There are two classes of educators in the world. One class are those whom God makes
channels of light, and the other class are those whom Satan uses as his agents, who are wise to do
evil. One class contemplates the character of God, and increases in the knowledge of Jesus,
whom God hath sent into the world. This class becomes wholly given up to those things which
bring heavenly enlightenment, heavenly wisdom, to the uplifting of the soul. Every capability of
their nature is submitted to God, and their thoughts are brought into captivity to Christ. The other
class is in league with the prince of darkness, who is ever on the alert that he may find an
opportunity to teach others the knowledge of evil. If place is made for him, he will not be slow to
press his way into heart and mind.
There is great need of elevating the standard of righteousness in our schools, to give
instruction after God's order. Should Christ enter our institutions for the education of the youth,
He would cleanse them as He cleansed the temple, banishing many things that have a defiling
influence. Many of the books which the youth study would be expelled, and their places would
be filled with others that would inculcate substantial knowledge, and abound in sentiments which
might be treasured in the heart, in precepts that might govern the conduct. Is it the Lord's purpose
that false principles, false reasoning, and the sophistries of Satan should be kept before the mind
of our youth and children? Shall pagan and infidel sentiments be presented to our students as
valuable additions to their store of knowledge? The works of the most intellectual skeptic are
works of a mind prostituted to the service of the enemy, and shall those who claim to be
reformers, who seek to lead the children and youth in the right way, in the
path cast up, imagine that God will be pleased with having them present to the youth that which
will misrepresent His character, placing Him in a false light before the young? Shall the
sentiments of unbelievers, the expressions of dissolute men, be advocated as worthy of the
student's attention, because they are the productions of men whom the world admires as great
thinkers? Shall men professing to believe in God, gather from these unsanctified authors their
expressions and sentiments, and treasure them up as precious jewels to be stored away among the
riches of the mind?--God forbid.
The Lord bestowed upon these men whom the world admires, priceless intellectual gifts; He
endowed them with master minds; but they did not use them to the glory of God. They separated
themselves from Him as did Satan; but while they separated themselves from Him, they still
retained many of the precious gems of thought which He had given them, and these they placed
in a framework of error to give luster to their own human sentiments, to make attractive the
utterances inspired by the prince of evil. It is true that in the writings of pagans and infidels there
are found thoughts of an elevated character, which are attractive to the mind. But there is a
reason for this. Was not Satan the lightbearer, the sharer of God's glory in heaven, and next to
Jesus in power and majesty? In the words of inspiration, he is described as one who seals up "the
sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty." The prophet says, "Thou hast been in Eden the
garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that
covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up
and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou
wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. . . . Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty,
thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will
lay thee before kings, that they may behold
thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy
traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will
bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know
thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be
any more."
The greatness and power with which the Creator endowed Lucifer he has perverted; and yet,
when it suits his purpose, he can impart to men sentiments that are enchanting. Everything in
nature comes from God; yet Satan can inspire his agents with thoughts that appear elevating and
noble. Did he not come to Christ with quotations of Scripture when he designed to overthrow
Him with his specious temptations? This is the way in which he comes to man, as an angel of
light disguising his temptations under an appearance of goodness, and making men believe him
to be the friend rather than the enemy of humanity. It is in this way that he has deceived and
seduced the race,--beguiling them with subtle temptations, bewildering them with specious
deceptions.
Satan has ascribed to God all the evils to which flesh is heir. He has represented Him as a God
who delights in the sufferings of His creatures, who is revengeful and implacable. It was Satan
who originated the doctrine of eternal torment as a punishment for sin, because in this way he
could lead men into infidelity and rebellion, distract souls, and dethrone the human reason.
Heaven, looking down, and seeing the delusions into which men were led, knew that a divine
Instructor must come to earth. Men in ignorance and moral darkness must have light, spiritual
light; for the world knew not God, and He must be revealed to their understanding. Truth looked
down from heaven and saw not the reflection of her image; for dense clouds of moral darkness
and gloom enveloped the world, and the Lord Jesus alone was able to roll back the clouds: for
He was the Light of the world. By His presence He could dissipate the gloomy shadow that Satan
had cast between man and God. Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people.
Through the accumulated misrepresentations of the enemy, many were so deceived that they
worshiped a false god, clothed with the attributes of the satanic character.
The Teacher from heaven, no less a personage than the Son of God, came to earth to reveal
the character of the Father to men, that they might worship Him in spirit and in truth. Christ
revealed to men the fact that the strictest adherence to ceremony and form would not save them;
for the kingdom of God was spiritual in its nature. Christ came to the world to sow it with truth.
