Earlier text: Notes on GenesisREPORT FROM BRO. WHITNEY.
By S. B. Whitney
Left home April 5, and spent a few days with my sick mother, after which, I came to Parma to attend Quarterly Meeting according to appointment, the 13th and 14th. This was emphatically a good meeting. There was not a great deal of animation, but a solemn earnestness and a mind to work among the believers. Bro. Andrews was present and did most of the preaching. The social meetings were characterized by a promptness that was really gratifying. Some interest was also manifested by outsiders to hear the truth, as there has been at every place so far. The 20th and 21st, was at Ridgeway. There our meetings were small but quite interesting. The Quarterly Meeting at Olcott the 27th and 28th, was well attended and was another good meeting. Bro. Saunders assisted in preaching, and the social meetings were interesting. Continued with them over another Sabbath and held meetings most of the time, but toward the last their interest was detracted from somewhat by the illness of our dear sister Lindsey. She was able to be at meeting the first Sabbath, part of the day, and gave in her testimony which was really cheering, but was taken worse the succeeding night and continued to fail while I remained. The church feel deeply afflicted by her feeble condition, and to all appearance she is almost ready to drop into the grave, unless the Lord by his power rescues her therefrom. May the Lord grant her family grace to patiently endure the affliction, if it comes. Spent two Sabbaths also at Lancaster. On account of the extremely bad weather and roads, and sister Lindsey’s precarious state of health, none came from abroad, and consequently the meeting was small. The church also is not in the most flourishing condition; but the Lord gave freedom in speaking the word, and some of our social meetings were truly refreshing seasons, and I trust some good was done. May the Lord help the few faithful ones there to be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”296 At all these meetings the reform short dress excited a good deal of interest, and the sisters generally are taking commendable steps toward adopting it. May they all have courage to come fully up to the light; and for the encouragement of all I would say, that so far as I know, those that have done so, testify that they received one of the best blessings they ever enjoyed. S. B. WHITNEY.— Angelica, N. Y., May 22, 1867. TIME OF MORNING PRAYER.
By R. F. COTTRELL
As a people we are generally agreed that the best time for evening prayer in the family is early in the evening, when “soft twilight steals abroad,” early in the commencement of the twenty-four day. It is well to begin each new day with the worship of God, and all are better prepared then for acceptable worship, than at a later hour, when weariness and drowsiness will affect more or less the different members of the family. But in respect to the best time for morning prayer, there is not so much uniformity. Some have their season of morning prayer before, and others after breakfast. Not wishing to dictate in this matter, I will give some reasons why I prefer the former. 1. It makes the service of God first in the morning, before we serve ourselves with food. 2. It will be admitted, I think, by readers of the Bible and observers of our different states of mind, that we are better prepared for prevailing prayer while fasting, than after eating. 3. A family of children are more naturally and easily collected together before breakfast, than after. 4. If some have to eat at a second table, and prayers be delayed till after breakfast, they must wait for their breakfast till after the season of prayer, else be waited for, or worse than either, the worship must be commenced while they are at table. There is one objection to this, a selfish one, and that is, that the food will be getting cold during the season of worship. The answer is, that it may be kept warm, and placed on the table after the worship is concluded. —The New York Herald says the proposed Fenian raid is taking a definite shape. A secret circular has been distributed to all the circles, calling them to arms. Munitions of war in large quantities have been taken toward the border, and secreted, ready for use when wanted. Quite a number of persons supposed to be Fenians are in St. Albans, Vermont. Fifty thousand troops are reported ready to take the field backed by fifty thousand more in case of need. —The Paris Exposition is turning out in every respect better than first appearances promised. The attendance lately is very great, and the verdict quite generally is that the affair is neither a swindle nor a failure. The greatest attendance is on Sunday, which in Paris is the great holiday. But on that day the American and English departments are closed, a circumstance that occasions much disappointment to Continental visitors, whose style of civilization is not of that sort. —The London Lancet says: “It is certain that many ladies carry about with them in their chignons the seeds of ringworm, an intractable malady.” It also stated that much of the hair used for chignons is “churchyard hair,” pulled from the scalps of the dead. It may seem paradoxical, but it is a fact, that while some aver that the rage for chignons is going down, the fashion seems to be “going up.” —It is stated that there are no less than 40,000 persons in London, not only out of employment, but reduced to the extreme of destitution, and dependent on daily charity for their morsel of bread or cup of soup. A procession of one thousand was recently formed and marched through the streets, carrying money boxes to receive any donations. Every man was in rags. —In a recently published statistical work, there are said to be in London one million four hundred thousand persons who never attend public worship; one hundred and fifty thousand habitual drunkards; one hundred and fifty thousand living in open profligacy; twenty thousand professed beggars; ten thousand gamblers; thirty thousand destitute children, and five thousand receivers of stolen goods.