Plagiarism of Daniel March
By , revised by
Ellen White is known to have owned and used these books by Daniel March:
- Walks and Homes of Jesus (1866)
- Our Father's House (1870)
- Night Scenes in the Bible (1872)
- Home Life in the Bible (1873)
In addition to these, she may also (according to the White Estate) have owned and used:
- From Dark to Dawn (1879)
- Days of the Son of Man (1885)
Ellen White wrote in a letter to Mary White:
Send books, red-covered Jewish Antiquities and the Bible Dictionary. Is Night Scenes of the Bible there? If so, send it. (Letter 60, December 8, 1878)
Arthur Maxwell, the SDA who wrote Uncle Arthur's Bed Time Stories and Story of the Bible, seems to have known more about Ellen White's copying than church members were let in on. About the year 1919 he was in a bookstore with Henry Brown. Brown described the incident as follows:
He was considerably older than I, and we were looking over some books in a second-hand bookstore. He pulled down from the shelf a book entitled, Night Scenes in the Bible, by Daniel March. He says, "This is a book from which Mrs. White secured many of her most beautiful pages." I was amazed and stunned.
SDA Professor Fred Veltman was hired by the SDA Church to study Mrs. White's plagiarism in 15 chapters in Desire of Ages. He reported his findings in the October and December 1990 issues of Ministry Magazine. His team found that Daniel March had been used 129 times. If the average for the other chapters was the same as for these, then Daniel March was used in Desire of Ages 748 times. How many times March was used in all of Mrs. White's writings is unknown, but the total must be enormous.
Plagiarism was acknowledged in Ellen White's day, even by SDAs, to be dishonest. If SDAs thought copying was a normal practice, then why would Ellen White repeatedly lie about having done it?
Plagiarism Examples
| Daniel March, Night Scenes in the Bible, 1869 |
Ellen G. White |
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We must not defer our obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith,
for faith rests upon probability, not demonstration. . . . We must obey the voice of duty when there are many other voices crying against it, and it requires earnest heed to distinguish the one which speaks for God.
We must cherish the impulse of conscience in the moment when it urges us to action, lest it cease from its promptings and we be left to the blind guidance of appetite and passion. The word of the Lord comes to us all, and it is a message of light and salvation. If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn and our path left to us in darkness.
p. 88 |
If you refuse to believe until every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of doubt is removed, you will never believe. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith. Faith rests upon evidence, not demonstration. The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God.
We must resist and conquer inclination, and obey the voice of conscience without parleying or compromise, lest its promptings cease and will and impulse control. The word of the Lord comes to us all who have not resisted His Spirit by determining not to hear and obey. ... It is the Lord's message of light to His people. If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn, and we left in darkness.
5T 68.04 (1882) |
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The heart of the Infinite Father never yearned toward his earthly children with a deeper and more tender compassion than now . . . There never was a time when God was doing more to govern, to instruct and to save the world than he is doing now. To those who look for him the tokens of his presence are manifest everywhere . . .
pp. 88-89 |
The heart of God never yearned toward His earthly children with deeper love and more compassionate tenderness than now. There never was a time when God was ready and waiting to do more for His people than now.
And He will instruct and save all who choose to be saved in His appointed way. Those who are spiritual can discern spiritual things and see tokens of the presence and work of God everywhere.
3T 455.02 (1875) |
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We must not think that God was more interested in the world in ancient times when he spoke by miracles and prophets and apostles, than he is now when he speaks by his written word and by his holy providence. There never was a time when God was doing more . . . to instruct . . . than he is doing now.
pp. 88-89 |
In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the testimonies of His spirit. There was never a time when God instructed His people more earnestly than He instructs them now.
4T 147.04 (also 5T 661.01) |
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There are deep mysteries in the word of God -- unsearchable mysteries in Divine Providence -- mysteries past finding out in the plan of redemption. . . God's providence is the school in which he is ever setting before us the true aims of life. The term of instruction takes in all our earthly days. None are too young, none are too old to learn, if only they heed the Divine Teacher who "guides with his eye," and who whispers to the wanderer, "This is the way -- walk ye in it."
p. 98-99 |
There are deep mysteries in the word of God, which will never be discovered by minds that are unaided by the Spirit of God. There are also unsearchable mysteries in the plan of redemption which finite minds can never comprehend . . . God's providence is a continual school, in which He is ever leading men to see the true aims of life. None are too young, and none too old, to learn in this school by paying diligent heed to the lessons taught by the divine Teacher. He is the True Shepherd, and He calls His sheep by name. By the wanderers His voice is heard, saying: "This is the way, walk ye in it."
4T 444.01 (also 4T 163-164) |
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We are all living in the land of bondage and of death. We are bound with chains which are . . . impossible to break.
p. 122 |
We are living in a land of bondage and of death. Multitudes are enslaved by sinful customs and by evil habits, and their fetters are difficult to break.
Advent Review & Sabbath Herald, Sep. 14, 1886 |
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And the word of the Lord which enjoins a great and perilous duty is the one which we are most likely to receive with doubts and fears. We must not defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith . . . faith rests upon probability, not demonstration.
p. 201 |
The voice of the Lord bidding His faithful ones "go forward" frequently tries their faith to the uttermost. But if they should defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty was removed from their understanding, and there remained no risk of failure or defeat, they would never move on at all. Those who think it impossible for them to yield to the will of God and have faith in His promises until all is made clear and plain . . . will never yield at all. Faith is not certainty of knowledge . . .
4T 27 (1876) |
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The word of the Lord comes to us all, and it is a message of light and salvation.
If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn and our path left to us in darkness. No man can tell how much he may lose by once neglecting to comply with the call of God's Spirit. . . The argument which almost convinces today, if rejected, may have less force tomorrow. To have better opportunities in the future we must improve the opportunities of the present with prompt and willing hearts. We must not defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith, for faith rests upon probability, not demonstration. We must obey the voice of duty when there are many other voices crying against it, and it requires earnest heed to distinguish the one which speaks for God.
