"AND Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing." 2 Kings v, 17, 18.
Naaman had been healed of leprosy, by a miracle, and he now clearly saw that he was under great obligation to worship God alone. His convictions of duty prompted him to leave idol worship for that of Jehovah.
But difficulties arose too great for him to overcome. His business as an officer in an idolater's court must be given up, if he should come out against idol-worship. His income, his ambitious designs, all must be given up; and if he should refuse to attend his master into the house of Rimmon, he perhaps must be consigned to poverty and contempt. But Naaman was conservative in his views. He probably held altruism in religious matters, as superstitious, and fanatical. Just here he thought of an "amicable adjustment," and by going between, he should avoid extremes, and by taking a quantity of earth from Judea for an altar, and sacrificing thereupon, he flattered himself that he might propitiate Jehovah, while he at the same time was outwardly sharing in the worship of Rimmon. In this, Naaman resembled many modern Naamans, who ask if God will not be merciful, even if they are disobedient to the fourth command, especially as they are zealous in Sunday-schools &c., and that all that they are doing surely must save them. Surely all this mountain of labor will not be lost. These charitable, missionary, tract, Bible, and other societies, surely will be owned of God. God will not notice so small a thing as this Sabbath matter. Oh, if modern Naamans could only see how they resemble Naaman the Syrian! Oh, for eyes to see, for ears to hear, and hearts to understand.
JOSEPH CLARKE.
Portage, Wood Co. Ohio.
A Desire to Go Forward
By S. B. Warren
From Bro. Warren.
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: As I take up the Review from week to week, I am certainly encouraged by reading your letters. I see that I am not alone in the Third Angel's Message. There are a few who are trying to take Jesus as their pattern and follow his teachings; have come out from the creeds, sects and parties, and resolved to keep all God's commandments. We have great reason to rejoice and praise the Lord for what he has done for the remnant who are seeking for the Faith of Jesus. When I look over my past life and see how many wrong steps I have taken, and the moves I have made in the dark, when the candle of the Lord did not shine about me—I have great reason to humble myself in the dust and acknowledge God's goodness and long-suffering to me. But I do know that the Lord has had a care for me. His Spirit has striven with me from time to time. It has said to me "This is the way, walk ye in it." I have been led to ask myself of late, when under severe temptations, Can I renounce my faith in the Third Angel's Message? Can I give up the commandments and go back to the world, or to a dead, fallen church? I answer I cannot. I must go forward, I must double my diligence. I know it would be certain and sure death to go back; for I read in Heb. x, 26, "For if we sin willfully after that we have received a knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." The desire of my heart is to go forward.
I have not only heard much of God's truth brought out and made plain and clear, but I have embraced it from an honest conviction that it was God's last sealing truth, designed for the remnant church who are looking for the soon coming of the Saviour. I want the truth should find a welcome in my poor heart, and I hope and pray that the day may never come when I shall doubt in the least that which now looks so precious to me. The Lord has done much for me, and I mean to be zealous and repent of all my wrongs and misdoings, and open the door of my heart and let the Saviour in. Brethren and Sisters, pray for me that I may be faithful to the end, overcome, get the victory, and with you stand on mount Zion.
Looking and waiting for Jesus.
S. B. WARREN.
Battle Creek, Mich., Sept. 26th, 1857.
S. WOODHULL
By S. Woodhull
From Bro. Woodhull.
BRO. SMITH: My interest is still deep in the Review. I love to hear from the saints in different parts of the field. I love to hear of Jesus' near coming. O the nearness of that grand and awful time! O that the church would earnestly attend to the counsel of the faithful and true Witness, and avoid being spued out of his mouth.
When once spued out, mercy with them, sweet mercy, will be no more. Every link in the prophetic chain, to my mind, has been reached, as far as can be until the saints of God do their duty; yet I say, "Watchman, what of the night?" Are we waiting for the wicked to do their work, or are they already in fulfilling prophecy in advance of the church? Has the church given heed to the counsel of the faithful and true Witness? if so, what next? Watchman what of the night?
Yours trying to overcome.
S. WOODHULL
West Somerset, N. Y., Sept. 1857.
Striving for the Kingdom
By H. Schooley
From Sister Schooley.
