California State Meeting.
By M. G. Kellogg
Our State meeting closed last evening. It has been a feast of fat things to all who attended it. Over one hundred Sabbath-keepers, besides several interested outsiders, came in from abroad. I never attended a meeting where everything moved along so smoothly as in this general gathering of our people here; and what is still better, the blessing of God was manifested in every meeting. The ministers were all free and pointed in their sermons; and the people had a mind to work for God. Eighty cheering testimonies were given by as many individuals during a meeting that lasted but eighty minutes. During all our business sessions, of which we had four, everything worked harmoniously; and if the resolutions and plans unanimously adopted by our people shall be carried out by them, we shall see the churches rise in spirituality and numbers, and also see the work spread and prosper mightily in the Lord. May the great Shepherd assist each of us to do our whole duty, and pay our vows to the Most High. We could not decide as to the subjects of our discourses until about the time of the gathering of the people, when we felt a burden roll upon us to present the following subjects: Dress Reform, from a physiological and moral stand-point, by myself, Friday afternoon. The subject of immediate and entire consecration to God, 1 Chron. 29:5, last clause, by Bro. Loughborough, Sabbath morning. Sabbath afternoon, Bro. L. spoke on the qualifications and duties of local elders, followed by the ordination of Bro. Wm. Denison as elder of the Santa Rosa church; and T. B. Gaveley as elder of the church in Green Valley, by prayer, and the laying on of hands. Sunday morning, Bro. L. was unable to speak, on account of hoarseness, and it fell to my lot to speak on a subject, the burden of which Bro. L. had long felt, viz: The demands that mutual obligation, and the general interest of the cause at large, make on us. Text, Ps. 50:5. At our business session, Sunday morning, it was voted that I should act as solicitor and collector of means to help on the general interest of the cause; and at the close of the morning sermon, Bro. L. requested the congregation to remain seated while Bro. Ferguson passed through and collected back dues on REVIEW, Reformer, and Instructor, and Bro. Judson also passed through and obtained seventy-four members to Tract and Missionary Societies, at one dollar each for membership. The churches of San Francisco and Bloomfield had previously formed societies. I passed a paper for subscriptions to the stock of Health Institute, the Publishing Association, and the $10,000 Book Fund. The result of thirty minutes' soliciting was a hearty response from seventy-eight brethren and sisters who pledged on my paper to pay into these enterprises, on or before the first day of September, 1872, the sum of $1,211. At 2 P. M., on first-day, Bro. L. preached the funeral sermon of Bro. Volney Staley, who died a few days since in Los Angeles. He had a crowded house of attentive listeners. Bro. Cornell spoke each evening. He had, about ten days previous to our State gathering, commenced a course of lectures in our chapel in this place, and the interest had become so great that it was thought best for him to continue his regular course evenings through the gathering, speaking the first evening on the rise and spread of the message, the second evening on spiritual gifts, and last evening on the mark of the beast and seal of God. These lectures greatly strengthened our brethren and increased the outside interest. After a few days' rest, he will resume his lectures. Sabbath, at 1 P. M., Bro. L. baptized eight, and three others united with the Santa Rosa church. Several others have about decided to come and go with us. We feel free and greatly cheered. Bro. Loughborough says some of his heavy burdens are gone, and he can now preach with greater freedom than before, if the officers of the State meeting, and of the churches, continue to do their duties as well as they have commenced. Bro. Ferguson and myself go out next week to hold meetings in Yolo Co., while Brn. Loughborough and Cornell go with the tent, with Bro. Martin as tent master. Santa Rosa, April 29, 1872.