Dear Bro. White:—I perceive that you are at work on the subject of Gospel order. I hope that you will be able to present the subject in a manner that will honor God, and promote his cause. Certain it is that we cannot honor God better than by taking diligent heed to his word, and making it our only rule of faith and practice.
The brethren in this vicinity have for sometime considered on the importance of Gospel order, and of maintaining such order in the church. Consequently, in a meeting of the church, a few weeks since, the subject was investigated in the light of the Gospel, which seemed to lay us under the necessity, of entering upon the work of maintaining Gospel order, and of taking such action as the Bible seemed to warrant, and as circumstances seemed to demand, that we might preserve a healthy state of religious feeling. We therefore selected two brethren, one in Fairhaven and one in Dartmouth, to act the part of “deacons,” as denominated in the Bible. The cases of these brethren were to be presented before those assembled in general conference at Dartmouth, then and there to meet the approval or disapproval of the brethren assembled. The action of the Church-meeting, met the approbation of all the brethren in conference without a dissenting voice.
Bro. Wheeler was fully satisfied that the action of the church was in Gospel order; and reference was made to the necessity of such order from the fact that if the church would be in a healthy state, she must be in a suitable position to attend to the Lord’s supper. And as the messengers are called to travel, the church should not depend on them to administer the Lord’s supper, therefore it seemed proper to set apart some one in the church for the purpose of more fully maintaining Gospel order. See Acts vi, 1–7.
After weighing the matter for a short time, Bro. Wheeler saw his duty clear. Sabbath afternoon, he presented the subject of Gospel order in a plain, interesting and profitable manner. At the close of his discourse, he proceeded to set apart those brethren, by prayer and laying on of hands. While thus engaged, the Spirit of God was manifestly present, to bless. And we felt that in answer to prayer the work was ratified in the Heavenly Sanctuary. The peace of God rested upon us. All seemed clear and free.
H. S. GURNEY.
North Fairhaven, Mass., Dec. 18th, 1853.
Sustaining the Review
By D. S. Gardner
From Sister Gardner.
DEAR BRO. WHITE:—We feel much interested in the Review. The Lord is working through this medium in the gathering of that peculiar people whom Jesus will present without spot or wrinkle or any such thing to his Father.
It is cheering to hear from so many of our brethren and sisters what the Lord is doing for them, and that the cause is advancing, East, West, North and South. Praise the name of our God. How it rejoices our hearts to learn that so many of the children of the remnant are yielding to the force of truth.—May the Lord enable us who are parents to offer believing prayer for our children. We have been much grieved to see the weekly receipts fall off so much of late. These things ought not so to be. We think if all inquired diligently of the Lord what he would have them to do, it would not be so; indeed it must not be so. We must have a paper and it must be sustained in a way that will honor God, and relieve those who conduct it from trial and embarrassment. 2 Cor. viii, 13, 14. “For I mean not that other men be eased and you burdened. . . . that there may be equality.” We have no fears but the paper will be sustained, but hope all who are able to pay anything for its support will do so, that they may be benefited in doing their duty.
We feel thankful to God that we have been led by his Spirit to see the present truth. It has done a great work for us, but yet much remains to be done in us before we shall be prepared to receive the refreshing which the Lord will pour upon his people, to fit them to stand in the time of trouble, [Dan. xii, 1.] when God’s people will be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Oh how holy, how unblamable must we be to be found of him in peace. Pray for us.
Yours striving for eternal life,
D. S. GARDNER.
Panton, Vt., Dec. 15th, 1853.
Extract of Letters.
By Editor
BRO. G. W. Holt writes from Manlius, N. Y., Dec. 15th, 1853:—"I have been laboring principally in new places, where but little has been heard on the subject of present truth. A good interest was manifested by many, who are anxious to hear more on the subject. The way is opening into new fields, and the Lord is fitting hearts to receive the truth."
Bro. S. Armstrong writes from Kirkland, Oneida Co., N. Y., Dec. 1853:—"I have read the Review and it has been a great help to me in keeping the Sabbath. It is but a short time since I commenced trying to keep the Lord's Sabbath. I meet with much opposition, and have need of great faith in order to stand. I was brought up to keep the first day as the Sabbath, but when I read God's holy word for myself, I found I was not keeping the Sabbath which he commanded. I praise the Lord for his goodness shown to me. I intend to keep all the commandments, the Lord being my helper. I am thankful that I have the Bible for my support. It is my chart, praise the Lord."
GOOD TESTIMONY.
By Editor
[Although the Advent Herald gives up many of the strong points of the original advent faith, which it has formerly ably defended, yet it gives good testimony in favor of B. C. 457 being the date to commence the Seventy Weeks. The following is from the Editorial of Nov. 5th, 1853. Let it have a careful reading.]
"The decree, from which the seventy weeks were to be dated, gave authority not only for constructing what is called the wall, but for the restoration, as well as for the re-building of the city.
