"Chapter 30—Traveling the N arrow Way While at Battle Creek in August, 1868, I dreamed of being with a large body of people. A portion of this assembly started out prepared to journey. We had heavily loaded wagons. As we journeyed, the road seemed to ascend. On one side of this road was a deep precipice; on the other was a high, smooth, white wall, like the hard finish upon plastered rooms. LS 190"
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
EGW's dream of a journey on a road that ascends with a precipice on one side and a wall on the other is a clear allusion to the 'narrow way' described in Matthew 7:14.
"As we journeyed on, the road grew narrower and steeper. In some places it seemed so very narrow that we concluded that we could no longer travel with the loaded wagons. We then loosed them from the horses, took a portion of the luggage from the wagons and placed it upon the horses, and journeyed on horseback. LS 190.2"
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
The journey becoming narrower and steeper, requiring the shedding of luggage, directly parallels the idea of the narrow way in Matthew 7:14, where few find it due to its difficulty.
"As we progressed, the path still continued to grow narrow. We were obliged to press close to the wall, to save ourselves from falling off the narrow road down the steep precipice. As we did this, the luggage on the horses pressed against the wall, and caused us to sway toward the precipice. We feared that we should fall, and be dashed in pieces on the rocks. We then cut the luggage from the horses, and it fell over the precipice. We continued on horseback, greatly fearing, as we came to the narrower places in the road, that we should lose our balance, and fall. At such times, a hand seemed to take the bridle, and guide us over the perilous way. LS 190.3"
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"
Both passages discuss laying aside weights/luggage to continue on a difficult path. The EGW passage provides a vivid, allegorical illustration of the principle in Hebrews 12:1.
"As the path grew more narrow, we decided that we could no longer go with safety on horseback, and we left the horses and went on foot, in single file, one following in the footsteps of another. At this point small cords were let down from the top of the pure white wall; these we eagerly grasped, to aid us in keeping our balance upon the path. As we traveled, the cord moved along with us. The path finally became so narrow that we concluded that we could travel more safely without our shoes; so we slipped them from our feet, and went on some distance without them. Soon it was decided that we could travel more safely without our stockings; these were removed, and we journeyed on with bare feet. LS 190.4"
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
The 'narrow way' is a central theme in both passages. EGW's description of progressively shedding burdens (shoes, stockings) to navigate the increasingly narrow path directly reflects the concept of the narrow way in Matthew 7:14.