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: I am striving to serve God by keeping all his commandments. "This is the love of God that we keep his commandments." But I must with shame and a sorrowful heart, confess my lukewarmness. I believe we are in the Laodicean state of the church, and I feel like sacrificing all anew, and laying all on the altar. I want the gold tried in the fire, and white raiment that I may be clothed, and the eye-salve that I may see. I want to open the door of my heart and let my saviour in, that I may sup with him and he with me. I believe time is short, and soon it will be said, He that is filthy let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. O solemn thought! I truly feel thankful to God for his great mercy, in sparing a poor weak worm of the dust as I am, to see and believe these solemn truths. The Review is a welcome messenger to me. It is food to my soul. I could not do without it, as my health is poor and I cannot often get to meeting. I mean to overcome that I may have a right to the tree of life.
Your sister striving for the kingdom.
H. SCHOOLEY.
Beaver Dam, N. Y., Sept. 1857.
APPOINTMENTS.
By Editor
PROVIDENCE permitting we will meet with the brethren at Monterey, Sabbath Oct. 10th, and at Battle Creek, Oct. 17th. Let there be a good gathering at Battle Creek, and a preparation of heart for the Lord's Supper.
We now propose spending three Sabbaths in each month in different places away from Battle Creek, provided we succeed in obtaining a suitable team, and shall remember the churches in Burlington, Colon, Hillsdale, Waverly, Monterey, Caledonia, Portland, Locke, and elsewhere in the State. Shall be glad to hear from brethren in different parts of the State in regard to small conferences this Fall and Winter.
JAMES WHITE.
THERE will be a general Conference if the Lord will, at, or near Bro. McClenerthan's, in the vicinity of North Hyde Park Vt, to commence Oct. 16th, at one o'clock and hold over Sabbath and First-day, and longer if it should be thought expedient.
As this meeting is for the especial benefit of the church and cause of truth, it is hoped that the churches will be well represented, and that the brethren will come together with a mind to work, and as far as consistent, to stay until the design of the meeting is accomplished.
In behalf of the brethren. J. C. DAY. Lancaster, Mass, Sept 24th, 1857.
More From Ohio.
Bro. M. E. Cornell writes from Gilboa, Ohio, Sept. 20th, 1857.
“Our Tent meeting at Leipsic has just closed. Twelve discourses were given and listened to with good interest. All our books on the Sabbath question of every kind were taken, and a good supply of other kinds. Twelve subscribed for the Review, on trial, and two for a volume. A general interest seems to be awakened in the village.”
“We have many calls for meetings in every direction, and we hear good news from other parts of Ohio.”
“One man that received the truth at Gilboa, returned home and is preaching the Sabbath, and has stirred up the whole community, about thirty miles from here. We are glad to see the cause rising in Ohio. We expect to be at Milan in about two weeks.”
Reasons for Stopping the Review.
By Editor
If any of our readers wish to stop the paper and hardly know what to offer as a good reason, the following from a subscriber in Bangor, N. Y., may help them. He writes that he wishes his paper discontinued for the following reasons:
"1st. I do not believe in the principle of laying all upon the altar, and allowing my fellow sinners to remove the same at pleasure, to the imminent danger of having the sin laid to my charge set forth in 1 Tim. v, 8."
This reason speaks for itself. The writer evidently overlooked the fact that all others are required by the spirit of the gospel to have all upon the altar as well as himself. He seems to think the "principle" is for him to lay all that he has upon the altar for his "fellow sinners" to pick off, and have the good of. He is afraid that he shall do more than somebody else, which would be very distressing. We would refer all such cases to Deut. xx, 8. "And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his home." His second and last reason was as follows:
"2nd. The paper is furnished at an exorbitant price, under the pretext of furnishing the poor gratis, thereby taking advantage of those who cannot do without it, to forcibly sieze upon their possessions for common distribution, instead of scripturally waiting for them to bring their offering, and lay it at the apostle's feet."
In reply to this, it will only be necessary to state a few facts. At the price at which the paper is now published, it would scarcely more than support itself if all to whom it is sent should pay the full subscription price. But there are on the poor and free list two hundred and forty, besides many to whom the paper is sent on trial for a time. Now how is this expense to be met? Not from the regular subscriptions; for what we receive on this account does not cover it; and it is not the design of the publishers to impose this burden upon the subscribers of the paper, further than they choose of their own free will to take it. Therefore it is arranged to meet the expense here named by donations from those who are disposed cheerfully to contribute towards this object. The present price is not therefore set upon the paper, as a pretext for sending it to the poor gratis, as the writer has it.
