Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

538 Testimonies for the Church Volume 1[583]Creek, of little value, which he collected and sold. We disposed ofnearly one hundred and fifty dollars worth of furniture. My husbandtried to sell our sofa for the meetinghouse, offering to give ten dollarsof its value, but could not. At this time our only and very valuablecow died. My husband then for the first time felt that he could receivehelp, and addressed a note to a brother, stating that if the church wouldesteem it a pleasure to make up the loss of the cow they might do so.But nothing was done about it only to charge my husband with beinginsane on the subject of money. The brethren knew him well enoughto know that he would never ask for help unless driven to it by sternnecessity. And now that he had done it, judge of his feelings and minewhen no notice was taken of the matter only to use it to wound us inour want and deep affliction.At this meeting my husband humbly confessed that he was wrongin several things of this nature, which he never should have done andnever would have done but for fear of his brethren and a desire tobe just right and in union with the church. This led those who wereinjuring him to apparently despise him. We were humbled into thevery dust and distressed beyond expression. In this state of things westarted to fill an appointment at Monterey. On the journey I sufferedthe keenest anguish of spirit. I tried to explain to myself why it was thatour brethren did not understand in regard to our work. I had felt quitesure that when we should meet them they would know what spirit wewere of, and that the Spirit of God in them would answer to the samein us, His humble servants, and there would be union of feeling andsentiment. Instead of this we were distrusted and suspiciously watched,which was a cause of the greatest perplexity I ever experienced. AsI was thus thinking, a portion of the vision given me at Rochester,December 25, 1865, came like a flash of lightning to my mind, and Iimmediately related it to my husband:I was shown a cluster of trees standing near together, forming acircle. Running up over these trees was a vine which covered them atthe top and rested upon them, forming an arbor. Soon I saw the treesswaying to and fro, as though moved by a powerful wind. One branchafter another of the vine was shaken from its support until the vinewas shaken loose from the trees except a few tendrils which were leftclinging to the lower branches. A person then came up and severed