BRO. SMITH: I feel to praise the Lord for the light that is now shining upon our pathway, and for the evidence we have of the near approach of day. O how solemn and deeply interesting are the moments! With what earnestness and energy should we now plead for eternal life! The decisive moment is at hand. Brethren and sisters, on which side shall we be found? I can say as for me, I will serve the Lord. I expect trials, but from these I would not shrink. I do not ask for an easier way to the kingdom than others have had. No, no, let me share with others their sufferings here and their joys hereafter. I want to be a child of God in every sense of the word. I must be. I expect a struggle if I ever overcome, but I would ever bear in mind Him who in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. Heb. v, 7. View him in the garden of Gethsemane, and there learn a lesson of endurance and holy submission to the will of God. O hear the words that fell from his lips, and ever bear them in mind: "Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." "An angel descends with strengthening balm from glory to soothe the Son of God." And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. If this is not enough to stir the depths of the soul, follow him up into the mountain, and view him there exposed to the midnight air as he continues all night in prayer to God, and then remember that he was without sin. It was for us he prayed. If Jesus manifested so much earnestness for us, shall we not be in earnest for ourselves? We must be. A few, faint, formal petitions will not do the work for us. No, no, we must be in earnest. We have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.
Sr. Hastings' letter in No. 1 of the Review, did encourage my heart to take hold with new energy and zeal upon the promises of God. I know there is strength to be derived from earnest, fervent prayer. My experience for a few weeks past can testify to the fact. At times I have felt such unutterable longings after God as words would fail to express. I can see a beauty, a loveliness in the character of Jesus, and I long to be his without reserve. I must be his, come life or death. But I am sensible that there is yet a great work to be wrought for me, before I can be made a partaker of his holiness. I would not be deceived in regard to my hope. I desire to know the worst of my case now, that I may zealously repent of every wrong while sweet mercy lingers.
LOIS J. RICHMOND.
Ashfield, Mass., July 1858.
Longing for Preaching
By Wm. Merry
From Bro. Merry.
Bro. SMITH: It is gratifying to receive our weekly messenger (Review and Herald) in so short a time after its publication; but O, that we could have some of the Brn. to refresh us with the words of eternal life.
It is now nearly three years since we have heard any preaching from which we could draw the sustenance that we require. How sad it is to be, Sabbath after Sabbath, without any one to cheer us on our pilgrimage, to comfort us with the words of life.
But it is cheering to know that we are remembered by our brethren in their prayers. I see that the Brn. are going with the tent in Iowa. This is cheering. It may be that duty will bring it to southern Minn., sometime hence. If not, we are thankful for the knowledge we already have of the word which is sure and steadfast.
Wm. MERRY.
St. Charles, Minn. July, 1858.
Keeping All God’s Commandments
By Jacob Decker
From Bro. Decker.
Bro. Smith: It is about six months since I have tried to keep all of God's commandments; for I believe them to be sure. It is about four years since I came to the conclusion to take the Bible for my guide. Whatever it says I am willing to obey, and let the doctrines of men fall to the ground. I was formerly built up in the Lutheran faith, but when I came to examine my creed, I found it very different from the word of the Lord. There are but five in this entire neighborhood that are striving to keep all of God's commandments. Our opposers are very strong and numerous. There are some here who tell us we are right, and that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord; but I think they are afraid of becoming unpopular with the world. O let us be careful. Christ says, He that is ashamed of me, of him will I be ashamed also. Bro. Hull has frequently labored with us the past winter and spring. Brn. Brinkerhoof and Saunders have started out into the field. May the Lord bless and give them grace that they may be able to proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus. O that the Lord may send more laborers into the field.
The Review has found the way through to us, and we feel truly thankful to read it. I am glad to hear from the brethren and sisters abroad. It is my earnest desire to be one of the little flock spoken of in Rev. xiv, 12. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Yours truly,
Jacob Decker.
Clark Co., Iowa, July 10th, 1858.
Faithful in the Present Truth
By Rachel Decker
From Sr. Decker.
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I too am trying to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It has been about four months since I embraced the present truth. I feel thankful to my heavenly Father for the light. O let us be faithful in living out these glorious truths. Brethren pray for me that I may live so that the Lord will guide me by his Spirit through all the difficulties to come. I want grace that I may be able to stand fast in the faith and hope. I believe that we shall soon be delivered. Now is the time for us to get strength to stand when the hour of temptation comes.
Yours in hope, RACHEL DECKER.