Any impartial reader must see that Jerusalem is restored when the people go back there, re-establish their city polity, and re-commence the regular offering of their sacrifices, and the observance of their daily worship—all of which continued uninterruptedly. For this restoration of Jerusalem, the decree made provision, when it said: 'And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.' Ezra vii, 25, 26.
Here is the restoration of Jerusalem by the establishment of judges, and law; and, the power of Ezra being unlimited by it, he was empowered as he understood in his prayer, to proceed at any time with its construction. The prophecy does not affirm that the wall will be built in troublous times as soon as the decree should be given authorizing their construction. All that it affirms is, that there would be troublous times when they should be built. A delay of thirteen years in the erection of the wall, is no argument against the validity of the decree which authorized it.
Was any decree granted to Nehemiah?
We find no evidence of any. He asked permission of the king to go up and do what Ezra had not done. Ezra had restored the national polity according to the decree, but had not re-built the city which he was authorized to do, by the unlimited nature of the decree. Nehemiah says, (ii, 6,) 'It pleased the king to send me,' &c. There is no evidence that such permission was anything but verbal. When he had gained the king's consent, he next requested letters from the king to 'the governors beyond the river,' for the means of conveyance to Jerusalem, and one to the keeper of the king's forest for timber. 'These letters' were not addressed to Nehemiah, as a decree would have been, and as the decree was to Ezra, but were directed to the king's subordinates; these are nowhere denominated decrees; if they were, they would not constitute one decree, as the prophecy contemplated, but would have been a series of decrees; and they were considered by the Holy Spirit as of so much less importance than that given to Ezra, that no copy of them was preserved by the inspired penman who simply states their import. In contrast with these, the decree given to Ezra was one decree. It was expressly denominated a decree. It is a state paper, having all the formality that such a document could be invested with; was directed, not to the king's subordinates, but to Ezra himself; and a full copy of it has come down to the present time. The Holy Spirit caused it to be entered in full on the records by the inspired penman. Shall we disregard such an indication of God's estimate of it? It begins with:
'Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest. . . . I make a decree,' &c.
Where, in the permission given to Nehemiah, is there any evidence of such a decree's being addressed to him? No one will attempt to show any. The decree having been given to Ezra, all that Nehemiah needed was simple permission to go up and complete what Ezra had begun, and letters to the king's subordinates for such assistance as he should need. Ezra went up and restored the city; (of which Barnes says, 'The Hebrew is properly to cause to return,') and then Nehemiah, under the same decree, and by subsequent permission, went up and in troublous times, built the wall which Ezra thanks the Lord for inclining the hearts of the kings of Persia to give them."
OBITUARY.
Sister Amanda M. Washburn died Apr. 24th, after an illness of several months. Her mind became somewhat impaired by her disease, yet she gave good evidence that her heart was right with God. Her Bible she made her constant companion, and she delighted greatly in its sacred pages. She was devotedly attached to the advent people and the cause of truth.—She loved the Holy Sabbath, and the hour of prayer was ever a welcome season to her.
For three weeks before her death she had but little consciousness of any thing that was passing around; yet the mention of the Saviour's name seldom failed to gain a response. At times when repeated efforts were made in vain to arouse attention upon other objects, if asked, Do you love Jesus? with a smile she would quickly reply, "Oh! yes." Blessed is the thought to her dear parents and friends that, though she is now dead, she will live again, and that when her Saviour appears, she will appear with him in glory.
Oct. 31st, Bro. Benaiah Moody died, aged 56 years, in glorious anticipation of a better life beyond the grave. He retained his senses untill the last moment. Bro. Moody was among the first that embraced the Advent doctrine in Paris. In the fall of 1851 he was brought low by disease, (ulcers in his stomach) the same of which he died, whereby he was brought to see that he was not all right. He had previously had some convictions upon the Sabbath truth. He then felt assured his sickness was not unto death, but that he should be raised up to keep this holy day. It was even so. After embracing this truth he maintained a closer walk with his Maker. His family, though they have no sympathy with the faith he professed, testify that his life, particularly after he embraced the Sabbath, was such that they could not doubt his piety.
The last time Bro. Moody met with us he referred to his declining health, and expressed his conviction that he was enjoying his last privilege of meeting.—The afternoon that he died he said he would like to have his neighbors present, he felt just like talking, and with them he would gladly leave his dying testimony to the truth. Many precious words dropped from the lips to his sorrowing family. To one he said, "Dear daughter, I want you to promise me that you will prepare to meet me in heaven." He entreated her to keep the Holy Sabbath, saying, "it will do you no good to keep the Pope's Sabbath, and it will do you no hurt to keep the Lord's Sabbath, but it will make you happy."
