Moving Forward in Strength
By Mrs. R. Smith
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: Again I feel impressed to speak to you through the Review. Most of the church in this place met here yesterday, Feb. 19th, all professing the same faith, and I trust may yet rejoice in the pardoning mercy of God; but I do feel most sensibly that we must move forward, and that a speedy effort must be made to rise in strength and power. We need to have on the whole armor of God. There is, doubtless, a greater conflict just before us than has yet been experienced. God is making this known to us by his word in connection with the present state of things. The Spirit is striving with us. We are invited to forsake all and follow Christ, with the promise of eternal life. We are entreated to submit to God now, and urged to be ready for the coming of the Lord. God is longsuffering to us ward, not willing we should perish but come to repentance. I have been, today, most forcibly impressed that he will not bear much longer with those who do not get victory over all wrong, and so wait upon him as to renew their strength. We may profess belief in the present truth, go the round of formal worship, apparently doing every duty, and our hearts not be right with God. Covetousness may be there, and we be keeping back part of the price. Pride may be there, and a secret love for some cherished idol. God knows it all, and if we do not become reconciled to him while we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous to intercede for us, our case must be hopeless. When once he's left the mediatorial place,
No ray of mercy lights our ruined race. While feeling that God would not bear with us much longer I realized something what it must be to be left of God, and the solemnity in view of it I could not describe. No hope! Never to have the favor of God! Too late to have a wrong righted or a sin pardoned! Stupidity and indifference may leave such at ease for a while, but according to the word of the Lord, before their destruction is completed, there will be felt anguish of spirit and bitterness of soul. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. They will see others in the kingdom and they themselves thrust out. If not known here, it will probably be there, under what circumstances the Spirit was grieved away for the last time; how long Jesus bore with them and plead his blood with the Father for them. It must add to their misery to know by their own rejection they forced him to leave them where God's vengeance must fall upon them. No shelter out of Christ! Who can realize this, and feel there is yet hope, and not improve the opportunity to be at peace with God! Jesus is full of pity and compassion, tenderness and love, the same as when he wept over Jerusalem and said to its inhabitants, How often would I have gathered you but ye would not! It was love and pity that brought him here to bear our sins and to save us from sinking beneath them. He is ready to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify us unto himself "a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Though many may draw back in whom he can have no pleasure, he will have such a people on the earth, a church that he can present to the Father "without spot or wrinkle or any such thing." When God has his right in and about us, there will be no room for other gods. They cannot get admission. Prayer, thanksgiving and praise will be spontaneous. Self-denial, benevolence and good works will follow. It will be God working in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure. In this way God will be exalted and held up before the people as worthy and deserving our all. We shall give glory to him, feeling it is his due. I have felt, more especially of late, that there are jewels here, and how are they to be sought out if not by those sanctified through the belief of the present truth; by their getting so into Christ's light that the light in them will shine out and be reflected upon them, accompanied with a message from the Word, in the power of God. We profess to believe the Lord is soon coming, and that mercy still lingers for the transgressor under the last call. How important then that we improve the present moments as the necessity of the case requires. A little from this, and a great ransom cannot deliver. 127We must realize and feel the force of these truths to act consistently with such a profession, and to throw our whole being into the work of saving souls. May those of us who are not in a place where God can use us as instruments in building up his cause, haste to get the necessary preparation, and be the means of turning many to righteousness. Such shall shine as the stars for ever and ever.