Earlier text: The Little Season of Rev. 6:11Sound Words.
By A. L. Morris
The best things when abused become the worst; there is no devil like a fallen angel; no enemy to gospel like an apostate Christian; no hate like the “theological hate;” no war like a religious war; and no corruption like religious corruption. The reasons are not far to seek. The best things are the strongest things: they can do, most always, most evil when used in an evil way. Bad men know this. Simon the magician was not the only one that has cast a covetous look at Christianity, and said, “Give me also this power.” Further, the best things when abused have a natural tendency to exceed in evil. When men who have reached a certain point of evil go rapidly to a great excess of iniquity, outraging propriety, and thus startle superficial observers of their race, one reason is the memory and sense of lost good. There is a distressing self-consciousness, a painful presence of righteousness, which haunts the wrong-doer, and no ordinary sinfulness will suffice in such a case. The thing is to drown moral feeling, to keep the man from himself, and to endeavor by force to suppress reproving recollections and rebuking convictions; and an extravagance of sin is needful for this. Much surprising vice is really the tribute which unruly passions pay to moral excellence. And so it is with the abuse of religion. When perverted to evil its very purity tempts, or forces, to kinds and modes of mischief peculiar to itself. Only a bold and unblushing heart can manage to defend itself from its rebukes. It is the swearer, half ashamed of himself, lifting his voice higher, and pouring out more terrific oaths; it is the drunkard, seeking, in beastly intoxication, refuge from remorse; it is the once gentle possessor of purity, attempting a vain relief from anguish by awful violations of all that was once loved and cherished. Good, when abused, greatly hardens and benumbs moral feeling. The very practice of checking its natural impulses and stifling its voice makes men bad at a faster rate than the mere doing of wrong. For it is not the commission of evil that corrupts and indurates the soul as much as the repressing of good.—A. L. Morris. “At Midnight.”
By The Christian
A SHORT time since, I was spending the night with the family of a friend, in the absence of the husband and father. On waking near midnight, all was darkness and silence. The household were wrapped in quiet slumber. Suddenly there was a noise in the street, a rap at the door, and the father’s voice was heard calling a member of the family by name. What a change came over the sleeping household! The quiet of the midnight slumbers gave place to the confused murmur of voices, hurrying steps, and hasty preparations to welcome the cold and weary traveler. But there was another circumstance which added greatly to the surprise and pleasure of the midnight arrival. The father brought with him a son and his family, who were now returning for the first time after an absence of several years. As I listened to the happy voice of parents, children, and grandchildren, gathered once more around the parental fireside, I thought of another coming of “the Master of the house,” perhaps “at midnight.” How much like a sleeping household will the mass of mankind be at that time! While a few will be awake, watching, listening for the faintest sound that betokens His approach, the multitude will be asleep. Some, perhaps, once had joyous anticipations of that event, but they have listened to the delusive words, “My Lord delayeth his coming;” and now they sleep on with the world, alike forgetful of the past, and regardless of the future. Alas, with what terrible suddenness, must the waking come! The care and rush of business, the whirl of pleasure, the pomp of worldly honor, the listless dreams of indolence, the devious ways of vice and crime, will alike prove powerless to hinder the hearing of that voice which shall rise above the crash and roar of dissolving elements; which shall reach with loving energy the darkest recesses of hades; which shall startle into life the sleepers on mossy beds far down among coral rocks and ocean caverns, and shall summon to their final doom the mightiest of the living and the dead. But while the suddenness of the coming will be fearful to the many, it will be transcendently joyous to the few who are watching. The Beloved, so long absent, comes at last! The Presence, so often yearned for, is now beheld in all his glorious majesty and