THE PROPOSED CAMPMEETING.
Our brethren have seen by the last Review that a campmeeting has been appointed at Wright, Ottawa Co., Mich., to be held Sept. 1-7. This meeting has not been appointed for the purpose of spending a few days in recreation and vanity. Nor has it been appointed as a novelty, for the purpose of calling out the idle and the curious who might not otherwise be reached. Nor do we by this means merely seek to gather a large concourse of people, that we may thereby make a display of our strength. We have a very different object in view. We desire to call out as many of our brethren, both preachers and people, as we can, and also as many of our unconverted fellowmen as we may be able to interest in this meeting, that we may do them good. We want all who shall come to this meeting to come for the purpose of seeking God. We want our brethren to come for the purpose of seeking a new conversion. We want our preachers to set them in this an example worthy of imitation. We desire also to see many of our fellowmen who have no interest in Christ, or at least no knowledge of the present truth, converted to the Lord, and rejoicing in the light of his truth. We want to do good to others, and to receive good ourselves, in order that we may be prepared to do good to our fellowmen. Brethren, we must be converted ourselves, that we may fill the place in the work of the Lord that we are called to fill. It will not do to measure ourselves by the religious experience of others. This will be a fatal mistake. God has given us, as we believe, much greater light than he has granted to the generality of our fellowmen. Not to stand as far in advance of others in piety, as our light is in advance of theirs, is to be guilty of grievous wrong. That we are in this respect very deficient and very faulty in the sight of God, is certainly apparent to us all. How shall we fill the place that God has assigned us? How shall we perform the work he has given us to do? By being converted anew to God. By dying to self as never before. By hearty confession of our faults. By seeking God with the whole heart, and making an unreserved surrender to him. This is an honorable and worthy course of action. Repentance is a work of true dignity for the members of our race, no matter how far they may be advanced in the divine life. Let us not be afraid of this sacred work. If we could have a new conversion to God each day of our lives, we should then be just in the proper condition to work for him. If we can have the joys of God's salvation in our own hearts, then we can teach transgressors the ways of the Lord, and sinners will be converted to him. Our brethren must be first converted if we desire to see the salvation of God in the conversion of others. Our ministers must lead the way in this sacred work. We can lead others to Christ when we ourselves go to him. The Judgment, with all its terrible realities, is upon us. The time of trouble visibly approaches. The Saviour is finishing his work in the heavenly sanctuary. The last warning message is being proclaimed to a perishing world. Alas! how little do we realize these awful truths. The sin of worldly-mindedness is drowning a multitude of our people in destruction and perdition. This very sin will keep from our campmeeting the larger part of those who ought to attend, but will not. What an awful thought! So much of the world on our hands that we cannot find time to seek God in the solemn assembly of his saints, at this most eventful period in our history. Such persons are like Lot's wife, a little way out of Sodom, with their faces turned in the direction of the city. If the wrath of God has not yet fallen upon such, as it did upon her, it is that they may regard the awful warning, "Remember Lot's wife." If God bears with us longer than with her, he will mete out to us a more terrible retribution in the end, if we are not warned by her example. The Christian religion is never found in hearts that have lost the spirit of sacrifice. Observe how God kept it alive in the hearts of his ancient people. Were they enjoying the blessings of this life so that peace and prosperity attended their every step? Let them offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings to God. Did the signal mercy of God preserve them from danger or calamities? Let them offer a thank-offering to him. Had they unwittingly taken that which belonged to God, or withheld that which they should have given to him? Let them return it with a considerable addition, as a trespass-offering to God. Besides all this, thrice in the year every male must appear before God in Jerusalem in their solemn feasts. And, moreover, every seventh year they must refrain entirely from the cultivation of their land. Who will not acknowledge God's care in this to preserve his ancient people from worldly-mindedness? And can we be saved with less of this spirit in our hearts, or less of these acts in our lives? How many of us feel like making a sacrifice of some of our worldly substance as an offering to God in acknowledgment of the peace we enjoy? How many have thank-offerings for signal mercies? How many have trespass-offerings for what they have withheld from God in the past? And how many can even once, during the present year, come up to our proposed feast of tabernacles and solemn assembly? 'Tis time we all awake, the dreadful day draws near. Bid the world to tarry while you, like Abraham, come before God to worship. He offered Isaac upon the altar, we must offer ourselves and all we have. If we will thus come before God, and renew our covenant with him, this meeting will mark a new era in our history as a people. We shall come up upon a higher, holier plane of action, and enter upon a work such as we have not hitherto seen. Brethren, what shall we do in this matter? Shall we shake off the lethargy of the world, and give our whole being to the cause of Christ? Or shall we suffer this benumbing, stupefying influence to drown us in destruction and perdition?