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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
The Family of Leonard Hastings
We found Brother Leonard Hastings’ family in deep affliction.
Sister Hastings met us with tears, exclaiming, “The Lord has sent you
to us in a time of great need.” She had an infant about eight weeks
old, which cried continually when awake. This, added to her wretched
state of health, was fast wearing away her strength.
We prayed earnestly to God for the mother, following the directions
given in James, and we had the assurance that our prayers were heard.
Jesus was in the midst of us to break the power of Satan and release the
captive. But we felt sure that the mother could not gain much strength
until the cries of the child should cease. We anointed the child and
prayed over it, believing that the Lord would give both mother and
child peace and rest. It was done. The cries of the child ceased, and
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we left them both doing well. The gratitude of the mother could not
be expressed.
Our interview with that dear family was very precious. Our hearts
were knit together; especially was the heart of Sister Hastings knit
with mine as were those of David and Jonathan. Our union was not
marred while she lived.
Moving to Connecticut in 1849
[
Note.—After the visit to the Hastings family in New Ipswich,
Elder and Mrs. White returned to Maine, going by way of Boston, and
arriving at Topsham March 21, 1849. The following Sabbath, while
worshiping with the little company in that place, Mrs. White was
given a vision in which she saw that the faith of one of the brethren
in Paris, Maine, was wavering, and this led her to feel that it was her
duty to visit the company there. “We went,” she wrote in a letter to
Brother and Sister Hastings, “and found they needed strengthening....
We spent one week with them.... God gave me two visions while there,
much to the comfort and strength of the brethren and sisters. Brother
Stowell was established in all the present truth he had doubted.”
After returning to Topsham, they were in much perplexity as to
where they should spend the summer. Invitations had come from
brethren in New York and in Connecticut, and in the absence of positive
light they decided to respond to the call from New York. They wrote