Untitled article by Henry Nicola

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · September 3, 1867

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 12

QUARTERLY MEETING AT PILOT GROVE, IOWA.

By Henry Nicola

According to appointment, a few of us met in the evening of the commencement of the Sabbath and enjoyed a good season of prayer. Sabbath morning our hearts were encouraged to see nearly all the brethren and sisters from Washington and a few from Iowa city church assemble, at the place of worship at an early hour. As we had no minister present, the time was all taken up in prayer, and social meeting. But we had just passed through a very busy season of the year, and the most of those present had been very actively engaged in taking care of the bountiful harvest of hay and grain of this rich prairie country.

During this busy time many of us left off to some degree the study of God's word, and neglected secret prayer, and devotion, and perhaps other duties necessary to give life to the Christian. Consequently we found that our minds were somewhat engrossed by worldly things, our sensibilities more or less blunted to spiritual things, and our hearts in rather a poor frame to enter heartily into the worship of God. But as we tried to exercise the same zeal in the worship of God that we have in our worldly pursuits, we felt that God heard our prayer and accepted of our worship.

As we had been so active in attending to the perishable things of this world, and thereby neglected to some degree the wants of the soul, we thought that it would be consistent, and might be to the glory of God, and good of our own souls, for us to spend two days in the worship of God, even if we had no preaching. So the time was well occupied both days with earnest prayers and exhortation. The testimony of all that engaged earnestly in this meeting was that they had gained new strength, and felt like starting with new zeal to be overcomers, and reap the overcomers' reward.

Our meeting closed first-day in the afternoon, by celebrating the ordinances of the Lord's house while we tried to bring afresh to our minds the great sacrifice that has been made for poor fallen man. As we had not had a meeting of this kind for the past six months, this was truly a solemn and important meeting.

The only discouraging features in these meetings was to find when we came to the last and most important meeting, that our numbers had decreased nearly one half, nearly all the brethren and sisters from Washington, and some of this church, having their business in such a shape that they could attend meeting only on the Sabbath. Is this as it should be? Would it not be well for all as far as possible to so arrange their worldly business, that they may go to meeting as free from worldly care and anxiety as possible, to stay until the meeting is out; for the best of the wine is generally reserved until the last of the feast; and those who leave too soon are the losers.

Dear brethren and sisters, let me entreat you, Be not so taken up with things of this world that you will neglect the wants of the soul. Remember the words of our Saviour. “And take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares; for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

What a solemn thought to be believers in the present truth, and yet be so taken up with the things of this life that the Lord will come, and find some of us unprepared. There is danger here. May the Lord help us all to take heed.

HENRY NICOLA.