Earlier text: THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECYERRING MEMBERS.
By J. Lamont
It is necessary that the church should deal with and reform, or finally expel, offending members. But expulsion should be the last resort; and that, after every possible means has been used in vain to reform the offender. To see the reasonableness of this, read 1 Cor. 12. Here we find the church compared to the human body: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” Verse 27. All are not eyes, nor yet hands; but all are of the body. A man's hand becomes disabled by disease; he cannot use it; the excessive pain, almost, perhaps altogether, prostrates him. Does he send immediately for a surgeon and have it amputated? not at all. He exhausts his own skill and that of the best physicians, sparing neither time nor means, to cure the diseased member. He has it amputated, when? when it endangers his life. Do not some churches cripple themselves unnecessarily, while others die because they have not the moral courage to use the knife? Almost all cases could be cured, however, by proper treatment. In a good many cases we fear the chloroform is administered before the examination is made; and the result is almost invariably an amputation. The other members cannot, in their stupefied condition, feel any pain. They do not suffer with the diseased member. 1 Cor. 12:26. The spirit in which to labor for and with erring members is beautifully illustrated by the circumstance related in Josh. 22. When the two and a half tribes of Israel were returning to their possessions on the eastern side of the Jordan after having helped to subdue the country on the western side, where the remainder of Israel were settling, they built an altar on the bank of the river. By this their brethren understood that they were backsliding or departing from the commands of God. They therefore sent a committee to see about it, who made the proposition that if they could not dwell there without turning from God, they should come over and take possession among them. This offer gave over one-fifth of their real estate to their supposed offending brethren, thus showing real love, and earnestness of purpose to reform the offenders. J. LAMONT. MUST IT ALWAYS BE?
By M. B.
AND must it be ever so? Shall the sun roll round and round forever, and always look down upon a race of discontented, dying mortals? Shall walls of despair forever ascend from dens of suffering humanity? No, no. “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” “Behold, I make all things new.” “We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth.” Glorious promises! They cause the heart to leap for joy, the very thought is bliss; what, then, must be the reality? Oh, then the earth shall bloom in its Eden beauty, in all the loveliness of its early creation, when the saints of God shall possess the land, and dwell in the light of his glory forever and ever. “O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.” No longer a dream, nor yet a grand possibility, but a glorious reality. “Oh, who has not yearned for the glory,
The happiness, and the repose
Of a land never darkened by shadows,
Of a home never clouded with woes?” “And who, when the heart has grown weary
Of saying farewell to loved friends,
Has not longed for a home with the dear ones,
Where parting and sorrowing ends?” TO V. M. SOCIETIES.
By N. L. H.
Feeling deeply interested in the missionary enterprise, we wish to call the attention of the presidents of the various V. M. societies to some points in our work which are of no minor importance. Dear sisters, the work in which we are engaged is a sacred and exalted one; the angels of God are taking account of every item. How necessary, then, that all be done decently and in order. We fear that much of the good influence of letters and publications sent out by V. M. workers is destroyed by a lack of taste and neatness in executing the work. Some cases have come under our observation, which we fear are samples of many more. An awkward, uncouth style of penmanship is objectionable; but the use of small letters in initials, and in commencing the name of a person or place, and the pronoun I, is unpardonable. Often those who receive letters must punctuate, and determine the sense as best they can; and in most cases they will be inclined to turn away from the truth presented in such form. This may appear of no moment to some; but we are doing work for the Judgment. We should be careful not to bar the entrance of the truth to hearts, by any negligence on our part. For a lost opportunity there is no resurrection. No work should be allowed to go from any V. M. society without examination. Members can read and correct each other's letters. Those that are not neat and commendable in their appearance should be copied. Periodicals in soiled and poorly addressed wraps should not be sent. The style of writing and general appearance of our missives address themselves to the taste; the thoughts and feelings expressed appeal to the heart. It is through these mediums that the truth will reach the people. Oh, let us be vigilant in deed as well as in name, that the enemy may take no advantage of our work. Eva