DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: It truly makes me feel to rejoice to read your cheering testimonies through our beloved paper, which is all the preacher we have here. Oh! how we welcome its weekly visits, and read its contents with delight.
I can truly say that I received more than double pay for attending the Owosso Camp-meeting. The cutting remarks from the lips of the servants of God so opened self to my view that I could but exclaim, Lord, is it I; and the answer seemed to be, Thou art the man. Oh! how unlike my blessed Master I found myself to be. But since that time I have been striving to wean my affections from this vain world of affliction, and to have my thoughts stayed on the Lord. Oh! how I want the love of God applied to my heart like the refiner's fire or like the fuller's soap, so that I may be perfectly cleansed from the love of worldly treasures, or anything of a sinful character. Dear brethren and sisters, I do humbly beg an interest in your prayers, not only in my behalf, but also in behalf of the little handful here who are trying to live out the truths of God's word by keeping his commandments. We are waiting with patience for a messenger to be sent to organize a little church here. It is our prayer that God will open the way soon.
Your unworthy brother, trying to overcome.
C. D. COOK.
Tuscola Co., Mich.
Living the Third Angel’s Message
By Amy E. Dartt
From Sr. Dartt.
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: Considerable time has elapsed since I have penned a communication for the REVIEW. I now write to inform you that I still love all the truths of the third angel’s message, and am trying, by God’s assisting grace, to live them out. I think I am making some progress in overcoming. My daily prayer is, that I may possess all the graces of the Spirit, that I may walk before God and be perfect. And to this end I am watching as well as praying. Oh! what a great thing it will be to be without fault before the throne of God; and were it not for his great mercy manifested through our all-sufficient Saviour, I should have no hope. But blessed be his holy name who has said, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Yours in hope of eternal life. AMY E. DARTT.
Sauk Co., Wis.
Quarterly Meeting at Marion
By D. T. Shireman
From Bro. Shireman.
THE Quarterly Meeting of the Lisbon, Anamosa and Marion churches, has just closed in this place. There was a goodly number present from Lisbon and Anamosa, and a load from Laporte City. We truly had a heavenly sitting together, and trust that all have received a lasting benefit from this meeting. We had three meetings on the Sabbath, and the ordinances of the Lord's house were attended to the evening after the Sabbath, Bro. J. F. Mitchell officiating. This was one of the best meetings of the kind we ever attended in this place.
Dear brethren and sisters, let us remember our vows, and strive to be better men and women by the time that we shall meet again at our next Monthly Meeting, which will be held at Anamosa, Dec. 4 and 5.
On Sunday forenoon, we had our parting meeting. Bro. Mitchell spoke with freedom from Gal. vi, 1–9, after which there was time given for most of the brethren and sisters to speak. We felt sad that our meeting had to close so soon. We shall look back to this meeting as a bright spot in our pilgrimage.
Let us all strive to take a special interest in our monthly meetings. Let us begin the work at our homes, around our family altars, at the evening prayer-meeting, and upon the Sabbath, as we meet from time to time, and then we can expect that the Lord will be with us at our larger gatherings. Dear brethren, let us go up and possess the goodly land. It is only the willing and obedient that will be accepted when the Lord comes. Now as the busy part of the year is past, let us spend more time in praying, reading, and meditating, than we have in the past. Oh! let us not sleep away our time, but let us watch and pray. Your brother striving to overcome.
D. T. SHIREMAN.
Marion, Iowa.
W. SUTLIFF
By W. Sutliff
From Bro. Sutliff.
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: It seems to me that I never had such sweet peace as now. Our camp-meeting in this State was a very profitable season to me. For months I looked forward to the time with bright anticipations. I tried to prepare for it; the Lord blessed me. I expected much; I received more than I expected, for which I thank the Lord and take courage.
Brethren, let us look up, our redemption draweth nigh. I think there is much to encourage us. The cause is moving forward. Bro. White is again able to take his place at the head of the work. His voice is again heard in the field. He rejoices in strength, and is able to say that he possesses a sound body. Now brethren, let us stay up his hands by our prayers to God that he will no more suffer Bro. White to be afflicted. I believe the Lord is about to pour out his Spirit upon his people, and we want to be with the right company in order to be blessed. Then let us get into the work, lest we fall out by the way.
