[WE GIVE THE FOLLOWING LETTERS, FIRST, BECAUSE OF THEIR VALUE IN INSTRUCTION AND INTEREST; AND SECOND, BECAUSE THEY SHED LIGHT UPON THE FACT THAT ELD. HULL HAS BEEN A SUBJECT OF AFFECTIONATE AND FAITHFUL LABOR FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. THE FIRST COMMUNICATION WAS ADDRESSED TO HIM NOV. 6, 1862; THE SECOND IN JUNE, 1863,–ED.] 

“Nov. 5, 1862, I was shown the condition of Bro. Hull. He was in an alarming state. His lack of consecration and vital piety, left him subject to Satan’s suggestions. He has relied upon his own strength, instead of the strong arm of the Lord, and that mighty arm has been partially removed. 

“I was shown that the most alarming feature in the case of Bro. Hull is, he is asleep to his danger. He feels no alarm, feels perfectly secure, and at rest, while Satan and his angels are exulting over their conquest. Just as long as Bro. Hull maintained a conflict, his mind was reined up, and there was a collision of spirits. He has now ceased the conflict, and the collision ceases. His mind is at rest, and Satan lets him have peace. Oh, how dangerous was the position in which he was shown me! His case is nearly hopeless, because he makes no effort to resist Satan, and extricate himself from his dreadful snare. 

“Bro. Hull has been dealt with faithfully. He has felt himself too much restrained. He could not act out his nature; and yet, while the power of the truth, with all its force influenced him, he was comparatively safe. But break the force and power of truth upon the mind, and there is no restraint, no bounds. The natural propensities take the lead, and there is no end, no stopping-place. He has become tired of the conflict, and has for some length of time wished he could more freely act himself, and has felt hurt at the reproofs of his brethren. He was presented to me as standing upon an awful gulf, ready to leap. If he takes a leap, it will be final. His eternal destiny will be fixed. He is doing work, and making decisions for eternity. The work of God is not dependent upon Bro. Hull. If he leaves the ranks of those who bear the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel, and joins the company who bear the black banner, it will be his own loss, his own eternal destruction. 

“I saw that those who wish, can have plenty of room to doubt the inspiration and truths of God’s word. God compels none to believe. They can choose to rely upon the evidences he has been pleased to give, or doubt and perish. It is life or death with you, Bro. Hull. Already I saw a cloud of evil angels surrounding you, and you at perfect ease among them. Satan has been telling you a pleasing story about an easier way than to be in constant warfare with conflicting spirits; but choose that way, and in the end you will find that you will have a heavy and fearful toll to pay. 

“I saw that you have felt strong in yourself, that you had arguments which could not be gainsayed, and you have not relied upon the strength of the Lord. You have too often rushed upon Satan’s ground to meet an opponent. You have not waited until you knew that the truth, or cause of God demanded a discussion; but you have engaged with opponents where with a little forethought you would have decided that the truth could not be advanced, or the cause of God benefited. Precious time has thus been spent. 

“Satan has looked on and witnessed the heavy blow Bro. Hull has dealt to Spiritualism in Battle Creek. Spiritualists have understood his organization, and felt assured it would not be in vain to make a determined effort to overthrow him who injured their cause so much. In discussing with Spiritualists you have not merely to meet the man and his arguments, but Satan and his angels. And never should merely one man be sent forth alone to engage with a Spiritualist. If the cause of God really demands that Satan and his host be confronted through a spiritual medium, if enough is at stake to call for such a discussion, then one should never go forth alone, but several together, that with prayer and faith the host of darkness may be driven back, and the speaker shielded by angels that excel in strength. 

“Bro. Hull, you was shown me under the soothing influence of a fascination which will prove fatal, unless the spell is broken. You have parleyed with Satan, and reasoned with him, and tarried upon forbidden ground, and have exercised your mind in things which were too great for you, and by indulging in doubts and unbelief, have attracted evil angels around you, and driven from you the holy and pure angels of God. If you had steadfastly resisted Satan’s suggestions, and had sought strength from God with a determined effort, you would have broken every fetter, and driven back your spiritual foe, and come closer and nearer to God, and triumphed in his name. I saw that it was presumption in you to go forth to meet a Spiritualist when you were enshrouded in clouds of unbelief, and bewildered. You went to battle with Satan and his host without an armor, and have been grievously wounded, and are insensible to your wound. I fear, greatly fear, that the thunders and lightnings of Sinai would fail to move you. You are in Satan’s easy chair, and do not see your fearful condition and make any effort. If you do not arouse, and recover yourself from the snare of the Devil, you must perish. The brethren and sisters would save you, but I saw that they could not. You have something to do. You have a desperate effort to make, or you are lost. I saw that those who were under the bewitching influence of Spiritualism, know it not. You have been charmed, and mesmerized, and yet know it not, and do not make the least effort to come to the light. 

“I saw that we are now in the shaking time. Satan is working with all his power to wrest souls from the hand of Christ, and cause them to trample under foot the Son of God. ‘An angel repeated slowly and emphatically these words: ‘Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?’ Character is being developed. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. God is testing and proving his people. These words were presented to me by the angel: ‘Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.’ God is displeased that any of his people who have known the power of his grace, should talk their doubts, and by thus doing make themselves a channel for Satan to transmit his suggestions to other minds. A seed of unbelief and evil sown, is not readily rooted up. Satan nourishes it every hour, and it grows strong and flourishes. A good seed sown, needs to be nourished, watered, and tenderly cared for; because every poisonous influence is thrown about it to hinder its growth, and cause it to die. 

