Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White, March 8, 1890.

Yesterday morning before I went into the ministers’ meeting my soul was greatly distressed. I can not tell you how hard the pressure was. It seemed to amount to an agony, and in the night season it was an agony. I did not know what to expect, or how long this thing was going to persevere. I stood before our people after I came from Minneapolis in the church. I told them what God had presented to me. I stood before them in this room, when the Committee was here. I told them that every one of them that laid that hardness into their hearts when they were at Minneapolis, and that pursued the course they did, they never would see a ray of light till they confessed it. It has not had any influence on Brother Smith, but he stood just as strong to push back. I have had to stand all the time to push, and when I have felt that I could not do it, then the words have come, “I am back of you to push with you.” And the light that came to me night before last laid it all open again before me, just the influence that was at work, and just where it would lead. I want to tell you, brethren, whoever you are, I want to tell you, that you are just going over the very same ground that they went over in the days of Christ. You have had their experience; But God deliver us from having the come-out of it as they had. But notwithstanding you have heard my testimony, notwithstanding it was the testimony of the Spirit of God, you have braced yourselves,—a few of you, strong men of determined will,—to carry it out on your line, to fight it out on your line. May God have mercy upon your souls, because you need it. You have stood right in the way of God. The earth is to be lighted with his glory, and if you stand where you stand today, you might just as quick say that the Spirit of God was the spirit of the devil. You have said it now in your actions, in your attitudes, that it is the spirit of the devil. You have said it thus, and you will say it when the crisis will come. And while praying here on my knees, I have had the evidence that there would be a break. The Spirit of God has come upon me, the light of heaven has shown into my heart, and his comforting grace is upon me. My mind is just as clear as a sunbeam; I rejoice in God my Saviour today. I thank God that I have not been discouraged to death; I thank God that I have clung to the arm of infinite power to stand all but alone. The ones that ought to have stood with me, that God would have to stand with me to receive the blessings, have stood to hedge up my way in every step. I want to tell you, brethren, there are debaters among us. I warned them in Minneapolis never to put a minister in a Conference by the side of a debater. For the last twenty years the light has shown upon me in regard to debaters. They will turn light into darkness. That is just what Brother [Matthew] Larson will do. He has an education, but unless the Holy Ghost shall come upon him, he will never go through with this cause to its close. What is the matter? I am afraid of Brother Larson; I am afraid of Brother Larson. I will not converse with you unless you are [with] other men. You will take my words. You will put a false interpretation upon them, and you will make them mean this or that other than they shall. And those that stand criticizing, let me tell you, you are walking in the sparks of your own kindling, and you are right down in darkness. It is the word of God. God presented the case before me. I told it to Brother Morrison when we were in Des Moines. Said I: “If you don't come out as Elder Canright, it is because you will be a converted man; but every soul that is connected with you that you have educated and trained as a debater, you will wish that work was undone.” Brethren, we are not here for this work. We are not here to study infidel authors, to open our minds to the suggestions of the devil. We are here to get ready for the judgment, and we are right on the borders of the eternal world. Here are many that are to go forth to their fields of labor to strengthen the things that are ready to die, or to be powers of darkness. Now what are you going to do in this matter?1888 593.1

Now I beseech of you that are here today, that have cherished sins, whatever they may be, clear it out of the way. God help you to be converted. Oh, I see the smiles of Jesus today. I am so grateful. I know that God will help us if we will clear the King's highway. I hoped, Brother Porter, when you were at Kansas, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon you, I hoped you might be in the light; but you are not in the light. Do not be surprised if I, when you are in the darkness, refuse to have an interview with any of you. I have told you over and over again. Christ said: “Why do you not hear my words?” I would say, “Why do you not hear the words of Christ that are presented to you? Why will you have darkness? They are so afraid to see that there is another ray of light. They will build up every conceivable barrier against it. You are working just as the Jews were. Do not hang on to Brother Smith. In the name of God, I tell you, he is not in the light. He has not been in the light since he was at Minneapolis. You have gathered together, you have built up yourselves, and you have tried in every way to resist the Spirit of God. May God have compassion on your souls.1888 595.1

Now, brethren, I beseech of you that have been seeking for light, that have not filled your souls with the passion of prejudices, I beseech of you right here to lose sight of every man; I beseech of you to seek God. Do not let them mystify you, don't let them turn light into darkness. But I beseech of you to press to the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit you need, the conviction of sin; and may God let it rest upon you today. I thank Him for His light and for His Spirit. I thank Him for His grace, and I mean to hang my helpless soul upon Him. I stand nearly alone; but the God of Israel alone can work.1888 596.1

But if Jesus, when He was upon earth, with all His power and miracles could not break down that prejudice that was in the heart of the people, what can we do? Brethren, pray. Don't argue, but pray before God, and let every soul hang himself upon God. Let us seek God now that we may find him. Let the truth of God come into your hearts; open the door. Now I tell you here before God, that the covenant question, as it has been presented, is the truth. It is the light. In clear lines it has been laid before me. And those that have been resisting the light, I ask you whether they have been working for God, or for the devil. It is the clear light of heaven, and it means much to us. It means to show us that you can not depend upon your own smartness and your criticisms, but you must hang your helpless soul upon Jesus Christ, and upon Him alone. God help you to see. God help you to understand. The angels of God will be round about us, if we will only cling to the right. Wherever Christ is, there are angels. Wherever Christ abides there are angels to communicate the power and the grace and the glory. I honor my Lord and my Master. I want to carry the banner of truth to the very close of this message. And when the message shall triumph, I want to triumph with it. No more will my lips be sealed. I have been watching to see what course these men would take, how much light would come into their souls. I have been watching to see. I told Brother Dan Jones, I will not tell you my opinion; my faith. Dig in the Bible. Sink the shaft of truth to find out what is truth. But I tell you today, while I have been keeping in silence, the Lord has been revealing night after night, the position of individual cases before me. The converting power of God is needed in our midst. He will work through our ministers as he did in Bethlehem. He will shed his light and his glory upon us if we will only give him a chance. But when you begin to talk with them they will make your words mean something else. The Devil is at their side. He is just as much at their side as he was at the side of those men of Nazareth when Christ proclaimed that he was the anointed one. The power of God, the Holy Ghost, the great Convictor, said it was so, and they said right out it was so. But the Devil said, Think of this; why, His mother and his brethren are right here with us. Well, then, Satan followed up the track, and what next? They were ready to pitch him over the precipice. It is not best to set the feet an inch in the powers of darkness. But God help us right here on this ground to surrender to Him. I have born testimony after testimony, but it has not had any weight. They have rejected everything but their own ideas. May God help you to not close your hearts and minds to this testimony. May God help you to accept and receive it as truth.1888 596.2