Revival Among the Friends in Townsend
By J. Dorcas
Bro. Smith: I have just returned from visiting the friends in Townsend. Found them all well, and striving to arise, and with a becoming zeal repent of former negligence and inactivity. O that the Lord would help us all now to arise and take hold of the strong arm of our God. I do thank the Lord for the faith I have this morning that his cause will soon rise here, and everywhere, with a majesty and a glory that will cheer every believer, and speedily call out of fallen Babylon all the honest in heart, who are honest in their profession of faith in God, and his living word. Permit me to say still further, that the Lord verified his promise to us in a special manner, in our prayer and conference meeting on the holy Sabbath, so that we were made to know the meaning of the Saviour's words, "there I am in the midst of them." O let us cheer up! The morning light begins to dawn. Listen what the Lord says: "If ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come." O what an invitation this! how full of mercy! O that our brethren in the different fallen churches would but "inquire" into the "signs of the times," as it is their privilege and duty. They would not long listen to the syren song of "peace and safety." See Isa. xxi, 9-12, compared with Rev. xiv, 8, and xviii, 1-4. O that the Lord would give his people in the different sections of Babylon a spirit of strong inquiry, that cannot be suppressed by their slumber-loving prophets. See Isa. lvi, 9, 10, and onward. "Spare thy people," Lord, is the burden of my soul. Fremont, Ohio, Dec. 28th, 1857.