p. 104 | Review and Herald, Vol. 16, No. 13. (8/14/1860)

Earlier text: SUNDAY THE TRUE SEVENTH DAY

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER FROM IRELAND.

By John Nevins Andrews

Bro. Smith: When I embraced the present truth, three years ago last fall, my heart yearned over my relatives and kindred who were far away in my native land. I wrote to them on the all-important subject of salvation, and sent them books. The following extract from a letter from my sister in the flesh, will show the result of my feeble efforts.

J. Andrews.

Morrison, Ills.

"Now, dear brother, I have many things to say to you. I am much perplexed in mind about the one great concern of life. I know that to love God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man. I feel that the keeping of the Sabbath is the test of my obedience. When I look at the requirements of the fourth commandment, I must come to the conclusion that under existing circumstances I find it almost an impossibility to keep them, in the midst of hurry and bustle of worldly business, without one individual to go with me, with the exception of my daughter Sarah, who is also much distressed to witness the prevalent desecration of the Sabbath of the Lord. My husband and the older members of the family are fully convinced that the Sabbath was changed by man without any authority from Scripture, and would give up Sunday observance but for this reason: there are none as yet to take hold with them in this country, and they cannot be persuaded that all the professed people of God here are under condemnation and exposed to wrath, they rather believe that the Father of infinite mercy will in his own good time and way remove this cloud of popish darkness, and raise up some chosen, faithful witnesses to stand for truth in this land. I am rejoiced to say I believe Robert, James and Sarah are seeking to know the Lord with all their hearts, and to be found of him blameless.

"Dear brother and friends in Jesus, pray for us that we all may be brought to a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, to walk therein in love, obeying the commandments of God, and walking in all the ordinances of his church blameless. I have been much cast down of late, looking at church ordinances, particularly baptism, and the supper of the Lord. These two injunctions of my divine Master I feel excluded from, as I know not where to look for the first, and cannot partake of the second as it is administered in any of the churches. I can no longer join in church fellowship with those who put light for darkness and darkness for light. I am determined by the aid of divine grace to walk according to the Bible, trusting in the promise of God, that he will give me his Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth. O may I ever be enabled to lean on that almighty arm that holds the world and all things up. The promise is, I will never leave thee, I will never forsake thee. Father, I believe, O save me to the end for thy dear Son's sake. Amen.

"I had the pleasure of seeing our old friend John Greason, yesterday, who preached in our father's house twenty-eight years ago, and has stood ever since unconnected with any religious society, preaching the truths of the gospel, as far, I believe, as they have been revealed to him. I got into conversation with him on the Sabbath question. After he advanced many of the arguments that are generally used to sustain Sunday-keeping (I dare say to try what ground I stood on), he was quite overcome, and told me he had been trembling under this cross for years, still waiting to get over to the land of liberty, fearing to publish the message here, lest he should be discarded from society, or have none to hear him. He felt deeply convinced that he was doing wrong. We united in prayer. He confessed his past unfaithfulness before God, and I firmly believe left our house fully determined to stand forth a witness for the truth. We all accompanied him to Mr. Carson's where he had preached and stayed over night. We were present at family worship. It was a time not to be forgotten, I trust, by me and others present. Never did I witness such power in prayer while he advanced his views of the second advent of our Lord, the transgression of God's holy law, our obligation to obey all its precepts, and finally his determination in future to obey the commandments of God himself, and teach their observance to all with whom he had intercourse. I feel greatly rejoiced and trust the Lord will greatly bless his labors in this country. I want you all to help him by your earnest prayers.

"I would like to have the reading of the Review and Herald. I wish you to send me the works entitled, The Atonement, and Two-horned Beast.

"With much love, believe me your affectionate sister. Margaret Armstrong.

"B——, Monaghan Co., Ireland.

Bro. A. sends one dollar to have the Review sent to Ireland as above, which we have accordingly sent.—Ed.

Extracts from Letters.

Bro. C. L. Rogers writes from Ripon, Wis.: "Permit me, through the columns of your paper, to say to the dear brethren and sisters scattered abroad, that I am still striving to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. As often as the Sabbath returns, which I hail with delight, while I see others laboring all around me, the command comes to me, Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Dear brethren and sisters, how I feel the need of the supporting grace of God, to bear me up under the trials and difficult circumstances in which I am placed. I praise the Lord for as much of his love as I feel shed abroad in my heart. I still feel determined to go on and strive to keep all his commandments, and try to do every known duty in the love and fear of God. Brethren, pray for me that I may be enabled to live acceptably in the sight of God, and to set godly examples before the world, and all with whom I have to do, that I may not bring a wound or reproach on the cause of Christ.

"I have not enjoyed the privilege of meeting with any of like precious faith since I left my brethren and sisters at Fish Lake, except an interview I had a short time since with Bro. Hargrave and his family in Ripon, which was a very agreeable, and to me blessed, interview. Brethren, though we are separated in body, yet am I present with you in spirit, and feel to rejoice in the thought that if faithful we shall one day meet in the city of the New Jerusalem, where will be no more separation from friends we love; and what is best of all, Jesus will be there, and will wipe away all tears from all faces, and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying, and

There we shall see his face, And never, never sin, There from the rivers of his grace, Drink endless pleasures in.

