Ms 84, 1910
Talk/Thoughts on Deuteronomy 4
Los Angeles, California
April 23, 1910
Previously unpublished. +
(Discourse by Mrs. E. G. White at Simpson’s Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. This copy includes Ellen White’s handwritten corrections.)25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 1
Deuteronomy 4:1-20. I have chosen my subject, expecting but a small company to be assembled together, but I want this subject still to come before the people. It is the word of the living God, and I want to present it to you. I want every one of you to understand that I am a simple, humble old woman, not depending upon myself for strength. I am in my eighty-third year, and I have been in almost constant labor in the field of service since I was 15 years old, and yet I do not depend upon myself. I know unless the angels of God shall be here, and unless they shall make the impressions, it will not be of benefit to any soul. But if I walk in the fear of the Lord, I leave all the results with Him.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 2
“In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountains, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.” [Exodus 19:1-7.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 3
When we receive from the Lord His mercies and His blessings, we may know that the Lord means that we should observe and appreciate all His instruction for our own good, and thus do honor to His name.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 4
“And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.” [Verses 8, 9.] What a wonderful condescension on the part of our holy God and carefully should Israel cherish this wonderful manifestation.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 5
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.” [Verses 10, 11.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 6
Now here is a very peculiar lesson that shows that the Lord has an interest in all that He requires His people to do, that they may carry out the principles of His Word to the letter. No impurities in their clothing must there be when they come before the Lord. No impurities must come near the Lord. God is going to talk with Israel. He comes in the thick cloud so that His glory shall not destroy the people. And there a sanctification took place, to bring them into a sacred nearness to God. We want, every one of us, as we listen to the Word of God, to be in a position that we shall understand what the Lord saith unto us, and take heed unto His instruction.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 7
“And the Lord spake all these words, saying, ... Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” [Exodus 20:1-3.] Will we obey it? Are we obeying it, giving it every sanctified impulse of mind and soul and strength? We are living in the very last days of this earth’s history. If it were not so, I would have said today, I have not strength; I cannot come; I cannot speak. But if there is one soul that will hear the word of the Lord and will be wrought up in heart to obey His word, [even] if I should lose my life I would have nothing to regret. For the Lord God means all that He hath said.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 8
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.” [Verses 4-6.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 9
Now we want to understand that it means everything to us whether we will listen to the Word of God and obey His requirements, and whether we will obey the Word of God to the letter. It means everything to this congregation to whom this message is repeated. We want in every way to bring ourselves under discipline to God, to heed the Word of the Lord and depart from all iniquity, from [all] sin. We want to take the Word of the Lord into the mind and heart, to follow on to know the Lord, that we may know that His going forth is prepared as the morning. This word of the Lord is right from God. Here I read it out of His Book, even as He spoke it. It means everything to us whether we are coming into right relation to God.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 10
“I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” [Verse 5.] Of course, He could not promise and pledge Himself that He would let His blessing rest upon the fathers and mothers and the children when they were transgressing His requirements, which are plainly written in the Book that He has given us, and forbidden that anything should be changed in that Word.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 11
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” [Verse 7.] “In vain”—that means something to every one that has a tongue and a voice. We are to remember that there will be a settlement with every case to decide whether they are worthy, whether they have sanctified heart and soul [so] that they will be fit to come into the presence of God, whether they will see the King in His beauty, whether Christ, whom He has given to the world, has died in vain for them.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 12
Oh, if we can only be overcomers! If we can only understand that there is to be a grand and critical review by the God of heaven, of every case, that there shall not be a second rebellion in heaven. He says, “Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” [Verse 6.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 13
Every one, every soul that keeps the commandments of God, has a guarantee that he shall have a place in the kingdom of glory, and I have taken my position that I will stand obedient on the commandments of God. I will warn the people by precept and example; I will go East and West, North and South, until I shall lay off the armor at the feet of my Redeemer. Now I want to tell you there is joy and gladness and peace in the service of God. Think you that I would have taken the responsibilities that I have taken in my youth and carried them through to the present time if I had not the confidence day by day that I was working out of the will of my heavenly Father?25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 14
“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.” [Verses 8-11.] This is the Sabbath that God has ordained. After He had created the world in six days, He rested the seventh day, and then what? Why, His people were standing in review before God, as obedient children, and thus we are to stand.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 15
“Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 16
“Thou shalt not kill.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 17
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 18
“Thou shalt not steal.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 19
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 20
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” [Verses 12-17.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 21
Now suppose that we obeyed that requirement. Suppose that in our large cities they believed in the commandments of God as they are given. What a change there would be in our cities and in the whole world! He tells us directly what to do.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 22
“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” [Verses 18-20.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 23
