ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM EARNEST WORKERS.
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Texas.
DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:--I am one of the lone ones--an old lady of 84 years, but I love the precious truths for these last days. Providentially I picked up the first volume of MILLENNIAL DAWN when I was away from home on a visit in Waco a year ago, and I thank God that he ever directed me to these precious truths. I seem to have a new Bible now and I thank God daily for his beautiful plan of salvation.
I feel that I cannot wait longer for the TOWER. Please send it to me. I will send the money for it and some DAWNS to scatter.
Yours in Christ, MRS. M. E. RUST.
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Cincinnati.
DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:--Glad to tell you that I have recently found here quite a goodly number deeply interested from reading the DAWNS.
I am drawing my canvass here to a close preparatory to the holding of some meetings at Columbus and also at New Albany, O. In the latter place the brethren are preparing that they may be mightily helped by my visit and preaching among them. Will you, and Sister Russell also, pray for us? After the meeting, when on my way to Chicago, I have promised to stop again at Columbus and Van Wert.
Much love, in which Sr. A. joins.
Yours in Christ, J. B. ADAMSON.
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England.
MY VERY DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:--I have started several times to write to you since your ever-to-be-remembered visit, but have always been put off. Your visit here was a veritable, divine appointment. Its influence on others has been great for good, I doubt not, but to me especially. I cannot tell you all I have felt since Sept. 13th: words fail me utterly. The humiliation, the self-abasement, the light, the love, that have succeeded each other, no tongue can tell, but you can understand it, because you have known it yourself. The Scriptures have seemed to open out of themselves, and never before have I had such freedom in giving meat to the household of faith.
You suggested to me the Colporteur work. This I felt I could not undertake without further consideration. I should have been so glad to say, Yes, to you, but something held me back. I could not feel that I was fitted for such work. This conviction has grown upon me; but with it I have also realized that for the present I must labor where I am. And I am confirmed in the belief that this is the Master's ordering by the blessing granted on the work I am doing. I think I told you or Sister Russell that I had a class of twenty to thirty men every Sunday morning for a Bible lesson. Somehow some portion of the spirit of Elijah fell upon us at those memorable London meetings, and the men have realized that their teacher has received a blessing and must bless others if he is to keep it. A fortnight ago the kindly and helpful testimony given as to the way these lessons are appreciated was most encouraging. To the Master be all the praise. Three of the men were specially anxious to testify of the good they had received, and these were men cradled and reared in Methodism. Two of them said the Bible was a new book to them, and that they had learned more of the word, plans and purposes of God during the last few weeks than in all their former life put together. I felt deeply humiliated and could only ask for grace to help in this time of need. Knowledge puffeth up, but I am deeply conscious that I am nothing and fearful that men will look too much at the instrument. Since then there are two others, who, having heard of the light God is giving, have come to see for themselves. One of them is a local preacher. He has been impressed with the beauty of God's plan and says [R1384 : page 94] he will not miss being present whenever he can get here. I have sold all the DAWNS I had and am glad to hear that now we can be supplied from London. I hope to be able to arrange for public meetings occasionally this winter, but hold myself open to anything and everything that the Master of the Harvest gives me to do. And it is astonishing how many ways he opens up.
Your first discourse in London, "Come out of her, my people," has been a source of encouragement to me. I am always on the lookout for the sheep and lambs. O! I thank God that not one of his shall be lost, also for the great privilege of seeking them. Three weeks ago we had a very dear friend staying with us who is a Minister in the Prim. Meth. church, and with whom we had often exchanged views by letter. He and his wife left us deeply impressed by "our manner of life." They are both sincere Christians and have very much of the love and likeness of the Master about them. The Master himself ordered all our conversation. We invariably entered into sweet fellowship, and yet the doctrines of the trinity, immortality, future punishment, the destiny of mankind, and the greatest doctrine of all--the Atonement through Christ our Ransomer--all were entered into as they were suggested to us; and this profitably to both sides. Since then left us for home (London) we have received a good letter from them. They are fully consecrated to him whom we love. These means God has brought to me, and in so many ways-- by letter, by speaking and by teaching--have I been shown God's graciousness, so that I feel sure that for the present, at least, my influence is greatest and best exerted where I am. I am able to sell DAWNS and get others to do so, too, but if the Lord will that I go out, I pray he may show me and give grace in needful supply. There are many things one would like to talk about. O! the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord at and ever since your visit! But I cannot write more now, only to say that our (wife and self) hearts are overflowing with gratitude to the Master for his goodness in sending you to England.
Sister Horne wrote me a characteristic letter yesterday. She tells me she has heard from you. There are none on earth that occupy such a place in our hearts as your dear selves. My heart is full and I am overjoyed at having received such blessing. Give our loving greeting to all the Brethren and Sisters, and may your hands be strengthened and your hearts cheered in the great work, is the sincere prayer of your affectionate fellow-servants,
AARON & P. C. RILEY.
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Texas.
