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Testimonies for the Church Volume 1
they were in close circumstances. They fully believed the first and
second messages, and had generously imparted of their substance to
forward the work, until they were dependent on their daily labor.
My husband left the railroad, and with his ax went into the woods
to chop cordwood. With a continual pain in his side, he worked from
early morning till dark to earn about fifty cents a day. He was prevented
from sleeping nights by severe pain. We endeavored to keep up good
courage, and trust in the Lord. I did not murmur. In the morning I
felt grateful to God that He had preserved us through another night,
and at night I was thankful that He had kept us through another day.
One day when our provisions were gone, my husband went to his
employer to get money or provisions. It was a stormy day, and he
walked three miles and back in the rain. He brought home on his
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back a bag of provisions tied in different compartments, having in this
manner passed through the village of Brunswick, where he had often
lectured. As he entered the house, very weary, my heart sank within
me. My first feelings were that God had forsaken us. I said to my
husband: “Have we come to this? Has the Lord left us?” I could not
restrain my tears, and wept aloud for hours, until I fainted. Prayer
was offered in my behalf. When I breathed again, I felt the cheering
influence of the Spirit of God, and regretted that I had sunk under
discouragement. We desire to follow Christ and to be like Him; but
we sometimes faint beneath trials, and remain at a distance from Him.
Sufferings and trials bring us near to Jesus. The furnace consumes the
dross and brightens the gold.
At this time I was shown that the Lord had been trying us for our
good, and to prepare us to labor for others; that He had been stirring up
our nest, lest we should settle down at ease. Our work was to labor for
souls; if we had been prospered, home would be so pleasant that we
would be unwilling to leave it; trials had been permitted to come upon
us to prepare us for the still greater conflicts that we would meet in
our travels. We soon received letters from brethren in different states
inviting us to visit them; but we had no means to take us out of the
state. Our reply was that the way was not open before us. I thought
that it would be impossible for me to travel with my child. We did
not wish to be dependent, and were careful to live within our means.
We were resolved to suffer rather than get in debt. I allowed myself
and child one pint of milk each day. One morning before my husband