Review and Herald, Vol. 17, No. 10.
THE HAND OF GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE DAILY CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFEPage 1
Earlier text: THE HAND OF GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE DAILY CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFEIMAGE OF THE BEAST.
By John Norton Loughborough
On the first step taken by the church of Rome we would say: Nearly every prominent sect of the present time has her creed which they tell us is founded upon the Bible. Yet we find the sentiments of their creeds discordant, which shows of course that they are not all drawn from the fountain of truth. In regard to what the churches of our land have done in regard to creed-making we will make a few quotations from a sermon preached by Charles Beecher at the dedication of the Presbyterian Church at Ft. Wayne, Ind.: "Our best, most humble, most devoted servants of Christ are fostering in their midst what will one day, not long hence, show itself to be of the spawn of the dragon. They shrink from any rude word against creeds with the same sensitiveness with which those holy fathers would have shrunk from a rude word against the rising veneration of saints and martyrs which they were fostering." "The creed system is now exerting upon the clergy of the Protestant churches a secret, unsuspected, but tremendous power against the Bible—a power of fear. Yes, while it professes to venerate and defend the Bible, it is virtually undermining it." "The religious world has what is called a public sentiment of its own, and this is formed chiefly by the great evangelical denominations. Other denominations are, owing to their paucity of numbers, less perceived. By one or the other of these denominations, the first fact is, the young candidate is to be licensed; for public sentiment has settled that an unlicensed preacher is no preacher at all. He must have license, then; all his hopes center on that. But there is not one of these great evangelical denominations from which he can get license, unless he will subscribe the creed of that denomination. In other words, the Protestant evangelical denominations have so tied up one another's hands, and their own, that, between them all, a man cannot become a preacher at all, anywhere, without accepting some book besides the Bible." Thus we see the first overt step of Rome has been taken by the Protestant sects of our land. The second step of Rome has been taken, and these creeds are also made a test of fellowship, as appears from the further testimony in Beecher's discourse, which we quote because it displays the exact facts in the case: "It is true, each denomination says, 'We inflict no penalty—we only decline to receive into our ranks one who does not agree with us.' And this is so specious, it sounds so reasonable, that it might deceive the very elect; but it is the most consummate stroke of infernal craft, and doubly distilled jesuitism. "It is like Rome, handing over the victims of the Inquisition to the civil arm, charging it to do them no harm, and then piously lauding her own lamblike disposition. It is true, the denominations do not do the candidate any harm, they only silently leave him to his inevitable fate." The third step of Rome is taken, and the creed is made the tribunal by which its members are tried. Did our space admit we might relate scores of instances where members have been denied a Bible trial, and when in trial by the church they have shown that their peculiar sentiments were in accordance with the Bible, they have been tried by the creed, and expelled from the society of the creed powers. A case came up in Wisconsin not many months since. A Baptist deacon, with his wife and daughters, embraced the present truth. In the winding up of the trial it seemed necessary to tell these individuals why they were set aside from the church. The clerk said, "We do not want you to think, Bro. Wright, because we expel you from the church, that we do not consider that you keep the commandments of God, for we believe you do; but your faith does not agree with the Baptist Treatise!" That the fourth step has been taken, and those are anathematized who do not subscribe to the orthodox creeds of this time is clear from the following testimony from Beecher concerning an unlicensed minister: "Unlicensed, without moral affinities with the minor sects, alone, before he has formed the self-sustaining habits of a man, before he has yet tried his armor, self-distrustful,77generally poor, often in debt, inexperienced, he finds an invisible, intangible Power has entangled and enveloped him in complicate, writhing folds. The frown of society is upon him, public sentiment is against him—the public sentiment of good men, yea, of the best and most devoted! He is whispered to be unsound, unsafe, heretical! He is called by every sectarian name most frightful to ears evangelical, right or wrong; and yet nobody