EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE.
I VISITED the home church last Sabbath; and O Sister Henry, can you realize my feelings when my dear young brethren and sisters, for whom I had worked so hard all summer, told me that since I have been away, they have no young people's meetings, and that the kindergarten class of six, that had just become so interested and interesting, has no teacher? It seems as if I can not bear to see these dear young people, who should be the strength of the church, so neglected. May God keep them from the power of the enemy! Why will not our people arouse and care for the young before Satan leads them away bound? There are those in that church who have better talent than I for work for the young, but they are asleep. Oh, if the enemy were only as drowsy as we! Why, Sister Henry, just think of it! Once, when burdened with some hard cases among my young people, I brought their cases before the prayer-meeting, and pleaded with the older ones to join in the work for them—to bear them before the throne in their prayers, and to engage in personal work; and the elder, who is himself the father of one of the worst boys, said to me, “Of course it is well to be interested in them, but I do not think it is right to be too much exercised in the matter.” When I left the place, there was quite an interest among the young people, and three had joined the church. May God help them. I am interested in what you say concerning the young people in the home church that you have left. I sympathize with you deeply in the anxiety you have because of the fact that the church does not seem alive to the necessities of the case, and because parents are so slow to realize the dangers that are around their children. But to be efficient in any work, we must every one of us learn what it means to work together with God, so that we shall trust him to do his part as faithfully at least as we have tried to do ours; and when we have within us a willing mind to work, and are conscious that we have done all that we can do up to date, we ought to be able to lie down quietly and rest, leaving everything in the hands of our divine Co-laborer. In one sense, the remarks of the elder, to whom you refer, were all right. It is well to be interested, and we must do all we can for the young people, but it is not right to be too much exercised in the matter; that is, to be so anxious as to carry an atmosphere of unrest with us wherever we go. Remember that it is not by any stress of personal influence that any soul is to be won from sin; but it is by the power of the Spirit of God working through the life and experience which you can furnish him to use as a testimony, such as will convince others that there is a reality in the gospel. Nothing is ever accomplished by a spirit of anxiety. That is Satan's counterfeit of a real inspiring burden, which God will lay upon us, and direct us into the way in which we should go forward in the work. Instead of thinking now about the neglect of other people in this work for the youth whom you love so much, wait sincerely upon God, and trust your part of the work to him. Of course, when anything further opens for you to do, do it; but do not let the young people have an idea that you think they are neglected. That would be an exceedingly mischievous thing. Each one must learn to stand alone with God, and the sooner this lesson is learned, the better it will be. The following extract from a letter explains itself. I have been exceedingly glad to receive it. It has been a drop of refreshing. I hope it will prove a source of strength as well as of counsel to very many who read our page in the REVIEW AND HERALD:— I must write and tell you how thankful I am for the correction of that little sentence in your book, “The Abiding Spirit.” I had thought to write and ask you what you regard representing Satan sufficiently to justify a wife in leaving her husband. I have had experience in this life, and some of the time it has all been wrong; for I was not in submission to “all things;” but since being taught so much of the power of God, and the possibility of each individual's being united to that power, I am constrained to say I am seeing my companion not submissive, but more rebellious; thus proving to me that the Lord has not given him over, but has given me light that I may shine before him. The Lord has given him into my hands, not to lord it over him,—by no means; but I can be a priest to the household till he shall “sin away his day of grace” (which I do not believe he will), or yield to the gentle Spirit, which is our guide, counselor, and comfort. What light we sin against if we turn away now! Oh, the Lord is so good to give us such counsel! I never expect to get far from home to work; but I find that when we are willing to do our part, the work comes to us. When I first accepted this truth, I looked forward to the time when I could work in the cause; but I was doing all I could then, despising not the little things that came to my hand,—sending away our periodicals, writing letters, visiting the sick, etc., besides doing my work at home. Later on, as I read the Testimonies, I found that I was working in the cause by cooking, washing dishes, and caring for my family. I have seen some women who had such a burden “to get the truth before the people,” that they pursued a course which brought reproach upon the cause which they loved, and the members of their families all went into the world regardless of the truth. I have purposely stayed at home, but a good many have come to us who needed help. On our way to town one day, we picked up a young man who wanted work. He stayed with us one summer. We live seven miles from town, and there is not a saloon in the township. Before summer was over, he brought another young man, who wanted to get away from drink; and the latter brought another; and he, another, etc. The first young man often calls on us. Although making no profession of religion, he rode several miles on his wheel for reading-matter to give to a young man who belonged to another denomination. He rejoiced over a little pamphlet entitled “Bible Readings,” which I gave him. All these young men know that I am their friend, and through one of them I have got hundreds of pages of reading-matter to interested readers. The father and mother of one of the young men came twenty-five miles to visit us. Last year we canned and dried fruit for the missions. The Lord has wonderfully blessed us in many ways, and I feel to take hold anew; for I see new lines of work opening before me.