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is watching over us, and let us be willing to endure all the trials that
he sees fit to send.
John in holy vision saw a company standing around the great white
throne, every one of them having white robes. The question is asked,
Who are these, and whence came they? And the answer is given:
“These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore
are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun
light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” If you want
to be among this company, you must not study how you can escape
trials in this life. Do not keep thinking what a little company you are,
but get your eyes fixed on Jesus. From his own lips the words come
ringing down along the lines to our time, “He that loveth father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his
cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
Jesus left the royal courts of heaven, clothed his divinity with
humanity, and for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty
might be made rich. The question with him was not, Is it convenient
for me to do this? Neither should it be with us, Is it convenient to
obey God and keep the Sabbath? The question rather should be, Is
it duty? What say the Scriptures? The Lord says in the words of my
text, “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth
hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his
hand from doing any evil.” Again the promise is made, “If thou turn
away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy
day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable;
and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own
pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself
in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth
of the Lord hath spoken it.”
All we need to know is the will of the Master. He says, “Go
forward.” We should obey, even though the Red Sea were before us.