Burbridge, Pres. V. M. S., Belvidere, Illinois. The thoughts suggested in the above are important. Nothing like carelessness or negligence in the work of God can be accepted by him, and it is the duty of all to perform their part to the best of their ability, and also to make use of every means of improvement within their reach. Much can be learned by observation and reflection; still there are very many who have had a real Christian experience, and who possess a desire to be useful in the cause of God, who are not elegant penmen, and whose letters, if subjected to criticism, would be considered faulty. We do not wish to discourage such by any means. The letters which they write are often more efficient than those which are faultless in appearance. First in importance is that which appeals to the heart; and second, that which addresses itself to the taste. N. L. H. At the inter-oceanic canal congress lately held in Paris, there sat among the leaders of the enterprise there brought together, a noticeable gray-haired man, with keen eyes, and a melancholy look constantly upon his face. The company gathered around to congratulate him upon the approaching successful termination of one of the greatest engineering achievements of the century. He had been its head and front, and received the congratulations as a just meed of his labor. Then, turning to a friend at his left, “I have worked all my life,” said he, “for a little renown and a little wealth; and now in the moment of my triumph I find that neither is worth what it has cost me. Indeed, the only use of the money I have made is to help those who are less strong or less happy.” The speaker was Louis Favre, of Geneva, contractor of the famous St. Gothard tunnel, which has just entered upon its eighth and last year of construction. He went straight from the congress to Airolo, at the tunnel’s mouth, and was showing the levels to a French engineer, on the morning of Saturday, July 19, when he suddenly complained of cramp, called for a glass of water, and fell down dead.—N. Y. Herald. WITHHOLDING
By A. P. Lawton
I GREATLY fear for those who have an abundance of this world's goods, and yet withhold their means when so much is needed to carry this message to the world. Profess what they will, their avarice will shut them out of the city. It proves that they have no faith in the truths we profess. Very soon we must be called to give an account of our stewardship, whether we have been faithful or otherwise. The little that we so grudgingly dole out God will blow upon, saying, Who hath required this at your hands? So lame an offering will not be accepted. Shall it be said of us, as of other sinners, “Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not”? On the contrary, may it justly be said that we have done what we could. “A little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts and almonds.” Gen. 43:11. —THERE is no promise to unbelieving prayer. —TIME is short; and if your cross be heavy, remember you have not far to carry it. —TO the careless sinner God says, Fear; to the returning sinner, he says, Fear not. —TRUE wealth consists in virtue, and not in the possession of great estates; and wisdom consists in understanding, and not in years. “SCATTER ye seeds, and flowers will spring;
Strew them at broadcast o’er hill and glen;
Sow in your garden, and time will bring
Bright flowers, with seeds to scatter again.” —ELIHU BURRITT, while working and earning his living as a blacksmith, mastered some eighteen languages, and twenty-two European dialects. —VIRTUE rarely passes unrecognized by the world. A few distorted optics may fail to recognize her features; but it would be as easy to conceal the face of the noon-day sun under a mask, as her resplendent features. —THE spirit of true religion breathes gentleness and affability. It is social, kind and cheerful; far removed from that gloomy, illiberal superstition and bigotry which cloud the brow, sour the temper, deject the spirit, and impress moroseness on the manners. —GOD bless the cheerful person!—man, woman or child, old or young, illiterate or educated, handsome or homely. Over and above every other social trait stands cheerfulness. What the sun is to nature—are cheerful persons in the house and by the wayside. —A HUNDRED years ago a distinguished company of French infidels in the flush of their rising fame were assembled in a Parisian drawing-room discussing Christianity and denouncing it with all possible asperity. Suddenly one of the boldest among them, the famous Diderot, rose from his seat and exclaimed: “All right, gentlemen; all right! I am ready to declare all of you are clever writers and competent critics, and few in France or abroad would be able to speak or write better than you do. But still I think I might defy any of you to compose a historical tale so ingenious, and so sublime, so touching, and fit to produce such a deep and lasting influence for centuries to come, as the Gospel relation of Christ’s sufferings and death.” Did the Israelites go around the city of Jericho on the Sabbath? M. F. M. ANS. Yes. They compassed it seven days, which we must understand to be seven successive days, one of them being necessarily the Sabbath. The query implies another