I saw the Old Year; he was lying on a bed of gathered leaves. The grass around was brown and withered; save here and there, close by the edge of the snow-patches, where it retained somewhat of its greenness. The turf was almost as hard as the pike—the smooth and stony pike, that glared in the lamp-light, and rung under the rattling hoofs and wheels of the passing mail. Of course, it was a secluded spot: away from the tide, with its ships and steamboats; and away from the wire, the rail, and the whistle. The spring gurgled out from the hill-side; but was almost hidden by the long icicles that hung thick from the moss-line, on the front of the over-jutting rock, down to the very basin of the fountain, nor was it seen long, for, as it came out between the icicles, it slipped under the ice that covered its channel, and again found itself almost as much in the dark as it was before it escaped from the inner crevices of the hill. Over the rude couch of the dying year, the trees spread their leafless, snow-sprinkled branches, as though they would gladly have sheltered him if they could; and the breeze moaned by his side, as tenderly as though a woman's sympathy had touched it into piteous sweetness. The air was very keen, and very clear: and the barking of the distant watch dog, startled by that passing mail, sounded loud and fierce, as if on the very border of the glen.
That glen was thronged with an almost innumerable spiritual multitude. The four seasons were there. The twelve months were there. The fifty-two weeks were there. Three hundred and sixty-five days were there. Three hundred and sixty-five nights were there. More than half a million minutes were there. And more than thirty millions of seconds were there. The seasons were distinguished by the varied color of their robes—white, green, yellow, and purple. The months had a fillet of silver net-work on every forehead, adorned with a crescent of shining pearl. The weeks wore a seven-hued girdle, with a brilliant clasp—adorned with an altar, olive-branch and trumpet. The days bore an image of the sun on every breast-plate. The nights held a star, downward, on the head of every sceptre. The hours, minutes, and seconds, carried each a miniature diamond-chronometer: those of the hours, with an hour-hand alone; those of the minutes, with a minute-hand alone; and those of the seconds, with a second-hand alone.
The pale Patriarch, thus surrounded by his immense host of descendants, summoned me into his immediate presence. I passed through the parted lines, and knelt by his humble pallet. “I have called you hither”—said he—“not for your own sake alone, but, for the sake of the church and congregation to which you minister. I have called you to commit to you, for them, my last and most solemn message. I am only one of39the six thousand Princes of time. Time is the son of eternity. Eternity is the son of God. Next to his being the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the most glorious title the Almighty bears, is that of the Father of eternity! From eternity, down to the youngest second, all ages, and years, and seasons, and months, and weeks, and days, and nights, and hours, and minutes, are his messengers: intrusted with his richest benefits, and commissioned to bear them to man. My mission, like that of my predecessors, is ended. Before their departure, they reminded you of God's goodness. Before my departure, I remind you of the same. My office has been one of ceaseless love. If you marvel that I am encompassed by such a host, I have only to inform you, that they have been my faithful assistants as well as my affectionate children; and that the reason of their multitude is the multitude of God's benefits to man. A smaller number would fail to distribute his abounding mercies. There is not one, in all this array, who has not been thus employed.”
“Ere I die!”—he continued—“I will question them in your presence, and you must report their testimony to the worshipers in the sanctuary:
“SEASONS!—What have you given to man?” And the four Seasons answered—“God's benefits!”
“MONTHS!—What have you given to man?” And the twelve Months answered—“God's benefits!”
“WEEKS!—What have you given to man?” And the fifty-two Weeks answered—“God's benefits!”
“DAYS!—What have you given to man?” And the three hundred and sixty-five Days answered—“God's benefits!”
“NIGHTS!—What have you given to man?” And the three hundred and sixty-five Nights answered—“God's benefits!”
“HOURS!—What have you given to man?” And the nearly nine thousand Hours answered—“God's benefits!”
“MINUTES!—What have you given to man?” And the half-million Minutes answered—“God's benefits!”
