Talk/Talk at the St. Helena Sanitarium Chapel
St. Helena, California
1903
Previously unpublished.
Never was there more a time when we want and should understand what we must do so that we should inherit eternal life. We read that the Lord’s coming is at a time when we think not. Is it that we have to be all prepared, and know just the moment He is coming? No. To every man God has given his work, and we read in (John 14), “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” [Verse 1.] We do not believe one-half of what we ought to believe. We want that faith that is a working faith, a faith that works by love, a faith that purifies the soul. If we have confidence to believe that Christ gave His own life for us, then we shall not be in a position that we shall say all the time, “I do not know; I do not know.” We keep asking the Lord for His blessing; we keep saying, “I believe,” but we think the Lord is not just ready. Now, it is we who are not just ready to take the blessing. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 1
“In My Father’s house are many mansions.” John 14:2-6 quoted. “The truth and the life.” Keep that faith before your mind that it is Christ who is our only dependence, our only hope for salvation. It is Jesus Christ. “He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, (whosoever) shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] When we consider what Christ has done for us in giving His life, how can we doubt that He means just what He says, when He tells us, “Ask, and ye shall receive;” and He says again, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” [John 16:24; 15:5.] 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 2
The Father wants us to have Christ abiding in our hearts by a living faith, and He wants that we should just rest right in His hands. We are not to work ourselves up into a great excitement before we shall consider that He will hear and answer our prayers. No; we are to come to Him, and He has given us a guarantee that if we ask, we shall receive. Now, we must come, and say, “Lord, my whole heart is in this matter. It means a great deal to me. I must have that help which Thou alone canst give.” And then just place ourselves right before the Master, and know that He will do just as He says. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 3
You need not, as one of your friends may tell you, make a contract with God. If you do thus and so, I will do thus and so. We treat the Lord as though it was a very doubtful thing. Do not we treat Him so? It is a very doubtful thing whether we shall have what we ask, and so we get perplexed and worried and anxious and troubled. Well, I have been in that condition over and over again. I have decided that when I ask the Master—Him who so loved me, the Majesty of Heaven, the Commander of all the heavenly host, who gave His own life that He might make it possible for me to take hold of eternal life—that He is my only hope. Here the trade was made. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 4
Justice sees the sinner, and it is death to disobey and transgress. And here comes One equal with God, who says, “I will give My life, I will take the sinner’s place, I will give My life for the sinner, and I will take the punishment for the sins of the whole world.” John understood it, and said—as others had been coming for baptism, and he saw the Son of God coming, he lifted up his hand, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29.] 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 5
Now, that death would have taken away the sin of every mortal that is upon the earth. He came to take way the sin of the whole world, and He died for every person; no one was left out. Everyone could have been saved through the merits of the blood of the Son of the living God. Well, then what? How were they going to be saved? Well, He says, “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find.” [Matthew 7:7.] He wants you to believe in Him, that He will do just exactly as He said. He would take away your sins. When you repent, and ask His pardon, He is all ready. And then what? Why, you are to believe; you are to accept it. He is not to make you to believe. But there is a power in you to believe. “To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed in His name.” [John 1:12.] Well, then, let us believe. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 6
We cannot let our light shine to the world; it is not a possibility, unless the light is in us. Well, now, Christ is the light of the world; He is the way; He is the truth; and we want the life-giving power of Jesus Christ in our hearts, and to believe that He means to save us. And then what does He say in John 14? He tells us there what God can do for us. He says in (verse 11): “Believe me for the works’ sake.” That is just what He wants us to do. And here, poor souls are carrying along all their infirmities, and yet they think that they must sin—they cannot live in the world unless they do sin. Why, that is not so at all. There is no sin in Christ. You put on Christ, you take Him as your loving Helper, as One who wants to save you in your own righteousness connected with the life-giving power in Jesus Christ. Then you are to work out your own righteousness with fear and with trembling, lest what? Lest you should weave in your self-importance, as though it was in your own merits. No, it is the merits of Christ. “Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure.” [Philippians 2:12, 13.] 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 7
O, I am so thankful that time is not closed yet. I am so thankful that we have a probation. I am so glad for everyone, that they can come to Christ, that they can lay up their treasure in heaven. I am so thankful that there is a way that you can find Christ, and put on Christ, and rejoice in Christ. Yes, you can do that, because He has promised it. He says in ([John 14] verse 12): “The works that I do shall he do also.” 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 8
