Watson, Addie S.
“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California
April 28, 1903
Portions of this letter are published in TSB 49-52; UL 132.
Mrs. Addie S. Watson
Rome, Maine
My dear sister,—
I have received your letter telling of your discouragement. I write to tell you not to look on the dark side, not to think or talk unbelief. Study the following Scripture: 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 1
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? ... Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. ... Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” [Psalm 42:1-3, 5, 7-11.] 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 2
My sister, our Saviour is a present help in every time of need. Do not distrust Him. Do not take your troubles to human beings. Take them to the Lord. You may think that others should sympathize with you in your downcast feelings, but you will sometimes be disappointed. Jesus never disappoints one who comes to Him for help. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 3
Are you one that makes mistakes? Go to Jesus, and ask Him to forgive you, and then believe that He does. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9.] Ask the Lord to pardon your errors. Then rejoice in Him. It will not help you in the least to keep mourning over your defects. Say, “Lord, I cast my helpless soul on Thee, and Thee alone. I will not worry, because Thou hast said, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive.’” [John 16:24.] Believe that you do receive. Believe that your Saviour is full of compassion, full of tender pity and love. Let not little mishaps trouble you. Small mistakes may be ordered by the Lord to save you from making larger mistakes. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 4
Act your part in helping yourself, as all must do who would be blessed. Believe that Christ helps you. Refuse to speak a word of unbelief. When the enemy tells you that the Lord has forsaken you, tell him that you know He has not; for He declares, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” [Mark 2:17.] 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 5
Jesus says, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” [John 6:37.] Then, my sister, dismiss the enemy. Tell him that you will not dishonor God by doubting His mercy, His goodness, His love. Never argue with Satan; for he has wonderful powers of deception. If, when he went to Adam and Eve, they had kept repeating the words of God, saying, “He hath said, and I believe His word; I will not distrust Him,” they would not have been overcome. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 6
Instead of bemoaning your weakness and talking unbelief and feeling that you are hardly used, begin to sing. Talk of the mercy and love of God. To all who labor and are heavy laden Christ gives the invitation, “Come unto Me, ... and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] This is the lesson that Christ desires you to learn, and in learning it you will find rest. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 7
When discouraging words are spoken to you, do not reply unless you can return a pleasant answer. When you are tried and tempted by unkind words, do not retaliate. Say to yourself, “I will not disappoint my Saviour.” Every man who is a Christian is a gentleman; and every woman who is a Christian is a gentlewoman. The law of kindness is ever on the lips of the Christian woman. She utters no hasty words. To speak gentle words when you feel irritated will bring sunshine into your heart and will make your path more smooth. A school girl, in answer to a question, said, “Meek people are those who give soft answers to rough questions.” Christ says, “Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” [Matthew 5:5.] They will be fit subjects for the kingdom of heaven, because they are willing to be taught. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 8
You say that your husband is not yet converted to the truth. Show him in your life the advantage of taking Christ at His word. By patience, forbearance, and kindness you may win your husband to the Saviour. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 9
In the power of God’s grace you may obtain most precious victories. You are not to treat your life as a romance, but as a reality. You are to be a laborer together with God in forming a character that He can approve. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Does the charge end there?—No, no, thank God! “For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” [Philippians 2:12, 13.] You are to be a co-worker with Him in the saving of your soul. You are to will to do the will of God. Then do not spend your time and strength in murmuring, in talking unbelief and finding fault with God. Encourage confidence in Him. Speak kindly of Him. Honor Him who “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 10
Be sure to perform your smallest duties in the fear and love of God, with faithfulness and cheerfulness. God declares, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” [Luke 16:10.] Faithfully discharge your home duties, and then leave yourself with God, saying, “I commit the keeping of my soul to Him. I will not take the ordering of my life out of His hands. I will leave myself in His keeping.” 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 11
