BELOVED BRETHREN AND SISTERS:—As I am separated from you all, I avail myself of the only means afforded me of communicating with you, which is through the paper. Time passes on, and has brought us down to the middle of 1853. What are our hopes, prospects and determinations? We have passed through severe trials, experienced many bitter disappointments, and although the work is progressing to some degree, yet we are far from realizing our desires and expectations. What then, shall we be discouraged? Will not God fulfill his word? Shall his promises fail? Have his people trusted him in vain? Impossible! He is a God of truth and faithfulness, and none of his words shall fail. But says the Apostle: "Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise." This, then, is the secret. He is testing the patience of his people, to see whether they will continue faithful to the end; and has declared, "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved."
Although, to the eye of the world, "All things remain as they were," yet, God's work is surely and steadily progressing; his elect are being gathered, and sealed for the kingdom; the wicked are being bound together more closely, and preparing for their final doom. Soon he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness. Then, "he that is filthy, will be filthy still; and he that is righteous, will be righteous still; and he that is holy, will be holy still."—The angel from the temple will say with a loud voice, to him that sits upon the cloud; "Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
Dear brethren and sisters, I feel like pressing my way onward and upward to the kingdom. This earth, all defiled by sin, and groaning under the curse, has no charms for me. I long to behold the inheritance of the saints, the earth made new,—decked with all its original beauty and glory, with the "Holy City, the New Jerusalem," for its Capital, and Jesus for its King and Lord forever. When the curse will forever be removed. Surely one glimpse of so much blessedness is enough to fill our hearts with holy joy and rejoicing, and spur us on to duty and faithfulness, overcoming every obstacle in our way, discharging every duty, that we may inherit the promised blessedness. "He that overcometh, shall inherit all things." "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life," &c. O the order, the beauty and the glory of the New Earth! where the commandments of God will all be kept in their perfection and purity. How glorious will the Sabbath appear then, when "all flesh shall come up to worship before the Lord."
The time draws near, and we are commanded to exhort one another, and so much the more as we see the day approaching. The night has been long, and dark and dreary, but the morning cometh. Let us therefore, lift up our heads with rejoicing, and press forward with new courage; for our redemption draweth nigh. A little more watching and prayer, a little more struggling with temptations and trial, and the conflict will be ended, the victory won, and we stand on Mount Zion shouting victory and glory.
May the Lord speed the work of gathering the elect under the true standard, "The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," and hasten the deliverance of his people, is my prayer.