He [Elijah] obeyed the Divine voice which sent him forth at the peril of his life.
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The word of the Lord has come to the people of San Francisco in messages of light and salvation.
If they neglect to improve the present opportunity and wait for louder calls or greater light, the light which has been given may be withdrawn and the path be left in darkness. The light which shines today upon the people and upon the church, if not cherished, will have less force tomorrow. To have better opportunities and great light in the future we must improve the blessings of the present with willing hearts. Those who defer their obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed will never believe and obey. A belief that demands perfect knowledge will never yield. Faith and demonstration are two things. ... Faith rests not upon probability.
The messengers of God must obey the divine voice which sends them with a disagreeable message, even at the peril of life and if there is not one to sustain them.
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And the word of the Lord which enjoins a great and perilous duty is the one which we are most likely to receive with doubts and fears. We must not defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty . . . is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith, for faith rests upon probability, not demonstration. We must obey the voice of duty when there are many other voices crying against it, and it requires earnest heed to distinguish the one which speaks for God.
The word of the Lord comes to us . . . If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn and our path left to us in darkness. The argument which convinces to-day, if rejected, may have less force tomorrow.
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The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received by many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their obedience to the warnings and reproofs given, waiting till every shadow of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God is pleased to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon the weight of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge. Those followers of Christ who accept the light that God sends them must obey the voice of God speaking to them when there are many other voices crying out against it. It requires discernment to distinguish the voice of God.
Those who will not act when the Lord calls upon them, but who wait for more certain evidence and more favorable opportunities, will walk in darkness, for the light will be withdrawn. The evidence given one day, if rejected, may never be repeated.
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Nothing will help us more in the discharge of duty than the feeling which made Elijah always speak of himself as standing “before the Lord of hosts,” [Mal. 3:14] ...he felt himself to be equally in the presence of Jehovah, and he would not do what would offend the eyes of the Eternal King. He had no fear before a human monarch, because his mind was holden by the more awful presence of a Sovereign whose empire is the universe, and who holds in His hand the destinies of time and eternity. ... In every place he felt himself to be the servant of the Most High, doing the bidding of a Sovereign higher than all the kings of the earth.
pp. 203-204 |
We should ever cherish a sense that, individually, we are standing before the Lord of hosts; no word, no act, no thought, even, should be indulged, to offend the eye of the Eternal One. We shall then have no fear of man or of earthly power, because a Monarch, whose empire is the universe, who holds in His hands our individual destinies for time and eternity, is taking cognizance of all our work. If we would feel that in every place we are the servants of the Most High, we would be more circumspect; our whole life would possess to us a meaning and a sacredness which earthly honors can never give.
5T 69 |
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We must not defer our obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith, for faith rests upon probability, not demonstration . . . We must obey the voice of duty when there are many other voices crying against it, and it requires earnest heed to distinguish the one which speaks for God. We must cherish the impulse of conscience in the moment when it urges us to action, lest it cease from its promptings and we are left to the blind guidance of appetite and passion.
The word of the Lord comes to us all, and it is a message of light and salvation. If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn and our path left to us in darkness. No man can tell how much he may lose by once neglecting to comply with the call of God's Spirit and word commanding him to perform some great and sacred duty. Many would give everything they have . . . to hear again the call which they . . . neglected. The argument which almost convince us to-day, if rejected, may have less force to-morrow. To have better opportunities in the future we must improve the opportunities of the present with prompt and willing hearts. Nothing will help us more in the discharge of duty than the feeling which made Elijah speak of himself as standing before the Lord of hosts . . . he would not do what would offend the eyes of the Eternal King. He had no fear before a human monarch because his mind was holden by the more awful presence of a Sovereign whose empire is the universe and who holds in his hand the destinies of time and eternity . . . Let us . . . cultivate the feeling that in every place we stand before the Lord, in every . . . work we are doing the will of the Most High . . . and then the whole of life will have a meaning and a sacredness which earthly honors can never give . . . The thoughts of the heart and the words of the lip, and all the acts of the outward life, will be most worthy and appropriate when the presence of the Infinite One is most deeply felt. In every place let your adoring heart be ready to say, "Lo! God is here." . . . Every walk in life shall be made . . . pure . . . . . . the indulgence of ease and a life of pleasure . . . It is the ruin of too many that they set their hearts upon having all their good things in their lifetime. It is not the chief end of man to achieve what the world will applaud as success. It is our main business in life to show ourselves true men, loving righteousness, hating evil, and willing to take such measure of present happiness and success as flows from obedience to the truth. There is unconquerable strength which begins with the confession of weakness . . . The great loss which we have most need to deplore is the loss of earnestness to do right, the loss of strength to resist temptation, the loss of faith in the everlasting principles of truth and duty. The poorest man . . . has something to live and die for so long as he preserves the integrity of his own conscience. The most successful man . . . is the man who gives himself most earnestly to the cause of God and truth, and who never bates one jot of heart or hope in his good work, whatever difficulties and delays he may have to meet.
Never say "It is enough," long as you have one wrong disposition in your own heart to subdue -- . . . long as patience and faith and love and devotion to duty are the great lessons to be taught and learned -- long as God says he will never forsake the soul that trusts in him and seeks his aid -- long as the crown of life is offered only to him that overcometh. . . . there is something to do . . . for the better life to come. . . . while life lasts . . .
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If you refuse to believe until every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of doubt is removed you will never believe. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith. Faith rests upon evidence, not demonstration. The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God. We must resist and conquer inclination, and obey the voice of conscience without parleying or compromise, lest its prompting cease and will and impulse control.
