p. 118 | Meetings in Iowa by Isaac Sanborn

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Sep 8, 1863

Meetings in Iowa.

By Isaac Sanborn

PURSUANT to appointment, I met with the church at Knoxville and found them in a deplorable condition, the cause of which I will not here try to give, lest some should say that I am a fault-finder. But deep and various as their troubles were, I went to preaching the plain, cutting truths of the last message of mercy, the Lord clothing the word with his Spirit. They were made to see their undone condition, and the importance, therefore, of immediate action on their part to get their own hearts right in the sight of God .

I preached two sermons on the commandments of God, not particularly on the ten commandments, but more especially on the commands given by Jesus and the apostles, of which I will here give a specimen: John xii, 49, 50. "For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak; and I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." Chap. xiv, 23. "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." Verse 24. "He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but his that sent me." Chap. xv, 14. "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you." Matt. xxviii, 20. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Here it is made evident that God commands his people through the apostles; therefore we have the following from them: 1 Cor. i, 10. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment." Eph. iv, 31. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice, and be ye kind one to another." 1 Pet. ii, 1. "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking," &c.

All these, with many other commands like these, I presented to the people, and showed that we must decide whether we would obey or not, from the fact that John says, "And this is the love of God that we keep his commandments." 1 John v, 3. "And he that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected."

After this the brethren and sisters began to see and confess their wrongs and their lack in not having kept these commandments. But they solemnly covenanted with God, before men and angels, that for the future they would keep all of God's commandments, not only the ten, but all the rest. Thus union and fellowship were restored among them.

On Sunday evening I gave notice that I would preach the next evening, and on Tuesday evening we would attend to the ordinances, and that we wanted all well disposed people to meet with us at the meeting-house. As the people had never had the privilege of attending such a meeting, there was a general turnout. I enjoyed a free time in talking to them a few minutes on the importance of these ordinances, and the importance of our attending to them as well as to all other commands, and thereby let our light shine before men, that they seeing our good works may be constrained to glorify God. Good order prevailed and many were deeply interested, and we trust will soon make up their minds to identify themselves with God's people, and go with them to the everlasting kingdom.

I believe the churches here in Southern Iowa, with judicious labor, which they have not always had in the past, will yet arise and put on the whole armor of God, and overcome and stand in the great day of the Lord. May God grant this is my prayer.

I am now at Sandyville. Commenced meetings here last night. Find things here in a bad state also. But by the grace of God I shall try to improve their condition. Pray for me that God may continue to give me victory, and his truth victory and power in every place.

ISAAC SANBORN.

Sandyville, Iowa, Aug. 28, 1862.

NOTE.—The precepts and injunctions which we find all through the New Testament, as uttered by Christ and his apostles, are all important as a part of God's revealed will to men; but yet is it strictly appropriate to speak of them as the commandments of God? Are they not included in, and do they not form a part of, the faith of Jesus? They are of course none the less important, and should be obeyed none the less strictly, on that account. But there is something called the faith of Jesus in distinction from the commandments of God; and if these things do not

constitute it, where shall we find it? We should prefer to let the expression commandments of God every time refer exclusively to the ten commandments, and the faith of Jesus cover all the rest.