| 635 without spining [spinning]! or even toiling? If this be so, how is it that you have not let me know how you do it, but let me toil as I have done since I left my farm and comfortable home in Canada, near four years. I have not learned to spin, but I have, I suppose, walked some thousands of miles, chiefly with an empty pocket (but I don't wish to complain, or else I would say, at some times not a very full stomach,) and I really thought my brethren did the same. You will perhaps let me into the secret, for I want to return to America soon, and how am I to get there? When you find out the treasurer of your funds I may get something perhaps; however we ought not to be idle while all the rest of the miniters [ministers] are toiling and spinning so busily, neither ought we to complain at what we get; for there is one gentleman on this island, who, with all his toiling and spinning has only £8,000 or £9,000 a year to live on, and some, I suppose, not as many hundreds, so I'll try to be content.
But you may think this is a strange way of expressing the joy of my heart. Well I will tell you then, I am on a barren spot; the enemies are all hoping to see the cause fail; the devil is hard against us, and, you say, "the line of battle is extending far and wide over the plains of Babel," which I fully believe. I see the hosts of earth and the hosts of hell all combined together to fight against the Lord and his anointed. The skirmishes which you have passed through are but as drops before a thunder storm; and universal war is proclaimed by the Majesty of heaven against the great usurper, and the earth is again to be stained with the blood of the saints before the final blow can be struck by the arm of Omnipotence, and that we are to have a time of trouble such as the world has not seen; I look upon all this with a firm countenance, and rejoice, knowing that the truth will prevail, and that the victory will be ours. The captain of our salvation inspires my heart with a martial spirit, and I feel to glory in the cause. I would not hurt any one, not even the devil, but I am at honorable war with him; if he can take the kingdom, or if he can take the little stone and throw it beyond the bounds of time and space, he may, but if we take him a prisoner of war, he shall be cast into prison in the name of Jesus Christ-Amen.
JOSEPH FIELDING.
From the Millennial Star.
Manchester, Sept. 10th, 1841.
THE WAR IN CHINA.
It appears that the war in China is about to be renewed with redoubled vigor. The English have fitted out a new expidition [expedition] to proceed against her with the utmost rigor, and his Celestial Majesty, on the other hand, has issued orders for the raising of a "grand army," and the extermination of the English.
It seems very probable that this matter will finally result in a revolution of men and things in that quarter of the world, which will pave the way for free intercourse with the unnumbered millions, who, with their forefathers, have, for thousands of years, been secluded from the rest of the world, from all or most of the improvements of modern science, as well as from the glorious light and blessings of the gospel.
Who knows but five or ten years will open, as it were, a new world-a new field of enterprise for the research of antiquarians, geographers, and historians-a new vineyard or harvest for the missionaries of the fulness [fullness]of the gospel, and awake four hundred millions, (or near one half of the inhabitants of the globe,) from the stupidity of their long long midnight slumbers, to a realising [realizing] sense of things which pertain to the latter day glory, and to the immediate and everlasting welfare of themselves and all mankind. Should this be the result of present movements, it may be considered as a new era in the history of the world, and a sure and certain prelude to the approaching day of the Lord, which may God grant for Christ's sake. Amen.
It will be seen from our extracts from the Nauvoo news in this number, that the saints in America are alive to the interests of the kingdom of God, and are prospering in all things pertaining to the great work of the last days, in a manner which cannot fail to afford unspeakable joy to the hearts of the friends of Zion, who are yet scattered in distant countries.
We feel to say to our brethren in Zion, "Go-a-head in all things pertaining to the establishing of the church and
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