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Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 31, 1856

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 7, No. 18.

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COMMUNICATIONS.

By James Loudon

From Bro. Loudon.

BRO. SMITH:—I will say to you I am happy to receive the Review and Herald. Its lessons of instruction are pleasing to me, and I hope it will continue to enlighten, strengthen, and bring truth and wisdom to all, and may the blessing of the Lord be with you that his truth may be plainly set forth in the columns of the Review. In these perilous times, we need the light of the word of the Lord continually.
It is lamentable to see what a state of lukewarmness the churches are in—perfectly at ease. It seems as though they had lost all light or sight of the Scriptures; and the most they think about or care for apparently, is to see who will have the most fanciful meeting-house, rent the most costly pew, wear the most costly and fashionable apparel, get the first quality of singers, get up some extra vanity, and get the largest congregation. And while they are carrying out all this proud spirit, they seem to think this kind of gain is godliness; and if you wish to be unpopular among them, and make them shun you, just give them the word of the Lord in its purity; and if you convince them of their error, and get the light of truth into their minds, so that they cannot gainsay it, yet they dare not own it before the world; for they would soon be cast out of the synagogue; notwithstanding Jesus Christ has said, that whosoever is ashamed of him and his word before men, of him he would be ashamed before his Father and the holy angels.
How many are deluded in these days by those spirits of devils, purporting to be the spirits of the dead; and when the priest has told them in his sermon perhaps twenty times, that they have an immortal soul in them, an inherent life obtained of Adam, that can never die, they will go from the table of the Lord home to their house, and there call on the spirits; and Satan will then prove by his miracles the falsehood the preacher had told them in his sermon; and those who profess to be partakers of the Lord's table are the partakers of the table of devils also.
These same professors who make high professions of faith in the word of the Lord, will when they see that it crosses their track, and roots up their creeds, deny their faith in one text of Scripture after another, until they dwindle it down to a small point, and finally, throw away the whole—the final result of departing from the faith, and parleying with the devil, or giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
I have reason to thank and praise the Lord that I ever received light on this subject before Satan had drawn me into his snare; also of the subtilty of Satan in the man of Sin in removing the fourth commandment out of its place, causing the people to err. But thanks be unto the Lord who hath raised up servants to proclaim the truth to a dying world in these last days. May the Lord bless my soul with his truth, that with all his children I may inherit eternal life, which the Father has given to his Son to give to all them that come to God by him.
I am highly gratified with the subjects in the Review, and the light it brings. I think that brother Edson has got his lever on the right fulcrum, and is bringing out light on an essential truth. May he be highly assisted by the Spirit of the Lord.
From yours affectionately, a Bible believer, and brother waiting the coming of the Lord. JAMES LOUDON. Janesville, Wis., Jan. 23rd, 1856.