Church Growth and Christian Perseverance
By Asa Kimball
Bro. Smith: I have nothing discouraging to write to the office with regard to the position we occupy as a church in this part of God's moral vineyard. The third angel's message, the Sabbath and other Bible truths, twining around the message, are gradually rising. The Church here is growing strong in the Lord and firmly united in brotherly love. Cases occur, however, where some grow weary, give way to temptation, and go back into the weak and beggarly elements of the world, but the vacancies are soon supplied by others who go on their way rejoicing. Hence the caution from the angel [Rev. iii, 11] "Behold I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown." How glorious the promise, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth."47 Our meetings for the past year have increased in interest. Sabbath meetings have been regularly kept up with great promptness on the part of some of the brethren and sisters to attend. Our meetings on the first day and evening which are held in different places in this vicinity are unusually interesting. In some instances, however, a warm opposition has been shown by unbelievers. Our meetings on Sunday evenings have been and are more fully attended than other religious meetings, the Congregationalists not excepted. Several instances have occurred where rooms have been crowded to overflowing, and requests have been sent us from near places to come and talk our Bible truth and faith to them; and as we move along in the straight and narrow way, we hear the cry of "union! union!" from almost every religious sect in the land. I believe this union cry to be the last trap of Satan. We could as readily unite oil and water as to unite Bible truth with the errors of the day. We have not been favored with visits from the messengers for a long time. I think a good and efficient lecturer would be well received in this region; at least he would find ears to hear and some warm hearts to sympathize with. The perils of the last days are upon us, and the image [Rev. xiii, 15,] will soon be set up and begin to speak. O, may the Lord help us to be ready for the events of the world's crisis. Our redemption draweth near.