beauty. The hand whose unseen leading has been so long experienced, is now grasped with the fervor of immortal love. The eyes which have watched our welfare with sleepless vigilance, are now gazing into ours with unutterable compassion and affection—a compassion and affection whose best exponents are Gethsemane and Calvary. And this beloved Friend will not come alone. However much the soul may be filled with his divine love, there are earthly loves, pure, tender, abiding. Some, thus loved, have been taken from us, leaving our hearts rent with anguish, and our lives desolate; but we have God’s own word that “they shall come again from the land of the enemy.” We sorrow not as those without hope, “for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” Yes; as the waiting ones are caught up to meet their Lord with all the host of his angelic attendants, they will also meet the loved and lost of earth. Loving eyes shall on me shine,
Hands shall stretch to meet me,
Loving arms shall round me twine,
Loving voices greet me. But how different from the decaying bodies we laid away, upon which disease had done its work, are these radiant beings, vigorous with immortal life, beauteous with resurrection fashioning like unto Christ’s glorious body—the same, but glorified. The same eyes that looked their last on us so lovingly, and then grew dim and sightless, shall then shine upon us with a new and fadeless luster. The hands which supported us in helplessness, which ministered to our wants or soothed our aching brows, and which at last we folded dead across the still breast, shall then be stretched to meet us with the grasp of an unchanging friendship, an undying love. The arms which twined about us in the purity of earthly affection, then loosed their hold and grew rigid in death, shall embrace us yet again. The voices so dear to us, which grew fainter and yet fainter until they were hushed forever on earth, shall greet us then, strong and melodious as those of angels, and shall join with ours in swelling the anthems of the redeemed. And this state of bliss unspeakable shall know no end. “So shall we ever be with the Lord.” Reader, will you be there? Will you share the blessedness of those servants whom their Lord when he cometh shall find watching?—The Christian. “Almost up—almost up!” was the cry of the wounded sergeant, as they laid him down on the battle-field, and watched tenderly his dying struggles. “Where did they hit you, sergeant?” “No! sergeant, but where did the ball strike you?” “Almost up,” was the reply. “But, sergeant, you do not understand—where are you wounded?” Turning back the cloak which had been thrown over the wound, he showed the upper arm and shoulder, mashed and mangled with a shell. Looking at his wound, he said: “That is what did it. I was hugging the standard to my blouse, and making for the top. I was almost up, when that ugly shell knocked me over. If they had let me alone a little longer—two minutes longer—I should have planted the colors on the top—almost up, almost up!” The fight and the flag held all his thoughts. And while his ear was growing heavy in death, with a flushed face and look of ineffable regret, he was repeating: “Almost up, almost up!” “Almost up.” Christian, what is your ambition? Does the battle and the flag fill all your thoughts? Oh! when Jesus leads his army forward, and his promises are yours, and victory is sure, are you, can you be forgetful of the conflict, and too much occupied in making money and enjoying the pleasures of the world to take up your cross and follow Jesus in saving souls and redeeming a lost world? “Almost up!” Let this be your cry in life, and your joyful shout in death; and then from the battlements of Heaven you shall swell the anthem of victory as the last stronghold of Satan is captured, and earth echoes back the angels’ song: “Glory to God in the highest; on earth peace, good-will to men.” The future is always fairy-land to the young. Life is like a beautiful and winding lane; on either side, bright flowers and beautiful butterflies and tempting fruits, which we scarcely pause to admire and to taste, so eager are we to hasten to an opening which we imagine will be more beautiful still. But, by degrees, as we advance, the trees grow bleak, the flowers and butterflies fail, the fruits disappear, and we find we have arrived at a desert waste, in the center a stagnant and Lethean lake, over which wheel and shriek the dark-winged birds, the embodied memories of the past The Warning of the End.
