QUARTERLY MEETING AT PINE ISLAND.
By H. F. PHELPS
By request of Bro. Ingraham I send the following report of the Quarterly Meeting at Pine Island. It was thought advisable to change the place of meeting from Orinoco to this place. Meetings commenced with the Sabbath and increased in interest till the close. Bro. Pierce and Ingraham were present. At the first meeting we listened to a discourse from Bro. Pierce, on love, from the following words. “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Rom. xiii, 10. It would, perhaps, consume too much time to notice all the points of interest in this and the following discourses; hence we pass on. Sabbath, at nine o’clock, we met for a prayer-meeting. The attendance was good, but there was not so much freedom as is sometimes manifested. Bro. Ingraham then took up the subject of the gifts, which we believe was a subject chosen in the right time and place. The presentation of the truth here last summer by Bro. I., was the means of removing a great deal of prejudice from the minds of some; still “the visions,” and “that prophet,” stood in the way; but we believe that the eyes of some were measurably opened to see that these things were to continue “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” In the afternoon, Bro. Pierce gave us some Bible rules whereby we may detect false prophets, and also decide which are the true ones. See Deut. xviii; Matt. vii, 15, 16. He also showed that holy men lamented when these gifts failed, Psa. lxxiv, 9; Lam. ii, 9; 1 Sam. iii, 1; and that a time is coming when all shall lament, “for they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos viii, 11—14. It is not that there will be no Bibles that they will lament, No! for every house may contain one; every family may have one or more; but this famine will be “of hearing the words of the Lord.” There will be no prophet then; no preacher; no one to expound the word of the Lord, for the door of mercy will then be closed. No more opportunity for sinners. Oh! that we may be on the Lord’s side in that day. Sunday, at 9 A. M., a business meeting was held, which was harmonious. The great lack here, and I fear it is generally so throughout this State, is in coming up on their s. B. pledges. And here we would as an example, give the cases of two brethren, not that we would praise any one when they have only done right, but when we see any one coming up and acting from principle, we would that others would do likewise. One brother, whose property has been down at $400.00, raised it to $950.00, for he did not wish to be another Ananias. Another brother, who had said, “Put mine down at $800.00,” after thinking the matter over a little, remarked, “There is no sacrifice about it. We only give one tenth of the increase, while the principal is still increasing.” He then raised his figures $250.00 more. Oh, that all would take heed to the testimony of Bro. White upon this subject. Bro. I. then spoke upon the 2300 days, giving the reason of the disappointment of the Advent people in 1844. He showed that it was in the event, and not in the time, that they were mistaken. The time was right, but they thought the earth, or some part of it was the sanctuary, hence their mistake. In the afternoon he took up the subject of the sanctuary, showing clearly from Bible evidence what the sanctuary is, what the cleansing of it is, and also that the last great work of our great High Priest is now being accomplished, and soon will be ended. Then it will be said, “He which is filthy, let him be filthy still,” “and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” As to how much good these meetings will effect, the future alone can tell; but there was an interest and a spirit manifested so different from anything we have heretofore seen here, that we are confident that if these efforts could be followed up, a great amount of good could be accomplished. But we believe the Lord is able to work, and that he is at work upon the hearts of the people. But when will there be more laborers? Brethren, let us pray as Christ taught his disciples, that the Lord of the harvest would send forth more laborers, for the fields are already white unto the harvest. Let us pray in faith, and may we not expect a speedy answer? Thousands are waiting to receive the truth, and many perishing for the want of it. Will not the brethren who fail to come up on their s. B., thus crippling those already in the field by compelling them to labor with their hands for the support of their families, be in a great measure responsible, and unless they speedily repent, at last be found with the blood of souls upon their garments?