Why do you go out from His presence, careless and talking and laughing, and without any kind of a thought of the prayer you have asked? You must answer that prayer, how? By living faith that God has given you the power to become the sons of God. You must answer that prayer as a son of God; as a daughter of God. Come right to the presence of God, and say, “If I am to do the works of God, the Lord must hear my petitions; He must revive His Spirit in my heart; He must be an abiding principle with me, and I must work with that principle. I must keep my eye fixed upon Jesus Christ, who is the Author and the Finisher of my faith.” Well, just as soon as we come into this position, let me tell you, it is peaceful rest. But if you are wrestling all the time, you wrestle yourself right out of the hands of Christ. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 9
“The works that I do he shall do also, and greater works shall he do, because I go to my Father.” [Verse 12.] And what then? Why, He stands there as our Advocate. And when we consider this, we should rejoice that we have One that has not left His humanity. When He ascended on high, He ascended with His humanity. Divinity and humanity combined. Now there is our hope, that He stands at the head of our humanity to work with every soul that will be worked, and to put His spirit into every heart that will accept it; and He wants us to be His little children, to put our trust in Him as little children would put their trust in their parents. And He will come to love us. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 10
But that love in our hearts will change our disposition. All this quick, passionate temper. Do you think you have got to have it? I know better. I know better. I know I was a nervous invalid. I know I suffered with such nervousness, such invalidism. I took myself right to my Redeemer. Now, I told Him, if I was a child of God, I must be so in speech, I must be so in patience, I must be so in kindness, I must be so in love and courteousness. Also I was very young, yet I laid myself just as I was, right into His hands. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 11
Now, I say, I will not allow a word to escape from my lips. Why, sometimes it would be so. I have seen it with many others, that when they are handling furniture, something or other takes place, or something does not go just as they want it to go, and they begin to scold and fret. Well, what good will it be? There is nothing but furniture. What good will it do to fret at each other? It only stirs up the spirit that is in you. Won’t you put this away? I know you can. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 12
I had the battle with an invalid’s life, and I commenced it at 11 years old, and I had trials and difficulties, and know what the battle is. I said, I will not open my lips; they may say what they please; I will keep my lips closed; I will not utter a word; I will not respond to it at all. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 13
Well, what did they say? Why, a report came after I had been ministering in the Word for a long time. It was from a neighbor that lived right close by us. “Mrs. White was my neighbor? Yes, I remember all about her.” He went around the neighborhood to find out about me. They thought that I was lacking in mind, was a little weak in character. They took the idea that I was considerably below par. The man came back to a meeting that we had. He came back, and said, when he got up to speak, that he was a minister. “Now,” he said, “I want to tell you something, if such a report has been given.” I had just given a discourse on temperance, and there were lawyers there, and clerks of the court, my own cousins; and there was a judge there, and different ones there; and, he said, “They would tell me that Mrs. White was below par in intellect.” “Now,” he said, “I believe in the Great Power. For I have never heard a discourse as she has given here on temperance.” 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 14
Well, how was it? It was because I would not open my lips. They would pour out upon me one thing and another, and I did not open my lips. I just kept my mind fixed on the Lord, and they did not know what it meant. They could not understand it. They thought I was a fool, I suppose, and I was willing they should think so; and since that time, I have been carrying it all I can carry through, and I know whatever is said about me, or not anything, I can hold right onto the Lord, and keep still. And more than that, I won’t have contention in my house. No; it can be overcome, and there is no need of it. We can overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 15
Well, let us try together to see if we cannot make this world much pleasanter than it is today; that we will make pleasant words, that we will speak right words; that the joy of Christ can be in us, and our joy can be full. No, we have no need to be sore. We want to help everyone that can be helped. And we know that they have enough in this world to try them. We have all the powers of darkness that are on our track. We have Satan, and his whole host, who is constantly trying with all his powers to overthrow us. What could we do without Christ? Without a Saviour? 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 16
Commit the keeping of your souls unto Him, as unto a faithful Creator. What will He do for us? He will increase our faith. We want to have a hundredfold more faith than we have now. We want to be determined that the enemy shall not have the victory over us at all, because Christ has promised. We do not want to be light and trifling. But we may be cheerful, and we may be happy in the Lord. I know it is so. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 17
