I received a letter a little while ago from Brother Starr in Australia. I will read two or three sentences because they come in well just at this place in our lessons:

Sister White says that we have been in the time of the latter rain since the Minneapolis meeting.

That is just what we have found in our own study of these lessons, is it not? Brethren, how much longer is the Lord going to wait before we will receive it? He has been trying these four years to have us receive the latter rain. How much longer is He going to wait before we receive it? Now this subject will join right on to Brother Prescott's and his talk is simply the beginning of mine, and what he called upon every one here to do is what every one should have done four years ago.

And the fact of the matter is, something is going to be done. Those who will seek the Lord that way, who will receive His message that way, will get what He wants to give. Those who will not do that will be left to themselves, and when that is done it will be forever. And that is the fearfulness of the situation at this meeting; that is what lends to this meeting its fearful character. The danger is that there will be some here who have resisted this for four years or perhaps who have not resisted it that long, who will now fail to receive it as the Lord gives it and will be passed by. A decision will be made by the Lord, by ourselves in fact, at this meeting. On which side are you going to be found?

Here is another word that teaches the same point that we had last night in our lesson, to receive the word of God just as it is, just as He says it, with no question of our own. Brother Starr says that he was talking with Sister White one day about the angels at Mt. Sinai at the giving of the law, and he says this:

Then further from Brother Starr:

Then another instance there: A brother had been carried away by connection with secret societies and had gone through with them until he was about ready to take the highest degree.

A testimony came for him. God presented his case to her as a man just upon the brink of a precipice to whom it was dangerous to call out even. Sister White asked the Lord what she could do for him, and as she prayed, the angel said, "Give him the pass word. Give him the pass word into the heavenly society, 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified.'"

What is the pass word into the heavenly society? [Congregation: "Jesus Christ and Him crucified."] That is the only thing that you and I have any business to know anything about. That is His message to the world, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified"; that is the passport.

Now turn again to Romans 4th chapter. We want to read of the righteousness of God and while we read of this righteousness of God, we want to receive it just as the Lord has spoken it. Don't forget now, we want that canopy of angels over us and around us, that no word may be perverted to our understanding. We want to receive it just as he gave it.

"What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans 4:1-3) What was it that was counted unto Abraham for righteousness? [Congregation: "He believed God."] When God said a thing, Abraham believed it. He said "that is so." What was it that the Lord said to him? Let us turn and read, because that is important to us. Gen. 15:43-6. "And, behold the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad and said, Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord and he counted it unto him for righteousness."

Now do you believe that Abraham became righteous in just that way? [Congregation: "Yes."] Honestly now, do you? [Congregation: "Yes, sir."] Do you know he did? [Congregation: "Yes."] The Lord called Abraham out and said, Look at the stars and tell the number of them, so shall thy seed be. Abraham said, "Amen." That is the Hebrew, Abraham said, "Amen." And the Lord said, "You are right."

"Now do you know that it was as simple a transaction as that? Was it just like calling you and me out of this tabernacle and the Lord saying to us, See the stars? Tell the stars if thou be able to number them. Yes, so shall such and such be. And we say, "Amen." And He should say, "You are righteous." Suppose the Lord called you and me out tonight. No, He can do it without calling us out. He called Abraham out doors to show him the stars, but He can show us sins without calling us out doors. Has He shown you a great many sins? Has He? [Congregation: "Yes."] Now He says, If thou be able to number them, 'they shall be white as snow." What do you say? [Congregation: "Amen."] Then what does the Lord say? [Congregation: "You are righteous."] Are you? [Voice: "Yes."] Do people become righteous as easy as that? Is it as simple a transaction as that? [Congregation: "Yes."] Amen. Thank the Lord!

Now let us turn again to the 4th of Romans and get the particular verse where this is told. Rom. 4:23, 24: "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."

Some of the brethren were saying this morning in the social meeting that last night they felt as though they would like to praise the Lord out loud, but they thought they had better not. "Quench not the Spirit." If you want to praise the Lord for anything, the Lord tells you to do it. We might as well start here as any other time to have Seventh-day Adventists praise the Lord or say, "Praise the Lord" in meeting. We might as well start that here as anywhere.