The Lord graciously proves His people. He gives them messages; He works with them on the right hand and on the left to prove them, that His fear may be before their faces that they sin not. He does not want you to sin, because with every sin there is a crime. God does not want you to sin against Him or against the people, or against anyone in your house. Fathers and mothers, how important it is that you understand that you are not to bring sharp words into your speech in the ruling of your children. They are the Lord’s property. If you do, there is something in their hearts that rises up to resist injustice and to do the very thing that you told them [they] must not do. But if you talk to them kindly and read to them the Word, and tell them what God says about it, they will be impressed when they are very young, for angels are helping to forward every righteous action.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 24
The mother is never to lift her voice in anger to her children, because you are educating them, and if you do that, if you strike them and speak in anger, as I have seen many do in the foreign countries, and in our own country, you make an impression, give a mould, that you may never be able to efface. Mothers, do not do it any more. You will feel pleasanter by speaking pleasant words, and the Lord knows the influence of every word. He understands its impression, and He has given us His Word that we may follow it with success.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 25
“And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” [Verse 19.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 26
They knew that they were a rebellious people; they knew that they moved from impulse. No fathers and mothers who are true Christian will give way to passion. They may be church members but they must be reconverted, because they can never enter the city of God unless they can bear the test and examination of character. They will not be introduced into the city of God, into the heavenly courts, where it [might be] possible for [them] to rebel.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 27
There are the angels, the beautiful angels exalted in heaven, but where sin sprang from in them it is impossible to tell. Those very angels that fell from heaven may be listening to me in this congregation unseen, because they are working in every city to bring in their temptations and trials so that they will provoke God who cast them out of heaven because they would not be obedient to the laws of heaven.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 28
Let us begin to show forth obedience right here. Let everyone of us fear the Lord our Creator. A grand review is to take place before long, when the case of every soul will be decided. When I think of that, I never refuse any such call as is made to me today, if I have strength to stand upon my feet. And I want to tell you, when I consider what there is to gain if we bear the signature of heaven, I feel as though I wanted to speak to the whole universe, to work in unity with God. It seems that I could not hold my peace, because it is presented to me in many visions that God has given me of heavenly things, and therefore God is my Keeper. I trust in Him, and when my work is done, I shall be thankful to rest.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 29
I want to tell to every man and woman, God has given you His work, and if you will just read the Word and see how much God has done for you, then you will try to obey God, not according to your imperfect ideas, but according [to] His Word, that you may not offend God and grieve His Holy Spirit. Fall down upon your knees and plead with God to have compassion upon you that you may not grieve the Holy Spirit of God and drive it from you. You cannot afford to do this. It is too expensive a matter that you should be careless in forming your character in this life for the eternal life. The Lord Jesus gave you His example right in this life, and lived a perfect pattern for every soul that will cooperate with Him in His work.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 30
There is a world to be saved, a world to be warned, and we want every one of you here present to get into place that you may begin to act your part in giving this warning message to those that are in these cities and towns and wherever people are, that they may be prepared to meet their God. You cannot afford to neglect the light given you even for a day. Give your heart to God in all simplicity, and then ask the Lord Jesus to mold and fashion and convert your soul, and He will do it.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 31
[Verse 18.] Here it says that “when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off,” afraid of God. “And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” [Verse 19.] How many would plead that today? How many who are here would plead that if they were in that very company today?25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 32
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.” [Verses 20-24.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 33
Now let us consider how we stand. Oh, let us consider whether we are prepared to meet the requirements of God! That is why I felt that I would not let this occasion pass by, weak as I am, but would come before you. Then He enforces His requirements that they must conform to.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 34
I want to say to you that it was for your sakes that Christ gave His precious life. Do you appreciate the gift? He left the royal courts; He laid aside the royal crown and the royal robes, and He came as an infant here in this world to carry through the very work that He was to do, to warn the people. He was the Son of the living God, God’s only begotten Son, but He gave Him for you to be your example. He gave Him that He should come, and go everywhere to educate, educate, educate, and yet there was no sin upon Him, not a stain of sin. When you consider this, I want you to realize that God appreciates every such occasion as this. That is why our brethren felt that perhaps some soul might be convicted, and know the value of the saving power of the Lord and what the truth is.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 35
The world is becoming more and more corrupt, and we have only a little time in which to work. We have it signalized in San Francisco, in the city that was nearly destroyed. Instead of this experience making them better, it seems that Satan’s agencies have more firmly taken possession of the whole city. It is a terrible thing. It makes our work, to express the value of the truth in practical godliness, tenfold harder, yes, a hundredfold harder, because it seems next to impossible to reach the people. And what does it mean? It means that when the angels came to claim the highest place in heaven, above the only begotten Son of God, it was not given to them. And because they did not receive it, there was war in heaven, and those that wanted a higher place, to crowd out Christ Jesus, were cast out of heaven because they would not repent and accept the rule of God; and they may be listening to me today.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 36
