344
Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
Not long after Mrs. White’s return from Australia, work was under-
taken anew on the Old Testament story, and continued intermittently
for more than ten years. Thus consideration was given to the many
manuscripts dealing with this period of Bible history not included in
the other volumes of the “Controversy” series.
To the completion of this work, Mrs. White gave much thought
during 1913 and 1914. At the time of her accident, in February, 1915,
all but the last two chapters had been completed for a volume bearing
the title, “The Captivity and Restoration of Israel,” covering the broken
periods; and these final chapters had been sufficiently blocked out to
admit of completion by the inclusion of additional matter from her
manuscript file.
During the last year spent by Mrs. White in quiet rest and in closing
up her manuscript work, one of her copyists wrote to her son, W. C.
White, under date of Dec 23, 1914:
“Even when exceedingly brain-weary, your mother seems to find
great comfort in the promises of the Word, and often catches up a
quotation and completes it when we begin quoting some familiar
scripture.... I do not find her discouraged ... over the general outlook
throughout the harvest field when her brethren are laboring. She seems
to have strong faith in God’s power to overrule, and to bring to pass
His eternal purpose through the efforts of those whom He has called
to act a part in His great work. She rises above petty criticism, above
even the past failures of those who have been reproved, and expresses
the conviction, born, apparently, of an innate faith in the church of
[437]
the living God, that her brethren will remain faithful to the cause they
have espoused, and that the Lord will continue with them to the end,
and grant them complete victory over every device of the enemy.
“Faith in God’s power to sustain her through the many weaknesses
attendant on old age; faith in the precious promises of God’s word;
faith in her brethren who bear the burden of the work; faith in the
final triumph of the third angel’s message,—this is the full faith your
mother seems to enjoy every day and every hour. This is the faith that
fills her heart with joy and peace, even when suffering great physical
weakness, and unable to make progress in literary lines. A faith such
as this would inspire any one who could witness it.”