"Praise God! Blessed Jesus! How precious is the name!

I love to think on mercies past, And future good implore, And all my cares and sorrows cast, On him whom I adore.

"I feel that I love God, and am striving to live in obedience to all his requirements. He blesses me from day to day, and I feel to put my trust and confidence in him, and to rely upon his word. We hope at last to meet you all in his glorious kingdom, to enjoy the blessings in store for the faithful, to all eternity."

Sister A. J. Dyer writes from Lyons, Ohio: "I love to hear through the Review from those scattered abroad, chosen to be saints. We may never see each other's faces here, but O what a blessed thought, what a glorious hope, that if we are only faithful we shall meet in that heavenly city, and hold unbroken communion with all the pure and holy, by the river of life which issues from the throne of God. There sorrow and sighing shall be done away, and God shall wipe off all tears from all faces; and he that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.

O what are all my sufferings here, If, Lord, thou count me meet, With all the enraptured host to appear, And worship at his feet.'

"And we are urged to come and partake of the joys of heaven. How kindly has Jesus entreated us to come to the Father through him. He has said, 'If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.' 'Verily, verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.' If it were not for these blessed promises, I should almost despair of ever reaching the celestial city; but he has said, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' O may I have faith to cling to the blessed promise. What sweet words are those given in Matt. vii, 7, to encourage faith. We come to a parent never thinking but that we shall get our request if it is in their power to grant it. And he says, 'How much more shall our Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him. O I want just such implicit faith and confidence; for I have great need of them to keep me in these perilous times, and to purify a sinful heart. May we be more earnest and self-denying. Let us make a covenant with our God by sacrifice."

Bro. J. V. Weeks writes from Civil Bend: "In looking about us we find not only the openly wicked and profane trampling on the fourth commandment, but those who profess to have sweet communion with the Saviour hesitate not to break God's holy law and teach others to do the same. Such associations and connections are not desirable for Sabbath-keepers endeavoring to rear a family in obedience to God's law. All the imposing solemnities of public worship, all the teachings and influences which should cluster around the Sabbath of the Eternal are here associated with the Sabbath of the Pope, having more or less influence on the mind of the young.

Brethren and sisters in the Lord, we earnestly long for the time when some of the messengers of the truth shall come this way and labor in this part of the vineyard that God may be glorified in the formation of churches of believers in the truth of the third angel's message, and firm defenders of the law of God. O, for an overcoming faith, an entire consecration to the work of the Lord. We have often desired and perhaps coveted those gifts which some of you so eminently possess whereby we might successfully teach transgressors of God's law the error of their ways and be instrumental in sustaining the cause of truth. We are resolved to be active in our proper place in this spiritual building, hoping and trusting that God's blessing will attend the truth everywhere, and especially here, that precious souls may be added to the remnant of his people, though scattered, yet one in Christ."

Bro. L. L. Stone writes from Enosburg, Vt. : "It is but a short time since the Sabbath has been kept in this place as a holy day, the day that God has blessed and sanctified.

We are little 'tis true, And our numbers are few,

but we thank God that to the few, if faithful to the commandments of God and faith of Jesus, the Lord will give eternal life; they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand. John x, 28. Thank God for the present truth. I want to take hold of this work as for eternal life. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

OBITUARY.

Fell asleep in Jesus on the morning of July 23, 1860, after an illness of three days, our youngest daughter, Emma Gertrude, aged 6 years, 5 months, and 5 days. Her disease was inflamation. Her sufferings were intense, but she bore them without a murmur. As we deposited her form in the silent grave, by faith we looked forward to the first resurrection when she shall come forth in the beauty of immortality. Our prayer is that we may so live and so instruct her surviving sister, that we may make a happy family in that world where death cannot despoil, and where parting will be no more.

"Asleep in Jesus! O how sweet To be for such a slumber meet! With holy confidence to rest, In hope of being ever blest."

Hermon L. & Caroline L. Richmond.

Green Bush, Clinton Co., Mich.

The Cause is Onward.

By James White

ALMOST every week the brethren are cheered with the intelligence that more churches are being raised up, besides the individuals in all parts of the field continually joining the people of God who keep his Sabbath. This week's paper contains a good share of cheering intelligence.

And this work is not confined to the west of the lakes, as will be seen by reports from Mich., Penn., and New York. Our brethren in other fields, who consecrate all, time, talent, strength, health and life to the cause, and go into the work as western preachers do, bearing a plain, pointed testimony, have success also. With such a consecration, it is the privilege of God's servants to have a corresponding faith, and enjoy corresponding victory in their own souls, and sustaining power.

The work is of God. He lives and reigns. His ministers may believe in him fully. Let all his people praise him for his wonderful work, and pray that his blessing and sustaining power may attend the labors of those who give the message.

