I saw these men while striving for the possessions of earth; what zeal they manifested, what earnestness, what energy to obtain an earthly treasure that must soon pass away! What cool calculations they made! They plan and toil early and late, and sacrifice their ease and comfort for earthly treasure. A corresponding zeal on their part to obtain the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve will bring them in possession of these desirable treasures and life, everlasting life, in the kingdom of God. I saw that if any need eyesalve, it is those who have earthly possessions. Many of them are blind to their own state, blind to their firm grasp upon this world. Oh, that they may see! (1T 143.1) MC VC

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20. I saw that many have so much rubbish piled up at the door of their heart that they cannot get the door open. Some have difficulties between themselves and their brethren to remove. Others have evil tempers, selfish covetousness, to remove before they can open the door. Others have rolled the world before the door of their heart, which bars the door. All this rubbish must be taken away, and then they can open the door and welcome the Saviour in. (1T 143.2) MC VC

Oh, how precious was this promise, as it was shown to me in vision! “I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20. Oh, the love, the wondrous love of God! After all our lukewarmness and sins He says: “Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.” This was repeated by the angel a number of times. “Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.” (1T 143.3) MC VC

I saw that it was a cruel position for Brethren A and B to be in, to be serving the purposes of Satan by suffering their minds to run just as he would lead them in the channel of unbelief. Their greatest sin was in talking out these dark doubts, this midnight unbelief, and drawing other minds into the same dark channel. (1T 431.1) MC VC

God’s people will be sifted, even as corn is sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated from the pure kernels of grain. We are to look to Christ for an example and imitate the humble pattern. You do not feel reconciled to the discipline you need and do not exercise and practice that self-denial which Christ requires of those who are truly heirs of salvation. Those who are engaged in the work of saving souls are co-workers with Christ. His was a work of disinterested benevolence, of constant self-sacrifice. Those who have had so great a sacrifice made for them that they might become partakers of His heavenly grace should in their turn sacrifice and deny self to aid in the great work of bringing others to the knowledge of the truth. Self-interest should be laid aside; selfish desires and self-comfort should not now stand in the way of God’s work in saving souls. God’s ministers are laboring in Christ’s stead; they are His ambassadors. They are not to study their ease, comfort, pleasure, desires, or convenience. They must suffer for Christ, be crucified with Him, and rejoice that they can in every sense of the word know the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. (1T 431.2) MC VC

“The next morning we attended meetings again in the meetinghouse. Your father spoke in the morning. But just before he spoke, the enemy made a poor, weak brother feel that he had a most astonishing burden for the church. He walked the slip, talked, and groaned, and cried, and had a terrible something upon him, which nobody seemed to understand. We were trying to bring those who professed the truth to see their state of dreadful darkness and backsliding before God, and to make humble confessions of the same, thus returning unto the Lord with sincere repentance, that He might return unto them, and heal their backslidings. Satan sought to hinder the work by pushing in this poor, distracted soul to disgust those who wished to move understandingly. I arose and bore a plain testimony to this man. He had taken no food for two days, and Satan had deceived him, and pushed him over the mark.” (1T 656.1) MC VC

“Then your father preached. We had a few moments’ intermission, and then I tried to speak upon the health and dress reforms, and bore a plain testimony to those who had been standing in the way of the young and of unbelievers. God helped me to say plain things to Brother Ball, and to tell him in the name of the Lord what he had been doing. He was considerably affected.” (1T 656.2) MC VC

“Again we held an evening meeting at Brother Farnsworth’s. The weather was stormy during the meetings, yet Brother Ball did not remain away from one of them. The same subject was resumed, the investigation of the course he had pursued. If ever the Lord helped a man talk, He helped Brother Andrews that night, as he dwelt upon the subject of suffering for Christ’s sake. The case of Moses was mentioned, who refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of reward. He showed that this is one of many instances where the reproach of Christ was esteemed above worldly riches and honor, high-sounding titles, a prospective crown, and the glory of a kingdom. The eye of faith was fixed upon the glorious future, and the recompense of the reward was regarded of such value as to cause the richest things which earth can offer to appear valueless. The children of God endured mockings, scourgings, bonds, and imprisonments; they were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, wandering about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, tormented, and, sustained by hope and faith, they could call these light afflictions; the future, the eternal life, appeared of so great value that they accounted their sufferings small in comparison with the recompense of the reward.” (1T 656.3) MC VC