of the scribes and Pharisees knew no bounds. Gathering their robes about them, as though they feared contamination, shaking the dust from their feet against him, and treating him with the utmost contempt and derision, they said, "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?" And in no gentle manner they thrust him out of the synagogue. The sheep was cast out of the fold for being a living witness to the power of Christ. Many have been cast out of the church whose names were registered upon the book of life. Wolves in sheep's clothing were ready to cast out of the fold and devour one who was entitled to the Lord's pasture; but Jesus, the True Shepherd, sought him, and gave him a place within the fold.                                                                   -    {ST, December 4, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 1]       December 11, 1893 Truth Revealed to the Humble.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." The Lord Jesus presented the heavenly treasures to the Jewish people, but many of them would not receive them. The educated men thought themselves too wise to need instruction, too righteous to need salvation, too well honored to need the honor that Jesus would confer upon them in making them laborers together with God. In the scribes, Pharisees, and rulers, Jesus found not the bottles for his new wine. He was obliged to turn from them to humble men, whose hearts were not filled with envy, covetousness, and self-righteousness. The lowly fishermen obeyed the call of the divine Teacher, while the scribes and Pharisees refused to become converted.  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 2]          The disciples that Jesus called were uneducated, and were far from being perfect in character when Jesus united them with himself; but they were willing to learn from the greatest Teacher the world ever knew. They were truly converted men, and became the new bottles into which Jesus could pour the new wine of his kingdom. But though they were converted to Christ, yet, because of their limited earthly comprehension--the result of the teaching they had had from the Jews--they were unable fully to understand the spiritual nature of the truth he could impart. The burden of his instruction was the necessity of his followers having pure and holy hearts, for holiness alone would fit them to become subjects of his heavenly kingdom.  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 3]          The divine Sower scattered grains of precious seed, which we cannot see until a skillful laborer, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gathers them together and presents them to us as a complete system of truth, unfolding the depths of divine love. For all ages Jesus, the author of truth, through prophets and people, had presented truth upon truth to the Jews, from the pillar of cloud and fire. But the truth he had given had become mingled with error, and it was necessary to separate from the companionship of heresy and evil. It was necessary to readjust it in the framework of the gospel, in order that it might shine forth in its original luster and illuminate the moral darkness of the world. Wherever he found a gem of truth that had been lost from its setting, or had been marred with error, he reset it, and stamped upon it the signature of Jehovah. He proved himself to be the word and the wisdom of God.  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 4]          The commonplace matters of time and earth had engrossed the minds of the people at the time of Christ, just as Satan had designed that they should. Sin had expelled from the heart the love of God, and instead of the love of God there was found in the heart the love of the world, the love of sinful indulgence of evil passions. Christ alone could adjust the claims between heaven and earth. Man's vision had become blinded, because he did not keep in view the spiritual and eternal world. But the kind of teaching that Christ gave to the world did not harmonize with the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees; for their religion consisted in a round of forms and ceremonies, and the offering of sacrifices, which had been designed by Christ to keep his sacrifice in mind, had lost its significance. Unless the sacrifices were offered in faith, accompanied with contrition and humility, they were valueless in the eyes of God, and even an abomination to him. God repeatedly had declared that the sacrifices acceptable to him were a broken and a contrite heart. He said, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 5]          In Christ's perfection of character was found the ransom for the sinner, the way in which the rebel against God might be reconciled to God. Those who will submit to the drawing power of Christ, may be justified by a just God. Jesus is the ladder which Jacob saw. The base of this ladder rests upon the earth, in the human nature of our Lord, and its top reaches the throne of God, in his divinity. The light of the glory of God illuminates the whole ladder, and that light shines into every believing heart, enlightening, strengthening, encouraging. Angels of shining brightness ascend and descend upon this ladder, and minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Through the merit of Christ, intercourse between heaven and earth has been opened, and the system of sacrifices instituted at Adam's fall had no virtue except as they showed forth the great Mediator between God and man. Jesus was the true Sacrifice, who was to die for man's transgression. The sacrifice of Cain was rejected because it was not an offering that acknowledged the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world. In Cain's offering there was no confession of sin, no acknowledgment that he was in need of a Saviour. Today there are thousands and tens of thousands who are making the same mistake as did Cain, and as did the Pharisees in the days of Christ. They are trusting in self, and depending upon their own wisdom, and do not realize their own spiritual poverty. To them comes the Laodicean message: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 6]         As in the days of Christ, the Pharisees do not know their own spiritual destitution. The Lord 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." Faith and love are the gold tried in the fire. But with the Pharisees the gold has become dim, and the rich treasure has been lost. To them it is said: "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 7]          But while these messages of reproof are addressed to those who have backslidden, and who have left their first love, yet He who knows all things has given us this precious promise: "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." One who has been anointed with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, is able to lead every soul who will submit to be led, and He has trodden every step of the way before us. "If any man lack wisdom," let him lean upon his fellow-man?--No; "let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not."  {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, December 11, 1893 par. 8]          In the person and work of Christ the holiness of God is revealed; for Christ came to reveal the Father. Satan had cast his shadow athwart the pathway of humanity, and misrepresented the character of God. The controversy of Satan did not end when he was expelled from the courts of heaven. He hated Christ for his position in the courts of God, and he hated him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated him when he came to a ruined world, to show mercy and manifest his compassion toward a race of sinners. Through the chief priests and Pharisees the hatred of Satan was manifested toward the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.                                                                   -    {ST, December 11, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 1]       December 18, 1893 The Character to Be Tested.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         We are to form characters after the divine Model, Jesus Christ, and bring every power and capability of our natures into subordination to him in this life, that we may through him have a right hold of the future immortal life. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." Those who have a character that will be found worthy of a place in the kingdom of God, will be those who have become acquainted with God, who have obeyed the explicit directions given in his word. They will be entitled to a seat at the marriage supper of the Lamb.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 2]          The only way in which we can distinguish between the true Christian and the pretender to Christianity is by the fruit of the life. The works will testify whether or not Christ, the hope of glory, is formed within. Everyone who enters the kingdom of heaven will have been tested and proved. Judas was one who was favored in being associated with Christ and his disciples. He was with Jesus during the time of his public ministry, and he possessed qualities of character that would have made him a blessing to the church had he but submitted to the discipline that Jesus desired him to have. He was privileged to have the same advantages as did John and the other disciples, and might have been benefited by the education and training of the greatest Teacher the world ever knew.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 3]          In Christ he beheld a character that was pure, harmless, and undefiled, and his heart was drawn out in love for his Master. But the light that was shed upon him from the character of Christ, brought with it the responsibility of yielding up every natural or acquired trait that was not in harmony with the character of Christ. In this Judas did not stand the test. The love of the world was deeply rooted in his heart, and he did not give up his love for the world, nor surrender his ambition to Christ. He never came to the point of surrendering himself fully to Jesus. He felt that he could retain his own individual judgment and opinion. While he accepted the position of the minister of Christ, yet he never brought himself under the divine moulding of Christ. He clung to his objectionable traits of character, and indulged in his own sinful habits, and, instead of becoming pure and Christlike, he became selfish and covetous. Selfishness became the controlling power of his life.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 4]          Judas listened to the lessons which Christ gave to his disciples and to the multitudes, and he did not offer any opposition, or seem to question their importance. He made no outward murmur until the time that Mary anointed the feet of Jesus. The record says:  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 5]          "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein."  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 6]          In the circumstance of Mary's anointing Jesus' feet, the plague spot of Judas' character was revealed. The crisis had come in the life of Judas, and the ruling trait of character took its supremacy over every other trait. Covetousness, which is idolatry, had been cultivated, and had strengthened in his heart, and when temptation came upon him, he was held under its control. The temptations of Satan will ever thus meet a response from the elements of depravity that are in the human character that have not been resisted and overcome. The covetous greed that Judas had indulged for years, now held in control and overpowered every other characteristic of his nature. He harmonized with the drawings of Satan, and evil triumphed as he yielded to temptation. Although he was professedly a follower of Jesus, yet he was in heart strengthening the evil of his character. Jesus knew every transgression, and he now looked sorrowfully upon him who was numbered with the twelve, and who was yet not a doer of the words of Christ.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 7]          The disciples could not discern the evil of Judas' heart; only the eye of God could discern the hidden motive, the unholy desire. When an impure thought is welcomed, an unholy desire cherished, a rebellious purpose formed, the purity of the soul is stained and its innocence is ruined, temptations prevail, and hell triumphs. "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." A man is tempted to sin when some attractive object or indulgence is presented to him, and he is drawn to overstep principle, and to violate his conscience in doing that which he knows to be wrong. This was what Judas was doing. He had no oil in his vessel with his lamp. He professed to have a deep interest in the welfare of the poor, but all his professions were pretenses, mere hypocrisy. He wanted to give others the impression that he was a very pious man, but the fact was that he was nothing else than a self-conceited sinner.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 8]          It was his day to seek grace and purity and holiness; but he failed to seek them. He did not cultivate humility, and die to the world. He did not cultivate hope and love, and manifest pure devotion to God. He did not obtain a strong, noble character, full of faith and holy endeavor, but permitted the wild, unsanctified elements of character to prevail. During his whole life he continually repeated acts of selfishness, though wearing the garb of religion.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 9]          Those who are satisfied in having merely a form of religion, who do not carry out the lessons of Christ in their practical life, make manifest the weakness of their character when trial and temptation come upon them, and they prove that they were not Christians. Every duty that is performed in love to Jesus, in simplicity and humility, divested of all selfishness, has its effect on the character and shapes it after the divine Model. Through faithfulness in the Christian life the soul is braced to withstand sudden assaults of temptation; for the true Christian learns to depend upon Christ for strength and grace. When the first temptation is met and resisted, the second is more easily met and resisted. We may be able to resist every temptation that assails the heart by calling upon our mighty Deliverer.  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 10]          It is not in the power of Satan to force anyone to sin. Sin is the sinner's individual act. Before sin exists in the heart, the consent of the will must be given, and as soon as it is given, sin is triumphant, and hell rejoices. But there is no excuse for sin, either great or little. Christ has been provided as the tempted one's refuge. "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved 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 succor them that are tempted."  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 10}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 11]          "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. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 11}
