DEAR BRO. WHITE:—The time seems long since you were at my house. O that you could have spent a longer time with us; yet we all feel thankful that we have had the pleasure of speaking together on this earth. Our acquaintance has been short, but O that it may be lasting as the ages of eternity. Our little band of six here meet together twice a week, and the Lord is with us. We feel to praise the Lord, regardless of what our enemies say about us. We feel that the Lord being on our side, we have nothing to fear. Glory be to his great and holy name, that he ever prepared ways and means whereby I might know and understand the truth of his pure and holy Word. God be praised that I was willing to search for the true light. I have felt for about four months as I never felt before. I would think that I would go and warn my friends and neighbors that the time was close at hand when our Saviour would come and we not be prepared to meet him in peace. Such were my feelings before brother N. moved into our neighborhood who kept the Sabbath. I was very anxious to know why they kept that day. After a short time I became satisfied it was just what I had long been waiting for. I have now kept four or five Sabbaths, and my desire is to do the will of God not fearing man. I have often heard that the love of God in the heart casts out all fear, and I can truly say that I never enjoyed myself so well as for a few months past and my pathway seems to grow brighter and clearer every day. I have no friend that can hold me from the arms of Jesus. I daily seek to know and do his will.
We have had no preaching here for some time; but dear brethren and sisters, we shall not always be so far from each other as we are now. It cannot be we are deceived; for it is truth on every point. I feel in regard to this, as though I had always been in darkness. I have slumbered away many years, as it were. God be praised, I have now waked up to a sense of my duty to my Saviour. O that I may not turn traitor, but that I may be a true and valiant soldier to fight for king Immanuel. O may the thought of the Saviour’s soon coming, rouse every thought to action, and may we all be faithful to our Master, and faithful to our fellow mortals, who know not the truth; yet my prayer is that our brethren who labor in the field, may be wholly swallowed up in the love of God, and their words may be clothed with power, come from the heart, and reach the hearts of the unbelievers,39and many more souls be turned to praising God.
"Earth has engrossed my love too long
'Tis time to lift mine eyes
Upward, dear Father, to thy throne,
And to my native skies."