The word of the Lord comes to us all who have not resisted His Spirit by determining not to hear and obey. This voice is heard in warnings, in counsels, in reproof. It is the Lord's message of light to His people. If we wait for louder calls or better opportunities, the light may be withdrawn, and we be left in darkness. By once neglecting to comply with the call of God's Spirit and His word, when obedience involves a cross, many have lost much -- how much they will never know till the books are opened at the final day. The pleadings of the Spirit, neglected today because pleasure or inclination leads in an opposite direction, may be powerless to convince , or even impress, tomorrow. To improve the opportunities of the present, with prompt and willing hearts . . . . . . is the only way to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. We should ever cherish a sense that, individually, we are standing before the Lord of hosts; no word, no act, no thought, even, should be indulged to offend the eye of the Eternal One. We shall then have no fear of man or of earthly power, because a Monarch, whose empire is the universe, who holds in His hands our individual destinies for time and eternity, is taking cognizance of all our work. If we would feel that in every place we are the servants of the Most High, we would be more circumspect; our whole life would possess to us a meaning and a sacredness which earthly honors can never give. The thoughts of the heart, the words of the lips, and every act of the life, will make our character more worthy, if the presence of God is continually felt. Let the language of the heart be: "Lo, God is here." Then the life will be pure . . . Many are ruined by their desire for a life of ease and pleasure . . . They set their hearts upon having the good things of this life. This is human success, but is it not won at the expense of future, eternal interests? The great business of life is to show ourselves to be true servants of God, loving righteousness and hating iniquity. We should accept gratefully such measures of present happiness and present success as are found in the path of duty. Our greatest strength is realized when we feel and acknowledge our weakness. The greatest loss which any one of you in Battle Creek can suffer is the loss of earnestness and persevering zeal to do right, the loss of strength to resist temptation, the loss of faith in the principles of truth and duty. Let no man flatter himself that he is a successful man unless he preserves the integrity of his conscience, giving himself wholly to the truth and to God. We should move steadily forward, never losing heart or hope in the good work, whatever trials beset our path, whatever moral darkness may encompass us.
Patience, faith, and love for duty are the lessons we must learn. Subduing self and looking to Jesus is an everyday work. The Lord will never forsake the soul that trusts in Him and seeks His aid. The crown of life is placed only upon the brow of the overcomer. There is . . . earnest, solemn work for God while life lasts.
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In the vision of the Apocalypse, four mighty angels were seen holding back the four winds of the earth's perils and sorrows, and forbidding them to blow till God's servants were sealed and safe . . . But he leaves the ministers of vengeance to pour all their tempests and thunders upon the dark way of transgression. Set it down, then, as a first article of your practical faith -- the servants of God are always safe. The way of obedience to him, however hard and dark it may seem, is always the path of life.
The law of duty is supreme. It claims authority over reason and conscience, over talents and possessions, over everything that is greatest and noblest in man. It admits no rival, makes no abatement of its high demands, enters into no compromises with any opposing power. The voice of duty is the voice of God in our souls. Obedience to its claims brings us into living and personal agreement with the highest law in the universe.
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Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible destruction . . . accidents by land and sea; the loss of life [etc. etc.] . . . the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible power of Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads . . . The ministers of vengeance will pour all the terrible judgments upon a God-forsaken people. The way of obedience is the only path of life.
What is my duty? . . . Talents, possession, everything that is great and noble in man he calls to be exercised in his work. Duty admits no rival, enters into no compromise with any opposing powers. The most precious friends and relatives must not step in between your duty and your God. The voice of duty is the voice of God in our souls. Obedience to its claims brings us into living personal agreement with the highest law in the universe . . .
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. . . Every moment of ease or self-indulgence secured by neglecting the Divine call to earnest and self-denying duty, sows the seed for harvests of sorrow and . . . remorse. Every step upon the path which God forbids is a step toward destruction.
The way of obedience to him, however hard and dark it may seem, is always the path of life. The law of duty is supreme. It claims authority over reason and conscience, over talents and possessions, over everything that is greatest and noblest in man. It admits no rival, makes no abatement of its high demands, enters into no compromises with any opposing power. The voice of duty is the voice of God in our souls . Obedience to its claims brings us into living and personal agreement with the highest law in the universe. It lends greatness to the humblest occupation, crowns the lowliest position in life with glory and honor, brings man into alliance with God, associates him with plans and purposes that have existed in the Infinite Mind from eternity . . . In every act of duty we go out of ourselves, and beyond the narrow scope of present interest selfish gratification.
. . . we present the homage of our hearts to the supreme and eternal Sovereign . . . No man can cease to believe that he ought to do God's will . . . We can no more flee from duty than we can flee from the presence of the infinite Jehovah. It is only by obedience to him that we can have peace. You may not think so now. It may seem to you that much is to be gained and little to be lost by denying for the present God's claim upon your heart. But in that gentle whisper of duty, which you now so easily deny or suppress, is the very hiding of God's infinite power over you to make you happy . . .
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Every gratification or indulgence secured by neglecting the divine call to earnest, self-denying duty, is sowing the seed for a harvest of like kind. Every step in the path that God has forbidden is a step toward destruction.
The way of obedience to God, however hard and trying it may seem to you, is always the path of life. The law of duty is supreme. It claims authority over reason and conscience, over talents and possessions. It will admit no rival, and will not for one moment abate its high demands. It enters into no compromise with any oppressive power of earth. Obedience to God brings the soul into agreement with the highest laws in the universe. It imparts dignity and true greatness to the humblest occupation where Christ can preside. It crowns the lowliest position in life with the highest honors, bringing men into alliance with God and binding up His interests with plans and purposes that have existence in the infinite mind from eternity. In every act of duty we are hiding self in Jesus. We reach out beyond ourselves, beyond the narrow scope of selfish and present gratification.
. . . not to secure a mere assent to the truth, but for heart service. He desires the homage of your soul. You cannot cease to believe that you ought to do the will of God. You can no more release yourself from the claims of duty than you can flee from the presence of God. It is only in obedience to God that you will realize true happiness. You may not think so now, because your senses are not spiritually awake. It may seem to you that much is to be gained and little is to be lost by remaining in a large degree insensible to the claims of God upon our heart, and deaf to His voice. But in the whispering of the Spirit of God to you is the power of God to quicken and elevate your mind and make you happy . . .
