Earlier textPLEA FOR THE CHILDREN.
By H. C. MILLER
In continuing the consideration of what are some of the means by which the young can be led to love home, and to correct the tendency in the young of this generation to be restive under home restraints, let us note the bearing that health reform has upon the subject. I hope none will say, “There comes that health reform again. I do believe they want to lug that into every subject.” But wait and see if it does not come in here as a mighty help to the end sought. One of the first writers on the subject of health reform, adopts as one of his mottoes, “Health reform is the basis of all reform.” We shall not go thus far, but do believe it is to exert a powerful influence in the reforms to be wrought under the third angel’s message. That the unhealthy food that has been used has helped to excite the nervous systems of the young, poisoning the imagination, and exciting the lower propensities to an alarming degree, is apparent to even the casual observer. That sober, thoughtful, mild-dispositioned man, when under the influence of alcohol, or opium, will be so uneasy, restive, and even frantic, that he will not remain easy a moment. He will not stay in that home, quietly, an hour; he will not keep silent; he will talk, perhaps shout, or yell; all of it being the effects of the liquor he has introduced into his system. Try to detain him on the street, and you can not, even by main strength. He has no object in view that absorbs his undivided attention, but here he goes! or there he goes! Now this is the effect of stimulation in a high degree. Take away the cause and you have a sober, steady, quiet man again. Take another, a lad of fifteen, who has been fed on meats and fine flour, and condiments—salt, pepper, mustard, &c.—and tea and coffee. Here you have something of the same manifestation, differing in degree. Try to get a child to be cheerful and good tempered with constipation of the bowels and congested brain. Try to have a scrofulous child take a deep interest in agriculture or stock-raising, or even choring. He will work awhile listlessly, and then sit and dream, dream. Try to instill moral principles into the mind of a child whose every imagination is corrupted with lasciviousness, whose animal propensities are fired by, and whose nerves are jumping under, the lashing of those excitants, flesh-meats, tea, coffee, salt, pepper, &c. Why are the young of this generation so given to evil? why so devoid of the noble, the manly? why so little perception of right and wrong? why so given to learning vile habits, smoking, chewing, &c.? Surely the habits of eating and drinking, which they have formed, have much to do in causing the sad condition of the young of the present day. We believe the health reform is a basis of all reform in this direction. It is no use to talk, even with tears, of holy things, of God, Heaven, angels, truth, salvation, &c., to such children, so habituated to intemperate indulgences. Two extracts from the writings of two observers of the relations existing between habits of appetite and of morals, seem to well illustrate the subject, and to show the results that may be expected from attempts to cultivate the moral while neglecting to first, or conjointly, cultivate the physical. The first is by Sylvester Graham, and is quoted by Bro. Waggoner in a sermon in Review, Vol. xxix, p. 26, ¶ 7: “About eighteen years ago I visited a family of considerable distinction for their wealth, refinement, and piety. The lady seemed to me to be a very paragon of Christian propriety in almost every respect, and especially as a mother. She had three small children, the eldest being about five years old, and the youngest three months. She was unremitting in her maternal care and efforts to imbue the young minds of her children with sentiments of virtue and piety. She daily prayed with her children, and taught them to pray as soon as their lisping lips could articulate sounds. Her eldest was a daughter. Long before this child could speak with sufficient distinctness to be understood by any but the mother, she was taught to repeat, morning and evening, and on various other occasions, little prayers and hymns adapted to her age. As she grew older, she was successively introduced into religious infant, and Sunday, Schools, and Bible Classes. In short, all that a pious and devoted mother, and pious teachers, could do, by way of religious instruction, was done, to train her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I was charmed with the character and conduct of the mother, and named her with admiration whenever I had occasion to speak of maternal duties. She pursued the same course with all her children; and to protect them from the contaminating influence of other children, she employed private teachers, who co-operated with her in all her pious plans and measures; and great confidence was entertained that the happiest results would be experienced from such a system of education. “Two years since, I visited the same family again, and remained with them several weeks. But most sadly was I disappointed in the character of the children. I found them irritable, passionate, contentious, quarrelsome with each other, and exceedingly undutiful and disrespectful toward their parents. They manifested little regard for religion or religious institutions, and seemed to feel exceedingly impatient under parental or religious restraint. The eldest daughter was peculiarly unhappy in her temper and disposition. Scarcely a day passed when she did not get into a violent passion with her mother, or some other member of the family; and her extreme peevishness and jealousy made her almost continually wretched in her own breast. But what surprised me most was her excessive lasciviousness. Wantonness manifested itself in all her conduct when in the company of males; On further inquiry, I found that this lasciviousness was not confined to the oldest child; all the children were more or less affected with it according to their age. “Here, then, would seem to be a case in which the very best efforts of a pious mother had entirely failed of their object; but a further examination will show a radical defect in the education of these children, which had completely nullified every good measure. This mother, with all her maternal affection, piety, and faithfulness, wholly disregarded the relations between the bodies and the souls of her children; between their dietetic habits and their moral character. She truly ‘made the table a snare to them;’ and they literally ‘fared sumptuously every day.’ Indeed, she prided herself in setting the best table in town. Highly-seasoned flesh-meat, rich pastry, and every kind of rich and savory food, and condiments in abundance, together with strong coffee and tea, and perhaps occasionally a glass of wine, were set before these children for their ordinary fare. The result was just what was reasonably to be expected; and sorrow and tears were the reward of the afflicted mother. Alas! how many parents thus unwittingly afflict themselves, and become active agents in the destruction of their children and their race.” We see by the above, that books, and religious instructions, and prayers, and teachers, and all else, are apt to fail in the absence of correct bodily training. But with this, by the blessing of God, what good results may we not expect? The second is an extract from the writings of Dr. Jackson: “It is a great loss to be feeble in body; it is a very great loss to be uncultured in mind, but an infinite loss for one to be spiritually dead. And this is the great, crying sin with our youth. They lack spiritual perception. They are not capable of understanding spiritual things. They do not appreciate spiritual beauty. They have no longings for the spiritually good. Their very ideal of a God is such as either to dispossess him of his great spiritual characteristics, or to make them very indifferent qualities in his character. Hence we see our young men and young women showing in their daily lives, and in the bent of character which they manifest, an almost entire absence of high resolve, of noble purpose, of strong endeavor, of large self-resource, of thorough and continuous exertion of moral power, of strength of will, of keen discrimination upon matters involving right and wrong, and, in general, of large manliness which types out the heroic, and of large womanliness which shadows forth the gracious. In them the divine is nearly dead, and the devilish nearly in bloom. “Occupying, then, such a position as they do, where is the hope or expectation on the part of Christians to convert them to the great principles which the Bible inculcates, or to the great truths of a noble humanity? Between them and moral or spiritual conditions there are great obstacles. These must be removed. Until these are removed the gospel is powerless, no matter how devout or eloquent its ministers, or how fervent their appeals. Of little avail is it to draw a long bow with deadly intent against your enemy when he is clad in a Spanish steel cuirass. You must find, if you hit him to bring him to your feet, a joint or opening in his harness. Our young men and women are clad in the panoply of the Evil One. They are armed cap-a-pie, and we contend against them at fearful odds. Their passions as wrought out in and through their physical habits, are their great protection. “Now to seek to induce them to desert the master whom they at present serve, and to follow Christ as their Master, under motives which may be made in them prompt to action, by and through arguments addressed to their moral and spiritual sensibilities, is lost labor. They can be reached only at the point where their lives concentrate themselves, and this is in the sphere of their physical indulgences. If one can show them that they do not partake of half the enjoyment through the depraved gratification of their physical appetites and passions that they might through their healthy and proper gratification, then the argument is one which they are capable of comprehending, and which they will readily consider. “When Christians themselves come to see that in the direction of their physical habits and propensities Christianity has a claim upon them as truly as she has in the sphere of their intellectual and moral natures, then there will be a very great point gained, not only in the abstract as respects the means to be used, but in a practical sense also in respect to the example presented. Our young men and young women cannot be expected to draw very nice distinctions. A father feels grieved at his boy’s disposition to lawlessness, that is, to the inordinate gratification of his amativeness; while, at the same time, he himself is a living illustration before his boy, daily, of the inordinate gratification of a kindred propensity—his alimentiveness. A lewd sinner is not a very much worse man, under any aspect in which he may be viewed, than a gluttonous saint.”—Sex. Org., pp. 75, 76. Then as a great means in the work of turning the hearts of fathers and children to each other, in the Lord, to prepare them for the great and dreadful day just before us, does not the health reform stand prominent? Shall we not all recognize it, turn, and endeavor to cleanse our bodies by eating that which is pure and good; eating “for strength,” eating to nourish the body? Yield to the claims of Christianity in the direction of the physical habits and propensities, and thus remove one hindrance to the soul’s delighting itself in fatness? THE NEW PRACTICE VS. THE OLD THEORY.
