Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Lt 36, 1886

Lockwood, Brother and Sister

Basel, Switzerland

March 16, 1886

Previously unpublished.

Dear Bro. and Sr. Lockwood:

Your letter reached me this noon. I thank you for your faithfulness in writing. I did not write you in regard to the furniture and carpets, that you need not dispose of them, for it would only make more work for me to find them and get things together again. I wrote that we were no longer pressed for means, for we had been able to borrow or hire money at the bank in Basel. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 1

Yesterday we received a draft sufficient to pay for my horse and carriage, which draft I hired of a sister in England at six per cent. If you have received the letter, you may have forgotten it, or you many not have received the letter at all. Well, you need not sell the carpet, seeing that my rag carpet is sold. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 2

The money you mention in your letter as having set to my account I do not want to receive, Bro. Lockwood. You will need it yourself. Just use it to live on. And I do not want you to pay the expense of horse-keeping either. The Lord bless you for your liberality. I am hoping in one year more to get out of debt, and I do not worry about anything. It is not long since I wrote you, but your letter calls for an answer. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 3

Now, Brother Lockwood, some things you wrote me made me think you needed to be cautioned. Do not be strong in spirit, but be childlike, free and humble. I beg of you, do not go to extremes. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 4

Offend not in words. Talk less. You will by talking so strongly make others have a wrong impression of you. And they think that you have a hard spirit. It is your work to keep well balanced. Because you think others have done wrong, it is no reason that you should sin, and retaliate, and keep talking of their wrong. You just do right yourself. Be wise in words and actions. You father was an extremist, and your mother was in many things very set and unyielding. Now these things were reproved in them, and you have their traits of character transmitted to you as a legacy. Therefore, you need to watch and not feel strong or act strong. I have respect for Bro. Daniels. I shall not tell you all my ideas in this matter, but the Lord knows that I have not dropped him or lost confidence in him. He only develops under these circumstances weaknesses which I knew he possessed in a large degree, but he did not rise up against the testimony of reproof. God will help Bro. Daniels if he lies low, and He will bring him forth pure as gold if he will preserve his integrity of character. I would, if I saw Bro. Daniels today, not hesitate to lay my hands upon his head with all the freedom and heartiness I did once before. I do not think Bro. Daniels has done a wilful wrong. I believe God loves him and will bring him forth as gold if he will watch and pray and cultivate piety and meekness and lowliness of heart. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 5

The way for you to obtain and retain the confidence of your brethren is to not feel so strong, to show a mellow spirit. Just sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him. I love you and your good wife in the Lord. I believe God loves you, and I cannot bear the thought that you will give the least occasion for any one to think that they cannot place any confidence in you because you are an extremist. Now, my brother, if your brethren have erred, do you think it will help the matter to talk about it and draw as far apart from them as you can? No, you have no right to do this. I do not think any one of them did or said wrong wilfully. I think they have misjudged some things. But do not talk over things you take exceptions to. Christ prayed that His disciples might be one as He was one with the Father. Now it is your duty to do your part to answer this prayer. If they do not do their part to press together, the sin lies at their door. You must be right whether any one else is right or not. Now is the time to show the true spirit of Jesus. Under test and trial, the genuine religion of Christ will appear. Has God blessed you with freedom and light and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost? Then let this appear, not in boasting and self-confidence, but in meekness and lowliness, bearing your testimony for God because you are God’s hired servant, and let all the light shine God has given you. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 6

My brother, Christ is soon to come, and I want your influence to be good upon others. If others do not agree with you it is your nature to draw away from them and have no sympathy for them. Is this Christlike? No, no, my brother. I want you to be guided by your feelings less and by principle more than you have done during your past life. Be calm. Do not become easily excited, and talk strong and feel strong, for if you do this you will certainly lose out of your heart the sweet Spirit of Christ. You will lose your consecration. You will begin to feel bitter, and you will not seek to harmonize with your brethren. You must seek to be a peace-maker, not one who would make a breach and widen the breach after it is made. You have no right to think unkind thoughts. Just open the door of your heart to Jesus and let Him in. Let Him take the lines of control. Let your brethren see that the good work wrought in you was genuine. Draw together, but don’t draw apart. May the Lord bless you and give you much of His Holy Spirit. I see that Satan is trying to make capital out of the revival at Healdsburg. He would divide the church; but do not do anything on your part to help this matter. Close the door against him. Let not a word or breath be in the direction of drawing off. Do not feel bitterness in your heart against your ministering brethren. If you do, your peace will be poisoned. It is your duty to work and talk and think and plan, to be one as Christ was one with His Father. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 7

Well, I can write no more now. This I want to go in the mail tonight. Do not be discouraged. 4LtMs, Lt 36, 1886, par. 8

Mother.