DEAR BRO. WHITE:—I do feel to thank the Lord that I have been brought, by the unspeakable goodness of God to see myself, and to see the wonderful work of God that is now beginning to be made manifest in our land. I do rejoice, and thank the Lord for his goodness to me, that through kind friends I have the Review to read; it comes a welcome messenger, laden with “durable riches and righteousness.” I can truly say, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man,” although I did once persecute this way: the good old way, the way in which the ancients did walk. But it was through ignorance that I did it.—I had not searched to know the will of God concerning his Law, which is as unalterable as himself. But the Lord has forgiven my sins. Praise his holy name. Now I can truly say with my whole soul, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” Ps. cxix, 103, 104.
O how glorious is this news, the third angel’s message: it cuts us off from every thing of a worldly nature, and this is what we must be, to be in readiness to meet the day of trouble spoken of by Daniel, “such as never was since there was a nation,” which is but a step ahead of us. “Lift up your heads168and rejoice for your redemption draweth nigh.”—Again, the Lord says by the mouth of the Prophet, “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.” Isa. lxiii, 4. “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy; for then I will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” Who are they to whom he will turn a pure language? Surely it must be those that have waited upon him, and for him. “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
O my brethren and sisters we have great cause for rejoicing: let us therefore praise the name of our God: he is a mighty God, “a strong tower into which the righteous may enter and be safe.” This is the day in which we are exhorted to seek meekness.—“Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgments; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” How very humble ought we to be, in view of what is just before us, and also in view of what we are asking the Lord to do for us.—The Lord cannot work for those around us, until we get into the right place, so that his name can be honored and glorified, by bringing out the jewels. We have great cause for thanksgiving in this place; there have been two of late, brought to see the necessity of turning their steps unto the testimonies of the Lord. O, how our hearts do leap for joy, to have any turn from their wickedness, unto the Lord: I have no doubt but there are others around us who will yet listen to the cry of the third angel, and very soon too, if we still hold on to the arm of the Lord, and be very careful to keep humble. The time is fast hastening when the four angels will let go their hold of the four winds; then will be the time of trouble spoken of, Dan. xii, 1. O, my brethren do let us engage more earnestly at the Mercy Seat. I do pray the Lord to speed this message, and to uphold, and keep his messengers humble.
Yours, hoping and trusting that I shall, with all the Redeemed, be an inhabiter of the New Earth.—Pray for us.