Third Angel's Message
Preparing for the Latter Rain
Sermon #8
Talks given at the 1993 General Conference Session
by A.T.Jones
 

 

Sermon Eight

The evidences have been given to us showing over and over that we stand in the very presence of the events that bring the end of the world. Over and over evidences have been presented from the Bible and the direct statements of the Lord, in testimony, that now is the time when we must have the power by which alone the message may be given to the world, to save such as will be saved from the ruin that comes from the events that are about us. Brethren, the dangers that threaten us as to the end of the world, persecutions, and those things from without are, and always are, very little compared with the dangers that hang over each individual in his individual experience. [Voices in the audience: "That is so."] The greatest danger that there is about this congregation and with our people everywhere, is that they will not see the things which concern them individually, but will look more at the things that are without, and at the evidences of those things, than they will to see that their own hearts are right with God. They will look more at these things as a sort of theory than they will to have a living Christ within, in order that all those things may be living realities without, and that we may be prepared to meet them in the fear of God and the salvation of God. That is the greatest danger, as I said, that there is with this congregation who are here, and we may spread the congregation to take in every professed Sabbath-keeper in the world.

And now we have come, in the study of this subject, to the study of that part of it that comes right down to you and me as individuals--the things that you and I need to do, and the things that we need from God; to look at these things, and act upon them, in view of the salvation of God that is concerned in these things to you and me. To me, from what I know, and what I know that I know--to me this lesson and the next one are the most fearful of all that I have been brought to yet. I have not chosen them, and I dread them; but, brethren, as Brother Prescott brought before us the other night, it is no use to slight anything; it is no use for us to tamper with these things; it is no use for us to view these things lightly; it is no use for us to walk these days with our eyes shut and not knowing what our situation is. It is no use for us to have our expectations raised by the truth of God, as it does raise men's expectations, and we be expecting things to come, and yet difficulties in our own hearts and lives prevent those things doing us a particle of good when they do come. It is no use for us to do that, is it?

I say again that the lessons to which I have come, and which will have to be given--that is settled--are to me the most fearful, in the realities of the things which they tell, the situation in which they place us, of any that I have had anything to do with yet in my personal teaching. Then I can say again, I dread it; I dread it because of some of the consequences that I fear it will have, because of its not being received as it should be--with the heart and mind subdued before God, asking Him alone whether these things are so. Some things may not be pleasant for all to hear, as they are not pleasant for me to relate. They apply so personally to us as individuals. But, brethren, where we stand, and in the situation in which we stand, and in the fear of God, it has to be done.

And as it shall be done, I ask you, now to start with, do not place me up here as one who is separated from you and excluding myself from the things that may be presented. I am with you in all these things. I, with you, just as certainly, and just as much, need to be prepared to receive what God has to give us, as anybody else on earth. So I beg of you not to separate me from you in this matter. And if you see faults that you have committed, I shall see faults that I have committed, and please do not blame me if things are brought forth that expose faults that you have committed; please do not blame me as though I were judging you or finding fault with you. I shall simply state facts, and you who have a part in these things will each one know that it is a fact for himself; as when it concerns me and myself in these things, I shall know that it concerns me as a fact. What I want, brethren, is simply to seek God with you with all the heart, [Congregation: "Amen."] and to have everything out of the way, that God may give us what He has for us.

I shall not try, and you need not expect me to try, to go very fast, because I shall be willing to go just as slow as it may be, that we may consider all these things carefully. It will take these lessons to present what is in my mind, to be presented. So let us simply study these things together.

I will begin with the thought where we stopped last night. The thought was before us that the time has come when God has promised to give the early and latter rain. The time has come when we are to ask for it and to expect it. And we may keep in mind the lesson and the testimony that Brother Prescott brought before us the other night on the same subject.

I read tonight that passage that I referred to last night but did not have the book here. It is in The Ministry of Peter and Conversion of Saul, page 9. After telling about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the day of Pentecost and the results in the conversion of souls, etc., it says:

This testimony in regard to the establishment of the Christian church is given us, not only as an important portion of sacred history, but also as a lesson. All who profess the name of Christ should be waiting, watching, and praying with one heart. All differences should be put away, and unity and tender love one for another pervade the whole. Then our prayers may go up together to our Heavenly Father with strong, earnest faith. Then we may wait with patience and hope for the fulfillment of the promise.