“SECONDS!—What have you given to man?” And the thirty millions of Seconds answered—“God's benefits!”
“Servant of God!”—said he—“Ministers of Christ! You have heard their uniform answers. With my own fast-failing breath I confirm their truth. I have super-intended their toil. I know that our whole mission has been occupied in the distribution of ‘God's benefits.’ Return to your charge! The chapel will be open and illumined. The people will be assembled. You anticipate the solemnity of the occasion; and honestly and earnestly desire their profit. Tell them, that you have seen the dying year. Tell them, that they themselves must die. Tell them, that when their own death-time shall come, the world will be withered around them, as it is now withered around me! Tell them, that they, too, must lie down on the dead leaves of their summer prosperity! Tell them, that every garden of pleasure will then be as desolate to them, as are now these fields of nature to me—the verdure all wasted, the trees all stripped, the streams all frozen, and the air crisp, and cold and still! Tell them, that they will then have but one hope, as I have now! See!”—said the weary and dying pilgrim—lifting his kindling eye, and pointing, with his finger to the heavens—“See! though the sphere of my labor on earth is all blighted and drear—no change is there! Or, if, in that high place of reward, there be any change, it is only for the better. Behold! the blue skies are bluer now, and the bright stars brighter now than they were in mid-summer. Nothing withers or declines there! There is the inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away! That is my hope: that is their hope: that is our only hope! But, thank God! it is a sufficient and glorious hope!
“Go!—and tell them, that ‘God's benefits’ begin with life, but do not end with death; that they commence on earth only to multiply in Heaven: and that, while they enrich us in time, they will endure throughout eternity! Go!—and tell them, the old Year—looking back from his pallet of dry leaves to scenes of freshest beauty and bliss; and looking up, from this wasted world to a universe of imperishable grace, glory, and rapture—breathes out his last prayer in their behalf, that every one among them may immediately and solemnly consider the great and pressing question, asking, with the Psalmist—‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?’—and answering with the Psalmist, also—‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord, now, in the presence of all his people!’”
So saying, the dying year drew from his bosom a many-leafed scroll, and put it into my hand, saying: “Take this scroll. You will find it composed of hundreds of messages, severally addressed to your hearers. Distribute them, as a final token of my regard for them! But see!” said the fainting Old Year, kindling again as he spoke—“see! they come!”
As he spoke, a pale, long-drawn light, as though the milky way was settling earthward, descended through the thin air, and rested, like a glimmering mist, on the dusky range of the horizon hills. I rose, gazed, and drew back from the coming of one, glowing with angels' glory, and yet with the countenance of a younger brother of the waiting pilgrim. He stooped by the humble pallet: and the leaves, and grass, and snow, and icicles, and frosted trees, and hills, all glittered with a golden sheen! Behind him, fairer seasons, and months, and weeks, and days, and nights, and hours, and minutes, and seconds, in far-gleaming perspective, dimly waved their line. I saw the New Year kiss the Old: and the Old arose at that token, and stood by his brother's side, and acknowledged him as his successor, and resigned the sceptre to him, and embraced him, and blessed him, and bowed to his attendants, and then beckoned to his own, and ascended with them softly and beautifully as the scintillations of the aurora, vanishing at last among the conscious and welcoming stars. The New Year and his host glanced, smiling at the quick and happy transit: and then dispersed on errands of mercy, through all the earth; to meet again, when another New Year shall hang out his signal in the sky, and come to enter on his reign.
But lo! the New Year stands in the aisle! I see his angel beauty; and welcome him among us. One of the seasons is with him—the white-robed Winter. One of the months is with him—with the fillet of silver net-work, and crescent of shining pearl. One of the weeks is with him—with the seven-hued girdle, and brilliant clasp; adorned with the altar, olive-branch, and trumpet. One of the days is with him—bearing the image of the sun on his breast-plate. One of the nights is with him—holding up a star, on the head of the sceptre. Twelve hours are with him; and more than seven hundred minutes, and more than forty thousand seconds, are waiting without.
