(381-387) two sons and three other members of the family. Our eyes filled as we watched a mother wipe away her tears before she could properly see to help her daughter out of the water. It is good to see many for whom there has been long waiting coming into the light of the Lord and into the fellowship; and it is wonderful to behold the ease with which they lay hold upon the deep things of the Lord. Of course, the truth is ever becoming plainer and there are more to help, but it is wonderful all the same. It is the Lord’s doings. When we were about to part a Brother suggested a message be sent to Brother Russell, and all the congregation stood while this message was read—“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus and towards all saints; that the communications of thy faith may become effectual hy the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.’—Philemon 4-7. Praying the Lord’s blessing upon your Jabors. and that the joy of the Lord may be your strength in the strenuous labors of the Harvest Work, Iam your brother in his grace, J. HEMERY.—London. A WORD FROM AUSTRALIA Dear Brorurcr RUSSELL:— Here in Melbourne the position does not show any change from what has been previously reported. We count about thirty that attend the meetings and several who, through infirmity. cannot attend, but are among the most faithful all the same. TL believe that there is good progress among the friends that meet with us; I feel that almost all are truly consecrated. Our Thursday night study on ‘he New Creation” is a feast; I think it is the best mecting we have. ... We have just had an interesting case of a man who, after belonging to the Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventists, etc., had become agnostic, at the same time being possessed of the spirits. He got Vol. 1 and that made the spirits mad at him; they would not give him rest while he tried to read. But he had got enough of the volume to be sure that it was right and foucht hard. He came to us for advice, and thought that we should exorcise the spirits. While he talked with us they shook him up in a terrible way bodily. We told him that we did not have authority to command them to come out, but telt sure that if he was really determined to be the Lord’s and to make a consecration of everything to him, that the Lord would deliver him. After prayer several times and much distress on his part, they finally laid him out on the office floor. He gained the victory in appealing to the Lord and was made free; he has never been bothered with the spirits since. He has told us that his boy also would continually waken up at nights screaming and saying that he could see things and that they were after him. Bunt now that the father is free the boy sleeps all right, as though the spirits were Vot. XXXT THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. Y., DECEMBER 15, 1910 I910—THE ANNUAL REPORT—1910 Brooxiyn, N. Y. operating through the father in order to torment the son. . With Christian love, R. E. B, NICHOLSON. TRUTH LITERATURE FOR THE BLIND My DEARLY BELOVED Pastor:— Although your time is so much taken up, yet I beg a few minutes to present a little in regard to the work for the blind, the spiritual eyes of some of whom are being opened to see the grand and glorious truth. The work has been going on steadily, and, by the Lord’s grace, J have been enabled to help quite a number to reading matter in the English braille type. I have also been able to get out two or three tracts in the American braille, and a few in the New York point system, thus endeavoring to accommodate all classes of the blind. These different systems are used by blind people in different parts of the country. We have Volume 1 in the English braille, and this has done good work, but it has not reached all who would like to read it, for T have had a number of calls from those who felt they could not learn a new system. I want to give you one instance of the loving zeal of a blind sister in Canada. So anxious was she to do something to help scatter the truth abroad that she wrote me asking permission to re-write from the English braille into New York point some of the tracts that I had sent her. She has sent me three tracts already. Others also are doing good work in copying, both blind and seeing; and so, under the Lord’s guidance, the work goes on. I know the time is short for you to receive this and send me an answer, but 1] have written as soon as I could ascertain that I could get the work done. JI hope I may get just a word from you which will enable me to push on, feeling that the Society will stand back of me financially. And now, wishing vou God’s richest blessing on all your work, and assuring you of my continued prayers in your behalf, I am, Yours with Christian love, F. B. GouLp. BELoveD PASTOR :— Quite recently we learned that you are pleased to receive a note when one has taken the vow of consecration to the Lord. We take the opportunity your visit affords of notifying you that my wife and myself registered the vow about May 30, 1910. It was a step that seemed to require a deal of consideration, but from the other side of the Vow (after having taken it) it was as plain as possible. You can understand how great has been our blessed experiences since that stand was taken. We are conscious that the keynote of all experience in Christ is love chiefly, and we are glad to say that that gift is growing more and more in us. We are consuming the food you are privileged to supply to us and believe we are daily being strengthened to sacrifice more to the Lord, through our dear Savior and the Truth. Your loving brother and servant in the Lord, : ARTHUR KNIGHT. No. 24 WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY—-DECEMBER 1, 1909, TO DECEMBER 1, 1910 Supplementary Report from Foreign Branches, January 1 The nearer we get to the grand consummation of our hopes, the more swiftly do the years go by, and the more interesting and meaningful do they hecome to us. If we realize our hopes, four more years will see the “elect” little flock of God all gathered; and the world’s time of trouble begun, in which brethren of the “great company” will share and wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Is it any wonder that we all feel a ferveney of zeal? Surely not! We admit, as we have always done, that “We walk by faith and not by sight—that our chronology is not indisputable— that our opinion of it is fallible—that it is not clear to us just how all of the “little flock” ean pass into death so speedily! Nevertheless, we rejoice in faith and love and zeal. And this year’s report, shows that the dear friends everywhere are of one mind and of one heart on the subject. They have accomplished this year exploits in the publishing of the truth which put all other years in the shade in many particulars, The sentiment of all seems to accord with ovr own—that the chronology (and the prophetic times and seasons which so wonderfully interlock with it and seem to prove it) has brought great joy and refreshment, even if later on it should appear that we have not located the end of the Times of the Gentiles exactly. Their end is surely near, if not on October Ist, 1914, as we still believe. At anv rate, even if we were in the same “outer darkness” as the world on subjects chronological, have we not more than all others to rejoice us in respect to The Divine Plan of the Ages? We surely have the only satisfying portion we know of, anywhere. “Tt satisfies our longings As nothing else could do.” This satisfaction, and the joy and peace and rest and zeal which accompany it, are reflected in our Report of the past year’s work. The dear friends have not only contributed more than ever to the funds which make the wheels of the work move, but they have also been more energetic than ever before in the distribution of the Volunteer literature and in encouraging the Newspaper work. Only in the colporteuring of the Scripture Srupies are we disappointed. The circulation of these “Bible Keys,” as some [4726]
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