Assurance and Comfort for Those Facing Death
113
Our Washing and Ironing Time
We know in whom we believe. Men may talk about our having our
minds fixed too much upon heaven, but we know better. We have been
in the work nearly forty-eight years, and we know something about
God’s service. I know best what bereavement is when I stand here
alone, when he who stood by my side, and on whose large affections I
have leaned for thirty years, is gone, and yet I am not alone, for Christ
is my helper. Oh, I wish the curtains could be rolled back and we could
see Christ in His glory. We are to be members of the royal family,
children of the heavenly King. Now it is our privilege to know that
Christ is by our side as our helper.
Christ says, “I know thy works.” He knows whether you are living a
life of perfection and if you love to talk and think of Him, and whether
it is your joy to praise Him. Do we expect to get to heaven at last
and join the heavenly choir? Just as we go into the grave we will
come up as far as the character is concerned. For this mortal shall put
on immortality and this corruptible shall put on incorruption (See
1
Corinthians 15:54
). It is the body that will be changed then, but now is
the time for washing and ironing. It is the time to wash our robes and
make them white in the blood of the Lamb.—
Manuscript 84, 1886
.
[157]
Ripening for the Harvest
The camp meeting at Worcester, Massachusetts, August 22-28 ...
was an occasion of special interest to me. I there met a large number
of believers, some of whom have been connected with the work from
the very rise of the third angel’s message. Since our last camp meeting,
Brother Hastings, one of the faithful standard bearers, had fallen at
his post. I felt sad as I saw others weighed down by the infirmities of
age, yet I was glad to see them eagerly listening to the words of life.
The love of God and His truth seemed to glow in their hearts and to
light up their countenances. Their eyes were often filled with tears,
not of sorrow but of joy, as they heard the message from God by the
mouth of His servants. These aged pilgrims were present at nearly all
the meetings, as if they feared that, like Thomas, they might be absent
when Jesus should come in, and say, “Peace be unto you.”