By Uriah Smith
It was shown last week, from reasons which we think all must consider sound, that we may apply ourselves to the study of the book of Revelation with the utmost confidence that earnestness, sincerity, and prayer, will enable us to understand it. The book is composed, as even a hasty glance at its contents will show, of many separate and distinct lines of prophecy. These are not consecutive, one line being completely fulfilled before another commences; but they are synchronous, the events predicted in one prophetic chain occurring, in many cases, at the same time with those contained in another. Thus the seven churches reveal the internal history of the church during the gospel dispensation; the seven seals, the history of the church, as connected with outside agents, during the same time; the seven trumpets, the great political events occurring during the same period; and so with the other lines of the prophecy. Having been taken down through one series of events, we are carried back to the commencement of another. Each line of prophecy reaches to the eternal state, and there ends. When we are carried through to the completion of one series of events, another is introduced, and we are taken down through that to the end, in like manner. According to these principles, we find a new line of prophecy introduced in the sixth verse of Rev. 14. We call attention to this one, because it is as important as any that can be found in the Revelation. With a few brief steps we are brought down to the great event of all events—the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Three angels are seen by John flying through the midst of heaven with important and solemn announcements to the children of men; and immediately, following their three-fold message, one like the Son of man is seen, throned upon a great white cloud, and coming with a sharp sickle in his hand to reap the harvest of the earth. This can represent nothing else but the second advent of Christ, so frequently and plainly predicted in other portions of the Holy Scriptures. These messages, then, are preparatory to that event, and are warnings of it. They show that the coming of Christ is not to occur unheralded. Whenever they are given, they not only make known to the world the coming of the great day of Christ's appearing, but they are themselves one of the strongest signs of its near approach. Verses 6 and 7 read: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come, and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” This is a message from God to men. It concerns every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, on the face of the earth. We want to understand it. “Blessed are they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.” When the time comes for this prophecy to be fulfilled, men are to fear God, and give glory to him, for the reason that the hour of his Judgment is come. If they fail to do this, they disobey, or at least fail to come up to, this prophetic requirement. But how can they obey this message, unless they can know when it is fulfilled? Yet some would have us feel that we must not try to understand this matter, because the language is figurative. That the language is figurative, or that a symbol is made use of in this message, we acknowledge; but shall we take fright at a figure of speech? Shall we refuse to listen, whenever the language is symbolic? No one is alarmed at figurative language in any other kind of writing. The fourth-of-July orator will spread the “wings” of the “American eagle” from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and fill the sails of the “ship of State” with the “prosperous gales of peace,” and send her bounding away over the “billows of national glory;” but no one denounces the speaker or his theme, because he uses a figure. We only ask that the Bible shall have as fair a chance as any other book. Archbishop Cranmer, when examiner in the university at Cambridge, gave the true rule of Biblical interpretation. D'Aubigne thus writes of him: “He used to say to the candidates for the ministry: ‘Christ sendeth his hearers to the Scriptures, and not to the church.’ ‘But,’ replied the monks, ‘they are so difficult.’—‘Explain the obscure passages by those which are clear,’ rejoined the professor, ‘Scripture by Scripture. Seek, pray, and he who has the key of David will open them to you.’” On this true Protestant principle of interpretation, the great Reformation was based. And the same principle is the foundation of all the progress which truth has made from that day to this. Let scripture interpret scripture, and let the literal language of the Bible explain its figures. The prophecy we have quoted says that an angel was seen proclaiming the everlasting gospel. The preaching of the gospel is no figure of speech, but a literal work. The angel is the symbol. But by whom is the gospel literally preached? By angels? No; but by men; for into the hands of men this work was committed by the great Teacher. The angel, then, is a symbol of those who are called among men to preach God's word; and the prophecy is simply an announcement of this fact: that at some time a class of religious teachers would be raised up to make the proclamation here recorded. Have they ever appeared? Elder Preble on the Twelfth Chapter of Sabbath History.
By John Nevins Andrews
THE History of the Sabbath covers the period of 6000 years. It is divided into two parts. Part first, embracing chapters 1–11, is the Biblical history of the Sabbath, and covers more than 4100 years. This part of the History of the Sabbath, Elder Preble does not formally attack. Part second, embracing chapters 12–19, is the secular history of the Sabbath, and includes the period from the close of the New Testament to the present time. This part of the work he professes to impeach. If he really does this with respect to the first edition; the second, now just issued, is not to be esteemed worthy of credit. But an examination of this alleged impeachment will show that it is such in name and pretense only. He has certainly attempted to find false statements in my work, and the peculiar bitterness with which he has written shows that he felt determined to succeed in the undertaking. The reader shall have a chance to see what he has put forth as the most serious faults he could point out in the first edition of the History of the Sabbath. His first charge (First-day Sabbath, pp. 388–390) is that I have quoted from a “huge mass of publications,” what amounts to about sixty-six pages of my work, and that such is the smallness of the space filled by my quotations, compared with the “cart load of books” from which they are taken, that they are “in plain English—garbled.” But if that be good proof of garbling, it would be good proof had I quoted three times as much, as the quotations would not even then be the ten-thousandth part of the entire works quoted. The charge of garbling is sustained when it is shown that any extract makes the author from whom it is taken say what he never intended to say, or that gives a false view of his teaching upon the subject. We shall see whether Eld. P. has been able to find a single instance of this in the History of the Sabbath. Elder P.’s attack commences with the twelfth chapter of the History of the Sabbath. That chapter was written to show that the age immediately succeeding the time of the apostles was, according to prophecy and history, marked by false teachers, and by great apostasy, and therefore utterly unworthy to be referred to as authority for changing the institutions of the Bible. In order to show what kind of a reply Elder P. makes to this, I present an analysis of the chapter, stating each point, with the proofs on which it rests. After this analysis will be given his reply. EARLY APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH.
