Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White, March 9, 1890
(Re Minneapolis
Meeting of Righteousness by Faith)
I want to read a few words from the first
chapter of Acts--[the] eighth verse: "But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Now
we read in the second chapter [verses 1-4], "And when the
day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as
of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like
as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as
the Spirit gave them utterance."
Now, brethren, the blessing that is here
spoken of we may receive when we come to God with our whole heart,
when we empty it of every kind of prejudice and all this doubting
and unbelief; then we can expect the Spirit of God. But it is
the case as I presented before you one morning in regard to the
presentation of Christ in the temple. The priest took Him in
his arms, but he could see nothing there. God did not speak to
him and say, "This is the consolation of Israel." But
just as soon as Simeon came in, the Spirit of God led him, and
because he was under His influence, the Holy Ghost being upon
him, he sees there that little Infant in His mother's arms
and every indication of the little family
being in poverty, but the moment he beholds that, God says to
him, "This is the consolation of Israel."
Now we have two distinct characters. The
priest that was there officiating did not know Him; but here
was one who recognized Him because he was where he could discern
spiritual things. He was living in close relation with God. He
was living in connection with the future eternal interest, and
therefore he recognized the Spirit of God.
And how is it with us individually? We
know that the Spirit of God has been with us. We know that it
has been with us time and again in the meetings. We have not
a doubt but that the Lord was with Elder Waggoner as he spoke
yesterday. We have not a doubt of that. I have not a doubt that
the power of God in rich measure was hanging over us, and everything
was light in the Lord to me yesterday afternoon in the minister's
meeting. Now, if there had been a throwing open the door of the
heart and letting Jesus in, we would have had a precious season
there yesterday. I have not a doubt of it.
It makes every difference to us in what
kind of spirit we come to the investigation of the Scriptures.
If we come with a teachable spirit, ready to learn, with our
hearts emptied of our prejudices, not seeking to bring the Scriptures
to our ideas but to bring our ideas to the Scriptures, then we
shall know of the doctrine. We shall understand it. But let me
tell you, brethren, if you have discernment you can understand
where God is working. You do not need wonderful miracles to testify
of this, because you see the miracles did not do any good to
the Jews. They had it right in their sight but it did not do
any good to them.
The woman of Samaria who came and listened
to Christ--she accepted Him without miracles at all, because
she believed His word. She was glad for the light and went and
published it to her neighbors. Here were the very ones who were
hated of the Jews. The Samaritans were receiving the light. When
Christ came to the Jews with all the power of His majesty, all
His grace manifested in mighty healings and in the mighty out-pouring
of His Spirit, they would not recognize that. Well, why? Because
the very same prejudices that had been in their hearts reigned
there, and the most mighty miracles that He could do would have
no effect on their hearts at all.
If we place ourselves in a position that
we will not recognize the light God sends or His messages to
us, then we are in danger of sinning against the Holy Ghost.
Then for us to turn and see if we can find some little thing
that is done that we can hang some of our doubts upon and begin
to question! The question is, has God sent the truth? Has God
raised up these men to proclaim the truth? I say, yes, God has
sent men to bring us the truth that we should not have had unless
God had sent somebody to bring it to us. God has let me have
a light of what His Spirit is, and therefore I accept it, and
I no more dare to lift my hand against these persons, because
it would be against Jesus Christ, who is to be recognized in
His messengers.
Now, I want you to be careful, every one
of you, what position you take, whether you enshroud yourselves
in the clouds of unbelief because you see imperfections; you
see a word or a little item, perhaps, that may take place, and
judge them from that. You are to see what God is doing with them.
You are to see whether God is working with them, and then you
are to acknowledge the Spirit of God that is revealed in them.
And if you choose to resist it you will be acting just as the
Jews acted. You have all the light and all the evidences that
they had. They rejected the light notwithstanding the mighty
miracles of God were there. Their hearts were so filled with
prejudice that they said at last, Oh, He does miracles by the
power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils; that is how He does
His miracles.
Now, brethren, God wants us to take our
position with the man that carries the lantern; we want to take
our position where the light is, and where God has given the
trumpet a certain sound. We want to give the trumpet a certain
sound. We have been in perplexity, and we have been in doubt,
and the churches are ready to die. But now here we read: "And
after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven,
having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the
great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils,
and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean
and hateful bird" [Rev. 18:1,2].
Well now, how are we going to know anything
about that message if we are not in a position to recognize anything
of the light of heaven when it comes to us? And we will just
as soon pick up the darkest deception when it comes to us from
somebody that agrees with us, when we have not a particle of
evidence that the Spirit of God has sent them. Christ said, "I
come in the name of my Father, but ye will not receive me"
[see John 5:43]. Now, that is just the work that has been going
on here ever since the meeting at Minneapolis. Because God sends
a message in his name that does not agree with your ideas, therefore
[you conclude] it cannot be a message from God. How dare you
run the risk of trying in the least to shut
[Remainder Missing]