[ST, December 18, 1893 par. 12]          Temptation is not sin, and is no indication that God is displeased with us. The Lord suffers us to be tempted, but he measures every temptation, and apportions it according to our power to resist and overcome evil. It is in time of trial and temptation that we are enabled to measure the degree of our faith and trust in God, and to estimate the stability of our Christian character. If we are easily jostled and overcome, we should be alarmed; for our strength is small. Let us consider the words of comfort that have been left on record for our instruction: "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." God has apportioned the temptation in proportion to the strength he can supply, and he never permits us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist or to endure. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation." "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." Through prayer and the word of God we shall be enabled to overcome temptation.                                                                   -    {ST, December 18, 1893 par. 12}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 1]       December 25, 1893 "Walk in the Spirit."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another." Many are deceiving their own souls, because, while they assent to the truth, they fail to become sanctified through the truth. To have a right religious experience it is essential not only to have an intelligent idea as to what is the theory of truth, but the heart and mind must be trained, and the habits must be in harmony with the expressed will of God. The word, the requirements of God, must be studied; for if we weave into our experience incorrect principles, we shall cherish false ideas as to what constitutes a Christian, and shall not be found obeying the voice of God. We cannot spiritually discern the character of God, or accept of Jesus Christ by faith, unless our life and character are marked by purity, by the casting down of imaginations, and of every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and by bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 1}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 2]          It is sin that has dragged down and degraded the faculties of the soul; but through faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, we may be restored to holiness and truth. All who would learn of Christ must be emptied of human wisdom. The soul must be cleansed from all vanity and pride, and vacated by all that has held it in prepossession, and Christ must be enthroned in the heart. The constant strife in the soul that results from selfishness and self-sufficiency must be rebuked, and humility and meekness must take the place of our natural self-esteem. I am pained beyond measure when I see men and women professing the name of Christ, and yet manifesting not the Spirit of Christ; for I know that they are dwelling in fatal delusion. Many are satisfied with a mere semblance of religion, and they have no experimental knowledge of the virtues of Christ, no vital connection with Jesus. They listen to the most searching presentation of truth, but make no application of the truth to their own souls, because they are clothed with a garment of self-righteousness. Every salutary impression is warded off with the thought that they are Christians, and that the close, searching appeals are not meant for them. The most solemn message from the great Teacher through his delegated servants is lost upon them, because they do not see the need of any such warning or appeal. They have not come to the point of realizing that they are sick and in need of a physician. Christ said, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 2}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 3]          Solemn conviction of sin will lead individuals to tremble at the word of God, and surrender their ways, their ideas, and their will to God. I tremble when I see so many who feel perfectly contended. They will admit that they have little experience in religious things, and when given an opportunity to gain an experience, they do not advance, because they do not feel their need, and so the matter ends where it began; for they do not seek divine enlightenment with true contrition of soul.  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 3}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 4]          It is only at the altar of God that we kindle the taper with holy fire. It is only the divine light that will reveal the littleness, the incompetence of human ability, and give clear, distinct views of the perfection and purity of Jesus Christ. It is only as we behold Jesus that we desire to become like him. It is only as we view his righteousness that we hunger and thirst to possess it. It is only as we ask in earnest prayer, in humility and simplicity, as a little child asks an earthly parent for some good thing, that God will grant unto us our heart's desire. Such prayer is heard and answered. The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that earnestly desire it, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. Christ has promised the Holy Spirit to guide us unto all truth and righteousness and holiness. The Holy Spirit is not given by measure to those who earnestly seek for it, who by faith stand upon the promises of God. They plead the pledged word of God, saying, "Thou hast said it. I take thee at thy word."  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 4}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 5]          The Comforter is given that he may take of the things of Christ and show them unto us, that he may present in their rich assurance the words that fell from his lips, and convey them with living power to the soul who is obedient, who is emptied of self. It is then that the soul receives the image and superscription of the divine. Then Jesus Christ is formed within the hope of glory.  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 5}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 6]          "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Those who are called to be shepherds of the flock of God are called to be laborers together with God. The Lord Jesus is the great Worker, and he prayed to his Father that his followers might be sanctified through the truth. If we are doers of the word of God, we shall understand that we cannot retain any sinful habit, or indulge in any crooked or guileful way. His truth, his word, must be brought with divine power into our human hearts, and we must purify our hearts by obeying the truth. We must renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty, all craftiness and Satanic wiles. We must be where we shall be enabled to discern the snares of him who lieth in wait to deceive. Sin must be sensed in its true, hateful character, and expelled from the soul. All who preach the word in verity and truth can afford to be fair in its presentation. We are not to be deceitful in any way. Not handling the word of God deceitfully, we are to let the cross of Christ stand in prominence in all our teaching. We are not to hide the gospel, or cover the cross of Christ with ornamental roses, and thus make the preaching of it of no effect. Let no one shun the cross of self-denial. Make the instruction plain as to what it means to be a Christian. "If any man will come after me," said Jesus, "let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me". "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." Food is the substance of which we partake, that our bodies may be strengthened and built up. In like manner we are to feed upon that which will build up our spiritual nature. Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Our bodies are composed of that upon which we feed; so our spiritual life will be composed of that upon which we feed. If we feed on Christ, by thinking of him, by obeying his words, we are built up in him, and grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth unto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. "Receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 6}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 7]          As God works in us to will, we are to cooperate with God, manifesting a determination like that of Daniel to do the will of God, working in harmony with the divine Agent. Then we shall have rest in God. Teachers of the word of God are not to keep back any part of the counsel of God, lest the people shall be ignorant of their duty, and not understand what is the will of God concerning them, and stumble and fall into perdition. But while the teacher of truth should be faithful in presenting the gospel, let him never pour out a mass of matter which the people cannot comprehend because it is new to them and hard to understand. Take one point at a time, and make that one point plain, speaking slowly and in a distinct voice. Speak in such a way that the people shall see what is the relation of that one point to other truths of vital importance. Every man who becomes a teacher must also become a learner, and daily sit at the feet of Jesus. It is impossible for anyone to rightly divide the word of truth, unless he earnestly seeks wisdom from on high that he may understand what is taught in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit must attend the word spoken to the heart. It will be difficult to create prejudice in the hearts of those who are seeking for truth as for hidden treasure, if the speaker will hide himself in Christ; for he will then reveal Christ, not himself.  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 7}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 8]          "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." But though God has set these different laborers in the church, there is to be no neglect on the part of one in the performance of duty. Let no one neglect to give faithful and plain instruction upon tithing. Let there be instruction as to giving to the Lord that which he claims as his own; for the commendation of the Lord will not rest upon a people who rob him in tithes and offerings. There will be need of often setting before the people their duty in this matter, that they may render unto God his own. Let the one who first presents the truth be faithful in presenting this duty, and let him also who follows up the interest, make plain the requirement of God on tithing, that the people may see that in all points the laborers are teaching the same truth, and are of one mind in urging them to yield obedience to all the requirements of God.  {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 8}
[ST, December 25, 1893 par. 9]          But let laborers have discretion, and not give strong meat to those who are as babes, but feed them with the sincere milk of the word. In no case mingle your own spirit and ideas with the truth, and cover up the precepts of God by traditions or suppositions. Let the people have the truth as it is in Jesus, and do not mingle it with concoctions of your own devising, for your presentation of the truth will taste so strongly of self that it will disgust the hearers. Be able to say with Paul: "I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." There is most earnest work to be done in order that you may so search the Scriptures that you may be able to declare unto those with whom you meet the whole counsel of God.                                                                   -    {ST, December 25, 1893 par. 9}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 1]       January 1, 1894 Christ Seeks the Lost through Human  Agents.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 2]          The scribes and Pharisees had built up a wall of separation between their nation and every other people. They passed by the publicans and sinners, as though communication with them would bring upon them some moral defilement. Imagine their contempt of Christ when he received publicans and sinners and ate with them. The Lord desired to break down the wall of separation; for he loved the souls who had never known a better way. He is no respecter of persons, and willeth not the death of any sinner, but would that all men might come unto him and live.  {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 3]          In this age, as then, there are lost sheep to be sought and saved. There are many who need personal labor. No prophet, like John the Baptist, has cried out the message of warning to them. No one has pointed them to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." But this is not because the Lord has no interest in these souls who are ready to perish, represented as lost sheep. But the Lord is not chargeable with any neglect on his part. Look to Calvary and answer decidedly, No, no. The Lord has made every provision to save men in giving his Son. Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily. When he claimed the highest prerogatives, he did not make an empty boast. Yet when he was among men, he did not call together a concourse of people, and sound a trumpet before him, and command attention. The great Teacher came in simplicity, though he was the light of the world. He taught the people in plain, simple words, which all could understand. He said, "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. . . . My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." "All things that the Father hath are mine." With the familiarity and ease of eternal habitude, Jesus lays his hand on the throne of God.  {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 4]          In giving Jesus to the world God gave all heaven in one gift. Then why is it, when God has left nothing undone that could be done, that there are not more brought from darkness to light?--It is because the human will does not cooperate with the divine intelligences. If the Lord's will and way were carried out, humanity would be reached through humanity, and every lost prodigal would be brought home, and saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who tasted death for every man. Sin would no longer exist. But it is humanity that bars the way. It is for lack of the copartnership of man, because of rebellion, that the way is blocked up. The revelation of God's truth comes to us through human agents. Christ came to the world as the Son of Man. This was the only way in which he could reach humanity. Jesus enters into humanity, that through his power and grace humanity may become partaker of the divine nature. "Ye are laborers together with God." Man must cooperate with Jesus Christ, and through earnest endeavor work out his own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. Man works out what God works in, not by means of finite endeavor, but by the strength imparted through the divine nature. Those who are building up a Christlike character, will not, cannot, withhold their interest from the work of aiding Christ in seeking and saving that which is lost.  {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 5]          The Jews looked upon the whole world as cursed, and Satan claimed the world. He claimed the publicans and sinners as his own subjects, but Christ came to dispute his claims and challenge his usurped authority. In this work man is brought into cooperation with God, and is to work as God works for the salvation of fallen men. What are we individually doing to let our light shine forth to others? It is the neglect of men in failing to cooperate with Jesus that leaves the world so long unreclaimed. Jesus has said of his followers, "As Thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world." As Christ represented the Father, so he has commissioned his believing ones to represent him in character. We are to show forth his self-denial and self-sacrifice, and to establish his kingdom in righteousness. We are to speak the words that Christ has spoken, and do the works that Christ has done. The work of Christ was not to destroy, but to save. He gave his disciples lessons that are of the highest value; for through their words many are to come to the knowledge of Bible truth, and teach others also the lessons which they have learned. The disciples were to know that they were not simply combating the influence of finite enemies, but that they were also contending with demons. Light and darkness were in opposition, truth and delusion, good and evil, heaven and hell. Satanic supernatural agencies were united with evil men to corrupt and destroy.  {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 6]          The publicans and sinners, so despised by the Pharisees, were drawn to Christ, and their hearts were awakened to ask, "What is truth?" The Pharisees, closed their eyes and their ears lest they should see and hear and be converted from the error of their ways, and thus be saved. Heavenly intelligences watched the battle with awe and reverence. As those who are lost, and bound by Satan, struggle to burst the bands that enchain them, they are led to fly to Christ, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The sinful, repenting soul becomes hopeful, follows Jesus, and catches the words from his lips. Heaven looks upon the scene with rejoicing; but the scribes and Pharisees look on with lowering brow and with sneering, contemptuous words.  {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, January 1, 1894 par. 7]          What a contrast is the attitude of the Pharisees to that of the angels! The angels look upon Jesus as the Commander of heaven, the Son of the highest, and see him contending with the prince of darkness. The prize for which they are battling is the human soul, for which Christ has come to die, that he may redeem the lost. It is well to contemplate the divine condescension, the sacrifice, the self-denial, the humiliation, the resistance the Son of God must encounter in doing his work for fallen men. Well may we come forth from contemplation of his sufferings, exclaiming, Amazing condescension! Angels marvel as with intense interest they watch the Son of God descending step by step the path of humiliation. It is the mystery of godliness. It is the glory of God to conceal himself and his ways, not by keeping men in ignorance of heavenly light and knowledge, but by surpassing the uttermost capacity of men to know. Humanity can comprehend in part, but that is all that man can bear. The love of Christ passes knowledge. The mystery of redemption will continue to be the mystery, the unexhausted science and everlasting song of eternity. Well may humanity exclaim, Who can know God? We may, as did Elijah, wrap our mantles about us, and listen to hear the still, small voice of God.                                                                   -    {ST, January 1, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 1]      January 8, 1894 The Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment  Unchanged.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.         The commandment for Sabbath observance reads: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle; not thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 2]          The Sabbath commandment is placed in the very bosom of the Decalogue, amid the unchangeable precepts of Jehovah. And yet from many pulpits of our land a contemptuous cry is raised against the Sabbath instituted by the Lord God of heaven, and it is stigmatized as "the old Jewish Sabbath." Let all who are seeking for truth remember that the Sabbath was instituted in Eden before there was a Jew in existence, and that the Saviour said, "The Sabbath was made for man." The fourth commandment was spoken with the other nine of God's moral precepts, amid the thunders and grandeur of Mount Sinai, and in the holy of holies in the heavenly sanctuary above, is the ark of God. It is called the "ark of the testament," and under its cover,--the mercy seat,--are the ten commandments that were written with the finger of God.  