1. General purity of the apostolic churches, as shown in the book of Acts. 3. An evil thing not rendered good by beginning in the apostolic age. Proved by the rise of Romanism. 4. How to decide between truth and error. Test them by the Scriptures. What is the character of a doctrine at its commencement? 5. Age cannot change the fables of men into the truth of God; because it cannot change wrong into right. Satan’s 6000-year-old lie, a falsehood still. 6. Historical testimony concerning the early development of the great apostasy, from Dowling’s Hist. Romanism, b. 2, c. 2, s. 1. Robinson’s Eccl. Researches, c. 6. The modern Sabbath examined, pp. 123, 124. 7. Such an age no standard by which to correct the Bible; shown by Bower’s statement concerning tradition, Hist. Popes, vol. 1, p. 1, Dowling’s testimony concerning the Protestant rule of faith, Hist. Romanism, b. 2, c. 1, secs. 3, 4, and Dr. Cummings’ remarks concerning the character of those fathers whose writings have come down to modern times, and how far they represent the views of the church of their age; and Dr. Clarke’s testimony concerning the contradictory character of their writings. 8. The writings of the fathers corrupted by the church of Rome. Testimony of Ephraim Pagitt, Christianography, part 2, p. 59, and of Wm. Reeves’ Translation of the apologies of Tertullian, Justin Martyr, and others, vol. 2, p. 375. 9. Unreliable character of even apostolic tradition, illustrated from John 21:20–23. 10. The two rules of faith which divide Christendom; first, the rule of the man of God, the Bible alone, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; second, the rule of the Romanists, the Bible and tradition. Note of Douay Bible on same text. 11. The first-day Sabbath can only be maintained by adopting the second of these rules. Statement of W. B. Taylor. Obligation of Sabbath, pp. 254, 255, and the pointed rebuke of Protestants for their use of Romish traditions, by a Roman Catholic, in a Treatise of thirty controversies. The following is Eld. Preble’s entire reply to this chapter:— “The first ten pages of ‘Secular History—Part II,’ are devoted to the early apostasy of the Church; and his reasoning appears to have about as much bearing on the Sabbath question as it would to argue that all money should be cast away as worthless, because there is some counterfeit.” First-Day Sabbath, pages 391, 392. This is simply no answer at all. If we throw away some bills as worthless, and hold fast to others as valuable, it is because the detector shows a radical distinction between them. Now if the great detector, the Bible, shows that the first ages after the apostles was to be full of apostasy, and of false teachers, and if history records these things as having actually occurred, there is just one safe course for us to take with the writings of that age, which is, that we subject them to the test of the Bible. If they agree with that, well and good; if they contradict that book, they are of no account. It is because our first-day friends virtually amend the Bible by the early fathers, and actually adopt on this question the rule of the Romanists that chapter twelve was written. Its subject matter is in the highest degree important, and the reply of Elder Preble is as good as anything that can be fairly said on the other side. By My Spirit, Saith the Lord.
