God’s Goodness Acknowledged.
By Sarah H. Burlingame
I BELIEVE it to be my duty to write a few lines for the Review, that I may make known what I believe the Lord has wrought in me. I am one of the lonely ones, having no privilege of meetings except at camp-meetings. Am nearly seventy-eight years of age. I prize those meetings highly, but do not expect to be thus privileged long, but I find that the Lord is willing to work for the lone ones as well as for those more highly favored. The Lord has been knocking at the door for admittance at times for years, and I have tried to open to him, but failed through lack of faith. The True Witness says, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,” &c. I know there is no other way to buy the gold than in obedience to the command of God—separate ourselves entirely from the world, and be perfectly submissive to his will in all his requirements. He says, Be zealous, and repent. I felt great need of it, and God gave me deep repentance in view of my unprofitable life, and unpreparedness to work in the vineyard of the Lord. Does he not say to all who believe in him, “Go work in my vineyard”? The Lord only knows whether I have borne any perfect fruit. Some time since, Jesus helped me in buying the gold, and I am willing, and wish, to be tried in the fire, that I may be meet to behold his lovely face, and be clothed with the white raiment, and obtain the eyesalve. I felt that Jesus helped me to open the door fully. Then I knew it was my duty to God and myself to believe that he would fulfill his promise, and God helped me to believe that he, by his Spirit, came into me to abide with me unto the end. Oh! I felt it was truth indelibly written on my heart, that it would abide forever. Who will not join with me in giving glory to God for this? God’s work is marvelous in our eyes. Did not the angels rejoice in this gracious work? My heart said, The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want any good thing. Is not this work more to be desired than all the wealth of this world? even if we could gain the whole world. I earnestly feel to say, Lord, keep me from evil, and be my helper unto the end. Since then I feel that he is constantly with me, begetting within me a hungering and thirsting for meekness. He says, Ask and ye shall receive, and I was encouraged to believe that he did hear my supplications, and that he would bestow this grace upon me, and give me patience, and all the lovely graces of the Spirit, and help me to manifest them, and be meet to be a partaker with the saints in the lovely city, to behold the face of our Heavenly Father and his dear Son. I hope the Lord will incline his dear children to heed the counsel of Jesus if there are any who have not fully done so, and to never keep back part of the price, and then you will feel how blessed it is to be beloved of the Father for Christ’s sake, that he will be with you continually, and be a present help in every time of need. I feel to rest in God, and through grace to do his holy will. Oh! praise God, all ye my acquaintance. Praise him, all ye his saints, for his wonderful works to the children of men. Soon, if we are faithful, we shall meet to part never, and join with all the redeemed in ascribing blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Oh! praise the Lord for this blessed hope. “For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”