“Why art thou here?” thou youthful Prince of Time!
“I am here”—he answers—“to strengthen your appeal. I am here, to promise a continuance of ‘God's benefits’ to those who shall honor his cause. I am here, to say to the people—If, during all my term, ye would have every month, and week, and day, and night, and hour, and minute, and even every second, bless you—attend to the blended interests of personal and social salvation: cherish the church, which Christ hath purchased with his own blood.”
“I cannot, indeed,”—he proceeded—“make special promises. It is not mine to say—Whether the body shall live or die; whether the soul shall retain its powers, or lose them; whether the family shall remain united, or be separated; whether business shall flourish, or decline; whether civil and ecclesiastical relations shall be strengthened, or impaired; or whether chastenings shall be many or few, slight or severe. But this I must and do aver—that he who remembers ‘God's benefits’ toward him, during the term of my predecessor, with the most grateful devotion, has the greatest reason to hope for their renewal and increase throughout my own. At any rate, whatever the guise in which they come, ‘all things work together for good to them that love God.’”
But why does the New Year kneel in the aisle? And his train—why kneel they all?
Behold! A still diviner form stands by the table! He, who, of old, when “the door was shut,” came in among the disciples, and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace be unto you!” and showed them his wounds, and accepted their homage, and confirmed their faith—even he has entered here. Behold him! Hear him!
“Ye are my witnesses!” “This do in remembrance of me.” “Take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of your Lord. Pay your vows unto your Lord, now, in the presence of all my people.”
Is it not Jesus? Let us pray!—Christian Unionist.
“IF I HAD THOUGHT IT WAS JESUS.”
A few days since, a sermon was preached in D——, from the text: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.” The preacher set forth that Christ Jesus, the Lord, is represented in all his disciples. That if a man strike a disciple, the Lord feels the blow. That if injustice makes even the humblest Christian weep, tears of sorrow course down the Saviour’s face. On the other hand, that whatever kindness is bestowed on a disciple is all the same as if bestowed directly upon the Lord himself. Assuming this to be the doctrine of the text, the preacher exhorted his hearers to visit the poor in the spirit of liberality and kindness that would actuate them, as if it were the Saviour who received their benefactions in person.
After the service was closed, a gentleman, whose liberality is known in all the churches, remarked:
A few days since, I carried to a poor Christian woman a comforter, warm, but well worn, and two loaves of bread—good bread but a little stale. The weather was very cold, and the comforter was gratefully received. The poor woman was hungry, and the bread was better than she usually obtained. But while listening to the sermon to-day, I thought that, had I reflected that it was Jesus I was visiting, in the person of one of his disciples, I would have taken a new comforter and fresh loaves of bread.”
The remark is worthy of remembrance by Christians, when about to go on an errand of mercy, or perform a deed of good-will to man.
When the wise men came from the East to visit the new-born Lord of the universe, they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh—rich and costly gifts. Now, we cannot visit the holy manger; we cannot pour costly ointment upon the Saviour’s head; but God has placed it in our power to perform services equally acceptable to him. He sits in many a lonely hut, with the children of misfortune and misery, and all our visits to him there, and all our benefactions, will be recorded upon his holy heart, and the record will be imperishable.
On the other hand, if any man hopes to secure the favor of God by professions of personal piety, while he is guilty of an act of cruelty, injustice, or neglect—even though the person suffering thereby may be the least of human creatures—let him read the concluding passages of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. He will find the grandest and most forcible exposition of the nature, necessity, and importance of practical religion ever recorded in any book.—Religious Telescope.
The Sinner's Case Fully Met.
SATAN has been saying to you, “You have broken God’s law, you have offended him, you have been a sinner.” “Soul, if thou hast any wit left, cut the Devil’s head off with his own sword; say to him, “I am a sinner, but it is written, ‘It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ What sayest thou to that, Satan? If I be a sinner, he came into the world to save sinners. If I had not been a sinner, Jesus would not have come to save me, for it is nowhere written that he came to save those who are not sinners. The more clearly I prove that I am a sinner, the more clearly I prove that I am an object for the Saviour’s mercy.”
