Rejoicing in Present Truth
By C. M. SHEPARD
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I wish to say to you that I still rejoice in the light of present truth, and in the increasing amount of evidence which I have, that the Lord is leading his people through and preparing them for translation. What if all do not live out the truth, and become sanctified through it! We can plainly see that those who do live it out are growing more humble, unselfish, and lovely like Jesus. I can see and feel that the truth is pure, elevating, and holy, and I want to walk in the light of it. I feel that it will not do to neglect any duty after it is made plain to me; for the light that is in me might become darkness, and then the darkness of my mind would be greater than if it had never been illuminated. The Sermon by Bro. White in REVIEW, No. 23, Vol. xxxi, on An Acceptable Fast to the Lord, I feel is truly meat in due season. To-day I have been reading the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah, and am strongly impressed with the conviction that the Seventh-day-Advent Benevolent Association is closely connected with the third angel's message. I thank God for the promise that “unto them that look for him Jesus will appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Though I did expect him in 1844 and was disappointed, I am thankful now for the experience that I had then; for I know that the Lord was in that work, and those who rejected the heavenly message were left in darkness. I was not left in darkness when the time passed by, yet I was in doubt and perplexity until I understood the truth in regard to the sanctuary. We are a highly favored people; we have so much light and truth; but oh! how fearful is our responsibility! The servant who knows his Master's will and does it not, will be beaten with many stripes. We can all overcome if we have sufficient strength; that is clear. But we have no strength of our own. Then let us lean wholly on the Lord. In him is everlasting strength. If we pray enough, and watch all we can, we shall never fail. I believe the promise of God to ancient Israel, that, “as thy day is, thy strength shall be,” is as good now as it ever was. And now as our race is all enfeebled by wrong habits and disease, and the power of Satan is great against us, let us seek the Lord oftener in secret, until we obtain the victory. We know that it is our privilege to have a daily experience in the things of God. If this is so, we have a glorious prospect before us, even the saints' inheritance. If we are making no advancement in the way of holiness, we have reason to be alarmed. Oh! what is there in this vain world of sufficient value to draw our minds away from Jesus? Surely nothing. Let us believe in God and put our whole trust in him, and serve him in singleness of heart; and we know that “the willing and the obedient will eat the good of the land.” I am thankful that when Jesus comes, the lonely ones will all meet to part no more. Your sister. C. M. SHEPARD.