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 3]          On the tables of the law, written with the finger of the infinite God, is the fourth commandment. Does the commandment read, "The first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God?"--No, it reads: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested ［the first day?］ the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day; and hallowed it." Thus it reads today in the sacred law as engraven by the finger of God, and thus it is preserved in the ark in the temple of God in heaven.  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 4]         The institution of the Sabbath was made when the foundation of the earth was laid, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Like the other nine precepts of the law, it is of imperishable obligation. It is the memorial of God's creative power, the reminder of his exalted work. The fourth commandment occupies a sacred position in the law, and bears the same hallowed nature as do the other great moral precepts of God. God has stamped it with his divine authority as a law of his eternal government. No change can come to it, nothing can alter the thing that has gone out of his lips, or lessen in any degree its sacred obligation. The law of the Sabbath is placed in the very midst of the Decalogue, and walled in with the sacred immutability of truth, justice, and holiness.  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 5]          The fall of Adam was a terrible thing, and the consequences of his sin so fraught with evil that language cannot portray it. By his disobedience of the divine law, the world was thrown into disorder and rebellion. Because of his disobedience, man was under the penalty of breaking the law, doomed to death. The only definition given in the word of God as to what is sin, is found in 1 John 3:4: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." The law of God is that standard by which character is to be measured in the judgment. Do those who are contending that the first day of the week should be observed instead of the day commanded by Jehovah, understand what they are doing? Do they realize that they are leading men to trample upon one of the precepts of Jehovah?  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 6]          What significance has the Sabbath if its observance is transferred to the first day of the week? God gave it to men as a memorial of his creative work in six days and his rest upon the seventh. "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. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you; everyone that defileth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 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 forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God."  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 7]          Satan, the apostle, the rebel against the government of God, has proposed to obliterate the fourth commandment, which brings to view the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and, instead of the Sabbath, he designs to cause all men to honor a common working day. God blessed the seventh day, he rested upon it and sanctified it for man's observance, but Satan is determined to set aside the claims of the Sabbath, and cause men to accept a spurious sabbath. The excuse for refusing to observe the Sabbath of God's appointment is often made that it does not make any difference upon which day we rest, so long as it is one day in the seven. But it makes every difference upon which day you rest. Resting upon the day God commanded reveals the fact that you honor the Maker of heaven and earth; but disregarding that fact makes it evident that you do not honor God or obey his commandment to "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Your non-observance of the memorial of creation shows that you place no merit upon the day that has been sanctified and blessed, and think that you will be excused if you observe the day that has been appointed by the Papacy, which has exalted itself above God and all that is worshiped.  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 8]          You accept a common working day instead of the day that has been sanctified and blessed, but in thus doing you offer positive insult to the God of heaven. In holding to an observance commanded by the Papal Church, you exalt the opinions and traditions of men above the commandments of the God of heaven.  {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, January 8, 1894 par. 9]          The Lord understood in just what lines the enemy would work in seeking to tear down his memorial, thus destroying from the minds of men the reminder of his creative work and rest. But to his children he has given this message,--that the Sabbath shall have such significance in their eyes that they will not be moved away from obedience to his requirements: "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. . . . It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." "And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God."                                                                   -    {ST, January 8, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 1]       January 15, 1894 "This Man Receiveth Sinners."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 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? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 2]          The scribes and Pharisees prided themselves upon the idea that they were God's chosen people, and they were filled with self-righteousness. "Christ came unto his own, and his own received him not." He did not flatter the Pharisees or exalt them in any way. He received the publicans and sinners whom the Jews heartily despised, and, because his lessons of humility, compassions, and love rebuked their selfishness and pride, they would none of him, but turned from him in scorn. They made great ostentation, wore long robes, and stood praying on the corners of the streets, but none of these pretensions to piety awed the great Teacher or drew from him one word of approval. They flattered themselves, but he did not flatter them. The teaching of Christ was against all vanity and pride, for these were abhorrent to the Most High. It is the humble and the contrite whose prayers are heard in heaven. The Lord declares that he knoweth the proud afar off. He says, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 3]          When the scribes and Pharisees saw the publicans and sinners following Christ and listening with living interest to his teaching, they could not tolerate either teacher or listeners. They hated Christ and said, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." By this accusation they thought to make the false impression that Jesus loved the association of those who were sinful and defiled, and was insensible to their wickedness. To this reproach Jesus replied by the parable of the lost sheep. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 4]          The parable of the lost sheep places man in the position of one who is helpless and undone. All are lost unless they are transformed in character. The lost condition of the sheep necessitates the coming of the True Shepherd, that, at any cost to himself, he may seek and save those that are perishing. Those who are wise in their own conceit do not realize the position in which they are placed by this parable. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost. Doth not the shepherd leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it?  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 5]         In giving his only-begotten Son to save us, the Lord God shows what is the estimate he puts upon man. To the question, What is the price of the soul of man? the answer is, The life of the only-begotten Son of God. And as Christ came to save man, high or low, rich or poor, white or black, are any to be treated with contempt? Satan has studied to lay in ruins the image of God, and, through intemperance and sin, obliterate all trace of his character in man. Christ came, clothing his divinity with humanity, that he might meet humanity and not extinguish humanity by divinity. He came to save the lost sheep, and became a servant in lowly ministry to lift up the lowly.  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 6]          The science of salvation is a grand theme, and all the glory of restoring the image of God in man is to be laid at the feet of the Eternal. Holy angels have left the royal courts, and have come down to earth to encamp in the valleys in chariots of fire, a vast army, not to despise, not to rule, or require man to worship them, but to minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation. Could human eyes be opened, they would see in times of danger when Satan goes forth as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, that heavenly beings encamp around the little flock who love and fear God.  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 7]         The heavenly Shepherd left the ninety and nine to seek the lost one. However dark the night, however severe the tempest, the Shepherd goes forth, at every step calling by name his lost sheep, until he hears its terrified, faint, and dying cry. Then he hunts amid the dangerous places, crosses the tangled briers, and finds his sheep. He rescues it from peril, places it on his shoulder, and with rejoicing returns to the fold. At every step he cries, "Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. "And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."  {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, January 15, 1894 par. 8]          Could we see the heavenly angels watching with intense interest the steps of the Shepherd as he goes into the desert to seek and to save the lost, what wonder would fill our hearts! "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons ［in their own estimation］, which need no repentance." It is he who is sick who feels the need of physician, and the mission of Christ to the world was to seek and to save those who were perishing. "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."                                                                   -    {ST, January 15, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 1]       January 22, 1894 A Representation of God's Love for the  Sinner.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         In the parable of the shepherd seeking for the lost sheep is a representation of the tender patience, perseverance, and great love of God. As we contemplate the unselfish love of God, our hearts well up with gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving. We praise him for the priceless gift of his only-begotten Son. There is no animal so helpless and bewildered as is the sheep that has strayed away from the fold. If the wanderer is not sought for by the compassionate shepherd, it will never find its way back to the fold. The shepherd must take it in his arms himself, and bear it to the fold. This care on the part of the shepherd, and helplessness on the part of the sheep, represent God's care for the sinner and the condition of the soul that has wandered away from God. He is as helpless as the poor lost sheep, and, unless divine love comes to his rescue, he will never find his way to the Father's house.  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 2]          There is no possible way in which, of himself, man may recover his purity. The natural powers are perverted. Jesus, the good Shepherd, says, "I know my sheep, and am known of mine." The Pharisees were ready to accuse and condemn Jesus, because he did not, like themselves, repulse and condemn the publicans and sinners. The Pharisees put their trust in the law, and yet Jesus declared they did not keep the law. They thought that the law would justify them, and they would not consider the compassion and mercy that Jesus presented in his lessons as necessary to be brought into their practical life. Jesus came to the world to erect the cross, and beneath it all publicans and sinners may find refuge, and the Pharisees also may find peace, but only on the same terms by which those thought to be the greatest sinners may come to Christ.  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 3]          "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Christ never invited the wicked to come to him to be saved in their sins, but to be saved from their sins. Oh, what hope does this give the sinner, for there is a way whereby he may return to his Father's house! The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shine upon his pathway, making it the royal path of holiness. The scribes and Pharisees can be saved only by entering in at the door of the sheepfold, --through faith in Jesus Christ.  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 4]          The mercy and compassion of Christ stand out in clear contrast beside the indifference of the Sadducees and the contempt of the Pharisees toward those they looked upon as inferior to themselves. Christ did not ordain the plan of salvation for any one people or nation. He said: "I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Christ is not only the propitiation for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. The value of the offering of Jesus Christ cannot be estimated; yet, by beholding the sufferings of the Son of God on Calvary, we may obtain some idea of the value at which God estimates the world. The value of the offering was deemed sufficient to save every soul from Adam's time down to the close of earth's history. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Salvation is proffered to all men. The Jews, the Greeks, the Gentiles, the bond, the free, all tribes and nations, may come to Christ.  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 5]          But while heaven rejoices over the restoration of one lost sheep, the scribes and Pharisees looked upon Jesus with contempt, and the result of his expressed compassion and love led them to determine to kill him. When the Lord works through human instrumentalities, and they are moved with power from above, Satan leads his agents to cry, "Fanaticism," and to warn the servants of God not to go to extremes. Let all be careful how they raise this cry; for, while there is spurious coin, the value of the genuine is unreduced. Because there are many spurious revivals and spurious conversions, it does not follow that all revivals are to be held in suspicion. Shall we have no reason to rejoice on earth when angels rejoice in heaven? Will not those who claim to be children of God stand in harmony with the angels of heaven in their rejoicing? Let them not voice the words and reveal the contempt expressed by the Pharisees as they said, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." We have abundant reason given by our Lord to make us afraid of sneering at his work in the conversion of souls. The manifestation of God's renewing grace on sinful man, pronounced in heaven as genuine, causing angels to rejoice, has by many through unbelief been termed fanaticism, and the messenger through whom God has worked has been spoken of as one having zeal not according to knowledge.  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 6]          Let every desponding, distrustful soul take courage, even though he may have done wickedly. Read the parable of the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and the prodigal son, and take courage. You are not to think that perhaps God will pardon your transgressions, and permit you to approach into his presence, but you are to remember that it is God who has made the first advance, that he has come forth to seek you while you were still in rebellion against him. With the tender heart of the shepherd, he has left the ninety and nine, and gone out into the wilderness to seek his wandering one. His lost sheep is precious to his heart of love, and he will bring back every wanderer to his Father's house who will let him do so. In the return of the lost sheep to the fold not only does the shepherd rejoice, but the angels also rejoice over the restoration of the wanderer more than over the ninety and nine who think themselves just persons.  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 7]          Try to contemplate the rejoicing of heaven over the success of the Shepherd in finding the one that was lost, and in no case be intimidated by the indifference, the contempt, and scorn of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus said: "Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."  {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, January 22, 1894 par. 8]          If diligent search was made by the woman who had lost a piece of silver only, should there not be persevering effort made by those who are seeking to save the human soul, and as much more diligent effort made as the human soul is of greater value than is the piece of silver? How is it that greater zeal is manifested in obtaining the common things of life than is manifested in saving the soul for whom Christ has died? Is not the saving of the lost a work that should arouse every dormant faculty of our being? If the ardor and enthusiasm encouraged as necessary to the success of attaining worldly things is not commendable in seeking the salvation of the lost, which has a twofold object,--to bless and to make us a blessing,--what is? Through conversion we are personally placed in vital connection with Jesus Christ, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Every truly converted person carries about with him that which signifies and proves the power of Christianity upon the human soul. The search for the piece of silver was diligent; but of how much greater diligence should be our search for the lost, since every soul who lays hold of Jesus Christ by faith is capable of the highest achievements, and, if obedient and faithful, will have life that measures with the life of God, and live through eternal ages.                                                                   -    {ST, January 22, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 1]       January 29, 1894 The Prodigal Son.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And he said, A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry. . . . Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in; therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends; but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 2]          It was to answer the accusation of the scribes and Pharisees to the effect that Jesus chose the companionship of sinners that he spake the parables concerning the lost sheep, the lost silver, and the prodigal son, and in these presentations showed that his mission to the world was not to make miserable, not to condemn and destroy, but to recover that which was lost. This was the reason he did not exclude himself from those who were sinful. These were the very ones that needed a Saviour. The Pharisees felt that they had need of nothing to make them spiritually perfect. They were just in their own eyes, and felt no need of repentance, and they condemned Christ in his work of seeking to save those who felt themselves lost and undone.  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 3]          The prodigal son was not a dutiful son, not one who would please his father, but one who desired his own way. He wished to follow the dictates of his own inclination, and was tired of counsel and advice from the father who loved him, and who only wished him to act in such a way that his happiness would be insured. The tender sympathy and love of his father were misinterpreted, and the more patient, kind, and benevolent the father acted, the more restless the son became. He thought his liberty was restricted, for his idea of liberty was wild license, and as he craved to be independent of all authority, he broke loose from all the restraint of his father's house, and soon spent his fortune in riotous living. A great famine arose in the country in which he sojourned, and in his hunger he would fain have filled himself with the husks that the swine did eat.  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 4]          This was the result that followed this youth's impetuous course. He did not know that the best place in the world is home; for the home atmosphere had become disagreeable to him, because he could not be as independent as he desired. Any place looked better to him than home. Evil companions helped to plunge him deeper and deeper into sin, and a false excitement was kept up, and he imagined that he was happy in being free from all restraint. He had no one now to say: "Do not do that; for you will do injury to yourself. Do this, because it is right." But when his means failed, and he was obliged to take time to consider, he found himself without the bare necessities of life; and, to make his situation more trying, a famine had come upon the land.  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 5]          Starvation stared him in the face, and he joined himself to a citizen of the place. He was sent to do the most menial of work,--to feed the swine. Although this to a Jew was the most disreputable of callings, yet he was willing to do anything, so great was his need. Miserable and suffering, he sat in the fields doing his task. Because he had been unwilling to submit to the restraint of home, he now had the place of the lowest of servants. He had left home for liberty, but his liberty had been turned into the lowest of drudgery.  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 6]          Where now is his riotous joy? Stilling his conscience, benumbing his sensibilities, he had thought himself happy in scenes of revelry; but now, with money spent, with pride humbled, with his moral nature dwarfed, with his will weak and unreliable, with his finer feelings seemingly dead, he is the most wretched of mortals. He is suffering keen hunger, and cannot fill his want, and, under these circumstances, he remembers that his father has bread enough and to spare, and resolves to go to his father. He says: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 7]          Having made this decision, he does not wait to make himself more respectable. It seems that the only way to save his life is to return; for there is bread in his father's house, and he is perishing with hunger. "And when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." The father sees before him one who is on the verge of starvation, and with the marks of dissipation upon him; but this does not make him hesitate. He covers him with his own robe. And the son says, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son;" but the father brings him into the house, and says to the servants, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 8]          The home looks just as it did when he left it; but what a difference there is in himself. How could he have abused his father's love, and have chosen his own way? The father has no words of upbraiding to offer, and, though the son wept out his repentance, the father thought only of rejoicing, weeping with joy on the neck of his son. The father does not give him a chance to say, "Make me as one of thy hired servants." The welcome he receives assures him that he is reinstated to the place of son.  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 9]          Is not the reception of the prodigal son a representation of the way in which the Lord receives the repenting sinner? In the cross of Calvary mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Every penitent feels himself enfolded in the arms of the Heavenly Father. There is no taunting, no casting up of his evil course. He realizes that he is met by the Lord--"the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 10]          "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in; therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends; but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 10}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 11]          Mark the points in the parable: The elder brother coming from the field, hearing the sound of rejoicing, inquires what it all means, and is told of the return of his brother, and how the fatted calf has been killed to provide for the feast. Then is revealed in the elder brother selfishness, pride, envy, and malignity. He feels that favor to the prodigal is an insult to himself, and the father remonstrates with him, but he will not look upon the matter in the right light, nor will he unite with the father in rejoicing that the lost is found. He gives the father to understand that, had he been in the father's place, he would not have received the son back, and forgets that the poor prodigal is his own brother. He speaks with disrespect to his father, charging him with injustice to himself, while he shows favor to one who has wasted his living. He speaks of the prodigal to his father as "this thy son." Yet, notwithstanding all this unfilial conduct, his expressions of contempt and arrogance, the father deals patiently and tenderly with him. He presents before the elder son the facts of the case, and vindicates his course of action toward the returned wanderer, and seeks to awaken tenderness in the heart of the brother.  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 11}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 12]          Did the elder son finally come to see his unworthiness of so kind and considerate a father? Did he come to see that, though his brother had done wickedly, he was his brother still, that their relationship had not altered? and did he repent of his jealousy, and ask his father's forgiveness for so misrepresenting him to his face?  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 12}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 13]          How true a representation was the action of this elder son of unrepenting and unbelieving Israel, who refused to acknowledge that the publicans and sinners were their brethren, who should be forgiven, and should be sought for, labored for, and not left to perish, but led to have everlasting life! How beautiful is this parable as it illustrates the welcome that every repentant soul will receive from the Heavenly Father! With what joy will the heavenly intelligences rejoice to see souls returning to their Father's house! The sinners will meet with no reproach, no taunt, no reminder of their unworthiness. All that is required is penitence. The Psalmist says, "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise." "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."  {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 13}
[ST, January 29, 1894 par. 14]          "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"                                                                   -    {ST, January 29, 1894 par. 14}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 1]       February 5, 1894 God's Love Unmeasured.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." From Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, beam forth rays of life and light. Would you have Jesus lift upon you the health and light of his countenance?--Then turn your face toward him, and look and live. Talk of Jesus; dwell on his matchless charms; eat of the bread of life; take of the water of life freely. Do you desire to love God supremely and your fellow-men as Jesus loved them?--Keep your heart in meditation upon the spotless character of Christ. His divine heart was moved with compassion and love for suffering humanity. His love cannot be fathomed, except as we take in the sacrifice made on Calvary. Through the renunciation of all selfishness, we need to be able to comprehend what is the height and depth and length and breadth of the love of God, which passeth knowledge.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 2]          If we constantly cherish the love of Christ, we shall have the love that cannot be repressed. We shall love the atmosphere of light and love and truth and righteousness. We shall be constantly inquiring after truth, and, knowing that there is such a wealth of precious ore of truth to be found, we shall not grasp for thorns and thistles. Humbly and sincerely we shall search after divine knowledge, realizing that all we can carry with us to heaven is that which is akin to heaven. We shall know that it is very poor policy to be cultivating ourselves in the art of seeing everything that is objectionable, for all the knowledge of God that we can here obtain we shall carry with us to heaven. We can safely cultivate purity, love, and devotion to God and our Redeemer. The love of God must be planted in the heart in this life, and it will enable us to have happiness, and joy, and peace, because the kingdom of heaven will be set up in our hearts. Heaven is to begin on earth. The word of God will reveal to us whatsoever is real and abiding, and these permanent excellences will find a place in our hearts, so that we may now have within us the perfection of heaven.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 3]          Can anyone think it possible that pride can exist in the heart and yet that heart have a place in the kingdom of God? It was pride that caused the fall of Satan. His heart was lifted up because of his beauty. All his wisdom and glory were the gift of God; but the very gift bestowed by the generous love of God was perverted to wrong use in exalting himself, as if his glorious endowments were something that he himself had originated. At that time no pride had been before manifested, and the results of evil had not been made manifest. Pride will never be admitted into heaven. Can we cherish envy in our hearts and yet be found in the kingdom of God?--No; envy cannot be transplanted into the kingdom of God. Satan originated this terrible evil, and its result was that Satan desired and sought to take the place of the only-begotten Son of God. It was because he could not have the place of Christ that Satan revolted in heaven.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 4]          Heart burnings, unhappiness, result where unlawful yearnings are cherished for the place and position of another. He who is full of envy looks upon the one he envies with dislike and seeks to show himself superior to his rival; unless he sees and repents of his sin, he will grudge against the one he envies, and all love of Christ will die out of his heart. Can one who cherishes envy be permitted to enter into the kingdom of heaven?--No; for envy brings evil surmisings, deception, pride, accusations, and enmity, and all these have been expelled from heaven. Unless we are divested of all that is evil, we shall not enter into the kingdom of God, but will find ourselves shut out of its gates.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 5]          What is it that will gain us an entrance into the kingdom of God?--A character after the likeness of that of Jesus Christ. The Lord God has given to the world all opportunity, all privilege, the grace of the Holy Spirit, the gift of Jesus Christ, in order that we might have a character like that of our Lord, and find abundant entrance into the kingdom of God. Christ's mission to the world made it evident that the human race was standing under the menace of incensed justice, on the verge of eternal ruin, in helplessness and ignorance. To our help Jesus came, bringing the fullest assurance of relief. What has the Father done?--"God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 6]          The question has been asked, "Would not a lesser gift from God have been adequate for the redemption of lost man?" "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." The question is unanswerable, and it is not profitable for us to spend our time in making conjectures. All our thoughts and imaginations will not alter in the least any part of the plan of redemption devised from all eternity. God loved the world to such an extent that he gave full and complete evidence of the fact. He did not leave any chance for the tempter to say that he did not love us, for he gave a gift whose value could not be estimated. Had he done less, Satan and his agencies would have sought to have inspired jealousy against God by intimating that he could have done more than he did. God so loved the world that he determined to give a gift beyond all computation, and make manifest how immeasurable was his love. The gift of God would be a wonder to all worlds, to all created intelligences, ever enlarging their ideas of what God's love was in its infinity and greatness. Contemplation of this love would uproot from the heart all selfishness, and so transform the soul that men would cherish generosity, practice self-denial, and imitate the example of God. God so loved the world that he gave heaven's best gift, in order that the most guilty transgressor should not be deferred from coming to Christ, however great his sin, and be enabled to ask for pardon at a throne of mercy.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 7]          Since God has given the greatest gift in his power, we are to render to him our whole heart. He has poured out to the world the treasures of heaven, giving with such largeness that there is nothing more to bestow, no reserve grace or power or glory, and we are to respond to this love by rendering willing service to Jesus, who has died for us on Calvary's cross.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 8]          At the time when sin had become a science, when the hostility of man was most violent against heaven, when rebellion struck its roots deep into the human heart, when vice was consecrated as a part of religion, when Satan exulted in the idea that he had led men to such a state of evil that God would destroy the world, Jesus was sent into the world, not to condemn it, but, amazing grace! to save the world. The unfallen worlds watched with intense interest to see Jehovah arise and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth, and Satan boasted that if God did do this, he would complete his plans and secure for himself the allegiance of unfallen worlds. He had arguments ready by which to cast blame upon God, and to spread his rebellion to the world's above; but at this crisis, instead of destroying the world, God sent his Son to save it. The apostle caught a glimpse of the plan, and he kindled into inspiration upon the great theme. Language cannot express his conception, but ever falls below the reality. John exclaims: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 9]          Before the coming of Christ to the world evidences abundant had been given that God loved the human race. But in the gift of Christ to a race so undeserving was demonstrated the love of God beyond all dispute. This gift outweighed all else, showed that his love could not be measured. We have no line to measure it, no plummet by which to sound its depths, no chain by which to encompass it, no standard with which to compare it. All we can say is 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."  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 10]          Jesus said, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life." He gave his life for the sheep. The only-begotten Son of God accepts all the liabilities that fall upon the transgressor of the law, vindicates its unchangeable and holy character. The death of Christ removes every argument that Satan could bring against the precepts of Jehovah. Satan has declared that men could not enter the kingdom of heaven unless the law was abolished and a way devised by which transgressors could be reinstated into the favor of God, and made heirs of heaven. He made the claim that the law must be changed, that the reins of government must be slackened in heaven, that sin must be tolerated, and sinners pitied and saved in their sins. But every such plea was cast aside when Christ died as a substitute for the sinner. He who was made equal with God bore the sin of the transgressor, and thereby made a channel whereby the love of God could be communicated to a fallen world, and his grace and power imparted to those who came to Christ in penitence for their sin.  {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 10}