—Herald of Bridegroom. —The doctrine of Christian perfection, which has been generally ignored for some years among the Methodists, is attracting new attention under the impulse of the spring revivals. A correspondent of the Zion’s Herald says: “I understand that there is a plan afloat for a kind of national camp meeting somewhere in New Jersey, in the month of July, to be specially devoted to the promotion of Christian holiness; that invitations will be issued by competent church authority to the leading ministers of Methodism throughout the country who have been identified with this doctrine, and a strong, well guarded effort made, to arouse the whole denomination, standing upon the threshold of its second century, to a fresh and new devotion to the universal ‘spreading of scriptural holiness over these lands.’” The Rebellion not Suppressed.—Speaking of the unsettled state of the South and the release of Davis, a late N. Y. paper says:— We have commented elsewhere on the surrender of Jefferson Davis by the military authorities, and his release on bail by Judge Underwood. We have made, as the chief objection to this foolish procedure, the unsettled condition of the Southern States, and the uncertain temper of the Southern people. Following the release of the arch-traitor, we have an assault upon Judge Kelley, of Philadelphia, for attempting the exercise of free speech in the city of Mobile. Shots were fired at the party occupying the platform. One white man and two negroes were killed, and the meeting was broken up. We say emphatically that rebellion is not suppressed until free speech is secured to loyal citizens in every nook and corner of the Southern States. We fought for this express end—that such men as Judge Kelley, Senator Wilson, and Frederick Douglass, too, if he is so minded, should have liberty to go South, and address, without molestation, as many as choose to hear them. And we trust that the people of the United States will not stay their hands till this consummation is reached. Our public men, as soon as they get out of sight of old precedents, seem to become bewildered; but, thank God, the sound common-sense of the American people has so far never entirely failed them. The Freedmen.—In his speech at Charleston, Senator Wilson expressed the opinion that any persecution of the Freedmen of the South in consequence of their voting the Radical ticket, would be likely to incline him to support confiscation in the future. It would not have that effect upon Senator Wilson alone. The idea of punishing men because they do not vote as some particular class wants them to, especially when that particular class happens to be composed of rebels, can not be entertained for an instant. The colored people of the South must have absolute freedom of the ballot, and we greatly regret to observe that the failure of the Conservatives to cajole the colored electors into their support, has been succeeded by muttered threats of vengeance if the colored vote is cast against them. The rebel leaders at the South will add the cap sheaf to all their former folly since the close of the war, if they interfere with any colored elector of the South who votes as his convictions and interest dictate. Nothing would more certainly bring confiscation upon the South than such action. Emigration.—The stimulus given to emigration from Ireland and Germany by the Fenian troubles and the continental wars and rumors of war, is very great, and we are just beginning to feel its effects. Never were the Irish here sending out for their relatives more freely than now. Three steamers with 2000 emigrants, mostly Irish, arrived at New York, Saturday. Nine steamers full of emigrants left Cork, Ireland, within a few days early in April. Bringing Irish and German to America for permanent residence, is proving a vastly more profitable season’s business for the steamers than carrying Americans over to see the Paris exhibition. America was never serving her mission as the refuge of the oppressed, and the hope of the dissatisfied, the world over, more fully than now. Our fame goes out to all the nations, and the wide arms of commerce gather in the overflow and outgo of all climes. It makes the head swim with wonder and doubt to observe the elements of growth and greatness gathering and developing here on this republican continent. Only a divine sight and faith can trace the future with comprehension and confidence. The world seems but just beginning to grow, and man to assert and wield his full powers.—Springfield Rep’t. EFFORTS TO PROMOTE ITS OBSERVANCE IN NEW YORK—GREAT SUCCESS—ITS DESECRATION IN CHICAGO.