one, namely, Did they thereby break the Sabbath? We answer, No; for they were not doing their own work, but the duties which God had especially assigned them. When is divorce scriptural? ANS. According to Matt. 19:9, when either of the parties who have been joined in marriage, prove false to the marriage vow, the other party may obtain a divorce. That party is then released, and may marry again; but the other is not. To illustrate: If a man leaves his wife and runs away with another woman, violating the seventh commandment, that fact being proved, the wife is entitled to a divorce, and having obtained it, may lawfully marry again. But that man cannot marry again, nor sustain the marriage relation to any woman whatsoever while his first wife lives, without being an adulterer. The query may arise how far Matt. 5:28 affects the case. We answer that the lusting after a woman there spoken of evidently implies a purpose to secure the object of desire if possible. At any rate, men can have no ground of judgment except the overt act. Do we not by voting for officers of the government, identify ourselves with the government? and is this consistent with our views of Rev. 13:11-17? A. S. ANS. We do not see that by voting we become a part of the government or identify ourselves with it so much as we do by paying our taxes and receiving in return the protection of the government, of which we are ever ready to avail ourselves. In the present order of things, governments are a necessity recognized in the Scriptures. We are to be subject to them so far as their requirements do not conflict with the law of God. Rom. 13. We are to pray for them that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; and when we have the privilege, as we do in this country, of having a voice in deciding what persons shall occupy the positions of responsibility and power in the government, we do not see that it violates any principle to express that preference by our votes, if we have any preference. So far as the moral condition of the various political parties is concerned, or the personal characters of the different candidates for office, there is, alas, with few exceptions, not much to choose. Corruption is everywhere. But sometimes a principle of temperance or justice is clearly involved in a political contest; and when we can quietly but firmly cast our influence in favor of such principle, we think it well to do so, at the same time carefully keeping aloof from all partisan spirit, and from all political excitement and insanity. Please explain the fourth chapter of Galatians, verses 21-31. J. C. S. ANS. Paul here sets forth, under an allegory, two covenants, the first or old covenant made at Horeb or Sinai; the second, or new covenant, under which we now live, made by Christ and ratified on the cross. These are represented by Sarah and her bondwoman Hagar, Hagar representing the old covenant, Sarah the new. The old covenant was made at Sinai, and was not the ten commandments, but the agreement which the people made with the Lord as recorded in Ex. 19. The condition of the blessings which God promised under that covenant, was that they should obey his voice, or keep his covenant, the ten commandments. The next chapter records the uttering of his voice from Sinai, when he gave expression to the great moral principles of his government, in ten precepts. Then follows a narrative of the completion of this covenant down to its ratification, extending to the 8th verse of ch. 24. The great feature of that covenant was the system of worship which set the Jews apart as a distinct people, and was a wall of separation between them and other nations. Its provision for the forgiveness of sin was the blood of beasts. Its center of worship was the worldly sanctuary; and its representative city, the earthly Jerusalem. It was a covenant of bondage, corresponding to Hagar, because its sacrifices could not take away sin. Hence whoever depended upon those sacrifices and offerings for justification, as certain Judaizing teachers had been instructing the Galatians to do, would still be under the bondage of sin. The new covenant with better sacrifices was therefore a necessity. The people of this covenant are all those, Jews or Gentiles, who believe in Christ; the condition of the blessing is still to obey God’s voice, keep his covenant, or commandments, by refraining from sin. Its provision for the forgiveness of sin is the blood of Christ, which can take away sin, not in figure, as did the blood of the former covenant, but in fact. The center of worship is the sanctuary above, the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man; and its representative city is the New Jerusalem above. This is the covenant of promise, as it was embraced in the original promise of a Saviour. We are children of this covenant, as we live under its more gracious provisions. As the bondwoman, Hagar, was cast out, so that her son should not be heir with Isaac, so the old covenant was set aside to make place for the new; and none who depend on that for salvation will ever inherit the promises. E. S. BABCOCK: See Thoughts on Daniel for an explanation of the last three verses in the book. COME AT THE BEGINNING, STAY TILL THE END.
