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I then saw a company pressing through the crowd with their eyes intently fixed upon the heavenly crown. As they earnestly urged their way through the disorderly crowd, angels attended them, and made room for them to advance. As they neared the heavenly crown, the light emanating from it shone upon them and around them, dispelling their darkness, and growing clearer and brighter, until they seemed to be transformed, and resembled the angels. They cast not one lingering look upon the earthly crown. Those who were in pursuit of the earthly, mocked them, and threw black balls after them. These did them no injury while their eyes were fixed upon the heavenly crown, but those who turned their attention to the black balls were stained with them. The following scripture was presented before me: 1T 349.1

Matthew 6:19-24: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” 1T 349.2

Then that which I had seen was explained to me as follows: The multitude who were so eagerly striving for the earthly crown, were those who love this world's treasure, and are deceived and flattered with its short-lived attractions. Some, I saw, who profess to be the followers of Jesus, are so ambitious to obtain earthly treasures that they lose their love for heaven, act like the world, and are accounted of God as of the world. They profess to be seeking an immortal crown, a treasure in the heavens; but their interest and principal study is to acquire earthly treasures. Those who have their treasures in this world, and love their riches, cannot love Jesus. They may think that they are right, and, although they cling to their possessions with a miser's grasp, they cannot be made to see it, or to feel that they love money more than the cause of truth or the heavenly treasure. 1T 350.1

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” As a student, you must learn to see with your brain as well as your eyes. You must educate your judgment so that it shall not be feeble and inefficient. You must pray for guidance, and commit your way unto the Lord. You must close your heart against all foolishness and sin, and open it to every heavenly influence. You must make the most of your time and opportunities, in order to develop a symmetrical character. Fun and folly and indolence cannot be entertained as your guests, if you copy the pattern, Christ Jesus, and become daily more intelligent as to what you shall do to be saved. FE 302.1

Youthful students, your life cannot be governed by impulse without proving an entire failure. You cannot follow your natural inclinations without meeting with a great loss. If you would move securely, you must keep the way of the Lord. Your understanding must be refined and purified; you must work according to God's plan, or fail to make a success. You must ever be growing and advancing in grace and knowledge. You will be able to do nothing acceptably in your school life without practicing habits of system and order. Haphazard work will bring certain failure. FE 302.2

You need to study carefully the question of amusements. Ask yourself, What is the influence of amusements on mind and character, and on the work which I have come to do? Ask yourself, What bearing has the question of amusements on my religious life, on my character as a Christian? Do the games in which you participate, fit you to engage in prayer and in the service of God? Do they aid you to bring as much zeal and earnestness into the Lord's work as you put into the games you play? Have not these amusements in which you have engaged, absorbed your interest so that you have not been able to put as much fervor into the learning of your lessons as you should have done? Which is to have the supremacy—the service of God, or the service of self? Let every student closely examine the ground on which he is standing. FE 302.3

Intemperance in study is a species of intoxication, and those who indulge in it, like the drunkard, wander from safe paths, and stumble and fall in the darkness. The Lord would have every student bear in mind that the eye must be kept single to the glory of God. They are not to exhaust and waste their physical and mental powers in seeking to acquire all possible knowledge of the sciences; but every individual is to preserve the freshness and vigor of all his powers to engage in the work which the Lord has appointed him in helping souls to find the path of righteousness. All must preserve the vigor of their lives, their soul-energy and ambitions, and prepare to leave their studies in school, and take up the more practical studies in the sphere of activity, where angels cooperate with them. The intelligences of heaven will work through the human agents. The command of heaven is to do, work,—do something which will reflect glory to God by being a benefit to our fellow men who are ready to perish. FE 340.1

There is great danger that students in the schools will fail of learning the all-important lesson which our Master would have them taught. This lesson is conveyed to us in the following scripture: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Some have not only failed to learn to bear the yoke of the meek and lowly Jesus, but have been unable to stand against the temptations which have surrounded them. Inexperienced youth who have journeyed long distances to obtain the advantages of an education at our school, have lost their hold upon Jesus. These things ought not so to be. FE 340.2

The Lord does not choose or accept laborers according to the numerous advantages which they have enjoyed, or according to the superior education which they have received. The value of the human agent is estimated according to the capacity of the heart to know and understand God. “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” The highest possible good is obtained through a knowledge of God. “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent.” FE 341.1

A Perverted Imagination Produces Darkness—If the eye of the mind beholds the excellence of the mystery of Godliness, the advantage of spiritual riches over worldly riches, the whole body will be full of light. If the imagination is perverted by the fascination of earthly pomp and splendor until gain seems Godliness, the whole body will be full of darkness. When the powers of the mind are concentrated upon the treasures of earth, they are debased and belittled.—The Review and Herald, September 18, 1888. 1MCP 69.4

The servant of the living God sees to some purpose. The eyes are sanctified and the ears are sanctified, and those who will close their eyes and ears to evil will become changed. But if they will listen to those who will address them and try to lead their thoughts away from God and their eternal interests, then their whole senses are perverted by that which their eyes rest upon. Jesus says, “If ... thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” Matthew 6:22, 23. OHC 334.3

God has spoken in reference to yourself. That which you term light from heaven, He has pronounced darkness, and the visions born of this error, He calls a delusion. Will you believe this testimony? Will you heed what the Lord has spoken through Sister White, or will you cast the word of the Lord behind you? Will you quote this testimony as readily, and make capital of it, as you have of testimonies of reproof given your brethren who have erred in some things? “O consistency, thou art a jewel!”—Letter 11, 1890. 2SM 82.1

[Addressed to Mr. Garmire.—Compilers.]