When does that "then" come in? When we are waiting, watching, and praying with one heart, and all differences put away, unity and tender love one for another pervading the whole.

Therefore, brethren, if there are any differences at all between you and any of the people on this earth, whether they are at this institute or not, it is time for you and me to get them out of the way. If the person is not here, so that you can go to him and talk it over, you write to him and tell him all about it, and tell him your position and what you are doing. You have no responsibility any further for him, whether he receives it or not. You have acted in the fear of God in what He tells you to do. [Question from someone in the audience: "Do you mean people of the world, everybody?"] Yes, I say everybody, because if there are sins between me and people that are outside, they know it, and those differences will hinder our approach to them when we go with the message, though God should even give to us His Holy Spirit in the outpouring of the latter rain. Any difference, any enmity, anything of that kind that is between me and anybody of the world don't you see that will hinder me from approaching him with the message?

If we have cheated people, and have not been honest in our deal with the people and have not been honest in our transactions before the world, why for our soul's sake, brethren, let us straighten up. And here in Battle Creek, perhaps there are people that have things of that kind to do toward the people of this city--I mean our own people, toward the people of this city. Our meetings are going on in this city for the people of this city, and it was told us here in the institute that it is expected that when the blessing of God would come upon this meeting, it was to be taken to the people of this city, and they are to share with us in this thing. Then I would say to the Seventh-day Adventists in this city, Straighten up where there are crooked things, for your own soul's sake and for the sake of souls whom God wants to save in this city, straighten up. If you have been cheating people, go and confess it to them and give back what you stole. If in your business transactions you have not been straight, if you have got anything in a grasping way, undo the wickedness. Stand straight in the sight of God.

Here is the word to us:

All differences should be put away and unity and tender love one for another pervade the whole.

That is what the disciples were doing when they sought the Lord those ten days. They put away all differences. Now don't you suppose that in those ten days that the other disciples who were so envious of James and John when they went and asked, by their mother, the Saviour to let them sit one on one side and the other on the other side of Him in the kingdom of God and the rest of the disciples did not like it--don't you suppose they put away all that thing, and confessed it and talked it over with one another and saw, themselves, how mean it all was?

The Saviour took that little child and said, Whosoever will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven shall become as this little child and shall become the servant of all. These things they were putting away, those differences and those envyings for fear that one would be greater in the kingdom of God than some of the other disciples were all put away. And we have the word here that those things are amongst us--ambition for place, jealousy of position, and envy of situation--those things are amongst us. Now the time has come to put them away. Now the time has come for each one to find how low he can get at the feet of Christ and not how high in the Conference or in the estimation of men or how high in the Conference Committee or General Conference Committee. That is not the question at all.

All differences should be put away, and unity and tender love one for another pervade the whole.

As this pertains particularly to us, as brethren and sisters in the church, it becomes us if we know of any difference between us and anybody in this world to get it out of the way. No difference what it costs. That has nothing to do with it. It cannot cost our life if we do it. It will cost our life if we do not do it. That is settled. And when that is done, "then our prayers may go up together to our heavenly Father with strong, earnest faith." Yes, sir. When you know that you are clear in the sight of God, so far as anything is possible for you to get out of the way between you and your brethren and everything confessed to God that He has shown and we hold ourselves before Him as the erring, helpless, undone sinners that we are and see our need of what He has to give, then there are all His promises and they are for us and we know that they are our promises. Then we can depend upon them and "then our prayers may go up together to our heavenly Father with strong, earnest faith. Then we may wait with patience and hope the fulfillment of the promise."

That is what there is now to do. When that thing is done, when all those differences are put away, and unity prevails, and each one is seeking unity of heart and mind, then God has promised that we shall see eye to eye. The time has come; let us do it.

Again I read on page 9:

The answer may come with sudden velocity and overpowering might; or it may be delayed for days and weeks and our faith receive a trial. But God knows how and when to answer our prayer. It is our part of the work to put ourselves in connection with the divine channel. God is responsible for his part of the work.

