Those who made deliberate preparations to drink and took their time for it were sent back to their homes. The Lord God of Israel is watching every worker to see whether he is in earnest, whether he carries upon his heart the burden of souls. God sees whether his servants touch these living interests with the ends of their fingers or whether they grasp them with all their might. If all had the interest that Knox felt when he cried, Give me Scotland or I die, a wrestling with God that will not be denied, the Lord would work with their efforts and would give them souls for their hire. They would not be lifted up because of their success, nor would they for a moment fear that someone else would receive the credit due them, but they would be so grateful to God for the souls saved that his praise would be in their hearts and on their lips day and night. It is such workers that God will make mighty in his cause. We are all together too faithless and too narrow in our views. Gideon's army prevailed not because of their numbers, but because in living faith they followed the special directions of God. If we make narrow plans, we shall see very little accomplished. Many efforts, though made at great expense, have been in a large measure unsuccessful because they did not meet the wants of the time or the place. For years we have sought to impress upon our people the necessity of working more intelligently. God would have us realize constantly that those around us are the purchase of the blood of Christ and that it depends very much upon our deportment and manner of labor whether these souls are saved or lost. Gospel Workers, 297-298. What was going on at the water was an illustration of the character of two groups of people and those that were involved, that were committed to the work, are the ones that the Lord selected. And though little in number, they were the ones that could finish the work. Now this was the second cleansing. The first cleansing was when the great majority were sent home. This was a law in Israel that anyone that had just been married could be sent home with a few other characteristics to that law. But nevertheless, there's this two-fold cleansing and in Review and Herald, December 6, 1892, we're told this. When Jesus began his public ministry, he cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of his ministry was a second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And in the loud cry of the third angel's message, a voice is heard from heaven saying, come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues for her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities. Sister White here is teaching us that the two...