By WM. COTTRELL
It is contended by some that we as a people, will shorten our lives by living out the health reform. On last Sabbath, after entering the village of Bowersville to attend our meeting, a physician from a neighboring village who had been called there to visit a patient, saw us. He came across the street to where we were, saluted us with a shake of the hand, passed some compliments, and said that if he had time he should like to stay for our meeting. He then left us, but before leaving town he stated to others that if the Advents lived up to their system of health reform strictly, we should all die in five years. He stated that he would admit that we would have clear minds, minds that could take hold of almost anything, but we could not live long. He said that if any of us were afflicted constitutionally with anything like scrofula, &c., it would develop itself soon, and that we would die. He seemed to pity us that we should act so suicidal. When asked for his reasons for what he had said, he stated that the leaving off of all stimulants would bring about this sad result; that persons could not live long on purely vegetable diet after having been accustomed to the common mode of living. Now, for one, I must confess that I am skeptical as it regards the theory that was advanced by this M. D. I use no flesh-meat of any description whatever, no butter, nor grease, nor pepper, no condiments of any kind; and although I have been a great pork-eater nearly all my life, and am now over fifty years old, and have been quite feeble for many years, I am now, under the reformed diet, and on two meals per day, able to do more work in one day than I could do in a week under the old mode of living. I must confess that I can't see how it can be possible that persons who live out the laws of health perfectly, should have as a result such healthy, active minds, and at the same time become more and more feeble in body as a result of this mode of living. Think of it! Strong, active, healthy minds, but feeble, sickly bodies. We, here in this place, that have made a start in the health reform, feel so well in the practice of it that we are willing to run the risk of its killing us, to obey the laws of God, either physical, mental or moral. If to obey God in keeping his laws would shorten our lives, would it not be better than to live in disobedience a greater length of time? I leave others to answer. DEMETRIUS.
By R. F. COTTRELL.
THE silversmith of Ephesus was not only a craftsman, but a crafty man. His leading object was to make money; but, to be most successful in this, he knew he must enlist the religious sympathies of the people, and move them by superstitious zeal, to persecute and put down the truth, which, should it prevail, would spoil his trade. His occupation was the making of silver shrines for the goddess Diana; and it was a business of no small gain. His accusation against Paul was, that he had persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods which are made with hands. “So that,” said he, “not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshipeth.” This touched a cord that vibrated. A few leading spirits cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” And though the mass of the people did not know what was up, yet, having heard the key note and got their eye upon Alexander, a representative of the truth which Paul preached, the whole multitude raised their voices and, for about two hours, cried, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” This was the best argument they had against the truth. A united acclamation in favor of fables. But I have often admired the wisdom, prudence, and skill of the Town Clerk, who had the tact to quiet the uproar, caution the people, refer the craftsmen to the legal way of proceeding, and dismiss the assembly in good order. Happy would it be for other cities and villages to have such a man in their midst as the Town Clerk of Ephesus. Now there is a moral in this. There are at the present day many craftsmen who have their wealth by taking the lead in the superstitions and fabulous traditions so popular at the present time, which they teach as the only true religion. Among the leading objects of their veneration is, not the image which the Ephesians were taught fell down from Jupiter, but a Sabbath which they entitle Christian, which actually came down to them from the Pope of Rome. And when the servants of God go among them, and tell them that they are no Sabbaths which are made by human hands, they give the key note of alarm to the people, using their best argument, and appeal to the prejudices of a misled and deluded people, and raise their voices in favor of popular traditions and fables, filling the air with dust to blind the eyes of the people and becloud their sight. Should the truth generally prevail they would lose their salaries; and not only so, their Sunday worship, or rather, their worship of Sunday would come to naught. So they cry out, “Great is the Christian Sabbath which all the world, except a few ignorant fanatics, keep.” They endeavor to make the first-day Sabbath a Christian institution by calling it so. When this state of things is inaugurated, the servant of God has to wait till the whirlwind and dust subside, and then quietly pursue his work of removing prejudice, and teaching the truth. And it sometimes happens that, amid the tumult, some one or more are manifested who, like the Town Clerk of Ephesus, appease the people, and thus aid the servants of God in their work. Oh, that there were more men like that same Town Clerk! REPORT FROM BRO. WHITE.