Just as the thought came before us last night, when the channel is open and our prayers are ascending as they are described, then the channel is open, and when the Spirit of God is poured out, it will reach to the full length of the channel that is open.

It is our part of the work to put ourselves in connection with the divine channel. God is responsible for his part of the work. He is faithful who hath promised. The great and important matter with us is to be of one heart and mind, putting aside all envy and malice and as humble supplicants to watch and wait. Jesus, our Representative and Head, is ready to do for us what He did for the praying, watching ones on the day of Pentecost.

Here is another thought that is worthy of our deep consideration: Jesus is as willing to impart courage and grace to His followers today as He was to the disciples of the early church. None should rashly invite an opportunity to battle with the principalities and powers of darkness.

We need to go into that thing carefully, with deliberation. We need to be sure and not go into that contest until we know God is with us, with the power and grace of God to give courage and strength to meet those powers with which we are to deal. This contest that is before us is no light thing.

When God bids them engage in the conflict it will be time enough; He will then give the weak and hesitating, boldness and utterance beyond their hope or expectation.

So what the Lord wants us to do is to seek Him, and then when He sends us, we go with His power and grace only. On page 11 I read:

The disciples and apostles of Christ had a deep sense of their own inefficiency, and with humiliation and prayer they joined their weakness to His strength, their ignorance to His wisdom, their unworthiness to His righteousness, their poverty to His inexhaustible wealth. Thus strengthened and equipped, they hesitated not in the service of their Master.

What an equipment that is, though! Think of that equipment! Strength, wisdom, righteousness, wealth! Those are the very things that we need in the face of the things that are against us, for we cannot make any calculations upon any power of earth nor reputation that men will give nor upon any wealth that this world might furnish or any considerations of it or of life. So here are almost the very things enumerated that we considered in a previous lesson.

But how was it that they obtained strength? By acknowledging their weakness, confessing their weakness. How did they get wisdom? By confessing their ignorance. How did they get righteousness? By confessing their unworthiness. How did they get wealth, inexhaustible wealth? By confessing their poverty.

Now then that is the situation in which we are to be: inefficient, ignorant, poor, unworthy, and blind. Is not that just what the Laodicean message tells us--that we are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and do not know it? Someone was reading that the other day and he touched upon that word "blindness," and immediately my mind ran to the ninth chapter of John and the last verse. All turn to that, if you will. John 9:41. It is at the end of the account of that man's healing from the blindness and restoration of sight to the man that had been born blind. What does that verse say?

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remaineth.

When Jesus tells you and me we are blind, the thing for us to do is to say, "Lord, we are blind." He told those folks they were blind and they were blind, but they said it was not so. It was so. If they had confessed their blindness they would have seen God in that man's healing from his blindness. Well, then, brethren, the thing for us to do is to come square up to that Laodicean message and say that every word He says is so. When He says you and I are wretched, tell Him, "It is so. I am wretched, miserable. It is so. I am miserable, poor. It is so. I am poor, a perfect beggar. I shall never be anything else, naked, that is so. And I don't know it; that is so too. I do not know it at all, as I ought to know it." And then I will say to him every day and every hour, "Lord, that is all so. But, oh, instead of my wretchedness, give me thine own satisfaction. Instead of my misery, give me thine own comfort. Instead of my poverty, supply all thine own riches. Instead of my blindness, be thou my sight. Instead of my nakedness, oh, do thou clothe me with thine own righteousness. And what I know not, Lord, teach thou me." [Congregation: "Amen."]

Brethren, when we come with one heart and one mind to that place, we shall have no difficulty at all in repenting. It will not be difficult to repent and there will be no lack of repentance. That next verse will be fulfilled: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent."

The difficulty about our not being able to repent is that we have not confessed that what the Lord has told us is the truth. When I know that I am wretched then I know that I need something that will satisfy me. And I know that nothing but the Lord can give that, and I depend upon nothing but Him to give it. And if I have not Him, why it is only wretchedness. Any moment that I have not Him it is only wretchedness, and any moment that I have not His comfort it is only misery. Any moment that I have not absolute dependence upon His unsearchable riches--the unsearchable riches of Christ--I am utterly poor, a complete beggar. And every moment that I do not see and confess that I am blind and have Him as my sight, I am in sin. He says so.