We are at a loss to know what our subscriber means by "forcibly seizing upon their possessions" unless he calls it so to require from those who are able to pay it, two dollars a year for the paper. But before this is pronounced an exorbitant price, a few items ought to be taken into consideration, such as a limited circulation, and no advertising. Any one can see that much of the work to be done on a paper is the same for a thousand copies that it is for one hundred thousand, and that therefore the larger the circulation, the cheaper accordingly can the paper be afforded. Just so with advertising: the more advertisements it has, the less is required for its support from its subscribers. We neither advertise nor have a wide circulation; and yet the Review is not the highest priced paper in the land, according to its size and reading matter, by any means. There are many papers published containing no more reading matter, and bearing the same, and some of them even a higher, price. Take for instance "The Israelite" published at Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a paper of eight pages like the Review; some larger to be sure, but it has doubtless a wider circulation, and it has three pages and over, of advertisements, and consequently less reading matter, and yet the price is three dollars a year.
But we need not stop to argue this question further, as no reasonable person upon a moment's consideration, will ever quarrel with the Review for exorbitance of price. And we are sure that if no better reasons exist for discontinuing the paper than those given above, our own conscience at least will be clear in regard to it.
THE SERVANT OF CHRIST.
"HE loved the world that hated him; the tear
That dropp'd upon his Bible was sincere;
Assailed by scandal and the tongue of strife,
His only answer was a blameless life,—
And he that forged, and he that threw the dart,
Had each a brother's interest in his heart;
Paul's love of Christ, and steadiness imbibed,
Were copied close in him and well transcribed;
He follow'd Paul, his zeal a kindled flame,
His Apostolic charity the same."—Sel.
A Call to Overcome Lukewarmness
"BECAUSE thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev iii, 16. The original of this expression signifies not only a determination to do some act in the future, but also to do it speedily; to be about to do it. The Lord will not long suffer his people to remain in a lukewarm condition so displeasing to him. A reform, or rejection, must soon take place. "Because thou art lukewarm I am about to spue thee out of my mouth."
"If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in" &c. This is a work which we must perform. Christ will by no means force open the door. It is no part of his plan to compel us to repent, or to drive us to heaven. We must ourselves take action. If we will open the door, he stands ready to come in. He waits for us to act. Will we do it.
THERE is a fury in this age. Nothing goes fast enough. Jehu would be a mope now. His clumsy chariot would be run over in a country village. Steam power urges forward conveyance, by land and water, at a furious rate. Gunpowder, by means of modern inventions, is enabled to deal out death and destruction most furiously. Fortunes are made and unmade, cities and towns are built with furious haste. Many too hasty for even the usual fury of the age, find themselves in the prisoner's cell. Men eat and drink, travel and trade with a haste which is almost demoniac.
Haste, furious haste, characterizes the present age. Jehu would like such an age, and had his lot been cast upon such times as these, he would have gloried in some modern enterprising project. He was a furious man; and he came to a bad end; and though he did the Lord's work, it was done furiously.
The termination of Jehu's career, shows his true character, as displayed in his doings. Read the account in 2 Kings x, 31. This furious age of wonders will terminate in like manner. Let us beware of being furious in the work of the Lord. I for one lament over my impatience and haste. It is the spirit of the age, that cannot brook opposition and delay. Oh for patience, moderation and love. There was no love in Jehu's composition; all was fury. Perhaps Ahab's crimes called for such an executioner But Oh, I had rather be like Elijah, than like Jehu. JOSEPH CLARKE
Portage, Wood Co. Ohio.
Business Items.
By Editor
A. Abbey. The Address you inquire is Northfield, Vt.
L. Crosbie. You will find your remittance receipted in No. 18 which we send again.
Eliza Foster. What P. O.?
John Goud and Newell Pratt. We continue your papers free.
Geo. Cobb. We will send you Review of N. Fillio in a few days.
Saml. Treat. We send you 50 cts. worth of books, and for the remainder credit you on the paper to No. 1, Vol. XII.
Receipts
By Editor
Vol. XII.
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.