Perhaps conscience whispers, “You are not a sinner of an ordinary kind; you have gone to the greatest lengths, and you have made your heart hard; you are a lost sinner.” “Ah!” say you, “I will catch at that, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. He did not come to seek those who did not want seeking; he did not come as the Great Shepherd, to find out the sheep that were in the fold, but those which had gone astray; and I, being a lost one, when I see the Shepherd going over the mountains after the lost ones, I will bleat like a lost sheep, for mayhap he has come to look after me.” But conscience says to you again, “You are such an undeserving one; you are not only a lost sinner, but you are utterly unworthy.” Sinner, catch at that, and say, “God is a God of mercy. If I deserved anything, there would be the less room for mercy; for something would be due to me as a matter of justice; but as I am a sheer mass of undeservingness, there is room for the Lord to reveal the aboundings of his grace.” When the God of mercy comes down to distribute mercies, he cannot give it to those who do not want it; but you need forgiveness, for you are full of sin, and you are just the person to receive it.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH.
The word from which faith in the New Testament is in every case translated, with only one exception, is thus defined by the lexicons: “Belief, firm persuasion of the truth and veracity of any one.” — Greenfield. “Firm persuasion, confiding belief in the truth, veracity, reality of any person or thing. As in classic Greek, 1. Properly and generally, faith, belief. . . . In the N. T. πίστις [faith] is used specially in reference to God and divine things, to Christ and his gospel, and thus becomes in some sense a technical word, particularly in the writings of Paul; denoting that faith, that confiding belief, which is the essential trait of Christian life and character.” — Robinson. “A being persuaded, faith, belief. It generally implies such a knowledge of, assent to, and confidence in, certain divine truths, especially those of the gospel, as produces good works.” — Parkhurst. To these we add one of the definitions given by Cruden in his Concordance unabridged: “Justifying faith is a saving grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God, whereby we receive Christ as he is revealed in the gospel to be our prophet, priest, and king, trust in and rely upon him and his righteousness alone for justification and salvation. This faith begets a sincere obedience in the life and conversation. The apostle to the Hebrews calls faith the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. xi, 1. It assures us of the reality and worth of eternal, invisible things, and produces a satisfaction and assured confidence that God will infallibly perform what he has promised, whereby the believer is as confident of them as if they were before his eyes, and in his actual possession.”
Every age of the world has its present truth; and living faith is, according to the above definitions, implicit confidence in, and obedience to, that truth. In addition to general truths, in which the devils believe and tremble, it includes confidence in the special leadings and dealings of God in respect to his people at any given time. In this sense we use the term in this article.
Faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v, 22, and it is one upon which the Scriptures place an especial value. This we learn from various considerations:
1. The want of it is severely censured. In Deut. xxxii, 20, God threatens to hide his face from those who forget him, because they are “children in whom is no faith.” On various occasions Christ reproved his disciples for having so little faith. See Matt. vi, 30; viii, 26; xvi, 8; xiv, 31; Mark iv, 40. Those who have it not are styled unreasonable and wicked men. 2 Thess. iii, 2.
2. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Heb. xi, 6. It is thus shown to be the basis and groundwork of all religious experience. Without it, the word of truth cannot profit us. Heb. iv, 2. We may hear, but faith alone makes the word effectual.
3. The work that is accomplished by it. By it, we overcome the world. 1 John v, 4. By it, we purify our hearts. Acts xv, 9. By it we are sanctified. Acts xxvi, 18. By it, we obtain righteousness. Rom. iii, 22. By it, we are justified. Rom. v, 1. By it, we have access to God. Eph. iii, 12. By it we stand. Rom. xi, 20. By it, we become children of God. Gal. iii, 26. By it, we obtain salvation, and inherit the promises. 1 Pet. i, 9; Eph. ii, 8; Heb. vi, 12. There is not a Christian work which we can perform, or a heavenly promise which we can obtain, without this grace.