[ST, February 5, 1894 par. 11]          The sum and substance of the arguments of Satan is that sin may be immortalized, that Christ abolished the law, and that evil doers may be in favor with God. But the death of Christ tells a different story; for he died to vindicate the claims of the law, to give to the world and to angels an unanswerable argument of the immutability of the law of Jehovah.                                                                   -    {ST, February 5, 1894 par. 11}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 1]       February 12, 1894 Co-operation With God a Necessity.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" I repeat the words of John, "Behold the Lamb of God!" We are to contemplate the character of Christ. We are to meditate upon the cross of Calvary; for it is the unanswerable argument of Christianity. The message we are to bear to the impenitent, the warning we are to give to the backslider, is, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! Those who bring the message to the soul may turn aside from the truth, but he who would be saved must keep his eye on Jesus. By beholding Christ he will learn to hate sin, that has brought to his Redeemer suffering and death. By beholding, his faith is made strong, and he comes to know "the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." The sinner sees Jesus as he is, full of compassion and tender love, and by beholding the manifestation of his great love toward fallen man in his sufferings of Calvary, he is transformed in character.  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 2]          While our salvation is wholly dependent upon Jesus, yet we have a work to do in order that we shall be saved. The apostle says, "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." The work that we are to do is not independent of what God is to do, but a work of cooperation with God. The power and the grace of God is to be wrought into the heart by the divine Worker, but some go astray here, claiming that man has a work to do that is wholly independent of any work of God. Another class take the other extreme, and say that man is free from all obligation, because God does the whole work--both the willing and doing. But the true ground to take is that the human will must be in subjection to the divine will. The will of man is not to be forced into cooperation with divine agencies, but must be voluntarily submitted. Man has no power of himself to work out his own salvation. Salvation must be the result of cooperation with divine power, and God will not do that for man which he can do for himself. Man is wholly dependent on the grace of Christ. He has no power to move one step in the direction of Christ unless the Spirit of God draws him. The Holy Spirit is continually drawing the soul, and will continue to draw until by persistent refusal the sinner grieves away the tender messenger of God.  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 3]          In the heavenly councils it has been decided by what means and methods the grace of Christ shall prove effectual in saving the soul. And it is clear that unless the sinner consents to be drawn, unless he will cooperate with divine agencies, the end will not be attained. The work to be done is a united work. The divine and the human are to work together, and the sinner is to depend upon grace, while rendering willing obedience to the dictates of the Spirit of God. "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."  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 4]          God has endowed men with reason and with intellectual faculties, but if these are untrained, left uncultivated, men will become like the savage heathen. The mind must be cultivated, and it is necessary that teachers present line upon line and precept upon precept, guiding and training the free-will moral agent so that he shall understand what it is to cooperate with God. God works in the human agent by the light of truth, and the mind, enlightened by truth, is capable of seeing truth in distinction from error. Open to the light of truth, free from prejudice, unbound by the opinions and traditions of men, the enlightened mind clearly sees the evidences of the truth, and believes it as from God. The man enlightened by truth will not call falsehood truth, and light darkness. The Spirit reveals to the mind the things of God, and to him who cooperates with God is the realization that a Divine Presence is hovering near. When the heart is open to Jesus and the mind responds to the truth, Jesus abides in the soul. The Spirit's energy works in the heart, and leads the inclinations toward Jesus. By living faith, the Christian places entire dependence on divine power, expecting that God will and do that which is according to his good pleasure. As fast as the soul resolves and acts in accordance with the light that is revealed, the Spirit takes the things of God and gives more light to the soul.  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 5]         "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name." "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." The Spirit of God is not commissioned to do our part of the work, either in willing or doing. It is the work of the human agent to cooperate with divine agencies. As soon as we incline our will to harmonize with God's will, the grace of Christ is supplied to cooperate with our resolve. But it is not to be a substitute to do our work,--to work in spite of our resolutions and actions. Therefore, our success in the Christian life will not be because of an abundance of light and evidence, but will depend upon our acceptation of the light given, upon the rousing of the energies, and operating with the heavenly ministers appointed of God to work for the salvation of the soul.  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 6]          If the sinner or the backslider settles himself in sin, the light of heaven may flash about him to no purpose, as it did about Saul when the bewitching power of the world's deception was upon him. Unless the human agent inclines his will to do the will of God, as finally Saul did, the light will shine in vain, and a thousand-fold more light and evidence would do no good. God knows when the sinner has sufficient evidence, and says to such, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 7]          Paul had a terrible awakening when the light from heaven flashed upon him, and a voice said to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Paul answered, "Who art thou, Lord?" And Christ said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And the Lord said, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." The Lord always gives the human agent his work to do. Paul was to work in compliance with the divine command. If Saul had said, "Lord, I am not in the least inclined to follow your directions in working out my salvation," then, should the Lord have showered upon him a light tenfold as bright, it would have been useless. It is man's part to cooperate with the divine. Here is where the conflict is to be sternest, hardest, and most fierce--in yielding the will and way to God's will and way, relying upon the gracious influences which God has exerted upon the human soul throughout all the life. The man must do the work of inclining. "For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do." The character of the actions will testify what has been the nature of the resolve. The doing was not in accordance with feeling and natural inclination, but in harmony with the will of the Father in heaven. Follow and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit; obey not the voice of the deceiver, which is in harmony with the unsanctified will, but obey the impulse God has given. This is what the heavenly intelligences are constantly working to have us do,--the will of our Father which is in heaven.  {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, February 12, 1894 par. 8]          Everything is at stake. Will the human agent cooperate with divine agencies to will and to do? If a man places his will on the side of God's will, fully surrendering self to do his will, the rubbish will be cleared from the door of the heart, the defiance of the soul will be broken down, and Jesus will enter to abide as a welcome guest.                                                                   -    {ST, February 12, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 1]       February 19, 1894 Romanism the Religion of Human Nature.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         There is great need that all who claim to be Bible Christians should take the Scriptures as they read. There is need of arriving at right conclusions as to what the Scriptures mean in their reference to the man of sin, who thought to change times and laws. He had no real power to change the time and the law of God, but he thought himself able to do this work; for he "opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." He is an imitator of the first great rebel, the originator of sin. In heaven Satan thought to change the laws of God, and for this purpose he changed his character and his position in the heavenly courts, and influenced others until they united with him in the work of rebellion against God; but he did not succeed in changing the law of God. God did not alter or change his form of government to suit Satan's ideas, but made it manifest that the foundation of his government in heaven and earth is as unchangeable as is the throne itself.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 2]          When Satan could not induce all the angels to revolt against the law of God, he made the earth the scene of his rebellion, and through the man of sin seeks to carry out his diabolical purpose. Through the Papacy, the Roman power, the man of sin, the purpose of Satan is carried out among men; the law and the time of God are set aside. In this we see that Protestantism is giving encouragement to popery; and false systems of worship, against which our fathers manfully opposed themselves, imperiling even property and life, are fostered and cherished and encouraged to extend and gain wide influence. Protestants do not search their Bibles as they should, and do not heed the warning that has been given concerning the work of the man of sin. The Roman Church claims that the pope is invested with supreme authority over all bishops and pastors, and this claim of supremacy was once denied by Protestants. They took the position that the Bible, and the Bible alone, constituted the rule of faith and doctrine, that the word of God is the only unerring guide for human souls, and that it is unnecessary and harmful to take the words of priests and prelates instead of the word of God.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 3]          To the Romanist the Bible is a forbidden book, because it plainly reveals the errors of the Roman system; and whoever searches the Bible with an enlightened understanding, cannot long be in harmony with Romanism. He who searches the Bible to understand the truth, will find no authority in the word of God for the assumption of power on the part of popes and cardinals. There is no word of God that sanctions their assumed superiority or supremacy over their people, as there is no word to sanction the claim that Lucifer made in heaven of superiority over Christ. The claim of the Papacy to superiority is made under the influence of the first great usurper, who so persistently urged his right to supremacy over the host of God. Through the Dark Ages,--that long night of ignorance and superstition,--the claim of the Papacy to superiority and supremacy was conceded by emperors and kings, although God had sanctioned no such concession, and raised up men to dispute the claim, and to break the Romish yoke from the church of God. Through his appointed agencies God summoned the church to reassert her independence, and in the strength of God she stood forth in the liberty wherewith Christ had made her free. She broke away from the papal yoke, and with the word of God in her hand, met the giant evil of Romanism, even as David met Goliath in the name of heaven, using his sling and a few pebblestones. The defier of Israel was slain before the man of faith; and while men cling to the word of the Lord, they cannot affiliate with the great system of error.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 4]         The Lord has pronounced a curse upon those who take from or add to the Scriptures. The great I AM has decided what shall constitute the rule of faith and doctrine, and he has designed that the Bible shall be a household book. The church that holds to the word of God is irreconcilably separated from Rome. Protestants were once thus apart from this great church of apostasy, but they have approached more nearly to her, and are still in the path of reconciliation to the Church of Rome. Rome never changes. Her principles have not altered in the least. She has not lessened the breach between herself and Protestants; they have done all the advancing. But what does this argue for the Protestantism of this day? It is the rejection of Bible truth which makes men approach to infidelity. It is a backsliding church that lessens the distance between itself and the Papacy.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 5]          It is souls like Luther, Cranmer, Ridley, Hooper, and the thousands of noble men who were martyrs for the truth's sake, who are the true Protestants. They stood as faithful sentinels of truth, declaring that Protestantism is incapable of union with Romanism, but must be as far separated from the principles of the Papacy as is the east from the west. Such advocates of truth could no more harmonize with "the man of sin" than could Christ and his apostles. In earlier ages the righteous felt that it was impossible to affiliate with Rome, and, though their antagonism to this system of error was maintained at risk of property and life, yet they had courage to maintain their separation, and manfully struggled for the truth. Bible truth was dearer to them than wealth, honor, or even life itself. They could not endure to see the truth buried under a mass of superstition and lying sophistry. They took the word of God in their hands, and raised the standard of truth before the people, boldly declaring that which God had revealed unto them through diligent searching of the Bible. They died the cruelest of deaths for their fidelity to God, but by their blood they purchased for us liberties and privileges that many who claim to be Protestants are easily yielding up to the power of evil. But shall we yield up these dearly bought privileges? Shall we offer insult to the God of heaven, and, after he has freed us from the Romish yoke, again place ourselves in bondage to this antichristian power? Shall we prove our degeneracy by signing away our religious liberty, our right to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience?  