Preston, Melbourne, Victoria, May 9, 1892 -  

“But of how many will Christ say in the judgment, “Good and faithful servant.” I think of how the angels must feel seeing the end approaching and those who claim to have a knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, huddle together, colonize, and attend the meetings, and feel dissatisfied if there is not much preaching to benefit their souls, and strengthen the church while they are doing literally nothing. If they are branches really and truly of the true vine, nourished by the sap which flows from the vine to the branches, they are indeed partakers of the divine nature. They have moral power from Christ to overcome Satan, to hate sin; and these cannot be silent. Souls are perishing for the light and knowledge of the truth which they have. It is their duty to put that knowledge to use to save souls.?{PC 346.3}  

What self denial have our churches as a whole manifested? They may have given donations as a whole in money, but have withheld themselves. The heavenly agencies are waiting to cooperate with human agencies in a grand work of reflecting light to the world. Wherever there is even one soul converted on earth, there is a response of joy circulated through-heaven. Whenever one soul is snatched from Satan’s hand and given as a trophy to Jesus Christ, there is joy in the presence of God, Jesus Christ and Holy angels, because the lost is found. I send my appeal to the churches to “Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” “Ye have not,” said Christ, “chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whosoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”?{PC 347.1}  

Have you tasted of the powers of the world to come? Have you been eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God? Then if ministerial hands have not been laid upon you in the world, Christ has laid his hands upon you, and said, “Ye are my witnesses” go trade on the talents I have given you....?{PC 347.2}  

Let us ask why there are so few martyrs now? What is the reason that Christians and the world confederate together in confidence. Has the world become converted, or has the church lost her holy and peculiar character and assimilated to the world? They do not come out and separate from the world, and do not maintain her high and holy character. Many of the professed followers of Christ feel no more burden for souls than does the world. The lusts of the eye, and the pride of life, the love of display, the love of ease has separated the professed Christians from God, and the missionary spirit in reality exists in but few. What can be done to open the eyes of these sinners in Zion, and make hypocrites tremble??{PC 347.3}  

I have been alarmed for some years because I have seen the line of demarkation between the church and the world almost obliterated. The design of God in the formation of the church, was that the very action of the separation from the world, is itself sufficient to attract attention.?{PC 347.4}  

It is a solemn statement that I make to the church that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner. They are professedly serving God, but they are very earnestly serving mammon. This half and half work is a constant denying of Christ rather than a confessing of Christ. So many have brought their own unsubdued spirit, unrefined, their spiritual taste is perverted by their own immoral, debasing?corruptions, symbolizing the world in spirit, in heart, in purpose, confirming themselves in lustful practices, and are full of deception through and through in their professed Christian life; living as sinners claiming to be Christians. Those who claim to be Christians and will confess Christ, should come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing and be separate. There is a Satanic policy that is practiced by those who are spirit-blind, that they can mingle safely with the worldly element, confederate with them, be in co-operation with them, but it will not require a great length of time to discern that they are no longer with Christ, or place the least value upon living one with their brethren. They have left the cool snows coming from Lebanon for the putrid stream of the valley. The words of God, “Come out from the world, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing” has to a great extent lost its effect upon many. The words of the great deceiver are, you will greatly augment your influence if you confederate with the world. Your influence in receiving their knowledge will greatly increase your popularity, and will by connection with them be much larger. Let all who are not completely deluded pray as never before that they may be kept from the bewitching snares of Satan to delude unwary souls in these last days. The work of every Christian has ever been to sprinkle the door posts with blood, gather their children into their houses with them, that the destroying angel might see the mark of God pointing to the only begotten Son of the Father.?{PC 347.5}  

“He is the rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of their children; they are a perverse and crooked generation.” Is he not thy Father that hath brought thee? Hath he not made thee and established thee?”?{PC 348.1}  

I lay down my pen and lift up my soul in prayer, that the Lord would breathe upon his backsliding people, which are as dry bones, and they shall live. The end is near, stealing upon us stealthily, so imperceptibly, no noiselessly, like the muffled tread of the thief in the night to surprise the sleepers off guard and unready. May the Lord grant to bring his Holy Spirit to bear upon the hearts of all who are now at ease, that they may no longer sleep as others but watch and be sober.?{PC 348.2}  

Who will consent even now, after wasting much of your lifetime, to give your will as clay into the hands of the potter, and you cooperate with God in becoming in his hands molded a vessel unto honor. - L. T.?{PC 348.3}  

“As Christ was riding into Jerusalem, on the crest of Olivet, He broke forth in uncontrollable grief, exclaiming in broken utterances, as he looked upon Jerusalem, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ” He wept not for himself, but for the despisers of his mercy, long suffering and forbearance. The course taken by the hardhearted and impenitent inhabitants of the doomed city, is similar to the attitude of churches and individuals toward Christ at the present time. They neglect his requirements and despise his forbearance. There is a form of godliness, there is ceremonial worship, there are complimentary prayers; but the real power is wanting. The heart is not softened by grace but is cold and unimpressionable. Many like the Jews are blinded by unbelief, and know not the time of their visitation. So far as the truth is concerned, they have had every advantage; God has been appealing to them for years, in warnings, in reproofs, corrections, and instructions in righteousness but special directions have been given only to be disregarded and placed on a level with common things.” T. 32, p. 14?{PC 349.1}  

“The only hope for our churches of today is to repent and do their first work. The name of Jesus does not kindle the heart with love. A mechanical, formal orthodoxy has taken the place of deep, fervent charity and tenderness to one another. Will any give heed to the solemn admonition, “Turn ye, turn ye; for why will ye die?” Fall upon the rock and be broken; then let the Lord Jesus prepare you, mould and fashion you, as a vessel unto honor. Well may the people fear and tremble under these words: “Except thou repent, I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place.” What then? “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”?{PC 349.2}  

One matter burdens my soul; the great lack of the love of God, which has been lost through continued resistance of light and truth, and the influence of those who have been engaged in active labor, who in the face of evidence piled upon evidence, have exerted an influence to counteract the message God has sent. I point them to the Jewish nation and ask, Must we leave our brethren to pass over the same path of blind resistance, till the very end of probation? If ever a people needed true and faithful watchmen, who will not hold their peace, who will cry day and night, sounding the warning God has given, it is the Seventh-day Adventists. Those who have had great light, blessed opportunities, who like Capernaum have been exalted to heaven in point of privileges, shall they, by nonimprovement, be left to darkness corresponding to the greatness of the light given?” T. to Ministers No. 2 pp. 25-28, September 1892.?{PC 349.3}  

We have been plainly told that the standard of the?ministry must be raised, and also that if we do not come where we will meet the mind of God; we will be severed from the work. These are very solemn words to me, and I desire that they shall have their full effect upon my own heart. Nothing can be more certain than that if we do not take heed to the counsel from the Lord, we shall be left to go into a still greater darkness. O.A. Olsen 1892?{PC 349.4}  

Leaving Pitcairn, Tahiti was reached August 25. The boat remained just long enough to take on needed supplies... Those connected with the enterprise feel that the cruise has been a successful one in every respect. No accident or harm has come to the ship, and wherever she has touched prejudice has been disarmed. The workers were very careful not to press upon the people the peculiar views held by Seventh-day Adventists, but to preach Christ Jesus and Him crucified. Clipping from article published in Oakland Times, January 18, 1893, furnished by our people. -?{PC 350.1}  

Forwardness and Consolidation