The Lapeer, Mich., Camp-meeting.
By Uriah Smith
This meeting has added another to the list of triumphant camp-meetings for 1874. It opened very encouragingly on the day appointed, Oct. 1. Thirty-one church tents and two large circular tents were pitched. Between four and five hundred Sabbath-keepers were present. Only a few of these were among those who attended the Battle Creek camp-meeting, and many of them had never attended a camp-meeting before. This number, under the circumstances, was considered very satisfactory. Seventeen ministers were on the ground. The opening remarks were made by Bro. Haskell, Thursday at 2 P. M. He gave a general review of the camp-meeting season, enumerating the good and encouraging seasons that have been enjoyed, and magnifying the goodness and mercy of God, in manifesting himself so graciously to his people. Though the eastern meetings did not show so large an increase of numbers as some of the western meetings, yet the work of the Lord was evident in that the brethren, though having labored during the past year under more or less unfavorable circumstances, were encouraged by the meetings, and went to their homes, newly established in the work of the Lord for this time, and with fresh determinations to press forward in the good cause. He set forth the great work which this message is to accomplish, and the many evidences of its remarkable advancement to the present time, in words of good cheer. Bro. E. B. Lane spoke in the evening on 2 Pet. 3:11, 12, showing what manner of persons we ought to be, in view of the day of God, which is a great and terrible day, and very near. It would require too much space to give a synopsis of the discourses given. Twenty-seven meetings were held. Four discourses each were given by Bro. and sister White, two by Bro. Haskell, and one each by brethren Lane, Matteson and Waggoner. But the regular discourses constituted but comparatively a small portion of the work accomplished by Bro. and sister W. They were ready, in all the social meetings, to give, as the occasion and the condition of the people demanded, the most encouraging and timely instruction. The marked days of the meeting were Sabbath and Sunday. On Sabbath afternoon, after sister White had appealed to the people with unusual power and freedom, about seventy-five came forward for prayers, most of them apparently under deep and genuine conviction. On Sunday, about three thousand persons were present. Bro. White spoke in the forenoon on 1 Pet. 3:15: “Give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” This brought him at once to the great pillars of our faith, the doctrine of the soon coming of Christ, personally, in the clouds of heaven, and the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. He claimed that one simple and, it would seem, self-evident principle of interpretation, is the magical wand that would bring order out of all the confusion created by mystical expositors respecting the teaching of the word of God, and clearly establishes our position on these great questions; and that principle is, that the Bible is to be taken as it reads, and means what it says, literally, except when some good reason can be shown why it should be taken figuratively. With appropriate remarks he then introduced such passages as Matt. 24:30-34; Mark 13:26, 27; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:10, 11; 1 Thess. 4:16; 5:4; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8, &c., showing that apostles, angels, and Christ himself, have testified to his literal second coming, in the plainest and most unequivocal language. On the same principle, Baptists establish immersion; and he made it clear that this very principle which so plainly establishes the second advent and immersion, establishes also the seventh-day Sabbath. He appealed to the fourth commandment of the decalogue as the sum of all legal obligation on this institution. He showed that the law must be changed before it can enjoin Sunday-keeping, but that no power is competent to change it, less than that which at first enacted it. And if such change has been made by the proper authority, where is the record of it? What prophet at any time predicted it? What apostle has recorded it? Where can a copy of the revised edition be found? What printer has ever printed it? What bookseller has ever sold it? If a revised copy of that grand old document, the decalogue, is in existence, said he, we want to see it; pass it in, gentlemen—a reasonable request, but one with which ministers or people will find it hard to comply. Then he showed that the very fact that the millions of copies of this document, which are issued for churches and schools, for men, women, and children, read precisely as God first gave and wrote it, proves that those who talk so loudly of a change, have no faith whatever in their own assertions. Never, we believe, has it been our privilege to listen to an argument commenced, carried through, and closed, more triumphantly. The crowd were held spellbound. In the midst of the discourse, a seat in the congregation broke down; but those sitting not more than two seats away, could not stop to look around to see what had happened; they were engaged with the subject and the speaker. When the meeting closed, a buzz of voices was immediately heard all over the ground, from a general discussion of the Sabbath question. A few seemed to be excited well on toward feelings of anger, which is the best evidence in the world of overturned opinions; while more seemed to act with reason in the matter, and proposed, when hard-fisted facts had demolished their theories, to accept the situation as gracefully as possible. A fitting counterpart to this was sister White's discourse in the afternoon. She dwelt upon the subject of overcoming by the exercise of Christian temperance. The wide range which this subject takes in the use of tobacco, tea, coffee, and extravagance in dress, was set forth with force and freedom. While men and women are striking earnestly against intemperance as manifested in the use of intoxicating liquors, the very germs of it are nestling snugly on their own tables in the rich food, highly-seasoned viands, and irritating condiments, which they spread before their children. The delight of the women when the mentally and morally stupefying influence of tobacco was denounced in appropriate terms, was exactly balanced by the delight of the men when the frivolity and extravagance of fashionable female attire was as unsparingly exposed. Men would be better prepared to discern spiritual things, and appreciate the difference between the sacred and profane, if they would stand forth in their godlike manhood, free from the debasing power of appetite; and women would be better prepared to stand by the side of their husbands as counselors, and even to take part with them in political matters, would they disenthrall themselves from the slavery of fashion, which dwarfs and belittles the mind, and leaves them no time to study the weightier matters of life. The good attention given throughout gave evidence that the telling points were seen, and will not soon be forgotten. In the evening, Bro. Waggoner gave a timely discourse on the great commission of Christ to his disciples, Mark 16:15-18, and the promise involved therein of the gift of the Spirit. He showed that this subject on which so much prejudice exists, has also an immovable foundation in the Scriptures of truth. Monday was taken up principally with remarks upon tract and missionary work, and mention of many remarkable instances of good that have been already accomplished by it. The afternoon was a most precious season. About the same number as on the Sabbath again came forward for prayers. In the evening, Bro. White gave a clear and happy discourse on the subject of baptism. Tuesday morning was the parting meeting. There were fourteen candidates for baptism; but as these were living in places soon to be visited by ministers, the baptism was deferred for want of time. At this meeting Bro. John O. Corliss, of Ithaca, was ordained to the work of the ministry. Prayer by Bro. White. Charge and right hand of fellowship by Bro. Waggoner. It was an impressive occasion, and one on which deep feeling was manifested by many present. Thus closed the last camp-meeting of the season for the Conferences this side the plains, considered by those who have attended the others, as in many respects the best that has yet been held. Its effect upon the cause in North-eastern Michigan we are assured can but be excellent, and the brethren parted with the conviction that it would be the most shameful ingratitude to God should we ever forget all these tokens of his goodness. U. S.