By George I. Butler
My experience in attending camp-meetings this season has made me feel more than ever before the importance of the advice expressed in the above heading. I have thus far attended seven camp-meetings, and every one of them has been injured, and some of them nearly ruined by the failure to heed this suggestion. The most earnest expostulation was necessary in almost every case, to keep a large percentage of our brethren from leaving the ground by Sunday. One reason of this is because they often make their plans before leaving home to return at such a time, and in some cases have parties engaged to meet them; and though claiming to be very reluctant to leave after being at the meeting awhile, yet they could not now avoid it, etc., etc. It is with a faint hope of keeping some from making such poor calculations beforehand in reference to the remaining camp-meetings of this season, that this article is written. Our camp-meetings are nearly all appointed to commence Thursday morning, and continue till the following Tuesday morning—five whole days. Less time than this would fail to accomplish the important objects to be secured. Our Conference business, our tract and missionary work, our Sabbath-school interests, the health and temperance reform, our educational issues, and above all the proper consideration of the great religious themes requiring our attention, and the spiritual wants of our people, make it utterly out of the question to devote less time to our camp-meetings. Considering the distances our people come, and the expense attending the procuring and preparation of the ground, and the labor involved, they demand more time rather than less. Indeed, there are so many things to be said and done that the ministers who have the burden of the meetings feel constantly crowded for time to do justice to any branch of the work upon which they dwell. If our people could be held longer at each meeting, greater good might be accomplished. But it is useless to attempt this until they can be persuaded to remain the limited time which we now appoint. It is a sad indication of worldliness and back-sliding on the part of our brethren when they are unwilling to devote five days in a year to the great interests of the cause considered in our camp-meetings. Anciently God’s people went up to Jerusalem three times a year, and some of these feasts were at least eight days long. After the ascension of the Lord, the disciples tarried ten days at Jerusalem, “to be endued with power from on high.” If we cannot spend five days once in a year, when looking for the Lord to come, and claiming to be giving the last message of mercy to the world, something must be wrong with us. A goodly number of our people do come at the beginning and remain till the close; but the very ones who need the benefit of our camp-meetings most are the ones who will not do this. To such I would appeal, and if possible persuade them to improve in this respect. You ought to come at the beginning, because the preaching at that stage of the meeting is just what you need to hear,—practical, pointed, calculated to arouse and awaken careless, cold people. It takes some length of time to reach the hearts of such. They are like persons who have become benumbed by being long exposed to cold. A warm atmosphere does not restore them to the proper state all at once. So with those who are cold spiritually. Before they start from home the world has such possession of their hearts that they think they cannot possibly give more than two or three days to the meeting; so they plan to get in about Friday night, and leave Sunday night. Their hearts just begin to be affected by the time they leave. Could they have been there from the commencement, they would most likely have been converted before the meeting closed, and been able to shed light and warmth upon others; as it is, they get but little good that is permanent. Such often have unconverted friends and children, whom they take home with them. These hear just enough to arouse a little interest, and partially impress their minds; but before coming to a decision, they go home. They may thus be simply hardened, so that they are not so easily reached the next time. Our camp-meetings furnish just the agencies to benefit them; and if lost at last, will not their blood be found in the skirts of those worldly-minded professors who took them from the rich spiritual blessings which were designed to save them? Those who leave the meeting Sunday night or Monday morning almost invariably lose the best part of the meeting. By that time most of the business is finished, and the Spirit of the Lord has made impressions more or less deep upon the hearts of those present, while the meetings have become more free; and now the work remains to be finished off and perfected. Almost invariably, this season, our meetings on Monday have been much the best of any. I have seldom witnessed more powerful seasons than some of these have been, in which hearts have been melted in tenderness, and sinners converted to God. How sorry we felt for those who had gone home without any special blessing. They had voluntarily taken themselves away from great and priceless privileges in spite of our most earnest protests. Many of those who did stay would have gone home had we not earnestly pleaded with them to remain. I have in my mind one camp-meeting which was broken up the last day in this manner. Though some remained, the interest was entirely spoiled. When part begin to leave, it puts a spirit of unrest and dissatisfaction into the hearts of others. We are all creatures of influence. None of us have the interest we ought to have; but when we pursue a course to injure and ruin important meetings, like our camp-meetings, we take upon ourselves a fearful responsibility, and not only endanger our own souls by neglect of duty and indifference to God’s blessing, but sadly injure others by our wrong influence. We are in an age of the world when many souls seem to be balancing, hardly knowing which way to go. Apparently small matters turn the scale in the wrong direction, and souls are ruined. “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.” We ought to use every means to help ourselves and others heavenward. The course which many pursue seems to me a positive disrespect to our State Conference, General Conference, and leading ministers. It is deemed necessary for the good of the cause to appoint these large meetings. It is done at great expense and much labor. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars are expended for them; and quite a number of our leading brethren toil very hard to have everything in the best of order, laboring for no earthly reward. The General Conference committee attend, or, if unable to do so, send other leading brethren, often traveling five hundred and sometimes thousands of miles. And yet so little do some of our people realize these things, that some trifling matter of convenience will cause them to leave at the most important point of the meeting, thus endangering its interests and grieving the hearts of God’s servants who are laboring with all their strength for the conversion of souls. What blindness sometimes comes upon poor souls who are in the dark and know not their own interests. So it was even when Christ was on the earth. “They knew not the time of their visitation.” We have used this plain language to rouse to reflection, if possible, those who are pursuing this course. We are glad that a majority of our people do not do so, and we greatly wish none of them would. In my judgment more than twice the good might be done in our camp-meetings if all our brethren were there at the beginning and remained till the close. No doubt there are cases where it is justifiable to leave, but sickness is about the only one which occurs to me. It is a question with me whether people might not better remain at home than to come toward the middle of the meeting and leave before its close. Brethren, ponder these things. Come at the beginning, and stay till the end. CHRISTIANA, NORWAY.
By J. G. Matteson
The Lord is good; his mercy endureth forever. His loving-kindness is manifested to us, although we are most unworthy. There is a steady growing interest here. The truth is gaining ground. One great reason for this is, in my opinion, that the Lord has many souls in this country. I have never been in any country where I met with so many people who have been more or less moved upon by the Spirit of God. Last Sabbath five dear souls were baptized. This makes in all 51 who have been baptized, and 66 members in the church. About 90 are keeping the Sabbath, and 110 to 130 persons attend our Sabbath meetings. Many are ready to be gathered in by a little labor bestowed. We have six or seven prayer-meetings every week in different parts of town, and we feel that the Lord is present with us. Yet we do not want to convey the idea that everything goes easy. We have a continual strong opposition to encounter from without, and there is much need of religious training within. Yet as a general thing brethren and sisters here are quite willing to be guided. Our Sabbath-school is a success. I have not been able before to organize one on the principle of our Sabbath-schools in America, because we have had no Sabbath-school lessons. By the goodness of God, and the kindness of our dear brethren in the distant West, we now have efficient help, and some material with which to work, and this long and deep-felt want is supplied. Our school now has 103 members,—3 divisions, 9 classes, and 11 teachers and officers. We are very thankful to our American brethren for the plan, programme, system of reporting, and subject matter of progressive Bible lessons for the different divisions, which we have obtained from them. And although the whole went out from America in the English tongue, it is now on this side of the great ocean made to speak the Danish-Norwegian language in a most intelligent way. The whole seems to be well adapted to this country, and will, from the good beginning in this city, find its way to many other places, by the grace of God. The tract society is also at work. Sr. Huntley asked for reports a short time ago. We had none and no society. Neither did we have the means of starting one that could work successfully, until tracts and papers could be steadily supplied, and at least a publication page of our own sent out with the tracts. How I have longed for this for the last four months. Now we are setting up one in our own new brevier type. It will be printed Friday, and soon go85 out to speak to thousands. The Lord be praised for his goodness. The tract society is about three weeks old. It numbers some forty members. They take fifty-two copies of Tidernes Tegn, and have obtained a number of new subscribers already. They have bought and mostly distributed and sold 8000 pages of tracts, and now they have bought and paid for 8000 pages more. The brethren show a commendable zeal in this work, and it is bound to spread all through the Scandinavian kingdoms. It may be of interest to mention that two of our brethren were fined by the court, each Kr. 4.00 (1.07), some time ago, for working on a high holy day. The mayor advised them very kindly to petition the king for pardon. They did so, stating that they rested on the Sabbath of the Lord according to the Bible, and needed the other six days to work to supply their families. The king granted their request, and pardon has lately been proclaimed to them by the constable. The Lord bless his truth and his servants and dear waiting children all over the world, for his name’s sake. Osterhausgaden 12, Aug. 12, 1879. THE CAMP-MEETINGS.
