COMMUNICATIONS by Alvarer Pierce

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Apr 18, 1854

COMMUNICATIONS.

By Alvarer Pierce

From Bro. Pierce.

DEAR BRO. WHITE :—In giving a brief history of my past experience I will go back to Feb. 1810, when I thought God for Christ's sake pardoned my sins, and I tasted that the Lord was truly good, and he then established my goings, and put a new song in my mouth even praise to his holy name.

In July following I connected myself with the Congregational Church of the place [Salisbury, Vt.] About this time there was occasional reference made to the 1000 years Millenium, and I well remember when this subject was called up that I frequently used to ask if that was to be the personal reign of Christ with his people, and if the righteous dead were then to be raised to reign with him. To these two questions the answer was invariably given in the negative, and after that the world were all to become righteous, and that Christ would only reign by his Spirit. But this, when I read Rev. xx, did not satisfy my mind, as I there read that Christ was coming to raise the righteous, and reign with his people, and at the end of the 1000 years the wicked would then be raised, and receive their judgment.

In 1816 I left Vermont for Western New York, and in 1818 I dissolved my connexion with the Congregationalist Church and united with the Baptist on account of baptism. And here a temporal millennium was also taught. About twenty years ago I first heard of the Advent doctrine as advocated by Bro. Miller, and I then inquired where any light could be had on the subject, and was told that by sending to Syracuse, 110 miles, I could there obtain a small pamphlet Father Miller's first work. The first opportunity I obtained the book, and there was the first satisfactory answer to my former questions. I should then have been a full believer in the doctrine had not there been [as I supposed] so much of unfulfilled prophecy that I thought the time was too short to bring it all about. I then settled down on the belief that Christ, the great Head of the church, in his own due time would come in the clouds of heaven, destroy the wicked from off the earth, raise the righteous and reign with his people the 1000 years, and then raise and judge the wicked; and from this belief I have never swerved.

But I did not stop here, for in 1843 I was handed a paper containing Bro. Storr's six sermons on the final destruction of the wicked. This was as much as I could stand, having always been taught the old theory that the wicked would live eternally in hell, or that they would die the second death and be destroyed, but yet live and never die. Here, for the first time I must acknowledge that my underpinning was all knocked away. But after diligently and carefully comparing them with the unerring standard of eternal truth, which must finally try all our actions, I embraced that truth also.

I was taught the old theory of the first-day Sabbath as well as other things. But about eight or ten weeks ago Brn. Ingraham and Hutchins, and I believe they were directed here by the Spirit of God, (O my soul and all within me bless and praise his holy name,) came, and from them I heard the first Advent Lecture. Moses and Aaron led the children of Israel from Egypt to the mount of God, to receive the law, so also, I feel in some measure that I have been led to the foot of Sinai's awful mount by these our dear brethren, who here proclaimed 'Remember the Sabbath-day,' &c. I here had much reasoning in my own mind, but to 'the law and the testimony, if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them.' Isa. viii, 20. But here calling to mind the time when I embraced religion, that I then gave all for Christ, so here I was determined to be led by the Spirit and the Word; and I can now say that I can not only hail its weekly return as a delight, but also as the holy and the honorable of the Lord. There are a few in our town (Alleghany) who have embraced the present truth; seven I think are all, hardly enough to raise a beacon light, but we feel that we are fast anchored on the eternal Rock of Ages, and that we have set our faces Zion ward and are about to bid farewell to earth. We also feel that the eternal day of glory is soon to dawn.

There are many here who are saying 'Where is the promise of his coming,' thus fulfilling the prophecy of the last days. And there are others who turn a deaf ear, and wont hear at all. But the last sign will soon be given. The Son of man will soon appear, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn. Then those who are righteous will be righteous still, and those who are filthy will be filthy still. Our numbers are so small here that we unite with the Ulysses brethren to worship. I now feel for myself and mine that having been led by the traditions and commandments of men so long, being now in my

sixty third year, that where truth shall lead we will follow, God being our helper, whether it be in a cloud by day or in a pillar of fire by night.

Yours keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ALVARER PIERCE.

Raymond, Pa., March 30th, 1854.