Communication from Bro. Cornell.
By M. E. Cornell
BRO. SMITH:—I embrace the present opportunity to inform you of the success of the truth in Allegan Co., Mich. We commenced lectures in the court-house in the village of Allegan, Sunday evening, Jan. 6th, and continued until Jan. 14th. The weather for three or four days was very unfavorable. There was a continued fall of snow with fierce winds, and the cold most intense. The thermometer ranging from 10 to 14 deg. below zero. Notwithstanding, there was a steady attendance of from 100 to 150 persons. The interest was good and increased every evening. The weather toward the last being more favorable, the house was filled to its utmost capacity. The majority acknowledged that they heard the truth and a few decided to keep the Sabbath. Three have subscribed for the Review; and others purpose to send for it soon. A Bro. and Sr. Pierce who rejoiced in the first message in 1843, heard of the meetings and came six and a half miles to hear, the first evening. They were interested and refused to go home. At the close of the second lecture, Sr. P. pressed her way through the crowd to the stand, and reaching out her hand said with much earnestness, “I believe I can call you brother; what you have said sounds like the truth.” I learned they had heard Bro. Miller in 1843, in Pennfield, N. Y., and there embraced the doctrine of Christ’s soon coming. In May, 1844, they moved to Michigan, and have always believed that God was in that movement. An incident that occurred the next Fall after their arrival here, as near as they can now recollect, about the first of October, had a tendency to greatly strengthen their faith in the near coming of Christ. It was about five o’clock, P. M., when their little boy five years old that happened to be out in front of their dwelling called out, “O mother, mother, look here!” Sr. P. looked and there was a streak of light of dazzling brightness about ten feet long, resembling a rope filled with short crooks. It was lowering down from the clouds until it was as low as the tops of the trees. Sr. P. gives a vivid description of its exceeding brightness, and the boy (now grown up) remembers it well and speaks of its being very wonderful. Sr. P.’s first impression was that it was a sign of the last days and she began to call to her neighbor just across the road to come and see; (she had talked to the family much about Christ’s coming, but they would not believe, and she thought this sign would convince them;) but as soon as she began to call, the sign began to move upward, and when high up in the region of the clouds it was formed into letters, distinctly spelling the word, OCTOBER; there was something more on the line which they were trying to read when it vanished just before the family across the way came out to see. Sr. P. says she thought it was a fulfillment of the prophecy, “There shall be signs in the heavens above,” &c., and for some time she longed to see some of the Advent messengers to tell them about it. Bro. and Sr. P. seemed to be greatly rejoiced to hear an explanation of the passing of the time in 1844, the Sanctuary &c. At the earnest solicitation of Bro. and Sr. P., and others, we sent an appointment to their town for Wednesday evening following, and Tuesday morning took stage for Pine Creek, eight miles distant, and then walked two miles to a Bro. Geo. Leighton’s. Bro. and Sr. L. had not seen an Adventist for four years. They were filled with gladness and seemed much encouraged while we explained from the chart our present position. Bro. L. was reading the Prophetic Expositor, and furnishing it for Eld. Buck, a Baptist minister, in Otsego village, four miles distant. Eld. B. is favorable to the doctrine of “life only through Christ;” but upon other sentiments of the Expositor, he, as well as Bro. L., look with suspicion, regarding them as contrary to the truth. In the afternoon, Bro. L. accompanied me to Eld. Buck’s, where we spent the evening conversing upon several great truths. Eld. B. wished me to give notice for a course of lectures in Otsego—said he would do all he could to get the consent of the trustees to open the Baptist house. We expect to commence there next week. Between nine and ten o’clock in the evening I returned with Bro. L. and found Sr. L. awaiting our return to hear more about the truth; and we talked until twelve o’clock. The Lord greatly blessed us in prayer, and we retired. The next morning we conversed on the truth till ten o’clock and at eleven I took the stage again for Allegan. Here I found Bro. Pierce waiting to take me up to the appointment Wednesday evening. There are several important openings about here. Calls are very urgent. Very many have supplied themselves with books on the truth, and we trust the seed sown will bring forth abundant fruit. M. E. CORNELL.
Monterey, Jan. 17th, 1856.