An Appeal for Help, Part 2
NP
October 4, 1898
Portions of this manuscript are published in CTr 349. +NoteOne or more typed copies of this document contain additional Ellen White handwritten interlineations which may be viewed at the main office of the Ellen G. White Estate.
The obligations which bind us to place our names on the church roll hold us responsible to work to the utmost of our ability for God. Anything short of this is opposition to the work. God calls for undivided service, for the entire devotion of heart, soul, mind, and strength. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 1
There are only two places in the universe in which we can place our treasures—in God’s storehouse or in Satan’s. God’s work is moving slowly for want of means. Workers are not able to enter new fields. Yet there are millions under the undisturbed domination of Satan. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 2
Satan is busily laying his plans for the last mighty conflict, when all will takes sides. After the gospel has been travelling over the world for nearly two thousand years, Satan will present to men and women the same scene that he presented to Christ. In a wonderful panorama, he will cause the kingdoms of the world in their glory to pass before them. These he will promise to all who will fall down before him and worship him. He will present before men entrancing views of the kingdom of God, and he claims that these are views of his kingdom. But are they? No; no. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 3
Look, O look. Listen to the voices and powers that prevail in the world. The heavenly Watcher sees the earth filled with violence and crime. Is there any voice of prayer? Do you see any sign that God is recognized? Priests? Yes, plenty of them; but they are trampling under their feet the law of Jehovah. Their hearts are stained with human blood. They sacrifice to devils, and not to God. Their murderous altars are erected. They sacrifice human beings to devils. Look, you who are hesitating between obedience and disobedience. Look in imagination at the vast multitudes worshipping at Satan’s altar. Listen to the music, to the language—called higher education. But what has God written upon it? Mystery of iniquity. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 4
The working of the power of iniquity seems to have taken the whole world captive. But to the eye of Omnipotence is revealed the inward guilt and depravity. Look closely. Enumerate the vices of men, if you can. But it is of no use to try to number them. Wealth is obtained by every species of robbery, not robbery of man alone, but of God. Men are using His means to gratify their selfishness. Every thing that they can grasp is made to minister to their greed. Avarice and sensuality prevail. Men revenge themselves on those who, they suppose, have hindered the success of their ambitious projects. They cherish the attributes of the first great deceiver. They have accepted him as god, and have become imbued with his spirit. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 5
Satan’s power has been received in the place of the power of God. Look at his armies. See the countless numbers who are worshipping him. He claims to be the Prince of heaven, but he is a deceiver. He is working to his utmost to make himself as God, and to destroy all who oppose his power. And today the world is bowing before him. It seems that the whole human creation has wondered after the beast. The kings and rulers of the earth, those who are called noblemen, think themselves altogether too great to put themselves under the yoke of Christ. But they are willing to bow at Satan’s bidding. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 6
Behold Satan’s miracle-working power. Every object in the earth, in the air, in the water has been employed to confirm his claims. Those who yield to these claims are alive with intense activity, one influencing and stimulating the other by confirming the greatness and glory of their kingdom. See the activity, the restless surging of the mass, in their determination to take and occupy the place of the throne of God. What eager, nervous rage they exhibit in their religious enthusiasm. Look at them again. Mark the defiant rebellion written in their countenances. Their warfare is against their Creator and Redeemer. How vast is the procession they form. How mighty they think themselves to be in their countless numbers. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 7
But they do not see all things. The cloud of judicial wrath hangs over them, containing the elements that destroyed Sodom. John saw this multitude. This demon-worship was revealed to him, and it seemed as though the whole world was standing on the brink of perdition. But as he looked with intense interest, he beheld a company of God’s commandment-keeping people. They had the sign of the living God upon their foreheads, and he exclaimed, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 8
“And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth: and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” [Revelation 14:12-20.] 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 9
What are we doing, I ask, in this stage of the world’s history? We have not done the work that God requires us to do. We have not erected the standard of the Prince of peace as fully as we should. The gospel is to go to all nations, tongues, and peoples. Give the people the truth. Lift up the standard of the cross higher and still higher. We are God’s workmen, and we must make every stroke tell, for we are building for eternity. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 10
When the storm of God’s wrath breaks upon the world, it will be a terrible revelation for souls to find that their house is moving from under them, because it is built upon the sand. Let no one talk of fanaticism, enthusiasm. We cannot be too much in earnest. Even those who have felt much have not felt enough. They must feel still more deeply. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 11
