He who subscribes to our creed, says the nominal church-member; notwithstanding his actions will rarely justify his declaration. Who is my brother? He who is bound to me by the nearest ties of blood, says the man who acknowledges no relations but those of nature. Who is my brother? The whole race, says the philanthropist, who, in word at least, has sympathy for all mankind, and argues a common brotherhood from a common descent.
But it is not in the power of human creeds, or the strength of oaths, or the ties of blood, or feelings of humanity, alone, to constitute a true brotherhood on earth; for subscribers to the same creed, have become bitterest enemies, though they each remained true to their articles of fellowship; and instances are not wanting, all along through time, of men's dooming the members of their own families to death, when such relationship interfered with their lust of power and the aims of their ambition; and as for philanthropists in general, their numbers are so few that we need not illustrate: the principles which they profess have either been generally waning in this world, or they have failed to accomplish the results which are claimed for them; for there has been no lack of wars and dissensions, and tumults and blood-shed, and murder and misery, and all other direful effects, in which we might suppose that the Devil himself would delight, as the offspring of his own maliciousness. We find then no ties natural to this world, strong enough to hold mankind in a common brotherhood: they have all failed; and hearts which should have been bound together in love and union, have become aliens and enemies.
Who then is my brother? He who does the will of my Father which is in heaven, says the Divine Teacher, whose mission on earth was to enlighten the minds of men,—"whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother." In these words of his, we find the true answer to our inquiry: mark the occasion which called them forth. Matt. xii, 46-50. "While he yet talked to the people, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!" As if he had said, Do you call those only my brethren who are bound to me by the ties of nature? I will declare to you a higher principle, a holier relationship. Shall I point you to those who are indeed my brethren? "And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples." Would you behold those who are in the true sense my brethren? Behold in my disciples, my mother and my brethren. He then gives them the divine principle on which this relationship depends: "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Verse 50.
How clearly is thus set forth the relation we sustain to each other. We are pointed to our common head—our Father in heaven; and for our brethren we are pointed to those who do his will. We are all members of one family. The principle which unites is divine. It admits of no distinctions of nation or color, or birth or station. All outward circumstances fall before it; and whoever the Lord beholds reflecting his image, in him he recognizes a child of his, and there we recognize a brother.
Who of us who have entered within the pale of truth have not experienced this? Have we not felt that those who did the will of our Father in heaven, were in a relation superior to all others, our brothers and sisters; and that the bonds of truth were stronger than the ties of blood? As we have seen them traveling the same road with us, actuated by the same spirit, animated by the same hope, struggling against the same obstacles, and laboring for the same end—a home in glory, have we not felt our hearts drawn out to them, as if a spark of that love which brought Christ to earth from the glories of heaven, had descended into our own souls?
But schisms have rent the church, and opposing factions have distracted the people of God: have not the bonds of truth therefore, and the Spirit of Christ proved a failure as a means of uniting the hearts of men in true and lasting fellowship? True, the Church by permitting Satan, (for we must regard it as the work of Satan,) to divide it into so many sects, and by spending their strength and energies in wrangling with each other, have defeated the great good which the gospel might have accomplished. But we are to remember that the division of the so-called christian world into its present number of sects and parties, has not been dictated by the claims of truth, or the Spirit of Christ. For whenever a church is divided, and two or more parties are formed, from those who before lived in harmony and union they cannot all be dictated by the Spirit of God; on one side there must be a lack. Let us remember this in these last days of peril; for Satan was never more busy than at the present time to sow discord and confusion among those who would seek for the unity of the faith. Wherever therefore we discover a wrong feeling existing, a breach widening, and a separate interest and party forming, be sure, there is a lack somewhere of the Spirit of Christ. To say that two persons both possessed of the Spirit of Christ, can be estranged at heart, is absurd. They will as naturally run together as two drops of water. The anomaly cannot exist. If they each have Christ formed within the hope of glory, they will not be long in discovering it to each other. If the Spirit of God actuates them both they will not be long in manifesting it; but the fruit of the Spirit is not strife and emulation, but "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
Whosoever doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Divine principle! How it overrides the narrow limits which creeds and sectarians would prescribe to us! How it tramples upon the vain distinctions, which men would foster among themselves! It rises high above all human limitations, nearest to the throne of God, and surveys the whole world as the field of its exercise.