The New York Sabbath Committee held their tenth anniversary on April 28th. Norman White, Esq., chairman of the committee from its organization in 1857, made the first address. He stated that in 1857, owing to the then existing flagrant abuses of the Sabbath, a committee of twenty laymen formed themselves into an organization for the purpose of abating the evils. A canvass of the city showed that there were 10,000 places of business open regularly on the Sabbath, besides numerous theatres and dance-houses; that frequent parades and processions took place on that day, and that some 500 newsboys were crying the Sunday and daily newspapers through the streets of the city. These open and shameless violations of the Lord’s Day were the first to engage their attention; and by the efforts of the committee, with the co-operation of the clergy, the Metropolitan Police Department and the public press, they had been successful in putting all of them down, and have continued to succeed up to the present time. The chief results of their labors have been the suppression of the crying of newspapers in the public streets; of the Sunday pageant of the fire department at the funeral of Senator Broderick; the effectual remonstrance against Sunday desecration in the Central Park; the abolition of the Sunday theatres by the Sunday Theatre act of 1860; the protection of the Sabbath interest in the army and navy during the war, culminating in the issue of the Sabbath order by President Lincoln in 1862; suppression of Sunday parades in honor of returning volunteers in June, 1866; the National Sabbath Convention at Saratoga, in August, 1866; the delivery of over 100 sermons in the churches of New York and surrounding cities in 1864–1866; seven German mass meetings held from 1859 to 1867, for the better observance of the Sabbath; and last, though not least, the suppression of the Sunday liquor and beer traffic by the Metropolitan Excise law of 1866. Besides this over 2,500,000 pages of printed matter in relation to the proper observance of the Lord’s Day have been issued by the committee, and all these things have been done without a single public appeal for pecuniary aid.297 Rev. Dr. Schaff, Secretary of the committee, gave an interesting account of the Anglo-German Sabbath meeting in Mr. Beecher’s church, from which he had just returned, and read a statement showing that the number of arrests by the police for drunkenness and disorderly conduct on the Sabbath have decreased one-half since the passage and enforcement of the Excise law as compared with former periods. Rev. Dr. Patterson, of Chicago, also addressed the meeting, eulogizing the high state of order observed in New York on the Sabbath, and deploring its desecration in the metropolis of the West, which he said is not what New York was 20 years ago. Chicago has at present 1,723 licensed and 400 unlicensed liquor shops and beer gardens. At the inauguration of one of the latter places some time since 743 barrels of lager beer were consumed, and 36 assaults with deadly weapons and two murders were the results of the day’s enjoyment at that one place,—N. Y. Evangelist. Romish Persecutions in the United States.—We had occasion recently to notice the attack made upon Dr. Mattison’s church in New Jersey, by the Roman Catholics; we find that in Quincy, Ill., there has been a still worse manifestation of the persecuting and intolerant spirit of this enemy of Christ and freedom: “The Rev. J. C. White undertook to lecture on Romanism in Quincy, Ill., on Wednesday night; but the hall was taken possession of by the Catholics, and, upon attempting to speak, he was hustled out of the hall and barely escaped lynching. At least two thousand persons were present, inside and outside of the building, armed with clubs, stones and other missiles. An appeal was made to the Mayor, but he answered that the people had rights as well as the speaker.”—N. Y. Times. In reference to this the New York Tribune says: If any Catholics wish to make themselves and their church thoroughly detested by the great body of our people—to close the ears and steel the hearts of all non-Catholics against the Roman creed and polity—they may do it effectually by imitating the criminal madness of the two thousand at Quincy, whose conduct was even more impolitic than illiberal.” If we are not to be allowed to speak our sentiments in our own churches and halls, without running the risk of a mob, then it is time to rouse ourselves out of that insane indifference to growing evils which seems to characterize us just now. These are only the big drops that precede the storm. Here is another case, which we abridge from the Watchman and Reflector: “Rev. C. Chiniquy, the French Canadian priest of Illinois, who embraced the Protestant faith a few years ago, with his people, and who has continued ever since to hold religious service in the same church where he used to say mass, is the object just now of various annoyances and persecutions on the part of the Romish bishop of Chicago. The latter has sued him to recover the church property now held by Mr. Chiniquy, and had him even arrested a few days ago. Mr. C. has written to his Presbyterian brethren to ask an interest in their prayers.”—Zion’s Herald. MARRYING UNBELIEVERS.