By James White
FIFTH-DAY, the 30th ult., we left our friends in Wright, where we had enjoyed interesting meetings, and journeyed to Monterey, a distance of fifty miles. Dr. Kellogg remained to spend another Sabbath at Wright. Sixth-day we went to Allegan, and made arrangements for meetings there on first-day, the 3d instant. Sabbath morning the house of worship at Monterey was well filled at an early hour. One thing in this people I can but admire. Half past ten with them is usually ten, while with many it is eleven. I spoke in the morning upon the parable of the lost sheep, Luke xv, 1-7, and compared, with the sentiments there taught, other portions of the word of similar import. The subject seemed exceeding fruitful, and the Lord helped. Probably a subject never suited the occasion, considering all the circumstances, better than this. As in many of our churches there had been a want of tender care for the erring, and the wandering. And while the subject reproved this, it also reached the hearts of the neglected, erring ones, and both felt the force of the subject. The effect seemed most gratifying and encouraging. Again we felt triumphant in spirit, and praised God for the freedom we had once more before this people in Monterey, and from several places in Allegan County. It has ever been a place of unusual freedom, and now we felt that brighter days were before this people. Mrs. W. spoke with freedom in the afternoon, following up the good impression made in the morning. In the evening I spoke an hour, then there followed a social meeting in which good testimonies were given, sustaining positions taken during the day. The meeting closed, and we felt that the good work had just begun. But there were our appointments for the next day at Allegan, and for the next Sabbath at Battle Creek. Again we were troubled as to duty. But on our way to Allegan first-day morning, we decided to return to Monterey, and finish the well-begun work. At Allegan we had good congregations three times on first-day and evening. I spoke in the morning on the Law and Gospel; Mrs. W. in the afternoon on the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and second coming of Christ, and we divided the hour in the evening between us, and returned five miles to Monterey, and found the meeting here just closing. We gave notice of a meeting for the church in the afternoon of the next day, and returned to our old resting-place, with the family of Bro. L. M. Jones, weary from our two days' excessive labors. The church meeting of the afternoon of third-day was a success. Brethren are getting the missionary spirit for the lost sheep. God help them. If they take hold of this work right, they will bring them every time. We have made several visits to some in this place who are not members of the church, yet observe the Sabbath, and are much encouraged respecting them. Fifth-day morning. The work is moving forward. Our dear brother, Geo. T. Lay, well known as a working friend of the cause in its past history, has taken a noble stand. Brethren have enjoyed visiting him and family, and confessions have been mutual and full. A345 better work I never saw in any church. And conviction is fastening on others. Last evening, I spoke on the Law and Gospel. This morning, I called on a friend who acknowledges the truth. We expect to see him enjoying hope in Christ. The church is in working order. The lost sheep are coming, and there is a general conviction upon the minds of the youth. THE SABBATH IN TROUBLE IN THE DAYS OF JOSHUA.
