Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 11 (1896)

Lt 45, 1896

Israel, Sister

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, Australia

April 27, 1896

Previously unpublished.

Dear Sister Israel:

My dear sister, you will not be left at peace by the enemy. Doubts will come into your mind, but let not Satan get hold of you and carry away with him your faith. Bear in mind that faith which is the life of the soul. You feel your need of a Redeemer, you feel your need of a Saviour. When the cross was just before Him, and He was, as it were, walking in the shadow of the cross, He said for the comfort and assurance of every tempest-tossed soul, “This is the cup of the New Testament in my blood shed for you for the remission of sins.” [Luke 22:20; Matthew 26:28.] 11LtMs, Lt 45, 1896, par. 1

Then Christ is teaching the divine redemption through the sacrifice of His own life upon the cross. And what a full, free, abundant, and perfect offering was made upon the cross that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You are included in the “whosoever.” [John 3:16.] Then reveal to others with whom you shall converse that you do not entertain any longer one doubt of the word of Jesus Christ, because doubts of His forgiving love pain His heart, so full of mercy, so full of sympathy for those who are so dear to Him that He gave His precious life that they should not perish. 11LtMs, Lt 45, 1896, par. 2

Let peace come into your heart and abide with you. Commune with Jesus. Look unto Jesus and live. Keep near to Jesus. He can have your doubts. He is healing you; rejoice in His love. The ministry of His love is about to close; the weary soul-agony of Gethsemane to commence. He knows it all; He has a full sense of it all. Will He deceive His disciples now with false hope? He reads as an open book their future. He knows that He is about to be separated from them, and leave them as sheep amid wolves, who are ready to tear and devour them. He knows that they will suffer persecution, be put out of the synagogue; that they will be imprisoned and put to death because they believe His words that He is the anointed One. He sees and knows that Stephen will be the first to win the martyr’s crown in the kingdom of glory. 11LtMs, Lt 45, 1896, par. 3

But Jesus, the shepherd of the sheep, does not consider His own suffering and human and divine agony. He says, “Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me.” [John 14:1.] He knew that their faith would be sorely tried, and that Peter would deny Him. All would forsake Him. But listen to His words—choice, yes, more choice than the most precious pearls. “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.” [Verses 2, 3.] “If it were not so I would have told you,” is the assurance, the healing of every doubt that we are cast off, or forgotten. No, no; never never dishonor my precious Saviour by doubting His love. Have faith, talk faith. 11LtMs, Lt 45, 1896, par. 4