H. Jenny 1,00,x,1. Jno. Whitenack 2,00,xi,1. Jno. Martin 2,00,xii,1. Wm. Van Camp 0,50,xi,14. H. Kenyon 2,00,xi,14. J. F. Carman (1,00 each for J. M. Beardsley and J. Freer) 2,00, each to xii,10. J. Benson 1,00,xi,1. J. W. Becker 1,00,xi,1. S. Reed 0,25,xi,10. W. D. Stockwell 0,25,xi,10. S. W. Long 0,25,xi,10. R. Peckingpaugh 0,25,xi,10. T. Galloway 0,25,xi,10. Jno. Redding 0,25,xi,10. Wm. K. Campbell 0,25,xi,10. J. W. Peckingpaugh 0,25,xi,10. Chas. Askam 0,25,xi,10. Wm. Clark 0,25,xi,10. Wm. Patrick 0,25,xi,10. J. W. S. Galloway 0,50,xi,21. C. F. Worthen 1,00,xi,23. E. Colby 1,00,xii,1. Chas. Kelly 1,00,xi,23. D. Stafford 1,00,xi,23. Wm. Buck 0,25,xi,10. Eunice Russell 1,00,xi,24. John Carter 2,00,xii,1. E. Foster (0,50 each for A. M. Foster and I Chapman) 1,00 each to xi,23. R. Harrington 1,00,xi,1. A. Kimball 1,00 xi,23 A. Thurber 2,00,xi,1. C. O. Taylor 1,00,xii,14. J. G. Whipple 1,00,xiii,1. E. Gibson 2,00,xi,1. R. Lockwood 2,00,xii,1. S. Treat 1,50,xi,1. Eleazer Dunham 1,00,xiii,1 Eleazer Dunham (for Jno. Bond) 0,50,xi,18. S. N. Haskell 1,12,xi,17. M. H. C. 2,00,x,1. M. Ashley 2,00,x,1. H. Russell jr. 2,00,x,1. R. C. Ashley 1,00,x,1. J. T. Ashley 2,00,xi,1. G. L. Ashley 2,00,xi,1. G. Peckham 2,00,xi,1. P. Collins 2,00,xi,1.
FOR REVIEW TO POOR. E. M. C. $2,00. F. Blinn $1,00.
FOR BOOK FUND. A. Abbey $5,00.
FOR MICH TENT. M. Waters $1,00. M. A. Durham $1,00. Friends in Burlington Mich., $5,00. J. F. Carman $2.60.
The Paper a Great Blessing
E. F. Davis writes from Oxford, Sept. 21st, 1857. "Bro. Smith: I hardly know what we should do without the paper; for we feel (alone as we are in respect to our principles, and entirely deprived of any other means of having the truth presented to us) that it is a great blessing."
"We feel to acknowledge the goodness of God in preserving us thus far, but have to regret also our coldness, and lukewarm state; yet we mean to try by the grace of God to keep his Commandments and the Faith of Jesus, that we may have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the city."
The Little Church at Milton
Bro. J. H. Grandy writes from Milton, N. Y., Sept. 21st, 1857: "Bro. Smith: The Review comes to us regularly, and we are very much cheered with the rich news it brings from the dear people of God scattered abroad, and we look forward to the time when they will all be gathered into one fold, and have one shepherd over them. The little church here are trying to live for the kingdom. There are many hindrances in the way of those who try to keep God's law, that they may have an entrance through the gates into the city and partake of the tree of life; but they can all be overcome in the strength of the Lord."
Perils of the Last Days
Bro. H. S. Gurney writes from Jackson, Mich., Sept. 20th, 1857: "I feel the same interest in the work of God, the same desire to do, the same anxious solicitude, that I ever did. I tremble for myself, and for God's professing people, and cry, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thy heritage to reproach. We have entered the perils of the last days, when we should take heed to ourselves lest we be overcharged with the cares of this life, so that the day of the Lord come upon us unawares. We must be free. God is calling upon us in every possible way to live in bright prospect and expectation."
The Resurrection and Commandment Keepers
Bro. G. R. Barber writes from Middle Grove, N. Y., Sept. 17th, 1857: "It would be hard for us to give up the Review, as it is all the preaching that we have had since the Tent was here more than a year ago, with the exceptions of Bro. Wheeler's visit last Fall, and Bro. Rhodes', last month. We were glad to see them, and thank God for his goodness to us in sending them here, and pray that he will grant them and all his messengers grace that they may with all boldness proclaim the message which is being given down here in the end of the world to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord Jesus. I thank God that the time is just at hand when all that sleep in Jesus, from the death of Abel to the end of the world, shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live. The living will then be changed to immortality and all be caught up to meet the Lord in the air."
"I do thank God that he has a remnant that are keeping the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus."
"We are not rich in this world's goods, but we are trying to purchase the gold, white raiment and eye-salve, according to the testimony of the faithful and true Witness."