Christ said to His disciples: “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” “He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”PUR July 3, 1902, par. 1

After Christ's ascension the disciples were joyful, not because He had left them, but because He had ascended to stand in the presence of His Father, that He might secure for His waiting, watching, praying church on earth the gift of the Holy Spirit. And while the disciples were praying, the Saviour's promise was verified. The Comforter came to the bereaved church, and as the Holy Spirit rested on the apostles, they became mighty in power. God's chosen messengers “out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”PUR July 3, 1902, par. 2

In His last intercessory prayer Christ pleaded, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” These words include all who have believed on Christ and all who believe on Him at the present time. “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” Oneness, harmony, unity of spirit with the Saviour,—these are the signs by which Christians may be distinguished. Thus they show to the world that Christ is the Son of the living God, and that He is able to give salvation, even eternal life, to all who believe on Him.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 3

“And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou has sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” When shall we take hold of God's work in earnest? We all need a deeper, broader experience. When we are one with Christ, we shall be united with one another, and shall manifest steadfast loyalty to God, to His Word, and to our brethren. The true believer will have confidence in his brethren and sisters. He will be conscientious in every transaction, because his lips have been touched and cleansed by the live coal from the altar.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 4

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” We must set ourselves to the task of laying hold of eternal realities. We must link up with Christ, that we may be hid with Him in God. When we understand this union, we shall not depend on human beings for strength. God will be to us all and in all. In Him will be our confidence, our trust.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 5

Christ made His soul an offering for sin. Thus He made it possible for man to hate sin—that which requires such an offering, such a sacrifice, to rescue the sinner from its terrible influence.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 6

The Saviour claims much in His prayer. To His Father He declared: “I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” In representing to the world His Father's attributes, He cast over God's character no shadow to dim its glory. He revealed to the world His Father's likeness. Neither in word nor in spirit did He perpetuate sin.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 7

In this prayer Christ said, “I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy Word.” Christ expects much from us. Concerning His faithful followers He will declare to His Father, “They have kept Thy Word.”PUR July 3, 1902, par. 8

Continuing His prayer, Christ pleaded: “I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them.” Oh, what a lesson Christ's prayer should teach every one who bears any responsibility in God's service! Can Christ say concerning us, “I am glorified in them”? Should not a thorough transformation take place in the hearts of even the men who have long known the truth, but who have not earnestly endeavored to glorify Christ? Let every worker carefully search his heart to detect the motives prompting wrong words and actions. Have men become so blinded that they can not distinguish between sin and righteousness?PUR July 3, 1902, par. 9

It is time for a spiritual awakening to take place in every sanitarium, every publishing house, every divinely-established institution. Let the workers connected with our institutions awake to a realization of the sacredness of their trust, so that Christ may not be compelled to say: “Take these hence.” “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Unfaithful stewardship must be met and accounted for. There is now need of a most thorough self-examination. Shall unholy works testify against us as a people?PUR July 3, 1902, par. 10

Christ continued: “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth. As Thou has sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” Are there not those connected with God's work who have not been sanctified through the truth? Have not many in positions of responsibility thought that position glorifies man? Have not many lost their spirit of obedience to God's Word? They continue to do those things that are sinful in God's sight. Is it not time for such ones to begin to search the heart, that they may discern what spirit they are of? Is it not time for them to cease to corrupt their ways before God? Let every man, whatever his position, realize that true greatness is attained only by appropriating truth, to the sanctification of body, soul, and spirit. Only thus is it possible to be a partaker of the divine nature, having overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 11

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou has sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou has loved Me.”PUR July 3, 1902, par. 12

Study this prayer carefully. Study every word, lest you fail of receiving the impression that God desires to make on your heart, an impression that is of the greatest importance to you. This prayer holds out before us our possibilities, showing that it is possible for us to live in close communion with God. Every one may understand these wonderful, far-reaching expressions, and appropriate to himself the great promises they contain. Those who do not avail themselves of the blessings so graciously offered them will be called upon in the day of final accounts to answer for their refusal to accept the great gift placed within their reach.PUR July 3, 1902, par. 13

Mrs. E. G. White

June 19, 1902

July 17, 1902