Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Lt 102, 1893

Wilson, Brother and Sister [G. T.]

Wellington, New Zealand

April 27, 1893

Previously unpublished.

Elder and Mrs. G. T. Wilson
Napier, New Zealand

Dear Brother and Sister:

We were made sad to hear of your affliction. We are praying for you. Do not be discouraged. Put your trust in God. Look and live. There is light and strength and help for you in God. Be of good courage, the Lord hath not forgotten you. His eye is upon the sheep of His pasture, and the undershepherds of His flock, to give them meat in due season. We are weak and helpless, but we have a mighty Helper. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 1

Satan is the destroyer; Jesus Christ is the Restorer. There is balm in Gilead; there is a physician there. Earthly physicians may fail, but God never. This sickness is for the glory of God. Hold fast the promises. Press the petition to the court of heaven and believe. The Lord in His providence has brought Brother Wilson to this Colony not to die, but to live. Then we will take the pledged Word of God, and lay it before Him, and in the simplicity of perfect trust say, “I believe Thy word. I take Thee at Thy word.” “Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” [John 15:16.] Believe, O, believe that this sickness will be healed, and the name of the Lord will be magnified. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 2

Jesus lives to make intercession in our behalf, and He will not leave you comfortless. His Holy Spirit will not depart from you; only believe and trust. God says it, let faith rest upon His word. There is grace and assurance in the promise; but we are not to look so much at this, as at God in the promise. This is an irresistible force, a mightiness above all the powers of Satan. The promise is the heart of God speaking. See it in its true greatness. It is the faithfulness of your heavenly Father performing. Rest then not so much in the blessing promised, but in the thus saith the Lord. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 3

He who promises is to be exalted, and to inspire you with hope and faith and confidence, that you shall rest in Him, God revealed in Christ. How dim are the brightest views, and how essential that the eyes of our understanding be opened, that God may reveal through Jesus Christ His own love to them that are chosen and faithful. God is love. How dim are the brightest views, and how low the highest conceptions of the minds of the human agents of the love of God. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [2 Corinthians 4:6.] 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 4

“That which we have seen and heard (of the Word of life) declare we unto you.” [1 John 1:3.] Let us not dishonor God with our unbelief, for then we shall indeed show ourselves unworthy and unfaithful depositories of so rich a treasure. All our trials, all our afflictions, are to give us a growing knowledge of Jesus. “Thou shalt see greater things than these.” [John 1:50.] Our life must be a clear reflection of the matchless love of Jesus. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 5

Our prayers shall ascend to our heavenly Father with yours that the Lord will manifest unto you His grace, His wisdom and His great salvation. The enemy is at work to bar the way, that the truth shall not triumph. But the Lord of hosts is mightier than the strong man armed. I will trust in my heavenly Father with all the simplicity that a little child trusts in its parents. I see how hard it is to get hold of the people, but the Lord can and will make a place for His truth in the hearts of those who are not settled against it. It is for us to do our duty, and the Lord alone can water the seed sown that it shall bear fruit unto His glory. Every one is precious in His sight. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 6

I long to see the Spirit of God striving with human hearts, and the souls who have been in darkness thirsting for God, and the hearts, fully determined in their purpose of entire surrender to God, cultivating higher views and aiming for a loftier standard, carrying their way through the hellish shadow of Satan cast athwart their path to intercept their progress to the throne of God. They are striving for the mastery of some easy besetting sin, sometimes defeated and sometimes with the shout of victory on their lips as the defeat is turned into victory, because they trusted less to themselves, and pressed onward in the name of Jesus, repeating His words, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33.] As the compass to the pole, with certain movements still pointing to the glorious attraction Jesus, with increased humility and stronger faith, and courage that will not die, and love that becomes more and more intense, the warfare is continued, fighting at every step the good fight of faith. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 7

The Lord has a work for His chosen workers in the ministry to do in this country. Satan will oppose every advance effort made to take souls away from their slavery under Satan, and they stand under the bloodstained banner of Jesus Christ in whom they are made free. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 8

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” [2 Corinthians 9:15.] 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 9

Yours truly. 8LtMs, Lt 102, 1893, par. 10