CONFERENCES IN MICHIGAN.
By M. E. Cornell
At Saline the Lord was with us. The testimony for the Laodiceans was presented with good effect. The church was much cheered by the exhortations of Sister White, and on the last day of the meeting the Lord reached down his hand in power to correct wrongs and direct and encourage us all. We truly felt that it was good to be there and know that the Lord was returning to his people. At Shelby we were glad to find the church assembled at the hour appointed, thus showing their faith that the Lord would bring us in time, though the extreme bad going would cause them to hope almost against hope. The testimony here was in demonstration of the Spirit and with power, and the effect was immediate and glorious. The melting power of God was with us, and the church was greatly revived. We were made to rejoice in a special manner at seeing Bro. Lawrence made free, and consecrated to the work of God. We believe he may be an efficient laborer in this last message of mercy. At Tyrone the school-house was nearly filled each day and evening, and the word had free course. Some that had left the truth came back with humble confessions, and others resolved to go with us to the kingdom. Here I had spent about fifteen years of my life; it being the place of my father's residence. As I arose to speak, and beheld the faces of my father's family, uncles, aunts, cousins, and many familiar friends of former days, and being solemnly impressed that this would probably be the last opportunity I should ever have to warn those near and dear to me by natural ties, I felt moved out in a special manner to confess my own past unfaithfulness, and describe the glory of the better land, and exhort to a speedy preparation for the great events now but just before us. I was glad to know there were yet feeling hearts in Tyrone; and since I have seen a manifest desire on the part of some of my friends to obey the truth, I can address them in the language of Samuel, the prophet, "Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you." 1 Sam. xii, 23, 24. At Locke we were plunged into a cloud of darkness, in which we labored for some time; but the Lord was merciful, and on First-day morning a searching of heart began such as we had not before seen, and continued through the day. It was a solemn time. The great deep of the heart was broken up, and wrongs were thoroughly confessed. The Spirit of the Lord came down so that we could feel its melting power. Age to Come views had divided the church and caused some to doubt the present work of God, but after the meeting we could not learn that a vestige of that theory remained in the minds of any there. Those who love the things which make for peace surely cannot very highly prize the theory called "Glorious Age to Come" which is about as appropriate as glorious bondage. At Meridian we found the church in a low, divided state; but the message was realized and humble confessions being made, union and confidence were restored, so that the blessing of God came down upon us. Three lectures were given in the village of Okemos, and some there manifested a desire to investigate; one, a Methodist Elder, purchased a set of books, and subscribed for the Review. O may the honest-hearted see and obey the last message, is my prayer. At Delhi the brethren and sisters assembled from Meridian, St. Johns, Lansing, Windsor and Leslie, and all seemed anxious to know the worst of our half-hearted condition. Before the meeting closed there was a general rending of heart before the Lord. Deep solemnity characterized the meeting throughout, and a general determination was manifested to overcome and rise with the message. One brother sixty-three years of age came twenty-six miles to meet in conference with Sabbath-keepers for the first time. He had stood aloof from the churches for twenty-five years, looking for the true church that had the signs following, and said he, "I have at last found God's people, and like Simeon of old, I am ready to depart in peace." It was truly a privilege to see this aged brother feast upon the heavenly bread of present truth. Bro. Holt goes from Delhi to St. Johns, and will visit the brethren on his route from there to Waverly, via Grand Rapids. We learned that Eld. Manning Curry who has for a time back been troubling some of the churches with his darkness concerning the future age, and opposition to the gifts of the Spirit, has given up the Sabbath, giving as a reason, that he embraced it under excitement. Thus it is in every place: those who reject the Faith of Jesus (spirit of prophecy) will soon slight the Commandments of God. We often felt to praise the Lord for the union that existed between us in all our labors, and for the outpourings of his holy Spirit that we enjoyed together. In all our meetings we had a foretaste, more or less, of the latter rain. Zealous confessions have been made in every place, and we have grounds to hope there will also be a general reform and overcoming in all the churches we have visited. We shall therefore expect that all murmuring, evil-speaking and fault-finding, will be from this time abolished, and that the carnal mind will be put away forever. We learn that the good work is still going on in Ohio, and we rejoice that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. We can truly say that the Lord is returning his people, and they are rising to sink no more. Battle Creek, March 12th, 1857.