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SOME INTERESTING LETTERS

SOUNDS A NOTE OF WARNING

DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—

A peculiar circumstance occurred here in the Ecclesia on Sunday, March 15th, which I think should be brought to your attention. Just what it portends or just how far the several versions are to be relied upon, I cannot say; but as it appears to be in line with numerous warnings issued through THE WATCH TOWER for years past, I will state the facts upon which there appears to be unanimity:

It is the custom of the parents in this Ecclesia to allow the children to play during meeting hours in the ante-rooms adjoining our main hall. On this particular afternoon after the Berean Lesson had been in progress for some little time a commotion was heard in the children’s room, mingled with screams of fright. One of the sisters was just entering the building when the matter started, and rushing into the room found several of the children hysterical, others cowering in abject fear with heads covered, and all greatly alarmed. When pressed for an explanation they stated that they had seen “a ghost.” The older ones, better informed, declared they had seen a demon materialized, and that several arms had appeared protruding from the bare walls of the room. They declared that when they began to cry and shout, the apparition disappeared in the air.

It required some little persuasion to quiet them and to furnish solace in the suggestion that the Lord would not permit harm to come to the children of consecrated parents.

Besides this circumstance, two of the brothers in the class have had particularly heavy trials through semi-materializations of the demons within the last few weeks. Another brother who, I understand, has been clandestinely attending “Tongues of Fire” meetings on different occasions, suddenly became insane a few weeks ago and was sent to the asylum. His sad case gives many evidences of obsession.

Too many of the dear friends only half-heartedly accept the plain Scriptural teachings respecting the actual existence of these evil personalities and their pernicious activities. Some of these are in danger of severe testings from this source. Would it not be well to sound a warning? Can this sudden increase of activity on the part of these evil spirits, reports of which are coming from many sources, be premonitory of the “loosing of the winds” in the very near future? God help us all to have on the “whole armor and to stand in the evil day.”

The Vow is still as valuable a factor in this “wrestling against principalities,” etc., in exalted positions, as it was the day I made it my own.

With Christian love, your servant, WM. A. BAKER.

A SOFT ANSWER

Below is a copy of a letter sent by one Brother to another in the endeavor to effect a reconciliation. We commend it:

DEAR BROTHER:—

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord be unto you!

What is it, dear Brother, that has caused this difference between us? As brethren of the Lord we should not devour one another; for that is the spirit of the world, and as the Apostle says in Galatians 5:15, there is a likelihood of our being consumed one of another: “Take heed that ye be not consumed one of another,” urges the Apostle.

What if, in our appreciation of the liberty that is ours, and of which we know through the Gospel, we should reach the point where we would be so contentious for our liberties, great and small, that we would consume some brethren for whom Christ died! What if in injuring another, the spirit of strife should so react upon us as to poison our own spiritual lives, and we also should be consumed, lost, as respects the gracious things to which the Lord has invited us and for which we have been running in the race!

Now, dear Brother, let the Apostle’s words RING in our hearts, “Lest ye be consumed one of another.”

With this thought before our minds, let us more and more put on the armor of God to fight AGAINST our own fleshly weaknesses and to fight FOR our dear brethren, assisting them by example and by precept to war a good warfare also against the world, the flesh and the Adversary. Nearly all these contentions come through some misunderstanding. Neither you nor I have a desire to injure each other, but we earnestly desire each other’s good.

For what I have done in any way to hurt your feelings in the past, I heartily ask your forgiveness; and believe me, I do the same with you, remembering Matthew 7:1,2 and 6:14-16.

If our views are correct, dear Brother (I really believe they are), with regard to 1914, we have no time to lose; and as the Apostle says, “There should be no SCHISM in the Body; but the members should have the same care one for another.” Now let me conclude with love, and Jude 24,25.

Yours by His grace, J. HODSON.

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— May 15, 1914 —