By James Sawyer
Of all the denunciations which God has pronounced against man for sin, but few are more striking and pungent than those which forbid the marriage of his people with unbelievers. It seems that this was one great cause of the corruption in the earth before the flood. We learn that the sons of God (the descendants of Seth,) mingled with the posterity of Cain, and by intermarrying with them, lost their holy character through the influence of their wives. The earth soon became corrupt; every imagination of the heart of man was evil. It repented the Lord that he had made him, and he cleansed the earth of its impurity by a terrible deluge. The unhallowed longing of Lot’s wife for the goods and pleasures of the ungodly cities of the plain, which she had been summoned to leave, called down the vengeance of Jehovah, and that wonderful judgment ought to be a lesson to all future generations to forsake the company of evil-doers. But experience seems to be the only lesson by which we learn, unless we are early taught to obey the commands of God. Deut. vii, 3, 4. With the seven nations mightier and greater than the Jewish, God said that his people should not make marriages. “Thou shalt not give thy daughter unto his son, nor take his daughter unto thy son; for they will turn away thy son from following me; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you.” Josh. xxiii, 12. “If ye do in any wise go back and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, and shall make marriages with them, know of a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes.” Was not this intermarrying with other nations one reason why the Lord suffered them to go into Egypt? Spir. gifts, Vol. iii, p. 242. Four hundred years of cruel bondage! How much bitter for a little sweet! Then in the wilderness it was the mixed multitude, those who had intermarried with the Egyptians, who were the instigators in one of the greatest of the rebellions that happened in the camp of Israel. Spir. Gifts, Vol. iii, p. 274. One of the principal reasons why the people of God could not go up to Jerusalem to build up the walls of the city and the holy temple, was their strange wives, and nothing was accomplished in the great work until this evil was forsaken. The strength of the mighty and the wisdom of the wisest, may not be able to shield us when we transgress this great command not to marry unbelievers. Samson fell a victim to the same by disobeying it, and Solomon in his old age had his heart turned from the Lord and did evil because of a like neglect. “Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers,” says Paul, “for what part has he that believeth with an infidel? or what concord has Christ with Belial?” How often has God forsaken his people for this sin! Is there danger that his people in these last days should fall into the same forbidden faith? May God forbid that the Seventh-day Adventists be thus spotted with the world. Why can not both sexes in this society raise the standard of morality, and say, We will not cause a reproach upon the cause of God by forming intimate alliances with those who do not show by their lives that they are trying to keep all the commandments of God? It is their privilege to lead the world, but not be led by the world. And may neither wealth, nor beauty, nor smartness entice either sex; but let PRINCIPLE form our permanent associations, so that we do not cause the anger of the Lord to be kindled against us, but have our last days our best days. The Great Earthquake—Effects at Leavenworth Kansas.