He held the keys to all the treasures of wisdom, and was able to open doors to science, and to
reveal undiscovered stores of knowledge, were it essential to salvation. He presented to men that
which was exactly contrary to the representations of the enemy in regard to the character of God,
and sought to impress upon men the paternal love of the Father, who "so loved the world, that He
gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life." He urged upon men the necessity of prayer, repentance, confession, and the
abandonment of sin. He taught them honesty, forbearance, mercy, and compassion, enjoining
upon them to love not only those who loved them, but those who hated them, who treated them
despitefully. In this He was revealing to them the character of the Father, who is long-suffering,
merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and full of goodness and truth. Those who accepted His
teaching were under the guardian care of angels, who were commissioned to strengthen, to
enlighten, that the truth might renew and sanctify the soul.
Christ declares the mission He had in coming to the earth. He says in His last public prayer,
"O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and
these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will
declare it; that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." When
Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory, the Lord said, "I will make all My goodness pass
before thee." "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God,
merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the
guilty. . . . And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped." When
we are able to comprehend the character of God as did Moses, we too shall make haste to bow in
adoration and praise. Jesus contemplated nothing less than "that the love wherewith Thou hast
loved Me" should be in the hearts of His children, that they might impart the knowledge of God
to others.
O what an assurance is this, that the love of God may abide in the hearts of all who believe in
Him! O what salvation is provided; for He is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto
God by Him. In wonder we exclaim, How can these things be? But Jesus will be satisfied with
nothing less than this. Those who are partakers of His sufferings here, of His humiliation,
enduring for His name's sake, are to have the love of God bestowed upon them as it was upon the
Son. One who knows, has said, "The Father himself loveth you." One who has had an
experimental knowledge of the length, and breadth, and height, and depth of that love, has
declared unto us this amazing fact. This love is ours through faith in the Son of God, therefore a
connection with Christ means everything to us. We are to be one with Him as He is one with the
Father, and then we are beloved by the infinite God as members of the body of Christ, as
branches of the living Vine. We are to be attached to the parent stock, and to receive nourishment
from the Vine. Christ is our glorified
Head, and the divine love flowing from the heart of God, rests in Christ, and is communicated to
those who have been united to Him. This divine love entering the soul inspires it with gratitude,
frees it from its spiritual feebleness, from pride, vanity, and selfishness, and from all that would
deform the Christian character.
Look, O look to Jesus and live! You cannot but be charmed with the matchless attractions of
the Son of God. Christ was God manifest in the flesh, the mystery hidden for ages, and in our
acceptance or rejection of the Saviour of the world are involved eternal interests.
To save the transgressor of God's law, Christ, the one equal with the Father, came to live
heaven before men, that they might learn to know what it is to have heaven in the heart. He
illustrated what man must be to be worthy of the precious boon of the life that measures with the
life of God.
The life of Christ was a life charged with a divine message of the love of God, and He longed
intensely to impart this love to others in rich measure. Compassion beamed from His
countenance, and His conduct was characterized by grace, humility, truth, and love. Every
member of His church militant must manifest the same qualities, if He would join the church
triumphant. The love of Christ is so broad, so full of glory, that in comparison to it, everything
that men esteem as great, dwindles into insignificance. When we obtain a view of it, we exclaim,
O the depth of the riches of the love that God bestowed upon men in the gift of His only-begotten
Son!
When we seek for appropriate language in which to describe the love of God, we find words
too tame, too weak, too far beneath the theme, and we lay down our pen and say, "No, it cannot
be described." We can only do as did the beloved disciple, and say, "Behold, what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." In attempting
any description of this love, we feel
that we are as infants lisping their first words. Silently we may adore; for silence in this matter is
the only eloquence. This love is past all language to describe. It is the mystery of God in the
flesh, God in Christ, and divinity in humanity. Christ bowed down in unparalleled humility, that
in His exaltation to the throne of God, He might also exalt those who believe in Him, to a seat
with Him upon His throne. All who look upon Jesus in faith that the wounds and bruises that sin
has made will be healed in Him, shall be made whole.
The themes of redemption are momentous themes, and only those who are spiritually minded
can discern their depth and significance. It is our safety, our life, our joy, to dwell upon the truths
of the plan of salvation. Faith and prayer are necessary in order that we may behold the deep
things of God. Our minds are so bound about with narrow ideas, that we catch but limited views
of the experience it is our privilege to have. How little do we comprehend what is meant by the
prayer of the apostle, when he says, "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that
is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. Amen."--Review and Herald, Nov. 17, 1891.