Faith is to be of especial value in the last days. A commodity is valuable according to the proportion between the demand and supply. When gold becomes scarce, it immediately rises to a premium. Now faith, in the last days, is to be a rare excellence. Said Christ, Luke xviii, 8, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” This we take to be a declaration put in the interrogative form to give it greater intensity, that faith, at the time the Lord appears, will be a virtue scarcely to be found upon the earth. It will be therefore proportionably valuable. Hence the many exhortations to the people of God to follow faith, keep the faith, hold fast the profession of our faith, &c.
Again, an expression made by the apostle Paul, shows the infinite importance of faith to the people of God in the last days. He is speaking of the trials of the remnant church, Heb. x, 37–39, and says: “For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” We have italicised two words in the foregoing quotation, to show the place faith occupies in this work. This language applies at the time when the Lord is about to appear. He will come, and will not tarry. And now, at this time, the just shall live by faith. Faith, in a spiritual sense, is all their living. And further, they do not draw back at the perplexities and trials of the way, but believe, have faith, to the saving of the soul. It is evident from this, that belief and confidence in the special work of God for this time, is included in faith; for a person might still believe in God and the general features of the plan of salvation, and yet draw back from following the special work of God in the last days, so as to fail of a preparation to meet the Lord at his coming. But believing and following on in the work of the Lord, our salvation is sure; failing to have faith in it, our perdition is certain. In language which applies to the same time, the prophet says, Hos. vi, 3, that we shall know, if we follow on to know the Lord, that his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
From these considerations, it is easy to see why the faithful and true Witness, should specially counsel the last church to buy of him the gold tried in the fire that they might be rich, Rev. iii, 18; or, in other words, to secure that faith, which, taking hold of God, and all his work, will anchor us to the present truth, and qualify us to encounter the peculiar perils we are to meet in these closing days of time.
To complete our argument on the importance of faith, it is now only necessary for us to show that faith is the chief element in the gold which the true Witness gives us this especial counsel to buy of him. There cannot be too much importance attached to that which we are counseled to obtain first of all, by Him who so well knows our cases, the demands of this time, and the momentous events of the future.
1. We may remark then, first, that faith well answers to this gold which the church lacks, in that we do not naturally possess it. We read of children in whom there is no faith. Deut. xxxii, 20. The children of Israel, whose experience is held up for a warning to us, failed to be profited by the gospel which was preached unto them, because there was not on their part the requisite faith to make it effectual; or as Boothroyd says, it was “not accompanied by a heart-affecting belief of the truth.” They lacked faith; and we are exhorted to fear lest we come short after the same example. Heb. iv, 1, 2. Christ often reproved his disciples for their lack of faith.
2. The true Witness, of whom we are counseled to buy the gold, is the one to whom we are to apply for faith. He is its author. Heb. xii, 2. The disciples of our Lord appealed to him for faith. “Lord,” said they, “increase our faith.” Luke xvii, 5. They lacked faith, and naturally turned to the Lord of faith for an increase of that heavenly grace. Again, when a certain one besought the Lord in behalf of his son who was possessed of a dumb spirit, and the Lord had told him that if he could believe, all things would be possible to him, he cried out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” That is, give me faith in place of all doubts or unbelief. “It is equivalent,” says Cobbin, “to saying, ‘strengthen my weak faith.’”
3. As a person, to be rich in this world, must possess gold or its equivalent, so the grace which the Bible expressly takes to represent spiritual riches, is faith. “Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” Jas. ii, 5.
