Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 85, 1897

Kerr, Sister

Campground, Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia

October 21, 1897

Previously unpublished.

Dear Sister:

My son arrived in Sydney October 20. Sister Haskell and several of our people left Cooranbong for Stanmore, a suburb near Sydney. A three hours’ ride brought us to Stanmore, where our camp meeting is to be held. The first meeting begins today, or this evening. A short time since, we met my son. It was with full hearts that we greeted him. We deemed it a great blessing that God had preserved him in all his journeyings, and we could meet him again in health, and that he should find his family as well as himself. We are very grateful to God that His goodness and mercy have accompanied my son Willie in his travels, and that He has given us another token of His mercy and grace in his return. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 1

Everyone is so busy that we have but little space to visit. The arrivals at the camp have to be attended to. Sixty tents are already pitched, and others will go up as they are needed. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 2

I was very much surprised by your kind remembrance of me in the token of love you sent me. I thank you, my sister. I will make good use of it, and its service will call my sister to mind. I will be pleased if in the providence of God we shall meet again before the great meeting shall take place, when all who love God shall gather in the family of heaven to see Him whom our souls love, and to meet our loved ones, never more to be parted. Thank God, we are homeward bound. However severe may be our conflicts here, we know that they will end. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 3

In this life the heart may be tried and tempted, and we are ever to bear in mind that the church militant is not the church triumphant. We are to be comforted and encouraged that the bruised reed will He not break and the smoking flax will He not quench until He sends forth judgment unto victory. But, my sister, the Lord must be uplifted. Friends may prove treacherous, enemies may be inspired by Satan to revile and cause sadness, but we must regard all the inconveniences of this life as our test and trial, to prove us, whether we will turn to the Stronghold in our necessity. We may find that comfort, that consolation, that tender sympathy, which exists only in the bosom of Him who has loved us with an everlasting love. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 4

“Let him take hold of my strength and make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me.” [Isaiah 27:5.] Our part is to take hold of His strength in our weakness and peril. He interposes between us and the difficulties that appear so formidable. The flame and flood are behind Him. Then lift Him up, the Man of Calvary, lift Him up with voice and with song, and let the melody of thanksgiving and praise ascend to heaven in your life-service to God. Keep cheerful, full of faith and courage and hope. Elijah was subject to like passions as we are, yet the Lord was His strength. He prayed most earnestly, and the Lord heard his prayer. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 5

Let us, under all circumstances, preserve our interest in Christ. He is to be everything to us, the first, the last, the best in everything. Then let our tongues be educated to speak forth His praise, not only when we feel gladness and joy, but at all times, because He is our Redeemer, and deserving of our praise and thanksgiving. We need to keep the heart, which is the treasure house, full of the precious promises of God, that we may bring forth from this treasure the very words that will be a comfort and a strength to others. Then we are learning the language of the heavenly family, which will, if we are faithful, be our society through eternal ages. The language that will be appropriate there we need to educate our lips to utter here, where right words and sound speech is essential for the benefit of all with whom we associate. Thus we are brought into co-partnership with the great firm above. Our cold hearts may be warmed by the contemplation of Jesus our Redeemer. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 6

Every day we need to be advancing in perfection of character, and this we shall certainly do if we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. We who are the least of all saints may be obtaining a preparedness to stand before the Son of man at His appearing. In seeking, watching, praying, for purity of heart, we shall create around our own souls an atmosphere that will be fragrant. The infirmities that compass us in humanity will not overcome us. In and through the strength of Jesus, we shall overcome our infirmities. Our hearts will be one with Christ, and His presence abiding in us will make us to express His image and glorify Him. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 7

Every day it is our privilege to be working in the interest of the great firm, because we are in co-partnership with Christ. The uncertainties we have here are to be overcome by faith. We are not to talk of the great power of Satan to overcome us, but of the great power of God to bind up all our interests with his own. We are to talk the language of Christ, to echo His words, nor let any impatient speech come from us. Then we will be a savor of life unto life to all who come in connection with us. And we will obtain an experience that will enable us to comprehend with all saints what is the length and depth and breadth and height, and to know the love of God that passeth knowledge. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 8

Bear in mind that you are God’s by creation, and you are His by redemption. The same Son of the only living God who created you has declared, “A new heart will I give you.” [Ezekiel 36:26.] If you will surrender to Him, his grace will make of you a vessel unto honor, and will carry you forward step by step in the progress of Christian perfection, until you shall see the King in His beauty. Day by day He will work great changes in you. He who hath begun a good work in you will through His grace perform it unto the day of Christ’s appearing. The honor of Christ is not less concerned in the perfection of your individual character than is your own honor. You are a member of His body, a part of Himself. He has passed through great suffering, even unto the most cruel death, that you might have probationary time in which to form a character through His sufficiency, that His glory should become your glory, that when you shall appear among the angels of heaven, the just made perfect, you may appear unto the praise and glory of His power. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 9

“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” [Daniel 12:3.] If we will put on Christ, if we will receive the grace which is ours by the gift of God, by living faith, and perseveringly hold fast our advantages given in the pledged Word of God, we will grow in grace daily. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 10

Two powers are struggling most earnestly for the victory in your soul. Unbelief marshals all her forces to cut you away from the source of your strength. Satan is the great general of that army. Faith marshals her army. Christ is the Author of our faith, and the conflict is going forward every hour before the universe of heaven. It is a hand to hand fight, and the great question is, Which shall obtain the mastery? The issue is of tremendous consequence to us. We are fighting for a crown, an immortal inheritance, an eternal substance. There is no release from this warfare. It is to be carried on every moment. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 11

“We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12.] Will we consider then the importance of being prepared for the conflict. The apostle urges the necessity for preparedness to engage against satanic agencies. He says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” [Verses 10, 11.] Again the warning is repeated, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” [Verse 13.] 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 12

He who is mighty in counsel, and to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth will come to the help of His people if they are not faithless, but believing. Christ declares of certain places that He could not do many mighty works there because of unbelief. [Matthew 13:58.] Thus we see that it is of great importance that we have faith. Faith is that principle that waits not for the work to be done before it ventures and does the very thing that a pure, true faith would do. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made of things which do appear. 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 13

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it, he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he had the testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” [Hebrews 11:1-6.] 12LtMs, Lt 85, 1897, par. 14