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...God gives the word, “Go forward!” We have only to discharge our individual duty and leave the times and seasons in God’s hand. ... If we walk with him, we shall see his triumph and share his joy. We must expect conflict if we hope for the crown. Like our Divine Master, we must be made perfect by suffering. But we can walk safely in the darkest path if we have the Light of the world for our guide.
pp. 261, 262 |
The word is: Go forward; discharge your individual duty, and leave all consequences in the hands of God. If we move forward where Jesus leads the way we shall see His triumph, we shall share His joy. We must share the conflicts if we wear the crown of victory. Like Jesus, we must be made perfect through suffering. ... We can walk safely in the darkest path if we have the Light of the world for our guide.
5T 71 (1882) |
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Skepticism may treat the sacred claims of the Gospel with scoffing and denial. The base spirit of worldliness may corrupt the many and control the few. The cause of truth may seem to maintain its ground only by great exertions and costly sacrifices.
p. 262 |
Skepticism may treat the sacred claims of the gospel with jests, scoffing, and denial. The spirit of worldliness may contaminate the many and control the few; the cause of God may hold its ground only by great exertion and continual sacrifice, yet it will triumph finally.
5T 72 (1882) |
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. . . the only safeguard . . . is not to drink at all. If none ever took a temperate glass [etc.]
p. 296 |
...the only safeguard for the temperate man is total abstinence.
The Ministry of Healing, p. 446 (1905) |
| in the hour of their wildest mirth . . . The handwriting appeared upon the wall of the banqueting-room.
p. 297 |
At the very moment when the feasting was at its height a bloodless hand came forth and traced on the wall of the banqueting room the doom of the king and his kingdom . . .
Ms. 50, 1893 |
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There is nothing said or done . . . that can escape the Infinite Eye . . . The bloodless hand that wrote in flaming letters . . . is ever writing upon every heart: "God is here -- God is everywhere!" . . . We cannot hide anything from him . . . We cannot escape our accountability to him . . .
p. 298 |
. . . there is nothing said or done that is not recorded on the books of heaven. The mystic characters traced by the bloodless hand testify that God is a witness to all we do . . . We cannot hide anything from God. We cannot escape from our accountability to Him.
Ms. 50, 1893 |
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Whatever we do, wherever we are, we can never cease to be responsible to him. For he has appointed us to do his work. He has given us the means, the faculties and the opportunity, and he holds us answerable for using them well. p. 301 |
Whatever we do, and wherever we may be, we are God's property, and we can never cease to be responsible to him. He has given us faculties, privileges and opportunities, and he holds us responsible for the use to which we put his intrusted gifts.
Signs of the Times, Nov. 26, 1894 (also Ms. 50, 1893) |
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Whatever we do, wherever we are, we can never cease to be responsible to him. For he has appointed us to do his work. He has given us the means, the faculties and the opportunity, and he holds us answerable for using them well. So far as we are true to our high destiny, we are warranted in looking upon ourselves as co-laborers with the Builder of all worlds, ambassadors of the eternal King, executors of the supreme Will. Thus our accountability to God, fully accepted and faithfully met, will raise us above everything that is mean and selfish and impure. It will make us believe and feel that we always have something great and glorious and good to live for. It will make us earnest, cheerful and strong under all the burdens, discouragements and difficulties of life.
p. 301 |
Whatever we do, whatever we say, wherever we are, we can never cease our responsibility to God. He has appointed our work. God has given us the means, the faculties and the opportunities, and he holds us accountable for using them well. When we work with a single eye to God's glory . . . we have praise of God, and may consider ourselves as co-laborers with him, as building for eternity. Every one, whether ministers or lay members, are God's embassadors, executing his work .. . . The Judge standeth before the door. Our accountability to God, fully accepted and faithfully met, will balance our characters . . . We shall be, through the grace given unto us, raised above everything that is mean and selfish and impure. It will make us realize that we have something great and good to live for. This close connection with God will make our lives earnest, cheerful, and strong under difficulties, hopeful amid discouragements that will be the lot of all.
Special Testimony to the Battle Creek Church, 1882 (also Signs, Nov. 26, 1894) |
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What the world wants most is men in whose minds the great thought of responsibility to God is ever present -- men who are made strong by the consciousness that they are doing God's work, and they mean to do it so as to receive his approbation.
pp. 301-302 |
The church now most want men whose minds can comprehend and bear the thought of their responsibility to God, -- men who are made strong by the consciousness that we are doing God's work, and that they will do it with fidelity.
PH155 22-23 |
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. . . he has appointed us to do his work. He has given us the means, the faculties .. . . he holds us accountable for using them well . . . we are warranted in looking upon ourselves as co-laborers with the Builder of all worlds, ambassadors of the eternal King . . . Thus our accountability to God, fully accepted and faithfully met, will raise us above everything that is mean and selfish and impure. It will make us believe and feel that we always have something great and glorious and good to live for. It will make us earnest, cheerful and strong under all the burdens, discouragements and difficulties of life.
p. 301 |
Our faculties are given us to be used in the work of God; . . . we shall be co-laborers with the Creator of the universe, ambassadors for Christ. We shall be elevated above the taint of selfishness and moral defilement; and the thought that we are living for a grand and noble purpose, fulfilling the design of our being, will make us earnest, cheerful, and strong under all discouragements and difficulties.
The Health Reformer, Apr. 1, 1878 |
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. . . .our accountability to God . . . will raise us above everything that is mean and selfish and impure. It will make us believe and feel that we always have something great and glorious and good to live for. It will make us earnest, cheerful and strong under all the burdens, discouragements and difficulties of life.
p. 301 |
They may feel their accountability to labor with Jesus Christ in the great plan of saving souls. If youth will feel their responsibility before God, they will be elevated above everything that is mean, selfish, and impure. Life to such will be full of importance. They will realize that they have something great and glorious to live for. This will have an influence upon youth to make them earnest, cheerful, and strong under all the burdens, discouragements, and difficulties of life . . .