4. The comparison between faith and gold is still further most strikingly and beautifully carried out, by the former being subjected to tests and trial, and the latter to the process of refining. This is not a comparison we are obliged to institute ourselves; the Scriptures furnish it to our hand. We are to buy gold tried in the fire. Is there any Christian grace that goes through a process which may justly be represented by the refining of gold by fire? There is only one of which we have any information in the Scriptures; and that is faith. Peter says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and glory and honor, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Pet. i, 7. Here, the trial to which our faith is subjected is expressly likened to the refining process to which gold is submitted. And as gold is made more precious by being refined, so are we to esteem the trial of our faith of great value. And not only is the comparison here made between pure gold and tried faith, but the language applies to the time that just precedes the appearing of Jesus Christ, the very time when the true Witness counsels us to buy of him gold tried in the fire. The comparison alone which Peter makes is enough to show that faith is the grace which is represented by the term “gold,” in Rev. iii, 18; but when, in addition to this, we take into account the time to which both passages apply, and find it to be the same, that conclusion is placed beyond all further question.
We feel assured that great importance should be attached to the language of Paul, which we have already quoted: “Now the just shall live by faith.” Heb. x, 38. The connection in which it stands here, as well as in the prophecy of Habakkuk, from which Paul quotes it, shows that it applies to the remnant church, who are waiting for the coming of Christ. Can anything be more important, or occupy a more prominent position, than that by which we are to live through these perilous days, and by which we are to secure our souls’ salvation in the end? As in a worldly sense, gold, or its equivalent, constitutes our living,—as by it we secure the necessities, comforts, and conveniences of this life, so faith is the medium through which we secure all the graces and elements of spiritual life. None of them are to be found where faith is wanting; all flourish and grow when faith is in lively exercise.
Chief among the graces which grow from faith, as a stalk from its root, or a branch from its trunk, is love. Faith worketh by love; and without works it is dead. Gal. v, 6. With the requisite faith, love will be in perfect exercise; we shall have unfeigned love of the brethren, loving them with pure hearts fervently. 1 Pet. i, 21, 22. So inseparably are these two graces connected together, that they are both taken to represent the same piece of the Christian armor. Let us, says Paul, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
We need more faith and love among us. We need the gold which the true Witness counsels us to buy of him. There are some who are beginning to show their lack of this in an alarming degree; some of whom it may be said that the prospect of their believing to the saving of the soul is growing fearfully dim, and the danger of their drawing back to perdition increasingly imminent. The counsel of the true Witness is timely. Will they disregard it, and in their unconscious wretchedness perish forever? or will they heed it, and secure the heavenly riches, faith in the work of God, and a title to the eternal inheritance, upon which the overcomers soon will enter?
In connection with this article, the reader may remember a previous number of the Review, in which the claims of love to the position we here assign to faith were strongly urged. This is not written for controversy; and in reference to that, we have only to say, May all who read that, get love; and may all who read this, get faith. We shall then be still more closely united; for the two work together, and are linked to each other with sacred and indissoluble bands.
REPORT FROM CORNVILLE AND ATHENS, ME.
By Dudley Marvin Canright; J. B. Goodrich
DEC. 14 and 15, we held our Monthly Meeting at Cornville. Owing to the bad state of the roads, and to the fact that we had been holding many meetings in this section of late, there was not a very large gathering at this meeting. In view of what had occurred here for a few weeks past, we felt very anxious about how things should turn at this meeting. So on the Sabbath we freely talked about how we looked at the past course of the brethren in this State, the testimony which Bro. and Sr. White had given them, and what we thought their duty was for the future. Then we were rejoiced to see the brethren and sisters come forward and heartily make confession of their wrongs in the past, of their lack of faith in the whole work, of their fault-findings, and of their ingratitude to the servants of God in the past. It was proper that they should make this confession, and we felt satisfied with it. They then publicly endorsed the whole message, and took their stand upon it. May God help them to live it out.
We stayed a few days and labored with the church at Cornville. We found many discouraging things here, but were encouraged with the result of the meetings on the whole. Tobacco had nearly ruined several. They now resolved to make an effort to get rid of it. If they do not, we have no hopes of them. Unbelief and distrust with regard to some parts of this work have made some as weak as water, and have nearly overthrown them. But we hope that things will be different here now.