But I want to tell you, one thing is certain, there is a living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and He will be with us if we will be with Him. There were those beautiful angels, as you will find described in the Word; but they lost heaven because they would not listen to the highest authority, which was God Himself. How many are doing this kind of disobedience today? The angels would have their own way. And they are in this world. They have that beautiful language, the most beautiful language given the angels. These evil, fallen angels will use [it] when it suits their purpose. And they will bring in that language. Learned men are deceived, and people will think that because they can represent things in this beautiful language, that they are just what they represent and claim to be—heavenly beings. They present these things before those that will listen to them, and tempt them, and tell them this and that the other thing in regard to God and in regard to their brethren.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 37
We must strictly guard ourselves with the Word of God as we have never guarded ourselves before. Why are you building sanitariums all around in different places? Why are you preparing meeting houses? Why are you establishing schools in many different places? We have to do it under a pressure of debt, but we work away at it, denying ourselves of many things because the purity and beauty of the cause and work of God must not be hindered in its advancement. We do all we possibly can [to] bring light and truth to human minds, to convert souls. That is what we are doing. And these very subjects I present before them again and again at certain times. And then they ask why, if our people are being educated, they should not receive the highest education. That is the very thing we are trying to do to elevate, ennoble, and sanctify the souls of believers. We have the highest education that there is to be had in the world. What is it? It is to obey God according to the letter of the Word. That is the highest education that there is to be had in the world. That is the education that is going to save the souls in our world.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 38
I present before our people and before all to whom I speak, that the higher education is to fashion your souls in living obedience to the Word of the living God. You take that Word and follow out its teachings, and the first thing you who have enlightened intelligence will do is to awaken men and women conscientiously [to] responsibilities. [This] is just what we have been doing. The Lord has said, “And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not.” [Deuteronomy 6:11.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 39
And we have found these very things in taking up our responsibilities in the work right here. We have found them in such places as at Loma Linda and other places. Then what are we to do? After we have been some time teaching, those who have had the old ideas want to go to the physicians and learned men of the world to get the “higher education.” They always come out with the lower education. The higher education is to fasten the mind and soul to the Word of the living God, just as it reads, and when you have done this, there are angels that are round about you to make impression upon the human mind, working with human minds that they may not be kept under deception.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 40
What we want is salvation, for in a little time this world will be in such a commotion as you never dreamed of. I want to tell you that it is high time that we understood that the higher education cannot be obtained by committing yourselves to be educated by leading men who do not obey God’s commandments. Leading men, praying men, seeking counsel of God, will be taught of God, and led and directed of God in their work and efforts. But some think they must attach to the worldly sort of men that claim to be physicians, or to some other soul that is not submitted to God. They do not keep His Sabbath, God’s appointed day that He has sanctified and blessed. “Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations,” says the Lord. [Exodus 31:13.] Where will they get their higher education?25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 41
I have not come in here to force anything upon any one, but only to present the Word of God, and let that Word be our counselor and not have it shut away from the people. We want to say just now that we do not wish to harm any soul. We have come to let light in, we have come to enlighten those that are in darkness, and we want to say to you that there is a heaven of bliss open to you. “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.” And what overcoming He did! He was crucified; He was hung upon the cross; He was mocked; He was derided. He travelled on foot from place to place. The people would follow Him wherever He went, and His voice with such melody [in] it would reach the people’s hearts where they were, and they would listen to Him. And we want our voices to be tempered into harmonious melody, if it is possible.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 42
There is a living God, and although the world is going into wickedness, it is not the higher education that God wants us to have. The higher education is that which yields to the Higher Will, the Higher Power, and that will improve the character that will receive it. That is what we want for the people. We want you to have peace of mind; we want you to have grace; we want you to have salvation, because you have [the] minds of your children that you are training up in the way of the Lord. Never, never speak to them in a sharp, harsh way. You cannot afford it. Just take them away and talk to them tenderly. I have taken children that were not my own, and trained them in this way, and they are believers and alive today. Every one of us should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 43
We read in Deuteronomy four: “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.” [Verse 1.] It is our life to be obedient children of God. This is the highest class of education. “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.” [Verse 2.] Now mind that. Men are changing the Bible to conform to the ideas of higher education, and they have those special ones that fell from heaven, that were so enlightened, to help them in making it a very grand thing, but it will be so grand that there will be very few who accept it that will ever enter heaven.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 44
“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.” [Verses 3, 4.] Now when he would make that representation, there would be a voice to respond, Yea, yea, yea.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 45
“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.” [Verse 5.] There was the blessed land that they were trying to get to, and He wanted them to become acquainted with their relation to God that they might carry it out in coming into the possession of these lands. Here was their only hope.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 46
“Keep these commandments 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. 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?” [Verses 6, 7.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 47
