Untitled article by Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, January 14, 1868

MEETINGS AT HARTLAND AND NORRIDGEWOCK.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

DEC. 23–25, I spent with the church at Hartland. A few were becoming backslidden, others needed some advice, reproof, &c., but the most of them appeared to be doing well. They have had but little preaching for the past year. Those who had opposed different parts of the message had to confess that they had lost their faith in God by so doing, and had backslidden. There were several forcible illustrations here of the evil of speaking against, and opposing, things in this work which we do not readily understand. We are not at liberty to talk out our unbelief everywhere we go, to brethren or to unbelievers. By so doing we soon lose the blessing of God. These things were seen and acknowledged by the most of those who had done this harm. I think that our meetings were very profitable, being wholly meetings of inquiry. These are very useful and necessary for the health of any church.

We re-organized S. B., and Eld. Goodrich stayed to attend the ordinances with them, as we did not have time to do so while I was there. At the close of the meeting we unanimously passed the following resolutions, which I think will be of great benefit to them:

Resolved. That we have a meeting of all the Sabbath-keepers here at 10 A. M. on the first Sundays in April, July, October, and January, and that we pledge ourselves to attend promptly, if possible, then and there to attend to the following points, viz., 1. To ascertain who, if any, is in trial, who has neglected duty, or who has backslidden, and what is the cause. 2. Who should be added to the church, or who should be expelled, if any. 3. To attend to the ordinances. 4. To pay our S. B.

Resolved. That every member who cannot be present, be requested to report to the meeting by letter.

DEC. 27, to Jan. 4, I was with the Norridgewock church. We finished re-organizing S. B., so that it now amounts to over $400. Our meetings were some different from those which we held at the other places. As the church was large, it would take a large time for each one to speak and then for me to make remarks to them; so about a third of the church assembled at a time, at a private house, and we had a very plain, social talk with them about the faults and errors of those present. This I found to be very profitable. As we were not in a formal meeting, all felt free to speak as they thought best. Reproof, advice, and counsel, were taken by all with a spirit of meekness and candor that pleased me much. On the whole, I think that this church is growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. One made a start, and two more were taken into the church. Another deacon was chosen. Resolutions similar to those passed at Hartland were also passed here.

We closed this series of meetings, Sabbath, Jan. 4. After fasting and prayer, we had a sweet and profitable social meeting in the forenoon, and closed with celebrating the ordinances. All agreed that it was a very profitable meeting. To the Lord we return thanks for it.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Jan. 5, 1868.