Sabbath and Sunday, Dec. 21 and 22, we spent at Athens. We occupied the whole time in meetings for examination and confession. We found them more ready to see their wrongs and errors than we had feared. The trouble with them was that they had failed to embrace the whole message, which God is giving his people; hence they were in a condition to easily fall into doubts and trials, and to be overthrown. Satan had taken the advantage of them in this. We tried, and not without effect, we think, to make them see these things and the importance of them. Those who had been reproved, acknowledged the testimony and reproof, made confession, and promised to reform. Systematic Benevolence was re-organized. We also organized a church of ten members, to which six were added by letter. They now have a good house all paid for, which cost $1000. On the whole, we feel satisfied with our visit to Athens.
D. M. CANRIGHT.
J. B. GOODRICH.
REPORT FROM BRO. LAWRENCE.
By R. J. LAWRENCE
In my last report I had occasion to speak of my extreme poor health, occasioned by a heavy cold settling on my lungs. With grateful thanks to God, I have to say that I have recovered so that I feel as well as ever.
I started from home the 15th of November, much improved in health, still having a hard cough, and weak lungs. I came to Holly and spent the Sabbath and first-day, and spoke to the church once each day. Had a prayer and social meeting each day. They are doing very well, but are not up with their privilege.
Monday, the 18th, came to Saginaw, and stayed over night with a relative. Tuesday, took the cars for Tittabawassee, and to Bro. Hawley's. Met Bro. Cornell and Strong. Spent the rest of the day in visiting and consultation with them. From this time until the 2d inst., I spent with the brethren in meetings and visiting from house to house. I preached twice. The church was organized in the time, of which you have been informed. After much prayer and deliberation, it was decided that on account of the state of my lungs, Bro. Strong should go to Midland with Bro. Cornell, and I should visit the churches in Tuscola.
Accordingly, I started Monday, the 2d inst., and reached Vassar the same night. The next day circulated an appointment for meeting. In the evening I spoke to the church from 1 Pet. iv, 7. Wednesday, visited four families. In the evening spoke on Purity. It was followed by social meeting. The Lord was with us. The truth took effect.
Thursday, at 3 o'clock, they came together, and at four o'clock went to the river, where three were baptized,—Bro. Pennell and wife, formerly Methodists, both sixty years of age, and one young sister. In the evening spoke on the death of Christ, 1 Thess. iv, 14.
Friday, Bro. Belknap took me to Tuscola. Here I spoke five times on Sabbath and first-day, and had one social meeting. The weather was very cold, and but few were out. There are some here that love the truth.
Monday, Bro. Spooner took me to Bro. Doud's, eight miles from Watrousville. Tuesday, his team took me to Centerville, sixteen miles. Here the church is small. A few have left the truth. The rest seem firm. I preached three times, one a funeral sermon on the death of sister Miller. Here I met a fanatic by the name of Stiles, who professes to be inspired of God to correct the shepherds in their misapprehensions of prophecy. He said he had spent a large property in the United States and Canada to carry out his mission. I asked him how many converts he had made. He said he had nothing to do with making converts; he was inspired to correct the shepherds. He seemed very earnest and sincere. He professes to keep the Sabbath. What will the Devil start up next?
Bro. Van Giesen took me to his house, at Waujanega, Friday. In the afternoon I walked to Watrousville, four miles. Here the brethren met from all the churches in the county. The Lord gave liberty in speaking. I spoke three times. Held one social meeting, in which nearly all took part. About sixty Sabbath-keepers were present. On account of the school-house being occupied in the village on Sunday morning, we went one mile and a half, out to a school-house, and when we arrived we found a Protestant Methodist minister, and some half a dozen persons. He had an appointment at the same hour. He kindly gave way, and I spoke to a house full, on the Saints' Inheritance, with good freedom. The preacher got quite happy, if we may judge from his frequent and hearty Amens. In the P. M., I spoke on the Saints' Eternal Glory.
These were good meetings. The brethren and sisters are greatly strengthened and encouraged in this county.
