Letter from Wisconsin by W. Phelps

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 23, 1858

Letter from Wisconsin.

By W. Phelps

Bro. Smith : It is with thankfulness to my heavenly Father that I write to let the friends know that the Lord is still blessing us here in Koskonong. The leaven of the Third Angel's Message is still working here, and the truth is separating the precious from the vile, and purifying a peculiar people, zealous of good works. This has been a stronghold of the Future-age doctrine; but the Lord has been overturning things in some measure here, and I pray that he may continue to work, and overturn, and overturn, till he shall gather the last jewel from among the rubbish.

We have been receiving a few drops of the latter rain recently, and I pray God that we may all be prepared to share in the great refreshing when it comes. Joel ii, 28, 29; Acts ii, 16-18.

I know not how to praise God enough for his goodness to me, in saving me from the delusions of the Future-age belief before I had gone so far that I could not be helped. I believe that doctrine is the best calculated to deceive the unwary of any that the Devil has ever invented. There is nothing about it that will lead to a close walk with God; but on the contrary, it has led many so far away from God that they have rejected his Commandments and the Faith of Jesus, and are left with a theory in the head, and nothing to affect the heart, or reform the life.

The Third Angel's Message never looked more precious to me than it does now. I long for the time to come when it shall go with power. Then the servants of God will be sealed in their foreheads, and prepared to stand on mount Zion with the Lamb. I feel that there is a necessity of our humbling ourselves before the Lord, and getting into a position where he can own, and pour out his holy Spirit upon us. Then he can use us in his glorious cause. We cannot do too much. There must be an entire consecration. It will take all to buy the field, and it will be cheap enough in the end. Some even now begin to realize it. May the Lord still work for his people.

W. PHELPS.

Ft. Atkinson, Wis., Nov. 28th 1858.