MEETINGS IN CENTRAL DISTRICT, MICH.
By Joseph Bates
According to appointment in Review, we met with the church in Jackson, Sabbath, Nov. 9. Our meetings were encouraging and interesting. Brethren present from Tompkins, Parma, and other places, expressed their increasing desires to go forward with the remnant of God’s people in the third angel’s message. Expressions of Christian fellowship and union were still more manifest in the celebration of the ordinances of the Lord’s house. Sunday A. M. and evening, to gratify and accommodate some of the scattered brethren and their neighbors, we held two meetings several miles from Jackson, near Bro. Van Horn’s father’s. Many came to hear and listened attentively. Blessed Lord, help them to give their unceasing attention to the cry of the third angel’s message, and the doctrine of their soon-coming Lord. November 15, Bro. W. Carpenter came for, and took me to his hospitable dwelling in Hanover. Here we held three profitable meetings, and rejoiced in spirit at the celebration of the ordinances. Bro. C., who always has manifested a deep interest for his neighbors to hear and be benefited by the reception of the third angel’s message, was much gratified to see such a general attendance at our last meeting in the school-house on Sunday evening. Tuesday, 19, on our way we stopped at Hillsdale, and held one meeting, and visited the Brn. Bro. I. C. Vaughn took us to Ransom Center, where we spent five days. Visited and prayed with the families and sick for blessings and healing mercies. Held six interesting meetings; some who had before confessed the truth and gone back, started again; two others fully believed and were buried with Christ in baptism. One family came fifty miles from Ohio to the meeting; the mother was baptized, and we left her rejoicing in the Lord. Our last meeting at the school-house was solemn and impressive. The people seemed anxious to hear about the soon coming of the Saviour. With willing minds the church united in the celebration of the ordinances, and were much blessed of the Lord. May they with all the remnant of the people of God, which are now moving onward, follow on to know the Lord whose “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,”—the great refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Hillsdale, Mich., Nov. 28, 1867.