Brief Notes of the Michigan Camp-Meeting.
Between eight and nine hundred Sabbath-keepers assembled at this meeting. A grand circle of tents, thirty rods in diameter, the different stands for provisions, for books, and for speakers, the ample area of seats for the congregation, and the two large tents all within the spacious and shady grove, constituted the pleasant arrangement of the grounds. There were seven tents more than could be accommodated in the circle, in all, sixty-four tents. The camp-meeting committee performed their duties faithfully, and the arrangements for the meeting were very pleasant and complete. The place for the meeting is thought by many to possess advantages over any that we have heretofore occupied. The grounds are spacious. Five thousand people, if need be, could easily find tenting room in the grove. And when the Ohio and Michigan R. R. is completed, which runs a few rods nearer to the ground than the Mich. Central, we know of no better location, so far as good ground and R. R. facilities are concerned, than this, for a general S. D. A. Camp-meeting whenever it shall be thought advisable to establish such a meeting. There were twenty-two ministers and licentiates present. Twelve discourses were preached, one each by Brn. Van Horn, E. B. Lane, and Waggoner, four by Bro. Littlejohn, and five by Bro. Butler. The preaching was pointed and plain, and was received by the people as meat in due season. The social meetings were lively and interesting. At one meeting, seventy testimonies were given in about forty minutes, and at the last meeting, brethren spoke in quick succession and to the point, about three a minute for something like an hour. On Sabbath, about four hundred came forward for prayers. A good start was made, and there was deep feeling on the part of some. It would have been well if this work could have been followed up, but business meetings prevented. On Sunday, there was estimated to be about four thousand persons present. The great doctrines which especially distinguish us as a people, the advent and the Sabbath, were faithfully set before them on this day. Bro. Butler showed in the forenoon, by arguments which all who heard must have seen to be invulnerable, that the great change now before the world, an expectation of which, in some degree, seems to be existing in all minds, is not the conversion of the world, but the second appearing of our Lord and Saviour in power and great glory, to redeem his people and dash the wicked nations in pieces like a potter's vessel. In the afternoon, Bro. Littlejohn showed the position the Sabbath question occupies in the Sacred Scriptures, and the position it is to occupy in the political agitations of this nation, as set forth in the word of prophecy, and plainly indicated in movements now in progress in the land. The cause is onward. The correctness of our applications of Scripture become each year more and more apparent. There is no mistake here; and there is no going back in this work. God's word is to be fulfilled, he will have agents to do the work, and we may occupy that post of honor if we will. Judging from the many testimonies borne, the meeting had an encouraging effect upon those present. They testified that they had received the blessing of the Lord at this meeting, some in a large degree. If we mistake not, many will number this occasion among their prominent blessings. Bro. Vuilleumier, who has now been in this country two months and a half, being introduced to the audience, bore a very impressive testimony in perfectly intelligible English. This was a point of great interest. He bore to the brethren in America the fraternal greeting of the brethren in his far-off native Switzerland. He besought the prayers of the brethren here for the success of his mission in coming to this country, to learn our language, and so become acquainted with the truth more thoroughly. He will have them. The speaker's stand richly adorned with festoons of leaves and bouquets of flowers made a beautiful appearance. The order was perfect throughout, and the attention of the people good. No disturbing element seemed to be present. A vote of thanks was tendered at the last meeting, to the camp-meeting committee for their great pains to provide for the comfort and convenience of the encampment, and to the owner of the ground for the use of the grove. One encouraging feature was that all, with few exceptions, remained till the last meeting, avoiding what is sometimes unpleasantly evident, an anxiety to get away even in haste and confusion. The season closed excellently, with a good spiritual meeting. Eighteen were baptized. The Health Institute and Michigan Conference held their sessions according to appointment, which will be reported in other portions of this paper.