We send no papers from this office without pay in advance unless by special arrangement. When persons receive copies without ordering them, they are sent by other parties, and we can give no information in regard to them. Persons thus receiving copies of the Signs are not indebted to the office, and will not be called upon for pay. Please read the papers and hand them to your friends to read.
WE have quite a number of queries that are waiting answer. Will our friends be patient?
READ the commendations on the preceding page of the Young People's Library. These books are just what our youth need.
THE April meetings of our various institutions on the Pacific Coast, which have just closed, were encouraging. The canvassers' institute, conducted by Elder G. H. Derrick, was a decided success. A good corps of workers goes out into the field, better qualified and equipped for service, with stronger encouragement, than ever before. May God bless those who thus carry the truth to the world.
THE Healdsburg College has also had a good year, showing but a small loss. It was stated by the president of the board that if twenty-five more pupils could be furnished there would be no loss to the institution in the year to come, but a gain. This is a remarkable showing for an institution of this kind. A report of the college finances will appear next week.
THE Rural Health Retreat Association held its annual stockholders' meeting April 30. The following board of trustees was elected: W. P. Burke, M.D., John Fulton, D. T. Jones, N. C. McClure, Wm. Ings, W. A. Pratt, and A. B. Atwood. The workings of the institution showed a net profit of $12,000. What will add greatly to the prosperity of the institution in the year to come is the increase of water obtained from land belonging to the institution, and the renting of a large ranch, thus supplying better and fresher food products for the patients and boarders. A good spiritual influence is also in operation at the Retreat. The stockholders were courteously, hospitably, and generously entertained. More room and more physicians are wanted. What a field for doing good the sick world presents! May God make the Health Retreat a blessing to thousands.
NEW plans were also laid for extended work in the Conference and Tract Society, which will, we hope, under the blessing of God, result in winning the coming year a more abundant harvest of souls to the truth as it is in Christ Jesus than California has ever seen. Elder D. T. Jones, superintendent of General Conference district No. 6, is on the Pacific Coast, and we believe that the Lord will make his labors a blessing to this section. Let there be union and consecration throughout our ranks.
ALAS! and has it come to this? Has the matter of "entertainment" in connection with the church of Christ gone so far that a department in a paper is devoted to that sort of thing? A literary notice comes to us on a printed postal for such a journal, which says that its April number "contains descriptions of 'A Baby Entertainment,' 'A Box Sociable,' 'A Cake Festival,' and 'Soap-bubble Parties'! all good entertainment for church or society use." A minister, "one of the most experienced church workers in the country," is in charge of the church-work department of this "entertainment" journal. We have no use for such things; they belong to "soap-bubble" Christianity. It coruscates, scintillates, flashes, shines, and reflects its various colors, but is after all vanity.
THE fact that "special contributors" have been selected for this journal should not deter others from sending whatever they may think would be of use. We will use what seems to us will be of service to God. Let contributions be short and to the point; our paper is not large.
THERE are thousands of professed Christians who remain forever weak because they are forever looking at their trials. No one has so hard a time as do they; no one has ever met such sorrows, such sore temptations, such trials of faith; no one ever had such a bad disposition to contend with, never had such a hard place to live a Christian, etc.; but it is a blessing to be thankful for that we live at all.
"Rand, McNally & Co.'s Indexed County and Railroad Map and Shippers' Guide of California" may be procured of the Pacific Press Publishing Company, Oakland, Cal., for 25 cents. This map locates all cities, towns, post-offices, railroad stations, villages, counties, etc., etc., with the population of each place according to the latest official census. It is just what will prove of great use to all our workers.
OUR Baptist neighbor across the bay makes the following good confession:—
"When we first saw preachers turn politicians and lovely ladies becoming lobbyists, we cried victory and thought we had it. We went in like the rest, and with the sweet women and the dear pastors we 'whooped up' elections and sang and shouted, 'On to the polls for God and Home and Native Land.' It was lovely, too, while we were flying. . . . We are now satisfied that there is no greater failure under the sun than the preacher as a politician. We have heard somewhere a gospel about cobblers sticking to the last, and we have done trying to work political wires. The church will not gain sympathy by using the world's weapons. . . . We are at present fighting the saloon with weapons of the world; we need to fight saloon keepers with Christian weapons. Saloon keepers are men, and ought to be reasoned with and prayed for, that God by his grace may enable them to see the error of their way. One thing sure, the Christian is a failure when hatred against anybody moves him to action."