W. SUTLIFF
Steele Co., Minn.
A Desire to Serve Christ
By Sr. Underhill
SR. UNDERHILL writes from St. Louis, Gratiot Co., Mich.: I feel that I am making some progress in divine life. I love the Lord and love his people, and it is my greatest desire to do some little good. I want to improve every moment. I wish to be a worker, not an idler, in my Master's vineyard. I know the Saviour is soon coming. That awful day draws near. Am I ready? are you ready? do we think of these things as we should? I fear some of us are making but little headway. There will be a time when we will bitterly grieve over our past negligence in the service of our Redeemer. Oh, this ungrateful heart! so devoid of feeling when his love for us is so great. I am not able to express my love for the Lord, for what he has done for me, but in the language of the poet I would say:
“Had I ten thousand thousand tongues,
Not one should silent be;
Had I ten thousand thousand hearts,
I’d give them all to Thee.”
I would ask an interest in the prayers of the commandment-keepers, that I may live in a becoming way so that those of like faith will never have occasion to blush at my misconduct, or grieve over my fall.
Reflections on Glory and Repentance
BLESSED are they who see the day of glory, but more blessed are they who contribute to its approach.
In order rightly to understand the voice of God in Nature, we ought to enter her temple with the Bible in our hands.
LET our repentance be a lively will, a firm resolution. Complaints and mourning over past errors avail nothing.
A GREAT man neglects little things, not on account of his greatness, but of his littleness. Nothing is too little for the regard of Omniscience.
Obituary Notices.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.
DIED, in West Monroe, Oswego Co., N. Y., Oct. 27, 1869, our beloved daughter, Lydia Ann, aged 19 years, 7 months, and 16 days. From a child she had been of feeble constitution, and suffered much from severe attacks of acute disease, and for the last six months, it was evident that consumption had marked her for its victim. Although feeble, she attended and enjoyed much the camp-meeting at Kirkville. From that time she sank more rapidly under the power of disease; but was able to go out until two days before her death. She was baptized and united with the church about four years since, and was a sincere lover of the truth, and in her life, a consistent Christian. In the dying hours she was perfectly calm and composed, leaving words of comfort and exhortation to her friends, and then without a struggle, quietly fell asleep, leaving the bright assurance that she sleeps in Jesus. We sorrow, but are comforted with the hope that the Lifegiver is soon coming, and that then she will awake to immortal life. Sermon at her funeral by Bro. D. Arnold, from Rev. xxi, 4. F. & L. P. WHEELER.
DIED, of whooping cough and chills, in Liberty, St. Joseph Co., Ind., Oct. 25, 1869, Mary E., only daughter of Eber and Carrie Wood, aged 2 years, 8 months, and 20 days. Very appropriate and comforting remarks were made on the funeral occasion by Bro. U. Smith, from 1 Cor. xv, 26. WM. R. CARPENTER.
DIED, at our house near Woodbourn, Clark Co., Iowa, Oct. 22, 1869, of consumption, our dear mother Anna Neal, in her 52d year. From her youth she was a member of the Christian church, and embraced the Sabbath about ten years ago. She now rests in hope of soon having part in the first resurrection. MAHLON W. NEAL.
JAMES WHITE
By James White
Bro. Andrews, last week, plead for a wider circulation of the REVIEW AND HERALD. We join in the plea. We are doing all we can to make the paper interesting and instructive. We must see its circulation much increased.
We are printing 500 extra copies of numbers of the REVIEW containing "Reasons Why We Believe as We Do," so as to be able to furnish back numbers to new subscribers. Brethren and sisters, search out your friends, and see that they have the REVIEW AND HERALD. We offer fifty-eight papers for $1.00 to all who wish it on trial, and to the brethren for their friends. Brethren who feel an interest for their friends, should embrace this favorable opportunity of placing the truth before them. Send us the names and addresses of friends, accompanied with the pay, and the business will be promptly done.