By James White
Most of the State committees have sent us urgent requests to attend their several camp-meetings. We have not responded to these individually; but, in season to make suitable arrangements, we made a statement on paper for the Review, that Mrs. W. and the writer were never in better condition to labor, that our sojourn in Colorado would be brief, and that we could attend a camp-meeting each week, reaching to late autumn in more southern latitudes. It was our impression that we should, if possible, attend one camp-meeting in each State annually, and that at the time of the annual Conference. Had we been consulted in these matters, we might have saved some confusion, by suggesting arrangements that would have better served the cause, and made our work easier. But it is never too late to do the best we can. Eld. Burrill is called to Denver, Colorado, in our absence to attend the camp-meetings. This makes it necessary that Eld. Canright should labor in Ohio, instead of being at several camp-meetings. The time of the Carthage, N. Y., meeting will be a week earlier than first appointed, and the New York and Pennsylvania Conferences will both be held at Hornellsville, N. Y., one week following the Carthage meeting. The remaining camp-meetings for the season will be left for us, Eld. Butler, and others to attend. We shall have to be in Colorado the last of October, and would like to attend the great Michigan camp-meeting before we leave, at which time the General Conference and other anniversaries could be held as usual. If those who control these matters choose to put the General Conference at a later date, to be held in the tabernacle, we shall not object unless they require us to attend.
JAMES WHITE. CAMP-MEETING AT MAGOG, P. Q.
By George J. Butler
I REACHED the ground Thursday night, after considerable delay in making connections. On account of rainy weather, preparations would permit but one service before the commencement of the Sabbath. It rained every day but the last during the meeting; not enough to stop our work, but enough to make it quite unpleasant. Some fifteen tents were pitched, and upwards of ninety Sabbath-keepers were present a part of the time. Over seventy of these were from Canada, others from Vermont. This was the first S. D. A. camp-meeting ever held in the Province; and many of the brethren were young in the faith, and did not realize the great importance of coming at the beginning and staying till the close. The interest was much marred by many going home Sunday. Indeed, only about sixty were encamped on the ground for any length of time, as many came in late, and others went home early. This is a most unpleasant feature in a camp-meeting. Elders A. C. Bourdeau, Hutchins, and myself were all the ministers present. We had a fine grove for our meeting, which the brethren had prepared with much labor. The scenery around the pleasant village of Magog, which lies at the northern extremity of lake Memphremagog, is very beautiful. The people in the vicinity were friendly and accommodating. I enjoyed the privilege of meeting Eld. Dow of the first-day Adventists, whom I used to meet at my father's house in Waterbury, Vt., some twenty-five or thirty years ago, when he first began to preach. He attended most all of our services, and we formed a most pleasant acquaintance. He is the president of their Conference in P. Q. and northern Vermont. We were glad to find him still loving the precious truths of the advent near, and so candid and friendly in spirit. On Sunday there was an excursion train on the railroad, and quite a fair attendance. The congregations seemed candid and attentive. Sabbath morning we had an interesting Sabbath-school, directed by Eld. A. C. Bourdeau. Owing to the lateness of the commencement of the meeting, the spiritual interests were not as far advanced by the Sabbath as they usually are in our camp-meetings. A shower closed up our afternoon services prematurely, so that we could do little in the way of reaching sinners and backsliders. Monday, the Lord helped in the preaching, and a most solemn spirit pervaded the meeting. I should judge that near two-thirds of those present expressed a desire for prayers. Many hearts were made tender and serious. God's blessing was present in power. We greatly regretted that so many had gone home. We gave the subject of health and temperance quite extensive consideration, and Sunday morning took pledges. We obtained in all some sixty teetotal pledges, which I think was the largest percentage of those present I have seen in any meeting I have attended. Thirty-five of these paid the initiation fee. We formed a temperance society for the Province of Quebec. Bro. A. C. Bourdeau was elected president. I feel more than ever satisfied that there is light and the blessing of God in this temperance movement; and those who are holding back from it are surely setting their faces in the wrong direction. God's Spirit came into our meeting as we talked of these things. The Province of Quebec, formerly a part of the Vermont Conference, is now considered a mission field under the supervision of the General Conference, but with hardly sufficient strength to organize into a Conference. It was therefore thought to be expedient to form a sort of provisional association to act in the meanwhile, so as to divide the responsibility among several of the brethren who should take oversight of the work, under the direction of the General Conference Committee. The S. D. A. Association of the Province of Quebec was formed. A committee of three with a secretary, who should also act as treasurer, was elected. Bro. A. C. Bourdeau, Claxton, and Hammond were elected such committee; and Sr. Hammond was chosen secretary. There seems to be a good degree of interest to hear the truth in this Province. The people are poor, and times are hard, and those who labor there will have to work with a spirit of sacrifice; but evidently God has a people there. Our meeting broke up Tuesday morning with an excellent spirit, and all who had remained were full of expressions of gratitude for the benefits received at the meeting, and went home full of high resolves to be more faithful in the future. THE OHIO CAMP-MEETING.