A BROTHER has placed in our hands a communication from his friends, containing two objections to the Sabbath, which, perhaps, for their novelty, if for no other reason, deserve a word of reply. 1. The first is, that the Sabbath was changed to the first day of the week in the days of Joshua, as the sun stood still a whole day, which would bring the next Sabbath on the first day of the week. Admitting that this was so, the Jews, from Joshua to Christ, were keeping the first day of the week. But the author of this objection believes that the Sabbath was changed in the days of Christ, to the day subsequent to the day which the Jews kept, so that Christians should now be keeping the second day instead of the first. But he keeps the first; so, on his own argument, he is not keeping the right day. But if the Jews from Joshua to Christ kept the first day of the week, and the first day of the week is the day we ought to keep, then we should keep the day the Jews kept; but that would correspond to our Saturday. But Joshua does not say that two days were put into one; but one day was protracted to about the length of two days. “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it.” Here the record speaks of it as a single day, not as two days. That week was a week of seven days, just like any other week, only one of its days was a long day. It did not bring the Sabbath upon any other day at all. Suppose the day on which we write, Monday, May 4, should be miraculously extended to the length of two days; the next day would be Tuesday, the third day of the week, not Wednesday, the fourth day, and the Sabbath would come upon the seventh day as in any other week. 2. The next objection is, that Joshua was a type of Christ, and the first work he did after entering Canaan was to break the old Jewish Sabbath by marching around Jericho, seven days in succession. We reply, Joshua broke every day as much as the seventh day, that is, he broke all the Sabbath there was, if he broke any; and if this indicated a similar work on the part of Christ, as the antitype, then he should have abolished all Sabbaths. But this will not do; for the objector himself believes that Christ instituted the first day of the week. Again, Joshua did not break the Sabbath till after he had entered Canaan; so Christ, as the antitype, should not abolish the Sabbath, till after we enter the heavenly Canaan, which is yet future, and which consequently cannot affect our practice now. But how could Joshua break the Sabbath, and go unpunished, at a time when, by especial appointment of God, any violation of it was punishable with death? No; neither Joshua nor Israel broke the Sabbath, in marching around Jericho. What the commandment forbids, is our own work, not any work which God may appoint us to do. The Sabbath is not the old Jewish Sabbath, nor the Christian Sabbath. There are no such terms in the Bible. It is the Sabbath of the Lord always and everywhere. It was instituted in Eden, and is an inseparable portion of God's great moral law, from Paradise lost to Paradise restored. And the prophet Isaiah assures us that as long as the new heavens and new earth shall endure, the hosts of the redeemed shall joyfully assemble from Sabbath to Sabbath at the New Jerusalem, to worship before the Lord of hosts. Be it ours to have a right to enter in through the gates into the city, and share in those heavenly meetings, by a willingness to walk humbly in the way of the commandments of God, in these days of our probation. Rev. xxii, 14. OUR YEAR'S LABOR.
By James White
To the praise of God would I speak of the labors and success of the past year. We have traveled by railroad, 3200 miles, and by private conveyance, going to, and returning from, appointments, about 2000 miles. Mrs. W. and self have attended 260 meetings, in most of which one of us has spoken from one to two hours; and have taken part in all those meetings where we have not spoken at length. I have presided in the examination of nearly two hundred candidates for baptism, and have baptized sixty-five. Add to this the care and toil of moving to a new home, and the amount of writing done by us, and it must be regarded as one of the most active years of our lives. Our principal mission has been to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, most of whom, from different causes, were separated, either in name, in spirit, or both, from the body, yet were observing the Sabbath. These, numbering hundreds, we have seen united to the body. This has been the most wearing kind of labor, frequently bringing us where, for a time, it seemed that we must give up the field. But hitherto the Lord hath helped us, and we still continue witnessing the work of the Lord among his people. We have formed many new acquaintances during the year, which we regard with great pleasure; and have renewed very happy acquaintances with old and well-tried friends. We have shared the sympathy, care, love, and benevolence of many, which blessings we prize next to the love and care of the Lord. The next year may not call for as great activity from us, allowing us less fatigue and more time for rest. But the lost sheep must be found and borne to the fold, and, if God will give us some part in this work, and strength to perform it, we cheerfully pursue our mission.
JAMES WHITE. AT HOME AGAIN.
