ALL of the teats prescribed by the Bible for the gift of prophecy have been applied to the work and experience of Mrs. E. G. White. As a consequence, this manifestation has been demonstrated to be the restoration of the genuine gift of prophecy in our day. GoPH 165.1
The supreme test, fidelity to the Bible, and loyalty to the Lord Jesus, has been met in all that Mrs. White has done, and said, and writ-ten, during a period of seventy years. She has exalted the Lord in it all, and the influence of her work and life have drawn all who have felt it nearer their Saviour. Her writings have deepened and enlarged the spiritual lives of her readers and illuminated their understandings in the blessed teachings of God’s word. GoPH 165.2
In all that she has written and said, Christ is acknowledged, honored, worshiped, and up-held. She has been loyal to all that He taught, to all that He did, to all that He is, to all that He is to be. The whole influence of her life, her work, her writings, has been to exalt her Saviour, to glorify Him, to lead men to Him. She has been unfalteringly true to the historic Christ and historic Christianity, not swerving a hair’s breadth from the great doctrines of the atonement, His pre-existence, His divine in-carnation, His deity, His divine Sonship, His virgin birth, His miracle-working power, His divine authority, His substitutionary and expiatory death, His literal resurrection, His ascension, His mediatory and intercessory priest-hood, His bodily, visible, personal, and imminent coming again. GoPH 165.3
She delighted to honor her Lord. In just one of her many books, — in all of which He is exalted and glorified, — she writes of Him as the Saviour of the world, our Advocate and Judge, the King who will reign in righteousness, the Anointed One, the Author of the resurrection, the Adored of the angels, the Seed of the woman, the Sent of God, the Author of truth, Shiloh the peace-giver, our Substitute and Surety, the Beloved of heaven, the coming Bridegroom, the Sin-bearer, the Sun of Righteousness, the Captain of the Lord’s host, the Branch of David, the Good Shepherd, the I AM, the living Bread, the Lord our Righteousness, the Christ of God, the Exalted One, our Elder Brother, the First Fruits of the resurrection, the Foundation of the Jewish economy, the Daysman, the Deliverer, the Redeemer of the world, the Commander of the angels, the Conqueror of death, sin, and the grave, the Desire of all nations, the Consolation of Israel, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Divine Teacher, the Gift of God, the Door of the Sheepfold, the Friend of sinners, the Giver of manna, the Glory of Israel, the Great Physician, the Heart Searcher, the Heavenly King, the High Priest, the Image of God, the Holy One of Israel, the King of glory, the Judge of all the earth, the Hope of the fathers, the Lamb of God, the Majesty of heaven, the Light of life, the Messenger of the covenant, the Living Rock, the Lord of life and glory, the only-begotten Son, the everlasting Father, the Lord of the Sabbath, the Minister of the true tabernacle, the Prince of heaven, the Prince of life, the Prince of peace, the Prince of God, the Prince of sufferers, the Prince of light, the Promised One, the Resurrection and the Life, the Rock of faith, the Root and Offspring of David, the bright and morning Star, the Chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely, the Rose of Sharon, the Mighty God, the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary land, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the true Vine, the Wonderful Counselor, the world’s rightful King, the true Sacrifice, the only and sufficient Saviour, and the Coming King. GoPH 166.1
All this He was to her. All this she sets Him forth to the world to be. All this He has become to many because of the gift God graciously manifested by her. “ Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.” 1 John 4:2. GoPH 168.1
This is her counsel to every preacher, and she followed it herself: GoPH 168.2
“O that I could command language of sufficient force to make the impression that I wish to make upon my fellow laborers in the gospel. My brethren, you are handling the words of life; you are dealing with minds that are capable of the highest development. Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended into the heavens, Christ coming again, should so soften, gladden, and fill the mind of the minister that he will present these truths to the people in love and deep earnestness. The minister will then be lost sight of, and Jesus will be made manifest. GoPH 168.3
“Lift up Jesus, you that teach the people, lift Him up in sermon, in song, in prayer. Let all your powers be directed to pointing souls, confused, bewildered, lost, to ‘the Lamb of God.’ Lift Him up, the risen Saviour, and say to all who hear, Come to Him who ‘hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us.’ Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon, the theme of every song. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Bring nothing into your preaching to supplement Christ, the wisdom and power of God. Hold forth the word of life, presenting Jesus as the hope of the penitent and the stronghold of every believer. Reveal the way of peace to the troubled and the despondent, and show forth the grace and completeness of the Saviour.” —“ Gospel Workers,” pp. 159, 160. GoPH 168.4
In its manifestation through Mrs. White, the gift of prophecy has also been true to the Bible, and to all that the former prophets have written. In all her numerous books there is not one statement, one word, that is contrary to the uniform teaching of the Holy Scriptures. Its teachings she has consistently upheld and inculcated. She looked upon Holy Writ as the source of all truth, the guidebook of holiness, the Word of the Living God. She wrote of it: GoPH 169.1
“The word of God is sufficient to enlighten the most beclouded mind, and may be under-stood by those who desire to understand it. But, notwithstanding all this, some who pro fess to make the Word of God their study are found living in direct opposition to its plainest teachings. Then, to leave men and women without excuse, God gives them plain and pointed testimonies, bringing them back to the Word they have neglected to follow.” “The testimonies are not to belittle the word of God, but to exalt it and attract minds to it, that the beautiful simplicity of truth may impress all.” GoPH 169.2