By Stephen N. Haskell
“It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” These words were spoken to the Jews when they were under very discouraging circumstances. They had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, with high hopes and bright prospects, to build the temple. But difficulties had arisen, so they ceased from building. But the prophets Zechariah and Haggai encouraged them to arise and build. Embarrassed pecuniarily, and by bitter enemies who were constantly at work to hinder them, they said the time had not come to build the temple. And God assured them through the prophet that it was not by might nor by power, but by his Holy Spirit that this would be accomplished; and that Zerubbabel, who had laid the foundation, should finish it. The work of God is not dependent upon man, but the success of God’s work is dependent upon his Holy Spirit. Yet God permits man to be an instrument in his hands to accomplish his designs.13 He calls individuals, and commits to them his sacred truth, that they may become light-bearers to others. He commits to men means of usefulness which are talents. He then bids them work in his vineyard. They are to recommend the truth by a holy life and godly conversation, and by every means of usefulness they possess. In this way we are to gather with Christ, then at his coming he will receive his own with usury, and then in the day of reckoning we can say, Here, Lord, are the talents which thou gavest me, and I have gained others besides those. Thus a man is rewarded with the fruits of his own life, or according to his own work. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” We are not placed alone in the world, without the privilege of mingling in the society of others. But God in his providence has so arranged this matter that there are none but what have an influence. This affects others, and we are responsible for the effect of this influence upon other minds. “None of us liveth to himself.” And the individual that can see no farther than himself, and his own interest, has none of the Spirit of Christ. The providence of God has placed directly in our pathway the poor and unfortunate that we may keep alive in our hearts the spirit of disinterested benevolence. Hence we read that the poor “shall never cease out of the land.” Deut. 15 : 7–11. God also permits us to be surrounded with men of opposite character, that other traits of character in us may be called out; and our duty under all these circumstances is very plain. It is not to be swayed to and fro like “a reed shaken with the wind,” but to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in Heaven. Matt. 5 : 16. There will be thousands in the day of Judgment who will find blood in the skirts of their garments because their own interests absorbed their minds, and took up their attention so that they could not understand the openings of God’s providence. There were opportunities where they could have spoken a word for Christ, and have lightened burdens that were resting heavily upon some desponding heart. They neglected to watch for openings where they might do good, and were thus unprepared to give a tract to those whose minds the Spirit of God had prepared for the reception of it. Their unbelief told them it was of no use to introduce the subject of obtaining subscribers for those periodicals which would bring to them that instruction which their souls were longing for. God is preparing hearts all around us to receive his truth. And his people are not to be as the horse or the mule which hath no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle. It can be truly said that happy is the man that knows the joyful sound, and can tell when good cometh. A circumstance will, perhaps, illustrate this point. A Sabbath-keeping family moved into the northern part of Wisconsin. There was no interest in the neighborhood on the subject of religion. No one had any interest to hear on present truth. It was useless to keep tracts on hand to give out to their neighbors, for there was no one that would read them. They would only meet with a repulse if they should ask a person to subscribe for our religious paper. Thus reasoned sister L. Finally, a Mrs. R. wished to borrow some article and called upon sister L., who readily responded, and accidentally, or providentially, wrapped around the article borrowed, an old REVIEW. There was an article in it upon the Sabbath question. This Mrs. R. read with interest. Her mind had long been wrought up to that subject. Immediately, she repaired to the house of sister L. for some works treating upon that subject. But sister L. had none in her house. Mrs. R. had become interested and was not going to give it up so. She sent to the REVIEW Office, obtained the paper and other reading matter, and, shortly after, when a tent was pitched seven miles from that neighborhood, walked to the meeting and returned after the meeting night after night. It is needless to add that that lady and her family embraced the truth. Mrs. R. was sixty years of age, and respected by all that knew her. Sister L. would have found out this lady long ere she did, and supplied her with reading matter, had she been an active missionary. We recommend to all to become acquainted with their neighbors, not for the purpose of spending time with them in the common chit chat, and gossip of the day, but to be light-bearers to them that sit in darkness, and to exemplify the truths of the Christian religion; that in the day of reckoning, it may be said, “Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” We can be missionaries without going to some distant land among the heathen which have never heard of God. In our own neighborhoods, and perhaps in our own families, there are excellent opportunities to reach hearts and bring them to Christ. God calls upon us to get converted and remove from our hearts a worldly, selfish spirit and let the Saviour in. Soon it will be too late, and the golden opportunities for doing good will have passed away forever. Work while it is called to-day; for soon the night cometh when no man can work. The heart that is steeled over with selfishness knows nothing of the sweetness there is in laboring for Christ. The expression, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” embraces more than to give a few dollars in