Holding Fast to the Truth
Bro. C. A. Bates writes from Green Vale, Ill., Sept. 30th, 1856:—"The Review is a welcome visitor to us. It comes richly laden with truth. It is truly a great help in searching the Scriptures. We are living in perilous times, when the adversary is trying to lead us astray from the path of rectitude into his snare. It becomes us to have on the whole armor, and "watch and pray lest we enter into temptation" that we may be able to stand in the coming day that is just upon us, and that will try men's souls. It will be truly a trying time. We should be ready and waiting so that we can hail that day with joy and not with grief, and have our work done and well done. We need much of the Spirit of God to enable us to have our mind in a position to worship him aright. We must have our mind and conversation in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour, and take up our cross daily and follow our blessed Master, who is our Pattern. We must follow in his footsteps, live lives devoted to him, that we may be accounted worthy to help make up that happy number which the Revelator saw standing before the throne of God, in whose mouth was found no guile, who were without fault. "We are trying to hold on to the truth, fully believing that we have the truth, and that we shall soon reap if we faint not. We have two meetings a week, and the Lord is with us by his presence. His promise is sure, that where two or three meet together in his name, being agreed as touching any one thing, there will he be in the midst. Then let us keep his Commandments that we may have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the City. Blessed promise to the faithful! That we may all help make up that number, is my prayer. "We have received some of the Testimony for the Church, No. 2, and like them very much. O that we may heed the warning therein given. We have not had any one to lecture to us since our beloved Bro. Joseph Bates left; but we hope that some one may come soon. The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few. Pray the Lord to send more laborers into his vineyard." Bro. James Cornell writes from Tyrone, Mich:—"I am thankful for the Review. It is truly an interesting and welcome messenger to me. I hope those engaged in publishing it may be sustained, and I pray God to give them wisdom to set forth his truth in all its beauty and simplicity. I feel much encouraged to see the cause of truth steadily advancing. May the car of salvation roll on still more rapidly, that all the honest ones may be gathered out of Babylon in due time. O blessed hope! may the work speed on gloriously."