TOWER TRACT SOCIETY, DEAR BRETHREN:--
Enclosed you will find Express Money Order for six dollars, the amount of my "Good Hopes" for this quarter. Rather early, but better than too late. This leaves me paid up until June. I delight in this opportunity for serving the Lord and the truth, and have a feeling at heart that I am doing right. With love to you all, I am
Your Brother in Christ, E. WALLACE.
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Ohio.
DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:--Your very kind and highly appreciated letter was duly received. After considerable study and prayer, I have concluded that it is best for me to have as little as possible to do with the nominal church, and nothing at all to do with their religious services.
I have been singing in protracted meetings every night for seven successive weeks, and during that time I have felt very much out of place --as their doctrines and especially their revival services very much oppose the Bible and God's plan of the ages. "Eternal torment" and the "restitution of all things" do not go well together.
It is my greatest desire to do the Lord's will, and I am confident that in the near future the way will be opened for me to serve him more effectively than I have been able to do in the past.
Oh, how thankful I am to God and to you, Brother Russell, that the MILLENNIAL DAWN ever came into my hands! How thankful I am that God has called me out of darkness into his wonderful light! I cannot thank him enough for it. May I prove my loyalty to him by living the truth--by letting my light shine, and by putting forth every possible effort to lead others to the light!
I have enjoyed studying your articles on the Ransom. I am sure they are thoroughly Scriptural and are very much needed in this evil day. You cannot overdo that subject. The S.S. lesson expositions are "meat in due season," and I am sure they will be highly appreciated by all TOWER readers.
Enclosed you will find $5.00, which kindly hand to Sister Russell on account of my "Good Hopes." Please remember me to Sister Russell, Brother Henninges and all the TOWER workers, and pray for me that I may be as "wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove," and that I may never shrink from the consequences of truth.
I remain your brother in Christ,
M. L. McPHAIL.
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England.
DEAR SIR AND BRO. RUSSELL:--I see by the last issue of the TOWER that you desire all the readers to send you a few lines. And in compliance I beg to state I am one to whom the M. Dawn and the TOWER have been indeed and in truth meat in due season. But I have to state that I can no longer send in the subscription price, for my whole income is but 10 pence a day; but I cannot afford to lose the precious food in the mean time, so I request that the TOWER be continued to me as one of the interested Lord's poor.
I will mention the address of a friend who I think will be a subscriber, if you will send him a sample copy; his address is __________.
I may describe him as a ravenous truth-seeker. The copies of Millennial Dawn which I loaned him have been to him meat in due season. The Parish Minister in visiting him saw the DAWNS, and after examining them described them as being a wonderful work.
Yours with much love, in Christ, J. PLINT.
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Wisconsin.
DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:--I write just a few lines to try to give you some idea of my high appreciation of the TOWER in its new dress, as it comes to us semi-monthly laden with the food now due, and which is to build up and strengthen the household of faith, and which, if properly digested, will enable them to stand, firmly established, by and through a knowledge of the Truth as found in God's Word.
I think you have shown wisdom in taking up the Int. S.S. Lessons, and your manner of treating them will prove a blessing to all who will give the proper attention to their study. There were just three of us who met at my house last Lord's day. We took for study Lesson 8th, Jer. 36:19-31, and read your remarks on the lesson, proving everything up as we went along. When we came to where you compared Jeremiah's prophecy with Revelation to prove that the Prophet referred to mystic Babylon we went carefully through all the references, comparing one with the other. When we got through we all felt there was no room for doubt.
I fear many fail to get the full benefit of these precious truths, because they do not take the trouble to prove them up, and thereby put it beyond doubt in their own mind, and when they point out these truths to others, and are met with, "Oh! that is what Russell says," they are not able to reply, "It is what God's Word teaches." And doubtless in many instances doubts are created in their own minds, and all because they swallowed the food without proper mastication, and have failed to digest it and benefit by it, and so they are weak.
I see I have strayed away from what I intended to say. Of course we get very hungry between meals: we have no preaching, no sermons except what we get from the precious TOWER, and that seems not half enough to satisfy us. And we go to the fountain of water (God's Word), and drink in the blessed truths, and look forward to the time when we may say to all, "Come to the waters of life and take freely."
Yours in hope of the victory, S. T. BARNES.
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West Virginia.
DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:--Warmest thanks to you and Sister Russell, with love and gratitude for so much of the Lord's bounties you have spread and are spreading before us. It is simply delightful to follow you through the earth, into the heavens, and the ages revealing the "Miracles and wonders God has wrought" --exposing the power and signs and lying wonders of Satan, putting a "new song into our mouth, praise unto our God" (Psalm 40), and confirming unto us the Covenant.
How strange to see the power of Satan exercised side by side with God's agencies without restraint--even up to and beyond the most thrilling crisis in the history of man. How Satan succeeded in preventing the arrival of the two thousand chosen troops in time for the noble Pilate's use, must have astonished higher intelligences than man at the time. And to-day he is permitted to surround the saints with his cunning devices, working miracles, claiming the sanction, if not openly the authority of Christ--Antichrist to the last, and deceiving many for a time.
While objectors hereabouts cannot gainsay, yet they do express their scorn. If we had a name with an "ism" to it, they might tolerate our views....
Yours in Christ, H. L. GILLIS.