Miracles in My Life

7 OUR FIRST TENT MEETINGS

At Rochester, Elder Cornell went directly to the sail loft of E. C. Williams. Pleased to learn that we were going to use tents in our labors, this earnest First-day Adventist said, “I have a ten-ounce circular tent 60 feet in diameter which was used only 10 days on a state fairground. It is as good as new. Since I got a good price for the use of it, I will sell it to you for the cost of the material, -$160. In addition I will give you a nice bunting flag 15 ft. in length with the motto on it ‘What is Truth?’” The bargain was speedily completed and in a few hours the tent was on its way to Jackson. MML 39.1

In two weeks from the time we first spoke of the tent enterprise, our tent was erected in Battle Creek on the southeast corner of Tompkins and Van Buren Streets. It was my privilege to give the first sermon. Our voices sounded well from that elevated location. They said they could hear me preach a mile away. Elder Cornell spoke alternately with me in that meeting. MML 39.2

Mr. Noble, the postmaster of Battle Creek, lived not far from the tent and became very interested. He told everyone he saw to go up to the tent and they would hear something worthwhile. So we had crowds in those three days of our first tent-meetings by Seventh-day Adventists. MML 39.3

Returning from Wisconsin about the middle of June, the Whites met with us at Grand Rapids for a three-day general meeting of our people in that part of the state. It also gave the crowd of citizens at our meeting an opportunity to learn our beliefs. MML 39.4

After taking down the tent, a meeting for prayer and counsel was held in the home of one of our brethren. During that meeting I was ordained to the gospel ministry by prayer and laying on of hands of Elders White and Cornell, the first service of this kind among Seventh-day Adventists. MML 39.5

Over the Fourth of July we held meetings at Tyrone near the home of Elder Cornell’s father. Then our next meeting was in a grove about three miles from Rochester, Mich. Since this was in the midst of haying and harvest, we would pitch our tent on Friday afternoon, and have two meetings on Sabbath and three on Sunday. Then we would roll up our canvas and work four and a half days for wages with which to meet our tent expenses and care for our families. MML 39.6

Prior to this time, no effort had been made to sell our tracts and pamphlets to the public. They were given away to those interested, and the expenses met by donations from our people. When Elder White suggested that people might be willing to pay a small price for them and thus enable us to publish more, I promised to try it. So on Sundays of a series of meetings we offered books for sale, displaying them on the speaker’s stand before us. MML 40.1

At 9 a.m. the third Sunday of the tent-meeting, the grove was full of people. Our tent was full and enough seated on the ground to fill another tent of the same size. Our tent-master counted 246 wagonloads of people who had come on the grounds besides those on foot and on horseback, an estimated 2,000 persons. We invited Elder Russell, a Methodist minister, to give his views on the Sabbath question at 10.30 a.m. I had the sermon on the perpetuaty of the law at 9 a.m. which Elder Russel heard. He had his sermon written down, but in reading it he would sometimes turn two or three leaves at a time. Some in the audience said afterwards that my sermon had spoiled his manuscript. His talk was actually a confirmation of what had been said before,-that the foundation for Sunday-keeping lies in tradition with no command from scripture. MML 40.2

At the close of the elder’s talk, we announced an examination of his sermon at one o’clock and requested him especially to remain. He declined, even with the most earnest entreaties of his members. Our congregation all remained as they had come prepared to spend the day. After the last meeting the people bought the few books we had for sale,-$50 worth. For $.35 they could buy a full set of all we had to offer. Some also placed expense money on the stand, amounting to $18. MML 40.3

Among those in our audience on this last day of our meeting was R. J. Lawerence, an earnest Baptist minister. As he rode home on his horse, his neighbors who had been attending asked him what he thought of the day’s talk. Putting his hand to his head, he replied, “O, my head is so full I shall have to take three days to think it out.” As a result of his thinking he became a Seventh-day Adventist minister, and spent the rest of his life in this cause. MML 40.4

In our first season’s effort with the tent we had meetings in eleven places. We called this “running the tent.” It might have indeed been considered running from place to place were it not that though each effort was comparatively short, a full condensed line of truth was given to the people, and some souls accepted. We were hurrying on with the idea of awakening an interest in many places to be followed up afterwards. MML 41.1

Our winter labors of 1854-55 were in the state of New York. When our people there learned of the tent effort success in Michigan, they purchased a tent and wagon for New York. They also bought and presented to me the horse and carriage formerly used in the travels of Elder and Mrs. White. A sixty-foot tent was purchased on the last of May, 1855, and erected in the dooryard of Harvey Cottrell of Mill Grove. Here, with R. F. Cottrell for tentmaster, our summer efforts began. MML 41.2

