EXTRACTS FROM INTERESTING LETTERS.
MY DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit!" You have received no report from me recently because of sudden, recurring, and very painful sickness. The physician said yesterday I must keep quiet "for another week." At present, therefore, I am but a broken reed. I have before suffered great mental agonies, but this is my first experience in long-continued, intense physical pain. I received the 25 hymn books safely, and can only thank you for them now.
Because "Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us: therefore" we "kept the feast" on the evening of April 7th last. A very precious season we enjoyed, as we remembered Him who laid down his life for us, and as we covenanted anew to follow our Head in sacrificing to the death our reckoned-perfect humanity that we may also possess with Him the Divine nature. Bro. Bowen and Mrs. Hickey went with me to Newburgh and about twenty, in all, partook of the emblems.
The May TOWER which came yesterday was weighted with blessed, refreshing Truth. Your article on Rom. 1 to 6 is logical, convincing, and destructive of the "damnable heresy" it strikes at. God bless you, my beloved Brother! May He strengthen and encourage you day by day!
Yours in loving sympathy in Christ,
DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—Enclosed find money-order which pays for two copies of the Tower in advance, from April, 1887, and three copies of "Millennial Dawn," which you were kind enough to send me. Any balance can be devoted to whatever fund you think most useful. Through reading your articles in the TOWER, and your valuable books, I have got much light, and I wish to take this opportunity of thanking you for help received, and of assuring you of my sympathy with and good wishes for your good work. Believe me yours, in fellowship and service,
[Joyfully we acknowledge that every good and perfect gift, among them the precious, soul-cheering truths on which we all feast, come from our Father in heaven. To Him be all glory and praise, now and forever. We merely give out what we receive, and no grateful heart could do less, to the honor of the giver and the blessing of his fellows.—EDITOR.]
DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—I have nothing special to write except to say that I have made my delivery in Greenville in part, and can see that the Dawns deliver well. One can sell more than he sets down on his list. Over one hundred copies delivered, and over one hundred names yet, to do on next Saturday. The people are being moved as by an avalanche. The results of Bro. Blundin's and my own lecturing in Greenville are apparent. One lady said to-day, "I pray the Lord the doctrine is true." I think nearly one hundred books to every thousand inhabitants could be sold. I wish you could get brethren and sisters awake. Those who need the money that the Tract Society donates for selling Dawn, need not fear that they can not pay their way. There is no excuse now for any who really believe the Dawn to be a good preacher. I can take forty to fifty names daily, and expect to sell my usual one thousand copies per month. I am now selling at this rate, and have lost time in ways I shall not take again. Hope you are fully recovered. Our love to yourself and Sister Russell, and the kindest remembrance, in which Mrs. A. always joins. Yours in Christ, J. B. ADAMSON.
DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—My deliveries, at Greenville 200 Dawns, Lewisville 25, and Jamestown and Conneautville each 60 copies, were successful to the extent of delivering more than my list, in some cases.
I do hope that the brethren who want to preach and teach in this practical way of selling Dawns will soon get started. I send you a very encouraging letter from Williamsport. I have 240 names at Sharon and some at Sharpsville, and will order books for next deliveries soon. While changing cars at Chenango Junction, I showed Dawn to the news agent. He took three at his own offer, 20 cents each, to be resold.
Dawn's influence is a mighty one. I wish that brethren who could sell it, and do not, had a little of the blessed experience that comes to me. It is exerting a mighty power on many classes, and moving the masses as "Food" never did.
[Bro. Adamson sends the letter below, received by him recently. It shows the love and zeal of one who sees spiritually, but is blind physically.]
Williamsport, Pa., May 9th, '87.
DEAR SISTER AND BRO. ADAMSON:—I am glad to have an opportunity of writing to you. I received both of your last letters, and am glad that you enjoyed the feast of the Passover. I would have liked to be there, to hear Brother Russell preach. I have heard only a part of the book read, but think it the plainest and best work on the Bible I have ever heard read. Sister Garrison says she has read hers through with the Bible in one hand and the book in the other, and says she has never had any other reading that did her so much good. A few of us have formed a Bible class in connection with Mr. Russell's works. We read one half-hour from one of his tracts or the Tower, and the rest of the evening we give to Bible investigation. My sister Sue is one of the most interested of the class. We meet on Monday evenings. Sister Aletta is taking the TOWER this year. She has become quite interested in the reading of it. I have not found a suitable person to go out with me with the book, but expect to go out as soon as possible. I would like to go to Glen's Falls, take the book with me, and canvass that place, Colwell, Sandy Hill and Fort Edward, but I will try Williamsport first. I truly feel as though I must do something in some good work, and help others into the light by circulating the book—DAWN.
Oh! how disappointed I was when I found I could not meet you all at Pittsburg. Well, perhaps it is better that I have all these disappointments. I am trying patiently to trust in the Lord and be led by his hand. He only knows how many thorns are in the way of his blind child. It is such a comfort to realize that he does know and care; and though at times I am very weary, yet I can sweetly rest in his promises. Accept kindest regards. Your sister in Christ, A. B. E.
