Chapter 19—Visiting the Scattered Flock

While in Oswego, N. Y., early in 1850, we were invited to visit Camden, a town about forty miles east. Previous to going, I was shown the little company of believers there, and among them I saw a woman who professed much piety, but who was a hypocrite, and was deceiving the people of God.

At Camden, N. Y.

Sabbath morning quite a number gathered for worship, but the deceitful woman was not present. I inquired of a sister if this was all their company. She said it was. The woman whom I had seen in the vision lived four miles from the place, and the sister did not think of her. But soon she entered, and I immediately recognized her as the woman whose real character the Lord had shown me.

In the course of the meeting, she talked quite lengthily, saying that she had perfect love, and enjoyed holiness of heart, that she did not have trials and temptations, but enjoyed perfect peace and submission to the will of God.

From the meeting I returned to the home of Brother Preston with feelings of great sadness. That night I dreamed that a secret closet filled with rubbish was opened to me, and I was told that it was my work to clear it out. By the light of a lamp I removed the rubbish, and told those with me that the room could be filled with more valuable things.

On Sunday morning we met with the brethren, and my husband arose to preach on the parable of the ten virgins. He had no freedom in speaking, and proposed that we have a season of prayer. We bowed before the Lord, and engaged in earnest prayer. The dark cloud was lifted, and I was taken off in vision, and again shown the case of this woman. She was represented to me as being in perfect darkness. Jesus frowned upon her and her husband. That withering frown caused me to tremble. I saw that she had acted the hypocrite, professing holiness while her heart was full of corruption.

After I came out of vision, I related with trembling, yet with faithfulness, what I had seen. The woman calmly said: “I am glad the Lord knows my heart. He knows that I love Him. If my heart could only be opened that you might see it, you would see that it is pure and clean.”

The minds of some were unsettled. They did not know whether to believe what the Lord had shown me, or to let appearance weigh against the testimony I had borne.

Not long after this, terrible fear seized the woman. A horror rested upon her, and she began to confess. She even went from house to house among her unbelieving neighbors, and confessed that the man she had been living with for years was not her husband, that she ran away from England, and left a kind husband and one child. Many other wicked acts she confessed. Her repentance seemed to be genuine, and in some cases she restored what she had taken wrongfully.

As a result of this experience, our brethren and sisters in Camden, and their neighbors, were fully established in the belief that God had revealed to me the things which I had spoken, and that the message was given them in mercy and love, to save them from deception and dangerous error.

In Vermont

In the spring of 1850 we decided to visit Vermont and Maine. I left my little Edson, then nine months old, in the care of Sister Bonfoey, while we went on our way to do the will of God. We labored very hard, suffering many privations to accomplish but little. We found the brethren and sisters in a scattered and confused state. Almost every one was affected by some error, and all seemed zealous for their own opinions. We often suffered intense anguish of mind in meeting with so few who were ready to listen to Bible truth, while they eagerly cherished error and fanaticism. We were obliged to make a tedious route of forty miles by stage to get to Sutton, the place of our appointment.

Rising Above Despondency

The first night after reaching the place of meeting, despondency pressed upon me. I tried to overcome it, but it seemed impossible to control my thoughts. My little ones burdened my mind. We had left one in the State of Maine two years and eight months old, and another babe in New York nine months old. We had just performed a tedious journey in great suffering, and I thought of those who were enjoying the society of their children in their own quiet homes. I reviewed our past life, calling to mind expressions which had been made by a sister only a few days before, who thought it must be very pleasant to be riding through the country without anything to trouble me. It was just such a life as she should delight in. At that very time my heart was yearning for my children, especially my babe in New York, and I had just come from my sleeping-room, where I had been battling with my feelings, and with many tears had besought the Lord for strength to subdue all murmuring, and that I might cheerfully deny myself for Jesus’ sake.

In this state of mind I fell asleep, and dreamed that a tall angel stood by my side and asked me why I was sad. I related to him the thoughts that had troubled me, and said, “I can do so little good, why may we not be with our children, and enjoy their society?” Said he: “You have given to the Lord two beautiful flowers, the fragrance of which is as sweet incense before Him, and is more precious in His sight than gold or silver, for it is a heart gift. It draws upon every fiber of the heart as no other sacrifice can. You should not look upon present appearances, but keep the eye single to your duty, single to God’s glory, and follow in His opening providence, and the path shall brighten before you. Every self-denial, every sacrifice, is faithfully recorded, and will bring its reward.”

