QUARTERLY MEETINGS IN N. Y.
By R. F. Cottrell
Since my last report I have visited the Foster family at Whitehall, mentioned by Bro. Whitney in his report of the past quarter, and found them all keeping the Sabbath and striving to live the Christian life. The family consists of eight persons—the parents, an aged maiden lady, and five children, between the ages of nine and eighteen, I believe, all trying to love God and keep his commandments. The children desire baptism; but the weather was extremely rainy, so that we had but one meeting at the school-house, and that in the evening, and all the water was very roily, and the baptism was postponed to the next quarter, when, I hope, a Sabbath will be spent with them. I hope these children will continue to seek the Lord, and seek him with all the heart, so that they may be fully prepared to follow Christ in baptism. The meetings at Middle Grove, Brookfield, and Verona, were interesting and solemn, and there was manifested a general desire to arise and make a new consecration of all to the will and service of the Lord. Some, I fear, are not awake. Let them arouse, and arouse now! It is high time to awake! Brethren, be steadfast and unwearied in the work of preparation for the latter rain and for the great work that lies before us. We were happy to meet with Bro. and sister Canright and Bro. Edson, at Verona, returning from the General Conference at Battle Creek. Bro. Canright's testimony was good and encouraging, and I trust it was appreciated and will be of practical use to the cause. Within the past five months I have visited each Quarterly Meeting in the N. Y. and Pa. State Conference, except one. In each of these meetings, except the first, it has been proposed to the churches to enter into a covenant to seek the Lord with all the heart and with all the soul, after the example of Israel in the days of Asa, king of Judah, (2 Chron. xv, 12) and the proposal has been generally accepted by the brethren and sisters; and the Lord has specially blessed his people in making this resolve, this solemn vow to the Most High and to each other. Let us remember this covenant daily, to seek the Divine grace and to perform the covenant. Those who are faithful will not lose their reward. Those who open the door will have the Saviour for their guest. May God help in this work! A few have not taken upon them this covenant. After setting forth the reasons why we should do so, I would not urge the matter, lest they should do it to please me, and thus fail of the approval of God. To such I would say, If your reason for declining is the want of feeling the necessity of thus seeking the Lord, or a want of willingness to engage in the work with all the heart, and engage in it at once, you are certainly not enjoying acceptance with God, and will not, until you arouse from your lukewarmness and engage with all your heart in the work of zealous reformation. May God help you to buy the gold, the white raiment, and the eye-salve! The work of God is about to move onward. Let us all arise and go with it. Who will come up to the help of the Lord? and who will be so unwise and unfortunate as to be cast off? Let all consecrate themselves to the work.