COMMUNICATION FROM BRO. HASTINGS.
By W. Hastings
BRO. SMITH : I wish to say to the dear brethren and sisters that I am still trying to live out the truth. The farther I advance in it the more precious it looks, and the more conclusive the evidence appears that the hand of God is in it. When I consider the condition in which the present truth found me, and the effect it has had upon my mind up to the present time, I can find no words to express my gratitude to God for his unspeakable goodness, that after an anxious search of some thirty years for the right way, he has been pleased to present to my mind, through the labors of Bro. Frisbie, so precious a boon. I have thought much of late of the peculiar manner in which God is dealing with his people. I feel that this is in some degree at least the sifting time. God is bringing his people up step by step, one test after another is brought to bear upon them. Some stand one trial and fall at the next; but the progress of the church seems to be slowly and steadily upwards. The dark cloud that has hung over the people of God, as far at least as my knowledge extends, is in some degree breaking away, and the clear light of heaven begins to beam in upon us. The strong hold of the enemy is beginning to tremble, while the dross and chaff are in some degree being manifested. Thanks be to God for putting into our hands so efficient a means through which to purify ourselves. With what an immense condescension on the part of God have these blessings been proffered to us. Not only has God given his dear Son to come into this dark and wicked world to live a life of sorrow and privation, and to suffer all the scoffs and insults that wicked men and devils could inflict upon him, but has even delivered him up to death, the awful death of the cross to redeem us. And in addition to all this, how many agencies have been employed in every age of the world to save men! How many thousand holy angels are constantly engaged in watching the scenes of earth? With what intense interest do they weigh every movement? and with what sadness of heart do they record the fearful facts, as the poor self-deceived professor of truth turns away from so much goodness by refusing to obey some known obligation, rejects the light from heaven and clings to his idols, thereby placing himself in a condition in which it is impossible for the truth to save him. And so awfully delusive is the effect of his unhappy choice upon his mind, that while the strong foe is riveting his fetters upon him, he feels that all is safe, becomes self-confident, refuses to act in union with the body, and forms plans and schemes of his own through which to operate. And when the straight testimony is brought to bear upon his course, he becomes disaffected, leaves the church, and presses his way blindly and self-complacently downward to irretrievable ruin. And why this fearful apostasy? Where was the pivot upon which his destiny turned? By refusing to do at some point or place what he knew to be his duty, and by willfully persisting in his refusal. Brethren, God is doing a straight work in the church. This is no time to trifle with duty and to persist in our obstinacy and rebellion against God when some clearly defined obligation is brought to bear upon us. The time has been when God in his unspeakable love and mercy could bear long with the sinner, and for years surround him with every inducement which infinite wisdom and benevolence could consistently devise, in order to bring him into allegiance to his government; but those days of long-forbearance are in a great degree past. The time of the end is close upon us. What we do now must be done quickly. We have a great work to do, a work embracing a great number of specific acts and victories, leaving but a very short period198of time for each. It becomes necessary for God to crowd the work fast upon us; and how unreasonable it is in us to nourish our selfishness by refusing to submit to the claims of God immediately, and thereby use up perhaps three times the amount of time in each advance we make which properly belongs to it. O that men would obey at the first sight of obligation. There is no time so easy as that. Every time we resist we harden our own hearts and greatly increase the obstacles that lie in our way. O that the claims of God could find their appropriate place in each of our hearts, and call forth a ready and joyful response to every presentation of duty. Then would our light break forth as the morning, our peace be like a river, and our righteousness as the waves of the sea. O how kind is our heavenly Father in bearing so long with us. My heart is broken down in view of so much tenderness and love. Wright, Mich., April, 1861.