does it. He is smitten; he looks here and there, behind and before; he can see nobody. And thus he is politely, and respectfully, and silently, and invisibly crushed. He is in the religious world what a broken-down candidate is in the political—dead. "Now there never was a torture of the Inquisition more exquisitely suited to extort conformity from an agonized victim. Not the body, but the mind is on the rack. Every most noble feeling is tried to the utmost. His natural need of livelihood, his care of family and of friends, his sense of reputation, his honest ambition, his tastes, his intellectual habits, his hopes of usefulness, yea, the very inmost, sacred emotions of his devotional experience, are here taken hold of—in the dark—by an unseen, ruthless hand—and are wrung, and racked, and wrenched, to the last extreme of mental torture. And there is no eye to pity, nor arm to save. The public will not hear him. He is nobody, an outcast, a mad-man. "This, my friends, is the penalty which good men, out of good motives, unconsciously, yet really, are proposing to the eyes of every candidate for the ministry, this intense spiritual martyrdom. During seven years it stares him in the face, during the whole forming time of his opinions. And for what? "For daring to say, 'I do not receive your creed as containing the system of doctrines contained in the Bible;' and for daring to say what God has said, 'With that Bible alone I am perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.' For repeating and holding on upon this declaration of God, he falls a spiritual martyr. And is not that an apostasy, then, that martyrs him? And is not the Protestant church apostate? Oh! remember, the final form of the apostasy shall rise, not by Rome's aggressive march; not by the pope's long arm, outstretched to snatch our Bible; not by crosses, processions, baubles. We understand all that. Apostasy never comes on the outside. It develops. It is an apostasy that shall spring into life within us; an apostasy that shall martyr a man who believes his Bible ever so holily. . . . That is the apostasy we have to fear, and is it not already formed? "Accept the Bible and the book, and you may put your own private construction on both, as every one does. Accept the Bible, and put your own private construction on that—the great paw of the beast is on you. This is what I call taking the Bible out of the hands of the ministry. "There is nothing imaginary in the statement that the creed power is now beginning to prohibit the Bible as really as Rome did, though in a subtler way. During the whole course of seven years' study, the Protestant candidate for the ministry sees before him an authorized statement, spiked down and stereotyped, of what he must find in the Bible, or be martyred. And does any one, acquainted with human nature, need be told that he studies under a tremendous pressure of motive? Is that freedom of opinion?—the liberty wherewith Christ maketh free? Rome would have given that. Every one of her clergy might have studied the Bible to find there the pontifical creed on pain of death. Was that liberty?" Those who have embraced the unpopular, yet Bible doctrines of the Sabbath and near coming of the Lord, and have held fast their integrity in the midst of the rage and anathemas of a modern orthodox creed power are prepared to appreciate what we say when we tell them this is a manifestation of the fourth apostate step of modern Protestantism. The fifth step taken by Rome was to reach forth the arm and secure the civil power. Already is the church striving for laws to enforce an almost universal tenet, Sunday-keeping, which is purely traditional, and contrary to the commandment of God relative to the Sabbath. Several years since, Dr. Durbin, of the Christian Advocate and Journal, gave his views on this subject as follows: "I infer therefore that the civil magistrate may not be called upon to enforce the observance of the Sabbath (Sunday) as required in the spiritual kingdom of Christ; but, when Christianity becomes the moral and spiritual life of the State, the State is bound through her magistrates to prevent the open violation of the holy Sabbath, as a measure of self-preservation. She cannot without injuring her own vitality, and incurring the divine displeasure, be recreant to her duty in this matter." Here is another statement which appeared in the N. Y. Evangelist in 1854 relative to this matter: "The principle that Christianity is recognized by the State as something which essentially belongs to it, gives us, we think, the true and simple basis upon which the laws relating to the observance of the Sabbath are to be enforced. The law throws its protection round the sacredness and quiet of the first day of the week, not because it recognizes it as a sacred day in itself considered, but for other reasons." From this it seems that they are trying to shape the matter so that laws may be passed