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 6]          The voice of Luther, that echoed in mountains and valleys, that shook Europe as with an earthquake, summoned forth an army of noble apostles of Jesus, and the truth they advocated could not be silenced by fagots, by tortures, by dungeons, by death; and still the voices of the noble army of martyrs are telling us that the Roman power is the predicted apostasy of the last days, the mystery of iniquity which Paul saw beginning to work even in his day. Roman Catholicism is rapidly gaining ground. Popery is on the increase, and those who have turned their ears away from hearing the truth are listening to her delusive fables. Papal chapels, papal colleges, nunneries, and monasteries are on the increase, and the Protestant world seems to be asleep. Protestants are losing the mark of distinction that distinguished them from the world, and they are lessening the distance between themselves and the Roman power. They have turned away their ears from hearing the truth; they have been unwilling to accept light which God shed upon their pathway, and are therefore going into darkness. They speak with contempt of the idea that there will be a revival of the past cruel persecution on the part of Romanists and those who affiliate with them. They do not recognize the fact that the word of God fully predicts such a revival, and will not concede that the people of God in the last days shall suffer persecution, although the Bible says, "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."  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 7]          Popery is the religion of human nature, and the mass of humanity love a doctrine that permits them to commit sin, and yet frees them from its consequences. People must have some form of religion, and this religion, formed by human device, and yet claiming divine authority, suits the carnal mind. Men who think themselves wise and intelligent turn away in pride from the standard of righteousness, the ten commandments, and do not think it is in harmony with their dignity to inquire into the ways of God. Therefore they go into false ways, into forbidden paths, become self-sufficient, self inflated, after the pattern of the pope, not after the pattern of Jesus Christ. They must have the form of religion that has the least requirement of spirituality and self-denial, and as unsanctified human wisdom will not lead them to loathe popery, they are naturally drawn toward its provisions and doctrines. They do not want to walk in the ways of the Lord. They are altogether too much enlightened to seek God prayerfully and humbly, with an intelligent knowledge of his word. Not caring to know the ways of the Lord, their minds are all open to delusions, all ready to accept and believe a lie. They are willing to have the most unreasonable, most inconsistent falsehoods palmed off upon them as truth.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 8]          Satan's masterpiece of deception is popery; and while it has been demonstrated that a day of great intellectual darkness was favorable to Romanism, it will also be demonstrated that a day of great intellectual light is also favorable to its power; for the minds of men are concentrated on their own superiority, and do not like to retain God in their knowledge. Rome claims infallibility, and Protestants are following in the same line. They do not desire to search for truth and go on from light to a greater light. They wall themselves in with prejudice, and seem willing to be deceived and to deceive others.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 9]          But though the attitude of the churches is discouraging, yet there is no need of being disheartened; for God has a people who will preserve their fidelity to his truth, who will make the Bible, and the Bible alone, their rule of faith and doctrine, who will elevate the standard, and hold aloft the banner on which is inscribed, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." They will value a pure gospel, and make the Bible the foundation of their faith and doctrine.  {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, February 19, 1894 par. 10]          For such a time as this, when men are casting aside the law of the Lord of hosts, the prayer of David is applicable,--"It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law." We are coming to a time when almost universal scorn will be heaped upon the law of God, and God's commandment-keeping people will be severely tried; but will they lose their respect for the law of Jehovah because others do not see and realize its binding claims? Let God's commandment-keeping people, like David, reverence God's law in proportion as men cast it aside and heap upon it disrespect and contempt.                                                                   -    {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 10}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 1]       February 26, 1894 Put Away the Evil of Your Doings.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" The doing of these things is the keeping of the commandments of God; but the people to whom these words are addressed, though claiming to keep God's commandments, are yet transgressors of his law. The prophet is instructed by the Lord to give them a message of warning and reproof. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God."  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 2]          Though making high professions, they were not sincerely seeking to understand the plain "Thus saith the Lord." The Lord condescends to open before them the errors and deceptions which they were cherishing, while professing to be his worshipers. He says: "Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?" "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifice upon me? . . . bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; . . . and when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood." How much lifting and spreading forth of the hands in self-righteousness and self-importance there is, while at heart many of the professed workers for God are transgressing the principles of the law of God in their daily practices.  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 3]          The Lord says to this class of professors: "Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 4]          Why is it that so many are deceiving their souls, apparently delighting in the service of God, and yet trampling upon his precepts? The law of God is a transcript of his character; it is the standard of righteousness. "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Man is required to render obedience to the revealed will of God in the smallest requirement of the law. Terrible results followed the transgression of the law when our first parents sinned. The flood gates of woe were opened upon our world. With the history of sin before us, how dare we disregard and ignore any one of the commandments that God has given us? The law of God is the foundation of his government, and is exactly what is needed to preserve life and righteousness. Every principle of the law emanates from the Infinite God, and man will fail in his duty to God and his neighbor unless he believes and weaves the principles of the law into his life. Without faith it is impossible to please God, for it is through faith that we may render obedience to the law.  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 5]          Man belongs to God, both by creation and redemption. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Man owes to God his life, and should therefore yield all his powers in submission to the will of God. "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 6]          The Lord has universal supremacy and sovereign authority over the human family. They are recipients of his mercies and bounties, and dependent upon him for life and protection. To them he says: "Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein; I am the Lord your God. . . . Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments; which if a man do, he shall live in them; I am the Lord." "And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. 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."  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 7]          God has given to the world a clearly-defined revelation of his will, and he has shown the richness and fullness of his mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, that we might be partakers of the divine nature, and escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."  {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, February 26, 1894 par. 8]          In order that we may make no mistakes where our eternal interests are involved, the Lord has given us plain instruction as to what to receive as truth. He says, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." We shall be in danger of being misled if we trust to ministers, or councils of men, or depend upon the interpretation that men may put upon the Scriptures. Whatever doctrine is brought to us, we should diligently search the Scriptures, as did the noble Bereans, to know for ourselves whether the messenger's exposition is in harmony with the sure word of prophecy. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." God has given us the precious endowment of reason and intellect, and we shall be held accountable for our mistakes if we do not use the mind in earnest study of the word of God. God has endowed us with capabilities whereby we may understand what is acceptable unto him. Our human ideas, our human wills, are not to take the throne, but the will of God is to be supreme.                             (To be continued.)                                                                   -    {ST, February 26, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 1]       March 12, 1894 Whom Are We Serving?  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -  (Continued from page 259, No. 17.)         "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Professed Christians would do well to inquire what God they are serving. Are they serving the God that made heaven and earth, who gave the human race his law, in the bosom of which he placed the fourth commandment, requiring men to "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy"? The seventh-day Sabbath is a memorial of the creative power of God, and is to be sacredly observed throughout all generations.  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 2]          After Israel had been in bondage in Egypt, and through witnessing idolatry had almost forgotten God and the precepts which he had given, the Lord led them forth into the wilderness. He had them assemble about Mount Sinai, and there, amid awful grandeur, Jesus Christ, who was the founder of the whole Jewish economy, spoke the ten precepts of God to the people. Christ unites in himself both the law and the gospel; they are not divided. Those who are offering prayers to the God of heaven and earth will not refuse to be obedient to the plainest precept of the law. They will listen to the voice of Christ, and will "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," as the day on which the Creator of the heavens and the earth rested from all the work which he had done. They will not turn away from the holy commandment, and accept a spurious sabbath instead of the holy, sanctified day that God instituted in Eden as a memorial of his creative power. The Sabbath was given to man as a sign that was to show to whom the allegiance of the people was given.  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 3]          In the counsels of the synagogue of Satan it was determined to obliterate the sign of allegiance to God in the world. Antichrist, the man of sin, exalted himself as supreme in the earth, and through him Satan has worked in a masterly way to create rebellion against the law of God and against the memorial of his created works. Is this not sin and iniquity? What greater contempt could be cast upon the Lord God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, than is cast upon him by ignoring the Sabbath, which he instituted, sanctified, and blessed, that it might ever be a memorial of his power as Creator? How dare men change and profane the day which God has sanctified? How dare the Christian world accept the spurious sabbath, the child of the Papacy? The Christian world has nourished and cherished the spurious sabbath, as though it had a divine origin, when the fact is that it originated with the father of lies, and was introduced to the world by his human agent, the man of sin. The false sabbath has been upheld through superhuman agency in order that God might be dishonored. It is a sign of Satan's supremacy in the earth, for men are worshiping the God of this world.  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 4]          The Prince of Light and the prince of darkness are contending for the victory. When Jesus, the Prince of Life, came forth from Joseph's sepulcher, his triumph was assured. As he came forth from the grave, and proclaimed himself the resurrection and the life, the end of Satan's reign on the earth was made certain; but well may the hosts of heaven be astonished to see men exalting him who is the leader of the great rebellion against God. Those who are choosing to honor Satan by exalting the spurious sabbath are making a choice similar to that which the people made when they rejected Christ, that Barabbas, a robber and murderer, should be given unto them.  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 5]          But because the great majority of the world have accepted the spurious sabbath, it does not give it importance and sanctity in the eyes of heaven. The dishonor to God is none the less because great numbers accept the false sabbath and ignore the Sabbath of the Lord their God. The confederacy of evil in the earth has always been to outward appearance the largest confederacy. At a time of rebellion in Israel men of renown, men famous in the congregation, joined with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in their work of rebellion. In spirit and principle the whole congregation of Israel were one with the workers of iniquity. After the earth had opened and swallowed up the most prominent of the rebels, and a fire from the Lord had burst forth and consumed two hundred and fifty of the princes of Israel, the people were still full of unbelief and rebellion. They came to Moses and Aaron the next day, saying, "Ye have killed the people of the Lord." They persisted in stubborn resistance of light, and would not be convinced, even when God worked in a miraculous way to convince them of the truth. But large numbers on the side of error do not strengthen the cause of iniquity. "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so; but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish."  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 6]          The Lord hath a controversy with his people, and, although in his great mercy he bear long with them, yet if they persist in living in transgression of his law, they will not stand in the day of his rebuke. He has seen the backsliding and iniquity of his professed people. He has noted the unbelief, the hypocrisy, the pride, the selfishness, the disobedience to his law, and he will punish for these things. God cannot be in harmony with the people who will not obey his commandments who are wickedly departing from his precepts and by their example of disobedience at leading their children and their neighbor in the way of transgression. The professed church of Christ is strengthening the hand of sinners in their evil work by making void through their traditions, the commandment of Jehovah.  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 7]          If parents had educated their children to reverence the law of God, as Christ enjoined that they should educate them, we should not see wickedness reaching so great proportions. Through disobedience the world is fast becoming as it was in the days before the flood and as it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. The church has taken the world into her fellowship, and has given her affections to the enemies of holiness. The church and the world are standing on the same ground in transgression of the law of God. The church prefers to assimilate to the world rather than separate from its customs and vanities.  {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, March 12, 1894 par. 8]          But God will bless all those who do his commandments. He will give grace upon grace to all them that fear him, and walk in the light of truth as they find it by diligently and prayerfully searching the Scriptures. There will be a remnant who will do the will of God. "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shall raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and 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."                                                                   -    {ST, March 12, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 1]       March 19, 1894 The Missionary's Pattern.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 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; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged; till he have set judgment in the earth."  