“Our watchword is to be, ‘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 have a Bible full of the most precious truth. It contains the alpha and the omega of knowledge. The Scriptures, given by inspiration of God, are ‘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.’ Take the Bible as your study book.” —“ Christian Experiences and Teachings,” p. 249. GoPH 170.1
To ministers, this was her instruction: GoPH 170.2
“Do not advocate theories or tests that Christ has never mentioned, and that have no foundation in the Bible. We have grand, solemn truths for the people. ‘It is written’ is the test that must be brought home to every soul. Let us go to the word of God for guidance. Let us seek for a ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ We have had enough of human methods. A mind trained only in worldly science will fail to understand the things of God; but the same mind, converted and sanctified, will see the divine power in the Word.”— Id., pp. 249, 250. GoPH 170.3
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20. GoPH 171.1
The gift of prophecy, in its manifestation through Mrs. E. G. White, has also been true to the law of God, as were all God’s true prophets. She wrote: GoPH 171.2
“When the law was proclaimed from Sinai, God made known to men the holiness of His character, that by contrast they might see the sinfulness of their own. The law was given to convict them of sin, and reveal their need of a Saviour. It would do this as its principles were applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. This work it is still to do. In the life of Christ the principles of the law are made plain; and as the Holy Spirit of God touches the heart; as the light of Christ reveals to men their need of His cleansing blood and His justifying right-eousness, the law is still an agent in bringing us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.’ GoPH 171.3
‘“Till heaven and earth pass,’ said Jesus, ‘one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’ The sun shining in the heavens, the solid earth upon which you dwell, are God’s witnesses that His law is changeless and eternal. Though they may pass away, the divine precepts shall endure. ‘It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.’ The system of types that pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God was to be abolished at His death; but the precepts of the decalogue are as immutable as the throne of God.”—“ Desire of Ages,” p. 308. GoPH 172.1
This gift has been true, too, to the Sabbath of the Lord, of which this has been written: GoPH 172.2
‘“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,’ Jesus said. The institutions that God has established are for the benefit of mankind. ‘All things are for your sakes.’ ‘Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.’ The law of ten commandments, of which the Sabbath forms a part, God gave to His people as a blessing. ‘The Lord commanded us,’ said Moses, ‘to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive.’ And through the psalmist the message was given to Israel, ‘Serve the Lord with glad-ness; come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.’ And of all who ‘keep the Sabbath from polluting it,’ the Lord declares, ‘even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.’ “‘Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.’ These words are full of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs to Christ. For ‘all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.’ Since Ho made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, ‘I gave them My Sabbaths, to bn a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,’— make them holy. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God. GoPH 172.3
“And the Lord says, ‘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; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.’ To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight them-selves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’“—“ Desire of Ages,” pp. 288, 289. GoPH 174.1
The test of fruitage, “by their fruits ye shall know them,” this manifestation of the gift of prophecy meets with ease and success. “The Testimonies,” or writings of Mrs. E. G. White, together with her life, her influence, her work, all reveal the Spirit of God, and His constant guidance. They uphold and inculcate the purest and loftiest morality. Every vice is discountenanced; every virtue is praised. They expose the devices and pitfalls of the enemy of our souls. They safeguard against the perils in the pathway of the Christian pilgrim. They warn against, and save from, fanaticism. They turn the light, of truth upon hidden sins, disclose secret wrongs, bring evil motives to light, lead to deep and lasting consecration, inspire to holiness of life, influence to increased activity and more intense zeal in doing the work of God. GoPH 174.2
These writings lead men to Christ. Their spirit is that of the Bible. They exalt and glorify the Saviour of men as the only hope of the world. They disclose to us, in words that live and burn, the incomparable Life, the immaculate Character, the unsurpassed Example of the Man of Galilee. With appeals that move and thrill and bring a response, they urge surrender to His exclusive control, and to consistent and holy living in following His example. GoPH 175.1
This gift in its present manifestation exalts the Bible. It emphasizes its divine origin and inspiration, and points men to it as the un-alterable word of the Living God. It exhorts men to rest their faith and confidence upon it as the man of their counsel, the reliable rule of faith and practice. It entreats men to a close, a long, a diligent search of its sacred pages and truths in order to become familiar with its lofty teachings, which will judge them in the last day. To thousands of weary souls this gift has brought relief, comfort, illumination, and hope. The weak have been strengthened, the feeble and fainting raised up, the lost guided to safety, the despondent cheered, the despairing made hopeful, the blind enlightened. Order has been brought out of chaos, crooked places made straight, dark things brought to light. GoPH 176.1
Truly, God has visited His people, so that they “ come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:7, 8. GoPH 176.2