UNION, IOWA by George B. Starr

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 17, 1878

UNION, IOWA.

By George B. Starr

By the blessing of God, quite a change has taken place since I came here ten weeks ago. Then, there were no Sabbath-keepers here, but there was much prejudice, and no homes were open for my entertainment. Now, twelve have signed the covenant, and others are keeping the Sabbath. Prejudice is scarcely to be seen, and there are very few homes at which I am not welcomed. The work has not been without opposition. Eld. Noe, Methodist, spoke against us on the Sabbath. He preached the same sermon Saturday night and Sunday morning, taking the positions taught by Lee in his Theology. I had freedom in answering him at night, before the same audience. The result of his effort is, that one good family of eight grown members have taken their stand with us. They have taken hold of the truth in good earnest, stopping their saw-mill on the Sabbath, and starting it again Sunday morning. Such changes as this do my heart good, and I believe this family, and the others that have taken their stand here, will be ornaments to the present truth.

One week after Eld. Noe's effort on the Sunday question, another Methodist preacher, quite an old man, spoke on the immortality of the soul. He took his text from 2 Cor. 5:8, and delivered a discourse that was well received with the audience. The tide was considerably turned against us, and several expressed their doubts as to my ability to answer him. But God heard our prayers and gave greater liberty than I had ever enjoyed before. The tide was fully turned again, and the state of the dead set before the people more clearly than it had ever been in the past.

He was not ready to give it up yet, but asked the privilege of replying, saying, I had treated his positions candidly, and he intended so to treat mine in his reply. His request was granted. The house was crowded. He commenced by making sport of the stress we put upon the resurrection; said I would take his text in Corinthians, and take it back through the Old Testament to Genesis, around Behring's strait, and plunge it into the resurrection. This caused a great laugh, which he endeavored to keep up for two hours. Any one upon the outside would have had no thought that we were having a religious meeting. I replied to some of the Scriptures he presented, but took no notice of his witticisms. He again asked the privilege of reply, which I thought he had forfeited; but I concluded to leave it to a vote of the audience, which went two to one against his speaking again.

Since his departure, everything has gone on smoothly. We have held four or five Sabbath meetings, which were well attended. Several good testimonies have been borne, and several have arisen for prayers. Meetings closed Sabbath, Jan. 5, with no decrease of interest. The company here desire organization. May God help them to hold fast to the end.

Bro. G. V. Kilgore has come to unite labor with me. We commence to-night five miles southwest of Oskaloosa and two and a half miles from last work.

GEORGE B. STARR.