“Satan’s efforts are more powerful now than ever before; for he knows that his time to deceive is short. Bro. Hull, I saw that you had injured yourself greatly by exposing your weakness, and telling your doubts to those who are Satan’s agents. By soft words and fair speeches you have been deceived, and exposed yourself in a most reckless manner to the attacks of Satan. How could you do so? How could you wound yourself, and reproach God’s word in the manner you have? You have recklessly rushed upon the Devil’s battle ground, and it is no marvel that your mind is so stupid and unfeeling. Already has Satan through his agents poisoned the atmosphere you breathe; already have evil angels telegraphed to his agents upon earth in regard to the course to be pursued toward you. And this is one whom God has called to stand between the living and the dead; this is one of the watchmen upon the walls of Zion to tell the people the time of night. A heavy responsibility rests upon you. If you go down, you will not go alone; for Satan will employ you as his agent to lead souls to death.  

“I saw that angels of God were looking sorrowfully toward you. They had left your side, and were turning mournfully away, while Satan and his angels were grinning in exultation over you. If you had battled with your doubts yourself, and not encouraged the Devil to tempt you, by talking out your unbelief, and loving to dwell upon it, you would not have attracted the fallen angels about you in such numbers. But you chose to talk your darkness; you chose to dwell upon it; and the more you talk and dwell upon it, the darker and darker you grow. You are shutting out every ray of Heaven’s light from you; and a great gulf is coming between you and those only that can help you. If you proceed in the way you have started, misery and woe are before you. God’s hand will arrest you in a manner that will not suit you. His wrath will not slumber.      

“But now he invites you. Now, just now, he calls upon you without delay to return unto him, and he will graciously pardon, and heal all your backslidings. God is leading out a people who are peculiar. He will purify them, he will cleanse them, and fit them for translation. Every carnal thing will be separated from God’s peculiar treasure, until they stand out, each one like gold seven times purified.      

“I saw that it was a cruel position for Brn. Waggoner and Frisbie to be in, serving the purposes of Satan by suffering their minds to run just as he would lead them in the channel of unbelief. Their greatest sin was in talking out these dark doubts and midnight unbelief, and drawing other minds into the dark channel their own minds were in.  

“God’s people will be sifted even as corn is sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated from the pure kernels of grain. We are to look to Christ for an example, and imitate the humble pattern. You do not feel reconciled to the discipline you need, and do not exercise and practice that self-denial which Christ requires of those who are truly heirs of salvation. Those who are engaged in the work of saving souls, are co-workers with Christ. His was a work of disinterested benevolence; of constant, self-sacrifice. Those who have had so great a sacrifice made for them, that they might be made partakers of his heavenly grace, should in their turn sacrifice and deny self, to aid in the great work of bringing others to the knowledge of the truth. Self-interest should be laid aside. Selfish desires and self-comfort should not now stand in the way of God’s work in saving souls. God’s ministers are laboring in Christ’s stead. They are his ambassadors. They are not to study their ease, comfort, pleasure, desires, or convenience. They must suffer for Christ, be crucified with him, and rejoice that they can in every sense of the word, know the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. 

“I saw that ministers who labored in word and doctrine have a great work before them, and a heavy responsibility rests upon them. I saw that when they labor they do not come close enough to hearts. Their work is too general, and often too scattered. Their labor must be concentrated to the very ones they are laboring for. When they are preaching in the desk, their work is only commenced. They must then live out their preaching, ever guard themselves, that they bring not a reproach upon the cause of God. They should illustrate by example the life of Christ. 1 Cor. iii, 9. ‘For we are laborers together with God.’ 2 Cor. vi, 1. ‘We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.’ The minister’s work is not done when he leaves the desk. He should not then throw off the burden and occupy his mind with reading or writing, unless it is actually necessary; but should follow up his public labors by private efforts–laboring personally for souls whenever an opportunity presents–conversing around the fireside, beseeching and entreating souls in Christ’s stead to be reconciled to God. Our work here is soon to close, ‘and every man will receive his own reward according to his own labor.’      

“I was shown the saints’ reward, the immortal inheritance. Then I was shown how much God’s people had endured for the truth’s sake, and that they would count Heaven cheap enough. They reckoned that the sufferings of this present time were not worthy to be compared with the glory which should be revealed in them. And the people of God in these last days will be tried. Soon their last trial will come, and then they receive the gift of eternal life.  
     “You, Bro. Hull, have suffered reproach for the truth’s sake. You have felt the power of the truth, and of an endless life. You have had God’s Spirit witness with yours that you was owned and accepted of him. I saw if you resist the Devil and gird on your armor anew, and stand at your post, and fight manfully the battles of the Lord, you will be victorious, and you will soon lay off your armor and wear a victorious crown. Oh, is not the inheritance rich enough? Did it not cost a dear price, the agony and blood of the Son of God? I call upon you in the name of the Lord to awake. Rush from the awful deception Satan has thrown over you. Lay hold on everlasting life. Resist the Devil. Evil angels are around you, whispering in your ears, visiting you with lying dreams, and you listen to them and are pleased. Oh, for the sake of Christ, for your own soul’s sake, tear away from this dreadful influence before you grieve God’s Spirit entirely from you.
                                                             E. G. W.
     “Battle Creek, Nov. 6, 1862.”

angels Brother Hull conflict eternal destiny peace Satan Satans suggestions truth

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