enforcing Sunday without violating the constitution, which declares that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." During the last three years special efforts have been made in some parts, especially in the State of New York, to get more stringent Sunday laws. Last spring the Tribune took a stand somewhat against this Sunday legislation, whereupon some of the opposite party thought to make it a party issue. Accordingly a question was asked to the Tribune, which called out the following answer: "We answer categorically that the Lincoln party, as such, has no opinions whatever on the Sunday question." This was taken up by the Albany Atlas and Argus of Oct. 6, which retorted against them: "Lincoln don't care if the Sabbath is violated or not." Here was an attempt to make a party issue of it, but it has not yet become such. Neither do we claim that these stringent Sunday laws will be immediately passed, but we wish to show that Protestants are desirous of taking the fifth step taken by Papacy before her persecutions of God's people. And as we shall now pass to show, the legislative powers say they shall and must take the step. Before me lies the N. Y. Observer, of Aug. 23, 1860, which gives an account of a large and enthusiastic meeting which was held at Saratoga Springs, Aug. 12, the object of which was to consider the subject of taking effective measures to secure laws for the observance of Sunday. The Hon. Millard Fillmore, Ex-president of the United States, presided over the meeting: "On his right sat Gov. Buckingham, of Connecticut, and Hon. J. W. Beekman, of New York, and on his left Gov. Morgan, of New York, and the Hon. Wm. C. Alexander, of New Jersey, representatives (with the honored chairman of the meeting) of the three great political parties which, in the apprehended shock of their collision, now threaten to rend the land asunder. Would that this spectacle of Christian co-operation could be witnessed on a still grander scale! But even on this limited field of observation it was a stirring sight to behold the champions of opposing interests of State relinquishing their weapons at the foot of the cross." Here we see is a point, and probably the only point on which they all could unite. Of this large concourse of people he says: "Probably no two men thought exactly alike on any other subject. Doubtless all did not agree as to the grounds on which public action should be taken, or as to the extent to which that action should be pushed. But I have no question, from the tone of the meeting and from casual remarks I overheard, that if it had been put to the vote it would have been resolved by acclamation that our American Christian Sabbath—the precious birthright of our national independence—must and shall be preserved. "Mr. Cook proceeded to state what had been already done by the Sabbath Committee, and what they still proposed to do. Their success in silencing the Sunday newsboys, and closing the Sunday groggories should stimulate all the friends of good order to more vigorous, more systematic, and more persistent effort in the same direction. He paid a high and deserved compliment to the New York Press for their handsome and efficient co-operation in the good cause. He stated very pointedly and distinctly the question on which this holy war is waged. It was not whether we should have a Sabbath or not; that was settled by unanimous consent. The question is, Shall we have our own Christian, American Sabbath—the Sabbath of our childhood and of our fathers, the Sabbath of rest and holy quiet—or an imported European Sabbath? The speaker then ably contrasted the two conflicting methods of Sabbath observance, and argued vigorously against the lawless pretensions of a part of our German population. His statements were succinctly and effectively presented, and were heard with marked attention." Ex-president Fillmore said that he "had aimed to secure the benefits of the day of rest through a long career of more than ordinary physical and mental exertion, and giving his full assent to the claims of all who desired to make it a day of worship, and to vindicate the prerogative of the civil authority. While he deemed it needful to legislate cautiously in all matters connected with public morals, and to avoid coercive measures affecting religion, the right of every citizen to a day of rest and worship could not be questioned, and laws securing that right should be enforced. He was happy to perceive that the gentlemen of the Sabbath Committee had avoided the mistakes connected with many attempts at moral reform, and their object had his entire approbation." We look on these testimonies as a call for an image. May we all so obey the third angel's message, so keep God's commandments that we shall be prepared to stand when the trying time of the image-beast's decrees shall come.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
Battle Creek, Jan., 1861. SWORDS INTO PLOUGHSHARES.
