Epistle Number Nine

Dear Bro. ——: I feel compelled from a sense of duty to address you a few lines. I have been shown some things in regard to your case which I dare not withhold.T15 75.2

I was shown that Satan took advantage of you because your wife did not embrace the truth. You were thrown into the society of a corrupt woman; one whose steps take hold on hell. She professed great sympathy for you because of the opposition you received from your wife. She made her manners fascinating like the serpent in Eden. She cast impressions on your mind that you were an abused man; that your wife did not appreciate your feelings and reciprocate your affections; that, a mistake had been made in your marriage relation; until you imagined the marriage vows of constancy as long as life should last to her whom you had taken as your wife, to be as galling chains. You went to this apparent angel in speech for sympathy. You poured into her ears that which should be intrusted alone to your wife whom you had vowed to love, honor, and cherish, as long as you both should live. You forgot to watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation. Your soul was marred by a crime. You stamped your life record in Heaven with a fearful blot. Deep humiliation and repentance before God will be acceptable to him. The blood of Christ can avail to wash these sins away. You have fallen, terribly fallen. Satan lured you on into his net, and then left you to disentangle yourself as best you could. You have been harassed and perplexed. You have been fearfully tempted. A guilty conscience troubles you. You distrust yourself, and imagine every one else distrusts you. You are jealous of yourself, and imagine that jealousy exists in other hearts toward you. You have not confidence in yourself, and imagine your brethren have not confidence in you. Satan often presents the past before you, and tells you it is of no use for you to try to live out the truth, the way is too straight for you. You have been overcome; now Satan takes advantage of your wrong and sinful course to make you believe you are past redemption. You are on Satan's battle field. A severe conflict you are engaged in. The barrier which is thrown around, and which makes sacred every family circle, you have broken down. And now Satan harasses you almost constantly. You are not at rest. You are not at peace, and your conflicting feelings and doubts and jealousies you seek to shift upon your brethren; that they are at fault; that they do not give you attention. The trouble is with yourself. You want your own way, and do not rend your heart before God, and with brokenness and contrition cast yourself all broken, sinful and polluted, upon his mercy. Your efforts to save yourself, if persisted in, will result in your certain ruin.T15 75.3

Cease your jealousies and your fault-finding. Turn your attention to your own case, and by humble repentance, relying alone upon the blood of Christ, save your own soul. Make thorough work for eternity. If you turn from the truth, you are a ruined man; your family is ruined.T15 76.1

It is difficult to build up the fortifications preserving the privacy and privileges of the family relation sacred, after they have been once broken down; but in the strength of God you can do it, and in his strength alone. Truth, sacred truth, is your anchor, which will save you from drifting in the downward current to crime and destruction.T15 77.1

A conscience once violated is greatly weakened. It needs the strength of constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer. You are standing in a slippery place. You need all the strength that the truth can give you to fortify you, and save you from making entire ship-wreck. Life and death are before you; which will you choose? Had you seen the necessity of being firmly settled upon principle, not moving from impulse, and not being easily discouraged, but prepared to endure hardness, you would not have been overcome as you have. You have moved from impulse. You have not, like our faultless pattern, been willing to endure the contradiction of sinners against yourself. We are exhorted to remember Him who endured this, lest we become weary and faint in our minds. You have been weak as a child, having no power of endurance. You have not felt the necessity of being established, strengthened, settled, grounded, and built up in the faith.T15 77.2

You have felt that it might be your duty to teach the truth to others instead of your being taught yourself. You must be willing to be a learner; to receive the truth from others, and cease your fault-finding, your jealousies, your complaining, and in meekness receive the ingrafted [engrafted] word which is able to save your soul.T15 77.3

It rests with you whether you will have happiness or misery. You have yielded to temptation once, and can not [cannot] now trust your own strength. Satan has great control of your mind, and you will have nothing to hold you when you break from the restraining influence of the truth. The truth has been as a safeguard to you to restrain you from crime and iniquity. Your only hope is to seek for thorough conversion, and redeem the past by your well-ordered life and godly conversation.T15 77.4

You have moved from impulse. Excitement has been agreeable to your organization. Your only hope now is to sincerely repent of your past transgressions of God's law, and purify your soul by obeying the truth. Cultivate purity of thought and purity of life. The grace of God will be your strength to restrain your passions and curb your appetites. Earnest prayer and watching thereunto will bring the Holy Spirit to your aid, to perfect the work, and make you like your unerring Pattern.T15 78.1

If you choose to throw off from you the sacred, restraining influence the truth imposes upon you, Satan will lead you captive at his will. You will be in danger of giving scope to your appetites and passions, and giving loose rein to lusts, and to evil and abominable desires. Instead of bearing that calm serenity in your countenance under trial and affliction, your face radiant with hope and that peace which passeth understanding like faithful Enoch, you will stamp your countenance with carnal thoughts, with lustful desires. Your image will bear the impress of the Satanic instead of the divine.T15 78.2

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine, nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” It is your privilege now, by humble confessions and sincere repentance, to take words and return unto the Lord. The precious blood of Christ can cleanse you from all impurity, remove all your defilement, and make you perfect in him. The mercies of Christ are still within your reach if you will accept them. For the sake of your wronged wife, and your children, the fruit of your own body, cease to do evil, and learn to do well. That which you sow, ye shall also reap. If ye sow to the flesh, ye shall of the flesh reap corruption. If ye sow to the spirit, ye shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.T15 78.3

You must overcome your sensitiveness and fault-finding. You are jealous that others do not give you all that attention you think you should have. The experience which has savored of fanaticism, founded in feeling, you must not adhere unto. It is unsafe. Move from principle. Move from thorough understanding. Search the Scriptures, and be able to give to every man that asketh you the reasons of the hope which is in you with meekness and fear. Let self-exaltation die. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double-minded. Be afflicted and mourn. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heaviness. When harassed with temptations and evil thoughts, there is but One to whom you can flee for relief and succor. Flee to him in your weakness. When near him, Satan's arrows are broken and cannot harm you. Your trials and temptations borne in God, will purify and humble you, but will not destroy nor endanger you.T15 78.4

E. G. W.

* * * * *