Now you say you see. Therefore your sin remaineth. And every moment that I do not see my nakedness and depend only and absolutely upon Him and His righteousness to clothe me, why so certainly I am ruined, utterly ruined, and every moment that I begin to say, "Now I know so much," no, I do not know that at all. Well, then, the thing that I am to do is to say, "Lord, I do not know it. I depend upon thee to teach me everything, even to teach me that I am wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and that I need all these things. And when I tell Him all that He will give all I need. He will do it. That is our situation.

Here is a passage in Vol. 1 of the regular edition of the Testimonies, page 353, which brings before us a wonderful thing:

At the transfiguration Jesus was glorified by His Father. We hear Him say, 'Now is the Son of man glorified and God is glorified in Him.' Thus before His betrayal and crucifixion he was strengthened for His dreadful sufferings. As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict, 'the time of Jacob's trouble,' they will grow up into Christ and will partake largely of His Spirit. As the third message swells to a loud cry and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel.'

What is the loud cry for? To strengthen us for the time of trouble. Where are we? [Congregation: "In the loud cry."] Has the loud cry begun? [Congregation: "Yes."] What has it begun for? To do a work for us, to enable us to stand in the time of trouble.

Now a little further in regard to that demand for unity. This that is before us--this call for the Loud Cry--the latter rain--it is this that strengthens us for the time of trouble. And it has already begun. There is the word. This is the one important thing--to be of one heart and mind.

Now from this testimony that has not yet been published, I will read a few passages:

It is sin in some form that brings variance and disunion. The affections need transforming, a personal experience of the renewing power of Christ must be obtained. 'In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' The apostle, speaking to Christian believers, called by God's grace, says: 'If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son, cleanseth us from all sin.' Here are conditions plainly stated. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the sure result will follow; we shall have fellowship one with another. All jealousies, and envyings and evil surmisings will be put away. We shall live as in the sight of a holy God.

That is, we shall live now, today, each day, we shall live as in the sight of the holy God, because our prayers are going up to Him to bring His presence by the outpouring of His Holy Spirit. And can we go carelessly on in this slip-shod way, knowing that there are envyings and jealousies and evil surmisings?

It has become altogether too common to indulge our hereditary tendencies and natural inclinations, even in our religious life. These can never bring peace and love into the soul, for they always lead us away from God, away from His light. 'He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.' When differences arise among brethren as to the understanding of any point of truth, there is one Bible rule to follow. In the spirit of meekness and love for God and one another, let brethren come together, and after earnest prayer, with sincere desire to know God's will, study the Bible with the spirit of a little child, to see how closely they can draw together and not sacrifice anything but their selfish dignity. They should regard themselves as in the presence of the whole universe of God, who are watching with intense interest as brother tries to see eye to eye with brother, to understand the words of Christ, that they may be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

What is the universe of God doing, brethren? They are watching to see you and me be brethren. They want to see us be brethren. That is what they are doing. They are watching to see you be brethren in the church--be brethren and sisters indeed. They are watching to see us see eye to eye. Now, brethren, let us not let them watch in vain.

When you recall the prayer of Christ, that His disciples may be one as He was one with the Father, can you not see how intently all heaven is beholding the spirit you manifest toward one another? Are those who claim to be saved by the righteousness of Christ, seeking with all their entrusted capabilities to answer the Saviour's prayer? Will they grieve the Holy Spirit of God by indulging their own unconsecrated feelings, struggling for supremacy, and standing as far apart as possible?. . . The solemn important hours intervening between us and the judgment are not to be employed in warfare with believers.