By H. C. Blanchard
AFTER being absent from my family for over three months, I have been permitted to arrive at home again in safety, finding my family in the enjoyment of their usual health, for which I am very thankful to God, who is the giver of all our blessings. How it refreshes the worn servant to rest a little while at home with an affectionate wife and children, while the mental faculties that have been long and severely taxed, rest. I have for some weeks past thrown off mental labor as far as possible, at the same time laboring physically; and I can safely say that my health is improving under the change. You who are personally acquainted with me, know that I am naturally of but feeble constitution, and have had very poor health for the past three or four years. Some three years since, when Bro. and Sr. White were at our place they gave me some advice in regard to healthful living, remarking that, unless I took the nicest care of my health my wife would soon be a widow, and my children left without the care of a father. And to them I expressed my sincere thanks for their good and timely advice. About one year ago while attending General Conference at Battle Creek, Prof. O. S. Fowler of New York, stated to me that I must suspend mental labor for, at least, one year. Said he, “You, sir, are at the point of breaking down now;” but I suppose he was ignorant as to my faith and practice of the health reform. Others have made similar remarks to me, but those that are best acquainted with me, know that my health has been steadily improving all the time. I have been able to labor through most part of the past year in my Master's cause. I have been enabled to do this through the blessing of God, and by attending to the light God has been pleased to give through the health reform. It has added health and happiness to myself and family, and I will not be so ungrateful as not to acknowledge it with thankfulness. If men and women were not so blind to their best interest and happiness here, as well as hereafter, by their wrong education and perverted appetites, they certainly would enter more heartily into it. It has already been worth more real cash to me than I could earn by hard labor for years. But I need not urge the reform; for it has many more able advocates. But I will further say before leaving the subject, that I think the most powerful argument that many of us can use, is to practice earnestly and perseveringly, avoiding extremes on either hand. I parted with my much esteemed Bro. and fellow-laborer for the past nine months, R. F. Andrews, in the city of Chicago, March 10. My labors with Bro. A. have been most agreeable and pleasant. May the Lord reward him for his kindness to me. I look over our labors together with a good degree of satisfaction. About eighty have made a start publicly in the service of the Lord under our labors. To God be all the praise. The churches in Illinois and Wisconsin are advancing with the message. I have formed many new and happy acquaintances, which will last while I am permitted to labor here in the cause of the Lord. Then, if faithful, I expect to enjoy their society while eternity rolls her ceaseless ages on. Dear brethren and sisters among whom I have labored for the past year, I trust you will be faithful to Jesus who has purchased your salvation at such a dear price. I often think of the many good meetings I have enjoyed with you. I also remember the many promises I have heard you make, that you would endeavor to serve the Lord more faithfully in the future. I hope you will remember these solemn vows, and, like David, pay them. I likewise remember gratefully your ministering to my temporal wants while with you. My wife joins with me in thanks for all presents received from your liberal hands. May we all so live that the Lord will remember us as his jewels at his appearing. When I arrived at home I found my dear father very near the grave with consumption. He lived until the 14th of April, when he quietly fell asleep in Jesus, and was buried in Princeville cemetery, beside my dear mother, who died April 9, 1867. They were both professors of religion for nearly fifty years. They embraced the Sabbath under the labors of Eld. W. S. Ingraham some eight years ago. Father was a member of the Christian Conference for nearly forty years, and a minister among that denomination. He embraced the first angel's message, and was among the waiting, watching ones, in 1844. He has been a constant sufferer for several years. His sufferings were so intense for months before his death that it was a wonder to his physicians, and all that knew him, how he could hold on to life so long; but he took it all patiently, often remarking that he should soon enjoy a sweet and quiet sleep beside his beloved wife, to be awakened only by the voice of the Archangel calling the saints forth to glory, honor, and immortality. Funeral services by Eld. Goff, of Henry, Ill. Dear parents, we shall see you in this life no more,
But we expect to meet you safe on the eternal shore.
There death ne'er comes again to slay the friends we love,
But safely we shall reign with ransomed hosts above. REPORT FROM BRO. BOURDEAU.