And we sincerely hope that all the friends of the cause will cheerfully and promptly pay $2.00 a year for the REVIEW AND HERALD, in advance. We hope to hear from delinquents immediately. We are hindered in our work for want of the money due on our periodicals.
JAMES WHITE
RESPONSE FROM THE SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS.
The Sabbath Recorder of Oct. 14, contains the following response from the Seventh-day Baptist General Conference, to the address of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists. For some reason, to us unknown, the paper of the above date failed to reach us, and we were unaware of the action of the Conference until a notice of it appeared in the N. Y. Independent, when the missing number was sent for. This will account for the delay in its appearance in our paper.
“DEAR BRETHREN,—We have received, and read with pleasure, your communication expressing toward us fraternal feelings, and congratulating us on the position we occupy with respect to the Sabbath of the Lord. After duly considering the same, we deem it proper to make the following response:
“1. While we take no honor to ourselves, but confess with sorrow our slothfulness in the Master's service, yet we do gratefully accept the distinguishing kindness of God in intrusting to us his holy Sabbath, so long rejected by the Christian world at large. It is indeed true, that for faithfulness, even to a limited extent, in the discharge of the obligation, thus imposed, some of our numbers have suffered serious loss, while others have been subjected to inconvenience and loss more or less serious. Yet, when we remember the unspeakable sufferings of our blessed Redeemer, that we might be the heirs of the grace of life, we are ashamed even to speak of our sufferings.
“2. It is certainly matter of rejoicing to us, that in God's good providence he has, in you, so largely increased the number of those who observe his holy Sabbath. It sometimes seems strange to us, that after the apparently fruitless toil of the long night which has been upon us, this gratifying change should come so suddenly. We heartily welcome you as fellow-laborers in this field. We also commend you for your devotion to truth, so manifest in your whole history as a people; and pray the blessed Father to grant you, in all things, to see light in his light, until you shall be filled with all the fullness of God!
“3. In regard to the doctrine of the immediate coming of Christ—a doctrine commanding your unquestioning belief and strongest religious sympathies—we are forced to say, that it does not seem to us of such pressing importance as it does to you. We entertain the conviction, firmly, that Christ will come again, to take his people to himself. We do not differ with you in regard to the certainty of this event; but, as before intimated, we cannot affirm that the event is immediately to transpire. We cannot, then, join you in urging the claims of the Sabbath upon the attention of the public primarily on this ground; although we are free to confess, that with many, such a course does, and will, have a powerful influence. Our plan is, to press the claims of the Sabbath upon its own merits, employing as a motive for its acceptance the love of truth. We are aware that the growth of Sabbath observance may be less rapid on this plan than upon yours, but we believe it will be much more healthful and enduring. Besides, no one can be certain that Christ will immediately come, and it is inevitable, that should your teachings in this respect prove a mistake, a most serious reaction will occur. We are, therefore, persuaded, that to make the question of the immediate coming of Christ a prominent reason for keeping the Sabbath, is, to say the least, of doubtful propriety.
“4. We should greatly dishonor ourselves as a Christian people, if we were to hold you responsible for the ungoverned conduct toward us of some who have affiliated with you in former times. It would be too much to expect that a widely-scattered and not fully organized people would be free from such occasions of unpleasantness; and it would show weakness in us to give place to a spirit of alienation because of these things.
“5. We are scarcely at liberty, in this communication, to speak of differences of doctrine, practice, and opinion, between the two bodies, not mentioned by you, and can only refer to them to say, that it is matter of deep regret to us, that there are differences so radical as to keep asunder two Christian communities, agreed in a most important religious doctrine and duty—one in which they disagree with all the other Christian sects around them. The most that we can do at present, perhaps, under the circumstances, is to treat each other with kindness, abstaining from all forms of speech and action calculated to produce alienation of feeling, or misconceptions of each other's views, and hopefully wait the realization of the Saviour's prayer, that his people may be one. Meanwhile we shall be glad to hear farther from you, and shall hold ourselves ready to co-operate with you whenever, and so far as, circumstances may justify and require.