What the Lord said to Abraham, Abraham believed. And what He says to you and me, you and I believe, then we get the same results. It is not some particular thing that the Lord says, that we must believe in order to be righteous; whatever he says, believe it, and then he says, "you are right."

I would like to know whether it is not so, that when the Lord says a thing He is right? [Congregation: "Yes."] Then when I say that is so, am I not right? [Congregation: "Yes."] What is the world hinders me from being right? Can you tell? I will say it again: When the Lord says a thing, is he right? [Congregation: "Yes."] He is right in saying it; then when I say "that is so"; when I say "Amen"; when I say "be it so"; when I say "yes, that is so," then am I not right? Yes. Am I not right just as certainly as He is? Certainly. Can even He say I am wrong? [Congregation: "No."] He says a thing, and I say the same thing; can He say I am wrong? [Congregation: "No."] When you say the same thing, can He say that you are wrong? [Congregation: "No."] Well then, when we are in such a situation that the Lord Himself cannot say that you and I are wrong, I would like to know what in the world is the reason we are not right? And believing God puts us in just that situation, as He did Abraham. I would like to know what can keep us out of heaven then? What can keep us out of the kingdom of God then?

The only thing that can keep you and me out of the kingdom of God is to tell the Lord that He lies, and if you and I will stop that business we will get into heaven all right. That is just what people need to do, to stop telling the Lord that He lies. "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar." But whoever would make God a liar is a liar himself, and liars cannot get into the kingdom of God. "Without are liars" and all those other people referred to in Rev. 21:8, 27, and 22:15. Then the thing we want to do is to stop lying. Let us quit right now. Stop lying. No difference what the Lord says, you say, "That is so."

Don't you see this is the whole story and the very idea that Brother Haskell was trying hard to inculcate upon us here in our lessons, that there is salvation in every line of the Scriptures. For God says it, doesn't He? Well, when God says it, and we say it, then we are righteous, that is the end of it. God said that to Abraham; Abraham said, "Amen, that is so, I take that." So this shows that there is salvation in every line of the Scriptures, in everything God says.

Romans fourth chapter tells more about what Abraham said, or rather what he thought. Rom. 4:20-22: "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God: and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised he was able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." Now as I read last night without reference to the third chapter of Romans, that Christ was set forth to be a propitiation for sin that is past. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." The thought is, that God is righteous in the doing of it; this is sufficient; He has met every demand. He is perfectly able, then, to justify the believer in Jesus, is He not? He is perfectly able to make the man righteous who believes in Jesus. He has promised to do that for every one who will believe in Jesus: Well, do you believe He is able to perform what He has promised? Has he not promised to do that? [Congregation: "Yes."] Do you believe He is able to perform what He has promised? [Congregation: "Amen."] Is He? [Congregation: "Yes."] Amen. Therefore it is imputed to you for righteousness. [Congregation: "Thank the Lord." That is all the story. [Congregation: "Praise the Lord."]

The story is simple enough, the mischief of it is though that we allow so much of Satan's devices to get in to mystify it. That is the mischief of it. He does not want that; He wants it to be just as simple as He has told it, and He has told it so simply that a little child can understand it and receive it. And you who do not receive it as a little child, cannot receive it. So I say again, that it is no difference what God says or when He says it; whatever He says, we, like Abraham, say, "Amen. Lord, I believe that; that is so." Then He says you are right. And you are right, too.

Let us read on now, in Romans 4:3-5: "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Believeth on him that justifieth who? [Congregation: "The ungodly."] Who is it, in this world, that the Lord justifies? [Congregation: "The ungodly."] The ungodly. I am glad of it, for that assures me everlasting salvation. If it were otherwise there would be no hope for me. If God justified people who were only half saints that would leave me out. If He justified people who had only one good thing, that would leave me out. If He justified people who had only a little good about them, that would leave me out. But thank the Lord, He is so good, He loves me so much; He has such wondrous power, the divine power of His righteousness is so great, that when He pronounces that word upon such a corrupt sinner as I am it makes me through and through righteous in the sight of God. [Congregation: "Amen."] That is the worth of God's word "righteousness."

And because He is so good; because there is such divine power in His righteousness and because He justifies the ungodly; therefore, I have the perfect security of His everlasting salvation. Then what in the world is going to keep me from being glad? Can you imagine anything that is going to keep me from being glad? Can you imagine anything that is going to keep you from being glad? It is not enough for me to be glad; I want you to be glad; I can attend to my part of it. [Voice: "I am glad."] Amen.

