Talk/Talk at Washington, D.C.
Washington, D. C.,
(Circa April-July 1904)
Previously unpublished.
My mind is greatly stirred as I think of the great work before us. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 1
Among our own people we see various phases of error coming in. God and Christ are not exalted as they should be. Many among us are not familiar with the most sacred truths of God’s Word. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 2
Satan and his angels are working with determination to prevent the proclamation of the truth here in Washington. Efforts will be made to draw some of our leading men away to engage in controversy at Battle Creek. But this we cannot afford. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 3
Time is as precious as gold. This morning I was unable to sleep. I arose, offered prayer, and began to read from the first chapter of Revelation. This book contains the last warning message that is to be given to the world. We should be more familiar with the Revelation than any other book of the Bible. Yet to many it is a closed book. It is regarded as a mystery. There may be things in the Revelation that we do not understand. But by earnest, prayerful study, especially of those texts that relate particularly to our own time, we may understand the position of Christ and His relation to God and to us, as we cannot understand unless we are familiar with this book. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 4
We need to understand the significance of the efforts prompted by the powers of darkness to eclipse the message that God has committed to us to give to the world. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 5
Some who have long been connected with the message, but who have not practiced its truths, have lost their sense of its sacredness and of their responsibility. Ours is a sacred calling. We have received from God precious instruction. We have been warned of errors. We have been instructed as to what we should do, and what we should leave undone. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat.” [Matthew 7:14, 13.] 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 6
O that we all might receive a baptism of God’s Spirit, and see of His power and His grace, as did John. The devil stirred up the people to take John out on that rocky island of Patmos, that he might be silenced. They thought he would soon be discouraged. But John was acquainted with God. And even on that lonely island he held precious communion with God. Angels of God were round about him. Hearing a voice like a trumpet, he turned to see the speaker, and beheld Christ, who had come to open before him heavenly mysteries. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 7
And John was instructed to write in a book what he saw, and to send it to all the churches. Brethren and sisters, we want to catch the divine inspiration, as we read and study the Word of God, that the light of the world shall so impress us that when error shall arise it may have no place in our hearts. Why? Because we have a view of things that are invisible. Every laborer should feel at perfect liberty to come right to God with the greatest confidence, and hear what He has to say to the churches. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.” [Revelation 3:22.] 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 8
I have felt an intense interest in this city, and the work to be done here. Though we may begin small, yet we need not remain small. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 9
It is our privilege to keep that converse with God. We are to keep that communion with Him that it is our privilege to have, because Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, to stand at the head of humanity. Humanity is encircled with His long human arm, while with the divine arm, He grasps the throne of the Infinite. It is just what He is telling John to do. He is giving him light; He is giving him knowledge; He is giving him understanding, that he might keep his mind full of the great things that God has prepared for those who love Him. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 10
We cannot afford to catch up sophistries. They are hay and wood and stubble. God wants us to have a pure line of truth, and He wants us to be so sanctified through the truth, that we shall see the matchless charms of a Saviour’s love. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 11
We know what it means to be partakers of the divine nature. The sentiment has gone abroad, that Sister White is human, and because Sister White is human, we must not depend on what Sister White will tell us; we do not know what is human and what is divine. Therefore, when reproof comes to them, they settle themselves back, saying, “That is human,” and when the divine comes, they cannot understand that to harmonize with their sophistries. When God and eternity, the great mighty God is presented to them, they have something that is imaginary. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 12
But supposing Sister White was not human. Supposing Christ came without taking humanity upon Himself. He would strike them out of existence. They could not have seen the Lord. But here was John who was so beloved of God. When Christ began to reveal Himself to him he fell as a dead man. And he had to have the Lord Jesus come and revive him, and tell him that He had a message for him and to strengthen him. His humanity could not endure the glory. How is it with us? Shall we, because the Lord sends messages to His people, throw them to one side because it comes from human lips? Shall we do that? How can we be reached then? God came from heaven. He might have sent an angel, but an angel could not have done the work. Therefore He picks up a persecuted John in his old age, and there He takes John and tells him the mysteries that he must make it known to the churches. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 13
The churches, as they shall have the light, will scatter the light to those who are around them. What we want is to broaden, but not to broaden ourselves right onto high self-esteem, but to sink lower and lower with a sense of our unworthiness and the greatness of God, that He can reveal to us chapter after chapter of His grace and His power that we can bring right to the people. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 14
Now every one of us wants us to be Christlike in earnest. There was our Saviour. He preached to the Jewish nation from one place to another, and He pronounced woes upon them because they had seen the great works of God, and Sodom and Gomorrah would have less punishment than they would have. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 15
