Experience of Bro. Litchfield.
By Daniel Litchfield
BRO. SMITH: I take my pen to address a few lines to you. Although an entire stranger personally, yet I trust not in the Spirit; for while I have the privilege of reading the paper, I find many of the precious truths contained in the word of the Lord by which we are begotten, prior to the new birth, sown in my heart, which I perceive from your pen is sown in yours. Therefore I would say in the language of Paul, that we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. I would say that I received with joy the first and second angels' messages as proclaimed by Bro. Miller and others in the judgment-hour cry; and the fall of Babylon, in its application to the Protestant sects, which I never have seen cause to doubt its being the fulfillment of that portion of prophecy contained in Rev. xiv, 6-8. But to my sorrow, by not being as watchful, and as prayerful, and as humble as I should, that when the voice of the Lord was heard in the Third Angel's Message, I was not in a suitable condition to receive it. And if God had not been of greater mercy and of longer suffering than man, I should have been left to utter despair. But thanks, praise and glory be to that God who first forgave my sins, about one year ago he showed me that in order for the chain of this prophecy to be complete there must be another angel to follow before the Son of man should be seen on the white cloud. And when I saw the light on the Sanctuary and the position of our great High Priest since the ending of the 2300 days, and the perpetuity of God's law, that the fourth commandment was as much binding as the other nine; and when I received the truth into my heart by faith, and practiced them in my life, I could somewhat say in the language of Peter, when he whom he had previously thought was to redeem Israel, but when he was put to death he lost that hope, but when he came up from the grave he could say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” So say I, as regards my Advent faith and hope. I visited Springfield, Vt., a short time since, on my return from the New England Conference, held at Boston, and had one meeting in the place, at which quite a number were present, although the going and weather were very bad. Seven spoke in the meeting, all manifested an inclination to examine the subject of the Sabbath, but one, he a Methodist minister; but was rebuked by an infidel, who spoke out while the minister was talking, and said, “Had we not ought to keep the day which God says is the Sabbath.” This stirred the dragon’s ire, nevertheless truth triumphed. I attended, in company with other brethren from this State, the conference at Boston, also a meeting at Lancaster, Mass., also the conference at Washington, N. H. At all these meetings God’s presence was sensibly manifest; also at Claremont, where it is evident that God has some jewels, although there are but one or two Sabbath-keepers in the place; yet there are others who are sighing and crying for the abominations done in the land, and are willing to hear on present truth. May God in mercy hedge up the way of blind guides, and send his present, saving truth to his people, is my prayer.