Revivals Across the Land

As meetings were held through the spring and summer across the land, Ellen White and Jones labored as a team. This chapter opened with her summary of this work. No two meetings were alike. R. M. Kilgore, president of the Illinois Conference, in reporting the two-week-long convocation in Chicago, which grew out of the “State meeting,” observed that “at the beginning of the meeting, darkness and lack of faith seemed to close up the avenues by which the Spirit of God could operate upon our minds.”—Ibid., May 7, 1889. At Minneapolis he had hesitated about receiving the light that was caused to shine there. Not until midway in the Chicago meetings did the tide turn. Ellen White described this in a letter to Willie:3BIO 428.1

There began to be a break on Thursday [April 4], and on Friday the meetings were excellent, but oh, how hard it was to educate the people to look away from themselves to Jesus and to His righteousness. A continuous effort has had to be put forth.—Letter 1, 1889.3BIO 428.2

She wrote of the effort called for to aid the people—in this case mostly ministers—to reach out by faith and cling to the righteousness of Christ.3BIO 428.3

We have been earnestly and steadily at work to encourage faith in our brethren. This seemed to be as difficult as to teach a child to take its first steps alone.—Letter 85, 1889.3BIO 428.4

Now that the enlightenment of the Spirit of God has come, all seem to be learning fast; but at first the lessons presented seemed strange and new, and their hearts and minds could not take them in. More real good could now be accomplished in one day than in one full week before, because they have now opened their hearts to Jesus, and He is abiding with them. All regret that they have been so long ignorant of what constituted true religion. They are sorry that they have not known that it was true religion to depend entirely upon Christ's righteousness, and not upon works of merit.—Letter 1, 1889.3BIO 428.5

In this letter she names some of the ministers who experienced a turnaround in their experience: Ballenger, Tate, and the conference president, Kilgore. “He talks things right out,” she reported to Willie:3BIO 429.1

He weeps and rejoices. He says he has had a new conversion, that his eyes are opened, that he no longer sees men as trees walking in his religious experience, but that he sees clearly that it is Christ's righteousness that he must rely upon or he is a lost man.—Ibid.3BIO 429.2

As Kilgore wrote his report of the meeting for publication in the Review and Herald, he penned these words:3BIO 429.3

The labors of Sister White and Elder Jones were highly appreciated by our brethren. The clear and forcible elucidation of the truth of justification by faith, as set forth by Brother Jones, was truly meat in due season. As Christ was lifted up in all His attributes of love and mercy for poor sinners, we were drawn nearer to Him; and from faith to faith, we were enabled to see new beauties and glories in the great plan of human redemption. The righteousness of God's law and the exalted character of Jesus Christ made us all sensible that sin had wrought ruin in the human family and rendered sinners wholly unable to rescue themselves.3BIO 429.4

Sister White labored hard for the best good of all present; and we have never seen her present her testimony with more power than at this time.—The Review and Herald, May 7, 1889.3BIO 429.5

Such victories brought joy to Ellen White's heart. The Sabbath meetings she felt were especially precious, and wrote: “From the commencement of the Sabbath to its close it was a day of especial blessing, and it forms one of the most precious pictures that I have to hang in memory's hall to look upon with delight and rejoicing. Good is the Lord and greatly to be praised.”—Letter 1, 1889.3BIO 429.6