God did not want His people in Battle Creek. He does not want them there. Our workers are collected there, many of them in sadness and distress because they do not know what to do with themselves. They do not feel at home. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 16
God wants us to let the truth shine forth steadily in Washington. He does not want us turned away. He does not want us taken in by this sophistry of hypnotism. He wants us to have nothing to do with anything of this character. He wants us to stand with our eyes single to the glory of God. In our papers you will find articles that you think others ought to read. You can bring those papers before them, that they may observe the very thing that takes your attention, that you think will strike them. Angels of God will put it into your mind. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 17
When I was at Nashville the light came that all our periodicals, all our papers, should not be column after column with the same name under it. But take the precious experiences that will tell in regard to conversions, and the light and the blessings that the Lord has sent. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 18
We need to do something more than we do to let the light shine. Christ says, “Ye are the light of the world.” A city set on a hill cannot be hid. And He tells you not to put your light under a bushel nor under a bed. [Matthew 5:14, 15; Mark 4:21.] Do not think that your home-life is all that you have to live for. One soul saved is worth more than the world; therefore we want the burning life of Christ in our souls, that when we shall pray we shall get right to the point as though we could not lose one of the sacred moments. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 19
We want the Holy Spirit. We want the communion and light from heaven, and we must have it or we cannot work. Just throw yourselves right into the arms of One whose precious arm has hold of the eternal throne, while with His human arm He encircles the race. If we are in earnest, the real power and the blessing and the grace of God will be with us. It is not we who do the work. Do not take all of the glory. The angels of God are there. They are working upon human hearts, and upon human instruments to reach those hearts. If we will only be all humble before God, we shall see of His salvation. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 20
In Australia the news came that a Sunday law was going to be enforced, and nobody was to work. Well, we were very careful to get on the right side of the officers, and when we had our fruit orchard, we would get some of the fruit, and we would take it to those who were in the legislature, and we would distribute these all around. Every time we would get on the cars we would say, “O what a feast we had on what you sent us!” Then our people said, “What are we going to do, if these should come with the Sunday law and close up our work?” “Well, it is not here yet,” we said, “and while it is not here, for Christ’s sake, go to work, and do everything that you can.” “But these officers, they ride around here every day.” “Yes,” said I, “but they do not see you. We have tried to make friends with them, and they do not see that you are working, they do not make any report. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 21
“But, if it should be so that men are put into office, and they should try to carry out that law strenuously—what shall we do?” you ask. “Well, do what I tell you to do right now, beginning before it comes. Dedicate Sunday to God, Sunday as your working day. Take your students that you have. Take your students with you, and go from house to house. Let the teachers take a number of students and go into the bush, and there ask them if they will let you give a Bible reading. Take right hold of the matter.” Soon we had evening readings in private houses, and they began to take hold of the truth, and we had a good little company that had come out into the truth. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 22
You can do this. Instead of thinking that God would not sustain you if you should give up that day to Him, you must not think any such thing. He will. He will bring souls into the truth. Their tithes will be brought in just as soon as they come into the truth. Their tithe to support the work. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 23
We had one little bit of a meetinghouse, the cheapest little concern. A young man asked for a chance to go in and speak from the Bible, and to sing. They let it go on for some time. Finally a minister came and closed the door and said, “You cannot come in here any more.” “What is the reason? What have we done? Have we said any word that you do not believe?” “O no, but you are getting ready, you are getting the minds of the people.” So they shut us out. Then we went into a field. We went six miles. We got some boards and made seats there, and I would speak to the people. We would have a good little congregation, and singing. And we would go to different places, anywhere in the world to give the light of truth. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 24
Ever be courteous, ever be kind, ever be tender, ever be Christlike, and you will find that there is a power working in behalf of the truth that you do not see with human eyes, but that you can discern by the eye of faith as seeing Him who is invisible. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 25
I have realized the Spirit of God in these small gatherings. We get in wherever we can. There are many things of wonderful importance that took place from time to time that we might tell you of. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 26
Let us seek God with all our hearts. Here is the mistake that has been made of centering so much in certain localities like Battle Creek. They have been warned of it for twenty years, and more than that, and yet it has kept right on. Now we need the talent and the intelligence of men and women to carry this work. You want to get together; you want to talk together, you want to pray together, and the blessing of the Lord will just as surely rest upon His people who want to understand the work. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 27
