NEW ENGLAND by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 20, 1877

NEW ENGLAND.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Seabrook, N. H.

SEABROOK is about five miles from Newburyport, Mass., just in the edge of New Hampshire. As Bro. Haines and Mooney had both formerly preached here, and had warm friends in the place, they wished them to hear the third angel's message. So I spent two weeks with them, holding meetings every evening. The first-day Adventists have a chapel here. As Bro. Haines had a regular appointment in this house up to the time of our meetings, we thought they might be friendly enough to allow us the use of their house; but some of the most unreasonable ones opposed it, so we went to the town hall.

As the weather was very bad most of the time, we did not have a very great interest; but quite a number living four miles away in the country were interested, so I went out there, and held most of my meetings in a private house. At first the brethren were inclined to be afraid of us, having heard that Seventh-day Adventists were fanatics, spiritualists, &c. But we soon undeceived them on these points, and they became deeply interested in the subjects of the two-horned beast, the messages, the sanctuary, and the Sabbath, on which they had not heard before. Though our meetings were held in a kitchen, and our numbers were small, being from fifteen to thirty, yet I enjoyed the meetings very much, and so did they. I would preach from two to three hours, and then they wanted to hear more.

As the result of these few days' labor, some fifteen good souls have embraced the Sabbath. These include the elder and the deacon of the church, the very best of its members. Nearly all who have come out are located near together, so they can conveniently keep up their meetings. The last evening there was one of the sweetest meetings I ever enjoyed. One after another arose, and with tender feelings took their stand upon the truth. Some who had been backslidden for years arose, and with tears and deep feeling told their determinations to keep the commandments, and to make a new start for the kingdom.

I shall be disappointed if we do not have a good, working church here. Bro. Mooney and Haines aided me greatly in these meetings. Bro. Mooney still remains with them.

I am sorry to say that some of their former brethren now treat them very harshly, simply because they have been willing to hear for themselves, and obey the truth when they have seen it. I return next Sabbath to help them further, while Bro. Haines goes to another field of labor.

West Newbury, Mass.

This place is half-way between the cities of Newburyport and Haverhill, in each of which we have a church, and is six miles from each. We are also nine miles from Seabrook, where we have just raised up a church; so we are anxious to have one here also. Bro. Robinson and Stone have now been holding meetings here ten days. They hired the town hall, which is a good place for meetings. They have started a good interest, indeed quite a great one. They have had audiences numbering four hundred and fifty. Last night, Dec. 10, I was here, and had an audience of three hundred, though it was Monday night. The interest is growing deeper, and we confidently expect that a good work will be done here. There are several good openings all around, which we hope to occupy this winter.

During the last five months, five new churches have been raised up in the New England Conference; and now there are more good openings waiting than we can possibly fill for months to come. The people seem eager to hear, and many of them are ready to embrace the truth. If New England has been a hard field in the past, it certainly is not now. Things are changed; and I certainly believe the day is near when this will be one of the richest fields in all the harvest. D. M. CANRIGHT.