And all this is true. We are glad that the Leader is coming to Christian principles, and we hope that it will have the good sense to apply them to the Sunday question as well. The Oakland Tribune thinks that Mr. Garnett, the editor, is wrong in this; but the world is not supposed, in the very nature of things, to understand the church. The world is moulded by policy, the church ought to be by principle.
"THE SENTINEL LIBRARY."
By Editor
THE three latest additions to this Library are important contributions to religious liberty literature, and should be widely circulated. They are brief, but pointed.
No 38, "Congress and Sunday Legislation," is a comprehensive report, by Col. R. M. Johnson, of Kentucky, in the House of Representatives in March, 1830. Mr. Johnson was chairman of the Committee on Post-offices and Post-roads, to whom had been referred petitions for and against a proposition to close the mail service on Sundays, and his report is a fair but emphatic exposition of the true policy of our government with reference to the subject of religion. Price, 2 cents.
No 39, "God and Cæsar," is a clear expression of Baptist principles in the matter of State interference with the affairs of the church. It shows that those Baptists who are now favoring such interferences by advocating Sunday legislation are materially departing from the ancient landmarks of the denomination. Price, 1 cent.
No. 40, "A Union of Protestants and Catholics," is a striking presentation of the relation of these once antipodal forces. It shows that the movements of certain Protestants to secure religious legislation on the part of the government, and their efforts to enlist Catholic co-operation, tend toward a union of purpose that must eventually obliterate all essential differences. It shows that the result of such legislation in the past, under Catholic influence, is a fair index of like results in the future, from like causes. Price, 1 cent.
The Sentinel Library is published by the Pacific Press Publishing Company, Oakland, Cal., and 43 Bond Street, New York.
NORTH PACIFIC CAMP-MEETING.
By J. E. Graham
THE annual meeting of the North Pacific Conference and Tract Society will be held in connection with the camp-meeting, at East Portland, Or., May 26 to June 2, 1891. Good help will be provided by the General Conference for the camp-meeting. A workers' meeting of one week will precede the camp-meeting, at which we expect to see our Conference laborers. Church and Sabbath-school officers are also invited to attend. Elder G. C. Derrick and our State agent, C. E. McDonald, will give instruction to those desiring to engage in circulating religious literature. The Northern and Southern Pacific Railroad Companies will return at greatly reduced rates all who come to the meeting over these lines. Those coming over the Northern Pacific should, when buying ticket, take receipt of station agent. Will all who wish to rent tents notify J. A. Burden, East Portland, Or., at least ten days before the camp-meeting? Come to the meeting, brethren. You cannot afford to let the cares of this life keep you from it, and the blessing you may receive.
J. E. GRAHAM,
Pres. N. P. Conf. and Tract Society.
UPPER COLUMBIA APPOINTMENTS.
By H. W. Decker
THE Upper Columbia camp-meeting will be held at Walla Walla, Wash., in Baumeister's grove.
It is reached by the street-cars, which may be taken at the depot. Those coming by rail will pay full fare in coming. They should take a receipt from the agent where they buy their ticket; they will then be entitled to return at one-fifth fare. We expect to have Elder Prescott, from Battle Creek, and other laborers from abroad to be present with us. Tents will be pitched on the ground to rent to all who may desire. There will also be a dining-tent, where meals can be procured at reasonable rates.
It has been decided to locate the new college for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, at Walla Walla. Work on the buildings will commence soon after camp-meeting. The board have obtained, by donation and by purchase, nearly 400 acres of land in a body. This will be sold in tracts from one-fourth acres to ten acres or more as purchasers desire. The grounds are located near the city.
H. W. DECKER.
THE next annual session of the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for the election of officers and transaction of other business will be held in connection with the camp-meeting, at Walla Walla, Wash., beginning May 19, and continuing until the 26th. Let all the churches see that delegates are chosen and furnished credentials, and all necessary reports be forwarded.
H. W. DECKER, Pres.
THE next annual session of the Upper Columbia Tract Society will be held in connection with the annual camp-meeting to convene at Walla Walla, Wash., May 19-26, 1891, for the transaction of such business as may properly come before that body.
H. W. DECKER, Pres.
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES,
By Editor
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, CAL.
An eight-page Religious Journal, devoted to a discussion of the Prophecies, the Signs of the Times, Second Coming of Christ, Harmony of the Law and Gospel, Health and Temperance, and the general advocacy of Christian doctrine and practice from a Bible standpoint.
PRICES OF SUBSCRIPTION.
Single copy, one year, post-paid, - - - $1.00
In clubs of 10 to 100 copies to one address, each, .90
" " " 100 copies or more " " " .75
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Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES,
Twelfth and Castro Sts., OAKLAND, CAL., U. S. A.