Chapter 33—The Laodicean Church
Dear Brethren and Sisters,
The Lord has again visited me in much mercy. I have been greatly
afflicted for a few months past. Disease has pressed heavily upon me.
For years I have been afflicted with dropsy and disease of the heart,
which has had a tendency to depress my spirits and destroy my faith
and courage. The message to the Laodiceans has not accomplished
that zealous repentance among God’s people which I expected to see,
and my perplexity of mind has been great. Disease seemed to make
continual progress upon me, and I thought that I must lie down in
the grave. I had no desire to live, therefore I could not take hold of
faith and pray for my recovery. Often when I retired to rest at night I
realized that I was in danger of losing my breath before morning. In
this state I fainted at midnight. Brethren Andrews and Loughborough
were sent for, and earnest petitions were offered to God in my behalf.
The depression, the heavy weight, was lifted from my aching heart,
and I was taken off in vision, and shown the things which I now present
before you.
I saw that Satan had been trying to drive me to discouragement and
despair, to make me desire death rather than life. I was shown that it
was not God’s will that I should now cease from the work and lie down
in the grave; for then the enemies of our faith would triumph, and the
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hearts of God’s children would be made sad. I saw that I should often
feel anguish of spirit, and should suffer much; yet I had the promise
that those around me would encourage and help me, that my courage
and strength might not fail while I was so fiercely buffeted by the devil.
I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s
people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a
greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has
given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified
from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. This fearful message will
do its work. When it was first presented, it led to close examination
of heart. Sins were confessed, and the people of God were stirred
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