Clark Co., Iowa.
Extracts from Letters.
By Editor
Bro. E. M. L. Cory writes from Meridian, Mich. July 11th, 1858: "A few names of us (about five, generally) endeavor to meet for prayer and social worship, on God's holy Sabbath, and encourage one another by our exhortations, kindly admonitions, and the expression of our sincere determinations to press forward in the service of our heavenly Father during our probationary state. I pray the Lord to help us to reduce these good resolutions to constant practice, until he shall see fit to remove us from labor to reward."
We extract the following from a letter from Bro. M. B. Czechowski to Bro. M. G. Kellogg of this place. Many of the friends will be glad to hear from him.—Ed.
"The Lord's vineyard I find in a better state than I expected, and I find plenty of work in this extensive field, and should be very glad if I found more time to devote to it. The grace of God has been manifested in my mission thus far. Last Sabbath my former French Baptist deacon and his wife were received as members of the true church of God. We had a very interesting meeting that day at Bro. Whipple's house, at Perry's Mills. The Holy Spirit was manifested in our midst. After attending to the holy ordinances, we left for home; Bro. and Sr. Bricke living at Centerville, a distance of nine miles, and myself and family five miles from Perry's Mills. On our way we had a very hard shower of rain accompanied with thunder; but it did not detain us. We went on our way singing in French, songs of praise to God, thankful that we no more worship the golden calf."
To Correspondents.
By Editor
OLD STYLE AND NEW.
J. Clarke:—In answer to your inquiries concerning the change from Old Style to New, we give the following extract from the Encyclopedia Americana, Art., Calendar. Having given a description of the Julian Calendar, it continues:
"This calendar continued in use among the Romans until the fall of the empire, and throughout Christendom till 1582. The festivals of the Christian church were determined by it. With regard to Easter, however, it was necessary to have reference to the course of the moon. The Jews celebrated Easter (i. e., the Passover,) on the 14th of the month Nisan; (or March;) the Christians in the same month, but always on a Sunday. Now, as the Easter of the Christians sometimes coincided with the Passover of the Jews, and it was thought unchristian to celebrate so important a festival at the same time as the Jews did, it was resolved, at the council of Nice, 325 A. D., that, from that time, Easter should be solemnized on the Sunday following the first full-moon after the vernal equinox, which was then supposed to take place on the 21st of March. As the course of the moon was thus made the foundation for determining the time of Easter, the lunar cycle of Meton was taken for this purpose; according to which the year contains 365¼ days, and the new moons, after a period of 19 years, return on the same day, as before. The inaccuracy of the Julian year, thus combined with the lunar cycle, must have soon discovered itself, on a comparison with the true time of the commencement of the equinox, since the received length of 365¼ days exceeds the true by about 11 minutes; so that, for every such Julian year, the equinox receded 11 minutes, or a day in about 130 years. In consequence of this, in the 16th century, the vernal equinox had changed its place in the calendar from the 21st to the 10th; i. e., it really took place on the 10th instead of the 21st, on which it was placed in the calendar. Aloysius Lilius, a physician of Verona, projected a plan for amending the calendar, which, after his death, was presented by his brother to pope Gregory XIII. To carry it into execution, the pope assembled a number of prelates and learned men. In 1577, the proposed change was adopted by all the Catholic princes; and, in 1582, Gregory issued a brief, abolishing the Julian calendar in all Catholic countries, and introducing in its stead the one now in use, under the name of the Gregorian or reformed calendar, or the new style, as the other was now called the old style. The amendment consisted in this: 10 days were dropped after the 4th of Oct., 1582, and the 15th was reckoned immediately after the 14th."
Thus the change made by Gregory was simply dropping ten days in the reckoning of the month, and calling the 5th the 15th. But your opponent can claim nothing from this against the Sabbath; for this change would not in the least affect the reckoning of the days of the week. Thus, the 4th of Oct., 1582 fell on Thursday. The next day, Friday, instead of being called the fifth, was called the fifteenth; but it held its order in the week just as usual. So we see that the regular succession of weeks, and the regular recurrence of the Sabbath was in no wise interrupted by this change.
