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EXTRACTS FROM INTERESTING LETTERS

DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:—I feel like writing you this evening and telling you how much I have enjoyed reading the “View” in November issue. How I am often led to rejoice that you followed up my “agnostic” remark of several years ago, and by it I have been led into truth. More and more I realize my unworthiness, but try to realize how the worthiness of Christ fills up for me what is lacking. I would like to tell you of some things that have transpired since I saw you last. How crowded I have been, not with the cares of business altogether, but how my time has been taken up by others in a way that has seemed to keep me back, yet in a way I could not help. But all the time my heart yearns for him who loved and gave himself for us.

I have been, too, in trouble financially, and that has been a burden, also up to this time. I ought not to say burden for the Lord has kindly helped me to bear it and carry it in such a way that I will not call it a burden. But that accounts for the dearth of remittances, for I have been continually overdrawn in catching and trying to keep up. But I can now send you a small check ($10.00) which please apply as indicated on another sheet.

I duly received the book of Poems and Hymns and have found many sweet words there. May I mention one? Page 41, “Filled with Christ’s Fulness.” When I came to that I was so struck with its thought that I made four copies and mailed them where I knew they would be appreciated. I have said so much to emphasize the truth of the remark, that though I have delayed saying it, yet I appreciate the contents of the book.

May God continue to bless you and yours is the prayer of your brother in Christ,

J. H. BROWN.

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DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—I received a letter a few days since, some parts of which I thought would be both interesting and encouraging to you, and to many of the readers of the TOWER. The letter was from a brother, both in the flesh and in the Lord. He has been a Methodist preacher for some twenty years. Following are some extracts:

“Since I wrote you last, our trials have been increasing, but our heavenly Father has been leading us and has greatly blessed us in many ways. We are learning lessons of faith and mean to maintain our integrity to the last. I am reading DAWN, Vol. I., for the third time and find nothing so far that I cannot accept. You have done untold good by sending those books and papers. I shall always thank God for your kindness to me in this my most severe trial. I believe I should have fainted and given up if it had not been for your kindness, and for these books. God has made them a wonderful help to me. How glad I should be if I could be a similar help to any one else. If I had the means I would start out over this country and lecture and preach on the THE PLAN OF THE AGES, and circulate these books, and scatter what has been such a great blessing to me.

“I should love to meet the brethren at their annual meeting, but oh, how far we are from having such a privilege. Our heavenly Father will reward you. May God bless you abundantly. Pray for us, that our blessed heavenly Father may teach us his perfect will, and perfect that which is lacking in our faith. We are rejoicing in the Lord. Accept much love.

Yours in Him, E. R. WEST.”

It is needless to say that this news greatly rejoiced my own heart. Can you wonder that I sat down immediately and wrote him a twelve-page letter, telling him, among other things, that I could not conceive of a higher calling or a grander work in the world than introducing these books which have been such a God-send to us, and which will be so to every true grain of wheat, and advising him and his wife to commence this work at once. I told him that I thought one could do more good in this way than in any other, and glorify God more fully and at the same time make a good, honest living. It affords, too, such rare opportunities to feed the truth-hungry children of God. Like our Master, we can go about doing good, preaching from house to house, to individuals, and to assemblies when practicable. I wonder why more of our dear brethren and sisters do not engage in this work. Surely it is a blessed privilege. “Look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.” And “He that reapeth receiveth wages.” This (as it seems to me) applies to the end of this age as fully as it did to the end of the Jewish age.

Yours in the love of the truth and in the harvest work, JAS. A. WEST.

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— January, 1891 —