We find the following paragraph in the Scientific American: "We have not yet reached those 'last days' spoken of by the good old prophet Isaiah, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountain, when he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' For fifteen years past we have had extensive correspondence with mechanics and manufacturers throughout all the States, and we have yet to learn that the predictions of the inspired prophet have even an incipient realization on this or any other continent. We know not of an instance where a single rusty old sword has been beaten into a plowshare, but we have heard it announced than even the weather-beaten muskets of our distinguished fellow-citizen, George Law, have at last found a ready sale. Amidst the general dullness of trade and finance, the forges of Mars are blazing away with unwonted fury, and even 'strange fire' is issuing forth from their smoky embers. Dragons' teeth have suddenly sprung up as armed men, and we can almost hear 'the shout, the shock, the groan of war.'" It is not strange that the attention of people should be arrested by the present state of things, as contrasted with what all popular theological guide-boards tell us we shall soon reach in the journey of time. Those who are really expecting a universal reign of peace on earth in its present state, and a temporal millennium, certainly furnish striking examples of such as walk by faith and not by sight. But the writer of the above fails in not discriminating between what "the good old prophet Isaiah" says on the authority of inspiration, and what he says other people will say. Isaiah does not tell us that in the last days people shall beat their swords into ploughshares and learn war no more. But he does say that "many people shall go and say" such and such flattering things, and this among the rest. And is not this just what people are now saying? Is not here brought to view the very doctrine of a temporal millennium, and the very cry of peace and safety which is especially to characterize the last days? We would therefore suggest to the Scientific, that though we have not reached a time when men are beating swords into ploughshares, we have reached a time when people are saying that this is going to be the case, and this saying was to take place in the "last days," and was to be a peculiar mark of those days. But so far is this from being true, that the Lord rebukes them for entertaining such a delusive dream of carnal security. Isa. ii, 6: "Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines." He rebukes them for heaping to themselves such abundance of gold, silver, horses, and idols, and finally tells them to enter into the rock, and hide them in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. So far then from the present perplexity of the nations and rumors of wars, being a sign that we have not yet reached the last days, they are just the reverse. And still the religious teachers of the day, persist in reiterating their cry of peace and safety right in the face of daily-transpiring events, which demolish their sophisms at every step, and beat the brains out of their most plausible theories. The prophetic enunciation for this day may be found in Joel iii, 9-12: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about." ThE Saviour spent a life of labor and toil here upon earth that we might be saved from death, and it is evident that those who finally share in his glory will participate in his sufferings by arming themselves with his mind. Jesus knew there would be danger of his followers loving the world. He had trod the pathway before them. He had experienced the temptations of Satan and knew the plans he would lay to entrap them. He knew one of his surest snares would be to place before them the riches and honors of the world, and therefore he left instructions and admonitions lest they be led astray. He even said to them, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." "And whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciple." He bid them lay up for themselves a treasure in heaven, bags which wax not old. A treasure which moths could not touch nor rust corrupt; a treasure in heaven—made up of smiles and tears, composed of kindly acts to our fellow-men. Not one or two merely, but a perpetual succession of deeds of mercy to those around us. The Christian's path leads not to selfish ends. He is a new creature. Old things are passed away and all things are become new. He is no longer his own, but having been bought with the precious blood of Christ, he devotes his time and talents, yea, all, even his life, to his service. 'Tis not a life of drudgery and task, but his chiefest pleasure is to do the will of him who has died to procure salvation and eternal rest in the kingdom of God. Here is his toil, there his rest. Life is a journey, heaven an eternal home. Here are storms and tempestuous winds, there no wintry winds break the calm repose. Here is trouble and care, there quietness and assurance forever. Here, as the Christian traveler presses on his way, he longs to have others share in the blessedness of his hope. With a heart warm with heavenly love, he throws his arms around them and draws them within the fold. He forgets his own toil with the hope that another may be saved from eternal death. By faith he lifts his head and presses on toward the harbor of peace. He does not stop for the lions he is told are in the way. He knows not a sparrow falls to the ground without his Father's eye. Not one promise in all the word of God will ever fail, and the reward will come. The crown will be given. The same page after PART 1 (column/continuation, NOT a page break) song of redemption will be sung. The city with its twelve foundations, golden streets and pearly gates will appear to the righteous nation that keepeth the truth. Their feet will stand upon Mt. Zion with the Lamb. Tears will be forever wiped away, and joy unspeakable will be the portion of God's children forever more. "If thou canst do thy God-given duties well;
If thou canst bear the trial of the fire;
Thou shalt have rest—thou shalt have leave to dwell,
Where ransomed ones shall strike the golden lyre. "Let us be up and doing—make the vow,
More glorious than the ne'er returning past;
Entwine around the present's changeful brow,
A fragrant garland of good deeds, to cast
Its aroma abroad while endless ages last."
