p. 126 | Keokuk County, Iowa by J. HARE

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 2, 1872

Keokuk County, Iowa.

By J. HARE

By the earnest request of Brn. Burrows and Lisk, twelve miles from Sigourney, Iowa, Bro. McCoy and myself held a series of meetings in their neighborhood, commencing March 6. The first evening we spoke in a school house where the Baptists usually hold their meetings. The director, being a member of that church, refused us the house for further meetings. Notwithstanding we could learn no good reason why the house should be closed against us, we thought best to move to the next nearest school-house where we continued till the 19th inst., giving sixteen discourses and holding two prayer and conference meetings.

The Baptist minister held a meeting the first Sunday evening after we arrived and warned his flock against Mormonism, Spiritualism, and Adventism. He said the wolves were in the neighborhood, for he had seen their tracks, &c. And he bade his flock beware.

But, notwithstanding the opposition from this quarter, as well as unfavorable weather most of the time, our congregations increased steadily up to Sunday evening before we adjourned, when the house, a large-sized one, was filled to its utmost capacity. The next evening we spoke on spiritualism, and the evening following on spiritual gifts, which closed our meeting.

We found five or six in this vicinity keeping the Sabbath, and seeing the truth very imperfectly. Some of these were in the Baptist church and keeping Sunday also. We left thirteen who gave us assurance that they would keep all God's commandments, and who agreed to meet every Sabbath for the purpose of studying the Scriptures, and for religious worship. Bro. McCoy will take the oversight of this little company till a suitable leader can be found, through the blessing of God.

We believe a deep impression has been made on the minds of many in this vicinity with regard to the near approach of the day of God, the validity of his law, and the nature of man. We sold and distributed several dollars' worth of books and tracts, procured four subscribers for the REVIEW, and one for the Health Reformer. A number are investigating these subjects who may come out on the truth.

J. HARE.