D. G. Needham:—Concerning the Apocrypha, we regard portions of it as containing much light and instruction. If we were asked to specify, we should mention 2 Esdras, Wisdom of Solomon, and 1 Maccabees. Concerning the Wisdom of Solomon, Sears' History of the Bible thus speaks: "Although the fathers of the church, and particularly Jerome, uniformly considered this book as apocryphal, yet they recommended the perusal of it, in consideration of the excellence of its style. The third Council of Carthage, held in the year 397, pronounced it to be a canonical book under the name of 'The Fourth Book of Solomon,' and the famous Council of Trent confirmed this decision." Concerning the first book of Maccabees, it also says, "The first book of Maccabees is a very valuable historical monument, written with great accuracy and fidelity, on which even more reliance may be placed than on the writings of Josephus." The question of the inspiration of these books—the reasons that might be adduced in favor of such an opinion, and the objections that might lie against it, we have never made a subject of particular study, and are not therefore prepared to discuss.
D. Hildreth:—The word rendered born, in each of the texts you mention is from the same word, gennao, and should be rendered born, or begotten, as the circumstances of the case demand. We consider 1 Tim. ii, 11, 12, explanatory of 1 Cor. xiv, 34, and neither passage as conflicting with Paul's directions in 1 Cor. xi.
Wm. Gould:—We drew a different conclusion from your former letter. We see nothing wrong in the employment you refer to.
The Cause in the East.
By E. L. Bair
BRO. SMITH: In relation to the eastern tent, I wish to say that I deeply regret that the report of the Conference at Roxbury, Vt., last Spring did not appear in the Review according to our expectation. Inasmuch as it has not been published, and many know not why it is that our tent is not in the field, I would say that as near as I can remember, at that Conference two reasons were given why it was not deemed expedient to move out with it the first of the season.
First, a lack of help to labor with the tent.
Second, the unprepared state of the church to co-operate in the work.
Neither of these causes are yet removed; yet I believe that God has already begun his fearful work here in the East that will prepare the few that are left, to finish the solemn work of this last message of mercy to man. Those wrongs of every kind that have so long grieved the Holy Spirit, and injured the cause of God, and burdened his true-hearted children, are about to be removed forever from the church. May God in mercy give every honest soul to see this matter in its true light, and while the dreadful blow is falling that separates the precious from the vile, may they be sure not to be in the wrong, nor accessory to the same.
Arise ye that are heartily in the truth, and, in unison with the present order and work of God, and heed faithfully the counsel of the faithful and true Witness, and give a testimony that shall ring in the ears of the lukewarm, the self-righteous and the insubordinate ones, and clear your garments from the blood of all men! Characters are rapidly developing here, as God brings every work into judgment with every secret thing. No hiding nor covering up wrongs now! No half-way work any longer! "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy." Prov. xxix, 1. "And it shall come to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts shall be cut off and die." Zech. xiii, 8. Mark this: it is a final work; not only cut off, but shall die. Now read 2 Thess. ii, 9-12, and then turn to Rev. iii, 15, 16, and remember that God's threatenings are as sure as his promises, and those who have no eyes to see it, and make a mighty effort to escape it, will soon feel it when it is too late. But the work does not stop here. The humble, patient, persevering ones are destined to finish up the great work of the Third Angel's Message, gather in every scattered jewel, conquer every foe, and wear the victor's palm on the sea of glass.
E. L. BAIR.
Kensington, Ct., July 26th, 1858.
Dress.
By J. Byington
DEAR BRO. SMITH: Will you permit me through the Review to request an answer to the following question from some of our sisters who love the whole truth. Are sleeves which are the largest at the little end, and round tires like the moon, (or hoops,) [Isa. iii, 18.] articles of dress that are modest apparel? 1 Tim. ii, 9. If so, let them be recommended to the church generally.
J. BYINGTON.
Spiritualism Increasing in the South
Our secular exchanges state that the number of converts to the doctrines of Spiritualism, is rapidly on the increase in the South.—Spiritual Age.
Never Weary in Well-Doing
NEVER WEARY IN WELL-DOING.—When some one asked old father Scott, of Kentucky, "Why do you continue to preach, when you have converted but one sinner in twenty years?" "Have I converted one?" said he. "Yes," replied the other. "Then," said the good man, "here's for twenty years more; I may convert two." And the faithful old soldier toiled on to the end in his Master's work.
APPOINTMENTS.
By J. B. Frisbie; S. W. Rhodes
Providence permitting, it may be expected there will be meetings in the following places, as the brethren may appoint:
Caledonia, Mich., Tuesday, Aug. 10th, at 5 P. M.
Gaines, Wednesday, 11th, at 5 P. M.
Wayland, Thursday, 12th, at 5. P. M.