The Youth's Instructor, Sep. 1, 1873 |
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So long as we have a conscience we must have a voice within us to tell us that God's eye is ever fixed upon us, and that we must give account to him for all we do and for all we are. That infinite and awful Witness is in every storehouse, workshop and place of business every day of the week and every hour of the day. His eye scrutinizes every transaction in trade, every quality in goods, every degree of fidelity or neglect in work. His ear catches every word . . . There is nothing said or done or thought that can escape the Infinite Eye. In the deepest solitude we must all have one companion . . . Whatever we do, wherever we are, we can never cease to be responsible to him . . . So far as we are true to our high destiny we are warranted in looking upon ourselves as co-laborers with the Builder of all worlds . . . Thus our accountability to God, fully accepted and faithfully met, will raise us above everything that is mean and selfish and impure . . . so as to receive his approbation.
p. 302 |
God's eye is fixed upon every individual, and every one must render an account to him for all they do, and for what they permit themselves to be. Wherever we are, in storehouse and workshop, in all our business, every day in the week, and every hour in the day, his eye scrutinizes all our works, his ear listens to our every word. In the deepest solitude every act and word of our lives has still one witness, -- the infinite God. When we are true to the high destiny which he has marked out for us, we become co-laborers with him. If our responsibility be fully and heartily accepted and faithfully discharged, it will secure for us the joyful commendation . . .
The Signs of the Times, Oct. 6, 1881 |
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. . . to make their way along the dark and crooked paths . . . Let them leave all the false guides which they have been following, and look only to Him who sees everything at one view and governs everything . . . he will hear their voice and attend to their wants.
p. 339 |
. . . to grope their way among dark and crooked paths . . . strengthen them not to put confidence in false guides, but to obey and worship Him only who made and governs everything. "He sees and knows everything," they continually repeated to themselves. "He will hear our prayers, and attend unto our wants . . ."
Historical Sketches, p. 243 (1886) |
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But let them go up to the mount of God where man meets his Maker in humble, trusting prayer . . . look only to Him who sees everything at one view and governs everything with a word. . . . he will hear their voice and attend to their wants. And then the darkness . . . will vanish from their minds. . . . In every act of sincere prayer the soul comes into living contact with the infinite Mind. We see no face bending over us with looks of compassion. No hand is let down for us to grasp . . .
p. 339-340 |
If you come to God, feeling helpless and dependent, . . . in humble, trusting prayer make your wants known to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees everything in creation, and who governs everything by His will and word, He can and will attend to your cry and will let light shine into your heart and all around you; for through sincere prayer your soul is brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite. You may have no remarkable evidence at the time that the face of the Redeemer is bending over you in compassion and love, but this is even so. You may not feel His invisible touch, but His hand is upon you.
3T 323 (1873) |
| Daniel March, Night Scenes in the Bible, 201-202, 1868 | Ellen White, Selected Messages Book 1, 28 |
|---|---|
| We must not defer our obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith, for faith rests upon probability, not demonstration. ... We must obey the voice of duty when there are many other voices crying against it, and it requires earnest heed to distinguish the one which speaks for God. | If you refuse to believe until every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of doubt is removed, you will never believe. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith. Faith rests upon evidence, not demonstration. The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God. |
| Daniel March, Night Scenes in the Bible, 1870 | Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, 1890 |
|---|---|
| The plains surrounding the city are like the garden of the Lord in fertility. The most indolent culture secures an abundance for the supply of every want. The distant hills are covered with flocks. The merchants of the East bring their treasures from afar. The camels and dromedaries of the desert lay down their burdens at her gates. And the fair city in the vale of Siddim revels in the profusion of everything that nature and art can produce. The chief men display the luxury and the pride of princes. The common people make a holiday of the whole year. The multitude look as if they were strangers equally to want and to work. (pp. 29-30) | Fairest among the cities of the Jordan Valley was Sodom, set in a plain which was "as the garden of the Lord" in its fertility and beauty. ... Rich harvests clothed the fields, and flocks and herds covered the encircling hills. Art and commerce contributed to enrich the proud city of the plain. The treasures of the East adorned her palaces, and the caravans of the desert brought their stores of precious things to supply her marts of trade. With little thought or labor, every want of life could be supplied, and the whole year seemed one round of festivity The profusion reigning everywhere gave birth to luxury and pride. (p. 156) |
| Idleness and riches stimulate the appetite for pleasure, and they go to every excess in indulgence. They have everything that the sensual can desire, and their only study is to find new ways of gratifying the coarsest and basest passion. According to the testimony of One who knew all history, they eat and drink, they buy and sell, they plant and build, and their whole thought and effort and desire is given to a life of the senses, denying God and debasing the soul. (p. 30) | Idleness and riches make the heart hard that has never been oppressed by want or burdened by sorrow. The love of pleasure was fostered by wealth and leisure, and the people gave themselves up to sensual indulgence. ... Their useless, idle life made them a prey to Satan's temptations, and they defaced the image of God, and became satanic rather than divine. Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train. It enfeebles the mind, perverts the understanding, and debases the soul. (p. 156) |
| The idle multitude are coming and going to gather the gossip of the day and enjoy the cool wind that comes up from the lake outside of the walls. The sun has gone down behind the western hills, and the brief twilight lingers as if loth to go, like a purple fringe on the dusky garments of the coming night. (pp. 29-30) | Evening fell upon a scene of loveliness and security. A landscape of unrivaled beauty was bathed in the rays of the declining sun. The coolness of eventide had called forth the inhabitants of the city, and the pleasure-seeking throngs were passing to and fro, intent upon the enjoyment of the hour. (pp. 157-158) |
| Two strangers are seen approaching the city. The softened radiance of the evening light shows nothing unusual in their appearance. They seem to be only common travelers coming down from the hill-country, and turning in for shelter by night, that they may rise up early in the morning and go on their journey. God's mightiest messengers of mercy and of wrath often come in a very common garb. We must give earnest heed and keep ourselves upon the watch, or the angels of the blessing and of deliverance will come and pass by us unawares, and we shall not receive their help. There was but one man at the gate of Sodom sufficiently attentive to notice the strangers and invite them to his own house. He did not know who they were, nor did he suspect the awful errand upon which they came. (p. 31) | In the twilight two strangers drew near to the city gate. They were apparently travelers coming in to tarry for the night. None could discern in those humble wayfarers the mighty heralds of divine judgment, and little dreamed the gay, careless multitude that in their treatment of these heavenly messengers that very night they would reach the climax of the guilt which doomed their proud city. But there was one man who manifested kindly attention toward the strangers and invited them to his home. Lot did not know their true character, but politeness and hospitality were habitual with him; they were a part of his religion--lessons that he had learned from the example of Abraham. Had he not cultivated a spirit of courtesy, he might have been left to perish with the rest of Sodom. Many a household, in closing its doors against a stranger, has shut out God's messenger, who would have brought blessing and hope and peace. (p. 158) |