On July 4, while Brother Cottrell and I were traveling with the tent from Mannsville to West Winfield, we had to cross Salmon Creek. Since the bridge had been carried away by a spring freshet, the stream had to be forded. A heavy rain the night before had swollen the waters more than we realized. It was a rapid stream with rocky bottom and did not look deep. Our fording place was between a foot-bridge and a mill-pond. As we came up to it we saw no fresh tracks, so we asked a family living nearby if any teams had passed through. “Oh, yes,” a woman replied. MML 41.3

Brother Cottrell walked over the foot-bridge, but as I drove into the water it came up to the wagon bed and over the horse’s back. (We were driving Old Charley, well-known among all eastern Adventists). What had appeared to be a shallow creek we now saw was a deep and powerful stream. The swift current took the horse off his feet and floated both wagon and horse toward the mill-pond. Brother Cottrell on the footbridge, and I in the wagon lifted our hearts to God for help. I could not swim, and unless Providence intervened there was little hope for either the horse or me. MML 41.4

As we swept rapidly toward the mill-pond, the wagon wheels struck against a large rock and held the wagon fast until the horse regained his footing. He turned his head and cast a pitiful glance toward me. I shouted, “Charley, you must get me out of this!” As I pulled the rein to turn his head upstream, he gave two or three plunges with all his might toward the other side. He soon gained a good foothold and pulled the load safely to shore amid the cheering of a crowd that had gathered on the bank. We did not go far before we retired to a grove to thank God for deliverance from a watery grave. MML 42.1

Our second effort was in the city of Oswego, and Elder and Mrs. White were with me at this meeting. We were short of help erecting the tent. I overworked and became sick. It looked as though all the preaching would fall upon the Whites. Prayers were offered for me in the home of John Place, and I was immediately healed. MML 42.2

When in 1852, I accepted the message, we did not have the light on healthful living as now so clearly developed among this people. The testimonies spoke decidedly against the use of tea, coffee, and tobacco. But when there was sickness among us, we had not the light on the treatment of disease with natural remedies. We were requested to bring our sick ones to the Lord in prayer, following the rule in James 5. In the Rochester Church for many months, every case thus presented to the Lord was healed. This led some to conclude that every case thus presented to the Lord would be healed, but for this conclusion we had no support from either the Bible or Sister White. MML 42.3

About this time Nathaniel White (brother of James) was afflicted with tuberculosis, and prayers were offered for him. Although greatly blessed, he was wasting away. When the news reached our people, “Nathaniel White is dead,” Sister Seely, who had taken part in several prayer seasons exclaimed, “He is not dead; he can’t be for we have prayed for him!” MML 42.4

But to the Rochester company Sister White said, “The Lord has heard and answered our prayer in Nathaniel’s case. He was gently let down to the grave in a manner that he is a burden to no one. God knew the future best, and the dangers to that ambitious young man. While in a prepared state, he has let him fall asleep.” MML 42.5

At the time of Elder White’s visit to Wisconsin in the spring of 1854, he became acquainted with Elders Stephenson and Hall who had been efficient First-day Adventist ministers. He encouraged them to come East and become more familiar with the work. So they attended a general meeting of our people at Rochester. While there they were anxious to learn the standing of the Review, and the whole situation was told them. MML 43.1

Through the Review, Elder White invited the Eastern brethren to raise means to purchase a tent for the feeble cause in Wisconsin so that Stephenson and Hall could more effectively reach the people. The tent was purchased and they returned with it, professing to be in full harmony with the cause. But by midsummer we learned that in their meetings they were seeking to prejudice the people against the Review and Elder and Mrs. White. Stephenson was using the information he had obtained from Elder White to prove that White was trying to build himself up, when those who knew him best knew his self-sacrificing labors were for the sole object of extending the cause of truth. While he was the legal owner of the Review, he never claimed it as his own. As soon as a legal publishing association was formed, he freely turned the whole thing over to the Seventh-day Adventists. MML 43.2

When Stephenson and Hall were First-day Adventists, they had accepted the theory of an “Age to Come,” in which probation for sinners would continue beyond Christ’s return. Their object was to have the Review publish their theories or they would destroy its influence. Very soon they began to write for the Messenger ¹ and thus they lost their hold upon our people. MML 43.3

At the time of my healing at the home of Brother Place, Sister White was taken off in vision and was given important instruction for us regarding the Messenger of Truth. Five of us, White, Waggoner, Cornell, Frisbie and myself, had decided upon a line of attack against the slanderous assertions in the Messenger. We had decided among ourselves without counsel with Sister White. After she came out of vision she said to her husband, “You brethren have made a mistake in your plans to refute the Messenger paper. When you answer one of their lies, they will make two more to match them. It is the trick of the enemy to keep you following them up and thus keep you from working with all the new interests that have arisen. Let the Messenger people alone, and pay no attention to their work, for in less than six weeks they will be at war among themselves. That paper will go down, and when they cease its publication, you will find that our ranks have doubled.” MML 43.4

