MEETINGS IN INDIANA by Joseph Bates

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 10, 1861

MEETINGS IN INDIANA.

By Joseph Bates

At La Porte we found the church in a scattered, low state. Some of their number had removed to other places to find employment to sustain themselves and families, some others fallen back into the habitual use of tobacco, and beggarly elements of the world, and some had given up the Sabbath of the Lord because they found it so difficult in these trying times to observe it as the Lord has commanded, and find employment. And yet they acknowledge their former position in the church was correct. How can such professors expect mercy and favor with God unless they speedily repent, and do their first works? O Lord, let them see themselves once more, if it pleases thee. Those who were still struggling to hold on their way and sustain their meetings, and keep all the commandments of the Lord, were much cheered and strengthened in our public and social meetings. Sabbath and first-day, Aug. 17 and 18, among others who came to hear were one family much interested. They are investigating. Some few others could not so clearly see that it was their duty to keep the Sabbath, but they believed in the speedy advent of the Saviour.

Aug. 22 we commenced a series of meetings in a large, commodious school-house at North Liberty. On first-day and evening, the 25, it was evident that the Lord by his Spirit was impressing the congregation that now is the accepted time and day of salvation. In the afternoon a great majority of the inhabitants of the village assembled at the waterside to witness the baptism of seven Bible Sabbath-keepers. The season was calm, precious and heavenly.

The next evening was a meeting for believers in the present truth, who assembled and organized themselves into a church by the name of Seventh-day Adventists, of North Liberty. Officers for the church were set apart, a Sabbath-school was established, systematic benevolence adopted, and three trustees were chosen to hold in trust church property preparatory to erecting a commodious house for divine worship forthwith.

Bro. James Harvey, superintendent of their Sabbath-school, generously furnishes all the building materials. His brethren say they can do the work, with the exception of a mason.

After the church was organized six more offered themselves for baptism; one of them a brother Sabbath-keeper who had come over thirty miles to attend the meeting. We declined baptizing him when he rose with the seven before mentioned, because we learned that he was tinctured with the Age-to-come. We stated that we as a people had suffered so much with that doctrine that I could not be persuaded to baptize and thereby introduce into the church any one who believed in it. Said he, "I don't believe it now! Since listening to your preaching I have given it all up. I fully believe the third angel's message."

On this confession of his faith we consented and baptized him in company with the other five this next morning. In the evening the blessing of the Lord was made manifest in our midst, while celebrating the Lord's supper and washing one another's feet. The church now number about twenty, with the prospect of others who are inquiring the way.

Our expenses were much more than met by the liberality of this and the church at La Porte. Bro. Harvey's team bore me fourteen miles to South Bend to take the cars for this place. On our arrival there yesterday morning, we found Bro. Geo. Smith, of North Liberty, very sick with a burning fever, at his boarding-house. We had about ten minutes with him before hastening to take the cars, in which time we prayed with him, and hope the Lord will strengthen and raise him up.

JOSEPH BATES.

Hillsdale, Mich.