Our telegraphic despatches of Thursday, April 25, announced the occurrence of terrible earthquake shocks simultaneously at Leavenworth, Junction City, Lawrence, Kansas City, St. Joseph and other points of western Missouri and Kansas. The Leavenworth and Kansas City papers give additional and deeply interesting details: [From the Leavenworth Conservative, April 25.] The universal topic of conversation last evening was the earthquake shock experienced in the afternoon. It was a phenomenon so utterly unlooked for, so sudden in its coming and departure, a natural convulsion of which so little is known in this latitude, that of course all were more or less startled, and indeed, frightened. Conjectures as to the possible duration and severity of the swift coming shocks flitted like lightning through confused minds, and all seemed to anticipate, after they realized the cause of the commotion, that further and more severe shocks might succeed. The first indications were perceived a few minutes, perhaps fifteen, before three o'clock, and but little attention was given to the matter. Persons up stairs imagined that the jar was produced by something down stairs, while those below accounted for it on the supposition that the cause was above. The first shock is variously described, but generally as resembling the passage of a heavily loaded railroad train driven at a high rate of speed. There was a very perceptible tremor or trembling of the earth, lasting possibly half a minute. Windows rattled slightly and lighter articles were visibly agitated. Then ensued a momentary pause, during which time we presume, brief as it was, the matter passed from mind. But it was only momentary; and then came that rattling sound in the air, that subterranean rumbling so inseparably connected with the old “earth-din,” that convulsive upheaving and rocking of the earth which has so often presaged the destruction of cities, and the death of thousands. Suddenly, fearfully, came the second shock; and as if by preconcerted action the entire populace rushed into the streets. “What is it?” “What’s the matter?” were interrogations that fell from trembling lips, while faces were blanched with fear of what might come after such a “terrible grumble, and rumble, and roar.” Its continuance was brief, perhaps not more than fifteen seconds, and all was quiet again. In that short time, however, an experimental knowledge of earthquakes was gained which will not soon pass from mind. Brick buildings, the foundations of which were deeply laid, experienced more fully than frame buildings the effects of the shock. The vibrations of such were generally from three to five inches from east to west, and even the Planters’ House rocked to an extent not calculated to assure the lookers-on of the security of its walls. Our office was rather roughly shaken, and was, it may be surmised, evacuated with much greater alacrity than the rebels exhibited at either Richmond or Charleston. At Lawrence, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Weston, and, we presume, all along the river and throughout the West, the same convulsions were experienced, with the same startling effects. The occurrence was telegraphed from St. Joseph to the Eastern press at once, and passengers from Lawrence report that there it was very similar in approach and culmination to the description we have endeavored to give. [From the Leavenworth Bulletin, Wednesday Afternoon.] We were sitting at our office window, in the third story of a brick building. A general trembling of the building, and rattling of windows, quite unusual, first attracted our attention. It felt like the result of rolling barrels upon the lower floor. Then came a pause of a few seconds, followed by a trembling and vibrating motion of the whole building, in such a forcible manner as to impress every one of the imminent danger of its falling. Compositors fled their cases, and every one sought the street for safety; and what was true of this office, was also true of the entire city, so far as we could see. Blanched faces and trembling hands were the rule, steady nerves the exception, among the crowd that found their way so hastily to the street. The sensation called to mind that produced by the breaking of a car axel under a moving train. The vibration of the building in which we write could not have been less than three inches from east to west, as pendulum clocks were stopped, and the plaster shaken from the upper ceiling. The second shock came with such vehemence and power that all rushed instantly to the open air. The streets were filled with a crowd; some terror-stricken, others laughing—all more or less pallid or flushed, as fear or excitement held the mastery. All were unusually talkative. Men who had not been on speaking terms for years exchanged remarks, and it was soon settled that we had had an earthquake—a genuine one. At this moment, the universal equality of man was wonderfully realized. The effects of the earthquake were only apparent during its continuance. Windows were violently shaken; a hoarse rumbling, accompanied with a sort of rushing sound, as of an impalpable wind, was heard, and an electric current passed violently through the air, every living thing being sensible of its effects, though too much alarmed to comprehend it. We have heard of but few incidents; among them, we may mention the destruction of Mr. Planta’s crockery, which was thrown to the floor; the overthrowing of piles of dry goods on the counters of different stores; the clock in our office stopped. The excitement for a few moments surpassed anything we have ever witnessed. End of Imperialism in Mexico.