"One is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." Then "let brotherly love continue." "Be kindly affectioned one to another." May the experience of the church in past ages lead us to shun division as the greatest evil, and seek unity as the greatest blessing. This we shall do if the love of God is paramount to our own hearts, and love to him and obedience to his will are the only conditions of fellowship which we require in others. Then will the church on earth, though composed of human members, be joined together by ties which no power of the enemy can sever.
A New Argument for Consciousness in Death.
By Editor
UNDER the head of "The Spiritual Organization," the Spiritual Telegraph of the 27th ult., in an article designed to "demonstrate the existence of a mysterious inward life," by which we suppose is meant that part of man which goes by the name of "soul"—that part which some tell us lives right along when the body dies, just as though nothing had happened;—in this same article in the Telegraph we find the following language:
"This two-fold being is still more apparent in man; and here—on the verge of visible existence—in this last refinement of the outward elements, the internal principle assumes an organic form which, from its refinement, is imperceptible by the senses. Within this corporeal structure is another body, constituted of the more ethereal elements of the former. It is a curious fact that persons who have lost a limb always have an internal consciousness that the body is still complete. Though an arm or a leg may have been amputated years before, and its decomposed elements scattered by the winds or waves, the individual yet feels that the lost member is with him and sustaining its proper relations; and his sensation extends to the very extremity, almost as perfectly as when the limb was there. * If the various members of the body may be removed without affecting the internal consciousness or disturbing the original limits to which sensation extended, it follows that the whole body may be decomposed and yet all of life, and sense, and thought may remain."
To the truthfulness of the fact, above stated, we can bear testimony from our own experience; but we must confess that we have never dreamed from this, that we were immortal, or should be conscious in death; and we do not think that we can justly be ranked among the "fearful and unbelieving," when we say that we should not feel safe to base our hopes of immortality and a future life on any such grounds. And, to carry the subject out practically: Though it be true, that, when a member of the body is removed, a sensation of its presence still remains, we doubt seriously whether the Editor of the Telegraph would be willing to lose his head, on the strength of this consideration.
But there are additional particulars which we might mention; and one is, that when a limb has long been rendered useless by disease or accident, it not only leaves behind it, upon being removed, a sensation of its presence, but of its useless condition also. Shall we conclude then that if a man in this life is deformed by misfortune, or prostrated by disease, the soul will retain a sense of these infirmities when it has thrown off this mortal coil? Must the soul forever bear the scars of those misfortunes which afflicted the body during its brief sojourn with it? This must be so, if the Telegraph's inferences are correct; and our notions of the felicity of heaven must then be lowered a degree or two.
There would however be no necessity of men's drawing out their fancy in such speculations, if they would seek wisdom from the revelation God has given to man—the only source from which we might expect it. A willingness seems to be manifested to go anywhere and everywhere for information rather than to the Bible. Thus we find further, in the article of the Telegraph, these words: "It will be perceived, we think, that neither the laws of matter, nor those of mind afford the least reason to question the immortality of man." We presume not; since they have nothing to do in determining that question. But it is observable that nearly all who have been left to decide this matter by these supposed laws, have settled down into the same belief. This was the case with the heathen generally at the time of our Saviour's incarnation. Dr. Mosheim gives the following account of the light in which man was regarded by the oriental philosophy:197"Man is a compound of a terrestrial and corrupt body, and a soul which is of celestial origin, and, in some measure, an emanation from the divinity. This nobler part is miserably weighed down and encumbered by the body which is the seat of all irregular lusts and impure desires. It is this body that seduces the soul from the pursuit of truth, and not only turns it from the contemplation and worship of God, so as to confine its homage and veneration to the creator of this world, but also attaches it to terrestrial objects, and to the immoderate pursuit of sensual pleasures, by which its nature is totally polluted."