| Fidelity in the most common and homely duties of life opens the door of the house for the greatest of heaven's blessings to come. (p. 31) | Faithfulness or neglect in what are apparently the smallest duties may open the door for life's richest blessings or its greatest calamities. (p. 158) |
| They hoot and jeer at the venerable patriarch when he rises up from his seat in the gate to meet the travelers, and bows himself with his face to the ground, and says with Eastern courtesy, "Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night." (p. 31) | He was sitting at the gate as the travelers approached, and upon observing them, he rose from his place to meet them, and bowing courteously, said, "Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night." (p. 158) |
| They hoot and jeer... The hour of rest has not come before a crowd gathers in the streets and besets the house where the strangers have gone to repose. They become more clamorous, with infamous outcries and rude assaults, as night wears on. ... For when the angels of mercy go back to Him that sent them, it may be that they will kindle them the fires of wrath. ... They were no more riotous or dissolute on the last night than they had been many nights before. But there is a point beyond which the Divine forbearance cannot go. And they had reached that point when they clamoured against Lot, and would have beaten him down in the streets for protecting his angel-guests. When blindness fell upon them, and they wearied themselves to find the door, they had already passed "The hidden boundary between God's patience and his wrath." (pp. 32-33) | ...before they had retired for the night, a lawless crowd gathered about the house. It was an immense company, youth and aged men alike inflamed by the vilest passions. The strangers had been making inquiry in regard to the character of the city, and Lot had warned them not to venture out of his door that night, when the hooting and jeers of the mob were heard, demanding that the men be brought out to them. ... That last night was marked by no greater sins than many others before it; but mercy, so long slighted, had at last ceased its pleading. The inhabitants of Sodom had passed the limits of divine forbearance--"the hidden boundary between God's patience and His wrath." The fires of His vengeance were about to be kindled in the vale of Siddim. (p. 159) |
| He makes his way to their houses through the blinded rabble in the streets and gives the warning. But he seems to them as one that mocked. (pp. 33-34) | Lot went out to warn his children. He repeated the words of the angels, "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city." But he seemed to them as one that mocked. (p. 160) |
| ABRAHAM was an hundred and twenty years old when he received the strange and startling command... He already passed for an aged man, even upon the longer average of human life in his time. His heart had lost much of the fervid and hopeful feeling of youth. ... It is easy to face the storm while the heart is fresh and full of hope, and we can rise up from every disappointment strong in the purpose and promise to reap the fruits of success and repose in after years. But it is very hard for an old man to find that the sorest trial is reserved for the last, when the burden of age is heavy upon his shoulders and the fire of youth is dim in his eye. (pp. 45-46) | At the time of receiving this command, Abraham had reached the age of a hundred and twenty years. He was regarded as an old man, even in his generation. In his earlier years he had been strong to endure hardship and to brave danger, but now the ardor of his youth had passed away. One in the vigor of manhood may with courage meet difficulties and afflictions that would cause his heart to fail later in life, when his feet are faltering toward the grave. But God had reserved His last, most trying test for Abraham until the burden of years was heavy upon him, and he longed for rest from anxiety and toil. (p. 147) |
| His quiet home in Beersheba had been sought as a place of rest. ... There he had gathered around him a great household, even hundreds of servants and herdsmen, and thousands of camels, and sheep, and goats and cattle. His flocks and tents covered all the grassy plains between the deserts of Arabia and the hills and mountains of Judea. There Abraham had become very rich in silver and gold, and he was already greatest among all the men of the East. And there was fulfilled unto him the Divine promise in the gift of Isaac, the son of his hopes and heart. (pp. 46-47) | The patriarch was dwelling at Beersheba, surrounded by prosperity and honor. He was very rich, and was honored as a mighty prince by the rulers of the land. Thousands of sheep and cattle covered the plains that spread out beyond his encampment. On every side were the tents of his retainers, the home of hundreds of faithful servants. The son of promise had grown up to manhood by his side. (p. 147) |
| He had left father and mother, kindred and country, at the Divine command He had lived a pilgrim and a stranger in a land not his own. He had clung to the Divine promise, when, to all human judgement its fulfilment seemed a contradiction and an impossibility. He had borne all the bitterness of a father's grief in sending forth Ishmael to wander in the wilderness. And, after all these trials of faith and submission, could there be in store yet another and greater to wring his aged heart when he was least able to bear it? (pp. 46-47) | In the obedience of faith, Abraham had forsaken his native country--had turned away from the graves of his fathers and the home of his kindred. He had wandered as a stranger in the land of his inheritance. He had waited long for the birth of the promised heir. At the command of God he had sent away his son Ishmael. And now, when the child so long desired was entering upon manhood, and the patriarch seemed able to discern the fruition of his hopes, a trial greater than all others was before him. (p. 148) |
| It would have been enough to break an old man's heart to lose such a son by the ordinary course of sickness and death. (p. 47) | The loss of such a son by accident or disease would have been heart rending to the fond father... (p. 148) |
| Strange, terrible and unaccountable it must have seemed to him at first, as if he had dreamed, or as if some tempting or tormenting demon had assumed to speak in the name of the Lord. ... As he passes silently from the inner to the outer apartment of the tent, and looks upon the calm face of the sleeping son, he feels for the moment as if the blood of the dreadful sacrifice were already upon his hands. He shudders... He steps forth silently into the open air and looks up. ... Above him the clear blue dome of Arabian skies is all ablaze with the fiery hosts of the stars. He remembers that his fathers worshiped those peaceful orbs "beyond the flood", and that no such message ever came to them from the silent depths of the firmament. He remembers that the Divine voice which called him out of Chaldea fifty years before, had once said to him, "Look now toward the heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; so shall thy seed be." ... And now has that same voice commanded him to slay his only son? (pp. 49-51) | Satan was at hand to suggest that he must be deceived, for the divine law commands, "Thou shalt not kill," and God would not require what He had once forbidden. Going outside his tent, Abraham looked up to the calm brightness of the unclouded heavens, and recalled the promise made nearly fifty years before, that his seed should be innumerable as the stars. If this promise was to be fulfilled through Isaac, how could he be put to death? ... Returning to his tent, he went to the place where Isaac lay sleeping the deep, untroubled sleep of youth and innocence. For a moment the father looked upon the dear face of his son, then turned tremblingly away. (pp. 150-151) |
