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Power of the Gospel, June 29
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
.
Dear Husband: This is the last day of our meeting, except the parting meeting
tomorrow morning.... I have spoken every evening....
There were a couple of Scotch people who came from Indianapolis, named
Cooley. His brother-in-law is Brother Fulton who lives at Hutchinson. Cooley
came from Nova Scotia and was a staunch Presbyterian. He was a man of means.
His wife embraced the truth, but she met great opposition from her husband, who
was set and would not yield an inch of his ideas. For some reason, to please his
wife, he came with her to the camp meeting. He told her he would go with her to
please her, but [that] he should never, never leave his views....
After I spoke at the commencement of the Sabbath, and asked for sinners to
come to the front seats, he was there. All left and he remained. Some forty others
also came forward. It was through the blessing of God that the words spoken that
evening convicted him so deeply he could not shake it off. He went to his tent and
solicited his wife to go out and pray for him. The tall, stern old cedar was falling.
I spoke one hour Sunday morning before breakfast upon the mission of the
Pacific Coast. He felt again deeply. Sunday evening I spoke again with great
freedom. He left for his tent again under the deepest conviction, trembling under
the most terrible burden he had ever carried. He again solicited his wife, whom
he had so bitterly opposed, to pray for him. This morning I read some thirty-five
pages, a deep, stirring appeal to God’s people upon selfishness and the tithing
system. He felt it all. After I ceased speaking, we had a conference meeting which
lasted till twelve o’clock.
Brother Cooley arose and spoke. He repeated what he had told his wife and
seemed to feel deeply because he had stood out so hard and been so bitter an
opponent. As soon as he ceased speaking, I spoke to him for the first time,
encouraging him to go forward.... Finally he ... took his seat beside his good
wife for baptism.... He seems to think that I am his mother and has all that deep
attachment peculiar to the Scotch, because it was my labors that convinced him of
his sinful course and led him to decide to be one of our people....
The Lord has indeed worked at this meeting.... Must take the cars in fifteen
minutes. Thought you would be anxious to hear and will send this unfinished.
(Signed) Your Ellen.—
Letter 37, June 29, 1874
, to James White, who was found-
ing the Pacific Press Publishing Association.
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