TRY THE SPIRITS by Mrs. E. M. Peebles

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 3, 1901

TRY THE SPIRITS.

By Mrs. E. M. Peebles

MRS. E. M. PEEBLES.

Our Saviour, in Matthew 24, speaks of a time when there shall “arise false Christs, and false prophets,” who shall “show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

It is comparatively easy to decide upon the questions of Spiritualism, Christian Science, so-called divine healing, and the modern phase of sanctification; and many other of the delusions whose name is Legion. The simple test given in Isa. 8:20 is sufficient: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

But there is a kind to which this does not at once seem to be a sufficient test. These frequently appear among the true people of God; and many honest souls have been entrapped by Satan because some one with more zeal than knowledge has appeared and claimed to have a gift, either of prophecy or divine healing, and they dared not say anything against it for fear it might be of God. The words of our Saviour are a sufficient test for these. See John 16:13, 14: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.”

Notice, “He shall not speak of himself.” The person who really has a miraculous gift will be the last to parade it before the people, saying, “Follow me; I have a gift. God is with me,” but on the contrary, he is humbled and abashed, like Daniel of old when he said, “My comeliness was turned in me into corruption,” and “there remained no strength in me,” and “I stood trembling.” Self is lost sight of in the presence of our Maker, as in the case of Isaiah, who said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isa. 6:5. The I is left out, except as it is mentioned with humility and tears because of the sense of utter unworthiness to be used in such a sacred, responsible work. There is no dividing the flock, calling off a little band of followers, with me as the center, but there will be always a drawing to the body of whom Christ is the Head. He may and will weep over the failings and sins that are in the Church; but, like Daniel, he will say, “We have sinned; and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly,” etc. Dan. 9:5. He shares mutually (even though in reality he is not guilty) the humbling of soul and the confession that are due because of the backslidden condition in which the Church finds herself.

Notice again in the text referred to, “He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you;” that is, being taught of the Spirit, he can communicate precious lessons of obedience, of humility, of faith and confidence in One who is mighty to save from the sins and errors which every true follower of Jesus grieves over and deplores, and seeks with all the power of his being to turn from. He knows only Christ, and Him crucified. A broken and contrite heart, and a crucified and risen Saviour, in whose merits alone he is, like all others, to trust,—these are his only offerings, and to these will he always point others. Like John the Baptist, he will say, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” He “is preferred before me,” “the latchet of whose shoes I am unworthy to stoop down and unloose.” “He must increase, but I must decrease.”