A New Start in Keeping God's Commandments
By I. S. Chaffee
BRO. SMITH: I have been trying to keep the commandments of God for most five years; but to my shame have done it very poorly. But of late I have made a new start. A few weeks ago Bro. Waggoner was here and gave us a few lectures, which were very interesting to me. Since that time I have seen the need of commencing anew. I see the need of keeping the first and greatest commandment, which is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." I can truly say that the Lord has been very good to me, in showing me where I stood. Yes, praise his holy name for it. I feel that he has taken my feet out of the horrible pit, and placed them upon the rock Christ Jesus; and he is putting new songs in my mouth. O my brethren and sisters, I want a pure heart, a lowly, contrite heart, as the poet has it. "A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels thy blood,
So freely spilt for me."
There are a goodly number of us here that are trying to do God's holy will. I mean for one to do my every duty in the love and fear of God, and hope and trust that I shall have his assisting grace. I want to be faithful and put my whole trust in God, that I may rise above the trifling things of this earth. It is not my desire to lay up treasure here, for where my treasure is there my heart will be also. Yours in love,
I. S. CHAFFEE. Ordino, Wis., Apr. 29th, 1858.