Aside from divine revelation, we could not expect that men would arrive at any better conclusions. Nor can we expect any more of them at the present day, while they pursue the same course; while they are more ready to bow in adoration at heathen altars, and exclaim, "It must be so! Plato, thou reasonest well!" than they are to heed the declarations of the word of the Lord, which says that in the beginning man became a living soul; that he lieth down, and is not awaked out of his sleep, till the heavens be no more; and that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Gen. ii, 7; Job xiv, 12; Eze. xviii, 4.
"He Waits for You in Your Closet."
By James White
We have recently seen the above sentence somewhere, and it took possession not only of our thoughts but of our imagination, too. It is one of those happy sentences, which are not only true, and full of truth, but suggestive of truths; which lead the mind through a long vista of delightful subjects of contemplation.
Who is waiting for us? It is he who said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." He is the one whose eyes were as flames of fire, and whose countenance was as the sun shining in his strength, at the very time that he addressed these words to the churches through the beloved disciple. He called himself the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He was with God, and equal to God, debased to the lowest, and raised up high above all things again, that he might fill all things. He is therefore justly named Wonderful. And high as he is, he is our brother, who, though on the throne, still feels for us as much as he did when in the lowest place, and when he suffered all that any of us can suffer. With all his brotherly kindness and sympathy, and in all the majesty of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, he waits for us, and invites us to him; nay, he even comes to us. What wonderful contrasts and conjunctions of characters and offices we see in him! Human and Divine! King, Brother, Governor of all worlds, and waiting in our retirement for the humblest of us!
He is waiting for us. We are poor and worthless beings, not at all necessary to Him who is possessed of all things; but He descends to us. We are sinful and vile; but He waits to cleanse us. He orders the mean garment to be taken off, and clothes us as the prophet saw Joshua, the high priest, clothed in vision, with new raiment. He puts on us the fine linen, which is the righteousness of the saints—His righteousness, which he gives them. He entreats us to accept his offers. He does not forsake us, because, we are at first unwilling to hear Him. He never thought of treating us as we deserve, unless we should finally insist that we will not come to him.
He is waiting for us. He does not make us one formal offer, and then close the door of hope on us forever. He does not cut us off from future favors, on our showing neglect or ingratitude, as an earthly benefactor would do. He waits to be gracious.
He waits for us in our closets. Here we may have him to ourselves. When we have been separated a long time from a dear friend, who has at last returned to us, we have often had our intercourse with him interrupted by others, who also had claims to his notice, but Christ is equally and wholly with every one who goes into the closet to meet him. Let thousands go at once into as many closets, and address him in all the languages of the earth, or in no language but the groaning that cannot be uttered, and he will be as intimately with each one as if no other solicited his attention. He will hear us, in our closets, when we tell him our most secret thoughts. We may talk with him about affairs that we would not like to have any one beside him hear of. Our sorrows, that are connected with our sins, we may pour into his ear. When earthly friendships fail to satisfy our hearts, or friends betray us, we may always find him waiting in the closet ready to sympathise with us.
Then how foolish we are to neglect the closet! A friend goes often to apartments where he knows that a dear friend awaits his coming. A miser often goes to his closet to turn over and admire his little gods.
But the Christian often fails to visit his dearest friend. How foolish this conduct is. He cannot do without the blessings that Christ waits to bestow. He cannot keep his temper calm, his soul at peace, his heart in heaven, and his hands at work for the Lord, without going often to meet the friend that awaits him in the closet.—Pres. White.
Meetings at Adams, Mich.
By Joseph Bates
BRO. SMITH:—At the close of our series of meetings at Hillsdale, Bro. Wilber opened a way for another series of meetings at Adams, some five miles from it, in his neighborhood. We held six meetings here, which closed on First-day evening.
The Christian Chapel was freely opened for our meetings, and an increasing attention was manifest to the close. One family came out decided to keep the Sabbath, also two other heads of families from Hillsdale. Three other families that we afterwards conversed and prayed with, became deeply interested during the progress of the meetings, and are now investigating the subject. Some of our hearers had attended some of the tent-meetings at Hillsdale, when Brn. Waggoner and Cornell were there. Bro. Wilber and family were the only ones that decided then to keep the Sabbath.
