The truth of God is infinite, capable of measureless expansion, and the more we contemplate
it, the more will its glory appear. The truth has been opened before us, and yet the words of Paul
to the Galatians are applicable to us. He says: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that
ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made
perfect by the flesh? have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain."
"Without Me," Christ says, "ye can do nothing." Those who undertake to carry forward the
work in their own strength will certainly fail. Education alone will not fit a man for a place in the
work, will not enable him to obtain a knowledge of God. Hear what Paul has to say on this
matter: "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made
foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
Through successive ages of darkness, in the midnight of heathenism, God permitted men to
try the experiment of finding out God by their own wisdom, not to demonstrate their inability to
His satisfaction, but that men themselves might see that they could not obtain a knowledge of
God and of Jesus Christ His Son, save through the revelation of His word by the Holy Spirit. When Christ
came to the world, the experiment had been fully tried, and the result made it evident that the
world by wisdom knew not God. Even in the church God has allowed men to test their own
wisdom in this matter, but when a crisis has been brought about through human fallibility, God
has risen mightily to defend His people. When the church has been brought low, when trial and
oppression have come upon His people, He more abundantly exalted them by signal deliverance.
When unfaithful teachers came among the people, weakness followed, and the faith of God's
people seemed to wane; but God arose and purged His floor, and the tried and true were lifted up.
There are times when apostasy comes into the ranks, when piety is left out of the heart by
those who should have kept step with their divine Leader. The people of God separate from the
source of their strength, and pride, vanity, extravagance, and display follow. There are idols
within and idols without; but God sends the Comforter as a reprover of sin, that His people may
be warned of their apostasy and rebuked for their backsliding. When the more precious
manifestations of His love shall be gratefully acknowledged and appreciated, the Lord will pour
in the balm of comfort and the oil of joy.
When men are led to realize that their human calculations come far short, and are convinced
that their wisdom is but foolishness, then it is that they turn to the Lord to seek Him with all the
heart, that they may find Him.
It has been shown me that every church among us needs the deep movings of the Spirit of
God. O we would point men to the cross of Calvary. We would bid them look upon Him whom
their sins have pierced. We would bid them to behold the Redeemer of the world suffering the
penalty of their transgression of the law of God. The verdict is that "the soul that sinneth it shall
die." But on the cross the sinner sees the only-begotten of the Father, dying in his stead, and
giving the
transgressor life. All the intelligences in earth and heaven are called upon to behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Every sinner
may look and live. Do not survey that scene of Calvary with careless, thoughtless mind. Can it be
that angels shall look down upon us, the recipients of God's love, and see us cold, indifferent,
unimpressible, when heaven in amazement beholds the stupendous work of redemption to save a
fallen world, and desires to look into the mystery of Calvary's love and woe? Angels in wonder
and amazement look upon those for whom so great salvation has been provided, and marvel that
the love of God does not awaken them, and lead them to pour forth melodious strains of gratitude
and adoration. But the result which all heaven looks to behold is not seen among those who
profess to be followers of Christ. How readily do we speak in endearing words of our friends and
relatives, and yet how slow we are to speak of Him whose love has no parallel, set forth in Christ
crucified among you.
The love of our heavenly Father in the gift of His only-begotten Son to the world, is enough to
inspire every soul, to melt every hard, loveless heart into contrition and tenderness; and yet shall
heavenly intelligences see in those for whom Christ died, insensibility to His love, hardness of
heart, and no response of gratitude and affection to the Giver of all good things? Shall affairs of
minor importance absorb the whole power of the being, and the love of God meet no return?
Shall the Sun of Righteousness shine in vain? In view of what God has done, could His claims be
less upon you? Have we hearts that can be touched, that can be impressed with divine love? Are
we willing to be chosen vessels? Has not God His eye upon us, and has He not bidden us to send
forth His message of light? We need an increase of faith. We must wait, we must watch, we must
pray, we must work, pleading that
the Holy Ghost may be poured out upon us abundantly, that we may be lights in the world.
Jesus looked upon the world in its fallen state with infinite pity. He took humanity upon
Himself that He might touch and elevate humanity. He came to seek and to save that which was
lost. He reached to the very depth of human misery and woe, to take man as He found him, a
being tainted with corruption, degraded with vice, depraved by sin, and united with Satan in
apostasy, and elevate him to a seat upon His throne. But it was written of Him that "He shall not
fail nor be discouraged," and He went forth in the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice, giving us
an example that we should follow in His steps. We should work as did Jesus, departing from our
own pleasure, turning away from Satan's bribes, despising ease, and abhorring selfishness, that
we may seek and save that which is lost, bringing souls from darkness into light, into the
sunshine of God's love. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the gospel to every
creature. We are to bring to the lost the tidings that Christ can forgive sin, can renew the nature,
can clothe the soul in the garments of His righteousness, bring the sinner to His right mind, and
teach him and fit him up to be a laborer together with God.
The converted soul lives in Christ. His darkness passes away, and a new and heavenly light
shines into his soul. "He that winneth souls is wise." "And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and
ever." What is done through the co-operation of men with God is a work that shall never perish,
but endure through the eternal ages. He that makes God his wisdom, that grows up into the full
stature of a man in Christ Jesus, will stand before kings, before the so-called great men of the
world, and show forth the praises of Him who hath called him out of darkness into His
marvelous light. Science and literature cannot bring into the darkened mind of men the light
which the glorious gospel of
the Son of God can bring. The Son of God alone can do the great work of illuminating the soul.
No wonder Paul exclaims, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth." The gospel of Christ becomes personality in
those who believe, and makes them living epistles, known and read of all men. In this way the
leaven of godliness passes into the multitude. The heavenly intelligences are able to discern the
true elements of greatness in character; for only goodness is esteemed as efficiency with God.
"Without Me," Christ says, "ye can do nothing." Our faith, our example, must be held more
sacred than they have been held in the past. The word of God must be studied as never before; for
it is the precious offering that we must present to men, in order that they may learn the way of
peace, and obtain that life which measures with the life of God. Human wisdom so highly exalted
among men sinks into insignificance before that wisdom which points out the way cast up for the
ransomed of the Lord to walk in. The Bible alone affords the means of distinguishing the path of
life from the broad road that leads to perdition and death.--Review and Herald, Dec. 15, 1891.