Study the life that Christ lived while on this earth. He did not disregard the simplest, smallest duty that fell to Him. Perfection marked all that He did. Look to Jesus for help, and this will enable you to perform your daily duties with the grace and dignity of one who is seeking for a crown of immortal life. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 12
We dwell much on the grandeur of Christ’s life. We speak of the great things that He accomplished, of the miracles that He wrought, speaking peace to the tempestuous waters, opening the ears of the deaf, raising the dead. But His attention to small things is even higher proof of His greatness and His compassion. Listen to Him speaking to Martha as she comes to Him with the request that He bid her sister help her with the serving. He entreated her not to allow the cares of her household to disturb the peace of her soul. “Martha, Martha,” He said, “thou art careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:41, 42.] 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 13
Listen to the words that He spoke as the weary mothers brought their children to Him to be blessed. The disciples, unwilling that their Master should be disturbed, were sending the mothers away. But Christ said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 19:14.] And taking them in His arms, He blessed them. Could the future of these children be opened before us, we would see the mothers recalling to their minds the scene of that day and repeating to them the loving words of the Saviour. We would see, too, how often, in after years, the memory of these words kept them from straying from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 14
Think of the wonderful words that Christ spoke to one woman in Samaria. He was sitting by Jacob’s well as this woman came there to draw water. Christ asked a favor of her. “Give Me to drink,” He said. [John 4:7.] He wanted a cool draught, and He wanted also to open the way whereby He might give to her the water of life. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 15
“How is it,” said the woman, “that Thou being a Jew askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” Jesus answered, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. ... Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.” [Verses 9, 10, 13, 14.] 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 16
How much interest Christ manifested in this one woman! How earnest and eloquent were His words! When the woman heard them, she left her water pot and went into the city, saying to her friends, “Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” We read that “many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him.” [Verses 29, 39.] And who can estimate the influence that these words have exerted for the saving of souls in the years that have passed since then? 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 17
My sister, this same Jesus is your Saviour. Have faith in Him. He is acquainted with your every trouble. Take your burdens to the Burden-bearer, and leave them with Him, knowing that He will carry them for you. He is the Christ, the One who bears the sins of the world. I say to you, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29.] 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 18
In obedience to God there is a converting, sanctifying grace that makes a wicked man a Christian. God asks us to believe in Him as One able to save from all sin. And He asks us to bring into our lives the grace that will keep us from sin. There is no limit to the measure of grace that Christ is willing to bestow on us. He can give you grace that will enable you to show to the world that Christianity is a divine system which uplifts and ennobles human beings. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 19
All that God expects of you and all other Christians is that you live out your profession. Show that Christ’s word is true, that He can keep human beings from sin. Conform your life to His pure, beautiful, holy life. Obey His commandments. This will bring you practical godliness. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 20
Do not dwell upon the hardships of the Christian life. Do not talk of your trials; for if you do, you will become more and more inclined to complain of God. Talk of the love of Christ, bringing it into your heart and life. Be thankful that the Lord has spared you, that you have not been cut off without having gained a preparation for entrance into the heavenly kingdom, where there is no sin, no sorrow. You have only one life in which to perfect a Christian character. If you reveal the grace of God in your character, if the law of kindness is ever on your lips, if you constantly thank the Lord for His goodness to you, you are preparing to praise Him in the home above. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 21
My sister, the Lord asks you to speak no unkind words of your Saviour. Come to Him in faith and trust. Be cheerful. Bring all the sunshine possible into your life. Jesus is your helper. Trust Him all the time. Leave with Him all your perplexities. Do not speak one despondent word; for such words please Satan. When he puts into your mind thoughts of discouragement, talk of Christ’s goodness and tell of His power. Words of trust and hope and thankfulness are as easily spoken as words of distrust and complaint. Close the windows of the soul earthward, and open them heavenward. Put away all repining, and rejoice in the Lord; and then write me another letter, telling me whether you do not feel His light and love and joy in your soul. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 22
Your sister in Christ. 18LtMs, Lt 72, 1903, par. 23