From Bro. Wales by F. T. Wales

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 8, 1871

From Bro. Wales.

By F. T. Wales

Dear Brethren: With pleasure I drop a few lines to the REVIEW to let you know that I am still striving to overcome. Though the way to the celestial gates is very narrow, and sometimes rough, I am resolved with all my heart to travel in it. Oh! how good and merciful my Heavenly Father has been to me that while I was selfish to the extreme, tenacious, and willful in too great a degree toward my dear brethren, God bore with me, and was so kind to me as to send touching reproof and correction to me, though so unworthy and undeserving of his notice. Oh, how blind I was! I thought I was about right. I was deceived. But thank God, he has helped me to see. Dear brethren, the Lord being my strength, I am going to the celestial city. I am trying to help my dear family to travel with me, and they are trying, God does bless, praise his holy name. I feel thankful for all the means of grace, and to appreciate and highly prize the privileges with which God has favored me and my household, to help us on to Mount Zion. If I am not mistaken in my feelings, I rejoice in this present precious truth. How I prize our camp-meetings! No sacrifice shall keep me and my house from them. Nothing but sickness or death can debar us from that feast of tabernacles.

I am resolved to live out the light which I have received, first before my family, secondly before the church, and thirdly before the world in all my deal, that I may not put a stumbling-block in the way of any, but that I may be the means of saving some, and that my works may be approved by the great Master-builder.

I believe we are living in a solemn time, and shall my course of action show that I believe it? We are in the shaking time, and shall I be shaken out? God forbid.

Peter in his second letter speaks of the divine power of God that had given them all things that pertained unto life and godliness through Christ, &c. Peter does not say that God had given them godliness, but only those things that pertain or relate to life and godliness. It was for Peter’s brethren to add these virtues to their faith. They had taken the first step in taking a stand on present truth. They had embraced faith in Christ as being the promised Messiah. They saw what they had escaped of the corruption that was in the world. They also rejoiced in those exceeding great and precious promises which came through or by Jesus Christ. Peter now exhorts them to add to that faith, or truth that they had embraced, all those Christian virtues spoken of in the succeeding verses, that they might not fall. I understand that we have the last truth that will be given to the world and church, and if we fail to add to our faith or to the first principles or theory of present truth, we shall fall, shall be shaken out.

I am determined to double my diligence to make my calling and election sure. Let us be faithful a little longer, crucify the old man, put away self, be humble before God, that we may in due time be exalted to ride upon the high places of the earth, and be fed with the heritage of Jacob. Though it is a very solemn thought, yet it is a glorious one that we are so near our journey’s end.

Your unworthy brother.

F. T. Wales.