On First-day, Eld. Perry, of the Christian denomination, preached in the forenoon; and we then occupied the rest of the time. In the afternoon some four or five wagon-loads, numbering about forty of the Hillsdale converts, came out to join us, which gave a new impetus to our meetings, and the truth was fastened deeper on the minds of those who were hearing for the first time.
The songs of praise from these newly converted souls in the house of God, and in their wagons on their way home singing the "blessed hope," and soul-stirring hymns concerning the coming of our blessed Lord, to call away the saints, and transport them to their "beautiful home," carried me away back in my mind to the joyful and rapturous scenes of 1843, when in company with God's joyous and happy people, who were crying with loud voices, "Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come;" and to the time when the cry sounding forth still louder, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him;" when, ofttimes while the harmonious songs were mingling with these glad tidings of the speedy coming of our Lord, the rumbling chariots, with flaming torches, rushing by the camp like the lightning, would add their solemn testimony that we are "in the day of his preparation."
Let the angel of glad tidings pass over land and sea, "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people!" I thank God for the blessed promise that the earth is yet to be "lightened with his glory," in the finishing up the last message of mercy, before the lamp of salvation shall be extinguished. My heart says, Praise the Lord for all that he has done. His work is onward, and soon it will be finished up in righteousness. Spare thy people Lord.
We commenced a course of lectures in this town last evening, about three miles north from where the tent was pitched in July last. JOSEPH BATES.
Moscow, Mich., Oct. 8th, 1856.
Letter from Bro. Bordeaux.
By A. C. Bordeaux
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS:—I was thinking to-day, how the wicked mock and reproach us for keeping God's commandments and believing his truth; and while I was thinking of the many trials and tribulations we have to meet with in these last days, the comforting words of David came into my mind, [Ps. xxxvii, 39, 40.] "The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him."
It seems as though the Psalmist well understood that all those who are turning to the Lord, and are trying to do according to his holy requirements, must expect to meet with many afflictions and tribulations, when he said, [Ps. xxxiv, 19.] "Many are the afflictions of the righteous," &c. And Paul well understood it, when he exhorted the disciples to continue in the faith, and that they must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts xiv, 22. But, blessed be God, they did not leave them without a word of consolation. The first points the righteous to an Almighty Deliverer: "But the Lord delivereth him out of them all." The latter points the disciples to the place of the habitation of that Almighty Deliverer: "into the kingdom of God."
O how often are we almost ready to murmur against God while we are sojourning from the land of Egypt to the land of Canaan! "The patience of the saints" does not consist in so-doing. If we possess the true patience we will find the consolation of the Christian's hope to be very great, in sickness and health, in prosperity and adversity; we will not be discouraged at trials, but bear them cheerfully, remembering that our light afflictions which are but for a moment, shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!
Said our Saviour, [John xiv, 1-3.] "Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions," &c. Moses was not troubled when he led the children of Israel into the Red Sea upon the dry ground, and when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego disregarded the decree of the king, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace, they were not troubled. Neither was Daniel troubled when he was cast into the den of lions. They all trusted in their God, and God delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.
Let us also trust in God and he will deliver us out of all our troubles. We must not faint in view of the perils of the last days. We must persevere to the end, always bearing in mind that our Lord is coming quickly; and his reward is with him, to give every man according as his work shall be. And if we are found keeping all the Commandments of God, and having the Testimony of Jesus Christ, we shall have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the City. Rev. xxii, 14.
Your unworthy brother,
A. C. BORDEAUX.
West Enosburgh, Vt.
The Christian Home
There is nothing on earth so beautiful as the household on which Christian love forever smiles, and where religion walks, a counsellor and a friend. No cloud can darken it, for its twin stars are centered in the soul. No storms can make it tremble, for it has a heavenly anchor. The home circle surrounded by such influences has an antepast of the joys of a heavenly home.
