The Illinois Camp-Meeting.
This meeting, held in the immediate vicinity of Bloomington, closed September 4, after having continued nearly one week. Elder W. H. Littlejohn reports in Review:— “During the whole of our meeting the weather was delightfully pleasant, there being no rain worthy of mention. Three excursion trains were run which enabled our brethren to reach the grounds at reduced rates. “One of the marked features of the meeting was a daily paper entitled, ‘The Camp-meeting Record,’ which was published by Elder B. F. Merritt. Thousands of copies of this little sheet were distributed gratuitously to the crowd. On Sunday there were present from three to five thousand people, who listened with marked attention to the preaching of the word. On Tuesday Brethren Ballenger, Shonk, and Johnson were ordained to the ministry. The latter of these brethren is a Dane by birth, and we trust he will be of great service to his people in Illinois.” “During the progress of the meeting, some sixty or seventy came forward for prayers, and at times a deep sense of unworthiness seemed to pervade all hearts. Elder G. W. Colcord, an active worker, was re-elected president of the Conference. About seventeen hundred dollars was pledged to the English mission, five or six hundred for the tract work in Illinois, and over fifty dollars for the Dime Tabernacle. The meeting, on the whole, was, we believe, one whose results will be both marked and permanent in the Conference. The last exercise held upon the ground was a praise meeting, in which eighty-five testimonies were given in thirty-five minutes, all of which were filled with expressions of gratitude to God for this convocation and the numberless other benefits received from his hand. The cause in Illinois is rising, and will continue to rise, if all of its leading men will forget themselves, discourage in all the spirit of partyism, and unitedly work for concord and victory.” “As it was decided that Elder U. Smith should attend the Eastern camp-meetings, Elder G. I. Butler was telegraphed for, and reached the ground Thursday evening where he remained and labored hard until the following Monday evening. We were glad to meet our old yoke-fellow, and labor together in the camp-meeting service.”