Richest greetings in the name of Christ. Permit me to express my heartfelt appreciation of your loyalty to the Lord and his precious Truth; also your earnestness and zeal in striving to do God's will, daily laying down your life in his service, spending and being spent, even though the more you love the less you are loved.
Dear Brother, I have enjoyed "Present Truth" for the last four years, and I can truly say by his grace that these few years have been the grandest season of my life.
Pardon me for not having written to you before this, for I really wish to say that I appreciate your labor of love on behalf of the household of faith. My only regret is that I am not able to express to you my love and gratitude for your faithfulness (words fail me to thus express my feelings), but trust, my dear Brother, you shall be able to receive these few lines in the spirit in which they are sent.
When I look back into the past, I realize how dark was my way before the eyes of my understanding were open. Oh! I cannot thank our Heavenly Father enough for permitting me to see and appreciate this glorious light of his Truth, thus unfolding his great love to even me, the least of the least. Oh! I know I have not been worthy, but trust that I shall (by his grace) go on to the end, daily to show forth his praises, who has called me to this precious Truth.
I also wish to say that I have received a great help, and a rich blessing, since taking the Vow; it is certainly helping to keep on the whole armor, while some who have not taken the Vow are not withstanding the darts of the Evil One.
Assuring you that I ever remember you before the throne of grace, I am and hope to remain,
Your humble and loving Brother,
Your kind letter to the Pilgrims and Colporteurs at hand, which was very much appreciated, and I will indeed endeavor to profit by suggestions. We have been in the Colporteur work now for seven years, and these years have indeed been the most blessed of all others. We have by the Lord's grace delivered 6,271 books this year as against 7,088 last year. We trust that we may prove so faithful that the Lord will permit us to serve to the very end. It would be hard to do anything else; and if faithful we need not, but may continue for 1,000 years in this glorious work. How wonderful that the Lord arranged his work in such a way that we can all help and receive the blessing connected therewith!
I wish, dear Brother Russell, to assure you of my continued and growing love for you as the Lord's servant over the harvest work. I am very thankful to the dear Lord that my faith in you, and in this being the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth, has not been shaken.
It seems very clear to me that if I have been reckoned perfect, and then say I need a mediator (a reconciler), I ignore my reckoned perfection. Surely I would want to know in advance what I am to receive in place of the blessed Truth, before I cast it aside.
I feel sure that the Lord's grace will be sufficient for you, for our Master said, No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Nevertheless, let me assure you of my deep sympathy and also appreciation for your labor of love. I received all my knowledge of "present truth" through the DAWN-STUDIES, and surely, if my heart is right, I would esteem you very highly in love for your work's sake. May the dear Lord bless you more and more. May he pour you out such a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. I remember you personally in my prayers daily, that you may continue to abide in his love. Pray for me, dear Brother. I thank you very much for the cross and crown pin; you may send it to my address here.
Yours in the glorious harvest work,
MY DEAR BROTHER AND BELOVED PASTOR:—
I thank God and take courage, because of the marvelous light that is now shining upon my so darkened horizon; and, praise God, it is to shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. Running from one denomination to another, thinking myself satisfied and soon finding myself more thirsty than ever, oh how I was craving for the real water of life! At last I landed among the tongue-people, who got under the power. I cried to God night and day to give me this new tongue. [R4604 : page 143] I was sure now that if I could only get this tongue I should always be satisfied. I starved myself for days and weeks in order to "get down flesh." I was soon a veritable skeleton and, of course, commenced "to shake" from nervousness. Then the tongue-people commenced to operate on my jaws and soon I was declared of the interpreter as "speaking in a new tongue." I kept fasting, kept nervous, kept shaking and kept "talking away" as long as I felt a nervous strain; I thought "the spirit" was upon me.
