Alexandria, Egypt, Dec. 31St, 1886.
Dear Brother—, Your last, of the 15th, came to hand on the 25th. It contained—. I am exceedingly thankful to the Lord for it, because I had been feeling that the time had come for me to go down to Egypt, and visit the saints. In fact, I had told my wife to get all my clothes ready, for it seemed that I was soon to start on my journey. Hence, when your letter came, it found me quite prepared, and I took the first steamer for this port, and arrived here last night.
After I wrote you last, I closed up my printing work for the present, and on the 25th of last month, I took an inland journey, to see some of the saints at Deis Mimas, and was about a. fortnight, and now have reached Egypt. I am in perfect peace, although, if I would look forward a little in a human way, it would seem that a good many sorrows are in store. However, I am in peace, and desire to go forward step by step, as guided and sustained of the Lord. I have already had some joy here, in finding that the Arabic-speaking brethren in this place have not been mixed up with the recent troubles that so scattered the soldier and sailor brethren. I have not seen them all yet, and the old leading brother is now absent, but I learned from his family, last night, that he has had nothing to do with the.... for a good while.
Please the Lord, I shall proceed on my journey the first of next week, from whence I may drop you a line, after I shall have seen how things are I forwarded them a large box of books last month. I too, like you, have of late been much encouraged in that line. I do not remember whether I mentioned to you previously, that; for some time past, there has been a good deal of interest in reading, in a district just north of Mount Hermon. I have sent them supplies of books and tracts, and had another request just before I left Beirut. It is a place I have never visited, but, by means of some whom we know who are there from Mount Lebanon and Beirut, and who have a good knowledge of the simple truth, an interest sprang up in the minds of many there since the early part of the summer, and it is still increasing. Among others, my correspondent mentions some schoolmasters, some Greek priests, and, in his last letter, he tells me that the Bishop himself was recently visiting there, and, by chance, found a gospel volume, called “Grace and Truth,” in the house of one of his parishioners, and got to reading it, and he became so much interested, he took it away with him, telling its owner that he could go and get another copy where he had obtained that one.
I have learned to greatly value awakenings of this nature here in the East. When God’s Spirit moves minds and hearts in a quiet and unofficial way to read and hear the precious truth, without any excitement, and without the thought that they are getting a hold of a new religion, they seem to find in the books an unfolding of Christianity, which they have so long professed without understanding it. We do not attack what they have got, but quietly, on the part of God, explain in love what the Christianity is which we all profess, or, rather, what Christ is whom we all confess as our Savior. The great thing we all need is, to go on patiently with God, with the eye and heart set on Christ and coming glory.
But I must write very briefly, for I have a good many to look after during my few days’ stay in this city.
I cannot see what there is in the title of my tract to shock any christian person, or give the impression that it means to affirm that atonement was made in heaven. “The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men?” is, to my mind, a similar sentence, and it does not imply that the Lord is going to affirm that it was of men..... The devil hates the confession of the finished work of the cross, of this we may be assured. At all events, we have neither misunderstood nor misrepresented.
I would like to write more, but must close for the present. Love to all saints with you.
Your brother in Christ, B. F. P1NKERTON.