M. D. A. A DELUSION CONFESSED.
By Thomas M. Steward
To all the dear saints scattered abroad: As the question has often been asked by my correspondents, "What is the nature of the work at Mauston?" I would now like to give you my views in regard to it. Further, I feel it my duty to do so; I feel I am fully prepared to do it; and my prayer is that the Lord will save us from all the delusions of Satan in these last days. You are well aware that the work had just begun78when Bro. White was here, and of course I was not decided. I begged of them to let me alone until we had investigated the subject to our satisfaction. I had reasons for doubting, but I wanted to give it a thorough testing. The reason I advocated it, was not because I was established in it, but because I could not see any thing trampled under foot regardless of feelings. So I watched it with intense anxiety. At times I detected faults, but then I was answered with, "It shall all be made plain by and by," which made me look for plainer demonstrations. At times I would express doubts, and then the answer would come, "Doubt not." So I would have to give it up for the time. Then I would try to reason with, and advise them to let judgment decide. But then it would be shown that I was in a dreadful trial or under a temptation. So I finally thought that I would let it develop itself, and I encouraged them to trust in the Lord, and submit to be anything, or to see anything. I can now see where I was partially blinded to the visions, for they did not relate them all. The visions of the future were so in accordance with our views of the progress of the third angel's message, that I was really in hope it would prove a blessing to us and to all God's saints. I want you should understand that the visions have placed the third angel's message in the front all the way through; and they gave us some very good instruction in perfect accordance with the Bible. Finally I began to think it was coming out right. But I was waiting for full satisfaction. So I prayed that the Lord would develop it to my satisfaction. I had not preached it, and did not intend to until I had evidence to defend it. So in all my preaching I confined myself to the Word. We had as we supposed many of the gifts. But I was not satisfied with the development of these gifts. But on the night of Jan. 2, while at Portage, it did begin to develop a new feature, and all that were together and under its influence completely lost control of themselves (or gave up to be controlled by the unseen power), and the scenes that followed I cannot describe. I was away at Cascade holding meetings, having left the day before. These scenes commenced at Bro. Billings, where there were present my wife, Sr. Kelley, and Bro. and Sr. Billings. These scenes continued until the evening after the Sabbath, when they became convinced that it was a delusion. And now we are unanimous in pronouncing it the work of the enemy. We fully and freely denounce it. I love the truths of the third angel's message as ever, and I intend to advocate it to the world. Brethren, beware of the strong delusions of these last days! This sketch will give you our views in regard to the nature of it. Kingston, Wis., Jan. 10th, 1861. BELIEVE IN ME.
By F. M. Bragg
JESUS' words are, "Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Precious promises to the heart weary with earth's toil and strife. Sweet indeed to rest in such promises, so sure and soon to be verified. The place will soon be prepared for the saints. They will be fitted to enter there. Soon, very soon, the last saint will have been sealed, Jesus have finished his pleading, and come to be admired in all them that believe. Blessed hope! Are we daily preparing to meet with rapturous delight our descending Redeemer? Is he our chief joy? Do we the most of all fear to offend, and strive to be like him? If we have not the Spirit of Christ we are none of his. It is a tender Spirit. It is easily grieved away. One wrong feeling or act may crowd it out of the heart. It dwells with truth and purity. It does not abide with sin and error. O cherish and follow the pure Spirit, and in the end be spotless and pure. The glorious hope of soon seeing Him whom our souls love leads us to purify ourselves even as he is pure. While this hope buoys our spirits up, it urges to diligence in the work assigned us. O to strive lawfully, to obtain! The crown is to those that endure to the end. Soon the last conflict with the enemy, the world and self will be over. Victory, sweet victory is ours! Then weary not in well-doing; we shall reap if we faint not. When a fire company wish to extinguish the fire which is consuming some lofty edifice, and it becomes necessary to reach a great height, they concentrate all their efforts, and thus often achieve a victory over the consuming element. Suppose they should work one at a time, or two or three at a time, how readily would all predict a failure. Now shall not we be as wise in spiritual things? Shall we meet and waste our energies in fruitless efforts to pray in concert? When one leads in prayer, shall he feel that he is praying alone? Shall not we all unite in each petition? As a company of tempest-tossed wayfarers, would with one voice beseech heaven for deliverance from the ocean waves, when they rise in angry commotions, so should those who seek for deliverance from the last great effort of the arch-enemy (who longs to swallow up all with himself in one wide, yawning grave), unite in one, all hearts, and all petitions.
