p. 7 | Letters by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 30, 1866

Letters.

By Editor

“Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another.”

This department of the paper is designed for the brethren and sisters to freely and fully communicate with each other respecting their hopes and determinations, conflicts and victories, attainments and desires, in the heavenly journey. Seek first a living experience and then record it, carefully and prayerfully, for the comfort and encouragement of the other members of the household of faith.

From Bro. Edson.

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: How truly solemn is the time in which we live! We can see by the signs of the times and the fulfilling of God's word, and what is transpiring before us, that the hour of temptation is just upon us. How fast infidelity and spiritualism are spreading, and sin and wickedness and crime are increasing, and how important it is that we stand upon the truth of God's word, here amid the perils of these last days. We must gird on the whole gospel armor, and have our loins girt about with truth, in order to be prepared to stand, and to be shielded in the hour of temptation, and the time of trouble, which God's people will soon have to pass through.

It does seem that most everything is taught by the professed ministers of the day, but the truth of God's word. I went to a funeral a few days ago at which a Universalist preached; and when he spoke about death, he said that death was natural, that there would have been death in the world if there had been no sin. He said that according to science and geology there was death thousands of years before man was created, and that our Saviour's death was only natural, and at death all was well. Then came the change that man put on immortality. Yet he had just been reading 1 Cor. xv, 21, "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." They may cry Peace, and say that all is well at death, but give me the word of the Lord for all the popular errors of these times. How thankful we should be for the goodness and mercy of God in letting so much light and truth shine upon our pathway, as it were as clear as the noonday sun. I feel thankful for the goodness of the Lord to me, and for the way that he has led me. We have much to encourage our hearts to persevere and strive to overcome. How thankful should we be for the helps that we have; for the gift of prophecy that is in the church, and for the light that we have on health. How much the Lord is doing for his people to fit them for translation. Let us take hold of this work in earnest. It is time that we were awake and zealous to repent and try to work more faithfully for the Lord. The enemy is at work to deceive all that he can. I feel like striving to overcome, that I may at last, with the people of God stand on Mount Zion.

MARSHALL EDSON.

Ashfield, Mass.