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Look to Jesus
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ing can be accomplished for churches in different places unless they
are aroused to feel that a responsibility rests upon them. Every
member of the body should feel that the salvation of his own soul de-
pends upon his own individual effort. Souls cannot be saved without
exertion. The minister cannot save the people. He can be a channel
through which God will impart light to His people; but after the light
is given, it is left with the people to appropriate that light, and, in
their turn, let it shine forth to others. The people should feel that an
individual responsibility rests upon them, not only to save their own
souls, but to earnestly engage in the salvation of those who remain
in darkness. Instead of looking to Brother and Sister White to help
them out of their darkness, they should be earnestly engaged in help-
ing themselves. If they should begin to hunt up those worse off than
themselves, and should try to help them, they would help themselves
into the light sooner than in any other way. If the people lean upon
Brother and Sister White, and trust in them, God will humble them
among you or remove them from you. You must look to God and
trust in Him. Lean upon Him, and He will not forsake you. He will
not leave you to perish. Precious is the word of God. “Search the
Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life.” These are the
words of Christ. The words of inspiration, carefully and prayerfully
studied and practically obeyed, will thoroughly furnish you unto all
good works. Ministers and people must look to God.
We are living in an evil age. The perils of the last days thicken
around us. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold.
Enoch walked with God three hundred years. Now the shortness of
time seems to be urged as a motive to seek righteousness. Should
it be necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us
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in order to compel us to right action? Enoch’s case is before us.
Hundreds of years he walked with God. He lived in a corrupt age,
when moral pollution was teeming all around him; yet he trained
his mind to devotion, to love purity. His conversation was upon
heavenly things. He educated his mind to run in this channel, and he
bore the impress of the divine. His countenance was lighted up with
the light which shineth in the face of Jesus. Enoch had temptations
as well as we. He was surrounded with society no more friendly to
righteousness than is that which surrounds us. The atmosphere he
breathed was tainted with sin and corruption, the same as ours; yet he