Our Best Monthly Meeting.
By William Gatchell
OUR monthly meeting in this place, the appointment for which was given in the REVIEW, for Sabbath and first-day, July 9 and 10, is in the past. On Sabbath, the 9th, at 9 A. M., we met for social meeting. Quite a delegation met with us from Falmouth, and a few from Richmond. After singing, we had a season of prayer, and as the brethren and sisters poured out their requests to the Lord for a special blessing to rest upon the meeting, a deep, holy solemnity seemed to fill every soul, and we felt the love of God welling up in our hearts, as the heavenly and benign influence of his Spirit hovered around us. We felt that our divine Master was in the midst of us, according to his promise. After the season of prayer, came the heart-cheering testimonies. We had a most blessed time, a heavenly sitting together in Christ Jesus; and we could say, Oh, how sweet is the communion of saints! After the social meeting, Bro. Prescott, of N. Berwick, gave us a very interesting discourse. At the close, several bore testimony to the truths they had heard. Thus closed the morning session. In the afternoon, Bro. Howard gave us a good discourse, from the text found in Rev. 12:17. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman,” &c., setting forth what the dragon, the woman, and the beast, &c., were symbols of. First-day morning, we met again, and as the meeting advanced, a deep feeling pervaded every mind; and as some spoke of their enjoyment since they had received the light of the third angel’s message, tears began to flow, while the melting power of the Spirit rested upon our hearts. We felt that we all belonged to the same family, and were bound for the same kingdom. We received new strength, and fresh courage to press forward against every obstacle, and strive to enter in at the strait gate, and possess the kingdom. After the close of the social meeting, Bro. Howard gave us a very instructive discourse on the law, showing the distinction between the moral law, and the law of sin and death, between that law which is put in our minds, and written in our hearts, and that law which the apostle said was in his members; warring against the law of his mind. In the afternoon, he gave us an appropriate discourse on the signs of the times. In the evening, Bro. Prescott gave us another discourse from words found in Zeph. 2:1-3. “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired,” &c. Thus closed up the best monthly meeting that I ever attended.