We have a plain and pointed testimony. God help us to give it as we find it in the Bible. It is a cutting rebuke to sinners in Zion, a reproving warning to the world. Temper down and smooth the message, ye who dare. You might as well plaster an oven with butter. Our soul is sick of hearing from half-consecrated lips, "O that is too severe—too harsh—a wrong spirit," &c.

We would not here say a word to influence the incautious of little experience to be rash. No, let the Bible correct such also, and guard them against the extreme to which they are exposed. But we feel particularly at this time for those who are going to sleep under the influence that the testimony of the third message must be smoothed, and great efforts must be made lest somebody will be offended.

The truth, when preached as it should be, will offend the majority. God's word for it. The honest will then decide for the truth, and come out strong. God help our preachers to bear a plain, pure testimony, and all the church to say amen, that the cause may move on gloriously. J. W.

To Correspondents.

By Editor

QUERY. If you please will you notice in the Review Acts ix, 7: "And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no man;" and Acts xxii, 9: "And they that were with him saw indeed the light and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me." Some infer from these two passages a contradiction which cannot be harmonized. A. J. D.

ANSWER. The word rendered hear in both the texts above referred to is akouo, and the word rendered voice is phone. The first of these words is defined, "to hear, hearken, listen to; hear, obey; know, understand;" and the definition of the second is, "a sound, a noise, as of thunder, an articulate sound, voice." The first of the texts is a record of the matter by Luke, and the second is a rehearsal by Paul of his experience; and it is not improbable that they had different ideas to convey according to the different significations of the words used. Thus Luke might wish to relate that they heard a sound or noise but saw no man; without contradicting the statements of Paul, who only wished to state that although they might have heard a sound, a noise, they understood not the voice of him that spoke to him. An instance where the word hear has this meaning is found in 1 Cor. xiv, 2: For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto man but unto God; for no man understandeth him. Here the same word is used that is found in Acts ix, 7, and is rendered understandeth; for while it is true that they would literally hear the voice of him who was speaking with an unknown tongue, it is also true that they would not understand his words. This explanation of the passages in Acts is given by Clarke, Wesley, Wakefield, Macknight, and Whiting.

A. S. H. of Vt. We have always considered Matt. xi, 12 as parallel with Luke xvi, 16. The expression "suffereth violence" might be rendered, to be seized or laid hold on with vehement desire; and the expression "take it by force" is defined in the Lexicon, to claim or seize on with avidity.

A Home for Brother M. Hull.

By James White

BRO. A. Caldwell says of the place offered by Bro. E. B. Saunders, mentioned in "Good Samaritan No. 4:" "It is well worth four hundred and twenty-five dollars. Bro. L. offers it for two hundred and forty dollars ready cash; so Bro. S. offers to give at least one hundred and eighty-five dollars."

To our proposition that we would be one of twenty-five to raise two hundred and fifty dollars to help Bro. Hull to a home, but few have responded.

We do not ask any church to drain their S. B. treasury. We do not ask small sums of those whose means are limited, but we invite those who would esteem it a pleasure, and are able to do so to send in their tens and twenties, or their pledges, and we will forward the means immediately, that Bro. H. may have a deed of the humble home at once, and be about his Master's business. Matters now stand thus:

Wm. Peabody, (pledged)	$20,00.
James White,	10,00.
D. R. Palmer, pd.	10,00.
Ira Abbey, ‐	10,00.
Wm. Treadwell, ‐	10,00.
S. W. Rhodes, ‐	10,00.

All who wish to take stock in this enterprise must apply immediately. J. W.

To the Brethren in Ohio.

We wish to say to the brethren in Ohio that the Ohio tent is in operation at North Royalton, Cuyahoga Co., and that brethren who have pledged support to the tent enterprise can forward their subscriptions to Bro. Oliver Mears, at Bowling Green, Wood Co., Ohio, who will forward it to us, or they can send it to us by directing to Cleveland, in care of John W. Stewart.

G. W. HoLt. T. J. BUTLER.

Aug. 6, 1860.

Business Department.

By Editor

Business Notes.

A. Place: Your letter was duly received and books &c. sent June 29. Trust you have received them ere this.

G. W. Perry: We do not have the paper you mention, and would be glad to receive a copy occasionally.

E. S. Luddington: Your subscription commenced at xiv, 20.

A. C. Hudson: Where can we obtain the book you mention?

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Good Interest at Millford

Bro. S. B. Whitney writes from the Michigan tent, Millford, Oakland Co.: "A good interest is being awakened here, so that our tent is nearly filled every evening, when it is pleasant, which is nearly the whole time."

Note from Bro. Loughborough.

By John Norton Loughborough

DEAR BRO. SMITH: Since reporting the Marquette tent-meeting, Bro. Steward and myself have spent another Sabbath and first-day there. Four more were baptized, making in all twenty-one that have been baptized since the tent meeting commenced. An opposition sermon was preached on first-day, on the immortality question, which we reviewed in the evening. The cause is still onward in Marquette. We are now at Lodi, ready to commence meeting in a day or two.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.