the sabbath was a shadow of things to come. It pointed to the 1,000-year reign of Christ, which will bring to obedient mankind God’s promised blessing of eternal life and peace in a restful new world.—Col. 2:16, 17.

Pursuing My Purpose in Life

By C. E. Frost

BROOKLYN Bethel is my home, and I am happy to say that it has been for the past forty-seven years. This is the beehive of activity known as the international headquarters of Jehovah’s witnesses. What a contrast with life on our family farm near Brazil, Indiana. That is where I was born in December, 1874, when Ulysses S. Grant was in his second term as president of the United States.

Mother and father attended the country Methodist church and taught us children that religion. When I was about twenty years old, a woman Holiness preacher held a revival nearby and I went to listen. She discussed sanctification and getting holy spirit so we could live free from sin and be sure of salvation. One statement in particular caught my attention: One could be a Christian without belonging to any religious sect. I felt the same way. Later I asked the Methodist minister to remove my name from his roll of probationary members. He replied that so long as I led a Christian life I could stay on as a probationary member indefinitely. Sometime afterward a new minister served our church and I had a talk with him. He was losing interest in Methodism himself and agreed to remove my name from the roll. The minister joined the Holiness group.

DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL

My father decided that we would buy an additional farm about twenty-five miles from the homestead. His plan was to have us boys share ownership and help pay for it. I had no objection to farming, and they finally talked me into going in with them.

Still not a baptized church member, I told the Lord that if he would show me his will for me I would do it. A preacher of the United Brethren church happened to have some Bible literature from the Watch Tower Society, then called International Bible Students Association. He did not particularly agree with it, but it was my first contact with the Society’s publications, and I remember speaking to his mother about it. Shortly after this my grandfather visited us. He brought with him a wonderful book written by the president of the Society. It was called “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” What I saw in that book made me determined to read it from cover to cover. Although grandfather did not want to part with it, he did tell me where to write for one, and before long I had a copy. To my great delight, question after question was thoroughly answered. Understanding God’s will for earth and mankind brought joy and satisfaction. My family also became very interested.

This good news from God’s Word was too good to keep to myself. I ordered extra copies of the Society’s books and began