“With a view of promoting friendly relations, and making our acquaintance mutually profitable, we have appointed Jonathan Allen to attend your next General Conference.
“N. Y. HULL,
NATHAN WARDNER,
T. R. WILLIAMS,
G. B. UTTER, Committee.”
Appointments.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
The Lisbon, Marion, and Anamosa, churches will hold their next Monthly Meeting at Anamosa, on the first Sabbath in December, commencing on the evening of Dec. 3. Cannot Eld. Butler attend this meeting?
S. T. CHAMBERLIN.
The next Quarterly Meeting of the church at Princeville, Ill., will be held the first Sabbath and first-day in December, which will be the 4th and 5th of the month. We wish to see all our little band assembled at this meeting. Will those at a distance who cannot come to this meeting, please report themselves by letter? We want to hear from all.
B. F. MERRITT.
The next Quarterly Meeting for the Waukon and West Union churches, will be held, no preventing providence, with the West Union church, Dec. 4, 1869. Meeting to commence Sabbath evening. We hope the few remaining of the Elgin church will be present; also the brethren and sisters of Fayette, and vicinity, are cordially invited. Let us examine ourselves, and thus prepare to engage in the worship of God.
C. A. WASHBURN.
Providence permitting, I will attend the Monthly Meeting with the churches of Irasburgh and Charleston, the second Sabbath in December. Will the brethren come prepared to settle up s. B. to Jan. 1, 1870, and to re-arrange their figures for another year, commencing at that date?
A. S. HUTCHINS.
Providence permitting, after closing our meetings in Ransom Center, Mich., Nov. 21, we will meet with the church in Fremont, Ohio, Nov. 23 and 24; church in Clyde, Sabbath and first-day, Nov. 27 and 28; also with the Wakeman church, Dec. 4 and 5, where Bro. Geo. Smith may appoint.
JOSEPH BATES.
Annexed to each receipt in the following list, is the Volumes and Number of the REVIEW & HERALD to which the money receipted pays,—which should correspond with the Numbers on the Papers. If money for the paper is not in due time acknowledged, immediate notice of the omission should then be given.
$1.00 each. G W States 35-8, Mrs J M Gifford 37-1; F Robinson 37-1, R M Moore 37-1, Geo A King 36-1, H Keefer 34-20, I D Van Horn 36-1, D S Cook 37-1, Charlotte Rowell 36-1, E Pratt 34-12, M J Chapman 36-1, M A Carr 37-1, Harriet Webb 37-1, C H Young 37-1, O Q States 35-18, G W Amadon 36-1.
$2.00 each. Alida Brown 36-1, C H Miles 33-17, F Nelson 36-9, Mary Stern 37-1, M J Willis 37-1, D Curtis 37-8, T J Hilliard 35-1, Mary Olmstead 37-2, H W Kellogg 37-1, Mrs A Austin 37-1, E Walworth 36-14, Geo Stone 36-1, L Newcomb 36-10, M A Eaton 37-1, Mrs J S Benham 37-1, Mrs G Turner 37-1, David Coon 37-1, James Hackett 37-1, Charlotte Aney 36-9, L A Kittle 36-1, W Coon 36-1.
Miscellaneous. E Church $5.00 35-1, N H Ordway 50c 34-15, G S Harpham 3.50, 35-14, W Greeley 75c 34-26, F Jeffrey 75c 34-21, G Soule 4.50 37-25, J Woolsey 50c 34-22, Wm Chapman 5.00 37-1, J Demming 1.75 35-26, E G Kent 3.75 37-1, T M Green 3.31 37-1, G T Richmond 3.00 36-1, L D Newton 3.00 38-1, Wm Gulick 5.00 38-1, S N Walnworth 3.00 37-11, A A Dodge 6.00 35-1.
Books Sent by Mail.
L McCoy $4.00, O Mears 1.12, J Deming 25c, S T Chamberlain, 50c, H S Guilford 1.12, Wm Boynton 5.00, R Moran 50c, P A Myner 25c, W G Brolier 1.25, I M Green 3.44, Mary J McCallum 1.35, J D Craig M D 2.00, M A Eaton 55c, D U Chamberlain 10c, Jesse Broder 3.00, C Cartwright 1.00, Sarah A Cardell 20c, N W Irish 1.30, John Matteson 1.55.
