Bro. Smith:—I have received some interesting letters from Christian friends that are too good to be lost. The following are extracts. E. G. W.
Bro. J. Barrows of Irasburg, Vt., writes:—“Through the blessing of God we yet enjoy a degree of health. In view of the great goodness of God, I have abundant reason to humble myself under his mighty hand. I want a part with God’s humble, suffering few. At times the way looks so straight and narrow, I am left to fear lest I shall fail of the Kingdom at last. I do thank God although the way is straight, it is just right. I do want to be squared by his Word. The little church in this place is evidently on the rise. My prayer is, may God speed on his message until the church is perfected, and brought into the unity of the faith. The Third Angel’s Message will go with a loud cry. The honest jewels will be searched out, and fitted for the second casket. I do feel truly thankful that the way is opened that you can be released from the cares of the Office. There are none of us who can realize the burdens you have had to bear. I understand that thirty of our Brn. are going West in the Spring. I hope they will all move just as the Lord would have them, then all will be right.”
Sister Barrows writes:—“I praise the Lord that he has given me a place with his dear people. Was it not that he does bestow grace upon the weakest of his children? I should faint by the way; but it is sufficient even for me, and I feel that there are none that have more reason to praise his holy name. The truth is indeed precious to me. I believe it will yet triumph, and those who love it and walk in it will come off conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ. We could weep before the Lord to hear of your afflictions, and then we could rejoice to know that the Lord was still raising you up to send out light and truth to his scattered people. We are thankful to God that he has chosen those that are faithful to raise the warning voice of the Third Angel’s Message. That such as have an ear to hear may yet get ready for the great and terrible day of the Lord. I have much to overcome to be prepared to enter the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem, and behold the lovely Jesus that has done so much for me. I mean to strive with all my heart to do his blessed will. The Lord has been good indeed to us. We should be glad to meet you once more here. If denied the privilege, when parted friends, each other greeting, shall meet in the saint’s happy home, I hope to be there. O, I dare believe I shall be one of that happy number.”
Bro. J. Martin, of Bath, N. Y., writes:—“I pray the Lord to still bless and comfort you, strengthen and heal you, and give you much grace to bear up under all your trials. We are equally interested for Bro. White. We always mean to remember you in our prayers. We are glad to hear that Bro. White is re-gaining his health. The Lord bless you both, and your family. By the help of the Lord we will stand by you and help you what we can. We will not say, Be ye fed, and clothed, and warmed, and not lift our finger to help. I was reading how God gave orders for his servants, under the old ministration, to have the first fruits of all the harvest. And it seems now as though some hated to let them have even the gleanings. I hope such will have the spirit of sacrifice soon. We are thankful for the instructions and admonitions we have received.”
Bro. F. Wheeler writes:—“I feel still to sympathize with you and your companion in all the trials and toils of the way. With regard to myself, I can say that my interest, both for the present and future world, seems identified with the Third Angel’s Message. I have been much encouraged of late, and am endeavoring to give myself anew to the Lord. I was detained in my visit to Ashfield over two Sabbaths by the snow and wind, but it was no small time. One sister of the Baptist church came out decided on the Sabbath, and commenced keeping it. Another poor soul that had never enjoyed religion gave good evidence of conversion to God, and fully resolved to keep all the commandments.”
Sister Mead, of Buck’s Bridge, N. Y., writes:—“My heart was made glad to hear of the freedom and victory you have obtained. I am glad you are where you can be free. When I realize how good the Lord has been to me, my heart melts in gratitude to him. My health is comfortable, for which I have reason to be thankful. I have of late known what it is to be brought very low by disease, and then trust alone in God. O, the promises are sweet, and I have, and do lean upon them. I am glad Bro. White’s health is better. It does seem as though the Lord would raise him up and give him health to have a part in his work. I do believe it. The church here is trying to rise and be one. We do believe that the Lord will take care of the precious ones.”
Sister Hutchins, from Barton Landing, Vt., writes: “By the grace of God, my interest and sympathies are still strongly united with those that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. And at times I dare believe that my love for the precious and soul-cheering truths of the last message of mercy is gradually increasing. Almost every thing that passes around us, speaks the coming of the ‘Just One’ near. And when this truth comes home to my heart, the response is, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. O to think the Christian’s hope is so soon to be realized, is indeed comforting. The City that Abraham looked for, that hath foundations and a locality, will be the abode of the saints in a little while. The thought that those who endure to the end are going to see Jesus in all his glory, and hear the blessed words fall from his lovely lips, ‘Children, come home,’ encourages me to be faithful and to toil on cheerfully in the service of the blessed Saviour. I can but be made a partaker of the joys of the righteous, if I can share with them in their inheritance, it seems to me I can bid trials and suffering a hearty welcome. Yes, I feel that I will willingly endure all that God in his providence sees fit to call me to, if I can but enjoy the smiles of my dear Saviour amid it all, and then when our conflicts are all ended, our trials o’er, receive the palm, the robe and the crown.”
