p. 103 | Letters by Julia E. Green

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Aug 25, 1863

Letters.

By Julia E. Green

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

From Sister Green.

BRO. WHITE: I feel it a duty to write a few lines for the Review. In the summer of 1854 the Lord was pleased to show me the light on the Sabbath, and incline my heart to receive it. In a little more than a year thereafter, I attended a conference, where the misdoings of those engaged in publishing the Review were set forth, and a resolution passed to the effect to have no more to do with it, or at least toward supporting it. The sisters were allowed the privilege of voting, and I voted in favor of the resolution. Naught but a sense of duty, would move me to refer to this, for now I want the Review, and as I expect to pay for it, I may be considered as doing something toward supporting it, consequently going contrary to that resolution. After that conference, distracting doctrines came in, (perhaps I should say before the conference, else it would not have been conducted in the manner it was, but I had not felt them before,) and I became so perplexed that I did not know what to believe. We finally gave up the Review, but I could not give up the Sabbath. No, I clung to that, as a drowning man will cling to a support, although many times I felt strongly tempted to give it up, for I knew that resting on the Sabbath alone would not save me. A great many times I started and strove to break the fetters that bound me, but soon sank back to coldness and darkness. If I turned to the light of the Review, the things I had heard would come to mind; if I turned to any other Advent paper, I feared to trust them, for I felt that all was not right; if I turned to the Bible, there was, as it were, a thick cloud between it and me, and if I tried to look to God it seemed as tho' my sins had made an impassable gulf between us. Was I not in a pitiable condition? I was truly, but the Lord had compassion on unworthy me. This spring a circumstance occurred that started me out anew, and now I feel to thank God that he has heard my prayers and

bridged over that awful gulf my sins had made, has taken the cloud from over the Bible, and has blest me far more than I deserve. Still I have to mourn my unfaithfulness. I find the cross very heavy, but I never felt such a disposition to take God at his word, and walk out upon his promises as now. I do hope and trust he will keep my feet from slipping, and enable me to run with patience the race set before me. Why should we weary when the race is so short, and the end even now in sight. I feel that I have done wrong, very very often, and sometimes hurt the feelings of those who would do me good, but I hope if this meets the eye of any such, they will forgive me, and pray for me, that I may prove faithful to the end.

JULIA E. GREEN.

Hebron, Wis. Aug. 3d. 1863.