The Present and the Future
By Fenelon
Strange it is, that the experience of so many ages should not make us judge more solidly of the present and of the future, so as to take proper measures in the one for the other. We doat upon this world as if it were never to have an end, and we neglect the next as if it were never to have a beginning.—Fenelon.
God’s Pure Word
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.—Prov.
Church Order.
By J. B. Frisbie
REPLY TO QUESTIONS BY BRO. HUTCHINS.
Question.—“By what rule shall we determine who is, and who is not, a member of the true church of God?” and how “to exclude offending members?”
Answer.—1st. By baptism. Acts ii, 37–39, 41, 42, 47; Rom. vi, 4, 17, 18; 1 Cor. xii, 13, 27, 28; Gal. iii, 27. Bible baptism is of equal importance with faith, and is for the remission of sins when obeyed from the heart by faith, when we are made free from sin by obedience. By this act, as appears from the above scriptures, the Lord adds members to his church.
We esteem baptisms of the different men-made churches as they are esteemed by themselves; that is, of no saving value; while we must regard Bible baptism to be saving, because the Bible says so. Mark xvi, 16; 1 Pet. iii, 21. Then they should be counted as members of the church of God and fellowshiped as such. All will be moved upon to attend to this duty without urging.
5. By keeping the Commandments. John xiii, 34, 35. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.” By the same rule may we know one another.
This prepares us to answer the second question.
2. What shall be done by the Church (if any action is taken) when a member about to be labored with for his past wrongs, withdraws from the Church? This has been done by one who had long been a sore grief to the Church wherever his case was known: since which I learn he has professedly been teaching and preaching the Third Angel’s Message, yet no action has been taken by the church.
Answer.—It has appeared that it should be the privilege of any one to withdraw from the Church at any time before there has been labor or charge brought against him or her. But after there have been charges brought which can be sustained, fellowship should be withdrawn where scriptural steps have been taken; but in all cases labor should precede withdrawal. But if in case the church have neglected to do their duty, as in the case referred to, and that individual is preaching the Third Angel’s Message upon his own responsibility, and does not pretend to belong to the Church, let this generally be understood by the Church and world where he is acquainted. But should he trouble the Church, then let that Church that he left publish him, that the churches or brethren may not be imposed upon. Will not this be sufficient?
But the scripture rule is for the Church to withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not the disorderly to withdraw from the fellowship of the church. This will meet the case where the church have done their duty.
3. In case of existing trials in the Church, is it scriptural for one or two, or more, to leave the Church before any settlement of difficulties has taken place, and refuse to be subject to the voice of the remaining members, and also to the advice and counsel of a disinterested committee, yet still claim to be in fellowship with the Church in other places? Do not such individuals rather, virtually withdraw themselves from the entire Church?
Answer.—As all the church of God are the one body, how it can be that a member should withdraw fellowship from the body and still belong to the body, is more than we can tell. There can be no doubt that he who withdraws from the fellowship of one Church, does from all. This is my opinion by the best light that I gain in the Scriptures at present.
It does not seem possible that any who love the present truth, and feel for the real good of the cause, could be willing to leave the fellowship of the Church when their help is needed in the settlement of any difficulty. And they who cannot be fellowshiped at home, where they are best known, certainly should not be abroad, where they are not known; for he who is well received at home should be well received abroad.
It is sometimes the case that some who walk with the Church will find fault and threaten a withdrawal, if the Church does not disfellowship certain ones, when it is their duty to attend to their case themselves.
Yours in the love of the truth.
J. B. FRISBIE.
Our Dialect.
By J. W. Raymond
TO THE YOUNG.
(Concluded.)
As sobriety is a characteristic, opposite to levity, we will cite a few texts from the Word upon that point. A text of scripture that inculcates sobriety is equivalent to a prohibition of levity and mirth. The word sober is sometimes used in the Bible as a prohibition of inebriety; but the following passages are intended as a prohibition of levity. "Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded; in all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine shewing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Titus iii, 6-8. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. i, 13. "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." 1 Pet. iv, 7. As the tongue has something to do with our conversation, we will cite a few passages of scripture in regard to that: "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." Ps. xxxiv, 18. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Prov. xviii, 21. "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble." Prov. xxi, 23. "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." James i, 26. "For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." 1 Pet. iii, 10. "I said that I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me." Ps. xxxix, 1. Says James, [chap. iii, 2.] "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body." In verse 6 we read, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell."