We are living in the very world where Christ wept in agony, the very world in which He was crucified. All around us souls are perishing in their sins. But this state of things has become so common that it hardly moves even those who claim to believe the highest and most far-reaching truth ever given to mortals. There is a stupor, a paralysis, upon the people of God, which keeps them from understanding what is needed for this time. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 12
The heart of God is moved. He gave His only begotten Son to save sinners, and yet men seem to be in an apathy. God would be pleased to see those who have had great light flashing that light upon the pathway of others. But what can we say to move the church to action? “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 13
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for your Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” [Luke 12:33-40.] 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 14
We are travelers, pilgrims, and strangers in this earth. Let us not spend our means to gratify desires that would have us repress. Let us rather set a right example before those with whom we associate. Let us fitly represent our faith to others by binding about our wants. Let the churches arise as one man, and work earnestly as those who are walking in the full light of truth for these last days. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 15
Do not exhaust your God-given energies by uttering doleful lamentations, but go to work for yourselves. It is becoming for us to weep as Christ wept, but let us weep to some purpose. Wake up, and feel a burden for souls, for they are perishing in their sins. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 16
We should now feel the responsibility of laboring with intense earnestness to impart the light we have received to others. Souls are very precious in God’s sight. He “so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] Keep the perishing in view. If they are not won to Christ, they will lose an eternity of bliss. Remember what it is possible for them to gain. The soul that God has created and Christ redeemed is of great value because of the possibilities and probabilities before it, the spiritual advantages that have been granted it, the capabilities that it may [have] if it is vitalized by the Word of God, and the immortality which through the Lifegiver it may gain if obedient. One soul is of more value to heaven than a whole world of property, houses, and lands, money. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 17
Rather than that one soul should be lost, it would be the duty of the inhabitants of the earth, if it were essential to the salvation of that soul, to sell their earthly possessions, and by this temporal sacrifice secure a soul for eternity. For the conversion of one soul we should tax our resources to the utmost. One soul truly won to Christ will flash heaven’s light all around him, penetrating the moral darkness and saving other souls. Thus one, five, ten talents will accumulate and double. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 18
This is not exaggerated. If the ninety and nine were left by Christ that He might seek and save one soul, shall we be justified in doing less? Is not a neglect to work even as Christ worked, to sacrifice as He sacrificed, a betrayal of sacred trusts, an insult to the God of heaven, who set an example of self-sacrifice by giving up His Son to a shameful death? The lost sheep is to be found at any peril, any cost. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 19
There are unconverted ones all around us. There is work to be done which is not done. If our church members were awake, they would multiply their resources; they would send men and women to our schools, not to go through a long course of study, but to learn quickly, and go out into the field. Through a vital connection with God, men and women may quickly gain a knowledge of that great textbook, the Word of God, and go forth to impart what they have received. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 20
Put workers into the field without going through so many preliminaries. Teach them that they are to walk humbly with God, and to commence labor just where they see it is needed. Then our force will be greatly increased. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 21
The cities must have more labor. Open air meetings must be held. There are many who can do this line of work, but they must be clad with the whole armor of righteousness. We are altogether too delicate in our work, yet propriety and sound sense is needed. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 22
No district is to be left in darkness. Any region that is left in darkness testifies to our unfaithfulness. Those who know the truth are not to call for constant labor from the ministers. Please read the third chapter of Malachi. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 23
“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 he return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.” [Verses 16-18.] These words tell us what the companies who have been gathered out are to do. They are to build each other up in the most holy faith. The energies of the ministers are not to be consumed in preaching to the churches. Strong, vital energy is to be exercised to save the souls that are perishing outside of the church in the regions beyond. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 24
Sound an alarm throughout the length and breadth of the earth. We might have been in the place of these poor souls, in the darkness of error. We might have been placed among barbarians. We must put ourselves in their place. The Day-star has risen upon us, and we are to flash the light upon the pathway of others. 13LtMs, Ms 122, 1898, par. 25