Brethren, what have we to do to backbite and war against one another? The devil is making war against our brethren. Let us leave that for him. Let us love our brethren. Let us stand by our brethren. When a Seventh-day Adventist, even, attacks one of our brethren, let us defend him. Let us defend him in the fear of God. My brother's reputation is important to me, because if one will attack my brother's reputation to me, he will attack mine to my brother. If I listen to tales and all these things about my brethren, then why should not other people listen to them about me? No, sir, brethren, we have a care for the reputation of our brethren. Let us stand by our brethren one with another. We have a right to rebuke this tale-bearing that comes to you and me and wants to tell this, that, or the other, about the brethren. We have a right to rebuke it as the spirit of Satan, that it is. "The solemn, important hours." Important what? Days or years? No, sir. "The solemn, important hours." The days are gone. We are in hours, and it will not be long if we have not even now reached the time, when the hours will be gone and the minutes will begin to drop.

The solemn, important hours intervening between us and the judgment are not to be employed in warfare with believers. This is Satan's work. He began it in heaven, and he has with unabated energy kept it up ever since his fall. 'But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.' Let there not be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief. The time has come when the cry of the faithful watchman is to be heard, calling to his fellow-watchman, 'What of the night?' to be answered, 'The morning cometh, and also the night.'

The answer is not to be "I do not know what of the night." The answer is not to be, "Well, I think you are going too far ahead"; "I think you are going too fast"; "I think you are extreme." That is not to be the answer. When the call is, "Watchman, what of the night?" the only answer that God will accept is, "The morning cometh, and also the night"; then let us get ready for it.

Would it not be well for us individually to examine closely our own position before God in the light of His holy word and see our own special peril?

Not see how good we are, not see how much better we are than our brethren, but "see our own special peril." What is my peril? That is enough for me to see, to watch for my own deviltry, and not watch for other people's.

God does not separate from His people, but His people separate themselves from God by their own course of action. And I know of no sins greater in the sight of God than those of cherishing jealousy and hatred toward brethren, and turning the weapons of warfare against them.

How could there be any greater sins? Is not that Satan's own action?

I point my brethren to Calvary. I ask you, What is the price of man? It is the only begotten Son of the infinite God. It is the price of all the heavenly treasures.

That is the price of man. Then can you and I set lightly by, one whom God prizes like that? One for whom God has given all the treasures of the universe. Can I set him lightly by and set him at naught and count him as of little worth? No, sir. He is worth all that God paid for him. That is what God paid for you. Am I going to count you little and mean and cheap? No, sir. I ask grace from God to enable me to count you worth all He paid for you. And I am not going to have Seventh-day Adventists, even, belittling you in my estimation. I am not going to do it. No, sir. I am not. How can I, if I love Christ who paid the price? Brethren, what is wanted is the love of Christ in our hearts, and then we will love all whom He loves as He loved them at the first.

Evil is ever warring against good. And since we know that the conflict with the prince of darkness is constant, and must be severe, let us be united in the warfare.

Yes, sir. I need the support of every one whom Christ has bought. I need it in the warfare. I need it to be successful in the warfare. I need it. And, brethren, I pledge myself before God that by His grace you shall have my support in your warfare. If you are overcome, I will lift you up. If you fail, I will say, "Be of good courage, brother." If you fall, I will say, "There is lifting up." Brethren, what God wants is for us to love one another as He has loved us, and we shall love one another as He has loved us. When we have Him--His love in our hearts--we cannot do anything else, and we wouldn't if we could.

Cease to war against those of your own faith. Let no one help Satan in his work. We have all that we can do in another direction.

Brethren, let us stand together today, for it is God's work that He wants to do with us.

A passive piety will not answer for this time. Let the passiveness be manifested where it is needed, in patience, kindness, and forbearance. But we must bear a decided message of warning to the world. The Prince of Peace thus proclaimed His work, 'I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword.' Evil must be assailed. Falsehood and error must be made to appear in their true character. Sin must be denounced. And the testimony of every believer in the truth must be as one. All your little differences which arouse the combative spirit among brethren, are devices of Satan to divert minds from the great and fearful issue before us.

Shall we allow Satan to cheat us? Brethren, you know that in the things of this world it is bad to be cheated, but when a man cheats you in the meanest little infinitesimal way, you feel worse about it than if he had done it in any other way, don't you? [Audience: "Yes."] Now Satan stirs up these little differences that have not a particle of merit or principle in them, if they were carried out to their extreme. And yet he will get our eyes on these things and make a great commotion in the church and by that turns our minds off from these fearful issues that are hanging over our heads. Now, it is bad enough to be cheated at all, but when we allow ourselves to be cheated in such a mean, little, insignificant way as that, it is worse. Then let us quit.