“All right,” we agreed, “We will abandon our scheme and say no more about them in the Review.” Up to that time the Review had rebutted their false statements. When the next Review appeared with nothing in it about the Messenger, they exulted, “Now the battle is fought. They dare not say anything against us.” Then when the succeeding issues of the Review made no mention of their work, they boasted still stronger. But soon afterwards, two of their number who had been their best financial support withdrew. Their paper struggle on until 1857, then died for lack of support. When the paper went down, there were more than twice as many adherents to our cause as in 1855 when Sister White so predicted. MML 44.1

Leaving Oswego (with Bro. Cottrell as tent-master) we went to Ulysses, Pa., where W. S. Ingraham joined me in tent labor. Altogether our tent for that season was erected in nine places. At the Olcott meeting which was attended by Elder and Mrs. White, she gave us a testimony on the importance of continuing longer in one place. “It would be better and accomplish more good if there were fewer tent-meetings and a stronger force or company, with different gifts of labor. Then there should be a longer stay in a place where an interest is awakened. There has been too much haste in taking down the tent. Some begin to be favorably impressed, and there is need that persevering efforts be put forth till their minds become settled, and they commit themselves to the truth.” MML 44.2

At a conference held in Battle Creek on the 28th and 29th of April, 1855, the brethren voted to invite Elder White to move the Review Office from Rochester to Battle Creek. Dan Palmer, Cyrenius Smith, J. P. Kellogg, and Henry Lyon agreed to furnish $300 each to purchase a lot and erect a publishing office. They secured the lot on the south-east corner of West Main and Washington Streets, and erected a two-story wooden building 20 x 30 feet. The first number of the Review published here was Dec. 4, 1855. MML 44.3

In May, 1856, Brethren Ingraham, Cottrell and I started out again with the New York tent. After three weeks at Syracuse we moved to Rosevelt. At that meeting, having made up my mind that R. F. Cottrell ought to be preaching, I told him one Sunday that he must fill the 1:00 p.m. appointment, as I was going to get some rest. He consented supposing he would be alone in the effort. MML 45.1

After he was well started, I went to the tent back of the rostrum and sat down beside the wall to listen. When he concluded his sermon, he began to give out my appointment for five o’clock. I lifted the wall over my head and was inside the tent just as he said, “Brother Loughborough will speak at five o’clock.” Then he saw me and added, “Here he is. Let him give out his own appointment.” MML 45.2

Afterwards he asked, “Did you sit there all the time I was preaching?” MML 45.3

“No,” I answered. “not inside the tent, but just outside, and now you’ve got to take a turn with us.” From that time on he began preaching as well as writing the truth. MML 45.4

At that time there was no system established among Seventh-day Adventists for sustaining the ministry. If anyone cared to give them money, it was thankfully received, and the lack supplied by their hand labor. Due to these circumstances I was invited by Elder J. N. Andrews to go to Waukon, Iowa, where he could secure a small piece of land on which to grow supplies for his family, and could speak to the people in that new country as the way might open. So on Oct. 4, 1856, J. T. Orton and I, with our families, left Rochester for Iowa in two lumber wagons. From Buffalo we took the steamer to Detroit, then by freight train to Chicago. On the 11th, we started overland for Waukon, arriving Nov. 20. I moved to Waukon without any intent of leaving the truth or the ministry. MML 45.5

We found things much different from what we expected. The country was so new and the inhabitants so scattered there was little chance of holding meetings. High prices soon began to diminish what little money I had. A cold winter was coming on, so I began laboring at carpenter work thinking to earn money to support my family, then start out and labor for the cause. I felt sad when I thought of the suffering cause of God. But worldly prospects brightened up before me. My heart began to reach out for treasures here, and I began to lose interest in the Review, and to lose love for the brethren. At times when about my work, solemn convictions would come to me that I must throw all my energies into the cause of God or die. As I struggled against these convictions, they became less and less. MML 46.1

We learned in the Review of early December, 1856, that Elder and Mrs. White had gotten as far west as Round Grove, Ill. and they were having very interesting meetings with Sabbathkeepers who had moved there from Vermont and other states. But we had little thought of their making a venture in the severe cold and deep snows of December to come with their sleigh nearly 200 miles to see us. In a vision given Sister White at Round Grove, December 9, they were instructed that they must go to Waukon, dig us out and get us into the field again. MML 46.2

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