Conference Department by Thomas H. Craig

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 25, 1868

Conference Department.

By Thomas H. Craig

Exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching. Heb. x, 25.

This Department is designed to fill the same place in the paper that the Conference or Social Meeting does in the worship of God. Speak often one to another to comfort, edify and aid each other in the way of holiness and true Christian experience.

From Bro. Craig.

BRO. SMITH: I feel most unworthy of the privilege I now take; but I feel so grateful, that I am constrained to express unreservedly my deep feelings of gratitude. I humbly thank the Lord that he has led me out into the light, that I might see and embrace the precious truth; and I am thankful that he gave Sr. Nelson and Bro. Bradbury such an interest in my behalf. Bro. B. brought me several tracts, and Sr. N. subscribed for the Health Reformer, the instruction of which, I am trying to follow. I believe it was my Saviour’s will that by his people I should be led to obey him in truth; for as I read the many startling truths, so plainly set forth by Seventh-day Adventists, I saw that I was breaking the Sabbath of the Lord, and keeping the Sabbath of man; and furthermore, I saw that sin was the transgression of the law, and that transgression of the law was to break one of these commandments. But above all, I saw that the penalty was death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi, 23. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John v, 3.

I am trying to keep all the commandments. It is not quite five months since I commenced to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. I am very sorry to say it has been no longer. I am very thankful for the REVIEW and Testimonies, which I peruse with care. I need the reproof, as well as the instruction, which they contain, and will try to live so as to be profited thereby. It is a comfort to have the sermons in the paper, and testimonies from the lonely pilgrims. These furnish good Sabbath reading, and lead our thoughts from worldly things to religious meditations. They edify and aid us to keep every hour, every moment, of the Sabbath day, holy, and they help us to consecrate ourselves wholly to our blessed Saviour. This brings us nearer and nearer to him.

My health is quite poor. I have not been able to labor for over sixteen months. I put no confidence in myself nor in human aid, but in God, who raiseth the dead, 2 Cor. i, 9. And I mean so to number my days, that I can say,

“And when my Saviour shall appear, If in the grave I lie, The last, loud trumpet, I shall hear, And live, no more to die.”

THOMAS H. CRAIG.

Green Lake Co., Wis.