The true peace will come among God's people when through united zeal and earnest prayer the false peace, that exists to a large degree, is disturbed. . . .Those who are under the influence of the spirit of God will not be fanatical but calm, steadfast, free from extravagance. But let all who have had the light of truth shining clear and distinct upon their pathway be careful how they cry, Peace and safety. Be careful how you make the first move to suppress the messages of truth. Be careful what influence you exert at this time. Those who profess to believe the special truths for this time need to be converted and sanctified by the truth. As Christians we are made depositaries of sacred truth and we are not to keep the truth in the outer court but bring it into the sanctuary of the soul. Then the church will possess divine vitality throughout. The weak shall be as David and David as the angel of the Lord.

Then let us confess our weakness and find out as quickly as possible that we are weak. "The weak shall be as David," and their weakness is united to Christ's strength.

One question will be all absorbing--Who shall approach the nearest to the likeness of Christ.

That is the one thing, not who shall be greatest in the Conference, or who shall be greatest in the church or who shall have this or that position in the church or the Conference Committee. That is not it. But, "Who shall approach the nearest to the likeness of Christ?"

Who shall do most to win souls to righteousness? When this is the ambition of believers, contention is at an end; the prayer of Christ is answered.

Brethren, that is where we are.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early church, 'The whole multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.' The Spirit of Christ made them one. This is the fruit of abiding in Christ. But if dissension, envy, jealousy, and strife are the fruit we bear, it is not possible that we are abiding in Christ.

Then that passage that I have read a time or two:
Jesus longs to bestow the heavenly endowment in large measure upon His people. . . . How great and widespread must be the power of the prince of evil which can be subdued only by the mighty power of the Spirit. Disloyalty to God, transgression in every form, has spread over our world. Those who would preserve their allegiance to God, who are active in His service, become the mark of every shaft and weapon of hell.

That brings us right to the lessons we have had the previous evenings--that we cannot stand at all if we have not Christ.

If those who have had great light have not corresponding faith and obedience, they soon become leavened with the prevailing apostasy; another spirit controls them. While they have been exalted to heaven in point of opportunities and privileges, they are in a worse condition than the most zealous advocates of error.

"Those who have had great light," if they "have not corresponding faith and obedience," "are in a worse condition than the most zealous advocates of error." That is you and I. Judgment begins at the house of God. When those messengers went through the city to smite and slay utterly, he was [sic.] counseled to begin at the ancient men before the house (Eze. 9:5-7), and if we are in a worse position "than the most zealous advocates of error," then the judgment must begin with us.

There are many who have thus been preparing themselves for moral inefficiency in the great crisis.

We will stop right here with this lesson and take it up just there at the next lesson, as the time has expired.

NEXT -- SERMON #9
BACK TO 1888 MESSAGES PAGE

APPENDIX:

February 6, 1893 Extracts From an Unpublished Testimony by Ellen White from which A.T. Jones was quoting:

"It is sin in some form that brings variance and disunion. The affections need transforming, a personal experience of the renewing power of Christ must be obtained. 'In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' The apostle, speaking to Christian believers, called by God's grace, says: 'If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.' Here are conditions plainly stated. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, the sure result will follow; we shall have fellowship one with another. All jealousies, and envyings, and evil surmisings will be put away. We shall live as in the sight of a holy God." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 1}

"It has become altogether too common to indulge our hereditary tendencies and natural inclinations, even in our religious life. These can never bring peace and love into the soul; for they always lead us away from God, away from his light. 'He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' When differences arise among brethren as to the understanding of any point of truth, there is one Bible rule to follow. In the spirit of meekness and love for God and one another, let brethren come together, and after earnest prayer, with sincere desire to know God's will, study the Bible with the spirit of a little child, to see how closely they can draw together, and not sacrifice anything but their selfish dignity. They should regard themselves as in the presence of the whole universe of God, who are watching with intense interest as brother tries to see eye to eye with brother, to understand the words of Christ, that they may be doers of the word, and not hearers only." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 2}