“This is your wisdom.” Is not that the highest education that human beings can obtain? Is there any higher? Tell me where it is. If you will come in submission to God, you will realize the converting power of God every day.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 48
“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?” [Verse 8.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 49
Is not that the higher education? That is why we purchased Loma Linda and Glendale and Paradise Valley Sanitarium, and other similar property. That is why we are established in Washington, having our school and physicians at work in these sanitariums that we have established, and we are trying to bring all over the world the higher education. It is not to be confined to one place. Why? Because we want the people to understand what the only safe higher education is. It is to be in submission to the will of heaven. There is no higher education that can come to any mortal but to listen to the Word of God.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 50
“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 thine heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons and thy sons’ sons; specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. And ye came near and stood under the mountain: and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.” [Verses 9-12.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 51
And why was there not a similitude? Because they would go to patterning after that similitude. We do not need one-hundredth part of these pictures that we have been fashioning in our books as a great addition. We do not need to spend our money for many things for which we spend it in creating pictures. We are getting ready for a life that measures with the life of God. We are getting ready to see the King in His beauty. Christ came to our world to carry out the purposes of God. He ministered to the people until wicked men took Him and crucified Him. But He did not stay in the grave long, for a mighty angel came and rolled back the stone from the door of the sepulcher. And the men that were watching the grave became like dead men. The light came so strong that it took away their strength. Christ Jesus came forth from the grave, and He proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, “I am the resurrection and the life.” [John 11:25.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 52
There was Christ, risen from the dead. He had suffered death. You can suffer no more. You cannot suffer any more than your Saviour suffered; but He proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, “I am the resurrection and the life.” [Verse 25.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 53
He who has proclaimed Himself to be “the resurrection and the life” has “declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 54
“And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female.” [Deuteronomy 4:13-16.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 55
God was giving them these lessons. We want heaven. We do not want to lose heaven. We want to be brought into right relation to God. We want to see the King in His beauty, and we want to be partakers with Christ in His sufferings, that we may in character be lawfully partakers of His glory. The Lord He is God, and what this great person or that great person may say should not affect us. They may say most wonderful things. Bear this in mind, because the fallen angels were educated in a wonderful manner by the Lord God of heaven. They wanted to be first and take Christ’s place in heaven. Let every one of us be a partaker of the divine nature, that we may overcome the temptations that are in the world through lust. Now, we do not want to be the biggest men or the biggest women, but we want to be those that believe the Word of God just as He has given it to us. We do not want to glorify anyone, whatever may be their work, or lift up any human being, but we do want to encourage a faith that works by love and purifies the soul.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 56
Fathers and mothers, I beseech you, educate your children not with scolding or fretting, or anything of that kind, but teach them what is before them in the formation of their character if they ever expect to wear the crown of life, and let no human nature be your judge of your fine capabilities, to exalt yourself and [thus] lose the crown of life. The Lord alone can judge any mortal’s value. I ask you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that you will listen to these words that I have spoken to you.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 57
I want to say that our God is a living God. In the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy are words which He wants us to heed:25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 58
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt 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, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 59
“Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commandment thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” [Verses 11-16.]25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 60
And so He goes on with His commandments. Let us walk humbly with God. And when we speak to one another, do not let it be in a scolding way, do not let it be in scolding and fretting at your children. Just take them, and kneel down and pray with them, and you will find that there will be a surprising change come to them. Why? Because heavenly angels are sent [to] work with [the] father and mother and they do a work you cannot do.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 61
It is for the purpose of doing a work in the name of the Lord that we have purchased institutions in many places. We are doing a work in school education, and in our sanitariums where the sick and suffering are brought, and we know it to be true that many souls have been converted in these very institutions, and many more will be converted if you all blend in harmony. We want to tell you that the Lord He is God, and we are going to serve Him to the letter. We want to help you, if it is possible, that you may take your position for the Lord God of Israel. We thank you that you have been so patient to listen to what a feeble woman has had to say to you. When I am on my feet, as I was before thousands in public in Washington, I know no weariness. I stand and speak to the people, and the Lord gives me strength; He gives me people’s ears to hear, and He has preserved my life.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 62
I want to see that there are many becoming true to God my Saviour, that when the gates of the city are swung back upon their glittering hinges, they may enter in and the harp be placed in their hands and the crown upon their heads, and what is the best part of it? They go no more out forever. There will be no more tempting devil to come in and tempt them away from God. We want you to be saved with an eternal salvation. We want you to see the King in His beauty. We want you to bring your children into the city of God, and we want to see the crowns on their head, and to hear their voices in praise for Him who gave His life for them. You ought to want to hear it. So let us all unitedly strive for victory till the word in heaven comes, It is done; the warfare is ended.25LtMs, Ms 84, 1910, par. 63