| All night long he waits, if peradventure that voice which gave the terrible command will speak again and tell him that his faith has been sufficiently tried - his son may live. But no such message comes. (p. 56) | While his son and the young men were sleeping, he spent the night in prayer, still hoping that some heavenly messenger might come to say that the trial was enough, that the youth might return unharmed to his mother. But no relief came to his tortured soul. (p. 151) |
| For he is a full-grown man, twenty-five years of age, and he can easily resist or escape the hand of his father, who has a hundred more years upon his shoulders. (p. 58) | He could have escaped his doom, had he chosen to do so; the grief-stricken old man, exhausted with the struggle of those three terrible days, could not have opposed the will of the vigorous youth. (p. 152) |
| All the sorrows that wrung the heart of Abraham during the three days of his dark and dreadful trial were imposed on him to help us understand how real, how deep, how unutterable was the self-denial of the infinite God in giving His own Son to death for our salvation. No trial, no mental torture could possibly have been greater to Abraham than that which he bore in obeying the command to sacrifice his son. God actually surrendered His well-beloved Son to the slow and dreadful agony of crucifixion. ... Legions of angels were in waiting, but they were not permitted to interpose for His relief. (p. 61) | The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man's redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham such torture of soul as did the offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death of agony and shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and soul anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in the case of Isaac. (p. 154) |
| Jacob had left Padan-aram and started upon his return to his native country in obedience to a Divine command. ...he had received a strange and startling assurance of the Divine protection. While his flocks were moving slowly, like fleecy clouds, along the grassy hill-sides and over the wild pasture-lands, Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw in open day, as if encamped in the air, two hosts of angels encompassing him behind and before and moving with him for his protection. He remembered the vision of Bethel, and he rejoiced that the heavenly guardians who cheered him on his departure twenty years before were ready to welcome him on his return. (pp. 87-88) | Though Jacob had left Padan-aram in obedience to the divine direction... Again the Lord granted Jacob a token of the divine care. As he traveled southward from Mount Gilead, two hosts of heavenly angels seemed to encompass him behind and before, advancing with his company, as if for their protection. Jacob remembered the vision at Bethel so long before, and his burdened heart grew lighter at this evidence that the divine messengers who had brought him hope and courage at his flight from Canaan were to be the guardians of his return. (p. 195) |
| As the sun goes down, we find them encamping for the night on the second plain, walled in by ranges of mountains right and left, and with the sea in front. ...they see the flashing armor and the tossing plumes of the terrible chariots of Pharaoh. The advancing host is commanded by the proud and impious king himself...against an unarmed and panic-stricken mob (pp. 129, 131) | The Hebrews were encamped beside the sea, whose waters presented a seemingly impassable barrier before them, while on the south a rugged mountain obstructed their further progress. Suddenly they beheld in the distance the flashing armor and moving chariots betokening the advance guard of a great army. As the force drew nearer, the hosts of Egypt were seen in full pursuit. Terror filled the hearts of Israel. (pp. 283-284) |
| ...the wail of distracted myriads rises louder than the roar of the sea, this awful cloud lifts majestically into the air, passes over the heads of the Hebrew host, and settles down upon the earth between them and their pursuers, so as to hide the one from the other. There it stands, as darkness comes on, unmoved by the strong wind blowing from the sea, black as midnight to the Egyptians, and yet sending forth a cheering and glorious light over all the host of the Hebrews... (p. 135) | ...their wailings and lamentations were loud and deep...the cloudy column rose majestically into the heavens, passed over the Israelites, and descended between them and the armies of Egypt. A wall of darkness interposed between the pursued and their pursuers. The Egyptians could no longer discern the camp of the Hebrews, and were forced to halt. But as the darkness of night deepened, the wall of cloud became a great light to the Hebrews, flooding the entire encampment with the radiance of day. (pp. 286-287) |
| ...the awful cloud is suddenly changed to the Egyptians. It becomes a column of fire as high as heaven, shooting forth lightnings and shaking the earth with mighty thunders. (p. 137) | The mysterious cloud changed to a pillar of fire before their astonished eyes. The thunders pealed and the lightnings flashed. (p. 287) |
| Go forward is the watchword of progress for the world and of salvation for the soul. Obedience to that command makes all the differences between success and failure, triumph and defeat, salvation and perdition. (pp. 142) | Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, "Go forward." We should obey this command, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness, and we feel the cold waves about our feet. (p. 290) |
| On the same bare, bleak and jagged ridge where Saul was encamped, Gideon had hidden his three hundred men... With three; hundred thousand warriors entrenched around him upon heights that the chariots and horses of the Philistines could not climb, Saul felt himself to be defenceless and alone, because God had forsaken him. (pp. 150,152) | It was on this plain that Gideon, with three hundred men, had put to flight the hosts of Midian. But the spirit that inspired Israel's deliverer was widely different from that which now stirred the heart of the king. Gideon went forth strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob; but Saul felt himself to be alone and defenseless, because God had forsaken him. (p. 675) |
| Her suspicions are doubtless awakened as to the character of the intruders, both by the value of the present offered, and by the fact, generally known, that there was but one man in all the land of such gigantic and kingly stature as now stands before her. | Disguised as he was, Saul's lofty stature and kingly port declared that he was no common soldier. The woman suspected that her visitor was Saul, and his rich gifts strengthened her suspicions. (p. 679) |
| Hungry, weary, terrified, conscience-smitten, he lay like one dead, with the full length of his giant frame prostrate upon the ground. (p. 158) | Saul was faint with weariness and fasting; he was terrified and conscience-stricken. As the fearful prediction fell upon his ear, his form swayed like an oak before the tempest, and he fell prostrate to the earth. ... The king of Israel lay before her like one dead. (p. 681) |
| Daniel March, Our Father's House, 1870 |
Ellen G. White |
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|
...it is minute and conscientious attention to what the world calls little things that make the great beauty and success of life. Little deeds of charity, little words of kindness, little acts of self-denial, little moments of diligence; a careful watch against little sins, a grateful use of little blessings, a wise improvement of little opportunities, a diligent cultivation of little talents, patient continuance in well-doing under little encouragement,—these things make men great in the sight of God; if these things be in you and abound, they will bring the knowledge and enjoyment of everything else.
