Camp-Meeting at Charlotte.
By Joseph Bates
I wish to add my testimony to the cheering and interesting reports which have already been published in relation to this important and soul-inspiring meeting. First, the location was beautiful; about one mile from Charlotte, a few rods in from the main traveled road, with a running stream of excellent water on one side of our circle of forty-two church, and two large field, tents, places of refuge and coverts from storm and from rain. There were said to be about one thousand Seventh-day Adventists there, attending divine service in a most orderly, peaceful, and quiet manner, listening with deep anxiety to the burning truths and soul-stirring remarks and discourses from the servants of God. Bro. and Sr. White were the chief speakers. The clear, earnest and powerful manner in which they presented the truth, is evidence to all who had ears to hear, that God is graciously strengthening them with his quickening Spirit to draw out his remnant people, to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven. How important, then, that all who are longing to be saved should strive to attend these camp-meetings, when they are within their reach. I thank God, and our Lord and Saviour, for the precious privilege I enjoyed, and the blessing which I received at the Charlotte camp-meeting, and pray that the great company of believers who there united in a covenant to seek the Lord more earnestly and serve him more faithfully, will never fail to carry out their solemn pledge. When the proclamation of the second advent of our Lord and Saviour was drawing down into 1843, camp-meetings were first appointed in a few places, which called out the people to take a united stand in the message; but when the servants of God were being filled with the Spirit from on high, and began to go forth crying with loud voices, Behold the Bridegroom cometh! go ye out to meet him! in the summer of 1844, then camp-meetings were multiplied all around, which called out and united the great body of Adventists who had embraced the message. See “Life Incidents,” pp. 132–139. If the same great plan is to be followed out to the close of the third angel’s message, to draw out and unite the people of God “to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord,” (and it would seem from our experience of the two past years that it is so), then how important that we sacrifice to sustain camp-meetings, and be sure to attend all within our reach.