Report from the Mich. Tent by I. D. Van Horn; Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 19, 1865

Report from the Mich. Tent.

By I. D. Van Horn; Dudley Marvin Canright

BRO. WHITE: We have just closed our tent meetings in this place. We have been here just seven weeks, and have given sixty-eight discourses. Everything seemed to turn in our favor. We have had large congregations throughout, and the interest to hear seems to be as good to-day as it was the first week that we were here.

Yesterday, in company with about two hundred, we went four miles to attend to baptism. Twenty-three willing souls followed the example of their Lord in the act of baptism. It was a soul-refreshing scene. Last Sabbath we had one of the best meetings that we have ever enjoyed. About one hundred grown persons were present. The Lord gave remarkable freedom as we spoke on the subject of prayer. When we came to our social meeting, oh what a blessed season we had! The sweet, melting Spirit of the Lord was among us so manifestly as to be felt by every heart. Some who had long been convinced of the truth of our position, but had held back upon some slight objection, now, with tears, confessed that they could resist the power of the truth no longer. Many, also, who are just starting to serve the Lord, stood up and confessed the Saviour.

This meeting gave us fresh courage to labor on in the cause of God. It richly paid us for our whole summer's work. We organized a Sabbath-School of upwards of thirty scholars, and a Bible-class of upwards of seventy members. Just how many have commenced to keep the Sabbath, we do not know, but there are, at least, above seventy-five.

We have sold $100 worth of books, and obtained twenty-six subscribers for the Review, and sixteen for the Instructor. On the whole, we have never enjoyed a more pleasant and profitable meeting than we have had at Watrouville.

We shall not pitch the tent again this season, because, 1. We cannot expect but a few more days of warm weather, and 2. The tent will run another season if we lay it by before the fall rains come on. To-morrow, we shall begin a course of lectures at Centerville, eight miles northeast of this place.

The minister of this place, whom we mentioned in our former report as taking the infidel's position on the resurrection of the dead, has since explained that he made the statement on certain premises, which, however, he himself did not endorse, but only gave it as the opinion of others. This looks rather mixed, but if it is so, of course it materially alters the case.

I. D. VAN HORN, D. M. CANRIGHT.