By D. T. BOURDEAU
My stay at home is nearly brought to a close. I shall give my farewell discourse next Sabbath, and intend to leave the next day for the General Conference, in company with Mrs. Bourdeau and my brother, to labor where Providence shall direct. I have remained in Vermont about six months. Although the extremely cold winter that we have had, and the burdens connected with selling, and helping to prepare a home for my parents, together with other important matters which I have had to attend to, have prevented me from improving healthwise as rapidly as I had intended, yet I have had the privilege of hardening my muscles, and inuring myself to hardships by physical exercise. I have held meetings in Enosburgh, Berkshire, Sutton, C. E., East Richford, Johnson, and Stowe; and have given in all, besides laboring in social meetings and visiting, about fifty discourses. But especially have my labors been connected with the Enosburgh church, to whom I have given a course of lectures, besides quite a number of practical discourses. I feel especially endeared to this church by my past experience with them, and by their appreciation of the plain testimony. They also have cheerfully borne burdens in responding to calls for help from the different branches of the cause according to their ability. May they not be weary in well-doing, but abound more and more in every good work, knowing that they shall reap a rich reward if they faint not. I have joined with my brother in keeping up the interest among the young, and we have seen further fruits in the conversion of more of the youth to the truth, among whom are my wife's two youngest brothers, who with five others have decided to be baptized next Sabbath. I had felt a deep interest for these dear souls and for others, and thought that I could not leave without seeing them decide on the Lord's side. And now that I have seen the desire of my heart, I can leave with more satisfaction, praying that these youth may, with all this dear people, persevere until the coming of Christ, and be saved in his everlasting kingdom. It is no small sacrifice for me to leave my beloved parents, not knowing as I shall meet them both again in this life, as my mother's health is very feeble. But I have the consolation that by their past willingness to sacrifice for us and the cause, not seeking their own interest and ease, but denying themselves to give us an education, at a time when they needed our help, and then standing by us and still helping us when the cause was feeble in this section, and when preachers had no other help than that coming from their own hard earnings and resources, they have obtained a hope that sustains them, and takes hold of the riches and glories of the world to come. I commit my honored parents to the Lord and to the church to which they belong. Though they are provided with a sustenance, yet there are times when, as they remain by the stuff while my brother and I are out in the field, they shall need to be eased. Then whatever is done in bearing physical burdens to relieve them, is done to us and the Lord. Doubtless we shall not all meet again in this life. But, thank God! we hope to meet at the close of the war, when all our burdens are borne, our wanderings shall cease, victory is gained, and an endless state of felicity shall open before the favored church of God. West Enosburgh, Vt., April 20, 1868. MONTHLY MEETING AT PARMA.
By A. S. Hutchins
In company with Bro. and Sr. Van Horn, I had the privilege of attending this meeting last Sabbath. To me this was an occasion of interest, encouragement, and profit; and I doubt not that it was also to all present, who love the prosperity of God's people. At half-past 9, A. M., from forty to fifty brethren, sisters, and friends, from several different towns, met at Sandstone Creek, about three miles from Bro. Burwell's, for baptism; where Bro. Van Horn baptized five. Four of this number had but a few months since fully decided to give their hearts to God and go with his remnant people to Mt. Zion. The scene here, as these willing souls went forward in the pathway of obedience to the example of the blessed Saviour, was pleasant, peaceful, and long to be remembered. After this we held three meetings at the house of Bro. Burwell. In the first, Bro. Van Horn spoke, setting forth the inconceivable value of a treasure in Heaven, as contrasted with the honor, interests, and wealth, of this world, affectionately urging upon all the importance of taking the cross up daily, and following Jesus. In the second, I spoke briefly on the shortness of time and the importance of its proper use; after which nearly every one present gave a good testimony. In our next meeting, two were added to the church by vote, making seven received at this time, after which the ordinances were celebrated. My mind will ever revert to the visit at P. on this occasion with delight, and gratitude to the Lord, for the good meeting, the pleasing interview with Bro. Van Horn, and the visit with the brethren. Health Institute, May 8, 1868. INDEPENDENCE OF MIND.
By J. S. MILLER
Some Seventh-day Adventists, who are convinced of the truthfulness of the visions, hold back from receiving them, because they think that in so doing they will manifest a weakness of intellect. Such persons flatter themselves that they are very independent-minded; but could they see things in their true light, they would see that they are lacking in this very respect. Could such look down deep into their own hearts, they would find that darling self is in the way. They would find that their boasted independence is nothing but perverted approbation—a fear of the disapproval of the worldly, wise men around them. If it does not require independence of mind to embrace and live out unpopular truth, and meekly bear the reproach that follows, I do not know what does. It would be well for such to know that while they are professing themselves to be wise, they are becoming fools—dupes of Satan. It is well to be slow and cautious in matters of uncertainty, but when we once see truth, the sooner we embrace it, the better. Such may say that they do not understand all that the visions teach. But can they not say the same of the Bible? Would it not be well for such to practice what they do understand, and then investigate the rest as they have opportunity? In the language of the apostle, “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.” Silent Operations in Nature and Grace
THE grandest operations, both in nature and in grace, are the most silent and imperceptible. Sorrow for Sin and Amendment
THE slightest sorrow for sin is sufficient, if it produces amendment; the greatest is insufficient, if it do not.