Untitled article by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, September 24, 1867

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 15

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

By Editor

Dear brethren at the office: Just two years and two days ago, we had the privilege, as now, of leaving the Office for a few weeks' respite from its cares and duties; then, as now, in company with Bro. and sister White; but not then under the circumstances that attend us now. Then Bro. and sister W. and Bro. Loughborough were disabled by disease, and on their way to Dansville, N. Y., entering upon a season, we knew not how long, of inactivity, and, as far as labor was concerned, of loss to the cause; now, far advanced in returning health and strength, Bro. and sister W. are going to attend important meetings in different States, and to engage in active labor and efforts for the good of the people of God. May his blessing attend them. Then the hand of affliction was descending upon many prominent laborers in the field; now with but an exception or two, all are in the field again, having profited by their past experience, and in the light of the Health Reform, advancing to a state we trust, of still greater efficiency in the vineyard of the Lord. Then the cause was entering upon a period of darkness, from which there are indications that we are now emerging. But yet, during the past two years in which there have been so great causes of discouragement, there have existed also strong elements of prosperity. However God may be compelled to deal with his people on account of their wrongs, his cause is never suffered to go backward. So the work has been onward. Important enterprises have been entered upon with alacrity and zeal. Important moves have been made in the right direction. The foundations of the work have been laid broader and deeper, and a wider sphere of influence is opening before the cause. In these things the hand of God has been too manifest to be questioned; and to these things we may recur, not as matters of boasting, but as causes of encouragement, however much we may feel the responsibilities still resting upon us, and a sense of the great work we have yet to do to secure the full blessing of God upon us. May the Lord come near to his people, and help us all to carry out the vows of humiliation and consecration, which we so solemnly took upon ourselves at the last General Conference.

We have not taken our pencil to give an account of the journey, having only reached the first stage, and experienced only a little of the usual monotony of railroad travel, with its disagreeable baptism of dust. We are now at the house of Bro. Parker, kindly cared for, and start this morning for the Convocation meeting in Wisconsin.

The prospect is most agreeable, of a little change from the usual routine of Office duties, with its manuscripts, books, papers, comments, proofs, and the cry of “copy” from the insatiate printer. It will be pleasant to look for a while upon something besides piles of letters and communications upon all subjects from the good to the indifferent; some ready for the paper; some to be made available by a moderate amount of labor; and some positively beyond the reach of editorial doctoring. Yet we are grateful for them all. We have nothing to say against manuscripts. Let a liberal supply be ever on hand; and those who do not succeed in writing that which can be used, at least show their good intentions, and have our thanks.

The Lord reward you, brethren, for your kindness in cheerfully taking upon yourselves additional labors and responsibilities, that we may be released awhile, to enjoy a few weeks of change. To this, may we ask you to add your prayers that the Lord may meet with his people, and give us good seasons at the meetings in Wisconsin and Iowa.

Chicago, Sept. 18, 1867.

Since the above was in type we have received the following additional particulars from Bro. Smith:— Sept. 20, 1867. We are now upon the Convocation camp ground, Johnstown Center, Wis. How goodly are thy tents, O Israel! The large Wisconsin tent is pitched for the purposes of the meeting. Twelve church and family tents are already on the ground around it. Elders Sanborn, Steward, Andrews, Blanchard, and Matteson, of the Wis. and Ill. Conference are present. The tent is full of earnest, substantial commandment-keepers. This is estimated to be the largest gathering of the friends of the truth that has ever assembled in this State.

Meeting commenced at the appointed hour, Sept. 19, with a social meeting. Preaching by Bro. White at ten. He opened with appropriate and happy remarks upon the words, “What think ye? that he will not come to the feast?” He set forth the importance of having the Lord with us at the feast. He pointed out some of the means by which we may secure his blessed presence, and some of the ways in which we may debar him from our midst. The Jews sought Christ to kill him. We seek him from opposite motives, to enjoy his presence. Without this our assemblies will be barren seasons. We believe the response and prayer of every heart was, Let the Lord be with us at this meeting.

Another good social meeting at 2 P. M., with preaching by Bro. White at 3. Following Bro. W. both forenoon and afternoon, sister White bore her testimony with freedom and power.

Social meeting at 7 P. M. These are among the most profitable meetings on such occasions. However good, instructive and impressive the preaching may be, the social seasons of worship are the thermometer of the meeting. Preaching is desirable and edifying; these are indispensable. We are happy to record three of them on the first day of our gathering.

The meeting in the evening was one of unusual solemnity and power. Sister White bore her testimony with great freedom. Many were in tears, and the pent-up emotions of the people found audible utterance in various parts of the congregation. Not a few consider it the best meeting they ever attended. Testimonies of great interest were borne, upon which we have not time to particularize; some from those in reference to whom Bro. White took occasion to remark that he supposed they had long since been swept away by the different waves of defection and periods of shaking that have swept over this State. But here they stood to testify to the goodness of God in keeping them through it all, and to assure the congregation, to their great joy, that they were now more firmly than ever rooted and grounded in the truth. As we looked over the solid ranks of intelligent Sabbath-keepers that filled the tent, it did not seem as though the cause had ever been very severely shaken in this State. A noble phalanx of strong brethren and sisters stand as the supporters of the truth here. We believe the work in this part, is destined soon to increase in strength and power.

We were specially pleased to hear the firm confidence expressed by many in the Testimonies to the church. If this is one of those special gifts which the great Master of assemblies has specially placed in his church, skepticism in regard to it will surely chill the spiritual life out of every church or heart where it is suffered to enter. Have we not seen this sufficiently exemplified to need no more assurance on the point? Some full and free confessions were made, and some who had been wavering expressed their confidence restored. These referred with great feeling to the discourse of Bro. White in the afternoon on the unpardonable sin, and expressed their great thankfulness that though they had gone far in their opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit, they had been kept from that great sin of attributing its operations to the agency of Satan.

So the meeting progressed to its close, richly graced with the influence of the Spirit of God; and when, near the close, the question was asked, “What think ye? that he has not come to the feast?” the response of every heart was, The Lord has indeed come to the assembly of his people.

Thus closed the first day's meeting, at which point we write. The brethren have come together testifying that they have no other business on hand during the four days of the meeting but to worship God; and we trust that all will get yet more into the work, we have the Lord abide with us, and witness an increase of interest till the meeting shall end.