“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?”RH March 18, 1909, par. 1

There is a great deal of profession in our world, plenty of self-justification, but the evidence of the deep work of grace in hearts is not so apparent. There is a very earnest question before us. The time has come when every one should understand that he has a soul to save or a soul to lose, a heaven to win and a hell to shun. We need to understand what we shall do to be saved.RH March 18, 1909, par. 2

There is something wanting in the experience of this class brought to view by the prophet. And self is brought into their service. “Behold,” he says, “in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?RH March 18, 1909, par. 3

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”RH March 18, 1909, par. 4

In the experience of God's people there have been yokes bound upon the churches that God never ordained,—yokes that have greatly marred the experience, and have offended the Lord God of Israel. Because a man carries responsibilities in the church, he is not given liberty to rule the mind and judgment of others with whom the Lord is working. The Lord wants every soul in his service to understand what is the kind of work required of him. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen,” he says, “to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?”RH March 18, 1909, par. 5

His office in the church does not place the worker where he is unapproachable, but should lead him to earnest prayer, that he may have a conscience void of offense. Then God will give him power to speak words of consolation and advice and counsel to his brethren. The position he is to occupy is one of meekness and lowliness of mind. Then when one who is in trouble comes to him for help, he will be able to say, Let us pray, and kneeling down with that soul, will make himself one with him.RH March 18, 1909, par. 6

God has sent the instruction to break every yoke. We are one, one in Christ Jesus. Position does not make the man; position does not give liberty to exercise power arbitrarily over others. It is counsel that is needed, righteousness in deportment that is to be made manifest with meekness and humbleness of mind, and a spirit to seek the Lord until he is found.RH March 18, 1909, par. 7

The Reward of True Service

The prophet continues: “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.”RH March 18, 1909, par. 8

Here we have the promise of health; and our health is worth very much to us. It is our privilege to reflect light wherever we go; we can speak words of comfort and encouragement and uplifting; but let us bind no yoke upon another. Then “thy righteousness”—your right-doing, your righteous actions—“shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.” These are wonderful, wonderful words. Let us seek to take them in. We are nearing the judgment, nearing the time when decisions for eternity will be made. Let us counsel together in meekness and lowliness of heart.RH March 18, 1909, par. 9

“Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday.” Praise God with heart and voice for this possibility. Praise God that we can bring this promise to the Lord for fulfilment when we comply with the conditions. When we do not know which way to turn, light direct from God will come to us, if we will follow his directions. “And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”RH March 18, 1909, par. 10

We need to understand these words, for a great work is before us,—the closing work of this earth's history. “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places.” There are many of these. “Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”RH March 18, 1909, par. 11

What is the breach here mentioned?—It is the breach in the law of God, made by the observance of the first day of the week for the Sabbath of the Lord. It is something in which all the world is taking part; but God declares, “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”RH March 18, 1909, par. 12

We are not half awake to our privileges today. We do not understand as we should the work that is before us, or our obligation to place ourselves in right relation to God, that he may send his angels to help us in accomplishing the work. Our little selves can not do much; but when heaven is united with our efforts; when our work is blessed of God, righteousness will be revealed. There is a world to be saved; there are districts and cities to be worked that have not yet been labored for. We are thankful that we have publications that can be distributed. We are thankful for those that are being published in other languages. Let us now place ourselves in right relation to God, saying, All that I have comes from thee; all that I have I am willing to use to help in any place. I will do what I can. If I have much, I will give much; if I have but little, I will give that little to bring the truth to those who have it not.RH March 18, 1909, par. 13

Let us bring ourselves into submission to the Lord God of Israel. You may have your peculiar way; I may have my peculiar way, and some others their peculiar ways; but under God that way will be agreeable. If we are not under the control of God, led by the inspiration of his Spirit, our way will not be agreeable. What we need is to stand in right relation to the great I AM. When we stand in right relation to him, we can do as Christ has commissioned. Christ gave the word, Go to all nations, and he will be with those who go. “Lo,” he declares, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”RH March 18, 1909, par. 14

(To be concluded.)

March 11, 1909

March 25, 1909