QUARTERLY MEETING AT PINE ISLAND.
By H. F. PHELPS
This meeting was held as appointed in Review. Brn. Pierce and Ingraham were present, to minister in word and doctrine. There was a good attendance. Brethren came in from our sister churches, Pleasant Grove, Greenwood Prairie, and Deerfield. We would here acknowledge with gratitude, the kindness of our Methodist friends, in granting us the use of their house of worship on this occasion. Meeting commenced with the Sabbath, by a discourse from Bro. Ingraham. Sabbath, A. M., prayer and conference meeting, which was quite interesting; followed by a discourse from Bro. Pierce, in which he exercised his gift with plainness of speech, showing us the character which should pertain to the people of God in the last days. Please read the texts quoted. Micah vii, 1, 2; Eze. vii, 16; read the whole chapter. Zech. xii, 9-14. How very far from this do we, many of us, act. Joking and jesting, instead of mourning and weeping. May we all be enabled to heed the testimony given. In the afternoon, attended the Lord’s supper. Preaching in the evening by Bro. I. First-day, the Methodists occupied the house in the forenoon. In the afternoon and evening, Bro. I. spoke on the saint’s inheritance. The attendance was good, especially in the evening. Good attention was given. It is the general opinion that these meetings have done good. We feel quite certain that prejudice gave way to deep thinking on the part of some. May the fruit of these meetings yet be seen. Another solemnly-interesting feature of this meeting was the marriage of Bro. F. W. Morse and Maggie A. Merry. Late, Sabbath P. M., a few repaired to the house of Bro. Brown, where the ceremony was performed by Bro. Pierce, not with pomp and vain show, but with candor and sobriety, manifested by all. As was expressed, there was once a marriage in Cana, of Galilee, and Jesus himself was there. We felt that Jesus was here by his Spirit, to bless and sanction this celebration of one of Heaven’s earliest institutions; for they were of one faith, one hope, and we trust of one heart and purpose to glorify God in all things. Oh! how much better, in selecting a bosom friend for life, to make such a choice, than to make choice of one of opposite faith, or perhaps, of no faith at all. Such certainly do not marry in the Lord. I would here say, that the next Monthly Meetings of the churches of Greenwood Prairie, and Oronoco, will be held, the first at Greenwood, Dec. 21; the second, at Pine Island, the third Sabbath in Jan. 1868. These meetings will be at a season of the year when it will be necessary to put forth some effort and perseverance to get out. Shall we make the effort, or shall we not? Let us seek to do the will of God in all things.