LETTERS by Rocksilda Leighton

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 23, 1861

LETTERS.

By Rocksilda Leighton

"Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another."

From Sister Leighton.

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I have been cheered by the sweet testimonies given in favor of the third angel's message and the near return of our Saviour, and thinking that perhaps some of the readers of the Review that have known us in by-gone days would like to know what our prospects are for eternal life, I write these lines. My companion and myself are trying to keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus. We began to embrace the Second Advent faith in the summer of 1846, hearing but a very little previous to that time on the subject of the coming of the Lord; but believing that we were living in the last days, we embraced the first opportunity of reading the Advent papers that we could get, and rejoiced in the near coming of the Lord. The doctrine of the unconscious state of the dead was a gloomy doctrine to us; but having light on the subject, we took our Bibles and sat down to investigate the subject thoroughly. When we got through, we were surprised to find that our former teachings had all been wrong on this question, although Bible testimony was very plain that the dead know not anything. Eccl. ix, 5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee. Psa. vi, 5. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. Psa. cxv, 17. Yet how could we give up the idea that these thinking, active, minds of ours would cease to act? It was a withering thought to us that man that was made in the image of his Creator (whether righteous or wicked) could cease to exist as though he had not been, yet what was the weak mind of man to be compared with the pure word of the Lord which says of man, His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. Ps. cxlvi, 4.

Having thus embraced this view of man from death to the resurrection, we thought it duty to talk it out to our brethren. This created quite an uneasiness in their feelings and in the community in which we lived. Being associated with the Christian church at this time, it brought no small persecution on the church, as other denominations said to them, You have infidels among you that believe that man has no soul. Yet our brethren were unwilling to let us go, and said to us that we had a perfect right to our private views, but wished us not to express them. This made us feel that we were like birds taken in a snare, and we longed to be free. The strong sympathetic feeling we had for our brethren prevented us from doing our duty. This was wrong. While we saw the fallen condition of the churches, and that pride and popularity had almost driven the meek Spirit of the Lord from the earth, we did not take up the cross of freeing our minds. We left our names to be erased from the church book after we left for the West.

In 1851 we left Sodus, Wayne Co. N. Y., and came to Otsego, Mich. One reason for this move, among others, was that perhaps we might have an opportunity to hear Advent preaching, as there was none in Wayne Co. We only had an opportunity of attending two tent-meetings some twenty miles distant in several years. But in this we were disappointed, as disease had marked me for its victim. Leaving a warm house in the East and occupying a cold one in the West did not agree with my diseased lungs and broken constitution; and here commenced the raging of a severe cancer on my nose. For the most part of four years—

Of men great skill professing I thought a cure to gain, But this proved more distressing, And added to my pain.

This cancer had eaten off the lower part of my nose, and the sore had extended into my right eye and was spreading on my right cheek under the eye, and had almost reached the left. I was not only suffering from the pain of an eating cancer, but from severe medicine which I was obliged to apply in order to burn down the pulpy bunches that would continually spring up like large warts. When these were burned down I could get a little rest. This process I went through week after week for the most part of the time for six months.

Such was the condition I was in five years ago when Bro. Cornell came to our house and brought the third angel's message to us. He also said that Jesus our great High Priest had entered into the holy of holies, and likewise spake of our great Physician who heals the infirmities of his children and in their extremity of bodily suffering can say to disease, Thus far shalt thou go and no farther. With these instructions we tried to lay hold of and keep the commandments of

God. I was not able to attend any of Bro. Cornell's lectures; for I was confined to the house, unable to do any work, and was fast wasting away, never expecting to be able to go from my home again to hear the word of the Lord. But thanks be to his holy name, he saw fit to open the way for me. The skill of earthly physicians had failed; and I saw that my case was a hopeless one as I took down the mirror and sat down to the table to apply this severe medicine. I said to myself, could I know that in a few weeks or months death would end my sufferings, how happy should I feel; but O the gloomy thought that perhaps I should linger along for years until my eyes and face were consumed. I had thought for some months that it was the work of the enemy to afflict me, that I might repine at my lot; therefore I resolved in the name of the Lord patiently to endure. Although he was destroying my flesh, yet I could and would submit. Others had suffered and I could also just as long as the Lord saw proper for me so to do, whether for months or years. I said, I will wait all the days of my appointed time till my change should come that I might have a rest with the people of God.

And now the great Physician, (How matchless is his grace) Accepted my submission, And undertook my case.

When I committed myself into the hands of this Physician, I believe he commenced to work for me. My soul was happy. I walked the floor and praised the Lord with all my heart. I then laid aside the afflicting medicine which was continually distressing me. I think it was about two days before this that I had sent a request by Bro. Frisbie to the church in Battle Creek that my case might be remembered before the Lord that I might be able to attend the conference which was to be held in about two weeks, in May 1856; for I greatly desired to find a humble people that had come out from the vain fashions of the world. Thanks be to the Lord he did strengthen me so that I was able to ride 36 miles in a farm wagon to attend this meeting to its close, where I had the pleasure of meeting with a humble people which are the people of my choice.

As I have before said, the Lord had commenced a work for me. My health and strength began to improve and also my cancer to heal. Thanks be to his blessed name. More than four years have passed away since my cancer ceased to trouble me, yet I hope that I have not forgotten what the Lord has done. I hope to overcome at last, and be permitted to see the King in his beauty. ROCKSILDA LEIGHTON. Otsego, Mich.