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name,” here is the assurance, “that will I do.” (Verse 13.) If we ask it in the name of Christ, we shall not ask any foolish thing. We shall ask for spirituality, we shall ask for grace, we shall ask for power, and God will give it unto us, because He has died, that we might have all this power. He has given His life that we might have it. We want to be pleasant in this world. We know that there is roughness enough that we will have to meet through the contention of the devil. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 18
Let us consider that we are a part of God’s royal family, because we have taken the pledge of baptism, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and these great powers are pledged. Pledged what? They will keep us, they will protect us from the power of the enemy, that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifteth up a standard for us against the enemy. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 19
“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” [verses 15-17]—well, they could receive it, if they would accept Christ; but they cannot receive it and have the spirit of the world, too—“because” verse 17. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 20
“I will not leave you comfortless.” [Verse 18.] Does anyone here feel comfortless, feel that you have no comforter that knows how to pity you and sympathize with you? Well, don’t. Have we not a God? Have we not a Christ, who has given His life for us? Well, then, let us take God at His word. I want to honor God. I do not want Him to be ashamed of me. We profess to believe in Him; now we are to represent Christ to our world in character. We are to lay right hold upon the Mighty One, that we can represent His character to the world, that they may see the difference between Him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. God will help us, because He has promised to do it, and (verse 19) says, “but ye see me; because I live, ye shall live also.” 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 21
Well, now, that is, if you maintain your baptismal vows. Here was a contract made with God. We were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and the contract was made with God that these three great heavenly powers would be with us, to help us at every step, if we will unite with these powers to be helped. Now take hold by faith. Believe that Christ will do for us just what He said He would. Now think of this through the week, and when anything comes up to disturb you, and trouble and worry you, be determined that you will not give place to the devil by giving place to words that will not honor God. And every one of you, young and old, can obtain the most glorious, beautiful victory. You can obtain, and you can rejoice in your Saviour. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 22
Let us strive for the victory every day. There is a world to be saved; there are sinners that want your help. Oh, there are many hungering and thirsting ones that you do not understand anything about. Your very first work is to commence with yourself, your very second work is with your children. Get your heart in order, and then bring your children to God, and work with them, and never allow passion to come into your ruling at all. Then teach your children when they rise up and when they sit down, and when they go out and when they come in, and they will understand what the Lord would have them to do. They may be only children, but they need educating; you need educating. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 23
You neglect your children altogether too much, for they need to be educated and trained and disciplined for the right, and encircled in the arms of your love, and assisted. The little ones need to be assisted. Bind them to your heart by the silken cords of love, and you will realize that you have an influence over your children, and that nothing can tear them away from Him, or them from you. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 24
What is the next work? You have a family with you to recommend you as Christians. You have begun with yourself; you have brought yourself under discipline; you have your family that you have educated point by point, step by step, line upon line, and precept upon precept. Then what? These children are your helping hands, who recommend Christ. Then, you go right to Jesus, and you take your children with you, and there is an influence that pervades the religious household that is felt in the church. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 25
That is what we want, brethren. We want Jesus in our own house; we want to commence our work at home, and then for the neighbors, and then for those that are around us. It is just as much our duty to labor for our unconverted neighbors as it is to go to Europe or China or India, or any other place. There are souls to be saved right around in our own neighborhoods, and God wants to go to work. He wants us to act as though the souls that are right in our neighborhood are to be sought after and labored for, that the salvation of God may come right in among those around us who know not God. Shall we take hold of the work? He wants us to act like men, to commence the reformation, and go right forth and strengthen the things that remain. You have those who will help you. And we will have converts that will take right hold of the work with us. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 26
I want to say, Begin with yourself; begin with your children, if you have neglected them, and I know you have. Now if you have neglected them, take right hold and redeem the neglect. You will have to work ten times stronger than if you had not neglected them; but having neglected them, you want to take right hold and redeem the time. Tell them that Jesus loves them; tell them how to come to Christ, and believe in Him. Half of them do not know how; for you are so reluctant to speak of religious things, that they do not know how to believe. Teach them how to believe, and the blessing of God will rest upon you, and you will see of His salvation. 18LtMs, Ms 192, 1903, par. 27