A CONDENSED VIEW OF THE WHOLE MOVEMENT.
We have the interesting information from Mexico of the fall of Queretaro, where the Imperialist forces have been for some months besieged by Juarez and the Liberal army, and the capture of Maximilian and all his generals. The character of the more recent reports renders the above intelligence probable. On the 10th of July, 1863, following some considerable successes of the French arms under Marshal Bazaine, the Council of Notables assembled at the City of Mexico and elected, by a vote of 213 to 2, the Archduke Maximilian, of Austria, to the throne. In the latter part of 1863 a Mexican deputation visited him, but the time was not ripe for his acceptance. On the 10th of April, 1864, a second delegation had audience of the Emperor Maximilian at his palace of Miramar, and having represented to him the vote of the Council of Notables, which they claimed was indorsed by an overwhelming majority of the people, he was induced to accept the throne, an act that French negotiation had pre-arranged. On the same day a convention was entered into between France and Mexico stipulating the reduction of the French force to 20,000 men, and the indemnification of the French Government for the expenses it had incurred in seating Maximilian on the throne. After his acceptance, Maximilian visited the Pope of Rome in company with his consort the Empress Charlotte. On the 28th of May, having come by way of Madeira and Martinique, he landed at Vera Cruz. Some time was spent at Orizaba, and the imperial entry into Mexico occurred June 12th, amid much pomp and pageantry. At this time Juarez occupied Monterey, Uraga and Ortega held their forces in various parts of Durango, Jalisco and Michoacan, and Diaz and Alvarez had considerable strength in Southern Mexico. The situation was quite favorable to the Imperialists. We cannot pretend in this connection to trace the tangled narrative of military and political events in this distracted country in the interval between the accession of Maximilian, and the series of operations that led to the downfall of Queretaro, where the Imperialists made their latest stand. The Emperor, soon after the ceremonies on his arrival at the City of Mexico, made a tour of the Provinces that were held by the French forces, organized his Ministry, created a Council of State, made such preparations as were possible for filling his exchequer, and the supporting operations of the Franco-Mexican army went on. The surrender of Cortinas and the fall of Matamoros now shortly occurring, were a severe reverse to Juarez, but he seemed to gather energy from defeat and pushed his movements with great activity, in which he was aided to no small degree by the moral influence of the United States, which, both through the protests of the State Department and by the action of Congress, which on the 4th of April, 1864, unanimously resolved not to recognize the Imperial Government. At the commencement of the year 1865 the Imperialists were firmly established in all the important places in Central Mexico, and controlled more than three-fourths of the population of the whole country. In March of this year the final rupture between Maximilian and the Church party, a most unfortunate event for the Empire, took place. After military movements of a varying character throughout the year, but mostly favorable to the Imperialists, Juarez in December, having been compelled to leave Chihuahua, which the Imperialists had once evacuated but returned to, placed his seat of government at El Paso. About this time the Liberal cause was seriously threatened by a contest between Juarez and Ortega for the Presidency. The United States, as is well known, maintained the legitimacy of Juarez. The triumphant close of the war in this country, the emigration of numerous bodies of Americans to Mexico, the increasing protests of this government and the impecuniosity of Maximilian’s government had a seriously-weakening effect upon it. We cannot trace the military events which gradually but surely added strength to the Liberal cause. Juarez and his followers, with wonderful energy and tenacity, maintained their cause, which began to see brighter days when the position of this Government, that rightly looked upon the attempted establishment of the Mexican Empire as a part of the rebellion, brought the Emperor of France to the point of consenting to an evacuation of Mexican soil. The military events of the year 1866, are still fresh in the minds of our readers, and we need only advert to some of the more recent, directly bearing upon the collapse of the Empire. Napoleon’s agreement with Mr. Seward had been to evacuate Mexico in three divisions, the last to embark in March of the present year. The Liberal forces, however, manifested such impatience and so little disposition to respect the convenience of the French, that such a division of his army as this arrangement