EXTRACT FROM A LETTER FROM IRELAND.
By John Nevins Andrews
Bro. Smith: When I embraced the present truth, three years ago last fall, my heart yearned over my relatives and kindred who were far away in my native land. I wrote to them on the all-important subject of salvation, and sent them books. The following extract from a letter from my sister in the flesh, will show the result of my feeble efforts. "Now, dear brother, I have many things to say to you. I am much perplexed in mind about the one great concern of life. I know that to love God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man. I feel that the keeping of the Sabbath is the test of my obedience. When I look at the requirements of the fourth commandment, I must come to the conclusion that under existing circumstances I find it almost an impossibility to keep them, in the midst of hurry and bustle of worldly business, without one individual to go with me, with the exception of my daughter Sarah, who is also much distressed to witness the prevalent desecration of the Sabbath of the Lord. My husband and the older members of the family are fully convinced that the Sabbath was changed by man without any authority from Scripture, and would give up Sunday observance but for this reason: there are none as yet to take hold with them in this country, and they cannot be persuaded that all the professed people of God here are under condemnation and exposed to wrath, they rather believe that the Father of infinite mercy will in his own good time and way remove this cloud of popish darkness, and raise up some chosen, faithful witnesses to stand for truth in this land. I am rejoiced to say I believe Robert, James and Sarah are seeking to know the Lord with all their hearts, and to be found of him blameless. "Dear brother and friends in Jesus, pray for us that we all may be brought to a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, to walk therein in love, obeying the commandments of God, and walking in all the ordinances of his church blameless. I have been much cast down of late, looking at church ordinances, particularly baptism, and the supper of the Lord. These two injunctions of my divine Master I feel excluded from, as I know not where to look for the first, and cannot partake of the second as it is administered in any of the churches. I can no longer join in church fellowship with those who put light for darkness and darkness for light. I am determined by the aid of divine grace to walk according to the Bible, trusting in the promise of God, that he will give me his Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth. O may I ever be enabled to lean on that almighty arm that holds the world and all things up. The promise is, I will never leave thee, I will never forsake thee. Father, I believe, O save me to the end for thy dear Son's sake. Amen. "I had the pleasure of seeing our old friend John Greason, yesterday, who preached in our father's house twenty-eight years ago, and has stood ever since unconnected with any religious society, preaching the truths of the gospel, as far, I believe, as they have been revealed to him. I got into conversation with him on the Sabbath question. After he advanced many of the arguments that are generally used to sustain Sunday-keeping (I dare say to try what ground I stood on), he was quite overcome, and told me he had been trembling under this cross for years, still waiting to get over to the land of liberty, fearing to publish the message here, lest he should be discarded from society, or have none to hear him. He felt deeply convinced that he was doing wrong. We united in prayer. He confessed his past unfaithfulness before God, and I firmly believe left our house fully determined to stand forth a witness for the truth. We all accompanied him to Mr. Carson's where he had preached and stayed over night. We were present at family worship. It was a time not to be forgotten, I trust, by me and others present. Never did I witness such power in prayer while he advanced his views of the second advent of our Lord, the transgression of God's holy law, our obligation to obey all its precepts, and finally his determination in future to obey the commandments of God himself, and teach their observance to all with whom he had intercourse. I feel greatly rejoiced and trust the Lord will greatly bless his labors in this country. I want you all to help him by your earnest prayers. "I would like to have the reading of the Review and Herald. I wish you to send me the works entitled, The Atonement, and Two-horned Beast. "With much love, believe me your affectionate sister.
Margaret Armstrong. "B——, Monaghan Co., Ireland. Bro. A. sends one dollar to have the Review sent to Ireland as above, which we have accordingly sent.—Ed.