Bro. Pennell took me to Vassar, where, on Monday I visited four families. In the evening the church met and celebrated the ordinances. The Lord was present by his Spirit to bless.
I bless the Lord for the good Spirit that attends his word, when faithfully presented, and faithfully obeyed. Tuesday, Bro. Pennell brought me to Saginaw. Thence by railroad I came to this place last evening. I was gone from here fifteen days, preached sixteen times, held four social meetings, baptized three, had one ordinance meeting, and feel much better than when I left.
R. J. LAWRENCE.
Tittabawassee, Mich., Dec. 18, 1867.
ONE YEAR SINCE.
By James White
Just one year ago to-day, December 19, Mrs. W. and self left home to resume our labors, from which we had been held by feebleness for nearly two years.
We look back upon the past year with feelings of gratitude to God for his goodness, and his especial blessing upon our feeble labors. During no year have the people of God received us so readily as in the past, and during no year has our testimony been so plain and pointed, and during no year have we seen so many backsliders reclaimed, and so many in bad habits, such as the use of tobacco, reclaimed, as during the past year.
And no other than the plainest testimony would have reached these cases, and so effectually corrected the errors of hundreds. And now we have the fact to record, astonishing as it is to us, that as we look back upon this battle-field of the past year, where so many have feared that many would be killed by the plain testimony, no one, no, not even one, has been driven from the church or from the Sabbath. Hence the plain testimony has united hundreds firmly, and we hope permanently, with the body, while no one has been driven from the body.
Our testimony has been principally for those professed Sabbath-keepers who were already separated from our churches, either in name or in spirit, or in both. If one-half of such had been reclaimed, and the other half fully driven away, the result would be as favorable as might be expected. But what a fact I have this day to record, that not one soul has been turned from the Sabbath cause, while we have borne so pointed a testimony to move hundreds of unconsecrated men and women to consecrate themselves to the cause of present truth. To God be all the praise.
Who are they who separate the flock, and divide and scatter the precious sheep and lambs. Answer. Those who have not much courage to speak the truth, and who cringe, and sympathize with those who are justly reproved. Let such get out of the way of the work of God. Let God’s servants raise one united voice in speaking the plain and pointed truth in love. And let all the people say, Amen.
JAMES WHITE.
Portland, Me., Dec. 19, 1867.
QUARTERLY MEETINGS IN MINNESOTA.
By WM. S. INGRAHAM.
I WISH to say a word in relation to our last Quarterly Meetings in Minn. Our meeting, Nov. 16 and 17, at Greenwood Prairie, was well represented. There were brethren present from Deerfield, Ashland, Mantorville, St. Charles, Enterprise, and Oronoco. Bro. Pierce was with us. Union prevailed all through our meeting. It was a good time, and a time of fresh courage. Some were added to the church. This church has taken a consistent course, and has reaped the fruits of well doing.
Our next meeting was at Pine Island. Our brethren after having a feast at Greenwood Prairie rallied again and met with us. The Methodists were kind enough to open their house of worship, which was gladly received. We had good liberty in preaching the word. The people in the village gave us a good hearing, and our meeting was excellent, and the brethren felt well paid for the trouble they had been to in coming to this feast. One was added to the church.
Meeting at Deerfield was the next Sabbath and Sunday. On Thursday we had quite a snow storm, but on Friday, I made my way, with my horse and buggy, for 35 miles over the broad prairies to the place of meeting. We were some disappointed in not meeting with Bro. Pierce, but our house of worship was well filled, and the blessing of the Lord was with us. This was the best meeting I ever had in this place. I trust the mind of the Lord was made known so fully that this church was convinced that it was not the purpose of God to raise up one half of the church at the expense or overthrow of the other part. Hearty confessions were made, and all saw the importance of taking hold of the work together. The most tried and desponding said a great work had begun and took courage.
I would say relative to the calls of brethren from the west or frontier, that I will visit them in about two weeks, if the Lord permit.