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INTERESTING LETTERS

MY DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—Your kind favor of the 9th received, and the announcement of Brother McPhail’s visit is much appreciated by all the friends here in Philadelphia. Your letter was read and discussed at our meeting, and we decided to have an all-day meeting on Sunday, the 9th of July, with intermissions for lunch; and evening meetings on Friday and Saturday; all to be held at our usual meeting-place, Dover Hall, Marshall and Susquehanna aves. Please tell Bro. McPhail to come to my house on his arrival at Philadelphia.

I am glad to be able to say that all our meetings are smooth and harmonious: so much so as to be a little different from what we might Scripturally expect:

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but perhaps this is for a pleasant alternation to the ruggedness of the past few years. I take this opportunity of thanking you for the rich semi-monthly feasts of which we are the recipients from our present Lord through your agency; and I hope I may lay the lessons well to heart and never lose sight of the responsibility which accompanies the knowledge of the truth, but always realize that this is my day of judgment and try to be faithful to my consecration to his will.

I enclose a clipping which is strikingly corroborative of the Laodicean period of the nominal church, and yet this gentleman will in all probability refuse to be enlightened from God’s Word on the strange inconsistencies of which he complains.

Sr. Walker unites in love to yourself and all those associated with you in “the work of the Lord.”

Yours in Christ, SMITH WALKER—Philadelphia.

DEAR BROTHER:—Last Sunday I gathered up the rest of my Bible vs. Evolution pamphlets, slipped tracts into each one, left dinner to cook itself and went down to the Baptist church to make a beginning of distribution. The 500,000 pamphlets weighed on me, and I felt uneasy at doing so little toward the work. It was Children’s Day, and services were prolonged, so I stood for half an hour, with what patience and fortitude I could, beset by inducements to give it up for that day, and nearly breaking down, when I heard the children in a responsive exercise saying, “Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Had no difficulty in waiting after that, and disposed of the pamphlets to the first ones who came down the stairs. All but one were kindly received; one woman passed by with her head up, but it did not disturb me. I hurried home, to find things all right, my absence had caused no trouble, and I am not sure it was known. The Lord was merciful; for this had seemed to me an impossible thing for me to do, but while I was waiting I felt that I must not let anything prevent my carrying out what I had planned to do, or perhaps I could never have attempted it again. The obstacles have been so many and great; but when it seemed that I was a little willing to be prevented, then I felt I must overcome at any cost, or grieve the spirit.

I have been letting no day pass without at the very least three witness-bearings to the truth of the Kingdom, and am greatly pleased when the number rises to seven or more, as it sometimes does. Generally, when I make opportunities in the morning, the Lord sends me others later in the day. If evening comes before I have given any testimony, I am unhappy and do not think I could rest, if I did not mail before retiring at least three missionary envelopes with tracts. It gets to be meat and drink to do the Lord’s will. I am glad there are so many ways of serving. I want to say “Any service, anywhere;” and think it has been good for me that I had not money to put into the harvest-work lately, for it has compelled me to give tracts as something I still could do, and from which I felt I had no right to shrink. It has been a valuable training, undoubtedly, in addition.

The Lord’s peace is with me richly to-day. I have felt conscious of the presence of the heavenly Caretaker and, as it seemed, of the kindly down-looking of hosts of happy saints. I have felt almost ready to put away every fear at last. I belong to Christ, and I rejoice to find that God is true. His Word shall abide. That same Jesus whom I have seen slighted and decried and explained away and talked down and forgotten, by the people for whom he gave his very breath in unappreciated love,—he shall surprise them with goodness in power shortly. “Every knee” and “every tongue”! I praise his name! My health is better of late, maybe since my immersion. That seemed a relief to my mind.

The June 1st TOWER is very excellent and helpful. And also The Wonderful Story, very prettily finished and illustrated.

Wishing you all things good in the Lord’s service,

Your sister in him,

ALICE L. DARLINGTON,—Pennsylvania.

MY DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—I have just closed a meeting in Madison Co. which was the most interesting held there in a long time. I preached for them three days, and at the close of the meeting baptized five. I tried an hour and a half to explain the significance and beauty of the symbol, and I hope they understood what they were doing.

Appointments are being arranged for me to make another trip to Santa Anna in July, and I hope to be able to fill them. If I go I want to hold meetings in Milano, Goldthwaite and Mullen.

Oh how I do thank the dear Lord that he has seen fit to use me, yes, even me, in the service of the truth and those who love it! I do esteem it a grand privilege to be accounted worthy of a place in the harvest of this age. I think of the apostles who, when they were whipped for preaching Jesus, departed rejoicing that they were counted worthy to receive stripes for his name.

My poor heart leaps for joy when I think of seventeen years ago in comparison with the present. Then I stood (so far as I then knew or know yet) almost alone, and in the ministry entirely alone. Now I look at the pile of good letters on my table from interested ones in different parts of Texas, and I read them with wet eyes and cheeks, as my heart rejoices to discern “the same mind” in the writers as I follow the lines of their letters.

We are glad that we have been “able to stand” in these seventeen years of trial, and to-day thank God our lamp is burning, and we have oil in our vessel. We have borne reproaches, our name has been cast out as evil, we have been slanderously reported and persecuted; but we rejoice, knowing that it was for “his sake.” Again, how light these afflictions were compared with his peace! Oh this blessed peace! “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.”

Oh how we feast, as we come to the table prepared for us in the presence of our enemies! His grace has been sufficient for us at all times. I think and rejoice over these things. God bless you! Let us look up; our redemption draweth nigh. Yes, we can say of each other, “whom having not seen we love.” I seem to have known you since April, ’83.

My love goes out to, and my prayers up for, all who love our dear Lord. Yours, in the Lord’s service,

SAM. WILLIAMS,—Texas.

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— July 1, 1899 —