J. C. Bro. A. Town writes from Reedsburgh, Wis.: "I would say to the brethren and sisters scattered abroad that there are a few here in Reedsburgh who are striving for the kingdom. It is seldom that we have any preaching; but we meet on the Sabbath to pray with and for each other, and to comfort one another with the blessed hope of the Christian." "Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another."
THE reasons why I resign the commission given me by our Lord Jesus Christ, as published in the Review Vol. xvii, No. 5, are several. I will refer to a few of them. First, a discovery of a lack or deficiency on my part, of those qualifications indispensable necessary in order to execute the labor devolving upon the preacher of the gospel, while administering to the spiritual wants of the flock of God, to divine acceptance; viz., with all long suffering, with perfect patience, with moderation and carefulness, with weakness and wisdom, &c., all, yes, all in love. Admirable and lively graces indeed are such, speaking loudly, and preaching effectively to all who see them manifested in the labors of the servant of God. I shall assign as a reason why these heavenly graces and Christian characteristics have not more fully appeared in my public labors, neglected duty, first, by my guardians in youth, and more especially by myself within a few years past. A large share of self-will, self-sufficiency, and independence of spirit from childhood, growing with my growth and strengthening with my strength, stood directly in my way, hindering me from submitting readily to the kind admonitions of a faithful God, ever ready and willing to rise up against rebukes, and to resist reproofs when given. Doubtless had I sought the Lord with all my heart for strength to overcome these carnal developments, grace would have been given, and evils stayed, and great good to myself and others would have been the result of ready submission to God in his kind admonitions. Though I had made confessions of wrongs, and supposed when I left for the West in 1857, I had done all my duty to the church in the acknowledgement I had made of past error, yet of late I have found painful evidences that the efforts made to correct wrongs, and wrong influences, were not sufficiently thorough to satisfy the displeasure of God, nor the demands of the reproofs, nor to bring to my own soul that joy and confidence in, and peace with, God, that flows from Christ to him who lives in close communion with the Saviour. The evidence is before me that thorough work has not been made in wiping out the stains, that error in judgment, spirit, and hastiness in moves, &c., have left on the garments of that church that should be without spot or wrinkle. In consequence of neglected duty I have been left to labor in the dark, without the clear sunshine of God's counsel. Unaided by the Spirit, moving forward in the Lord's work not enjoying his approbation fully, leaves one exposed to the darts of Satan, liable to wound the cause of Christ, the hearts of God's people, and his own soul. This I have experienced to my present sorrow, but I trust future profit. I wish to say right here while I feel somewhat the spirit of it, that my unfaithfulness and disobedience to the heavenly visions given to chasten and correct me, have especially perplexed and grieved Bro. and sister White, whom the Lord has doubtless called to bear a very straight testimony in the church, and lay the axe at the root of the tree. I realize that not only myself, but the church, has sustained a loss, and perhaps a great loss, through my neglect of duty to God, and my own failing to give close attention and early heed to the timely admonitions from heaven, given to purge the leaven of the old man not slain by the law of God. I acknowledge the justness of the Lord's ways towards me, and of the reproofs given from time to time through vision, and their fitness to my temperament, condition, and frame of mind. My naturally hurried spirit and impetuous nature have seemed to forbid my stopping to look these faithful warnings in the face, and to consider their just claims upon me. But at this late hour, disease (catarrh) in my head, and bronchial affection, together with much impaired mental faculties conspiring together, have forced me from my public labors. And as I review the past, I see to some extent how far short of the glory and honor of God I have come in my ministration to the church. I weep, and in bitterness of soul, and would in luxury weep till the last heart's drop fills my eyes, if such repentance alone could heal up the wounds my wrongs have made. But tears alone will no more accomplish this work of healing than Joshua's weeping on his face to the earth, would purge Israel from Achan's sins. Confessions must be made to glorify God. I am