Quarterly Meeting at Deerfield, Minn.
By F. W. Morse
ThIS is the last in the series that have just been held with the brethren in Minn. It was well attended and a very profitable meeting. Brn. Bostwick and Allen were with us. Five timely discourses were given, one cheering prayer and conference meeting held, the ordinances of the Lord's house were attended to, and a business meeting. Perhaps we have never witnessed a more cheering manifestation of the Lord's continued favor and presence than throughout this meeting. At the close of each service, the joyful remark passed from one to another, "What a good meeting we have enjoyed!" The enemy of all peace and godliness made an effort to bring in confusion at our communion meeting; but the brethren and sisters stood firmly together, resisting23the powers of darkness instead of each other, and thus a complete victory was gained. The meeting was a real triumph. On first-day afternoon, Bro. Bostwick presented the subject of health reform, showing that God's people should really be the "light of the world" in this respect, as well as others. A spirit of inquiry was raised, and the request came in "We will hear further upon this;" accordingly the subject was again taken up in the evening, and profitable remarks made upon the popular use of drugs, quack, and patent medicine, as compared with the health-restoring influence of pure air, pure water, and healthy food, with proper exercise. There appears to be a determination among our people here, to come up in these things. May the Lord help us to heed the plain instructions so kindly given upon these things, in Spiritual Gifts, Vol. iv. In conclusion, we can truly say that the cause is onward here at Deerfield. Regular Sabbath meetings, a weekly prayer meeting, a large Bible-class and Sabbath-school, are sustained with a deep and increasing interest. Within the last two years, almost the entire membership of our prosperous and well-filled Sabbath-school, have followed the Lord in the ordinance of baptism. At our last Quarterly Meeting previous to this, our church membership was increased by the addition of twenty-one. The gathering work still goes on. Nine united with us at this meeting. May the Lord help us to humbly and devotedly live out the truth.