ED. Z.W.T., DEAR SIR:—I received an April copy of your paper last Saturday evening, and must say that I was truly astonished at its doctrine. I sat down, and in about two hours had devoured its contents. After seven years of hard study of the Word of God, to the exclusion of all theological writers, am I so near-sighted as not to see that God is intending to give to the heathen who have died without the advantage of gaining a knowledge of the ransom prepared by Him for all, a chance to hear and accept the truth? Great God, is this thy word, or am I in a dream? What can it mean? How good, how merciful, how grand and beautiful thy plan, so far as I have seen! If this glimpse of light proves true, Great God, what other adjectives can I employ to describe more fully thy love and mercy. I am too weak even to contemplate the sublime grandeur of thy lovely purposes to man, thy fallen creature. Indeed I can only fall at thy feet and allow to pass through my mind the words, Holy, most holy, art thou, O Lord God.
I believe that man fell, that Jesus became the ransom, and I believe that the times of the restitution of all things, spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, is near at hand. But does that restitution embrace the restoration of all Adam's fallen race to the first estate, that they may individually have a chance to render obedience to the great King of kings? O God, the knowledge of thy word is replete with goodness toward man. What can I say? Wonderful! wonderful! most wonderful! and mercifully loving art thou, O God. It is almost too good to be true, and yet God is good.
Dear Sirs, I am astonished, amazed, confounded, and even the tears start. I thought I was rooted and grounded in the faith. For years I have taught that the heathen had had their portion of light, and they that had received it and walked by it, would gain a reward, while those who rejected it, were dead to rise no more, [R948 : page 8] and though I had proved it by the word. But O, if those who had not light are to see light, and be permitted to accept that light, what a throng, what a glorious throng, praising God day and night! Why surely, there will be but few that will not accept it under the glorious reign of our King. Why friend, they will rend the heavens and burst the bars of space by their united shouts of praise.
If this be true, O King Jesus come, and come quickly! Amen. Yours in hope of more light, O. S. G__________.
Toronto, Canada, May 6th, 1887.
MY DEAR BROTHER:—I came across the following clause in a very old work of the third century known as "Constitutions of the Holy Apostles," which may interest you, in the matter of the Lord's Supper, if you have not seen it before,—Book V. Chapter XVII.
"It is therefore your duty, brethren, who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, to observe the days of the Passover exactly, with all care, after the vernal equinox, lest ye be obliged to keep the Memorial of the one passion twice in a year. Keep it only once in a year for Him that died but once....Keep it when your brethren of the Circumcision do so....If they err in their computation, be not you concerned....While they are lamenting and eating unleavened bread in bitterness, do you feast."
Various instructions follow about fasting, etc., etc., but I copy enough for the point in view, as showing what was the probable custom of that early period, though one of much defalcation in the matter of truth, and of much introduction of error into Christianity. Love to all yours. Ever in Him, W. BROOKMAN.
DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—A sister in Christ, whose acquaintance I made only ten days ago, and who is having her house open for meetings on these subjects, invited me to come to her meetings. I went, and was surprised to see that the truths dealt with there are the very same that the Lord revealed to me, since I came to the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus. She also lent me a few copies of the WATCH TOWER, which I read with much interest, and I praise God for you and your fruit.
Allow me to give you my life's history and testimony in as few words as possible. I was born in Austria. My parents were very bigoted Jews. Of course their aim was to train me according to their knowledge. When six years of age I began to study the Talmud. When thirteen I entered the Rabbinical schools in Hungary, where I continued for six years. When I was seventeen years old, my eyes were opened to see the emptiness of my religion, consequently I turned to infidelity. All I then thought of Christianity was, that Christ was an impostor, that it was a sin to mention his name, and that I ought to hate him and all those who worship his images and crosses; for I knew only Roman and Greek Catholic Christians.
I lived in infidelity for about twelve years, though leading a moral life and always active in different philanthropic works and institutions. In 1883, while in Roumania, I felt inclined to emigrate to Palestine and to work there for the idea of "Colonization of Palestine by persecuted Jews from Russia and Roumania." Having to correspond with Hebrew periodicals, and to write and think on the subject of the restoration of the Jewish nation, I was obliged to read and study the Bible. This led me to see Christ as revealed in Moses and the Prophets. In order to inquire after the truth more freely, I went to Jerusalem, and on Easter Sunday, 1884, I made public confession of my faith in Christ. I soon began to see, by comparing the New Testament with church theology, that the theology was unscriptural and misleading; and the spirit of truth led me into the truth as revealed by God's prophets and apostles. I obeyed the voice of the spirit to "come out from Babylon and be separate." In February 1885, I left Jerusalem for London, with the hope to find here some Christians, as a Church of my opinion, but alas, I only found a greater variety of Satan's works, in sects and divisions, and that only confirmed me in my idea that the Church of this age is a Babel of confusion. I made up my mind to have Christ as my only Priest, Friend, and Guide, and to be joined to the saints of "the Church," "the Christ," "Head and Body," who are scattered all over the world, living the life of Christ as joint-self-sacrifices, waiting for his appearing to gather them in as joint-heirs and to reign with him for ever and ever. The Lord has laid it as necessity upon me to carry the Glad Tidings of Peace, to my own nation, the Jews, as a reasonable service. In order to do this, I was led to consecrate myself as a living sacrifice to God, and to make this my life's mission.
Your precious publications will always be to me an odour of a sweet smelling savour. Yours in Christ, L. K__________.
[We are glad to hear from our Hebrew brother, and in our next issue will have something of interest to him and his race, under the caption, "To the Jew First."