Morning Star

Visit to Poland and Plainfield.

Soon after the close of our last term, we visited for a week at Poland, about 12 miles from this place (Clinton.) The church there was organized about two years since, we think, by bro. McKoon. They have just completed a neat, convenient meeting house. Bro. McKoon has relinquished the care of the church for the present, to engage in an agency for our Seminary. Br. Whitcher is now laboring with them, with encouraging prospects. We tarried over one Sabbath. The congregation was large for so small a village, and a good degree of religious interest was manifest. We enjoyed a more than ordinary good season at covenant meeting; some 50 or 60 spoke, quite a proportion of whom were young, which augurs well for the future prosperity of God's cause there. A very commendable interest is felt in singing. We cannot help expressing our decided approbation of any effort to introduce better singing into our churches. A congregation without a good choir of singers are at best lame worshipers. Nothing is better calculated to draw the mind from earth and lift it to God as good spiritual singing. It is getting into heaven's own employment, and the pious soul loves it; but this non-musical, harsh, broken kind of jargon, that sometimes torments us, is actually too bad. Devotion flies at the first note, and a great burden leaves us as the last hoarse strain dies on the ear. Now, there is no need of this—a little money—a considerable time, and a good deal of interest, will give to every congregation good, edifying, heavenly singing.

A tolerable degree of interest is felt in the Bible class and Sabbath school; and last, tho' not least, the church in general is right on abolition. This fills us with hope. Be assured, God will bless an abolition church, unless it be very wicked in other respects.

After returning and resting at home a few days, we visited our esteemed bro. Chaney and people at Plainfield, about 17 miles off. As he was on the point of starting on a journey to the east, to accompany his son to this country, he requested us to tarry a few weeks. and supply his place. We stayed and spoke from his pulpit three Sabbaths. This church, since bro. C. came here, has enjoyed a good revival, and large additions have been made; and though the spirit of revival has somewhat declined, still the prospects of the church are good. We had the pleasure of visiting somewhat extensively. We met with a cordial reception, and found warm-hearted brethren everywhere. Abolition takes well in this church also. We found decided friends of the slave at almost every house. Is it to be wondered at, that the spirit of God comes down on a church to whom the Savior might say, "I was in prison and ye visited me?"

Br. Chaney's labors are arduous here. He has girded himself to do battle against that great fell enemy, slavery, and never was such help more needed. There is an awful cringing and cowering of the ministers in this region. We have become acquainted with several cases, in which the minister seems tolerably well abolitionized at least; but dares not breathe a word for the slave, lest some pro-slavery deacon, (sometimes the most incorrigible sinner we know of,) or wealthy church members, will be the means of depriving him of his situation. So he tamely yields himself to swell the number of the gagged and shackled slaves of the land. Tho' bro. Chaney's removal from the east might have given grief and dissatisfaction to many brethren there; yet we believe the hand of the Lord was in it. His help is needed here. the help of others is needed. Lord God send out laborers, daring men, who know no other fear than the fear of Thee—no other love than the love of souls.

J. F.