Five Letters to Members of the Wessels Family in South Africa
37
piety of the believers, for if they represent Jesus, they will be a bright,
shining light unto the world. Everything we do makes its impression
on the world as favourable or unfavourable to Christ and the truth. If
we would see Jesus, all worldliness and human pride must lie in the
dust....
I will now have to close this letter. I wish to be remembered to your
brothers and relatives whom I have met. May the blessing of the Lord
rest upon you in large measure. “Blessed is every one that feareth the
Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine
hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”—
Letter 29,
1892
.
[41]
Letter C
Hanover Road
Victoria Park
Adelaide, S.A.
Nov. 7, 1892
Dear Brother and Sister _____,
Sunday I visited Brother_____’s family. His wife once belonged
to the church but she read what Elder Canright wrote about me and
became disaffected and left the church. If she had received the watchful
care of a faithful shepherd she would have been saved to the cause
of God. I spent two hours with this brother and sister and talked to
them and prayed with them. She was bathed in tears all the time I was
talking. Oh how sorry I felt for this poor sheep who strayed from the
fold and was left to perish because no shepherd’s tender sympathy and
loving care was exercised to bring her back to the fold! Our only hope
is that the Lord will in His wisdom clear the doubts and fog from the
mind of this sister.
One soul—how precious it is, and how carefully should we deal
with the purchase of the blood of God’s only begotten Son! Precious
souls cost too much to be handled roughly. They need tenderness,
kindly forbearance and very gentle and wise treatment. I could not
rest until I went to find the lost sheep, although I had no invitation. Oh
how glad I am that we have Jesus, who knows every heart! All our
churches need much ministering done in them.