Communication from Bro. Masten.
By L. V. Masten
DEAR SCATTERED SAINTS:—Allow me (though unworthy to occupy a space in this little sheet) to express my feelings of joy and gratitude to God, that he ever let me hear the sounding of the third angel's message; and that he has given me a willingness of heart to listen to its glorious notes. O, that I could proclaim it with a voice of thunder, and shake the heart of every unbeliever! Although I was not with you in the proclamation of the first and second angels' messages, yet I feel to rejoice that they were within my hearing, and I can sympathize with you in your disappointment. I can now look back, and with feelings of regret, behold the darkness that encompassed me. I can see that I was marching under the black flag of Satan, and beating up volunteers to swell his ranks. I was treading the dark path of iniquity, and hastening on to the dreadful whirlpool of perdition! I sometimes thought that I enjoyed myself when I was walking hand in hand with the world, and beckoned onward by the glittering star of pride and fashion. Church-members would occasionally try to persuade me to join the church; telling me that there was no enjoyment like religion, and that worldly pleasures were nothing more than fiction. I would then look around among the different churches, to find such enjoyment; but in vain. They were too nigh alike—too much like the world to possess a Christian spirit. But when I came to Rochester, another scene was spread before me. Here I saw a little handful of God's children who assembled on the seventh-day to worship him. So different, were they, from any that I had ever before seen, that I was struck with astonishment. I looked upon them as a bed of embers undisturbed by the least breath of air. But when an angel from heaven wafted its wings over them, to expel the darkness and revive the spirit, their shouts of glory seemed to rend my heart. O, what peace so sweet as peace with God! What blessing so rich as God's blessing? What enjoyment can equal the enjoyment of religion! I needed to look no further.—The enjoyment that I had been searching for, was there to be found. But there was a great obstacle that lay in my way—the seventh-day—I never could keep it. I had been taught that Sunday was the Sabbath; and that the numbering of the days of the week had been changed through some misreckoning of time. While at work on Bro. Andrews' reply to O. R. L. Crozier, I noticed that he occasionally quoted C.'s argument in favor of the abolition of the Sabbath.—This was something new to me. I wished that it might be so. It would certainly be very convenient for the transgressor, and I could work on Sunday as well as any other day without having my conscience ruffled. The assertion thrown out by C. that the Sabbath was abolished, led me to investigate the subject. To my satisfaction, I saw that the hand-writing of ordinances was nailed to the cross—this I supposed to be the ten commandments. But before I had got through with his review, I found that my argument was but mere chaff, and it was blown aside by the strong breeze of truth from the word of God. My next position was, that the Sabbath had been changed; but after reading a book entitled, "History of the Sabbath," handed to me by Bro. Belden, I saw that the observance of the first day of the week was an institution of Papacy. Thus, I was compelled to throw aside all inferences, and give way to facts. I then saw that the Sabbath was binding upon me; but I could never make up my mind to keep it. It was utterly impossible. I thought it the height of folly for me, situated as I was, to undertake to keep it. I rested upon this conclusion until I heard a lecture upon the subject, and then conviction began to settle. The thundering of my conscience, and the relentless emotions of my heart, would give me no rest day nor night. My happiness became obscured, and a stumbling-block obstructed my path of pleasure.—I would have given any thing that I possessed, if I could have been placed where "keep the Sabbath" would not be continually ringing in my ears. I had about made up my mind to leave the city. But just then God laid his hand upon me, and prostrated me until I would yield in obedience to his will. You, brethren and sisters, I presume, have all read an account of my sickness; but, perhaps it will not be out of order for me to briefly state a few words more in relation to it. During my first attack, I was at my boarding-place. I had been ill but a short time, when the icy fingers of death were laid upon my landlady, and I was left without care, except by a few dear friends who seemed to feel an interest in the welfare of my soul. I was visited daily (and some days several times) by a sister, who would try to persuade me to obey God, and convince me of the necessity of keeping his holy law, and remind me of the dreadful scenes that awaited me. She would say that the Lord would heal me if I would resign myself to him, and read to me texts of scripture to prove it. But how little did I regard her instruction. I sometimes wished that she would never let me see her face again, unless she would keep silent about my obeying the will of the Lord; notwithstanding, she was very kind, and seemed to be willing to do any thing that would comfort me. I supposed that I was on a fair way of recovering, and set my mind at rest about the future. But it seems as though it was God's only object in permitting me to recover sufficiently, that I might be removed to the house of his children; for on the morning following my removal, I was again brought almost to death. And as I lay there, under the agonies of death's affliction, still unwilling to submit myself to God, it seemed as though the commandments were held up before my eyes, and the instruction that I rejected but a short time before, began anew to harass me and add to my affliction. I almost wished that I had heeded the advice, and not turned it aside with a deaf ear. Satan, then, for fear that this might be the means of my forsaking him, whispered to me that I would soon get well, and to encourage me, held up by the side of the commandments—in the most conspicuous manner that he could array them—the various attractions and enjoyments connected with him and the world. But I soon lost sight of them. They were soon beclouded, and a mist seemed to settle upon them, and bear them back into darkness as the commandments sprung to light. I still rejected them, and continued on until I had reached the verge of the precipice, and was about to leap into the unfathomed gulf of perdition, when the Lord extended his hand of mercy and rescued me from that wretched doom. I now rejoice in the God of my salvation. I can now respond to the language of David, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder." "Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction."—Ps. cvii, 8, 14, 19, 20. I feel to praise him that he ever set his hand to save me. What could have been his object? Merely that I might continue in transgression and iniquity? Nay, I think not. He must have had a greater object in view, or he would never have noticed such an unworthy, sin-stained mortal as I. I conclude, then, his object was that I should live for him—serve and obey him; and by his grace, I will praise him for ever. He has bought me with a price, and I am determined to live a life humble and devoted. The truth looks glorious to me, and I delight in keeping the holy Sabbath of our Lord. It is a star of pleasure, that beckons me onward with cheerful heart, and encourages me to be steadfast unto the end. I have placed my feet upon a firm foundation, and the storms of Satan can never wash me from it. My trust is in the "Rock of my salvation." O, how I long to see that glorious City! The saints' eternal Paradise! I soon expect to meet you in its golden streets, to grasp you by the hand, and make the heavenly arches ring with our shouts of glory.—O, what feelings of joy fill my soul, as I raise my thoughts to heaven, and contemplate on its glories now unseen! O, this, indeed, is joy! Though here we meet again to part,
But what transporting bliss awaits the pure and faithful heart!
Where we shall find the loved and lost—those who have gone before,
Where every tear is wiped away—where parting comes no more.
A gleam of heaven's own light—though now its brightness scarce appears
Through the dim shadows, which are spread around this vale of tears.
But thine unclouded smile, O, God, fills that glorious place,
Where we shall know as we are known, and see thee face to face. Brethren and sisters, let us be faithful, and watch unto prayer, strive to be humble, meek and lowly at the feet of Jesus. Overcome temptations, and endure trials, for his "salvation is near to come, and his righteousness to be revealed." Yours, in hope of eternal life,
L. V. MASTEN.