EXTRACTS FROM INTERESTING LETTERS.
MY DEAR BRO. IN CHRIST:—My hands are filled with work. Many here are interested in the truth. Am preaching now in Bulgarian, which is a Turkish language. During the three weeks that passed, I had from 150 to 200 hearers, and many others came while there was no room to receive them. I rented a larger house for meetings and I expect to have three more houses where I can preach the truth.
Turks, Jews, Bulgarians and Macedonians are much interested in the truth. Pray for us in Macedonia.
From Bulgaria I had calls to go and preach the "one faith," with the "one hope." In Sophia, the Capital city of Bulgaria, I have baptized two.
Love to all far and near. With Christian salutation and greeting to you and your wife, I am yours in Christ.
MY DEAR BROTHER:—Please indulge me, a little. I had a copy of "ZION'S WATCH TOWER" (Oct. 1886) handed me the other day by Mr. Cobb. I am wonderfully well pleased with it. It has brought certain strange things to my eyes, that I have been for years desiring to look into. I have toiled many long years as a minister under the Baptist banner. The more I study the Scriptures, and the better I understand Baptist Theology and discipline, the less I esteem them.
For years I have fought the palpable, absurd and inconsistent doctrine of eternal punishment. I am now 71 years old and unable to work; but thank God, I can talk yet, if I can't work; and when I speak, I wish to speak the truth; but feel confident I cannot do it under my confused conditions. I need a kind hand to lead me out. If you please send me the TOWER, I will use it to the best of my ability, and will undertake to pay you for it during the year.
I am fraternally yours in hope of eternal life. D. M. Lee.
DEAR BRO. IN CHRIST:—I have long desired to write to you, and I can no longer refrain, feeling assured that you will be glad to hear from those who have participated in the celebration of the Passover of the Lamb. There were only three of us—and three others were present.
A solemn awe seemed to pervade every soul present, and the intervals of silence seemed audible with the words—God is here. I never felt before how deep the significance of this ordinance. One gentleman, who was present, afterwards remarked he had never witnessed such an impressive service of the Lord's supper. I am told, he seems awakening to a knowledge of the Truth.
I have absented myself from the Christian church of which I am a member, for many months, and shall soon ask that my name be erased from its books. The "FOOD" and "TOWERS" supplied me by my friend, Mrs. Foster, and the "DAWN" presented me by Mrs. Turner, came to a hungry, thirsty, and deeply bereaved soul. I had already turned from the world, from whence all I loved best, seemed to have been rudely taken away. I was reaching out in the darkness, trying to trust in the terrible God which Orthodoxy had presented; and I think I did trust. But these precious books discovered to me such perfect harmony in the sacred Record, such beauty in God's great Plan, such boundless love for all his creatures, having actually planned to bring every soul into the full light of the Gospel—if not in this age, then in the next, when Christ and his saints will come in power and glory to "perfect" them. My poor father, clinging to human traditions, is much perplexed, when I ask him, to whom the call is given? and why God made the promise to Abraham, that "in his seed, all the families of the earth should be blessed," without making any exception or qualification?
He makes much ado about my "fatal mistakes," but he will not always be thus blind, and I can wait, feeling sure it will not now be long,
"When the shadows, weary shadows,
Shall forever pass away."
In renewed strength and hope, praying for heaven's blessing upon your labors, I remain, Yours sincerely,
BRO. RUSSELL:—Please send 80 DAWNS as soon as convenient. Send all the Arp slips you can spare. I inclose twelve dollars ($12.00). I have sold 73 of the 120 sent. Among the buyers are three men who represent their counties in the state capitol, two M.D.'s, two Lawyers, three or four Infidels, one General and Ex-Governor, two Baptist ministers, two Methodist ministers and one Presbyterian minister. One of the Methodist preachers told me he would not part with his book for fifty dollars and be forced to do without. Although he has read from his boyhood days until he is a white haired man, he never saw or read a book so full of information. Some of the Infidels have said, that it is the clearest and most powerful reasoning they ever saw. They have been close readers and had been for a time close students of Ingersol's lectures. I take each name and address carefully so that I may know who to visit specially when VOL. II. is ready. The Lord bless you my brother.
