LYONS, MICHIGAN by A. O. Burrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 27, 1876

LYONS, MICHIGAN.

By A. O. Burrell

Meetings in this place began Thursday evening, Jan. 6, according to appointment. The weather and roads were quite favorable. The services were held in the town hall. Friday evening, Bro. Canright spoke upon the importance of present truth; the hall was well filled, and the sermon was listened to with the best attention. It made a very marked impression upon all present.

Sabbath, at 9:30, A. M., the meeting was well attended, there being about sixty present from Orange, Muir, and Lyons, besides others from Matherton, Greenville, Ionia, and St. Johns. Many of these had embraced the Sabbath within a few months, and their testimonies were cheering and hopeful. At 10:30 Bro. Canright took up the rise and progress of this cause, and I think we were all able to see that God’s hand had guided.

At one o’clock P. M., Bro. C. spoke again from 2 Cor. 6:2, making a special appeal to the sinner and backslider. The Lord was present by his Spirit, and worked mightily for his truth. We were made to rejoice by seeing twenty or more come forward, three of whom had never taken their stand upon the Sabbath before. Another, who had wandered away, desired to return. This was a good meeting, and one which will be long remembered.

The social meeting, from 6 to 7 P. M., was another refreshing season to all present. From 7 to 8, Bro. Canright spoke to a full house upon the Sabbath, using the arguments, or as many of them as time would permit, which are found in his little work lately published, entitled, “The Morality of the Sabbath.” This sermon made an impression. This work should be read by all our people. It is excellent to place in the hands of those who are investigating.

Sunday, from 9:30 to 11 A. M., was consumed in the examination of candidates for baptism and other matters common to such occasions. Then followed the preaching, but the weather being damp the attendance from outside was small. Bro. C. took up the subject of Systematic Benevolence in the afternoon, and after he had set the matter before us in a very clear manner, the Orange church about doubled theirs, making it for 1876 nearly $200. The s. b. of the Muir and Lyons churches will be about $150, for this year. At the conclusion of this meeting, we retired to the banks of Grand River, where seven were baptized, and, although the rain was falling quite heavily, a large number gathered upon the bank to witness the scene.

At our concluding meeting Bro. C. spoke upon the mark of the beast, setting the subject before us in a very forcible manner. Thus concluded the effort in this township. We were all very much gratified by this timely visit from Bro. Canright, and trust there will be some fruits of it in the kingdom of Heaven.

I have remained with this people more than five months, but had I gone away when I had been here three months the whole effort would have been nearly lost. Now there are more than forty who are observing the Sabbath, while there were only three when we erected the tent here. The time that it has taken appears to be long, but I never saw any time when I dared to leave them. A. O. BURRELL.

Saranac, Jan. 13, 1876.