p. 191 |
It is the conscientious attention to what the world calls little things that makes the great beauty and success of life. Little deeds of charity, little words of kindness, little acts of self-denial, a wise improvement of little opportunities, a diligent cultivation of little talents, make great men in God's sight. If those little things be faithfully attended to, if these graces be in you, and abound, they will make you perfect in every good work.
Testimonies vol. 4 (1881), p. 543 |
| Daniel March, Our Father's House, 1871 | Ellen White, Youth Instructor, May 12, 1898 |
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|
The eagle of the Alps is sometimes beaten down by the tempest into the narrow defiles of the mountains. The clouds in black and angry masses sweep between the mighty bird and the sunny heights where she builds her nests and basks in the full day. For a while she dashes to and fro, buffeting the storm with her strong wings and waking the echoes of the mountains with her wild cry, vainly endeavoring to find some way out of her dark and high-walled prison. At length she dashes upward with a scream of triumph into the midst of the black clouds, and in a moment she is above them in the calm sunshine, with the darkness and the tempest all beneath, the light of heaven shining in full blaze upon her conquering pinions, and her loved home on the lofty crag in full sight waiting to receive her. It is through the darkness that she rushes into the light. It is by a mighty effort to ascend that she leaves the clouds and the storms of earth beneath. p. 254 | In her endeavors to reach her home, the eagle is often beaten down by the tempest to the narrow defiles of the mountains. The clouds, in black, angry masses sweep between her and the sunny heights where she secures her nest. For a while she seems bewildered, and dashes this way and that, beating her strong wings as if to sweep back the dense clouds. She awakens the doves of the mountains with her wild cry in her vain endeavors to find a way out of her prison. At last she dashes upward into the blackness, and gives a shrill scream of triumph as she emerges, a moment later, in the calm sunshine above. The darkness and tempest are all below her, and the light of heaven is shining about her. She reaches her loved home in the lofty crag, and is satisfied. It was through darkness that she reached the light. It cost her an effort to do this, but she is rewarded in gaining the object which she sought. |
| Daniel March, Walks and Homes of Jesus, 1867 | Ellen White |
|---|---|
| Nevertheless it will do us all good, frequently and solemnly to review the closing scenes in the Saviour's earthly life. Amid all the material and worldly passions, by which we are beset and tempted, we shall learn many salutary lessons, by going back in memory, and spending a thoughtful hour, in the endeavor to strengthen our faith and quicken our love at the foot of the cross. What then are the lessons which the divine passion, the infinite sacrifice... (p. 313) |
It will do you good, and our ministers generally, to frequently review the closing scenes in the life of our Redeemer. Here, beset with temptations as He was, we may all learn lessons of the utmost importance to us. It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day reviewing the life of Christ from the manger to Calvary. We should take it point by point and let the imagination vividly grasp each scene, especially the closing ones of His earthly life. By thus contemplating His teachings and sufferings, and the infinite sacrifice...
(Testimonies, vol. 4, 374) |
| We must consider more earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and the death, the justice and the mercy that so meet and harmonize in the cross. (p. 318) |
With our finite comprehension we may consider most earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and the death, the justice and the mercy, that meet in the cross...
(Great Controversy, 651) |
| Daniel March, Walks and Homes of Jesus, 1866 |
Ellen G. White |
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|
But the love of Jesus is infinitely more generous, patient, and self-denying than a mother's love. ... Jesus...seems to say to us, "It is to blot out the record of thy dark and dreadful iniquity that my blood is shed. The grave shall close over me with its horror of great darkness that I may spoil the dominions of death and unbar the gates of life for thee. I submit to all this shame and agony because I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and I could not rest till I had brought back thy wayward and wandering soul to God."
pp. 316-317 |
On the morning of October 23, 1879, about two o'clock, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I beheld scenes in the coming judgment... [quoting Jesus] "My love for you has been more self-denying than a mother's love. It was that I might blot out your dark record of iniquity, and put the cup of salvation to your lips, that I suffered the death of the cross, bearing the weight and curse of your guilt. The pangs of death, and the horrors of the darkness of the tomb, I endured, that I might conquer him who had the power of death, unbar the prison house, and open for you the gates of life. I submitted to shame and agony because I loved you with an infinite love, and would bring back my wayward, wandering sheep to the paradise of God, to the tree of life."
Testimonies vol. 4 (1881), p. 387 |