Letters by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 2, 1864

Letters.

By Editor

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

This department of the paper is designed for the brethren and sisters to freely and fully communicate with each other respecting their hopes and determinations, conflicts and victories, attainments and desires, in the heavenly journey. Then they, says the prophet, that feared the Lord spake often one to another. We believe emphatically that we are living in that time. Therefore seek first a living experience and then record it, carefully and prayerfully, for the comfort and encouragement of the other members of the household of faith. Let this department be well filled with lively testimonies of the goodness of God, and the value of his truth.

From Bro. Goodenough.

BRO. WHITE: I commenced a series of meetings Nov. 29, in a school-house on Honey Creek, Sauk Co., and continued them for two weeks. The weather was very bad, and the congregation was small, yet a few became interested in the truth, who I think will yet decide to live it out. A great amount of prejudice had been raised here against the truth by the unholy living of some of its professed friends. This, I think, was cleared away, and the truth left without reproach. Oh, the power of example! Who can measure it! Who knows how much evil that one unholy act will cause! How careful ought those to be who are professing to be looking for the soon return of our Lord, to have their characters just right. We are all of us at work; for there is no neutral ground. Brethren, for whom are we working? Oh let us arouse and look around and examine ourselves, and see where we are. Let us try to realize that our every act is going to assist in carrying the truth to a perishing world, or it is keeping it from them.

See 1 Pet. ii, 9. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Now has God called you out of darkness? You say, Yes. What has he called you for? He tells you, to show forth his praises.

Again, Rev. xxii, 17. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth, say Come." Have you heard the invitation? Then you have a commission to repeat it to others.

Dear brethren, let us all go to work in earnest. The time is short. The Lord is soon coming, and what we do must be done quickly. If the Lord does not call you to go out as a messenger to talk the truth, you can live out its pure principles, so that others can see its sanctifying influence, and thus be led to Christ.

My wife was taken sick, and I was obliged to go home. She was sick a week, when our only child was taken. She was sick a week, and died. The day she died I was taken sick, and came very near sleeping with her; but I can say with king Hezekiah, "Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of

corruption." My health is improving fast, and I shall soon be able to go into the field again. Pray for me.

Yours striving to overcome.

J. R. GOODENOUGH.

Sandusky, Wis.