Yet under all this I am sure God saw my earnest heart, and sent me deliverance. Two sisters of the tongue-people were the cause. One, the foremost in the ranks of the tongue-movement, was under the power; the other had a vision. "I see a hand," said the sister. "It's a child's hand," said the sister under the power and supposed to be used by the holy Ghost to answer all questions. "No, it is a grown person's hand," said the sister in her vision. "Ah, yes! (as correcting herself) the Savior's hand," said the sister under the power. I was sitting listening to them, and I thought at the moment, "If the holy Spirit is giving a vision to one and explaining it through another, would it not correspond"? At once the scales fell from my eyes, so to speak. From that time the demons lost their control over me more and more. Soon after a friend (not in "present truth") handed me THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES. I was offered this book six years before, but would not accept it, answering that my Bible was enough for me. He kept on advising me to read it, so at last I told him I would look it over. I had scarcely opened its pages when I saw things explained, according to Scripture which I had long been looking for. I at once began to study it night and day. I can now say, "glory to God in the highest." His choicest blessing upon you, dear Brother Russell.
One of the smallest of his little ones, C. J. JENSEN.
I am duly in receipt of your kind letter of the 5th instant and rejoice with you in the peace and joy that has come to your heart through a clearer appreciation of the love of our God as it shines in the face of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, and the wonderful Gospel in him. Truly, our God "has put a new song into our mouths, even the praises of our God," and we go forth with great rejoicing in the privileges that we have of being witnesses of these things.
So walking in our dear Lord as you have received him, may you become rooted and grounded and built up in him that at his revelation you may be granted an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom.
Very sincerely your Brother and fellow-servant.
Greetings to you and the dear co-laborers at Brooklyn. Some months ago a sister handed me the report of expenditures of a mission in India. I wrote to the address, telling how wonderfully God is revealing to his people his wonderful Plan, mentioning among other things Daniel's prophecies, and saying that if they would like to read along lines which have been specially helpful to me I would be glad to send them some literature. I heard nothing for some time and was about to give up all hope. But while in Chicago a letter came which I will copy and enclose. This sister who handed me the report, Sister Pauline Martens, of Ft. Wayne, says these native missionaries are strong characters, but, as you will see by the letter, lack light.
I have already sent "Food for Thinking Christians," "What is the Soul," "Our Lord's Return," and several other tracts, also several copies of PEOPLES PULPIT.
I had no extra copy of Vol. I and, thinking you would be interested in this matter, I copied the letter for you.
Your sister in his service and in the hope of a share in the "First Resurrection." B. H. ROSS.
I am very late in answering your kind letter, but I know you will pardon the delay, as my illness this year has caused it. My head and my eyes have troubled me for several months, but the Lord is faithful and he has kept me. I am much better now and can attend to almost all the work the Lord has put into my hands.
I shall be so glad and so thankful to you for the reading you said you would send me regarding the prophecies of Daniel, if I wanted them. Not only I, but my friend and sister in the Lord, Miss Chandra, also will thankfully receive and read what you send. I had been praying the Lord specially and I regard your offer as an answer to my prayer.
The Lord bless you abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Wishing you a very happy New Year with rich gifts from the Lord unto his glory,
In the absence of Brother Russell we are acknowledging your kind letter.
With you we are much interested in the dear one in India concerning whom you advise us. We know that it would be in harmony with Brother Russell's desire to send this brother at least the first volume of SCRIPTURE STUDIES, but are uncertain whether you request us to mail this copy to you that you might remail it to him, or if you desire that we forward it to him from here. We await information on this point, when we will bring the entire matter to the attention of Brother Russell.
Yours in the love and service of the Truth.
My greetings to you will be found in Numbers 6:24-26. My last and first letter took more of the form introductory. The present is indited as a mark of praise and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the wonderful unfolding of his Word, granted me through a study of your valuable works—DAWN-STUDIES, Tracts, TOWERS, etc. I feel, dear Brother, caught away from the present evil world and, like some new flower, transplanted in "the world which is to come," as with patient eagerness I read THE TOWER as delivered.
At time of writing I have read Vols. 1, 2, 3 and have gone far enough into Vol. 4 to be able to repeat my eulogy of 1, 2 and 3 and say—"Wonderful! Nobody ever has told me before."
My vocation is that of a preacher; the congregation to which I minister is in a good measure interested in the wondrous things being made known through God to those having the hearing ear and eye of faith.
Why preachers of Christendom in general will have nothing to do with your valuable writings is accounted for by saying they have greater privileges, better salaries, and higher praise in the service of the world and of the devil, than in the blessed service of the King of kings.