Upon his declining to take a little nourishment, an Advent friend who was standing by, said, "Bro. Moody, the next time you eat, it will be at that great supper-table when Jesus himself will come forth and serve you." His countenance lightening up with inexpressible joy, he replied, "Yes! I shall eat my next supper there."
About six, P. M., he fell asleep.
"Asleep in Jesus! O how sweet
To be for such a slumber meet!
With holy confidence to rest
In hope of being ever blest."
Also on the morning of the 23d ult. Martha Chase died of consumption, in her 15th year. Being of a very diffident turn she said but little, and it was difficult to understand the state of her mind. She was a conscientious observer of the Sabbath, even while away from home, though, as she acknowledged during her sickness, she had done some things on that day she ought not, for which she was very sorry.—In the early part of her sickness, she would weep if death was mentioned; but at length she would talk upon the subject with calmness, and repeatedly assured her anxious parents that the Lord had forgiven all her sins and he would take her to himself. Her end was very peaceful: leaning her head on Jesus' breast, she breathed her life out sweetly there. A.
Paris, Me., Dec. 1853.
To Correspondents.
By Editor
1. In writing to this Office, let everything of a business nature be put on a part of the sheet by itself, or on a separate sheet, so as not to be mixed up with other matters.
2. Be careful to write all names of persons and places, plainly and distinctly.
3. In all cases give the name of the Post Office, County and State. When a Town or Village is called by one name, and the Post Office by another, be sure to give the name of the Post Office.
4. When the direction of a paper is to be changed, do not forget to name the Office to which it has been sent.
5. Let everything be stated explicitly, and in as few words as will express the writer's meaning.
6. In writing texts of scripture, be sure to copy from the Bible correctly. It is no small sin to carelessly mangle the Word of God, as some do.
If the above directions are complied with, we shall be saved much time and perplexity, and be less liable to mistakes in transacting the business of the Office.
Letters.
W. Philips, H. C. Pierce, N. A. Perry, S. T. Cranson, A. A. Dodge, G. W. Holt, J. C. Day, M. E. Cornell, S. M. S., F. Strong, J. N. Andrews.
Receipts.
By Editor
W. J. Mills, C. Cole, L. Avery, I. D. Perry, J. Marsh, J. Nicholes, R. W. Avery, L. B. Stowell, Z. Brooks, B. Hostler, A. M. Lindsley, J. Whipple, E. Lothrop, W. Harris, W. Snow, each $1.
N. K. Kellogg, J. Weed, each $2. S. Armstrong, H. Gardner, D. Robbins, each $5. J. M. Avery, $10. A. H. Huntley, D. C. Elmer, B. B. Brigham, each $1,50. C. Bigelow, $1,60. A. Avery, $1,75. $118,91 behind on REVIEW
No Paper next week.
Publications.
By Editor
The Sanctuary and Twenty-three Hundred Days—76 pages—price 7 cents—postage 1 cent.
Review of O. R. L. Crozier on the Sabbath—48 pages—price 5 cents—postage 1 cent.
A Refutation of the Claims of Sunday keeping to Divine Authority; also, a lengthy extract from the History of the Sabbath—40 pages—price 4 cents—postage 1 cent.
The Sabbath by "Elihu"—16 pages—price 1 cent—
Volume I, II and III of the Review, bound in paper covers—price 40 cents for Vol. I and II, and 80 cents for Vol. III.
Youth's Instructor, Vol. I, in paper covers—price 25 cents.
Signs of the Times—124 pages—price 8 cents—postage 1 cent.
Our collection of Advent and Sabbath Hymns, with the Supplement bound with it—144 pages—price 30 cents—postage 5 cents.
Time and Prophecy—a Poem—120 pages, well bound—price 25 cents—postage 5 cents.
The Chart—A Pictorial Illustration of the Visions of Daniel and John and their Chronology—price $2.
Post Office Address of Henry Lyon
By Editor
The Post Office address of Bro. Henry Lyon is Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Mich.
Post Office Address of A. S. Hutchins
By Editor
The Post Office address of Bro. A. S. Hutchins, for the present is Moreland, Chemung Co., N. Y.
Appointments.
PROVIDENCE permitting I will hold meetings in Michigan as follows:—Jackson, Fifth-day, Dec. 29th; Sylvan, where Bro. Glover and others may appoint, Sabbath and First-day, Dec. 31st and Jan. 1st.
My Post Office address for the present, is Jackson, Mich., care of D. R. Palmer. JOSEPH BATES.
BRN. Ingraham and Hutchins, will hold conferences with the brethren as follows:
Catlin, Sabbath and First-day, Dec. 31st, and Jan. 1st; Ulysses, Penn., Jan. 7th and 8th, 1854.
THERE will be a Conferene at Aztalon, Jeff. Co. Wis., to commence Sixth-day, Jan. 6th, 1854 and hold over Sabbath and First-day. Brn. Stephenson, Hall, Waggoner and others are requested to attend. Come, brethren, one and all!