Monterey, Sabbath and First-day, 14th and 15th.
Allegan, Tuesday, 17th, at 5 P. M.
Otsego, Thursday, 19th, at 5 P. M.
Wherever it may be convenient the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper may be attended to.
We shall have on hand books of all kinds on the present truth.
J. B. FRISBIE.
S. W. RHODES.
GENERAL TENT MEETING
By James White; J. H. Waggoner
At Crane's Grove, Ills.
PROVIDENCE permitting, there will be a Tent-meeting at Crane's Grove, Stephenson Co., Ills., commencing on Sixth-day, Aug. 20th, at 10 o'clock A. M., and continuing over Sabbath and First-day. Brn. Andrews, Steward, Welcome and Phelps are specially requested to attend, and all others interested in the present truth.
Brethren, the importance of the Western field demands that we get together, that we may be able to co-operate more fully in the work. Calculations should be made, as far as possible, to be there the day before the meeting commences.
Eld. J. M. Stephenson has thrown out a challenge to discuss the Law and Sabbath questions. Arrangements may be made for a discussion in the Tent, to commence at the close of our meeting, or by the 24th.
JAMES WHITE.
J. H. WAGGONER.
Iowa City, Iowa, Aug. 1st, 1858.
Business Items.
By Editor
T. M. Steward:—Remittance for books received.
J. Walker:—Received.
R. Holland:—Bro. Frisbie had left before your order for books was received. Shall we retain it until we have an opportunity to send?
C. G. Daniels:—You will find your dollar receipted in No. 2 of present Vol.
F. Wheeler:—The REVIEW has been sent regularly to the P. O. you name.
E. L. Barr:—It was received. The chart has been sent as ordered, the books will be, when completed.
Receipts.
Annexed to each receipt in the following list, is the Volume and Number of the 'Review and Herald' to which the money receipted pays. If money for the paper is not in due time acknowledged, immediate notice of the omission should then be given.
FOR REVIEW AND HERALD.
Jacob Smith 2,00 xiii,14. A. Spencer 1,00,xiii,1. J. Brezee 2,00,xii,12. R. Goodspeed 0,25,xi,14. Thos. Follet 1,00,xiv,12. E. Childs 1,00,xii,1. S. Greenman 2,00,xv,6. A. B. Morton 1,00,xii,16. L. Morton 1,00,xii,16. E. Walworth (for R. Harpur) 1,00,xiv,2. L. Bolton 1,00,xv,1. R. Town 1,00,xiii,1.
FOR POWER PRESS.—H. Childs (the remainder of his pledge) $25.
FOR REVIEW TO POOR.—S. R. Churchill $1.
Notice of the Midnight Cry Pamphlet
We have received a copy of a pamphlet entitled the "Midnight Cry," by "Rev. C. Churchill." If the copy we have received is a specimen one, its typographical execution alone is almost sufficient to prevent its having a very extensive perusal. We have neither time nor space to give an extended notice of the positions taken. It will be sufficient for the readers of the Review, to state that the writer considers that the church is the Sanctuary; that the cleansing of the church commenced in 1843, and will end the present year; that the late revival movement, which he considers a genuine work of the Spirit of God, is an indication of the sealing time; that the Papal supremacy was established by the decree of Phocas in A. D. 606, and will continue till 1866, only that year never will be reached—the days will be shortend. The church also, according to his glass, is the Holy City, New Jerusalem, which is above. The Author, after inviting us to copy the table of contents into our paper, requests us to lift up our voice like a trumpet, and cry aloud and spare not. This we intend to do; but we apprehend that the trumpet should give a more certain sound than would accord with the positions advocated in this pamphlet.
Exhortation after the Traditions of Men.
"Better black your boots and shave your beard on Saturday, and not take the hours God allots specially for holy services."—Golden Rule.
Exhortation after the Bible.
Better put off the blacking of your boots and shaving of your beards till Sunday, rather than take the hours God allots specially for holy services.
Questions Concerning the Great Revivals
A clergyman, writing from Kansas to the American Missionary, says:
"I had hoped the great revivals East would have shown their influence on the Tract Society and for the cause of the oppressed. But for any good influence of this kind I have looked in vain. Yet I can but hope that such an influence is being exerted by these revivals. If we cannot see it, what must we conclude with regard to these revivals? But I forbear; and will still look in hope."
Request for the Paper
By Editor
We understand the friends in Hillsdale have sent us a paper containing important matter. We have never received it. Can they send again?