Holding Fast to the Truth
By Burt Hall
BRO. SMITH: I have long felt a desire to communicate a few words to the dear saints scattered abroad, to let them know that I am still trying to hold on to the truth by keeping the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. It is but little more than two years since I first heard the Third Angel's Message, and commenced to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. Praise the Lord for that first time. Although I was young, and met with opposition on every hand, yet by strength from the God of Israel, and my sword in hand, which is the Word, I have been enabled to fight my way through, and now rejoice in hope of a glorious immortality at the appearing of Jesus. Dear brethren and sisters, what a glorious prospect there is before us. In a little from this we shall see Jesus coming with ten thousand bright angels to raise the sleeping saints, and change these vile bodies of ours, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, and be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so be forever with the Lord. We shall soon receive the never-failing crowns of glory from the hand of our blessed Saviour, and with harps of gold, sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Soon the faithful will pass through the pearly gates of the City whose streets are paved with gold, and there have right to the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations, and drink of the water of the river of life, which flows from the midst of the Paradise of God. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." All this for keeping the commandments of God. Praise the Lord, it is enough. I will try to keep his commandments, for they are holy, just and good. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God is, that we all may be enabled to buy the gold tried in the fire that we may be rich, the white raiment, which is the righteousness of saints, that we may be clothed, and anoint our eyes with eye-salve that we may see. In hope.
Shelby, Mich., Aug. 16th, 1857. BURT HALL.