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 2]          There is need for every soul to study the Pattern, Christ Jesus. Those who follow his methods of labor will have freedom in utterance and earnestness in manner. They will be inspired by the sacred themes of truth. Christ understood the needs of all classes, and was successful in preaching the gospel to the poor. He understood all their temptations. We need to study methods whereby we may preach the gospel to the poor and downtrodden and degraded of humanity. But let no one think that God will approve of a method which will require a man to act the part of a clown, or like a man who has lost his senses. Such methods as these are wholly unnecessary and inappropriate.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 3]          Among the Salvation Army workers such methods as these have been employed; but it is more necessary that they should study and preach the word than act in a sensational way in order to draw the attention of the people. It is the word of truth that, like a strong, golden chain, will bind men to God, where they will learn of the great Teacher. It is the word of God that is to test character. The Lord has precious, conscientious souls who have joined the Army; but they need to advance and receive other and higher truths of the word of God.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 4]          Those who are teaching the way to life have much to learn, and the Lord invites all who will to come to him and learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart. He declares, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light; and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Take your text from the word of God, and make use of the scenes of nature, and of events and objects about you, to make the meaning plain, and find your way to the hearts of the people, and angels of God will make a personal application of the truth to the hearts of those who are ignorant. You need not be formal or mechanical. You need not depend upon notes, neither need you be rough and uncouth, and use coarse language and slang expressions, thinking that in this way you will reach the uneducated classes. Look at the manner in which Jesus addressed the poor. His language was pure, but it was simplicity itself, and through the imagination and the heart he reached the hearts of the people. Boisterous gesticulation, jumping up and down, and pounding on the desk, is not after the order of Christ, and the good that has been accomplished has not been on account of these things, but in spite of them.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 5]          Personal labor is far more effective than is preaching, and yet this essential feature of the work has been strangely neglected. The ministers of different denominations do little personal labor; but we should not wait for needy souls to come to us. We should go forth to seek and to save that which is lost. We should seek individual intercourse with the wealthy as well as with the poor; for generally the rich are poorer in spiritual knowledge and experience than are the poor. The sermons that they hear do not touch them, and laborers are needed who will dare not only to seek out the jewels from among the low and degraded, but who will also go to the rich, and bring to them a knowledge of the word of the Lord. There are some who have had a knowledge of the word of God who have once been in high position, but have become poor through misfortune and failure, and are obliged to occupy a position among the very poor. In circumstances of this kind some are seeking to keep alive the feeble flame that they have kindled at the divine altar. There are also souls who, through intemperance, have been brought very low, who are in misery hardly to be conceived of by those who have never acted the part of a true missionary. There are souls in the strongholds of sin who have nothing to give them a ray of hope, or inspire in them a spark of courage that they may live a better life.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 6]          Oh, that all who claim to be Christians might have a view of the misery, the destitution, of those who are low down in the scale of humanity, and might realize at the same time that these are souls for whom Christ died! God understands every woe. His heart is touched with human woe and sorrow, and it is time that all Christians should wear his yoke, and work in his line, identifying themselves with human sympathy in the way in which he identified himself with our fallen race.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 7]          Whatever may be your office, your position, your wealth, if you are a laborer together with Christ, you will seek out the needy and the distressed, the bereaved and afflicted, and will make their interests your own. You will possess the spirit of self-sacrifice and self-denial, which led Jesus to yield up his life as a sacrifice for man on Calvary's cross. You will carry forward his work, and walk in his footsteps, and will look upon all as the purchase of the blood of the Son of God. Jesus died for every son and daughter of Adam, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The love of Christ in the heart will be manifested in unselfish missionary labor, and will be more mighty to deal with the evil doer than will the sword and the courts of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the heart of the law breaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this. The medical missionary can take up his appointed work, and relieve not only the physical maladies, but, through the grace and love of Christ, can lead the sinner to the great Physician, who can heal the soul of its leprosy of sin.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 8]          However much we may deserve rebuke, the heart will harden under reproof; but it will melt under the love of Christ. It is to manifest his love to the fallen that Jesus has enlisted every follower of his, that the transgressor may be brought back to allegiance to God. Jesus accepts all who will give themselves to his service, who will cooperate with heavenly agencies, as they seek to restore the moral image of God in man. The work we are given is to bid the sinner hope in God, and not feel that he is an outcast in the world, a discouraged, desperate sufferer, but that he is a prisoner of hope. Let your words to him be, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Present before him a love that cannot be measured, and bring the lost back to faith in God.  {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, March 19, 1894 par. 9]          He who is actuated by the love of Jesus will see in every soul, whether rich or poor, a value that cannot be computed, in comparison with which the world sinks into insignificance. Oh, the love that God has revealed for the soul is infinite, beyond estimation! He who is a partaker of the divine nature will love as Christ loved; he will work as Christ worked, and will manifest sympathy and compassion. He will not fail not be discouraged. This love can exist and be kept pure and refined and elevated only by continual communion with Jesus Christ. All coldness and hardness of heart will pass away from those who come into the sunshine of Christ's presence; and those who abide in him, and let him abide in them, will naturally, willingly obey his injunction, "Love one another as I have loved you."                                                                   -    {ST, March 19, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 1]       March 26, 1894 Christ's Victory Gained Through Pain and  Death.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         Charged with an embassage of mercy, Christ came to the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He saw that rebellion had overspread his provinces, and that despite was done to God in every section and by every tenant of the earth. Man was in rebellion against God; but "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 2]          When sin first entered the world, God had promised a deliverer. He had said to the serpent, "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." When Jesus came to the world, his own nation despised him, his friends denied him, his brethren did not believe on him. The unbelief with which he was met was indeed a bruising of his heel. Christ, the world's Redeemer, was buffeted with temptation, but it had been written of him, "He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth." Through the very bruising of his heel by Satan, because of affliction, temptation, and sorrow, Christ was gaining the victory in behalf of the human family; for he triumphed over his enemy in not yielding to his temptation, and thus bruised the head of the serpent. He endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, and every pang of anguish he suffered, every temptation he resisted, as man's substitute and surety, was elevating the human family in the scale of moral worth, and was procuring for man deliverance from Satan's power and bondage. The character of Satan, through his efforts to overcome and destroy the Son of God, was developing before the universe, and was being made manifest in its true malignity before the unfallen worlds that had been created by Christ. Every time he stung the heel of Christ with his murderous fang, the serpent was making more sure his own discomfiture and ruin.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 3]          Could Satan have caused the Son of the infinite God to become in the least degree a partaker of his own hellish attributes, then Satan would have wounded the head of Christ, and in hellish exultation he would have triumphed over him, and the world would have remained his dominion, the human family his slaves. The synagogue of Satan would have been victorious, and man would have perished, without God and without hope. Satan could cause pain to the Son of God, but he could not force him to transgress the law of God. He could cause him to suffer, but he could not defile him. He did make the Saviour's life one of sorrow and affliction; but Jesus patiently endured grief, for he knew that through his conflict with the powers of darkness, the chains of Satan could be broken from the human family, and he would place them on vantage ground before God. With his human arm Jesus encircled the human race, and with his divine arm he grasped the throne of the Infinite. To him was given power to unite whoever would consent to be drawn to him, to the Father's throne.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 4]          Jesus became the world's Redeemer, rendering perfect obedience to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful fall, and threw the kingdoms of this world back into favor with God, uniting the earth, that had been divorced by sin from God, to the continent of heaven. It was in the very sight of Heaven that Satan led on the Jewish priests and rulers, and made them his agents to stir up the passions of the murderous mob against the Prince of life. It was in the hearing of Heaven that the hoarse cry was raised against the Majesty of heaven, "Crucify him; crucify him." It was in the sight of Heaven that they scourged him, that they plaited the crown of thorns, that they mocked and derided him. But in these very scenes it was made manifest to angels and principalities what is the power of Satan over the human mind. It was made plain that under the dominion of the deceiver men became liars and murderers. The railings of the multitude reached the ears of God and holy angels. The hoarse cries, that sounded like the bellowing of wild beasts, made their record for time and eternity. Those who instigated the suffering that Jesus endured as a malefactor, will yet behold him in all his glory. They will see that He whom they derided and rejected and crucified, that He whom they set aside for a robber and murderer, is none other than the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 5]          In the scenes that transpired at the judgment hall, and at Calvary, we see what the human heart is capable of when under the influence of Satan. Christ submitted to crucifixion, although the heavenly host could have delivered him. The angels suffered with Christ. God himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was one with the Father. Those who reject Christ, those who will not have this man to rule over them, choose to place themselves under the rule of Satan, to do his work as his bond slaves. Yet for them Christ yielded up his life on Calvary.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 6]          In the death of Christ on Calvary's cross, the temple seemed to be destroyed, the head seemed to have been bruised; but this was not so. Satan, in the very act of grasping his prey, demolished his own throne. Satan, evil angels, and evil men united in a desperate companionship, and thought to claim the victory, but it was in the death of Christ, in the cruel suffering and crucifixion, that the Son of God accomplished the very work for which he was ordained from before the foundation of the world. He died a victim to jealousy and hate, a victim to false religious zeal. But in his dying agony he was victor over the powers of earth and hell. He reinstated man in the position from which Satan had hurled him through temptation and sin, and, by his own perfect obedience to the law of God, placed him on vantage ground. In his death he broke the spell that had held millions in slavery, under perfect subjection to Satan's rule and jurisdiction.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 7]          A stronger than the strong man armed had come and overpowered the one who had seduced man, and led him away from allegiance to God. Against Christ evil angels and evil men had combined in an unholy confederacy of rebellion. They had made war on God and his government. But help had been laid upon One who was mighty to save, who could measure weapons with the apostate. Satan was next in power to Christ; he was highly exalted the covering cherub, and none but Christ could engage in battle with him, enduring successfully the temptations with which he had beset the human family.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 8]          Satan had come to Christ in the wilderness, representing himself as an angel of light; but though he attacked Christ in the moment of his greatest weakness, he was vanquished by the Prince of life. Thus, as man's substitute and surety, did he make it possible for every son and daughter of Adam to be an overcomer, to return to allegiance to God, and render perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah. All this man is required to do, notwithstanding his weakness, his degradation and sinfulness; for moral power has been provided for him in Christ. Through faith in Christ man is made complete: for Christ gave his life in order that we might be rescued from the power of Satan.  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 9]          Jesus measured weapons with the prince of darkness in the garden of Gethsemane, where the agony was so great that he sweat as it were great drops of blood. It forced from his pale and quivering lips a cry of agonizing prayer, when he besought his Father, saying, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Three times he raised this prayer to God, but at last added the submissive words, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."  {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, March 26, 1894 par. 10]          He had said, "Destroy this temple ［speaking of the temple of his body］, and in three days I will raise it up." On the cross he received the wounds that will mark his form through the ceaseless ages of eternity; but those very wounds will be his glory, the insignia of his triumph over him who bruised his heel; for he shall bruise the serpent's head. On the cross he cried, "It is finished," and bowed his head and died. He descended into the grave; but after three days a mighty angel, clothed with the panoply of heaven, parted the darkness from his track, and caused the Roman guard to fall as dead men at his feet. The angel rolled back the stone from the sepulcher, and the Roman seal was broken, and Christ came forth from the prison of death, and, over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, proclaimed himself "the resurrection and the life." Through him it was announced that every son and daughter of Adam might be emancipated from their bondage to Satan, to sin and transgression; for, as man's substitute and surety, Jesus had won the victory. The world and its inhabitants were his inheritance, purchased at infinite cost, and every soul who believed in his name, might be an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. When Christ rose from the dead, the victory was proclaimed in triumph by the loftiest order of heavenly intelligence, and joy, inexpressible joy, filled the courts of God.                                                                   -    {ST, March 26, 1894 par. 10}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 1]       April 2, 1894 "Look and Live."  