The Second Sabbath in the Camp by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · May 25, 1905

The Second Sabbath in the Camp

By William Ambrose Spicer

THERE had been no little wet weather during the week, but the second Sabbath of the conference came bright and clear upon the camp. Friday evening Elder J. O. Corliss spoke from 1 Thess. 5:4: “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” It was a review of the evidences that surely this generation shall not pass until the work is finished, and the Lord shall come. “Wherefore comfort one another” with this blessed hope soon to be realized.

The keynote of the conference has been the certainty of the advent faith and the surety of the triumph of the advent movement. We have followed no cunningly devised fables.

The large tent was packed by the morning congregation, which was addressed by Elder Haskell from the text, Rev. 11:14-19. Under the seventh trumpet, the last in the prophetic series, events take place in heaven, and corresponding events take place on earth. As the work begins in heaven which is definitely to bring an end to earth's kingdoms, the spirit of the evil one stirs up the nations, and “the nations are angry.” From 1848 and onward this has been increasingly seen. In this time of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, verse 19 shows that the judgments of God are to be abroad in the earth, and this we begin to see more and more. And under this trumpet also, the most holy of the heavenly temple is opened, and the judgment begins.

There was a response on earth as the judgment began—the great advent movement proclaiming the judgment hour. A people on earth was to see this opening of the judgment—“there was seen”—and so came to pass the great ’44 movement. And here are present men from all the continents who can testify that in many lands and among people of many tongues there are those who have by faith seen and responded to this fact that in 1844 the most holy of the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the final judgment began.

The historical events of the sixth trumpet were traced to further fix the time when the seventh trumpet began sounding, and the ministry of our High

Priest changed to the most holy of the heavenly sanctuary. Then it was that a people on earth began to see the commandments of God in the light of the sanctuary question. Move a pin or a pillar in these great facts of the sanctuary truth, and we deny all past experience in the advent movement, and close our eyes to the providence of God and the revelations of light and power in the development of God’s message of truth for the last days.

At three o’clock Sister White spoke to the people, taking 1 John 1:1-6 as the first text, dwelling upon the assurances of genuine experience. She then read Revelation 1, with comments, Rev. 2: 1-9, and Rev. 3: 1-3. On this latter portion she dwelt emphatically, urging to watchfulness. We are to “hold fast” the truth that was wrought out amid demonstration of the Spirit and of power in the early days of the advent movement. Then it was that God revealed the great pillars of the faith which keeps the commandments of God. There will be every effort to draw out a pin here in the system of truth, to undermine a pillar there, and to send people adrift. Every conceivable error will come in under the appearance of a great burden for truth. But the past experience of this people in the advent movement is not nothingness. Our faith is resting on the Rock of Ages that was cleft for us. The sanitarium work to be carried on in Washington was specially mentioned.

Sister White stated that she wished she could cry out the words of Rev. 3:11—“Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast”—in a voice as strong as she once had when addressing twenty thousand people in Massachusetts. But we all could but marvel at the strength and clearness of the voice in which she spoke to us, in her seventy-eighth year, as she reminded the congregation. All through the great tent and across the grounds the speaker’s voice rang out.

Social meeting followed an hour later, the young people meeting in a separate tent, as the congregation was so large. Thus, with prayer and songs of praise, and testimonies to God’s goodness, the second Sabbath day in the camp drew to its close. W. A. S.