In Canada East

The blessing of the Lord attended our conference at Sutton, and after the meeting closed we went on our way to Canada East. My throat troubled me much, and I could not speak aloud, or even whisper, without suffering. We rode praying as we went, for strength to endure the journey.

Thus we continued until we arrived at Melbourne. We expected to meet opposition there. Many who professed to believe in the near coming of our Saviour fought against the law of God. We felt the need of strength from God. We prayed that the Lord would manifest Himself unto us. My earnest prayer was that the disease might leave my throat, and that my voice might be restored. I had the evidence that the hand of the Lord there touched me. The difficulty was instantly removed, and my voice was clear. The candle of the Lord shone about us during that meeting, and we enjoyed great freedom. The children of God were greatly strengthened and encouraged.

The Meeting at Johnson, VT.

Soon we returned to Vermont, and held a remarkable meeting at Johnson. On our way we stopped several days at the home of Brother E. P. Butler. We found that he and others of our brethren in northern Vermont had been sorely perplexed and tried by the false teachings and wild fanaticism of a group of people who were claiming entire sanctification, and, under the garb of great holiness, were following a course of life that was a disgrace to the Christian name.

The two men who were leaders in the fanaticism were in life and character much like those we met four years before in Claremont, N. H. They taught the doctrine of extreme sanctification, claiming that they could not sin, and were ready for translation. They practised mesmerism, and claimed to receive divine enlightenment while in a sort of trance.

They did not engage in regular work, but in company with two women, not their wives, they traveled about from place to place, forcing themselves upon the hospitality of the people. Through their subtle, mesmeric influence, they had secured a large degree of sympathy from some of the grown-up children of our brethren.

Brother Butler was a man of stern integrity. He was thoroughly aroused to the evil influence of the fanatical theories, and was active in his opposition to their false teachings and arrogant pretensions. Moreover, he made it plain to us that he had no faith in visions of any sort.

Rather reluctantly Brother Butler consented to attend the meeting at the home of Brother Lovejoy at Johnson. The two men who were the leaders in the fanaticism, and who had greatly deceived and oppressed God’s children, came into the meeting, accompanied by the two women dressed in white linen, with their long black hair hanging loose about their shoulders. The white linen dresses were to represent the righteousness of the saints.

I had a message of reproof for them, and while I was speaking, the foremost of the two men kept his eyes fastened upon me, as mesmerists had done before. But I had no fear of his mesmeric influence. Strength was given me from heaven to rise above their satanic power. The children of God who had been held in bondage began to breathe free and rejoice in the Lord.

As our meeting progressed, these fanatics sought to rise and speak, but they could not find opportunity. It was made plain to them that their presence was not wanted, but they chose to remain. Then Brother Samuel Rhodes seized the back of the chair in which one of the women was sitting, and drew her out of the room and across the porch onto the lawn. Returning to the meeting-room, he drew out the other woman in the same manner. The two men left the meeting-room, but sought to return.

As prayer was being offered at the close of the meeting, the second of the two men came to the door, and began to speak. The door was closed against him. He opened the door and again began to speak. Then the power of God fell upon my husband. The color left his face as he arose from his knees. He lifted his hands before the man, exclaiming: “The Lord does not want your testimony here. The Lord does not want you here to distract and crush His people.”

The power of God filled the room. The man looked terrified, and stumbled backward through the hall into another room. He staggered across this room and fell against the wall, then recovered his balance and found the door out of the house. The presence of the Lord, which was so painful to the fanatical sinners, impressed with awful solemnity the company assembled. But after the children of darkness had gone, a sweet peace from the Lord rested upon our company. After this meeting the false and wily professors of perfect holiness were never able to reestablish their power over our brethren.

The experiences of this meeting won us the confidence and fellowship of Brother Butler.

Return to New York

After five weeks’ absence, we returned to New York. At North Brookfield we found Sister Bonfoey and little Edson. The child was very feeble. A great change had taken place in him. It was difficult to suppress murmuring thoughts. But we knew that our only help was in God, so we prayed for the child, and his symptoms became more favorable, and we journeyed with him to Oswego to attend a conference there.