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GLEANINGS i:N J5EE CULTUKE. 



Oct. 



the readers of Gleanings that had been lately 

 moved to g-ive himself to the Mastery" I answer, 

 yes. I have also, by faith, received physical 

 strength sufficient to attend school four miles from 

 home. Wm. Fisk, ag-e 18. 



Addison, iMich., Oct. 10, 18S7. 



May the Lord bless you, brother William. 

 1 am glad to know, too, that you have found 

 godliness profitable in the matters of every- 

 day life. When I know that a boy in his 

 teens is making a subject of prayer of some- 

 thing that he wishes,-.! feel perfectly satis- 

 fied that God will give liim just that thing, 

 or something a great deal better; for we 

 poor mortals don't always, even when we 

 pray, know what is best for us. I suppose, 

 William, your health has been poor ; but 

 notwithstanding, you have been enabled to 

 get an education— an education to be used, 

 doubtless, in the service of the Master, and 

 therefore you have very properly been ask- 

 ing God to guide you "and lielp you in your 

 physical health, and your prayer has been 

 answered. May the Lord be praised for 

 this brief, simple testimony! 



The next letter was a surprise to myself, 

 and perhaps it will be to the readers of 

 Gleanings also. 



TESTIMONY FROM ONE WHO HAS BEEN BEACHED 



BY THE HOME PAPERS, EVEN IN THE 



STATE PRISON. 



Mr. Root:— I have been reading your journal, es- 

 pecially your letters, and they have proved of much 

 benefit to me in a spiritual sense. I write this con- 

 fession that it may encourage you to still continue 

 in so good a work. I am a young man, and, like 

 some others, have fallen— a victim to temptation. 

 I am incarcerated in the State prison, in conse- 

 quence of my folly. I thank God that he has open- 

 ed my eyes; that he has lifted the scales; that I am 

 now enabled to see through the flimsy veil that Sa- 

 tan ever holds before the eyes that are already 

 blinded in regard to their own spiritual welfare. I 

 have made^a resolution (and with God's help I will 

 keep it) to serve„God all the rest of my life. Oh 

 what a blessing it is to have the privilege of serving- 

 God ! How few there^re who truly understand the 

 significance of the term! or, in other words, how 

 few there are who have faith suffcient to enable 

 them'to perceive the spiritual advantages gained in 

 serving God faithfully! Now, brother Root, I, as a 

 beginner, ask you to pray for me. May God bless 

 you, and give you spiritual strength. I remain 

 your brother in Christ Jesus our Lord. I invite 

 brothers and sisters to write me encouraging let- 

 ters. Er-siE Myrtle. 



Box 340, Jefifersonville, Ind., Oct. 9, 1887. 



Dear^brother, we thank the Lord that he 

 has moved your heart to come out fairly and 

 squarely before the world. Some of us feel, 

 as we live here in our liomes, catching the 

 free sunshine and free air, that it is a trial 

 for us to humble our pride to the extent of 

 standing up and confessing Christ. In view 

 of this, how great must be ,the cross for a 

 brother when he stands up and tells us he is 

 even now an inmate ;of :,ithe penitentiary I 

 Notice now the transforming effect of 

 Christ's love in the heart. Since his new 

 birth he has forgotten his hostility to the 

 world. You will notice. in theabove letter, 

 that there is not a. word of censure or blame 



toward anybody ; and I tell you, friends, I 

 know by experience that this is a rare state 

 of mind to find in a prisoner. The natural 

 attitude is severe and harsh criticism on the 

 outside world, and especially against the 

 officers of the law. This friend takes the 

 whole blame upon himself. The scales have 

 fallen from his eyes, and he has a view of 

 himself just as he stands before God, and he 

 has found blessiijgs inside of those peniten- 

 tiary walls. He asks us to pray for him. 

 What heart is there among the readers of 

 Gleanings that can resist the impulse of 

 saying inwardly, " God help our poor im- 

 prisoned brother "? But, my friends, while 

 we breathe this prayer let us also lift up 

 our hearts in praise that God has given a 

 glimpse, even, of liberty — yes, liberty right 

 where he is now, that he never knew before, 

 perhaps in the outer world— the liberty that 

 Christ gives to his followers truly ; for no 

 good thing is withheld from those who love 

 the Lord. Our brother Elsie, in his present 

 attitude of heart, wants nothing but what is 

 right and pure and holy in the sight of God, 

 and therefore all his wants are supplied. I 

 have no hesitation in saying, that'if he con- 

 tinues in this attitude of mind, the prison- 

 doors will soon be opened. God knows the 

 heart, and he knows just the exact moment 

 when it is safe to break the shackles. Years 

 ago I once told a friend of mine in our Me- 

 dina jail, that God would open his prison- 

 door the moment he saw it was safe for him 

 to do so. W^ell, the prisoner astonished the 

 court and all assembled, by so full and frank 

 a confession, taking every particle of blame 

 upon himself, and shouldering it like a 

 young hero, that even the judge himself 

 jumped up in astonishment. " Gentlemen," 

 said he, '' we send ovir Ohio boys to the peni- 

 tentiary because it is for their own good. 

 Now, this boy may have been bad ; in fact, 

 from his own confession he has been very 

 bad ; but 1 will take the responsibility my- 

 self of saying that his own good does not 

 demand that he be sent to the penitentiary." 



The above may not be the exact words of 

 the judge, but they were the words in sub- 

 stance. The boy who stood before him had 

 given his heart to Christ wholly, and with- 

 out reserve. He had, before this scene in 

 the court-room, knelt with me on the stone 

 floor of the jail, and promised God to go to 

 the penitentiary or anywhere else, humbly, 

 and with thanksgiving in his heart, if it 

 were the Lord's will he should do so. The 

 judges of our courts, and the officers of the 

 law, know the ring of the genuine metal of 

 Christianity, and the world knows it. The 

 humble, penitent child of (iod is safe any- 

 where in this broad universe — safe in life, 

 safe in the penitentiary, and safe in death. 

 Now, friends, our brotheV has asked us to 

 write him encouraging letters, and I hardly 

 need tell you that kind words and encourag- 

 ing letters have lilted many a poor soul from 

 death and ruin, to life and immortality. 

 Shall our brother's request be passed by un- 

 heeded V 



After the above was given to the composi- 

 tors, the following came to hand : 



Uncle Amos:— Perhaps you will be somewhat sur- 

 prised to learn that your journal finds its way inside 



