Series of Meetings in Hillsdale, Mich.
By Joseph Bates
BRO. SMITH:—Since our series of tent-meetings in Hudson (of which Bro. Cornell will give an account) we have been holding a series of meetings here; also one meeting at Bro. Aldrich's, in Rollin. Our meetings commenced here on the 25th inst., and have been deeply interesting. Some others have decided to keep all the ten Commandments of God. Nine more were baptized yesterday, making in all sixty-six that have been immersed in accordance with the profession of their faith, since the reformation commenced here last month with the series of tent-meetings by Brn. Cornell and Waggoner. The Presbyterians cordially granted us the use of their meeting-house to hold our meetings in until First-day, (yesterday,) since which another place has been open for us. Our meetings close here this evening. We have much reason to rejoice and praise God for the great work he has done in Hillsdale. Our prayer is that these believers in the present truth will hold out faithful to the end and receive a crown of life. At the close of one of our meetings in which we had presented the signs of the times, and how the gospel had been preached for a witness to all the world, [Matt. xxiv, 14; Rev. xiv, 6, 7,] a gentleman undertook to show that he knew that the gospel had never yet been preached or published in Japan in Asia. One of his townsmen replied, saying, About two weeks ago I heard a missionary preach in this house, and he stated to the congregation that he had been a missionary in Japan nine years. The sexton of the house said he also heard the missionary make the same statement. This settled the question, and the gentleman quietly walked out of the house. Hillsdale, Sept. 29th, 1856.