That night it was shown me that the cause of God had been wounded in
Maine, his children disheartened and scattered by a fanatical spirit.
Persons in whom we had placed confidence, J. T. and J. H., under a cloak
of godliness were casting fear among the trembling, conscientious ones.
I saw that it was our duty to go and bear testimony in Maine. We soon
returned to Portland, and found the brethren in great confusion. A
meeting was appointed at the house of Sr. H. that I might have an
opportunity to relate what had been shown me.
While praying for strength to discharge that painful duty, I was
taken off in vision, and in the presence of J. T., was again shown his
ungodly course. Those present said I talked it out before him. After I
came out of vision he said I was under a wrong influence. He
acknowledged that a part of it was right, but the other part was wrong.
Said it would take a critical spiritual observer to detect the
difference; that this was the same spirit that had always followed him
to crush him, &c.
With anguish of spirit I left the meeting, for I had a message for
his wife, a message of comfort to her sorrowing heart. I went to bear my
testimony, and found her weeping and grieving, as though her heart would
break. I related the vision, which she confirmed.
We learned from united testimony, that honest, precious souls had
been rejected by these fanatics, and by them told that they were
rejected of God. We also learned that these officious ones had been
flocking to my father's house, making that their stopping place.
J. T. and J. H. who were leaders in this rank fanaticism, followed
impressions and burdens, which led to corruption, instead of purity and
holiness. Our parents were disgusted as they saw reason and judgment
laid aside by them, and protested against their hypocritical course. But
finding that they could not be freed from this company, they closed
their house, and left the city for Poland, where my two married sisters
were living.
This did not suit J. T., and when we arrived at Portland he told me
my father was a doomed man. My mother and sisters might be saved, but my
father would be lost. The reason offered was because my father would not
give him possession of his house when he left it.
We then went to Poland, where my parents rehearsed their trials, and
mentioned incidents which occurred at Portland, all of which confirmed
the vision given in N. H. As I returned to Portland evidences increased
of the desolating effects of fanaticism in Maine. These fanatical ones
seemed to think that religion consisted in making a noise. They would
talk in such a manner as to irritate unbelievers, and cause them to hate
them, and then they would rejoice that they suffered persecution.
Unbelievers could see no consistency in their course.
The brethren in some places were prevented from assembling for
meetings. The innocent suffered with the guilty. Much of the time I
carried a sad and heavy heart. It seemed so cruel that the cause of
Christ should be injured by injudicious men. They were not only ruining
their own souls, but placing a stigma upon the cause not easily removed.
And Satan loved to have it so. It suited him well to see the truth
handled by unskillful workmen; to have it mixed with error, and then
altogether trampled in the dust.
He looked with triumph upon the confused, scattered state of God's
children. J. T. labored with some success to turn my friends, and even
my relatives, against me. Why did he do this? Because I had faithfully
related what was shown me respecting his unchristian course. He
circulated falsehoods to destroy my influence and justify himself. My
lot seemed hard.
Discouragements pressed heavily; and the condition of God's people
so filled me with anguish that for two weeks my mind wandered. My
relatives thought I could not live; but brethren and sisters who
sympathized with me in this affliction, met to pray for me. I soon
realized that earnest, effectual prayer was being offered in my behalf.
Prayer prevailed. The power of the strong foe was broken, and I was
released, and immediately taken off in vision.
In this view I saw that a human influence should never afflict me
again in like manner. If I felt an influence affecting my testimony, no
matter where I might be, I had only to cry to God, and another angel
would be sent to my rescue. I already had one guardian angel attending
me continually, but when necessary, the Lord would send another to
strengthen, and raise me above the power of every earthly influence.
Then I saw for the first time the glory of the new earth as follows.