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EXTRACTS FROM INTERESTING LETTERS

Neshannock, Pa.

DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—I am glad to tell you that I am still resting my hope on the finished work of my Redeemer, his unchanging love, and his all sufficient grace. Although of late my pathway has not been strewn with roses, neither my pillow a very downy one, nevertheless I realize the everlasting arms of God’s unchanging love are entwined around me bearing me up, amid the varied trials and conflicts which are but for a moment, but working out a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory; for if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.

And thus we can sing with the poet,

“He helped his Saints in Ancient days,
Who trusted in his name;
And we can witness to his praise,
His love is still the same.

“His presence sweetens all our cares,
And makes our burdens light;
A Word from Him dispels our fears,
And gilds the gloom of night.”

Blessed be his holy name! With best love to you and Sister Russell and all the faithful ones, I remain your brother in the blessed hope, I. W. M__________.

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Dunbar, Miss.

DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—Your highly prized letter came duly to hand. It was to our hearts as a refreshing shower upon a parched land. I read it over several times myself, and then read it to those who were expelled with me from Babylon, for the testimony of Jesus. It revived them also very much. I would like to meet and serve them oftener, but I am busy teaching and cannot do so. When my school closes I can meet them oftener, and give more time to selling DAWNS.

I was a local preacher in Babylon, but now the doors are closed against me; so that I have not had opportunity to preach until lately. I will soon send for another supply of Dawns.

Your Brother in Christ, F. M__________.

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Utica, N.Y.

DEAR BROTHER:—Please send me 1000 Arp Slips. I find it is a good plan to leave them in the seats in the R.R. depots. I notice the passengers read them carefully, and fold them up and put them in their pockets, which shows, I think, that they are interested. Yours in the service.

L. A. P__________.

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Orangeburg, S.C.

BRO. RUSSELL:—I think my subscription expires about now, and I therefore enclose a postal note for its renewal. It is now five years that I have been taking the WATCH TOWER, and so faithfully and truthfully and inspiringly has it watched for and proclaimed the signs of that unspeakably grand and glorious Millennial day, now so near at hand, that I cannot well do without it. It opens up the Scriptures so fully and harmoniously that it has become my companion, continually pointing me to and aiding me along, the journey of the “narrow way.”

God bless you. G. W. D__________.

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Magazine, Ark.

DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—There are six of us here, and we belong to what is known as the Second Advent Church. We want to know if this is right. Do you have any fellowship with the Second Adventists? We have been baptized by Baptist ministers, but we did not then have the truth as we now see it. Do you think we ought to be baptized again? It makes our hearts glad to read the letters from the dear brethren of like precious faith. The Advent preachers publicly denounce you as a dangerous heretic; though they teach a good deal of the gospel. We hope you will answer this letter, publicly or privately.

May our Father greatly bless you, and all of like precious faith. J. P. B__________.

[DEAR BRETHREN:—We are glad to know that you are growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. This is right. Let the good work go on. Never do as many have done—stop, and conclude that you have all the truth and can make no further progress.

In the matter of baptism: As you probably saw by the May TOWER, the real Baptism was your consecration. This had a definite time, no doubt, of beginning and it is not yet ended. The dying process must continue daily until literal death shall finish it. The water immersion, by which you outwardly manifested your consecration, should come after consecration, but not necessarily after a full knowledge of the divine plan. God gives the knowledge of his plan to us because we have consecrated, and not before we consecrate. So then I say that the matter of your immersion having preceded your full knowledge, is the right order, from God’s standpoint; and if to you immersion implied consecration, then you have as valid (symbolic or water) immersion as any could have; provided of course, that you were believers in the Lord Jesus, as your Redeemer, beforehand.

In the matter of worshiping with the Second Adventists:—The principle is just the same as with any other denomination. They have perhaps two advantages over some others, viz., they hold some truths more than others, and they are generally poor and unpretentious. And they have some disadvantages over others: They are generally conceited, and so filled with the one doctrine of the non-immortality of man, that they have no room for anything else, and, still worse, have little taste for other truths. They have the disadvantage of false expectations concerning both the manner and object of

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the Lord’s second coming, though like the Jews at the first advent, they are so sure that they know it all, that they will not study further.

The same rule should guide you in dealing with them as with others. If you are perfectly free to meet with them as God’s children, without being hindered from talking, both in meeting and privately, of all the truth which God gives you, then you can feel perfectly free to go among them and let your light shine.

