Meetings in N. Y by Joseph Bates

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 22, 1858

Meetings in N. Y.

By Joseph Bates

Bro. Smith: According to appointment our meetings commenced at Buck's Bridge, St. Law. Co., N. Y. March 20th, and closed the evening of the 22d. Brethren Byington, Buck and Lawrence had been holding protracted evening meetings for about a week before I came. Bro. Buck had been giving a series of lectures. At the close of our first meeting, commencing with the Sabbath, a brother arose and declared his determination henceforth to keep the Sabbath of the Lord our God. At the close of our series of meetings, his companion also decided to keep the Sabbath. Some others manifested an increasing interest to learn our position. The living members of the church manifested an increasing desire to heed the counsel of the true Witness, and have a closer walk with God. The Lord continue his blessing to strengthen and prepare his people to meet their coming King, is my prayer.

On the 23d and the 24th inst., we held evening meetings in Norfolk, some fourteen miles further eastward. Here a deep interest was manifest to hear the truth. Brother and sister Phillips were with us at Buck's Bridge, and also in Norfolk. At our morning prayer-meeting, the Spirit of the Lord was manifest, and his saints were greatly refreshed. If our appointments further eastward had not required our departure, we should have deemed it our duty to continue our labors among this people for a little season. We left brother Lawrence with them, and brother Byington was sent for, that the meeting might be continued. In answer to prayer, a sister in the church who had not borne her weight for about three months, was strengthened to arise and be dressed, and walk across the room, where she knelt down and thanked and praised the Lord for the manifestation of his Spirit and power to help her in this time of need. We left her praising the Lord. With brother and sister P. in our company, we passed on eastward over the rail road some eighty miles, to Rouse's Point, on lake Champlain.

Our meeting at Rouse's Point, N. Y., commenced the 27th, and continued three days. The brethren came together from five to twenty-five miles distant. Much interest was manifested to hear the word of the Lord; and we hope our labor was not in vain in the Lord. Some who came to hear, were troubled because our teachings did not harmonize with the revival interest that had been, and still was, exciting the people of the place. We labored to show that the announcement of Christ's second coming was in the past, with the ending of the prophetic periods of Daniel's vision, in 1844. Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed, at which time the Third Angel declares "Here, (on the earth) is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the Faith of Jesus." As two separate companies of living saints cannot be said to be on the earth at one time, then those who are said to be converted at this time in the nominal churches, and continue to violate the fourth commandment of God every week, cannot be saints, or true converts, because inspiration says "Whosoever offends in one point he is guilty of all." They must therefore be Hosea's strange children, [chap. v, 6, 7.] but commandment-keepers, the true. At the close of the meeting, some acknowledged that our explanations were clear, and they had never seen the position we occupy in so clear a light before. JOSEPH BATES. Stowe, Vt., March 31st, 1858.