The Apostle here uses language which impresses upon our minds the fact that of all the evil and unruly members which we possess, the tongue is the chief, so much so, that if we obtain a victory over that, so as not to offend in word, we shall be able to bridle the whole body.
Now in order to be prepared to participate in the saints' inheritance, to stand acquitted before the King of kings, and Lord of lords, to be holy in life and in conversation, a victory over the tongue is indispensably necessary. But says the same Apostle, [chap. iii, 8.] "The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
As necessary to our salvation as is the taming of the tongue, we here meet with the fact that no man can tame it. Man may bring all the power he possesses to bear upon this one point, and yet he is inadequate to the task: he cannot tame the tongue. If man cannot tame the tongue, God only can. But how does he tame it? By cleansing and purifying the fountain—the heart. This is the only way the tongue ever has been, or ever will be, tamed, so as not to cause its possessor to transgress the requirements of God's word, by indulging in unholy conversation.
But it is one thing to tame the tongue, and quite another to keep it tame. The first act devolves upon God; the second, through his grace, upon us. We cannot tame our tongues, from the fact that we cannot cleanse and purify our hearts; but after God has once cleansed and purified our hearts, and thus rendered this otherwise unruly and belligerent member tame, we can, through his grace, keep them clean and pure, and thus keep it tame. We may labor ardently and incessantly to trammel our tongues, so as to be holy in all manner of conversation while our hearts are corrupt; but our efforts will be futile and unavailing. The fact is, the work of regeneration must commence precisely where the work of degeneration commences, which is in the heart.
Says the Saviour, [Mark vii, 21-23.] "From within, out of the heart (mind) of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these things come from within and defile the man."
Of the 144,000 it is said: "In their mouth there was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." Said our Saviour while on earth, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." How it becomes us to address ourselves to the task of seeking for purity and holiness of heart: knowing that none but the pure in heart will ever see God. And we should bear in mind, that what we do to prepare ourselves or others for eternal life, must be done now. Procrastination is extremely dangerous.
We are living in a solemn time; and I apprehend that if we had a just and vivid conception of the shortness of probationary time and the solemn scenes just before us, we should feel that we had no time to squander.
What! is it true that we are living in the last days—living under the proclamation of the Third Angel's Message, the last message of mercy, when, yet a little while, and husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, will be called to part, and to part to meet no more? May our heavenly Parent help us to so live and conduct ourselves before those with whom we have to do, as to clear our skirts from the blood of their souls.
O how thankful we should be to our heavenly Father that he has brought us to see the Third Angel's Message, and where we are not in darkness that the day of Christ's coming should overtake as a thief; while the great mass of the youth are being deceived and led down the broad way to destruction. Do we appreciate the love of God? Do we realize the shortness of time? I hope we do. Glory to God! the time is not far distant when "the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
But between this and the time when "sorrow and sighing shall flee away," intervenes a time of trouble such as never was. Some of the scenes which are to transpire during this time of trouble, are graphically portrayed in Rev. xvi. And it is no trivial affair to be prepared to meet these scenes. It is no small thing to obtain that preparation which will exempt us from suffering the seven last plagues brought to view in Rev. xvi.
There is but one way that leads to eternal life, and that is the straight and narrow way; and they that walk therein must lay aside and forego unholy conversation, pride and the love of the world, and lead a self-denying and cross-bearing life. A little way from this and there will be a mighty stir in the charnel-houses, and the righteous dead will come forth clothed with immortality, and the righteous living will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and with them be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and be taken to that New Jerusalem which is above, which is free, which is the mother of us all.
May the Lord in much mercy grant us strength to so live that our lives shall comport with the Word, that we may at last greet each other on mount Zion, where glory will deck the brows of the immortal saints, and together walk the streets of the New Jerusalem.
