Des Moines, Iowa, February 9, 1897.
My dear Brother:
... In spite of the tendency to allow discouragement to take the place of power, we are called to stand in the evil day, and to serve the Lord and His people to the end. When He was here things were dark enough. Infidelity, hypocrisy, and dead formalism characterized the leaders, and there was but a feeble remnant that feared the Lord. Yet those who composed this remnant knew one another, and spoke with one another. Aged Anna seemed to know them all at Jerusalem. She “spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem”; and instead of growing weary in well doing, she “served with fasting and prayers night and day.” Thus there were faithful ones, but the mass, alas, far from God in heart, however they might draw near with their mouth, and however much they might honor Him with their lips. In this state of things was cast the lot of our blessed Lord Jesus in His path of service. But what unwearying, patient, faithful service was His! He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and more than that, to lay down His life, to give it a ransom for many. And when He reached the end, He could address the Father and say, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” Instead of growing weary in the path of service, the evil state of men seemed only to draw out His heart the more in compassion and in service to meet their need. One can see it in a marked way in the Apostle Paul. It comes out especially in his second letter to Timothy, in which he exhorts his son in the faith to stir up the gift that was in him, and not to fear nor be ashamed, because evil was apparently in the ascendency. He himself had stood alone — no man stood with him — yet not alone: there was One with him and that One was more than all that were against him, and he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. His was the spirit of the Master he knew and served so well. Oh, that there were more of this amongst ourselves today! Surely the moment calls for it. What a precious deposit has been committed to us! And His word to us is, “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” And this too, just on the eve of His coming. A struggle is indicated, but a short one: “Behold I come quickly.” Soon all will be over. Shall we hold fast, and have the crown, or lose all?
The Lord has been showing mercy to some in this country, in delivering them from the delusion that has carried away so many. Besides those delivered last fall in Columbus, Ohio, a number have been delivered and restored in Detroit, and I think some in Cleveland, and several where brother Close has been working in Illinois. This has been an encouragement to us on this side, and I am sure you will rejoice with us.
On the other hand I hear of a family in—, carried away through the cry of misrepresentation....
Your affectionate brother in the Lord,