HEARD HIM LECTURE SEVENTY TIMES
Just a little anniversary note: Twelve years ago today, in Marten's Hall, St. Louis, I met and heard you for the first time—having since listened to you seventy times.
You discoursed that day on THE RESURRECTION OF THE GOOD UNTO LIFE, AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE EVIL UNTO DAMNATION.
One of my eyes was opened by the unreasonableness of a twenty-four hour Judgment Day, as exposed by you—a sort of a burlesque on my Methodist training. The other eye was opened by the reasonableness of the Scriptural Thousand-Year Day of Judgment, which you explained.
I had been reading THE WATCH TOWER about five months, and had "gathered in" a little of its Message, as indicated by the notations on their margins; but I think the impression made on me that day fixed upon me, somehow, a determination to know God—to study His revealed Word. What it would lead to, of course, I could not comprehend. But I thank our dear Heavenly Father for His merciful and patient leading. I thank Him for the great responsibilities which are now mine! I am happy to be in the Truth and to know the Spirit of the Lord; and my earnest prayer is for wisdom to properly manifest in my daily life the fruits and graces of that Spirit.
I wish to express to you my gratitude for your helpfulness all along the way. I love you for it. I pray daily for the all-sufficient grace to you-ward—for the Heavenly Father to sustain and cheer you, and to make you the happiest of men. Your confidence in, and loyalty to, Almighty God has borne much fruit for others as well as for yourself, and will certainly meet with a great reward—shortly.
Somehow—I don't know how—I thought I could see a climax to culminate in the Seventh Volume, and from the first I have prayed that God might prepare my heart for that Seventh Volume. This Harvest Message as a whole has included so much. I feel confident that this great anticipation for the consummation of the Divine Plan of the Ages, in narrowing down the rays of prophecy and Present Truth to the focal-point, "It is Done," has carried me over many bridges where rails, ties and pillars had been removed.
I am praising God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father, for an appreciation of, and a participation in, the Precious Blood! With tenderest love to my Pastor, I remain,
Your fellow-servant in Christ, C. E. STEWART.
Having heard of an experience of two Colporteur sisters, I thought that I would acquaint you with the same; for a word from you in THE WATCH TOWER would prevent a recurrence in other places.
These two sisters, both of them full of zeal, had gone to canvass a town assigned to them. There is a small Class in the town; so they first sought to get acquainted with its members.
The town had been canvassed before, and bitter opposition had been aroused by the preachers and others. Instead of encouraging the sisters, the Class commenced to tell them that it would be no use to canvass there—"Why, you will not sell any books here," etc.
This discouraged them for a time; but realizing that they were in the Lord's work, and looking to Him for strength, they determined to go forth and colporteur in His name and strength.
The result was that in ten weeks they took orders for 1550 volumes and delivered the most of them, as well as assisting with a series of four meetings. If these sisters had followed the advice of the Class, this splendid opportunity for witnessing would have been lost.
May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in all your ways and His presence be with you to the end!
THE WATCH TOWER is getting better and better as we near the end; and how precious are its lessons to all! As we visit each place we hear many expressions of appreciation from the friends. I close with Christian love.
Your loving brother in Christ, THOS. P. YATES.
SWORD OF TRUTH FLASHING RIGHT AND LEFT
Wherever I go, among college men or others, I find Present Truth permeating remarkably, able financial and business men even conceding that an unparalleled panic is coming. Great numbers advance some of Present Truth that must have come from the STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, and do not know where it came from. This demonstrates to my mind that these fundamental truths which are to unify all the human race are making rapid advance beyond those of the ideas of federation that are now operating to some extent among the denominations. Ashamed of the spectacle of a house divided against itself, as nominal Christendom is, they are striving for an impossible unity, which at best can be but nominal.
The triumph of Truth is now beginning to show a glorious reality; thanks be to our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, and to you, the faithful under-shepherd, and to all of the coworkers for the Kingdom of Heaven!
Standing on the "sea of glass" we are lost in wonder as we see clearly this mighty conflict—the Sword of Truth flashing right and left, forcing out the Adversary from his refuge of lies. The words of a poet, "Lean far out into silence and listen for the thunder of the voice of God," have now a literal application for those who have the hearing ear. Marvelous!
Surely Satan is being bound! Longing for that Day when Truth shall triumph, the whole groaning creation have cried in hope,
"Truth crushed to earth shall rise again;
The eternal years of God are hers."
O glorious Day! At last it has come—literally in sight!
Your Brother trying to help in the Harvest work,
FOUND "THE STUDIES" HER PANACEA
"My lines are fallen in pleasant places; my soul rejoices in the Lord."
But there was a time when I thought the Lord had forgotten me. In years past I was a diligent Bible student, and discovered many buried truths of the Bible and errors of the teachings of the system, such as the two phases of the Kingdom, the inconsistency of the Trinity doctrine, etc. But yet I believed in the immortality of the soul and a literal hell—not eternal though. You can better imagine my confusion than I can describe it.
I still clung to the Bible; would rather die than reject it, but being unable to divide the Word of God rightly, I felt that death was sure if I could not be delivered from confusion.
The precious volumes were the appointed helps. Five years ago the first volume came to my hands. I took to it for doctrinal help only; but how surprised, how joyful, how grateful I was when I discovered the spiritual food! As my cup up to that time had overflowed with consuming controversies, it now overflowed with heart-reviving blessings.
Your sister in the Grace of our Lord, HANNAH HEGGE.
THINKS "WATCH TOWER" TIMED TO MINUTE
A deep sense of appreciation to the Lord for the results of your labors in His name, particularly for the many blessings I am receiving from the reading of back TOWERS, and especially from the one just finished (June 1, 1900), urges me to express my thanks to you and to the Lord. I never received so much in such a short space as in this WATCH TOWER. It seemed as if almost every paragraph was written specially for me and timed right to the minute. I notice in so many of the letters written by the dear friends that questions which perplexed them were so often answered in the next TOWER, without suggestion. I have the same experience, both with the current TOWERS and the old ones; in fact, some of my experiences and the reading following them have startled me by their remarkable evidence of the Lord's leading and Providence.
Some of the letters are so inspiring, and it is so interesting to watch the Truth grow! I read a little faster than a year's WATCH TOWERS a month, so while I have lost many blessings in experiences, yet the Lord makes up to me in this way.
I have recently seen a little souvenir with your picture and some quotations, with comment. It touched me deeply, and I hope to get some when I place my next order.
My wife (Sister H.) continues to make beautiful progress along the narrow way, and is truly a great help and inspiration to me. In harmony with comment on the MANNA text for Sept. 1, we are very thankful to God for the leading He provides for us. It is our prayer that you may be kept faithful and strong till all the Divine pleasure may be fully accomplished in you. May we all meet soon in the General Assembly of the Church of the first-borns!