IMPORTANT MATTERS by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 23, 1879

IMPORTANT MATTERS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

FRIDAY EVENING FOR SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSONS.

We rejoice at the general movement now being put forth among our people in the Sabbath-school work. These efforts have been made none too soon. We have many things to learn in this work. Indeed, we have paid so little attention to it that we have nearly everything to learn. Observation has led me to believe that Friday evening should be devoted to studying Sabbath-school lessons, by the officers in the school, the teachers, and the scholars.

In many cases heretofore, our brethren have had prayer-meetings on Friday evening; but this seems objectionable for several reasons. 1. It throws all our meetings together on one day,—prayer-meeting on Friday evening, Sabbath-school Sabbath morning, and prayer and social meeting Sabbath afternoon. We think it would be better to have our prayer-meeting in the middle of the week, say Tuesday evening. 2. The Friday evening prayer-meeting is objectionable because it takes the very time that should be devoted to a preparation for the Sabbath-school.

Generally, brethren and sisters are tired Friday evening, after making preparation for the Sabbath. The REVIEW comes Thursday or Friday too. If they could spend Friday evening at home reading the REVIEW, getting their lessons, instructing the children, and resting, they would be all prepared for the Sabbath-school next day. Quite generally this practice is now coming to be adopted. We recommend every church in Ohio to adopt this custom. Have your prayer-meetings Tuesday evenings, and devote Friday evening to the Sabbath-school work.

“GATHER UP THE FRAGMENTS.”

There are two texts in the Bible which we ministers in Ohio need to lay to heart and put into practice immediately. The first one is the admonition of our Saviour, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” John 6:12. And the second is, “Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.” Rev. 3:2.

We do not claim that the first text exactly applies to the subject in hand, but it is good advice and somewhat applicable after all. But the second is directly to the point. All over Ohio there are scattered, lone Sabbath-keepers, one here, two or three there, six or eight in another place, and in several places even as many as a dozen or twenty in the same neighborhood. Some of these have embraced the truth by reading; but in many cases a course of lectures or even a tent-meeting has been held in these places. In some instances a good little company of from twenty to forty has thus been brought out; but they have been left altogether, without any further instruction. Perhaps a minister has visited them and spent one Sabbath with them once or twice during a year, and that is all.

They know comparatively little about the workings of the message. Few of them take the REVIEW, and less of them Good Health and the Instructor. Most of them are doing nothing to support the cause in any of its branches. A great many of them use tobacco, tea, and coffee, and know nothing of the health reform, nothing of the testimonies, and they are as weak as water. Now these Sabbath-keepers, with proper instruction, would be as strong in the faith and as zealous as the best of us, but they have had no fair chance.

There are a great many Sabbath-keepers in Ohio who are not near enough to a church to attend regular meetings. No one visits them; no meetings are held with them. Perhaps they are opposed in their own families, and meet with no sympathy from anybody. They get discouraged. In some cases they are poor, and not able to have our papers and books as they would like to do. And these dear souls come to feel that nobody cares for them. Keeping the Sabbath has separated them from their friends and from other churches around them, brethren do not look after them, and hence they are in a very sad condition. Many of them will be lost unless they are helped. In the places where these persons live there is the very best chance in the world to hold meetings, and this would encourage these souls, bring out other Sabbath-keeping families, and thus build up a little church. I have no burden at present to enter entirely new fields to raise up more churches in Ohio.

Dear brethren, the Lord will hold us accountable for these souls. They need our watchcare. We must look after them. I believe it should be the work of every minister and director in Ohio, for the next six months at least, to hunt up these expiring brands, gather up these fragments, and strengthen the things that remain. More strength can be added to the cause in this way than in any other, even if we do not get half as many new converts to the faith. But no doubt if we go into these neighborhoods and work with these brethren, we shall not only save a vast amount of expense, but we shall get more into the truth than we would by entering entirely new fields.

We appeal to the directors, librarians, and tract workers in Ohio this winter to do a large share of their missionary work among our own people. Go and visit these lonely ones. Take a load or two of brethren, hold an evening meeting, and invite in the neighbors. You need not preach a sermon. Have a prayer and social meeting. Advertise our papers and books, and urge these Sabbath-keepers to take them. And if you find the neighbors interested, appoint another meeting. I have seen this course taken where good results have followed. If I have any wisdom for the work in Ohio, this is our business at present. D. M. CANRIGHT.