(207-211) holy Spirit is the spirit of meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, brotherly kindness, love, we may well ask ourselves how else could the Lord work out for us these elements of character which we desire did he not permit to come upon us the trials and difficulties of life necessary to their development. We know not the author of the following, but consider it worthy of reproducticn as an illustration of earthly kindness and a reminder of the gracious message from Jehovah:— ‘‘LIKE AS A FATHER PITIETH HIS CHILDREN, SO THE LORD PITIETH THEM THAT REVERENCE HIM.’’—PSA. 103:13 The life of a beautiful girl was nearing its close. The busy father, active in legal and political life, made short visits to his office to perform the most necessary duties, and hurried home again day by day to be near her in her last days. He spent every possible moment in granting her every wish, and it was a comfort to him that his daughter was finding in her religion a source of strength that robbed approaching death of its terror. He was an upright man, but one fiom whose busy life religion had been crowded out. One day as he sat by the bedside, his daughter asked him to read to her. He found a magazine, and read some bright bits of poetry and fiction. It pleased her, but she wanted something else. ‘‘Pather,’’ she asked, ‘‘will you get my Bible and read from that?’’ ‘Certainly, my dear,’’ he answered, and was rather glad than otherwise. He was a strong man with a clear voice and a good degree of self-control. He had mastered his own feelings in these days of patient and affectionate ministration, that ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. he might bring to the sick-room every element of cheer that was possible. And now he began, calmly and quietly, to read the Sermon on the Mount. He knew where to find it, and he knew that it was good, and he read it with a growing appreciation of its beauty and sublimity. But the daughter grew more and more restless. ‘*Don’t you like it?’’ he asked. ‘*O, father,’’ she exclaimed, ‘‘it isn’t that I want, about our righteousness exceeding that of the Seribes and Pharisees! Can’t you find the place where it says, ‘Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him?’ ’’ His voice trembled a little, but he said, ‘‘I will find it,’’ and he turned to the concordance in the back of the Bible. But when he found the place and began to read, ‘‘Like as a father,’’ he could bear no more. “*O, my child,’’ he cried, ‘‘if God cares for you as I do—’?’ He bent over the bed and wept. ‘It is the verse we both need,’’ she said softly, after a few minutes. And he knelt beside the bed, and said: ‘Yes, my dear—that is the verse we both need.’’ PILGRIM VISITS OF BRO. B. H. BARTON Nottingham, Eng., July 28, 29; Atherstone, Eng., July 30; Birmingham, Eng., July 31; Oxford, Eng., Aug. 1, 2; Reading, Eng.. Aug. 3; Bristol. Eng., Aug. 4-6; Tewkesbury, Eng., Aug. 7; Cardiff, Eng., Aug. 8; Bournemouth, Eng., Aug. 9; London, Eng., Aug. 11, 12; Brighton, Eng., Aug. 13; Sevenoaks, Eng., Aug. 14, 15; Ilford, Eng., Aug. 16; Southend, Eng., Aug. 17; Forest Gate, Eng., Aug. 18, 19. Vou. XXVIT ALLEGHENY, PA., JULY 15, 1906 No. 14 “TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION” A CONFIDENTIAL EXPLANATION BY THE EDITOR OF HIS PECULIAR TRIALS—THE WIDE SPREADING OF UNTRUTH MAKES NECESSARY THIS STATEMENT OF THE TRUTH It is requested that this issue be not loaned or otherwise publicly circulated. “LET NOT YOUR GOOD BE EVIL SPOKEN OF’’ Dear Friends:—As your letters indicate, you have rightly judged that I have recently passed through the most trying experience of my checkered career as a servant of the Lord. And I may add that one of the chief features of my present distress arises from my conviction that my tribulations are by no means confined to myself, but pain and afflict all the dear ‘‘household of faith’’ walking in the narrow way and in the light of ‘‘present truth.’’ I am grieved, indeed, that those for whom I have pleasure in laying down my life daily should be caused any measure of pain, hardship or other bitter experience on my account. And yet I know that fiery trials must necessarily come to us all, to prove us, to test us, to refine us, to make us ready for the glorious things to which we have been called of the Lord. I may further add that one of the chief consolations of my time of sorrow has been your letters assuring me of your sympathy, confidence and love. I was pleasantly astonished to find that many of these letters were written by friends who only recently came into the knowledge of the harvest message. I felt confident from the first that the well-established ones, who had learned from past experiences to endure hardness as good soldiers, would falter not in the presence of this attack, but I did greatly fear for the new recruits among the soldiers of the Cross, those who knew nothing of my past trials and difficulties from false brethren and who had less opportunity for personal acquaintance. It appears to be my duty toward the truth to give as briefly as possible an outline of the facts of the case leading up to the present denouement. Gladly would I have kept silence before the church as I have opened not my mouth to the world; but I find my personal affairs so closely linked with the ‘‘harvest work,’’ that it becomes duty to let all the members of the body of Christ with whom I am so closely riveted know something of the facts, for their relief and comfort and strengthening; — ‘‘that the ministry [of the good tidings of great joy] be not blamed.’’ This seems to be in accord with the Apostle’s injunction, ‘‘Let not your good be evil spoken of’’: Let the search-light of truth disclose the fact that the Lord’s people seek in everything to practise what they teach! In a very special sense WarcH Tower subscribers look to its Editor as their Pastor; hence the propriety of making known to them everything necessary to their peace. There are some irregular readers who may not have come in contact with the slanderous reports who may, just as well as not, remain in ignorance of the whole matter. It has been my effort to hide my troubles; but now this much seems due to my friends. For these reasons it has seemed to be the Lord’s guidance that a rehearsal of matters should appear in this form intended only for friends, for private use amongst those whose minds have been so poisoned as to need these details as an antidote. Moreover, instead of giving full details I am herein confining myself to those features of this trouble seemingly necessary to a reasonable comprehension of the facts. Be assured that every word has been carefully and prayerfully weighed, to the intent that so far as possible not a word shall be uttered in criticism of my wife that does not appear to me to be absolutely necessary to even a brief outline of the difficulty. Further, I have endeavored to use only kindly and moderate language. THE NECESSITY FOR THIS ISSUE It was the receipt of the following (two) letters that decided the Editor that it is his duty to the cause of the Lord to make the statements of this Special Issue: May 10, 1906. My Beloved Brother Russell: My heart aches for you as I read your letter of May 8th and note that you still love and cherish the memory of the one you have lost, in spite of all the suffering which her blindness has brought upon you. May God bless and help you, dear brother. It ought to be a comfort to you at a time like this to know that there are probably not less than 10,000 of the Lord’s saints who daily make mention of you in their prayers at the throne of grace. I have not failed to do this daily for the last 11 years, and how much more just now when you are passing through such deep waters. I doubt if in the entire history of Christ’s church there has ever been any one person who has continually had so many saints to remember him daily in prayer as yourself. In humility of heart, and realizing keenly my own littleness and unworthiness, I now suggest to you what it seems to me to be the Lord’s will that you ought to do regarding this matter, and will first point to the Word of God to sustain the opinion I shall express. God rebuked Miriam, that there might be no question in the mind of fleshly Israel regarding the one at fault; God reproved Job’s friends that they and others might know whom God approved; our Father has explained particularly the eircum [3808]
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