p. 7 | Extracts from Letters

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 12, 1857

Extracts from Letters.

Bro. J. A. Wilcox writes from New York, Oct. 23d, 1857. "I am still endeavoring to heed the counsel of the faithful and true Witness, to be zealous and repent, and buy gold tried in the fire and white raiment that I may be clothed and anoint the eyes of my understanding with eye-salve that I may see and feel my poor, wretched, miserable, blind and naked condition. Last Fall and Winter when I first began to be awakened to a sense of my lukewarm condition by the message to the last state of the church, I felt in a good degree a solemn sense of my wretched condition as I never did before, and resolved to zealously repent, and thought I should rise with the rest of God's people, never more to fall into a lukewarm state; but alas! I find upon examination that I have again fallen into a lukewarm state to a considerable degree during the past Summer. At the Berlin conference in Ct., I began to see that the Spirit of the message to the Laodiceans had nearly lost its effect; but thank and praise our long-suffering God for his kind forbearance toward me in letting his holy Spirit still strive with me. I feel in some measure the importance of being whole-hearted for God, and do works meet for repentance and let my precepts and examples preach to the world that the end of all things is at hand."

"Yes dear brethren, we have reached a solemn point of time in this world's history, when it is very important that God's people put their resolutions into practice; for the last resolves will soon be made, and if we continue to break them, fatal will be the result to us, even to be spued out of the mouth of the Lord. I firmly believe we have come down into the time when 'men's hearts are indeed failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth,' &c. Luke xxi, 26. The night of moral darkness is brooding over the earth, and the signs of the times, with solemn import are proclaiming the end of all things at hand. The judgments of an offended God are hanging over the heads of a guilty world, and soon will be poured out without mixture of mercy upon those who have not a well grounded hope. Even now his judgments are abroad in the earth; and how thankful we should be that sweet mercy is now mingled with them; but soon the last warning notes of the Third Angel's Message will die away, when mercy will take her flight forever from the earth. Justice will take her place; and God, true to his word, will pour his heavy judgments upon the shelterless heads of the wicked. What an awfully solemn time that will be. My prayer is that I may love God supremely and my neighbor as myself, and so live that I may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are coming on the earth and stand before the Son of man. Luke xxi, 36. For the promise of God to those who make the truth their shield and buckler is, when 'a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, it shall not come nigh thee.' 'Neither shall any evil befall thee, nor any plague come nigh thy dwelling.' Ps. xci."

"The agencies are very busy at work which will bring about such a time of trouble as never was since there was a nation. Dan. xii, 1. 'The wicked are doing wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.' Dan. xii, 10. The characters of all mankind will soon be developed. We are all actors on the stage of life. The high, the low, the rich and the poor are all acting their part in this great moral drama. The line of separation between the righteous and the wicked, will soon be drawn. 'Then he that is righteous let him be righteous still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy still.' &c. Rev. xxii, 11."

"Dear reader, which side will you be on? Although I am a poor, weak mortal, I tell you on the best of authority, God's immutable word, you will certainly be found on one side or the other; for in the closing lines of Rev., but two classes are brought to view: those who keep and teach the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus on one side, and on the other, those who worship the beast and his image, or teach for doctrines the commandments of men. Rev. xiv, 12; xv, 2; xxii, 14; xvi, 2; xiv, 9, 10; xx, 15. Those who keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus will escape the seven last plagues; (for they are to be poured upon those who have the mark of the beast &c. Rev. xvi, 2,) as ancient Israel did when they were in the land of Goshen while the plagues were upon the Egyptians; and the last promise in the Bible is, 'Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city.' Rev. xxii, 14."

"Thus they have reached the celestial city. Their pilgrim journey is ended and they are now resting from earthly cares, sufferings and sorrows. I mean by the grace of God to join that happy throng in their songs of praise. But the conditions of entering that beautiful city, are to keep the commandments of God. On the other side, those who heed not the warning voice of the Third Angel's Message which is now being given to the world, will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture, &c., and finally will be tormented with fire and brimstone &c. Rev. xiv, 9, 10. The first verse of the fifteenth chapter informs us that the wrath of God is filled up in the seven last plagues, and in the final end, whoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire which will produce the second death. Rev. xx, 15. Thus 'the end of the wicked shall be cut off.' Ps. xxxvii, 38."