Sometimes I wake up and cry out in the night season. I cannot stop. Well, what is it? It seems as though the Saviour is saying, What is it? Why, there are so many souls who do not sense that the people are dying all around them without the truth, and the Saviour says, “I am hungry for fruit. I have given my life to save the world. For their sakes I became poor, that no one could say I did not understand poverty. For their sakes I was oppressed, I was acquainted with grief. For their sakes I suffered the shameful death on Calvary’s cross.” And here the people are gathering in localities, taking our youth and drifting them to Battle Creek, when they need to be employed in this very city. There is intellect, there is talent, there is intelligence, that needs to be brought into exercise. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 28
There is a world to save. O if we could only realize this! I have thought it over and over until it seemed to me that my senses reeled, that I should lose my mind. I felt as though I could not keep my mind, there was so much to do. I wanted to go here and there. I would take my place anywhere. I have taken it in the woods, where I am at St. Helena. I have stood upon the ground where the people would come and hear the truth. I felt the Spirit of God. That is what I wanted. I am not satisfied to talk to the church. I want to find the people. I will go where they are. I am determined. I will find them and talk to them. That is what we have been doing. Brother James has taken our team every Sabbath and has gone to a location about five or six miles away, and taken the little families that would come in, and pray with them and talk with them. That is what we have been doing. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 29
We have the soldiers’ home. I forget how many there are in it, but there is a great multitude there. Every other Sabbath, we would take our teams, Brother Dores; he knows something about that, he has spoken to them. I spoke to them once; others have spoken, and they sing to them. They are perfectly delighted. They take my books to them, I have put Desire of Ages, Patriarchs and Prophets and other books in their library. There was one man who said, “Before you came I was a drunkard, I was a swearer, I was a tobacco user, but because of the light that has come to me, I have left it all off. I have read Desire of Ages two or three times, and it tastes better the last time than the first.” 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 30
Now, they will be exerting an influence. Three or four have come into the truth. The last letter that came from some of my family says that they keep up the meetings there at the soldiers’ home. This is the way we are to look for places all around us, where we can get in. The seed sown will bear fruit, and we shall see of the glory of God. I will not hold you any longer, but I will say, The Spirit of the Lord can make us fit workers, that we can have on His armor and be cheerful. Do not go with sadness on your faces. Christ says, “If you keep My commandments, and abide in My love, My joy shall be in you, and your joy shall be full.” [John 15:10, 11.] Now I defy anybody that has the joy of Christ in the heart, to go with a long, discouraged face. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 31
Ye are the light of the world. Christ said that Himself. Let your light so shine before men that they by seeing your good works shall glorify your Father which is in heaven. [Matthew 5:14, 16.] There is something to be seen and realized. Ye are the salt of the earth. We must keep the savor in the salt, else all our work is good for nothing, unless it has the precious savor in it, unless living, guiding principles are there, unless Christ is in the soul. That is what we want, and we shall be so happy, we shall feel so delighted with the idea that there is somebody interested to hear that the truth will go forth as a lamp that burneth. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 32
You will have trials, you will be repulsed. What of that, was not Christ? And who was He? He was the Majesty of heaven. He was the King of glory. When we consider this, we can understand why He became a man, so that no one can ever say He does not know the trials of humanity. He knows all about it. He is to judge the world because, of all the heavenly hosts, He is the One who passed through humanity, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 33
God wants us to work hard while we are favored. I have been so fearful lest some Sunday law would close up our work so that we could not do all we wanted to do; I have felt so, that I could not sleep. But the blessing of God came upon me one night when I felt that I was in this terrible condition. It seemed as though my mind had been on a strain. Why? Because I was human. I knelt down before God and said, “Now, here I am, I have gone to the very extent of my mind’s power. I have carried this burden day and night. For weeks I had not slept after twelve o’clock. And for four weeks I had not slept until twelve o’clock. Now, Lord, You know I cannot do any more. I cast my helpless soul on Thee; save for me my brain. I am willing to suffer in any part of the body, but save me my brain. I must write. I must have my mind.” 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 34
While I was praying there seemed to be a canopy of light that shut right down over me—at midnight. Pain, that I had had in my head, had been such that if I put my eyes on manuscript or tried to read letters that perplexed me, the blood would rush into my head and come out of my nose, and I would say, “I cannot do it, Willie.” He had a handful he wanted to read to me. But I was healed in a moment. I have not had a single particle of it pain since. That was a few days before I left California. I have worked steadily along, speaking to the people, and the Lord has blessed me abundantly and preserved my mind. I have no pain in my head, and yet I am writing and working this mind continually. God has given me strength, and I give His name the glory. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 35
Now, when we feel that we are going to be cast right down, and are going to do anything, we will cast our helpless souls upon the Lord. Then other will join. There ought to be one hundred workers in this place. Here is Baltimore, workers are needed there. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 36
I am so thankful that we have a God. I am glad that although we have humanity, yet we can unite humanity with divinity; we can become partakers of the divine nature. Just think of that. Divine nature, having overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. That is a great thing. We can overcome them. We want more of the Holy Spirit, and He will give it to us. 19LtMs, Ms 165, 1904, par. 37