Meetings in Ills by R. F. Andrews

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 14, 1865

Meetings in Ills.

By R. F. Andrews

Bro. White: Knowing that it interests our brethren and sisters, to hear of the progress of truth, I will give a report of some meetings held in De Kalb Co., Ills. I commenced meetings in the Colton school-house, on Thursday evening the 29th of Dec. last, and continued till the next Tuesday evening. Those that embraced the truth here last summer are holding on still, they meet with a great deal of opposition. There are a number of first-day Advent people here, some of whom would no doubt embrace the truth, were it not for their leaders, who instead of leading the people to the light, lead them into darkness, and instead of contending earnestly for the faith, contend earnestly against it. Some are so bent in opposing that they make statements entirely untrue, calculated to excite bigots and stir up prejudice. The Lord have mercy upon such men. Oh that they might see the unrightousness

of their course, and that unless they repent and reform, they will have a fearful account to settle at the judgment.

At the request of a number of citizens, and after due consideration, I commenced a series of meetings in Shabbona village, four miles from the Colton school-house on Wednesday evening Jan. 4, and continued them till Wednesday evening the 25th. The meetings were well attended. The people paid good attention, and a number have already decided to obey the Lord.

Sunday the 22nd, the Methodist minister of the place, made an effort to calm the fears of the people on the Sabbath question. He claimed that the moral law was still binding, the Sabbath also; but claimed that we kept the Sabbath when we rested after six days of labor. He said the time to rest was indefinite. According to his argument, seven families living in the same neighborhood, might each keep a different day for the Sabbath, and all of them keep the fourth commandment. Query: Could they all rest the day God rested? He also stated that Moses changed the Sabbath twice, and quoted Ex. xvi, and Deut. v, 15, to prove it. From this last quotation he argued that Moses changed the Sabbath without any command from God, and without any reference to the original commandment whatever. Wonder if he ever read the entire chapter? He also affirmed that Christ changed the Sabbath. I reviewed him in the evening before a crowded house. The Lord gave liberty in opposing error, and the truth gained a complete victory. After the meeting I took an expression to see how many believed that we ought to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment, when over forty arose, and thus testified their faith in the ancient Sabbath of the Lord.

I sold about $25.00 worth of publications and got five new subscribers for the Review. I should have got more, had it not been that the last three evenings of the meeting were so cold, people could not come from a distance.

I am now in McLean Co. with Bro. Sanborn. I expect to strike out into a new place immediately. Dear brethren pray for us that the blessing of the Lord may attend our efforts to spread the truth in this county.

Yours in hope. R. F. Andrews.

McLean Co., Ills., Jan. 27, 1865.