BRO. SMITH: It is between four and five months since I commenced to keep the Sabbath of the Lord, the day which he sanctified and blessed, and how the Lord has blessed me in my endeavors to do his will and keep all his commandments! I find them not grievous, oh no, there is great peace and joy for those that believe and obey. I think I have realized what it is to have joy which is unspeakable, and that peace which passeth all understanding, especially for the last two weeks. The Lord has been very near and I have had sweet communion with him. And may we not always live near to him, always feel the consoling influence of his presence, always rejoice in the hope of his soon coming? O the blessed hope! and it is ours; the christian's hope, so full of immortality! O christians, fellow-travelers to that bright world to come, let us put our whole trust in God, let us lean upon His arm who is able to bear us up under every trial, let us seek consolation from Him who said, Lo I am with you always, and, I will never leave nor forsake thee. Precious promise! O what love, what compassion our Saviour has! Brethren and sisters, let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, let us praise him for his great mercy and loving kindness to us. I feel to praise him for his mercy to me, the most unworthy of his creatures, in bringing me to see the light of present truth. How good, to send his messengers this way and then to open our eyes to see and our hearts to receive the truth.
April the 23, part of our little band of Sabbath-keepers met with the church at Battle Creek. The Lord met with us. It was indeed a feast to my soul. Although suffering with severe headache, I scarcely realized it. I felt as though lifted above all pain, and that one day in his courts was better than a thousand days in the tents of wickedness. After the morning service, four of us were buried with Christ by baptism. What a blessed privilege to have our sins remitted! I felt indeed dead to the world. O may I walk henceforth in newness of life, and so be ready to meet our Lord at his coming. In the afternoon we listened to the word preached by Bro. White, followed by a short exhortation by sister White. How cheering were her words! How my heart went out in unison with hers, as she pointed us up to that great source of light and comfort, that fountain of consolation, the christian's Friend, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift.
We have been much favored with preaching here in Convis. The Lord in his goodness and mercy has been mindful of us, and has often sent his messengers this way. It has greatly encouraged and strengthened us. Brother Frisbie has been instrumental in doing much good here. May the Lord bless and reward him for his labor among us. How good the Lord is! His lovingkindness is over all his works, and his mercy endureth for ever. The little company of Sabbath-keepers here are striving to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. May our way ever be onward and upward, and finally lead us to that city which is not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Yours hoping to be gathered with all God's people into the fold of the good Shepherd.
MARY SCOTT
Convis, Mich., May 6th, 1859.
SARAH GOLDIN
By Sarah Goldin
From Sister Goldin.
Bro. Smith: I must say that the present truth seems to me to be a glorious truth indeed. Seven months ago in hearing the subject of the Sabbath discussed, I received a little light of present truth. But at first I did not know as I ever should get enough to stand upon. I was not contented with such a foundation, and so I began to search for myself, that I might know where and upon what I was standing.
I have great reason to be thankful to God for his longsuffering towards me. I am led to wonder sometimes that such an unworthy creature as myself should be plucked as a brand from the burning. I will praise God for his goodness to me. It is the desire of my heart to live out the truths I now believe. I want to buy the gold that is tried in the fire. My relatives, for the most part, are enemies to the present truth. Sometimes I try to talk with them, as I want to have them see the truth, knowing the time will soon come when he that is unjust will be unjust still, and he that is holy, holy still.
As I retired to rest a night or two ago, the condition of my own family, and also other connections, rushed into my mind. They say they want the truth. Now if they do, and all others who are fighting against us, it seems to me they will sit down and reason as a person naturally would if he was traveling to a certain place and was not acquainted with the road or place. He would be willing to hear the way pointed out to him very plain, without interrupting the individual that was pointing out the way to him, by telling him of some other way so frequently that he could not hear the directions to the place he requested. It seems there are some who put light for darkness, and darkness for light, at the present time. It is through the great mercy of my heavenly Father that I threw away my prejudice, and was willing to hear the truth preached. It would be hard for me to stand now where I did before I embraced the present truth.
I love to hear from the brethren and sisters through the Review. It has often strengthened me in the way of truth. A short time since in talking with an opposer of the truth, he turned to Rev. xxii, and read, "For without are dogs, and sorcerers," and so on. He said it did not read Sabbath-breakers. I told him the verse above it said, "Blessed are they that do his commandments." I thought it read plain enough. My prayer is that our opposers may yet see the truth that God has for his people in these last days. It appears to me that God at different times had a particular truth for the people to believe. Do we not see how it was before the flood? also before our Saviour was born! His birth was foretold to the people, but they did not receive it. And now in these last days he has a blessed truth for all who will obey. By having respect unto all his commandments, they may enter in through the gates into the city. If these few imperfect lines should fall into the hands of any who have had thoughts that we might be right, and have not decided against us yet, I would say to such, Ask God to guide you into the truth, and search for yourselves, that you be not deceived, but may be numbered with the remnant.
Yours in love of the truth.
SARAH GOLDIN
Crane's Grove, Ills.
Comfort in Bereavement
Sister L. Parmenter writes from Rochester, Mich.:
"I can say to brother Allen, my heart feels his woes. I can weep with those that weep. His lines called to mind the scenes that I have passed through. Death, the cruel spoiler, has taken from us three children, a son and two daughters. O how bitter was the pang! How our hearts were rent! But Jesus says, Come unto me all ye weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. How sweet it is that there is one that can give us rest. We must come with faith and a humble heart, and he will clear away the dark clouds that gather over us.
"Though lonesome is my dwelling-place,
My children gone from me,
If Jesus shows his smiling face
How cheerful I shall be."
JAMES WHITE
By James White
Brn. in Iowa will be gratified with the following from Bro. J. T. Orton, of Rochester, N. Y.: "I have bought a good second hand Tent Circle, 50 feet, with 25 ropes, all in good order, for $85,00. It has been put up four times."
We have sent a draft to pay for the Tent, which will soon be shipped to B. F. Curtis, Iowa City, Iowa.
JAMES WHITE
Appointments at Tyrone and Lapeer
By M. E. Cornell
The Lord willing. I expect to meet with the friends of truth in Tyrone, Sabbath, May 21st, and at Lapeer, Sabbath, May 28th.
Brethren will please arrange for about three discourses in each place, as they may deem best. Remittances for REVIEW, &c., can be received, as we go direct to Battle Creek.
M. E. CORNELL.
Subscription List
By Editor
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