NEW YORK AND PENNSYLVANIA.
Raymond, Pa., Tent No. 1.
The interest continued good to the close of our meetings. On Thursday evening we had a congregation of four hundred to listen to a United Brethren preacher who proposed to show the incorrectness of our position with respect to the advent. He took the ground that Matt. 24 was fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem, but had no liberty in presenting his arguments, and after having spoken about forty minutes closed his remarks by bidding us God-speed in our work. Judging that not one person in ten in the congregation understood his position from his remarks, we stated it for him, and had good freedom for three-fourths of an hour in presenting the plain arguments of our faith in contrast. The entire audience gave the closest attention, and altogether the effort helped our cause very materially. Sabbath and Sunday we had meetings from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M. each day. At our social meeting Sabbath morning, forty-one testimonies were given. An aged brother, a man of excellent reputation in community, but who has been a backslider for years, took his stand with us again at this meeting. In the afternoon we made an appeal to all those who desired to make a solemn covenant to seek the Lord and serve him more faithfully to manifest it by coming forward, when between forty and fifty responded. Deep feeling was manifested, and good confessions were made. Sunday morning, Bro. Hiram Stebbins was elected and ordained elder of the church, and Bro. Edward Kelly and Daniel Green were chosen for deacons. Five more united with the church, making twenty in all. At the close of the afternoon discourse, many of the congregation were in tears as we appealed to them to prepare to meet the Lord, who is soon to come to take his people to himself. At the close of this meeting six more were baptized. We found the cause here in a low condition, and still suffering from the effects of the wicked course of some who have disgraced themselves and brought great reproach upon the cause. But we believe that by the blessing of God and the faithful efforts of the brethren here, the cause now stands on a better footing than it has for years. The membership of the church is doubled, and there are others who will unite when we visit them again as we hope to before Conference. It is but justice to the brethren here to say that they have done all in their power to make the meeting a success. Not only have they borne all the expense of the meeting, but they have made a great effort to attend. We believe the Lord has regarded the sacrifices they have made in this direction. We go with our tent this week to Bolivar, Allegany Co., N. Y., which will be our address till further notice. B. L. Whitney.
M. H. Brown. Pulaski, N. Y., Tent No. 2.
The prospect here is the most encouraging at this time that it has been at all. About twenty have expressed their purpose to keep the Sabbath, and there are a good many other hopeful cases, so that we shall still continue our meetings. Last evening (Sunday), the union temperance meeting, which has always been held at 4 o’clock, was changed to 7:30, but we had over three hundred in the tent, and the temperance meeting was so thinly attended that we received word after our meeting, that it was put back to 4 o’clock. We have attended the temperance meetings ever since we have been here, and, by request, have had one such meeting in the tent. Glensdale, Lewis Co., N. Y., Tent No. 5.
We are still able to report progress. Three more substantial adult persons have taken their stand with us on the Sabbath, making seventeen, in all, who have received the third message in this place, and many more acknowledge that we have the truth. Our meeting last Sabbath was one long to be remembered. Those who had recently embraced the truth spoke of the great joy and peace they had experienced since they had begun to keep all the commandments of God. At the close of the meeting, we organized a Sabbath-school and Bible-class, which we trust will be a blessing to this community. Last night (July 22), we spoke from Luke 12:37, and Rev. 19:9, on the marriage supper of the Lamb. We had the largest audience that we have had since our tent-meeting commenced here. At the close of the preaching services, quite a number who never made a profession of religion expressed, in public, a desire to meet us at the table, when the Lord shall “gird himself,” and “come forth and serve” his people. Jacob Wilbur.
A. P. Bump.