Untitled article by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 5, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 14.

FROM ONE OF THE OLD PIONEERS.

By Editor

ALL those who have been long in the message have known something of the burdens borne by those who were early in the work. Most of these are now sleeping and waiting for the Master's coming. But there are still among us those who have borne great burdens in the past, the bearing of which has forced them to retire from more active service in order to regain physical and nervous energy. Among these is Elder George I. Butler, for many years president of the General Conference. For several years past Brother Butler has been in Florida doing physical labor to regain his health. The Lord has blessed his efforts in that direction so that now he is able to engage in work again. Of his present labor he speaks in a private letter received from him, from which I take the liberty to give a few extracts. After saying that he sends remittance for subscription for the SIGNS, from which he does not wish to be cut off, he writes:—

Well, my friend, I am now engaged in a small way in preaching the blessed truth once more. We are camped out in the lovely Florida climate about six miles from Bowling Green, in the pine woods, away from any house, preaching to our Southern brethren. We have our forty-foot tent. I do the preaching. Brother Keck is with us at the night services. We have not had large congregations, but one of the best men in this whole country has accepted the truth, with several of his large family, and we hope for a few more. Shall probably move soon. I have felt very happy in preaching the message of truth once more, and the peace of God has been in my heart. I have felt as free as ever in my life in speaking the word; and how thankful I feel to God for his goodness to unworthy me, and his great mercy to all of us! I love him, and my only ambition now is to close my life's record, so full of cares, perplexities, griefs, sorrows, and blessings, with joy. I have made many failures, and constantly labor under a sense of this fact; but I mean by God's help to make the one grand success of faithfulness at the end. It will be "none of self and all of Thee." I preach seven or eight times a week and stand it far better than I expected. I also write some for the old Review.

He also speaks of the SIGNS and thinks it a most excellent paper, with many other good things which would not be of general interest to our readers. We are glad of this encouraging letter, and we know many of our readers will be glad that he has been blessed so much healthwise. We are sure that we voice the earnest wishes of many of our readers when we say, May God continue to bless Elder Butler and make his latter days more blessed than the former; and with him all the other old pioneers in our work.