The Holiness of God

May 14th, 1851, I saw the beauty and loveliness of Jesus. As I beheld his glory the thought did not occur to me that I should ever be separated from his presence. I saw a light coming from the glory that encircled the Father, and as it approached near to me, my body trembled and shook like a leaf. I thought if it should come near to me I should be struck out of existence; but the light past me. Then could I have some sense of the great and terrible God that we have to do with. Then I saw what faint views some have of the holiness of God, and how much they take his holy and reverend name in vain, without realizing that it was God, the great and terrible God, they were speaking of. I have seen that many, while praying, used careless and irreverent expressions which grieved the tender Spirit of the Lord and caused their petitions to be shut out of heaven.

I also saw that many did not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord, without a High Priest in the Sanctuary, through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble, must reflect the image of Jesus fully.

I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful, and were looking to the time of the «refreshing» and «latter rain» to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord, and to live in his sight. O, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation, therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets, and do not purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it; and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time, the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, «He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.» I saw that none could share the «refreshing,» unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, all pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord, and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy, and none but holy beings can ever dwell in his presence.