If you cannot be thus free, you of course cannot think of being among them on any other terms. And even if you have this freedom among them, it becomes then necessary for you to judge of whether your time thus spent is being used to the best advantage; whether you are getting good, growing in grace and knowledge and love yourselves, or helping others so to grow. If you conclude that to be among them is purely a waste of time, or that you can accomplish more good by spending the same time either in study at home, or with one or two, or in visiting and conversing about the truth with neighbors or friends, then it becomes your duty to do that which will most glorify God and most profit yourselves and others. Thus with these suggestions as to the Lord’s will, your course is for your own decision.

Praying for your welfare, I trust that you will be faithful and let your light so shine as to glorify our Father.—EDITOR.]

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Jackson, Mich.

DEAR SIR:—I am much in love with Millennial Dawn and Z.W.T., though I cannot get time to read them as much as I should like to. I have other duties that seem to take nearly all my time. I keep those Arp tracts on my show case, and give to any that I think will read them. I have quite a curiosity to know by what name your church is called. Some say, Do not be too fast now, perhaps they are Adventists or Latter Day Saints. Well I don’t know by what church name you go, but I believe you are going and not standing still; and that you are not dead, while you profess to be alive.

I do enjoy conversing with living Christians, and reading the writings of those who do feel the spirit’s influence while their pen is moving on to honor God and battle for the right. When I read DAWN and the WATCH TOWER, I cannot but feel that the doctrine is true. The July TOWER interested me greatly. Bless God for this food for my soul. There is so little to be had in the church now. I send you $1.00 for four more M. DAWNS,—I have sold two more. My own copy is out on a mission of good. Yours in Christ. MRS. E. J. L__________.

[DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST:—We are glad to know that the truth has found you, and that you are being fed by it.

You seem to have nearly the right idea about what should be “the path of the just … shining more and more unto the perfect day.” We are going on. Thank God we have no disposition to go back to the world, nor to sectarianism, nor to darkness, but to go onward to the perfect day. As Paul expresses it, we press along the line towards the prize of our high calling of God by Christ Jesus.—Phil. 3:14.—Diaglott. We do not separate ourselves from other Christians by taking any distinctive or peculiar name. We are satisfied with the name, Christian, by which the early saints were known. We recognize as brethren all who own our Redeemer and his work, and who are consecrated to his service. The Lord bless you; go on.—EDITOR.]

“The path before shines more and more
As we near the golden city.”

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Sumter Co., S.C.

DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—I am still selling DAWNS whenever I have an opportunity. I have only sold about forty, as I have very little time to spare. I have an afflicted family dependent on me.

I have never seen a book to sell as Dawn does. I never have any trouble to sell it whenever I have an opportunity to show it. I rode across the country about fifteen miles a few days ago and took a few Dawns with me; I sold them all and could have sold many more if I had had them along. One Methodist young man told me he had read Arp’s comments, and shed tears when he read it; he was very glad to purchase a book and said he could not believe the doctrines taught by the nominal church—of almost universal damnation, and everlasting torment. I meet many who express the same sentiments.

I could sell hundreds if I could travel with it. I hope to be able to spare more time in the work soon; for as in the Jewish harvest, so now, “the harvest is great but the laborers are few.”

May our Heavenly Father bless you in spreading the good tidings. Yours in fellowship. J. A. G__________.

[We feel to urge this Brother, and others thus situated, that they hereafter give all their strength and time to this, in one way the most successful method of preaching the truth; and that they do not hesitate to avail themselves of the allowance made from the TRACT FUND for their expenses. Do not feel that thus you are robbing the Lord’s cause; for this TRACT FUND is supplied by the voluntary donations of dear Brethren and Sisters anxious to have a share with you in the work, but so situated that they are debarred from the more active and public service of the truth.—EDITOR.]

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Virginia.

DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER:—I have returned home after an absence of several days, and a long tiresome walk over a sparsely settled country seeking to spread the truth by selling Millennial Dawn.

I enclose $6.50 to pay for forty copies of Millennial Dawn, (less ten cents expense allowance), and a years subscription for the WATCH TOWER. We have been very busy farming; and as help is hard to get, and wages high, I have not done as much as I would have liked to do in the spiritual harvest field. I have thought it might be a good plan to have a horse, and be supplied with a large number of Dawns, ready to give them out when canvassing. It is much more easy to sell in the country than in the cities, in this section at least. Please send the books at once. I want to contribute as soon as I can to the Tract Fund. Yours fraternally. I. S__________.

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Oregon.

DEAR TOWER:—I am feasting and praising. Ah! the dear Lord Jesus. How glad we are to help glorify Him. “Hallelujah what a Savior!” J__________.

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— September, 1888 —