Since our last report through the REVIEW regarding the forcible closing of the tent effort in this city early in September, we are glad to report continued blessing and results under the good hand of our God. The writer has received hundreds of letters in the past few weeks both from our own people and from others. The account of our trouble with Rome was published in papers that go to all parts of the United States; hence letters have come from many sources.
A great opportunity has come for our work in this city, not only to present the question of the Papacy, but also to state just where we stand on the great truths of the Bible. On the night of October 15, the Guardians of Liberty arranged a meeting in one of the large halls of the city, in which a number of prominent ministers took part. The writer delivered the principal address, on “True Americanism.” At the close of the service, we sold about three hundred Protestant and Liberty magazines, and that evening’s offering for the expense of the meeting was forty-three dollars. We felt that a good work was done, for this and other meetings have brought our work into prominence in this city. I think we are safe in saying that there is not a city of this size in the country where our people or our message is more generally and favorably known than here.
By invitation of some patriotic societies in the city of Schenectady, N. Y. (thirteen miles from Albany), I have just arranged to deliver two lectures there on November 6 and 20. The lectures will be on Rome in prophecy and Rome as it is in America. A letter from the chairman of the committee this morning says, “Bring a good supply of the Protestant Magazine,” and we shall gladly do so.
The question is sometimes asked, “Is it not very expensive to work the cities?” We have proved it to be a very paying proposition here. In less than two years this church has risen from a small body, meeting in a private house and scarcely able to hold itself together, till now it is the first church in the conference financially. The tithes and offerings now paid by this church are sufficient to place our work on practically a self-supporting basis. Besides this, we have a beautiful church building, valued at more than $20,000. The pews, organ, carpets, pulpit furnishings, etc., are all of good quality, and are paid for.
CHURCH BUILDING AT HAGERSTOWN, MD.
God has blessed the work and is still blessing us, but the secret of it all is found in the fact that the whole church is working together in harmony and love. The first week of the Harvest Ingathering campaign the church handled nearly one thousand copies of the REVIEW, and the returns show an average of about ten cents a copy. These cities are full of honest, God-fearing souls who are waiting for the light of this truth. The popular ministry is losing its hold on the people, having failed to teach the simplicity of the gospel. Our opportunity is here to lead the people back to the old paths.
The value of the public press in our work cannot be overestimated. Only today I was talking to a woman whom I had not met before, although she attended a number of my meetings. She said that she sent most of the sermons as published in the papers this summer to a minister and his wife in the country, and that they are much interested. Next Sabbath a man will be taken into the church who became acquainted with the truth through the newspapers this summer. He never attended the tent-meetings.
We solicit the continued prayers of our people, especially for the important lectures to be given on Romanism this winter.