money. It is to give kind, cheering words, and kind, disinterested acts of benevolence. It is to have the heart drawn out for others, and to be all alive to bring others to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, not for the sake of proselyting people, but that they may enjoy the blessedness there is in serving God, and the sweetness there is in feeding upon the precious truths of his word. The work in which we are engaged, and the system we have adopted, places within the reach of every one the means of doing something in the cause of Christ. But God does not bless the effort because he is dependent upon the instrument, but because the work is his. It is not, therefore, ourselves, but it is God through us. It is not by might or power but by God’s Holy Spirit. Our sufficiency is of God. Oftentimes the reading of a tract or a piece of an old REVIEW, as above alluded to, has been the means of saving souls. And many times an interest has been started from the reading of a single tract, and large churches have been raised up as the result. And there are, to my certain knowledge, companies of twelve or more, in different places, now rejoicing in the truth, who have never seen or heard any preacher of these things, except our periodicals. We expect this spirit of home missionary work will be more and more developed among us. Bro. and sister White left this place for California, the 18th, in good spirits, and a very encouraging state of health, considering their manifold labors while here. Their departure was delayed beyond what was at first anticipated, and the brethren in California have doubtless grown almost impatient at their continued absence from them; but we can say to them that “their loss has been our gain.” Many of us will ever look back upon the recent stay of Bro. and sister W. with us with unfeigned pleasure. It has been a time when the Lord has signally worked. To see darkness and obstacles vanish from our path, as the mist lifts and silently clears away in the rising sunlight, has been an experience of exceeding joy, and will ever be a matter of grateful remembrance. The laborers who have attended the meetings now take hold of their duties in the various departments of the cause with such hope and courage, and buoyancy of spirit, and inspiration for their work, as they have never felt before; for union of heart, the only basis of all permanent prosperity and success, has been attained to a degree never before realized. Bro. and sister W. go with the prayers of this people for their prosperity; and we cherish the happy anticipation that when their duty in California is done, they will return to us with new strength, and increasing courage in the Lord. Fretting and Complaining Despite Outward Piety
THERE'S many a person who would not for anything neglect Scripture reading, praying, church going, or even almsgiving, yet who will fret and whine and growl all the day long, making everybody about them uncomfortable. The Visit of Bro. and Sister White to Battle Creek.
By George I. Butler
As every event which concerns the progress of this work is of interest to the readers of the REVIEW, we deem it proper to refer to the visit of Bro. and sister White to this place recently. Never was their presence here more opportune. And never were there clearer evidences that their coming was in the order of Providence. It has certainly strengthened the hands of the loyal and true, and given a new impetus to the message of truth. It has raised a cloud of discouragement from the hearts of all the sincere friends of the cause in this vicinity. The work was moving forward to some extent before, and souls were seeking the Lord and trying to clear up the way for the truth to go forward. But their words of hope, courage, and faith, came in to quicken the work and give it greater strength. It is not surprising that at such an important post as this there should be perplexities and trials. We could not reasonably expect it would be otherwise. Neither are the readers of the REVIEW ignorant that such trials have existed in the past. But we are thankful to God these have been passing away during the past few weeks, and there has not been, since I have been acquainted with matters here during the last ten years, any time when I have felt that hope and courage at the prospect that I do now; and their visit has largely contributed to this result. Their labors have been arduous. It is astonishing, considering Bro. White’s health, how he has passed through these as well as he has, and been able to leave for California with so much strength. He has given us words of good cheer, words of love and encouragement. That despondency which has been upon his mind at times is giving place to hope that the power of disease will be fully broken, and he will be able to work with all the strength he ever possessed. We expect it. Possibly, some have hoped it would be otherwise. But if there are such, they will be disappointed. When we consider how much there is to be done, we greatly rejoice at this; for his help is needed everywhere. The cause of God is onward. The preaching brethren who have been here laboring are now soon to be out in the field. They go out in courage and hope. As an individual, I never felt greater hope, or greater determination to labor earnestly in the cause of present truth. We have the clear truth for the last days. We want to act as though the prosperity of the whole work rested upon us. Let us lift with all our might. Then our duty will be done. We wish to say to the friends of the cause everywhere, that the discouragements in Battle Creek are passing away. Trials are being cleared up, and courage is coming into many hearts. We do not expect that trials will not come again. No; we expect them till the Lord shall end this night of woe and sin. Nevertheless, we rejoice that old ones are clearing away. We sorrow, many of us, at parting with the servants of the Lord, as they go on their long journey westward. We feel like children whose parents have left them for a time alone. Our prayers go with them, and our hearts also. May God’s rich blessing keep them on the way, and make them a great blessing to the cause in California, and they, in due time, return again to this important post, strong in the blessing of the Lord. Battle Creek, Mich., Dec. 19, 1873.