Michigan Tent and Ceresco Camp-meeting Expenses.
M Bartlett $1.00.
Owosso Camp-meeting Expenses.
A Schaupp $2.00, Mary Schaupp, 50c.
Cash Received on Account.
S T Chamberlain $6.50, Edd T M Steward 1.50.
General Conference Missionary Fund.
Little James Hodges 25c, Mollie $1.00.
Michigan Conference Fund.
Church at Greenbush $20.00, Salem Center, Ind., 10.00, M A Pasco 1.50, H Richmond 5.00, I Shouka 5.00, Alma 44.22, Allegan 50.00.
Foreign Missionary Fund.
Betsy Maynard $3.00, Geo Maynard 2.00, Sarah Maynard 25c, Marian Maynard 25c, Caroline Colson 5.00.
Benevolent Fund.
E Church $2.50.
Received on Book and Tract Fund.
M Judson 55c, E Church $2.50, A A Bradford 5.00, R F Cottrell 5.00, C M Cottrell 5.00, J U Cottrell 5.00.
Books Sent by Express.
Oley A Olson, Ft. Atkinson, Jeff. Co., Wis., $12.50, Isaac Sanborn Bangor, La Cross Co., Wis., $4.88, S B Whitney, Potsdam Junction 1st Law. Co., N. Y., 40.95.
REMARKS.—
By Editor
We are very happy to give place in the REVIEW to the above response from the General Conference of the S. D. Baptists. We respect the spirit of Christian courtesy that breathes through this document. We regret that we did not receive that number of the Recorder in which this response was published, that we might have given it in proper season to the readers of the REVIEW.
The third paragraph, however, indicates some degree of misapprehension of the address of our Conference. We do not urge the claims of the Sabbath upon the public “primarily” on the ground that the advent of Christ is at hand. We do it because that the fourth commandment is a part of God’s immutable moral law. We never ask men to keep the seventh day because of the nearness of the advent of Christ. This would be, in itself, no reason at all for such action. It determines nothing as to what day is the Sabbath, nor, indeed, whether there be any day now binding. But we do endeavor to lay the foundation of sabbatic observance deep in the just authority of the moral law, and to set forth from the Holy Scriptures the reasons for regarding the memorial of the great Creator. Having said thus much on this point, we will add the three sentences which seem to be the occasion of the misapprehension in the above response. Here they are:
“In view of the swift-approaching Judgment, we are constrained to labor earnestly, that we may lead as many of our fellow-men as possible to observe in letter and in spirit EVERY PRECEPT OF THE MORAL LAW, that they be able to pass its searching, awful test. We have not found it difficult to convince our fellow-men that the Sabbath of the great Creator is still a part of his moral law, sacredly binding all mankind in its obligation. But we have found the doctrine of the swift-approaching Judgment a powerful means of constraining men to obey their convictions of truth and duty.”
We think each of these sentences contains a sufficient safeguard against the misapprehension into which our brethren have fallen in this response. It is the moral law that is made the ground of obligation. The nearness of the advent is used by us as one motive to constrain men to obey their convictions of truth and duty. It is true that we believe from the prophecies that there is a special message relative to the restoration of the Sabbath, designed for the last days. Yet we do not rest the obligation of the Sabbath upon this doctrine, but solely upon its institution in Paradise, and its place in the moral law. We think, however, that the results of this proclamation are such as to indicate to those who love the Sabbath of the Lord that the hand of God is in it. Will the Sabbath Recorder please copy?
Sixty-Five-Foot Tent for Sale
By James White
I have a sixty-five-feet tent for sale. The circle is twelve oz. duck, the wall, eight oz. As good as new. Price, $500. The friends in Northern Michigan failing to pay their proposed half of it, I am obliged to sell it.
JAMES WHITE.
T. M. Steward’s Post Office Address
The P. O. address of Eld. T. M. Steward is Rockton, Ill.