BRAINTREE, VT by A. S. Hutchins

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 17, 1876

BRAINTREE, VT.

By A. S. Hutchins

On my way to the quarterly meeting at Granville, I was detained in this town by reason of the sudden loss of all our sleighing. Three Sabbath-keepers reside in the neighborhood where I stopped. Learning that the people were generally quite prejudiced against our views, I desired they should have a chance to hear. Accordingly I appointed an evening meeting, which was so well attended and such good attention paid to the word spoken, that I held four evening meetings, and one on Sabbath. Remained six evenings; the first, I attended the meeting of a very friendly Congregationalist minister; the last, I spent in talking and praying with different families, with whom I left reading matter. One subscribed for the REVIEW.

The last meeting was held on first-day evening. The audience was larger than at any previous meeting, giving the best attention as the evidences for the first-day Sabbath were examined in the light of the word of God.

I learn that different families there, like the noble Bereans, have gone to searching the Scriptures, and that some have bought our publications and are examining our views with interest. They express a great anxiety for more meetings. I think I never have experienced deeper regret that my health is such I cannot enter new fields and alone give a course of lectures. Prejudice can be broken down, souls reached and brought to the truth, and thus be sanctified, in this State, as well as elsewhere. Oh! where are our laborers? Where are the young men who will go out and unselfishly labor to save souls? Where are those who will permit themselves to be thrust out by the Spirit of God into new fields, away from the churches which they cannot help, where they can gain for themselves a reputation and an experience as workmen in the vineyard of the Lord, which will glorify God, and gather into the church precious jewels to be saved in the kingdom of God?

The call of such an one means work—hard work. It means, as the apostle says, “laboring night and day.” It means “work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If any one was ever honored with a call to preach the gospel, it was Saul of Tarsus. The Lord said of him, “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and the kings, and the children of Israel.” Yet he says not a word of directing him in a flowery pathway, but contrariwise, “I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” A. S. HUTCHINS.

Feb. 2, 1876.