We can no more disconnect the work of the Spirit of God from the third angel's message than we can have a live body without nerves or muscles, or get life out of a marble statue. God has been speaking to his people from the beginning of this cause, and I praise him that the testimonies still come from him, and come warmer and warmer.
Some may say, Why haven't you evangelized the world during the forty years you have been at work? Look at your publishing houses and other institutions. Yes; but these were not in existence forty years ago. At that time we did not have one sixty-four page tract. We published one paper, about a quarter as large as the "REVIEW" now is. All of Sister White's Testimonies made less than one hundred pages. A man who gave five dollars to the cause was thought to be giving us quite a lift. But now we have the machinery, and we will see more done in one year now than could be done in twenty years then.
Notice how it was back in the first angel's message. A letter written by Elder J. V. Himes, and published in the Midnight Cry, of Sept. 12, 1844, makes this statement: "When we commenced the work with Brother Miller in 1840, he had been lecturing nine years. During that time he stood almost alone, but his labors had been almost incessant and effectual in awakening professors of religion to the true hope of God's people, and the necessary preparation for the advent of the Lord, as also the awakening of all classes of the unconverted to a sense of their lost condition and the duty of immediate repentance and conversion to God, as a preparation to meet the Bridegroom in peace at his coming." For nine years, as he said, he stood almost alone, but in 1843-44 there was a wonderful stir made all over the earth. God opens the way very quickly for a great work when things come round in readiness for it. That was the way it was at that time, and it will be so now.
Your attention was called last Friday to the effect of the work of God in producing unity in the church. Extracts were read showing how the Testimonies produced harmony among the brethren in the early days of the cause. This morning I wish to call attention to some other points. We are told to take the prophets as an example of suffering affliction and of patience. (James 5:10) If we know the manner of God's working through the prophets in one age of the world, we know how he will work through them in other ages. (1Cor. 10:11) "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
We will notice some points about the work of the Spirit of God in connection with these ancient prophets. First notice the case of Balaam, as recorded in Numbers 22:38, "And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo I am come unto thee; have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak." When God took the prophet in his hand he had to do just exactly as God wanted him to do. Connect this with a case in the New Testament: The apostle Paul tells us, in 2Cor. 12th chapter, of the visions and revelations which were given to him. He says he did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body. At such times he was entirely lost to all surrounding circumstances; and he tells us that lest he should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to him a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet him. Sister White has also a thorn in the flesh; she has continually had great difficulty with her heart, yet she will not have the brethren pray that she may be relieved of this trouble, for she said it was to remain by her, and to be manifested whenever she was in danger of becoming exalted.
Going back to the case of Balaam, we read in Numbers 24, verses 3 to 5, "And he took up this parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said; he hath said which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel."
Balaam, when in vision, had his eyes open. Notice now the case of Daniel. (Dan.10:17-19) The prophet said, "For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remaineth no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, and said, O man, greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me." Daniel had no strength or breath left in him, and he was strengthened by an angel, and he says, "And when he had spoken unto me I was strengthened," indicating that he had superhuman strength.
I have seen Sister White in vision about fifty times. The first time was about forty years ago, when Brother Oswald Stowell was very sick, and expected to die. It was on the Sabbath, the first Sabbath I ever kept. Brother Stowell wanted his case commended to God, and desired the brethren to pray for him. In answer to their prayers he was healed and went to work again two days later. Brother White, who was present at the time, said to me, "Ellen is in vision." I looked at her and saw her kneeling by the bed and looking up toward heaven, and she soon began to shout praises to God. Brother White said, "There is no breath in her body." Eyes open, no breath, yet her pulse beating naturally, and everything else in a normal condition! Her eyes seemed intently fixed upon something off at a great distance.
On one occasion Elders White and Andrews, and myself, were awakened at midnight, and called to come and pray for Sister White. She had fainted, and all efforts to revive her were unavailing. We had a season of prayer, and she seemed to revive and was taken off in vision. Some of our opponents say, "Yes, that is always the way, she is always sick and faints away before she has one of her visions." But this is not true. The first one I saw her have was at the close of a meeting, when she was well enough to take a long journey. Her last open vision was in 1884, on the camp ground at Portland, Oregon. She has visions at the present time, but they are not open visions in a public assembly. It is a heavenly place to be in, where there is an open vision, as some of those here who have seen her at such times, can testify.
The first indication that she is about to be taken off in vision is that she loses all strength, like a person suddenly falling down. This state continues not more than five seconds, when she suddenly rises to her feet. She herself says that the first thing she knows an angel stands by her side and touches her and she receives strength. This is just as it was with Daniel. She has been examined while in vision, by skillful physicians, and we have testimonials from them which declare that the phenomena of her visions are beyond their comprehension. A remarkable evidence of the superhuman strength which Sister White has while in vision was given during her third vision, when she held on her arm a Bible eighteen inches long, eleven inches wide, and four inches thick, and weighing eighteen and a fourth pounds. It was published by Joseph Seale, of Boston, Mass., in 1822. This she held out at arm's length, her eyes meanwhile looking straight up, and her hand turning from text to text for more than half an hour, pointing to the texts with her finger and repeating them. I have conversed with those who examined every text as she pointed to them, and they testify that she repeated every one correctly. This was an indication that the power of God was connected with that work.
When God has a special work to do he sometimes starts out by bringing to view something of a startling character, to show that it is above human power. So it was with Moses, at the burning bush. The bush seemed to be burning with fire, yet not a twig or a leaf of it was consumed, so that Moses said, "I will now turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." When Moses turned aside God called to him and said, Moses, Moses, put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. This was only the first step, which led on to greater manifestations of God's power, till the terrible exhibition when God thundered his law from Mount Sinai.
God designed by this exhibition of power to show that the work was altogether superior to that of any human agency. Another effect was to call the attention of the people to them, so that they began to make inquiries around in different places, and desired that Sister White would come and visit them.
At another time Sister White held this same kind of a Bible open in one hand, above her head, at an angle of forty five degrees, for half an hour, while she turned from text to text, and repeated the words to which she pointed. The spectators stood in chairs to examine the texts as she pointed to them. Some of them tried to hold a Bible in their hands at this angle, and could not do so, but the Bible in her hand seemed to be as firm as if the two had been glued together.
People who never saw Sister White in vision, say they can explain all about it, that it is only the result of disease, hysterics, etc., but the testimony of skillful physicians who have examined her at such times is altogether different. We are happy to acknowledge the working of God for us in connection with these manifestations.