Your unworthy brother, seeking for eternal life.
J. W. RAYMOND.
A Call for Laborers in Wisconsin
By Abby Benson
From Sister Benson.
BRO. SMITH: It is through the long suffering and tender mercy of God that I have been permitted to love and hold on to the truth till now. It is now about five years since I embraced the present truths of the Bible, and I have ever felt unworthy to be called one of the children of God. Still my heart is with them, and with the Review. I believe it is the only paper owned and approved of the Lord, and I feel thankful for the many heart-cheering truths I read in the Review. It comes to me a welcome visitor.
I feel to thank God that he has kept me from the many dark influences and false doctrines that have surrounded me since I came West.
There is a little band of about twelve here. We hold meetings on the Sabbath, and are striving to overcome through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. I believe there are some honest souls in this region. When I look around and see the wide field of labor here, I feel to cry out, O that the Lord would send some faithful messenger here, to sound the Third Angel's Message.
I feel to thank God that he corrects his children through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I want to be a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, and be permitted to stand on mount Zion with the 144,000, that will be redeemed from the earth.
Your unworthy sister in tribulation.
ABBY BENSON.
Mackford, Marquette Co., Wis.
Extra Letters.
Sister Laura Murch writes from Paw Paw, Mich.: "Ever since I could read and understand for myself I have believed that if one day was holier than another it was the seventh. O how blinded by the doctrines and traditions of men not to perceive that what God had made holy, was holy. But thanks be to God who opened my eyes, and enlightened my understanding on the subject of the Sabbath. It is now over two years since my mind was awakened to the subject. I then began to search the Scriptures for arguments to sustain my position in regard to Sunday-keeping. But what was my astonishment when reading carefully and with a prayerful heart, I could find nothing to prove that Sunday was ever kept as a Sabbath by the apostles, and that the Sabbath of the Lord was not abolished, but that Jesus was Lord also of the Sabbath. Now what a conflict commences! I must now leave my good name, be called a deluded creature, unstable, carried about with every wind of doctrine, bear the reproach of those near and dear to me by the ties of nature and friendship; or, I must bear the reproach of my own conscience, and be condemned by God's word, which says, Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. I am told that the day has been lost; that from the creation until Moses it was not observed, therefore it must have been forgotten. God surely had not forgotten it when he gave the commandments to the children of Israel; and the women which prepared spices and ointment for embalming the body of Jesus, and rested the Sabbath-day according to the commandment, must have known it.
"Not only do I wish to keep the Sabbath, but all of the commandments. And O may we who believe in the soon coming Christ, be careful to depart from iniquity. O for holiness of heart! O, my brethren and sisters, I hope shall set such examples as shall convince those around us that we have been with Jesus."
Faithfulness in the Last Days
Sister E. Degarmo writes from Parish, N. Y.:—
“When I see so much dead formality among those professing godliness while they deny the truth and trample on the commandments of God, by denying the fourth. I feel tired of my pilgrimage in this lonely earth; yet I can say, Lord, thy will be done. Brethren, let us be faithful. Our race is almost run. Although our path is one that lies through sorrow, temptation, persecution and perils, by sinful men, false brethren and the arch-traitor, who is trying to deceive,200if possible the, very elect, let us be faithful a little longer, watch and pray, faint not by the way, but be diligent and not be satisfied unless we gain some new victory every day.
“When I get the Review, and there learn the position in which we stand, by comparing the different articles with the word of God, the testimony of our glorious King, and the Revelation given to the beloved disciple on the isle of Patmos, I feel to thank God and take courage that we see the way-marks pointed out, and are not lost in this dreary wilderness, but know that we are in the right way.”
Bro. L. P. Miller writes from Shelby, Mich., Oct., 9th, 1856: “We are still striving to prepare for the coming of the Lord, that his coming be not a sad event to us, but joyous. We want the prayers of the brethren, that we may be found with our lamps trimmed and burning when Christ shall appear, that we may enter in through the gates into the city of the Lord, with all who are patiently waiting and looking for his coming and kingdom.”