p. 10 | Go Forward by C. D. M. Williams

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Apr 6, 1905

“Go Forward”

By C. D. M. Williams

C. D. M. WILLIAMS

THERE came a time in the deliverance of Israel when the Lord commanded his people to go forward. But never in all the history of their wanderings was the passage so hedged up as it seemed to be at this time when the command of God came for all to go forward. The sea, with its rolling, dashing waves, was before them; the mountains hedged them in on one side; and the Egyptian army blocked the only passage that man could see for the hosts of Israel. But God was there, making a way for his people.

To-day there comes the signal call for the advance of the people of God; but many find themselves hedged in on every side with barriers, which it seems as impossible for them to surmount as it seemed to Israel to pass through the sea, climb the mountain, or overthrow the Egyptian army. But the command has come to advance; and we are told that “God is waiting for men and women to awake to their responsibilities. He is waiting for them to link themselves with him. Let them mark the signal of advance.” “The battle-cry is sounding along the line. Let every soldier of the cross push to the front, not in self-sufficiency, but in meekness and lowliness and with firm faith in God.” “All that heaven contains is awaiting the draft of every soul who will labor in Christ’s lines. As the members of our churches individually take up their appointed work, they will be surrounded with an entirely different atmosphere. A blessing and a power will attend their labors. They will experience a higher culture of mind and heart. The selfishness that has bound up their souls will be overcome. Their faith will be a living principle. Their prayers will be more fervent. The quickening, sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit will be poured upon them, and they will be brought nearer to the kingdom of heaven.”

O how we long for this! We have read these sayings over and over again; but do we believe them? Have we ever put them to the test? Do we know that they are so? Believing them is good, but testing them inspires the soul with confidence and trust in the Heavenly Father. I have recently received two letters from which I will quote a few passages to show you that God is faithful to his promise:—

“I had no idea of allowing myself to be reconciled to ——’s being sent away from here when we needed him so much, but I will confess that I am. I worried a great deal because so little was accomplished in our conference, and one day an idea came into my head: Do what you can to give this message to your neighbors. So I took my Bible and called on a new neighbor, a lady sixty-seven years old. I told her that I was so interested in what I found in the Bible that I had come over to read it to her. She very kindly told me she would be glad to listen. From that time on she came to my home for me to read to her. She has been going to church with me when she could, and is now keeping the Sabbath. I rejoice to see what the Lord did for her. And when I think of how little I have done for the Lord, I feel ashamed; for now I see plainly that if I do my part, my mind will be so full of work for the Lord that I shall not worry about what others do. I am now giving readings to five of my neighbors, and all seem interested. I have one neighbor who says that she devours our papers and tracts, and can scarcely leave them to do her work.” A neighbor of this sister has a boy about fourteen years old who has come to live with her from Chicago, and seemed to be very wild and almost unmanageable. He attended one of the readings, and seemed very much impressed. After the woman with whom he was staying went away, he came to this sister, and she read the Bible with him every evening for about a week; and when the woman came back, she was so impressed with the change that had taken place in the boy that she came and asked if it would be too much trouble for the sister to teach him two or three evenings each week. The sister adds: “I am glad to do this. Nor are these all the calls I have to work for the Master; there is so much more that needs to be done right away, that I feel my inability to ever accomplish all I should like to do. I feel that I am the watchman in my neighborhood, and will be more or less accountable for souls lost without knowledge.”

Dear brethren and sisters, the Lord is sending us the individual members of the churches to-day, and filling them with the message and with strength and power and wisdom to present it. O brother! O sister! is he sending you? is he filling you? are you the watchman of your neighborhood? Will you be more or less responsible for the souls lost in your neighborhood?

Another sister writes that Sister ——, a woman over sixty years of age, has sold her place, and has gone to a city where there is no laborer,—a city of many thousand inhabitants,—and is canvassing during the day and giving readings in the evening; and already some are keeping the Sabbath. This same sister writes of her own work that she is giving readings every afternoon except one, each week, although she has a family of five to support; and now, according to her letter, there are six or seven who are either keeping the Sabbath or making arrangements to do so.

Brethren and sisters, “This is the recipe that Christ has prescribed for the faint-hearted, doubting, trembling soul: Let the sorrowful ones, who walk mournfully before the Lord, arise and help some one who needs help. Every church is in need of the controlling power of the Holy Spirit; and now is the time to pray for it. But in all God’s work for man he plans that man shall co-operate with him.”

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” And let us go out into the streets and the lanes and the byways and hedges, and by the Holy Spirit’s power compel them to come in, that the Master’s house may be filled, and we may enter in to the marriage feast of the Lamb.

Provo, Utah.