astonished at my heedlessness, and careless manner of treating the divine revelations made for my personal benefit. I am astonished at the long-suffering of God, his patience and mercy toward such an unworthy and sinful worm of the dust. O, the infinite goodness, mercy and condescension of God in noticing a worm, even to correct his faults. I am grateful for the patience and forbearance of my brethren toward me in my lukewarmness, with my unyielding spirit, set ways, lack of courteousness and kindness, in short, a lack of almost everything good, lovely, and Christ-like. I trust the goodness of God is leading me to see and do my whole duty to my fellow-men. More in the future if the Lord will. Pray for me, ye who can, in faith, that I may have strength and wisdom from God to route and drive the spirit of darkness far away, and be clothed in a right mind and spirit at Jesus' feet. Your brother in affliction. Remarks on Spiritual Delusions
By James White
REMARKS.—It is no small thing to fall under the strong delusions of Satan, especially when persons have exercises controlling body and mind, which they regard as the power of the Holy Spirit. Such lose their balance. They lose their judgment in spiritual things, which they seldom ever recover. For the past fifteen years we have watched the course of such, and in no instance have we seen them pursue an even course so as to exert a good influence, unless they have chosen a humble place in the church, relying more upon the judgment of those who have had a good experience than upon their own. God does not leave his people to the deceptive power of Satan for nothing. There is a cause. That cause should be sought for with the deepest feelings of humiliation, lest a second delusion follow worse than the first. Satan's great object in this delusion in Northern Wisconsin has doubtless been to bring the subject of the perpetuity of spiritual gifts into disgrace and doubt. One extreme is usually followed by another. And we shall be greatly disappointed if we do not find those who have been under the spirit of error and fanaticism, giving up the subject of spiritual gifts altogether, which error would be more fatal than the first. J. W. J. C. PRESTON
By J. C. Preston
Bro. Smith: I feel that I want to add my feeble testimony with those that are trying to keep the commandments of God in thankfulness to the Lord for his great goodness to us in these last days for showing us his truth, and disposing our hearts to obey the same. While passing through deep affliction, and trials keen and severe, I have often realized that the Lord was near to comfort and soothe my aching heart. I want above everything else to be ready for Jesus' coming. I love to hear about, and contemplate that peaceful, heavenly home our dear Saviour is fitting up for those that love him. I feel solemn in view of the future. I know the pure in heart alone are to be inhabitants of that holy place. But I am sure nothing could induce me to part with the hope I cherish if faithful a little longer of seeing that blessed abode. I hail the weekly visits of the Review with great delight. It seems cheering to hear from those that are traveling the same road. I think a great deal, too, of our little Instructor. I feel that my path is strewed with many blessings, and by the assisting grace of God I will try to improve upon them as I shall wish I had in the coming day. Your sister trying to overcome. Gratitude for the Present Truth
By Jacob L. Adams
BRO. SMITH: For some time I have had a desire to express our gratitude to God through the Review to our brethren, for the good news of the third angel's message. We feel thankful that the Lord ever sent one of his messengers this way with the truth, and that we had the privilege of hearing and obeying, though it drew a dividing line between us and our relatives, as we had held our names with theirs in the Methodist church for a number of years. But we feel thankful that we have the promise that God's grace is sufficient for us in all our trials if we put our trust in him. The truth appears plainer and plainer as we strive to obey it. We are striving to overcome the evils of our nature, and conquer the law of sin that dwells within us. I feel now that it requires a closer walk with God than ever before. Sometimes I feel that I cannot live up to the present light; but my prayer is, Lord help us to make a full sacrifice of ourselves and all that we have, that we may have a home on the new earth. It is a comfort to us, especially to my companion, who cannot often attend meeting, to hear from the brethren and sisters through the Review. Brethren, let us strive to obey God, by keeping his commandments and the faith of Jesus. Yours hoping to overcome, and with my brethren obtain eternal life,
JACOB L. ADAMS.
Richmond, Iowa.