Eastern Tour | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 14, 1871

Eastern Tour.

In company with Bro. H. B. Stratton, of Boston, we left Battle Creek for New England, Nov. 1, at 3 P. M., and reached Worcester, Mass., in the evening of the 2d, at 10 P. M., a distance of about nine hundred miles. Bro. Stratton had been spending a week with the brethren at Battle Creek, very agreeably to them, and to himself. Partly by his invitation, and partly to leave for the East on business, and that rest which change sometimes gives, we have come to New England.

We have left behind the cares of home business, pertaining to the work at Battle Creek, and are becoming free and hopeful. This we enjoy so well that we decide to remain away as long as possible, and give others a chance to see how well they can manage in our absence. We are weary of incessant care. Our home at Battle Creek has been the home also of so many, that the cares of such a home are burdensome. Our children are so far grown that we decide best to even cast off the care of the family, and for a while travel, preach, and write, in different localities of the wide field, as the providence of God opens the way, and provides for us temporary homes.

We have given up the idea of fully separating ourselves from the work at Battle Creek; therefore, our property at Washington, Iowa, is for sale. We have also become decided upon the impracticability of spending as much time in Battle Creek as we have done for two years past; therefore, our property at Battle Creek is for sale. If we have a home at all at present, we think it should be on one of our railroads not far from our institutions at Battle Creek.

For more than a year past we have been sinking in health, faith, hope, and courage, under the many cares and labors placed upon us in the interests of the General Conference, Publishing Association, Health Institute, church at Battle Creek, and the cause generally. And what has made the matter worse, a feeling of grief, and of murmuring, almost irresistible, has pressed upon our spirits, that so much should be urged upon us, and that so few, who were willing to work, and that could leave to do the work at head quarters, could be urged to make the sacrifice, and run the risk of moving to Battle Creek.

But we finally came to the point to decide that we would not fully leave the work at Battle Creek, without the clearest providential proofs of duty so to do; but stand by the work there at all hazards till God shall raise up, and qualify, others to take the oversight of it. Since this decision has been made, we have enjoyed unusual freedom, and mental and physical embarrassments are rapidly disappearing.

And Mrs. White, also, is sharing very largely the divine blessing. For two years past she has, most of the time, suffered from painful and discouraging evidence of a growing cancer in the breast. About the time we decided to never leave the work at Battle Creek, until the Lord and his people gave us unmistakable evidence that we were released, Mrs. W. gave herself to the Lord anew in a covenant to trust in his power fully. We bowed before God together in solemn covenant to be wholly his, and to labor on, trusting his providential hand to uphold, to direct, and to save. And the Lord has been very gracious to us. Mrs. W. is free and happy, and has the best of evidence that the growing cancerous swelling, which had become large, and was very painful, is entirely removed. As we pen these lines, she is by our side, earnestly preparing her second volume of the Spirit of Prophecy for the press.

Our meetings in this place (South Lancaster, Mass.) have been good and refreshing, and we find a very agreeable home with Eld. Haskell and family. From this point, we go to Boston to spend the Sabbath, and the first of the week following we go to see Dr. Trall in relation to publishing some of his most important works on the subject of life and health. Mrs. W. will remain in Boston, continuing her writing until our return to attend the New Hampshire meeting. And here we would state that our people where we may hold meetings in the different States, must excuse us from visiting from house to house, or from being visited at the places we may stop. We will meet them at their places of worship, and besides this, must be left free to pursue our writing without interruption.

We are happily disappointed at finding the New England Conference in so prosperous a condition. The President of this Conference, Bro. Haskell, is an excellent manager, and has good brethren to second his efforts. A few years since this was missionary ground, and a discouraging field. Ministers from other States, who then labored here as missionaries, were largely sustained from the treasury of the General Conference. Now this Conference fully supports its own ministers, meets the expenses of those who labor among them from other States; and besides this, puts annually, several hundreds into the treasury of the General Conference.

A few years since the territory of this Conference, embracing Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, was regarded as a hard field, principally from the existing disorganizing spirit that prevailed generally. But now, in this very field, under the well-directed efforts of Bro. Haskell, our people are in advance of those in any other part of the field, in systematic, energetic action for the advancement of the cause of truth.

They have two preaching tents, nearly new. They had, at the close of their last camp-meeting, a camp-meeting fund on hand of more than five hundred dollars. Last spring, at a quarterly meeting, they took up the matter of our periodicals, and have acted systematically in the collection of dues, paying for the worthy poor, and obtaining new subscribers. And the result is, that the entire field has been canvassed, by visiting delinquents, or corresponding with them, and nearly every account for our periodicals has been squared up. The sum of about one hundred and seventy-five dollars has been paid to the Publishing Association on the accounts of delinquents, and to send our periodicals to the worthy poor. This was not taken out of the Conference treasury of Systematic Benevolence funds, however, but was raised by donations from those living within the Conference. And while some copies of our periodicals have been discontinued to unworthy persons, more new subscribers have been obtained than enough to fill their places.

They also have missionary and tract societies which are efficient in looking after the wants of worthy widows and orphans, in corresponding with scattered and distant friends who need instruction and encouragement in the things of the Spirit of God, and in the circulation of tracts, pamphlets, and books. They are placing three of our bound volumes in all the best libraries within the Conference. Their records for the past year show that they have given publications, more or less, to about four thousand persons. This work they have done without any assistance whatever from any source besides the members of their own Conference. Neither have they drawn upon their Systematic Benevolence funds to do any part of this work; but have appropriated every dollar of that to the support of the ministry in their own Conference, having a surplus of five hundred and fifty dollars, which they donated to the General Conference. And this small Conference alone have raised, the past season, for the Publishing Association, and the Health Institute, the sum of three thousand dollars.

We propose a change of labors on this wise. Let Eld. Haskell go to New York, Michigan, or some more western Conference, and give others the benefits of his financial talent, and let Eld. Canright, or Eld. Butler, or some other efficient preacher, come to this Conference to give himself wholly to the word. Things having been set in order by Eld. Haskell can be managed by those brethren here who may be called helpers, while one used to entering new fields might give himself wholly to the word. May the Lord direct in these important matters.

But we urge that our brethren in the different States, and in the several counties of the States, go right to work, as best they can, to do this good work, the simple doing of which has given the brethren in this Conference much comfort and strength. In this work the weak may become strong, besides accomplishing a great amount of good.

We feel upon the subject of publishing for the million as we never felt before. After a careful computation of all the expenses, we are now prepared to state that we can furnish our tracts, largest page, good paper, and first-class print, by the quantity, at Battle Creek, at the rate of two thousand pages for one dollar, provided the demand shall be large enough so that we can print ten thousand copies at one edition. It is a matter of devout gratitude to God that he, by the faithfulness of his dear people, has placed in our hands all the facilities and means necessary to do this work at the very best advantage. Now let the churches, and scattered brethren, everywhere awake, and take hold of missionary work, and let our publications, like the leaves of autumn, be scattered everywhere.