"To him that worketh not." Yes, if it required works I could not do enough. If there was anything at all required it would leave me out. But Oh, as we read the other night, ye have "sold yourself for naught" and "ye are redeemed without money." But not without a price. But lo, He has paid the price. And the blessing of it is that He was rich enough to pay the price and the other blessing is He was good enough to spend all His riches in paying the price that He might have me. He can have me.

I have heard brethren say, "I thank the Lord I have confidence in him." I thank the Lord He has confidence in me. I think it is little enough for a man, for whom the Lord does that much, to have confidence in the Lord, but to think that the Lord would make such a wondrous investment in me with the confidence of ever getting the worth of it; His confidence in me I cannot grasp. That is too wonderful for me. And I am thankful that the Lord had that much confidence in His risk upon me. For that reason I am so glad I don't know what else to do. Brethren, the Lord is good. [Congregation: "Amen."] Then let us trust Him.

Romans 4:7-6 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.Yes, Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man"? Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Ps.32:1-2 Well, I should say so. I should say so. The blessedness of the man "unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." Brethren, do you know the blessedness of that man? Or are there some in this house who know only the distressedness of that man, who tries to get it by works? There is no blessedness of that kind; the Bible does not describe any blessedness of that kind. That is all distressedness only and you know it. But God describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying, "O the blessedness of the man." That is the way David said it in his own language, but in ours it is translated simply "Blessed is the man." O the blessedness of the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

There is a blessedness to that man; I tell you there is. O the blessedness of the man to whom He will not impute sin. To whom the Lord will not impute sin, because that man has received the gift of Jesus Christ, and all that God has given in Him, and when He looks at that man, He sees Jesus Christ; He does not impute sin to that man at all. Oh the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin!

"Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness." Three times, you see, there inside of nine verses, three times the Lord has said it over, Faith counts for righteousness. Look at it. "Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness"; "To him that believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." "We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness." Brethren, let us do like Abraham did; let us say "Amen." [Congregation: "Amen."] Counting that what God has promised He is able to perform. [Congregation: "Amen."] And then thank the Lord that He imputes to us righteousness and makes us free.

"How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision?" Did not he have to go and circumcise himself and all his house before he could be righteous? [Congregation: "No, sir."] "When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision." When he was a Gentile. Is that so? [Congregation: "Yes, sir."] Before he was circumcised? "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness" that he had? [Congregation: "Righteousness of the faith which he had."] Doesn't it say, he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness which he had? [Congregation: "No. 'A seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had.'"] Yes, sir. Yes, sir. "He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had." [Congregation: "Amen!"] A seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, not the righteousness that he had, because the righteousness that he had came by the faith that he had.

"And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised." Is that you? Father of all them that believe God. [Congregation: "Amen."] All them that believe. Is that so? [Congregation: "Yes, sir."] That righteousness might be imputed unto them also. He is the father of all them that believe, what for? "That righteousness might be imputed unto them also." Come along, then. "Father of all them that believe." No wonder he could not count them. Only the mind of God could count the seed of Abraham. They are indeed numberless as the stars, but lo, of the stars it is said, "He calleth them all by their names," and he is able to number us, he knows us by name, and the blessing of it is, he is going to give us a new name. I tell you, brethren, the Lord loves us. Indeed He does.

"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Is that so? [Congregation: "Yes."] "For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: because the law worketh wrath." Does it? [Congregation: "Yes."] Does it now? [Congregation: "Yes."] Then how much righteousness is any man going to get out of the law? [Congregation: "None."] That is not what the law is for; "the law worketh wrath."

"For where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure." Oh! The Lord wants His promise to be sure to us, does He? And in order that it might be sure to us, where did He put it? Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure." Look now; think of that carefully. I will say it slowly. "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace. The word "that" is what I am after. What does it mean? In order that, just this way. "That it might be by grace." Then it is of grace, is it? [Congregation: "Yes."] It is of faith, that it might be by grace, what for? "That it might be sure." Then he who receives anything from God by faith, he is the man that is sure of that thing, isn't he? [Congregation: "Yes."] And he who thinks of getting anything from God in any other way than by faith, never can be sure that he has it, because in fact he does not have it at all. Do you see that? [Congregation: "Yes."] Let us act that way.

"Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all." Good. [Congregation: "Amen."] To all. To all. "To the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the Father of us all (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations), before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were." What does he do? [Congregation: "Quickeneth."] What does He do? [Congregation: "Makes alive."] Giveth life unto the dead. "Calling those things that be not as though they were." When He calls a thing that is not as though it were, then is it? [Congregation: "Yes."] Did not He do that when He made the worlds? There were no worlds; He called them; what then? [Congregation: "They were."] There was no light; He called the light; "there was light."

In me is no righteousness; here is all ungodliness; here is all uncleanness; God has set forth that same One who declared the word and the worlds came and who declared the word "light," and light came--He has set forth that same One to declare righteousness in place of this body of sin. [Congregation: "Praise the Lord."] In this place, this body, this character of sin, He calls that which is not as though it were, and, thank the Lord, it is. [Congregation: "Amen."] In this place which is all uncleanness he has set forth that blessed One to declare holiness and He calls this thing which is not as though it were, and, thanks be to His almighty power, it is. [Congregation: "Amen."] And I am glad of it. "Calleth those things which be not as though they were." A sinner is not righteous; the ungodly are ungodly; but God calls that which is not, as though it were and it is. [Congregation: "Amen."] It is.

"Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification." He was raised that we might be justified; raised for our justification. I am going to let Him accomplish what He was raised from the dead for. That is settled. He knows how to do it, and He can do it, and I am going to let Him.

Now the fifth chapter of Romans:
"Therefore being justified by faith." What do you say? [Congregation: "Amen."] Therefore being made righteous, being justified by faith, "we have peace with God." And I know it, don't you? We have peace with God. He says so. Then it is so. Even though it were not so. Then it is so. Even though it were not so, it is so after he calls those things that be not as though they were. We cannot understand it, but we can know it. I know it, and that is all I care to do.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace. How did we get into this grace? By faith. We have it, thank the Lord. "Wherein we stand." Do we stand there indeed? [Congregation: "Yes."] He says so; it is so, isn't it? He says so, and it is so. He says we stand there, and we do, thank the Lord. "Wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Don't we? He says we rejoice, and we do. Because when He says we do, He is right, and we say, "Amen," and then we are right. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also." Tribulations will come along as easy as can be, but they will not amount to anything against us. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed"--not to us only but "in us," which shall be a part of us. That is how we shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of our Father.

Well, that is the righteousness of God; that is how Abraham received it. What is the blessing of Abraham, then? What is it? [Congregation: "Righteousness by faith."] How did he get it? [Congregation: "By faith."] The blessing of Abraham is not received except by that man who has righteousness by faith; is that so? [Congregation: "Yes, sir."]

Now the text that Brother Prescott just read. I do not care if he did read it; it comes into my lesson as well as his, and it is all one lesson anyway. Gal. 3:13,14: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law." Has He? He says He has, then He has. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ."

Why did Christ become a curse on the tree? That the blessing of Abraham might come on you and me. Why did He redeem us from the curse of the law? That the blessing of Abraham might come on you and me. What is the blessing of Abraham? [Congregation: "Righteousness by faith."] Christ died that you and I might be made righteous by faith. Brethren, isn't it awful when a man will rob Christ of the very thing for which He died and want righteousness in some other way? Isn't it awful? Brethren, let us believe in Jesus Christ.

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ." Now then we are redeemed from the curse of the law; Christ is made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us. And what does that come upon us for? "That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Then when we as a people, we as a body, we as a church, have received the blessing of Abraham, what then? [Congregation: "The latter rain."] The outpouring of the Spirit. It is so with the individual. When the individual believes in Jesus Christ and obtains the righteousness which is by faith, then the Holy Spirit, which is the circumcision of the heart is received by Him. And when the whole people, as a church, receive the righteousness of faith, the blessing of Abraham, then what is to hinder the church from receiving the Spirit of God? [Congregation: "Nothing."] That is where we are. What is to hinder, then, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? What holds back the outpouring of the Holy Ghost? [Voice: "Unbelief."] Our lack of the righteousness of God, which is by faith--that is what holds it back, for when that is received, it is given in order that we may receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Then let us be sure we have the blessing of Abraham and then ask and we shall receive.