p. 47 | H. NICOLA by H. Nicola

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 1, 1870

H. NICOLA

By H. Nicola

From Bro. Nicola.

The Quarterly Meeting at Pilot Grove, Iowa, was well attended. A number of the Washington church were present, and a few from Iowa City. These came in good season, and staid until the meeting closed. This is as it should be.

The church at Pilot Grove had been holding meetings each successive evening for a week previous, and also in the day-time on Friday, it being one of the days appointed for fasting and prayer. The burden of these meetings was, that each one might examine his own individual case in the light of the truth that we profess to believe. We had a season of prayer each meeting, in which many took part, imploring God to help us to arouse from our slumbering condition. We felt that the Spirit of the Lord was present to indite prayer for us. Considerable time was taken by the writer, reading such portions of Scripture thought to be best suited to our case; also such parts of the testimonies as best suited our present wants, as individuals, and as a church. As we were led out to make some very pointed remarks, and stirring appeals, these were backed up by the Spirit of God, and sent home to our hearts and consciences with an unusual degree of force. Praise the name of the Lord for his goodness and long-suffering toward us! When we reached the place where the Spirit of the Lord could have an influence over us, and we began to compare our lives by God's holy law, in the light that it shines forth under the present truth, we found ourselves very far short of what we should be, with all the light we have had. A spirit of confession came in, and nearly all had deep heart-felt confessions to make to God and each other. Those that had personal difficulties with each other, broke down and confessed their wrongs; thus love and union were restored without those long, sickening church trials, of which we have had so many in the past. Never before did we realize the individuality of the work that we are engaged in, and the importance of getting right in the sight of God in order to have the Spirit of Christ reign in and rule over us. How terribly mankind can be deceived! Many count themselves good Christians and at the same time hold malice and hatred against some one for whom Christ has died. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

The tender, melting influence of the Spirit of God was present when our brethren and sisters came in from a distance to enjoy the meeting with us. They entered heartily into the spirit of the meeting. Many hearty confessions were made from these, and some of them were led to say that it was the best meeting that they ever attended, the good camp-meetings not excepted. God's care and tender mercy has been very great toward us; this should lead us to walk humbly and softly before him. These meetings, which held every evening except one, for two weeks, will result in great good, if we only hold what we have gained. Let us be mindful of the fact that it is one thing to make a desperate effort and gain some victory, and quite another thing to hold that victory. The latter is far more difficult of the two. Some that had backslidden and were almost ready to give up, have renewed their courage and started anew; others that had never started, manifested their desire to go with us to the kingdom. And still others that have been looking too far away from home for duty, and perhaps spending much precious time building air castles, and contriving in their own imaginations what they might do in some future time, have concluded to commence the work in their own hearts, and in their own families. Here is a field of labor for us all, that we can all work in with safety. We are in a much better condition to profit by the close, searching Testimony No. 18, than we were before our meeting.