“At times I think I have some sense of my unworthiness of a place among God’s people. O that I may so live and so act as not to bring a wound upon the precious cause of truth. The earnest desire of my heart is to know and do my Master’s will. And my confidence is strong in God that if I keep humble and seek earnestly to know my duty, God will guide me, and strength will be given equal to my day; for God has promised this, and his word is not yea and nay, but yea and amen. My heart says, Praise the Lord. I will praise him with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned his righteous judgment.”
“It rejoices my heart to know that the cause is rising, and that God’s people are taking hold of the work with renewed courage. Though our trials have been severe for some time past—Satan has worked hard to destroy us, yet the promise is, not one kernel of wheat shall fall to the ground. Those that stand firm are sure of victory.”
“We have felt to sympathize with you in your sore trials, and our prayers have been that God would abundantly bless and sustain you, and deliver you out of the hand of all them that rise up against you. Our hearts have, and do still beat with love for you. We remember you for your works’ sake, and believe God will remember not only your toil and labor for him, but all the hard sayings which unrighteous men have cruelly heaped upon you, and will reward every man according as his work has been.”
Bro. O. Nichols, of Dorchester, Mass., writes:—“I cannot doubt we are under the Third Angel’s Message, although the ‘loud voice’ is yet future. But one thing is certain, we have ‘the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus,’ and we are in ‘the patience of the saints’—the trial of our faith and patience. We have had no temptation to doubt the two former messages; the time message of the first angel was right, it has accomplished its office for which it was designed.
“But I am hoping for a change soon. It has seemed sometimes that the work of our High Priest in the Most Holy is nearly ended, and that all the scriptural light on the Commandments of God has been developed, and the way is preparing for the going forth of the ‘loud voice’ of the third angel. Will not this take place when our High Priest shall come out of the Most Holy unto the altar of incense, [Lev. xvi, 18; Ex. xxx. 10.] to finish the antitypical atonement? Here, we think, will be the great cry, and time of praying and confession of sins and errors, as was never before. The ‘smoke of incense’ has a meaning, or purpose. The burning of incense over the mercy-seat immediately preceded the atonement in the Most Holy. The rising cloud of incense signifies a special time of prayer, when the prayers of the penitent with their confessions ascend to heaven. Rev. viii, 4; Luke i, 10. This is proof against the shut door of mercy, before the time of the antitypical atonement shall end. But when our High Priest shall come to the antitypical altar of ‘perpetual incense,’159[Ex. xxx. 8.] we believe the great cry will be felt as never before.
“The year past has been one peculiarly trying to our faith and patience. But we think the darkest time is past. Since the Press has been removed to Battle Creek, and more particularly the Conference there in Nov. last, we have felt encouraged. The Review is rising.”
Sister Morton, of Ft. Atkinson, writes, Jan. 27th, 1856:—I received your letter with pleasure. I was anxious to hear from you for I was fearful that the Review was sent to me and taken out of the Office and not given to me.
“I was not mistaken. It was so; but I have got them now for which I am very thankful. The Review was taken out of the Office by others who like to see its contents, but have ordered theirs discontinued. I cannot find words to express what my feelings were on reading your letter. I thought of the many things I had heard said about ‘the visionists’ as some of the remnant are termed; of the sore trials which they are passing through, and I was bathed in tears; then the cheering words of the Apostle came into my mind, ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; the Lord knoweth them that are his.’”
“Yes, dear Sister, the Lord knows who are striving to do his righteous will. Mortal men may be deceived, but Jesus knows all about us. We need not fear whilst we can say, Lord I am thine, not my will, but thine be done.
“Sometimes my faith has been almost overthrown when I have witnessed the crooked course of some of those who profess to believe they are now living under the sound of the last message of mercy that this world will ever hear.”
“I have not a doubt but what we have got the truth in the main. We may be in error on some points, but in regard to the principal points we need not fear. For one I cannot give up the Sabbath. I am as positive that the seventh day is the Sabbath, as I am that there is a God; and the keeping of the first day of the week as sacred rest, heathenism to the greatest extent. I feel to thank God for his abundant mercy to me, in showing me his precious truth; and my unwavering confidence in the truthfulness of our position.
“You speak of consecrating ourselves anew to God and his service. This is absolutely necessary if we would grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. I think I do realize at times the necessity of giving up every thing for Christ. I know I must if I would inherit the heavenly kingdom.”