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom; and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." The Lord does not remove all the difficulties and trials and hardships from the pathway of his people. He would have them learn to put their trust in him, believing that the invisible God is their mighty helper. The children of Israel became accustomed to the presence of the pillar of cloud, that covered them as a canopy by day, and was as a pillar of fire by night. They came to look upon the cloud as a common thing. They did not appreciate the fact that they were favored with the presence of the only-begotten Son of God, who was equal with God; and, in spite of all their perversity, their murmuring and rebellion, he had done wonderful things for them in all their journeyings.  {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 2]          The Lord had said: "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. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; than I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go before thee." The one great object of the care and guardianship of Christ was the church in the wilderness. He said of Israel: "I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life." Egypt was desolated with plagues and became a wasted land, in order that Israel might be freed from bondage; but the people did not appreciate the goodness and mercy and love of God. The Lord, their Redeemer, undertook to lead and guide them, but when he brought them into strait places, they were discouraged because of the way, and spake against God and Moses, saying: "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died."  {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 3]          The Lord had fed them with the bread of heaven, even with angels' food; and yet they murmured against him. By his power he had held in check the wild beasts of the forests, and the reptiles of the wilderness, so that they had not hurt his people; but now he removed his restraining hand, and let the poisonous serpents do as they would have done all along the way had the Lord not restrained them. The real trouble that now came upon them served to bring them to their senses, and to awaken their paralyzed thoughts as to what course to pursue. "Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. . . . And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."  {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 4]          Throughout the camp of Israel there were the suffering and the dying who had been wounded by the deadly sting of the serpent. But Jesus Christ spoke from the pillar of cloud, and gave directions whereby the people might be healed. The promise was made that whosoever looked upon the brazen serpent should live; and to those who looked the promise was verified. But if anyone said: "What good will it do to look? I shall certainly die under the serpent's deadly sting;" if he continued to talk of his deadly wound, and declared that his case was hopeless, and would not perform the simple act of obedience, he would die. But everyone who looked, lived.  {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 5]          Jesus said: "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. 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Christ is speaking to us now as certainly as he spoke to the children of Israel in the wilderness. He is the Healer of both body and soul. Our attention is now called to the Great Physician. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Just as long as we look at our sins, and talk of and deplore our wretched condition, our wounds and putrefying sores will remain. It is when we take our eyes from ourselves, and fasten them upon the uplifted Saviour, that our souls find hope and peace. The Lord speaks to us through his word, bidding us "look and live." "He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."  {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 6]          There is every reason why we should be encouraged to hope for the salvation of our souls. In Jesus Christ every provision for our salvation has been made. No matter what may have been our sins and shortcomings, there is a fountain open in the house of David for all sin and uncleanness. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." This is the word of the Lord. Shall we accept it? Shall we believe on him?  {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, April 2, 1894 par. 7]          David had been bitten by the fiery serpent,--he had been poisoned with the venom of sin,--yet hear the words that describe his experience after looking upon the uplifted Saviour: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. . . . I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance." "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. . . The Lord redeemeth the souls of his servants, and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate."                                                                   -    {ST, April 2, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 1]      April 9, 1894 Look not to Self but to Christ.  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         It is in looking upon our sinful condition, and talking and mourning over our wretchedness, that distress becomes more keen, and pain accumulates. Let the sinner arise in the strength of Jesus, for he has no strength of his own, and let him assert his liberty. Let him believe that the Lord has spoken truth, and trust in him, whatever may be the feelings of the heart. Let the sinner say, I will look away from my own misery, from the wound of the serpent, to the uplifted Saviour, who has said, "Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out." Look upon Jesus. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 2]          Let no one make his feelings his idol, and bow his soul down to worship and serve his sensations. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." It is your privilege to believe that Christ has borne your sins; for God hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. You are under the shelter of the sure refuge, under the cover of the atoning blood of the acceptable sacrifice.  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 3]          All legalism, all the sorrow and woe by which you may encompass yourself, will not give you one moment of relief. You cannot rightly estimate sin. You must accept God's estimate, and it is heavy indeed. If you bore the guilt of your sin, it would crush you; but the sinless One has taken your place, and, though, undeserving, he has borne your guilt. By accepting the provision God has made, you may stand free before God in the merit and virtue of your Substitute. You will then have a proper estimate of sin, and the godly sorrow of true repentance will take the place of hopeless discouragement and grief, for you will turn from sin with grief and abhorrence.  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 4]          Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Do not think for an instant that any human being has a more loving heart, and a more tender compassion for you, than he who died on Calvary to save you. Do not turn from the divine to the human. The human messenger may bid you hope, on the ground that God's word bids you hope. Your Heavenly Father invites you to come to him as a little child to a loving parent, and say, Thou hast said: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 4}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 5]          Christ is the friend of sinners. When the scribes and the Pharisees accused him of eating with publicans and sinners, Jesus said, "I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." If you feel yourself to be the greatest of sinners, then Christ is just what you need; for he is the greatest of Saviours. Lift up your head, and look away from yourself, away from the poisoned wound of the serpent, to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. What will all your groaning and the torturing of your soul avail? You may entertain thoughts that condemn you, but in them there is no salvation. Put away your thoughts, and receive the thoughts of God, through which your mind may be elevated, your soul purified and uplifted. The Lord says: "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." Why will you carry your burden of sin, when Christ has come to be your burden bearer? Roll your sins at the foot of the cross. Unload! unload! He takes away the sins of the world. "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 5}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 6]          You have been pronounced a sinner, and Christ has announced himself a Saviour. Accept the remedy God has provided for you in a sin-pardoning Saviour. How would you have felt had you been in the camp of Israel and seen the people groaning and shrieking in distress because of their swollen and painful wounds, when the brazen serpent was uplifted, and when by one look they might be healed? Would you not have exclaimed: "Why do they not look at the uplifted serpent? How strange it is that they do not perform the one simple act by which they might receive healing!" But is it not as inconsistent for you to refuse to look at the crucified Saviour?--Heed the invitation: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him: and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 6}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 7]          Why should the repenting sinner forsake his thoughts? It is because they are not in accordance with truth. He is tempted to believe that because of his sins God has given him up to the will of his enemy, and that there is no pardon for so great a sinner as he. But all these thoughts are dishonoring to God, because man is God's possession, both by creation and redemption. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him ［as his personal Saviour, and accepts him as the only provision whereby he can be saved］ should not perish, but have everlasting life." You are one of the whosoever may believe. But while you cherish unbelief, and permit feeling to govern you, your case will look hopeless to yourself. Forsake these unbelieving thoughts. God says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 7}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 8]          "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Poor, doubting, discouraged soul, I would address you as one of that world for whom God gave his Son. He loves you, and will save you if you will but receive the gift of his only-begotten Son. Moses prayed that God would show him his glory, "and the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, 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." This is the character of the God in whom you are to put your trust. "God is love." Repeat this sentence whenever temptation presses upon you. Remember that he is just and merciful, true and gracious, and will by no means clear the guilty. God can be just, and yet be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. He will accept you just as you are; for there is no hope of your becoming better until you come to Jesus for pardon and sanctification. Mourning and weeping will not purify you. You may mourn your life away in unbelief, and in bitterness of soul, but the power to cleanse the vilest sinner is vested wholly in him who can save unto the uttermost.  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 8}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 9]          God does not ask you to feel that Jesus is your Saviour, but to believe that he died for you, and that his blood now cleanseth you from all sin. You have been bitten by the serpent, and as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness that the dying might look and live, so Christ was lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Saving faith is simplicity itself. You must cry no more; you must cease to hang down your head as a bulrush. Look to the uplifted Saviour, and, however, grievous may have been your sins, believe he saves you. All the remedies and medicines of the world would have failed to cure one soul who had been bitten by the venomous serpent; but God had provided a remedy that cannot fail. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Be not among the number to whom the Saviour said, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." Oh, how he longed to save them; for while we were yet sinners (not waiting for us to make ourselves good), Christ died for us.  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 9}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 10]          Believe now that God loves you; for he hath declared it, and when Satan tries to fasten the burden of sin and horror upon you, take your Bible, and read, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." You cannot repulse the enemy by relating your fearful doubts, by telling him that you are horrified by the thought that you are lost. All this is music in his ears. He wants to make you as miserable as he is himself, but you can answer him by proclaiming the promise that you believe in the Son, and therefore shall not perish. As you turn your eyes away to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, the controversy with the enemy will be ended for that season. You can repulse him by declaring that "Christ was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. The chastisement of my peace was upon him, and with his stripes I am healed."  {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 10}
[ST, April 9, 1894 par. 11]          Take the word of Jesus Christ as more sure and valuable than any word that can come from the human agent. Thank God with your whole heart and soul and voice that you are barricaded with the rich promises of his infallible word, so that the wicked one shall not touch you. God will give you the Holy Spirit, even though it may seem to you that it is too good to be true. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 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?"                                                                   -    {ST, April 9, 1894 par. 11}
[ST, April 16, 1894 par. 1]       April 16, 1894 Christ Came to Break Sin's Chain.  ［SERMON AT  MIDDLE BRIGHTON CAMP GROUND, VICTORIA.］  -  By Mrs. E. G. White.  -         "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  {ST, April 16, 1894 par. 1}
[ST, April 16, 1894 par. 2]          A great and infinite sacrifice has been made in our behalf. We are the objects of God's love, and he has shown to us that he identifies his interests with those of suffering humanity. As Christ has given himself for us, we should place a proper estimate upon the soul. He has given us heavenly endowments, done everything that a God could do, in order that we might not perish, but have everlasting life, the life that measures with the life of God. Can our finite minds grasp this great and wonderful fact?--Not unless we empty ourselves of vanity and break away from the bondage of Satan.  {ST, April 16, 1894 par. 2}
[ST, April 16, 1894 par. 3]          The mission of Christ to the world was to break the chain of Satan from the soul, and to set at liberty those that are bound. It cost an infinite price to deliver the captives of Satan from the captivity of sin. In the councils of heaven it was determined that Christ should die for the sins of the whole world. He laid aside his royal crown, his royal robe, clothed his divinity with humanity, that he might touch humanity, and yet he was not received by the world. Goodness, mercy, and love attended his steps. He healed the sick, he comforted the desponding, brought hope to the despairing, and preached the gospel to the poor. Those who listened to his teaching did not need to consult a dictionary to find out his meaning. His words were so simple that a child could grasp his meaning. He did not take a text and then give a discourse on science, though he could have opened the mysteries of science to the world. He could have told the world that of which they had not dreamed. He did not preach from a newspaper, but he bent his energies toward one object,--the salvation of the lost. He did not build so grand a house of worship that the poor were excluded from its doors, but he sought the great thoroughfares of travel, and sought out the people, that they might hear the gracious tidings he had to bear to them. He would lead the multitudes to the seashore, and, in a fisherman's boat, would put out a little from the shore, and there preach to the people who thronged his steps.  {ST, April 16, 1894 par. 3}
[ST, April 16, 1894 par. 4]          Ministers of the gospel who believe that the end of all things is at hand, preach the gospel in simplicity to the people, preach the truth as it is in Jesus. Christ prayed before leaving his disciples, "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." When the truth is received and believed, it will have a sanctifying effect upon the heart and character. Jesus came to earth that he might transform the character and develop in man the moral image of God. Oh, we must not meet Jesus unready! We do not desire that you shall miss your way. If we knew the value of the human soul, we would not be indifferent to our own salvation or to that of others.  {ST, April 16, 1894 par. 4}
