14.  The  most  important  rule  of  all  is,  that  you  must  have
faith.  It  must  be  faith  that  requires  a  sacrifice,  and,  if
tried,  would  give  up  the  dearest  object  on  earth,  the  world
and  its  desires, — character,  living,  occupation,  friends,
home,  comforts  and  worldly  honors.  If  any  .  of  these
should  hinder  our  believing  any  part  of  God's  Word,  it
would  show  our  faith  to  be  vain.*

LIKE  A  NEW   BOOK — CLEAR  LIGHT

His  first  period  of  general  Bible  study  pursued  in  harmony '
with  these  principles,  occupied  about  two  years,  and  of  its
'  happy  results,  he  ^speaks  in  part  thus:  "The  Bible  was  now
to  me  a  new  book.  It,  was  indeed  a  feast  of  reason;  all
that  was  dark,  mystical  or  obscure  to  me  in  its  teachings
had  been  dissipated  from  my  mind  before  the  clear  light
that  now  dawned  from  its  pages;  and  oh,  how  bright  and
glorious  the  truth  appeared!  All  the  contradictions  and
inconsistencies  I  had  before  found  in  the  Word  were  gone ;
and  although  there  were  many  portions  of  which  I  was
not  satisfied  I  had  full  understanding,  yet  so  much  light
had  emanated  from  it  to  the  illumination  of  my  before
darkened  mind,  that  I  felt  a  delight  in  studying  the  Scrip-
tures which  I  had  not  before^upposed  could  be  derived  from
its  teaching."*

After  gaining  much  light  on  the  prophecies,  and  feeling
assured  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  drawing  near,  he  was
convicted  that  the  light  which  he  had  received  placed  him

^Brief  History,  pages  78r81.
^History  of  Advent  Message,  page  51.
