Lausanne – July 1878
To Mr P
Beloved Brother
I rejoice with all my heart and in every way for the blessing that God has given you in M.
I have, thank God, good news of all parts of the United States. In Rome in Georgia[11] and the surrounding country, I am advised that the word has been blessed. L works there; Lord A C[12] has visited them; there are two or three new meetings besides Rome. In Pennsylvania also, there has been blessing and the doors are widely opened.
For myself, I have been principally occupied with conferences in London, Elberfeld, Stuttgart, Zurich, Lausanne, etc, and I have found the Lord with me. And now, dear brother, rejoice altogether that we are nothing and so happy to be nothing. Oh! May He be all to our heart. Our great concern is the return to Gilgal after the victories, to the place where the heart is in order before God. Neither the wilderness, nor Gilgal, formed part of God’s counsels, but of His ways, so that on the one hand we should know ourselves, and on the others that we should be held in a state suited to His service. Yes, may we keep near to Him, forgetting the things which are behind us and stretching out to the things which are before[13], pursuing always until He comes to take us to be there where He is, and where all will be to His glory.
May God keep you and bless you. All the brethren are interested in your work.
Yours affectionately in Jesus
______________
[11] Rome, GA was founded in 1834 ; badly affected by the Civil War, the population would have been around 3,000 when this letter was written.
[12] Presumably Lord A Cecil
[13] Phil 3:13
Letter originally written in French, translated by Sosthenes, 2013
Click here for original – If you have any comments on the translation, feel free to let me know.