A New Believer’s Testimony
By Joel Crandall
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I have felt for some time that it is my privilege, and perhaps duty, to say a few words through the REVIEW. Those of you who attended the Camp-meeting at Lancaster, Mass., in September last, will perhaps remember the brother from Athol, who, at that meeting, decided for the truth, and publicly made a stand, identifying himself with those denominated Seventh-day Adventists. And some might ask, if they could, How goes the battle? Well, sometimes through grace, I am the victor, sometimes through self, the vanquished. But thank God, I love the truth, and long to be sanctified through it. God gives me liberty in speaking the truth, and the more I handle it, the brighter it grows. I meet with some opposition from my “no-law” friends, and oh! such a twisting and perverting of the truth to get around the cross. Such reasons and excuses for Sunday keeping, and that from intelligent men and women. Well might Jesus say, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Soon after my return from the Camp-meeting, my companion decided to go with me to mount Zion; also two other ladies, friends of ours, decided to exchange error for truth; but both have left town, and we are left alone to keep the Sabbath. And yet we are not alone, for Jesus is with us, and has promised to be with us to the end. We are longing and laboring with God, we trust, to bring others to see, believe, and obey the truth. Some are investigating. Oh! that some one would come over and help us. We long to see a living Christian of like precious faith. How highly you are favored who have meeting privileges and can hear the word preached, God help you to prize and profit by it. I have recently been looking through the prophet’s eyes, to the little company on Mount Zion, and I see that they are a faultless company; no guile in their mouth. I want to stand among them after the translation, and the question comes, Are you ready? are you getting ready? Brethren and sisters, let me repeat the question to you, Are you getting ready? May God help us to make haste, while mercy lingers, that we may be prepared to hail with joy the dawning of that blessed day that wakes the dead to life. I find that my heart is not right in the sight of God. I am not ready. I have resolved and re-resolved to do right, only to break my resolves, and I see it is useless to try to reform the outward man, when the heart is not right. We need not expect sweet water to run from a bitter fountain, or, to find good fruit on a corrupt tree. Jesus says: “Make the tree good and its fruit good,” cleanse the fountain, and the stream will be pure, and it leads me to cry, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” I long to be, and beg of God to make me, an overcomer; and when my heart is right, I shall have no need of resolves, for if the heart be right, the life will be all right. O God, create in me a clean heart. Who will join me in this cry, in view of the perils of these last days, the dangers to which we are exposed, the chilling influence of the world? I cry, O Jesus, thou great Pilot across life’s rough sea, come on board my ship and guide me safely over to the other shore. Yours in love, JOEL CRANDALL.