would necessitate, was found by Marshal Bazaine to be quite impracticable. He therefore concentrated his troops, the Republicans occupying every inch almost as fast as he vacated it, until in March he had collected all his forces in Vera Cruz ready to set sail. By the 12th the last man was aboard the French squadron, and almost on the same day Vera Cruz was besieged by the Liberals. Maximilian still held the capital with Queretaro, about 100 miles to the northward of Puebla, 75 miles eastward and somewhat more than 100 miles northwest from Vera Cruz. His communication between these places, however, was imperfect and was daily becoming more so. Before the French were fairly off, Porfirio Diaz had begun the siege of Puebla while Escobedo took charge of operations against Queretaro. By the fifth of April, Diaz had taken Puebla, and, advancing toward Mexico, defeated on the 12th the Imperialist forces under Marquez, who was advancing to the relief of the fallen city. The Empire was thus completely driven from the open field and cooped up in Queretaro and the Capital. The sieges proceeded with comparative slowness for want of heavy artillery. Several desperate sorties were made by the Imperialists from Queretaro, inflicting considerable loss on the besiegers, but only resulting each time in a closer investment; until on the 15th of the present month, as yesterday’s dispatch informs us, the city fell, and with it the last hope of the Mexican Empire. Thus ignominiously, in utter failure, has ended the second attempt to found an empire in Mexico—an attempt begun while the United States were grappling with a stupendous rebellion of a large portion of their own inhabitants—an attempt intended to promote the success of the rebellion, and which was naturally looked upon by our own citizens as an irritating form of intervention and a menace to Republican institutions on this continent.—Detroit Tribune. A Sabbath-Keeping Baptist Testimony
SISTER L. ORCUTT, of Whiteside Co., Ill., sending a remittance for the paper, says:
I shall ever esteem it a duty and privilege to pay for the paper as far as my means will admit; for it is my preacher, my commentary, my conference meeting, and all the instructor I have except the Bible, and surely it is to me a portion of meat in due season. I am almost sixty years of age, have been a member of the Baptist church about forty years, have been trying, though in weakness, to sustain a Christian walk. I feel to mourn over my shortcomings and slow progress in a divine life. I often think if I am a Christian, I am the least of all. May the Lord enable me to double my diligence, to consecrate myself wholly unto him who is able to keep me from falling, and present me faultless before his Father's throne. It is three years since I commenced keeping the Sabbath. Bro. R. F. Andrews came to our place and gave some lectures on present truth. I was led to search the Scriptures to see if those things were so. I could nowhere find where man had a right to change the commandments of God. I can truly say that many things contained in the word of God that once were sealed now look very clear to me. I feel to thank the Lord for the light of present truth, and pray I may ever be enabled to take heed to it as to a light shining in a dark place. I stand alone, my name having been dropped from the Baptist church, there being no Sabbath-keepers near me; but my trust is in God, and my course shall be onward. Pray for me and for my children, that they, too, though some of them are far away, may be gathered into the kingdom. SISTER M. A. STROUD writes from Stephenson Co., Ill.: I have never been a subscriber to the Review, having had the privilege of reading a friend's who resides in the same house. But I prefer henceforth to own a paper while I can raise three dollars, if it is hard earned, as I wish to read and give them away, hoping thereby to scatter the good seed while a kind Providence gives the increase. Those who are afflicted as I am with deafness, can rightly appreciate the Review with its weekly sermon. I wept for very joy when I read the first sermon that appeared, as it was the food I had so long hungered for, obtained at last. When I contemplated the amount of good the sermons will do to the scattered flock, and of those who are perhaps weary when writing them, I am reminded of that beautiful passage of scripture that must often cheer the weary minister in his endeavors to gather the wanderers into the Good Shepherd's fold. It is this: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves with him.” Is not that compensation to the pure in heart? “Pilgrims, oh! there's rest in heaven,
Rest from every anxious care,
Rest in Jesus' smiles, forgiven,
Peaceful and eternal there,
Oh! ’twere sweet to toil in sadness,
Oh! ’twere well the cross to bear,
If, at last, in joy and gladness,
We may rest forever there.” MY VISIT TO THE CONFERENCE.
