LETTERS FROM THE SOUTHERN FIELD.
Bro. Killingworth, of Spaulding Co., Ga., writes as follows:— Myself and wife have been the only Sabbath-keepers in this part of the State since the spring of 1872; but we now rejoice that God has sent his faithful servants, Bro. and sister Taylor, to labor in this State. We enjoyed a short season of refreshing during their stay with us. We have been much edified by his teachings, and feel to thank God that it has been our privilege to witness so faithful an effort in behalf of present truth. We cannot tell what the final result will be. As yet, the only definite result is, that three more have taken their stand to observe the Sabbath: others have given good evidence that conviction has fastened upon them, and ere long we hope for more to join us. Bro. Taylor made many friends while here, despite his Northern birth, and notwithstanding some who thought more of “the church” than of the truth sought to hurt him by false reports. He succeeded in getting the city council chamber, and preached once; but owing to the rain the audience was small. An interest to hear more has been created, the way has been opened, and we look for him to return before many months. I will not attempt to make out a report for him, of the labors wrought in preaching from house to house and in the different churches, or of the reading matter that has been distributed; but I can say of a truth that if the same results follow his labors everywhere, ere long the words, “Seventh-day Adventist,” will become familiar household words in Georgia. We rejoiced to see that the General Conference was considering the Southern field. God speed the glorious work of gathering the jewels! I am persuaded that a faithful effort with a tent would result in establishing churches of good material in this State. May the Lord direct. We will try to be faithful, believing that the time has come for us to fight it out on this line. We want to be remembered in the prayers of God’s people. Allow me to thank sister Huntley for her labor of love in sending reading matter to the amount of one-half bushel, tracts and books; also some one for our papers, with which I have been well supplied. Such labor has not been in vain. The reading matter has been carefully disposed of. Bro. Killen writes from Houston Co., Ga.:— Not long ago, a Mr. Taylor, living in Brooks Co., in this State, passed through our county; and I had the privilege of hearing him talk privately on the Lord’s Sabbath, and other Bible subjects that were new to me, or at least were very different from what I had been taught to believe. I told him I would investigate these subjects, and gave him twenty cents with which to send me some tracts that I selected from his list. I received them, and others besides. Bro. Taylor left with me a few tracts and papers, old numbers of the REVIEW and SIGNS. I have read them all with a great deal of interest, and am anxious to know more about these great subjects. I have handed them around to others, but find the people generally very slow to listen to anything new. A great many are ready to confess that we have the wrong Sabbath, but seem to think it makes but very little difference. I have been a missionary Baptist for twenty years, and if I have been keeping a day for the Lord’s Sabbath which is not the Sabbath, I pray God that from this time I may obey him. I told the pastor of the church to which I belong (B. F. Thorp, one of the big preachers of our denomination in this State) of my investigations, and in his first sermon afterward, he said the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in honor of the resurrection; and yesterday he sent me a New York paper, The Examiner and Chronicle, of Oct. 4, containing an article headed, “Yes, We Have a Christian Sabbath.” The only argument I see in it is that Sunday is the Sabbath on account of the “fitness of things.” I thought we Baptists always had Bible reasons for our belief. I know I am not sufficiently posted to defend myself; and I intend to take your paper and send for more tracts before long. Bro. J. T. Crockett, of Lincoln Co., Ky., says:— About a year ago I first met Bro. S. Osborn, and had the Sabbath question brought before my mind. Since that time I have carefully and prayerfully examined the proof, and thank God that in his providence I met Bro. Osborn. It looks surprising to me that I never saw, or rather never understood, the plain teachings of God’s word in regard to the seventh day before. I had been a preacher in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for a number of years. I could not attend the meeting of Presbytery last April, and wrote to them for a letter of withdrawal from that church; but as I was not present there was no attention given to it. I have since had some “pretty warm times.” The Presbytery will meet again in about ten days, when I expect to be present, and my case will, I trust, be disposed of in some way. I have learned from one of their members that the point on which they are now building is to try to show (contrary to their confession of faith) that we are now really keeping the same day the Jews did. I think the history of the Jews is enough to show that they are still keeping the seventh day.