Northern New York by S. B. Whitney

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 4, 1875

Northern New York.

By S. B. Whitney

AFTER so long a silence I have concluded to let the friends of the cause hear from me again in the way of reporting. About the first of December, with the advice of the Conference Committee, I started on a brief tour in Essex Co., in compliance with an urgent call for help from that quarter. Visited Keene, Jay, North Elba, Bloomingdale, and Vermontville. Found the brethren in need of help, but in a condition to be helped, and left them much encouraged.

One encouraging feature, which I noticed in particular, is the growing interest, in nearly every community, in present truth. Outside friends greeted me with great cordiality, and my public appointments, on short notice, were well attended even where there had been the most bitter opposition. An interesting young lady decided to keep the Sabbath, and serve the Lord in Vermontville.

In Jay, I met a striking illustration of “Bread Pond.” A man and his wife, whose attention was called to the present truth by two of our preachers who visited Ansable Forks about twenty years ago, have embraced it during the last season, as the result of tract and missionary work watering the seed sown so long ago.

The 21st, Bro. Locke brought me to this place to fill a call made by the introduction of our periodicals, etc. Commenced meetings the 22d. As the district is sparsely settled, and the weather has been very forbidding, so much so that several meetings have been broken up by severe storms and high wind, the attendance has been small, but better than I could have hoped. I have enjoyed freedom in speaking the word, and believers are rejoicing in the truth. Eight or ten have commenced to keep the Sabbath. Backsliders have been reclaimed, and others have been quickened in their faith and zeal.

But this, as usual, has stirred up the ire of the dragon, and some faint efforts at opposition have been made. The cry of false prophet is raised, and last Sunday the minister sang,

“Thy little flock in safety keep, For oh! the wolf is nigh.”

We have had two good Sabbath meetings, and I expect to be with them till after next Sabbath. S. B. WHITNEY.

Benson, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1875.