By Geo. W. Parker
BRO. SMITH: By attending the General Conference at Battle Creek, I have been greatly strengthened in my hope. I desire to get nearer to God. I will enumerate some of my new resolves in reference to the future. The first thing which called attention during my stay at Conference, was the self-sacrifice and brotherly kindness which the brethren and sisters exhibited in making distant friends comfortable at their homes. This taught me to emulate their example. Next I saw wisdom, economy, and health in the food which was bountifully placed upon their tables before us twice a day. Again I was blessed; for the Lord gave me strength, and that one useless meal has with me forever passed away. My desire is to be “not overcharged in surfeiting.” General Conference is called. I there see new faces but their names as they are spoken, are all familiar. I believe God loves those names. Why does he love them? Because of their meekness and forbearance shown in all those weighty questions which came up before them. And God gave them great endurance to accomplish a great amount of mental and physical labor. By their example meekness and humility could be learned. Let us all pray in faith that we may have this blessing bountifully. A visit to the Health Institute was another blessing. A home for the invalid, not only as a place to regain health, but also a school where each can learn to preserve health when it is regained. Not only this, but they can treat their family and friends for disease upon hygienic principles. By this means and the blessing of the Lord, this knowledge will become widespread in its beneficial results in preparing a people to receive and sound the loud cry of the third angel's message. Yes, it will take pure bodies and clear intellects to sound this cry. The teachings at the Institute, if followed, will give these important qualifications. At the Institute I could see that those who had the oversight of the work were much engaged in their work, to make a place entitled to the name it bears, “Health Institute.” Dear brethren and sisters, one visit was sufficient to teach me, as poor as I am, that but a few of us have made sacrifice enough, or labored sufficiently for the cause, to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord. This caused me to resolve to be more economical of my means in other ways, and give more to this praiseworthy cause. If we cannot give much let us contribute our mite; for the hand of God is plainly to be seen in this work. God will bless us if we do so. One noticeable feature at the Institute was the modest, neat and healthful dress of the females. Dear sisters, one and all, will you adopt it? Is it a cross to do so? I have had many opportunities, but as yet have never heard it mentioned by any, even unbelievers, but with regard for its neatness and comfort. Has not all of the good teachings of the Spirit, through the preaching brethren, and above all, the thrilling Testimonies to the Church made us strong to take up every cross? May God give us strength to do so. God met with the little band in Chicago the first Sabbath after Conference in a special manner, in social meeting and prayer. Twelve testimonies for Jesus, yes, weeping testimonies, from softened hearts. It was a joyful meeting. Three new voices raised for the keeping of the commandments of God. Our hearts were filled. Yes, I believe the hosts of Heaven were filled with praises to Him that dwelleth in the holy places above. May God prosper his precious cause here. May we all come before the Lord in meekness and humility, that he may work by and through us to the salvation of souls. May our knowledge of the truth be sanctified, and be used to the honor and glory of God. Obituary Notices.
By R. F. COTTRELL
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.
Rev. xiv, 13. DIED in Brookfield, N. Y., April 23, 1867, of brain fever, Erwin A. C., only son of Wm. S. and Calista F. Moon, in the 16th year of his age. Bro. and sister Moon deeply feel their loss and loneliness; but they mourn not without hope. Erwin had sought the Lord more than a year since, and they feel, that if faithful, they will meet him at the first resurrection. May this affliction be sanctified to the good of those that mourn.