"When you recall the prayer of Christ, that his disciples may be one as he was one with the Father, can you not see how intently all heaven is beholding the spirit you manifest toward one another? Are those who claim to be saved by the righteousness of Christ, seeking with all their entrusted capabilities to answer the Saviour's prayer? Will they grieve the Holy Spirit of God by indulging their own unconsecrated feelings, struggling for supremacy, and standing as far apart as possible? . . . The solemn, important hours intervening between us and the judgment are not to be employed in warfare with believers." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 3}

"The solemn, important hours intervening between us and the judgment are not to be employed in warfare with believers; this is Satan's work; he began it in heaven, and he has with unabated energy kept it up ever since his fall. 'But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.' Let there not be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief. The time has come when the cry of the faithful watchman is to be heard, calling to his fellow-watchman, 'What of the night?' to be answered, 'The morning cometh, and also the night.'" {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 4}

"Would it not be well for us individually to examine closely our own position before God in the light of his holy word, and see our own special peril?" {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 5}

"God does not separate from his people, but his people separate themselves from God by their own course of action. And I know of no sins greater in the sight of God than those of cherishing jealousy and hatred toward brethren, and turning the weapons of warfare against them." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 6}

"I point my brethren to Calvary. I ask you, What is the price of man? It is the only begotten Son of the infinite God. It is the price of all the heavenly treasures." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 7}

"Evil is ever warring against good. And since we know that the conflict with the prince of darkness is constant, and must be severe, let us be united in the warfare." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 8}

"Cease to war against those of your own faith. Let no one help Satan in his work. We have all that we can do in another direction." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 9}

"A passive piety will not answer for this time; let the passiveness be manifested where it is needed, in patience, kindness, and forbearance. But we must bear a decided message of warning to the world. The Prince of Peace thus proclaimed his work, 'I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword.' Evil must be assailed; falsehood and error must be made to appear in their true character; sin must be denounced; and the testimony of every believer in the truth must be as one. All your little differences which arouse the combative spirit among brethren, are devices of Satan to divert minds from the great and fearful issue before us." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 10}

"The true peace will come among God's people when through united zeal and earnest prayer the false peace, that exists to a large degree, is disturbed. . . . Those who are under the influence of the spirit of God will not be fanatical, but calm, steadfast, free from extravagance. But let all who have had the light of truth shining clear and distinct upon their pathway, be careful how they cry, Peace and safety. Be careful how you make the first move to suppress the messages of truth. Be careful what influence you exert at this time. Those who profess to believe the special truths for this time need to be converted and sanctified by the truth. As Christians we are made depositaries of sacred truth, and we are not to keep the truth in the outer court, but bring it into the sanctuary of the soul. Then the church will possess divine vitality throughout. The weak shall be as David, and David as the angel of the Lord." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 11}

"One question will be all absorbing,--Who shall approach the nearest to the likeness of Christ?" {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 12}

"Who shall do most to win souls to righteousness? When this is the ambition of believers, contention is at an end; the prayer of Christ is answered." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 13}

"When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early church, 'The whole multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.' The Spirit of Christ made them one. This is the fruit of abiding in Christ. But if dissension, envy, jealousy, and strife are the fruit we bear, it is not possible that we are abiding in Christ." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 14}

"Jesus longs to bestow the heavenly endowment in large measure upon his people. . . . How great and widespread must be the power of the prince of evil which can be subdued only by the mighty power of the Spirit. Disloyalty to God, transgression in every form, has spread over our world. Those who would preserve their allegiance to God, who are active in his service, become the mark of every shaft and weapon of hell." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 15}

"If those who have had great light have not corresponding faith and obedience, they soon become leavened with the prevailing apostasy; another spirit controls them. While they have been exalted to heaven in point of opportunities and privileges, they are in a worse condition than the most zealous advocates of error." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 16}

"There are many who have thus been preparing themselves for moral inefficiency in the great crisis." {GCDB, February 6, 1893 par. 17}

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