C. T. RUSSELL. DEAR SIR:—A year has passed since I had the joy of reading the first No. of the Z.W. TOWER, and ever since I have desired to write you a few lines, and more so after reading "MILLENNIAL DAWN." I was born in Iceland, but came to Copenhagen [Denmark] when a boy [1869], and to America 1880. I was brought up a Lutheran, but was converted in 1884, and ever since I have been an honest seeker of the truth. I prayed the dear Lord to send me light, that I might know his way; and I thank God, my eyes have been opened, to behold his wondrous truth. All the glory and praise be to him. I am not able to pen the feelings of my heart, but I am glad to say that I am at the Master's feet learning from him.
I had the pleasure of being at two of Bro. Blundin's meetings in Brooklyn. It was a feast to my soul. I feel that God wants me to tell the "good tidings of great joy" to all whom I know, but so few will [R1039 : page 2] accept of it.
I would be glad to have some "Arp Slips" to distribute. I am, Sir, Yours at Jesus' feet. T. B__________.
[It refreshes our hearts to get such letters of rejoicing in the light of truth. How surely the truth is reaching the truth-hungry of every nationality! The Master's words (Matt. 5:6) are proved true by almost every mail. We cannot tell you how much we should enjoy answering every such letter, if time and the general welfare of the Lord's work permitted. We are glad to read your letters, though we cannot answer each separately. Accept the TOWER articles as our answers to your welcome letters please.—EDITOR.]
DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—I have just finished the canvass of the village of Hart, and I write this to let you know the result. I sold 32 copies of paper bound MILL. DAWN. I am not proud of my success as a canvasser. I expected to make a better showing, but at the same time I am thankful to be able to do something, be it ever so little, for the Master. I am in hopes it may be the means of bringing into the field some more laborers who will be more and better fitted than I am to perform harvest work. I have been greatly cheered while going from house to house, by realizing more clearly that in this way I am privileged to preach the glad tidings to the meek, "to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound," etc.
Glory to Jesus, this is indeed the everlasting Gospel that is to be preached under the whole heaven.
At Hart I discovered that another laborer had been in the field before me. I learned that he was a peddler by trade. He had only a cloth bound sample with him, and took some orders to be delivered in June. When I got back to M. I met him and introduced myself, and the acquaintance was pleasurable to us both. He told me that he had got the book from a friend in New Buffalo, and becoming convinced of its truth, he, in connection with his regular business, takes what orders he can. He apologized for working on my territory, but I assured him I was glad to know that the Lord had sent another laborer in this part of the field, and wished him God speed in his labors. He impressed me as being a true brother in Christ. He has his book well marked and underlined, and says it is worth its weight in gold. I advised him to procure some of the paper bound DAWN, and I hope he will.
Praise the Lord his work is bound to increase and multiply. When a man becomes filled with the true spirit of the Gospel, he cannot keep still about it, but wherever he goes he tells the grand old story. I enclose order for $4.50 for 30 more books less expense money.
Your Brother in Christ. T. B__________.
TOWER PUBLISHING CO.—Gentlemen: For a quarter of a century I have looked with no very limited degree of apprehension to the coming of the present social troubles, as the inevitable result of cause and effect; and have long believed that this turmoil and strife would be the birth-throes of the good time coming. With an anxious desire to look into these things, I have threaded the meanderings of various not well defined theories, broken here and there by the inconsistent and absurd; but the labyrinthian mysteries of God's plan in its beauty of conception, wisdom of design, harmony of operation, and grandeur of results, are followed and mapped out in the "Plan of the Ages," as set forth in "MILLENNIAL DAWN," more in accord with the inspired writings, and more consistent with that plan's component parts, than in any work I have read.
I would say to all, read the book and think; and he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit saith.