Marion Camp-Meeting by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 21, 1870

Marion Camp-Meeting

By James White

[Since the above was in type, we have received the following additional report from Bro. W.—Ed.]

Marion Camp-Meeting.

FIFTH-DAY evening the carriages that returned from the trains brought, with other passengers, our much-loved Bro. W. H. Littlejohn of Allegan, Mich. The news of his coming gave a spring of joy to all upon the ground who knew him. We were happy to make him a member of our tent family, which at present consists of six.

Sixth-day, the weather is still fine. It is just cool enough for health, and for the better preservation of provisions. The brethren are still coming in from different parts of the State. All seem in good spirits. The provisions made for the meeting are ample. They have been made with a liberal hand.

This morning, Bro. Littlejohn gave a very instructive, practical, close discourse from 2 Cor. 13:5. It was a sermon well adapted to the stage of the meeting. In the afternoon we spoke upon Col. 1:9-14 with a good degree of freedom. The friends still come in, and the interest of the meeting is rising. All are now actively preparing for the rest of the holy Sabbath. The evening service commences with the Sabbath. There is a great anxiety in this community to hear Mrs. W. The people, who do not attend all the services, request that it shall be announced beforehand when she will speak, that they may know when to come and hear her. This is to be attributed mainly to the spirit of opposition on the part of a few here, who have done what they could to hold her up to the people in a false light. The people feel that they must hear for themselves. And thus they advertise for us, and call the people out to hear. When God is in the work, even its bitterest foes sometimes work for its advancement.

Mrs. W. has spoken this evening with solemnity and power to a large and very attentive audience. The greatest attention and respect was shown to the word spoken. And perfect order and candor was manifested both during the service, and after it closed. The evening is delightful. The heavens are clear, and the moon lights up the entire encampment.

Sabbath morning, the bell wakes us at half past four. All in our tent report rest, and a full amount of good sleep. After the weary toils of a long camp-meeting day, it does seem to us that one sleeps faster and better in one of our good tents than anywhere else. The morning prayer-meeting at the stand has been a blessed one. Probably one hundred spoke in the hour. No time for long talks here, beginning with the fall of Adam, and winding up with the final judgment. All spoke right out to the point a few words of present experience. That was just what the occasion required.

Breakfast is over. Next comes social worship in the several tents. First they read a short portion of the word. And now they break out and sing. In each tent of the grand circle they have a tune of their own. And each enters so heartily into the spirit of singing that they do not hear the others. But imagine yourself standing in the center of a circle of twenty-five tents, and from each a perfect pour of sacred song ringing out upon the clear morning air, in the form of twenty-five different spiritual tunes. But all is harmony in each tent, while the outsider hears only a sort of sacred, sublime confusion.

The social meeting at half past nine was good. Two or three would rise at once, and then as soon as these would each say a few words, others would rise. At a quarter before eleven, Bro. Littlejohn took the stand and preached a powerful discourse from Rev. 14:12. The brethren and sisters are settling into the work. The wavering are being confirmed, and the weak are becoming strong. There is a very general attendance from all parts of the State. At 2 P. M. Mrs. W. spoke with freedom to a large congregation. The work seemed deepening. By a rising vote hundreds covenanted to be more devoted to the service of God. Sinners were called forward. Twenty or thirty came forward. Mrs. W. exhorted the people with power. It was a deeply interesting season. There was liberty and power in praying for sinners.

At 6 P. M. especial social services were held in about one half of the tents. All gathered into them as far as room would permit. There were some of the most precious, melting seasons in many of the tents we ever witnessed. To change the scene, even in the midst of an interesting meeting, is a relief. The crowded tents were becoming oppressively warm, and after an hour of thrilling interest in many of the tents, we called the entire congregation to the large tent, and spoke to them relative to the interests of the cause, with great freedom. In the evening Bro. Canright spoke to a crowd of eager listeners.

JAMES WHITE.

Marion, Iowa, June 14, 1870.