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ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM FAITHFUL WORKERS

MY DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—I desire to write you at this time. I seem to be learning more and more the necessity of watching against the spirit of division, which Satan seems more and more trying to inject into the Church, if possible, to overthrow the faith of some. When I think of well-informed men that have fallen, because of not watching against that hydra-headed monster, Envy, it makes me tremble. And I ask myself: “Can it possibly be that I may live too unguarded, and finally forsake the Truth and be a ‘cast-away’?” Oh, yes, it is possible, but I pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit

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[of love] within me.” Satan would have me to enviously harbor evil against a dear brother some times, and then my only refuge is “the precious blood” of Christ. How I realize that this “earthen vessel” needs to be constantly replenished with the spirit of the truth, oil, lest the fires of love go out. May the dear Lord keep all the precious sheep safe and secure. And this he certainly will do if our part be done. “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God.” (Prov. 4:23; Heb. 12:15.) This I want to do.

May the precious love of our dear Lord be a consolation to you, my dear Brother, in all your labors for his name’s sake. Also may the dear ones in the office be shielded from every fiery dart, by “the breastplate of faith and love.” They are dear brethren and sisters, yet I see they are open to an attack from the Evil one in a way others are not. How necessary the warning of the Apostle: “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Oh, that the constant prayer of all may be, Lord, “Keep thou my way for me.” I find that we Colporteurs need to “watch and pray” constantly, especially where there are two or more together, lest the spirit of division creep in there too. May we all “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.”—Eph. 4:1-3.

Yours in the hope of our high calling,

JAMES D. WRIGHT.

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DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—Your letter with the volumes of MILLENNIAL DAWN at hand, and I have found much pleasure in studying them. I find food that no other book outside the Bible has given me. Thank God that millions of heathen Chinese who have no knowledge of that “only name whereby men must be saved” are to be given a knowledge! I have felt since I have been in China that all my faith had been taken away, and many times, when facing realities, as if I should die in the struggle. I find much opposition to what seems to me to be the correct interpretation of the Scriptures, and while I stand alone in a sense, yet I am perfectly happy and God blesses me.

I enjoy the TOWER very much, and would like to send you the money for DAWNS and TOWER but I haven’t it. Since I withdrew from the Alliance Mission I have had no stated salary, and many times am short of what many would call the necessities of life; but my needs have all been supplied; praise God!

I have many things to think about, and it is not easy to surmount the hills of difficulty. I need the prayers of faith, and trust you will remember me sometimes when at the throne of grace. God bless and use you abundantly!

In the hope of his coming, G. HOWARD MALONE.

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DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—Books duly to hand. Am now through with the third volume, and re-reading VOL. I., as there were very many things I did not see in it the first reading. I notice you say, that, if the readers derive one-fourth the joy from these books that the writer did in preparing same, you will be satisfied. I will say, four times the joy I received in reading them, is more than one man can hold; so your joy must be full. Yours in the Lord,

M. P. THORI.

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— September 1, 1895 —