O Lord hear my prayer, and give ear to my cry for I am poor and needy, but thou givest liberally, yea, thou art more ready to give than earthly parents are to give gifts to their children. Let thy loving kindness and tender mercies continually preserve me, for innumerable evils have compassed me about: be pleased O Lord to deliver and make me to know my end, and be a stranger and pilgrim. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace, but my wounds are corrupt because of my foolishness. O spare me, that I may recover strength for we are helpless and stand in need of thy divine assistance-God dwells in Zion. After giving the dimensions of the land and its borders the Prophet closes by saying: "And the name of the City from that day shall be, 'The Lord is there.'" Shall it never be said that the Lord is in this place? O Lord pity our condition and visit us, for except thou dost build the house the people work in vain. Help us to deny ourselves of such things as administer strength to the flesh, such as Idolatry, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Heresies, Envyings and such like, that we shall not fall a prey to apostacy, for many shall fall away in the last days. But help us to cultivate the fruit of the spirit, such as Love, Joy, and peace-Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance:against such there is no law. O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his Judgments, and his ways are past finding out. For of him and through him, and to him, are all things to whom be glory forever-Amen. He that hath ears to hear let him hear. quickly. Worship God. Behold I come REFLECTIONS IN A STORM. Behold the clouds arrayed in solemn order. Hark! hear the sound, While lightnings flash from pole to pole, The orbit round. While rain and hail descend in stormy mass; We tremble sore, For fear, Alas! (our natures cannot help) we fear, The day is o'er! And while we gaze upon the elements around, The wind doth blow, The trees lie prostrate fallen on the ground, All in a row. Methinks I hear some one behind me ask: Is this the way? Look yonder! who is that all clothed in white, Glorious in splendor? In Majesty divine, and beauty bright! Who can but wonder? What brought him here, but love divine? Can earth contain him? And as I shrink before his awful presence, I heard him say: I've come to gather all my saints to me, For them I died, Through tribulation deep they've passed you see, Thus he replied. L CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. Lenox, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, 1847. MY DEAR MRS. K: It was but yesterday that I heard of your affliction, and my mind was so much exercised upon this subject that I dare not refuse writing you a few lines to show the sympathy I have with you in the loss of your dear little Mary. Her beautiful form is before me as I last saw her at our house, constantly. And now dear sister, what I wish to impress upon your mind is, that you should not weep or mourn for her. No doubt you realize from whose hand she came, and by whom she was taken way, and feel assured that the recent rending of the tendder fibers of your heart strings can only be healed by the consolation of the Holy Spirit, for whom he loves, he chastens. We believe the kingdom of heaven is composed of such. How often dear sister are we reminded of our frailty, and what insignificant atoms we are in the ocean of life. Let the bitter tears of an affectionate parent be dry, she will not return to you, neither desire thou that she should; for she has escaped many trials and difficulties which she must otherwise haye passed through, had she been spared to riper years; do not weep for her, but consider the hand of the Lord hath touched you, and rejcice that he purgeth you to make you bear much fruit. O my friend do not say my all is gone, for many dear friends are left you yet; therefore lift up your head and rejoice that you are so kindly recognized in love; can we realize the richness and sweetness that is produced by such severe disappointments, coming from the hand of our heavenly Father! Could we clearly anticipate the joys which are laid up for all those that serve our Lord and Master: how happy should we be when he makes his appearance upon earth! May we be found watching and waiting for his coming that we enter not into temptations, and that we may hear the blest sentence, come ye blessed of my father, enter into the joys of my Lord. Yours with due respect, ABIGAIL HOUSE. Lenox, April, 1847. MY DEAR BROTHER D: It is a long time since I felt it my duty to write to you, and when I came to the conclusion, then my courage would fail me, and had it not been in consequence of the visions of the last night I should still have remained silent. I thought you were in this place desiring to spend a few days, and you called on me for conversation and for certain reasons, we could not converse together as we wished, and we sat like Job's three friends for some time without speaking, at length we both commenced writing, but no one knew our communications. When I awoke my former impressions came to my mind. Now pardon me my brother for taking the liberty of addressing you as one in whom I have the fullest confidence-as a lover of God and also of his children. My mind was early led to study the doctrines of the Apostles, and primitive churches, and as far as I could understand, its order was ravishing to my soul, and I felt to yield everything to its influence. When I was but a youth I forsook all my young companions, and many who were more advanced in years, for the sake of this blessed gospel, and I have nothing to regret, only that I did not yield sooner and live more to its rule. And here I am obliged to stop on account of the falling tear, for my zeal enkindles a flame in my bosom that cannot easily be extinguished. I united with a few in number that were disposed on account of the love they bore toward their Master, and I was willing to be one of that number, and share with them in evil as well as good report. My heart was often made glad in their company, for they were nearer to me than anything else on earth:-but after the elapse of a few years they wished to be like their neighbors, having the form of Godliness without the power thereof, and from such we are commanded to stay away-after much labor and being told I was possessed of a devilish spirit, the union was somewhat broken, and I withdrew from them; and after, lived quite a number of years alone,-still adhering firmly to the doctrines I was so early taught from the scriptures of divine truth. Yes! divine I say, because nothing of a carnal nature could teach us to separate from worldly things. Christ has declared that his kingdom is not of this world, consequently we ought not to blend them together, for in their natures they are entirely different:— one is darkness, and the other is light-ore is selfishness while the other is true benevolence; one is pride, the other is humility of heart-we know the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, and such like, neither can the carnal man discern the things of God, or the spirit of God, for they are spiritually discerned. There we see God has made a difference, ever since he made a covenant with Abraham, that there should be a distinction between the Jew and Gentile nations:-so in the Gos pel day, Christ has come a light into the world, and unbelievers love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. By this we can see there is no analogy between the two kingdoms In the gospel day we are commanded to be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? A christian church is an assembly of persons who believe in Christ, and worship the true and living God, and accepts of nothing but spiritual worship:-and it should be rendered according to the word. It is evident that the baptism and the Lords supper were instituted for the benefit of the church to prove her obedience, and love to her head, and that it should be refused to unbelievers, and the church should stand independant of the world in everything pertaining to the kingdom of God:— for the natural heart is at enmity with God; is not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. It is not capable of doing one act in accordance with the divine command. And now dear brother since the Gospel teaches us such pure doctrines what shall we do? shall we abide by it, or shall we set it aside, and say we will not be ruled by such principles. I have |