The Truth and the Sabbath
By Editor
BRO. JAMES WHITE: Myself and Mrs. Weeks have been unitedly trying to keep God's law for several weeks past, and have been unitedly blest in so doing. Although surrounded by persecutors and scoffers, both in the church and out of the church, yet Mrs. Weeks has been a Sabbath-keeper some six or eight months, and myself nearly as many weeks. We are neither of us members of any church organization, nor do we wish to be, although we have letters of recommendation. We are constrained to regard creeds and isms as but the Babylonian garment—the love of the world as the wedge of gold hidden in the tents of Zion, which will soon bring down the wrath of God upon our churches. We are the only family in this region that regard the fourth command as not being Jewish, but of universal application, binding on man wherever he may be; yet we have reason to believe that the truth is beginning to find its way through every refuge of lies, and would soon be potent to the pulling down of the strong holds of Satan, could we have the Review, accompanied by some standard Sabbath and Advent publications, to aid in its propagation and more general diffusion. The truth has indeed been potent in my case. Reared amid strong sectarian prejudices, taught to believe in and practice the observance of the first day of the week as the Sabbath, I regarded Commandment-keepers as rabid sectarians, willfully adhering to a Jewish institution, merely for the sake of notoriety; but thanks to God, the mists of Popish darkness are breaking away and light bursts in bringing peace, joy, patience, self-denial, love unbounded, an earnest longing for immortality and the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have a copy of the Sabbath and Advent Miscellany, History of the Sabbath, Roman Catholic Catechism, Stephenson on the Atonement, and your work159entitled, The Signs of the Times, which I consider just the work for this age of spiritual delusion and universal apathy among professed Christians. I have relatives among the more conspicuous Spiritual believers acting as mediums, &c., who are completely deceived by Satan's malicious arts. We wish to send a copy to these friends, but having only one copy we cannot spare it as it is needed here, doing its work of enlightenment. Had we the means at command I should have forwarded it to you ere this, but having lost nearly all of our goods in coming to this place we are comparatively destitute of even the necessaries of life. We have some means back in Wisconsin, but the money pressure has been so severe that we cannot procure enough to make us comfortable, consequently we are at the present time poor in this world's goods, yet rich in prospect of eternal life. I have thus made known to you our situation, temporally and spiritually, and our desires for aid in spreading the truth; therefore, if you believe that giving to the poor is but lending to the Lord, please send the Review, and a copy of the Signs of the Times, resting assured that they will be thankfully received, and that we shall endeavor to pay therefor as soon as our circumstances will permit. There are those here with whom we unite in the prayer-circle, who give evidence that they are true Christians; but they are ignorant, comparatively speaking. Some of them are evidently beginning to have some faint conception of the truth, and are anxiously inquiring and investigating. May the spirit of research ultimately lead to the adoption of the truth from the love of it—to the putting on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand and have a part in the first resurrection, over which the second death hath no power. Yours in hope of eternal life.
J. V. WEEKS. Olatha, Nebraska, March 5th, 1858. NOTE.—We send the Review cheerfully, but cannot send the Signs of the Times, as the first edition is exhausted, and we cannot republish the work at present for want of means. We send a package of small tracts, worth fifty cents. Who wants to pay for them? We shall not turn away such calls, which are very common these times. It will be a pleasure to those who have means, and have the truth in their hearts, to meet the expense. We want the aid of such now.
J. W.