JUNE 15, 1914 PLAN OF THE AGES. attention at once: the mystery,’’ ete. 1 felt, This is something I want. I started to read and never rested till I had read it through; looking up all the references, with growing joy and wonder over every chapter. Oh, how precious it was at onee! I said to my neighbor, I would not give away the knowledge this book has given me for a thousand pounds. In six weeks I had all the Srupisgs, and soon I had all of your literature that I could get. Tue Divine PLAN or THE AGES had been in the house for four years and I had not seen it. That day it was lying where I had put the Swedenborg book; I do not know how it got The verse on the front page caught my ‘¢To make all see what is the fellowship of there. It seems it had been sent to my father four years previous. But the most remarkable thing I have not yet told you: A few days previous to finding your book I had gone to my room and on my knees told my heavenly Father that I was unsatisfied. I was not being ‘‘ persecuted for righteousness sake’’; most people appeared to love me. I told Him I wanted, like Paul, a share in Christ’s suffering: I was ready to die, if only I might attain. I wanted nothing less than the best. In a few days I found THE DivINE PLAN OF THE AGEs, as I have told you. Then I was short of time to read, and I fell and sprained my ankle very severely, and so had plenty of time to read. Oh, how thankful I am for my heavenly Father’s mercy and loving kindness and condescension in allowing me to have a place in his little flock! My heart is full of Christ, and ‘longs its glorious matter to declare’’; but so few will hear especially because I have come ont of the Wesleyan church and all the offices I had there. My old friends fight shy of me; some have told me they would rather not hear if it would convince them they must come out. I am only a woman keeping house for my dear old father, and now that I have no offices in any church, I feel I am feeding and not passing the food on to others. I do not wish to be like the servant who buried his talent. I speak to all as I have opportunity, and some listen with great interest; but I do not know that I have succeeded in bringing any into the truth. Two persons have bought full sets of THz STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, but are not reading them. I have never looked back and feel I never shall. I feel consumed day by day to know my God, and do his will. Though a Wesleyan I was baptised (immersed) eleven years ago into Christ’s death, understandingly, though not so fully as I understand today. Do you think I need to be baptised again? Please exeuse me for taking your valuable time. Yours very gratefully and lovingly in His service, Grace E. Rowsse.—Eng. XXXV Von. BROOKLYN, N. THE WATCH TOWER Y., JULY 1, 1914 (191-195) A WORD TO THE WISE Dear Pastor Russell :— While the closing hymn was being sung at The Temple recently, I noticed that rather more than a few of the ladies were apparently more interested in getting together their loose articles of attire and assuming their wraps than giving their respectful, if not devout, attention to the solemn and beautiful words that closed the day of praise and worship. The same people were in no particular haste to leave the building, as evinced by the greetings and adieux to their friends. Perhaps you might consider it would help in realizing our duties as the Lord’s people, to wait quietly and orderly until the final words of the service are uttered, followed by a few moments of quiet thought and prayer before plunging into the cares of our daily life. A few words from you in THE WATCH Tower, and occasionally an admonition, might remind the whole church of the great privileges which we enjoy, and for which we should be grateful. Yours in the service of the Lord, Ropert E. Bray. RE PROMPTNESS AT MEETINGS Dear Brother Russell :— It seems to me that a word of encouragement to some of the dear friends in respect to greater promptness at meeting hours would be helpful. Apparently some do not realize the necessity for reverence in this respect. If we do not preserve order in regard to our meetings we are not observing heaven’s first law. We must lack reverence for our heavenly Father and for our Master, if we are less prompt in the Lord’s affairs than we are in our own. Some of the dear friends come to the meetings as much as from thirty to forty-five minutes late. The same dear friends are very prompt in observing other appointments. How can we expect the Lord to be pleased with us if we give him the inferior things? How can we expect to receive the chief promises if we do not put forth as much effort for our everlasting welfare as we do for the temporal? If we set a certain time for meeting and very seldom get there on time, we are not to be depended upon; our word is broken. How ean we expect the Lord’s approval in such a condition as that? He was so prompt and precise, doing the Father’s will to the dot. These same dear friends are very noble in other respects; and how they can be so indifferent about coming into the meetings on time I cannot understand, except it be that they have gotten into this bad habit and do not know how to get out of it. I am sure I would like to lend them a helping hand in this direction. Yours in the one hope of all saints, Frep OTT1. No, 13 NECESSITY OF SELF-CONTROL ‘*He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. ’’—Proverbs 25:28. Tn olden times cities were particularly places of refuge, where the inhabitants of the country congregated for protection. When the carth was less populous and the necessity for government was less appreciated than now, any marauding hand was likely to take possession of whatever was open to their attack. So the cities of ancient times had strong walls. This was true, we remember, of Jerusalem and Jericho. It was true of ancient Troy, and also true of cities in Europe. In Vienna, the old wall of the city still stands; cities. Rut as improved forms of government were adopted, cities no longer needed protecting walls. The police nowadays constitute a wall of protection. Our text is referring to a wall such as was formerly used, and to a city which had become dilapidated and the wall broken down. King Solomon gives this as a picture of a human being who has no rule over his own spirit. He is unable to protect himself against evil influences from within or without, as a result of having suffered his will to be broken down. All mankind are born with more or less of determination. Some have this in a very marked degree; others in a lesser degrec; no one, we believe, is wholly without this quality of will, purpose. But we find that whether our wills are strong or weak they need direction. Lessons in the directing of our wills come from various quarters; for instance, we have the laws of the city, laws of the state, laws of the country, which direct the individual as to what he may do and may not do— particularly what he may not do. As one looks into the source and history of these laws, he finds that they represent the «ae and so with other walled eumulated will of a long period. Mankind now have very good Jaws, We have often thought it strange that fallen men have produced such just laws as we find on the statute hooks today. But although very good laws may he made, yet people may ignore the law. <A jury may set aside all law. <A judge may pervert the law. Thns things that are unlawful may hecome a practise of an individual or a town or a city. To enltivate in one’s self a lawless disposition is to enltivate the spirit of anarchy—a. spirit of indifference to the rights and interests of others. There are some who manifest reasonable respect for the laws of man because neeessity or publie opinion makes it impossible or inadvisable to do otherwise, who may at heart he anarehists as regards the law of God, the great Law-giver of the Universe. SAD PERVERSION OF SOUND JUDGMENT To yield ourselves to passion, to allow it to sweep over ns and master us, is disastrous, whether we are weak-minded or strong-minded. The weak-minded have their limitations; the strong-minded have the excess of power, and are more potent for evil. We hear a great many say, when they have lost control of their temper, or have been petulant or morose or illnatured or discourteous, Well, that’s my way; I do not mean any harm. They acknowledge the matter, and seck to justify themselves by saying that it is natural to them. But no human being should live according to what is natural to his or her fallen nature. A being created in the image of God, and stil] retaining some traces of his original Godlikeness, should live above the plane of the lower animals, which follow merely their natural instincts and passions. [5487]
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