By E. H. Gates
The Ohio camp-meeting, beginning Aug. 21, was held this year in a nice grove at Spring Mills, about five miles from the enterprising town of Mansfield, Richland Co. This was the largest camp-meeting ever held by our people in Ohio, and, all things considered, was an excellent meeting. We reached the grounds Wednesday morning, and found Eld. Canright and a few others actively engaged in preparing for the coming meeting. The large tent, 60x100 feet, was already pitched, also several family tents. On Thursday the brethren came in from all directions, not only on the cars, but by private conveyance, and soon there grew up as if by magic, a little cotton village. About fifty family tents were on the ground. Meetings began Thursday morning. Friday evening Eld. Canright received a dispatch saying that Bro. and Sr. White and W. C. White and wife, would be in the camp in about an hour. On Sabbath morning all hearts were made glad by seeing the faces, and hearing the voices once more, of these worn and faithful servants of the Lord. At 9 o'clock Sabbath morning the camp-meeting Sabbath-school was held in the large tent, under the superintendence of Bro. Reavis. About 300 S. S. scholars, teachers, and superintendents were present, besides a large number of visitors. Sr. White spoke for a little while on the great importance of the S. S. work, in her usually forcible and eloquent manner. In the afternoon Sr. White spoke again, and at the close of her discourse, invited sinners and backsliders to come forward for prayers. The front seats were vacated, and a large number came forward. Tears flowed freely, and all felt that it was good to be there. On Sunday morning loaded excursion trains began to discharge their living freight on the grounds. At 10:30 A. M. the large pavilion was crowded to its utmost with attentive hearers, who listened to a discourse on the law, by Bro. White. In the afternoon Sr. W. addressed the large audience on her favorite theme, temperance, and was listened to with marked attention. Hundreds could not get within hearing distance. Monday evening, the last meeting was held. A good audience assembled to hear again from Sr. White, who spoke with great power. The plain, cutting truths found their way to the hearts of the people. As she spoke of the dangers and duties of the times, the tendency to dress, talk, and act like the world, nearly all were moved to tears, and many wept aloud. The Spirit of God seemed to come upon her with great power. An opportunity was then given to sinners and backsliders to come forward. Many heartfelt confessions were made, and new resolves to live in the future better than ever before. A season of prayer was then engaged in, and meeting closed at about eleven o'clock. May God grant that the good resolves made that night may never be forgotten. From a short report by Bro. A. O. Burrill, we gather the following additional particulars concerning this good meeting:— Sabbath morning Bro. White spoke with his usual freedom, and Sr. W. in the afternoon. At the close of the afternoon sermon about forty came forward for prayers, some of whom made a start for the first time. Sunday, about 10,000 were present, and some 1,100 teams were counted as they passed through the gate. The business of the Conference all passed off harmoniously. The testimony of Bro. and Sr. W. was well received by all of our new churches. In fact, it was just what was needed; for it was in this vicinity that the Disciples had made such a strong effort against Sr. W. It was decided at this meeting that I should go to Denver, Col., to assist Bro. Corliss. I hope to return to Ohio after three or four months. As I look back over the few months past, and see how the cause has grown under the management of Bro. Canright, with the blessing of God, I cannot but exclaim, What will not God do for his people if they will work unitedly?