California Camp-Meeting and Its Results by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 3, 1872

California Camp-Meeting and Its Results

By John Norton Loughborough

California.

My last report was concerning our excellent camp-meeting, but as that report did not appear in the REVIEW, I conclude the manuscript must have been lost in the mail, and as Bro. White made some report of that meeting, I would not say much at this late date, save that the presence of Bro. and sister White at this meeting was hailed with joy. Although Bro. White was worn with past labor, and wearied with his journey from Colorado, and sister White was suffering from hoarseness and sore lungs, occasioned by a severe cold taken in coming over the mountains to California, they took hold with a will to lift in our camp-meeting; not stopping to seek their own ease, but with their usual self-sacrificing spirit, seeking to benefit the assembled brethren and sisters, and the crowd who came to hear.

Their preaching, exhortation, and counsel, were timely, and inspired courage in the hearts of our people. A goodly number made a start to serve the Lord in that meeting, among them the son of Bro. M. G. Kellogg. Ten have already been baptized. I learn from different points that the meetings, in our churches, have been more interesting and spiritual since the camp-meeting, and that there is more of a determination to make the cause of God of higher importance than anything else.

At the close of the camp-meeting, it was decided to pitch the tent again in Woodland, and with the aid of the testimony of Bro. and sister White, seek to move the cause still further on there. So, while they spent a Sabbath and first-day in San Francisco, Bro. Cornell and myself returned with the tent to Woodland. On Friday, Oct. 11, an election, previously appointed, was held in Woodland, to elect trustees to hold church property, and it was decided to secure a lot, and immediately erect a house of worship 32x46. We met on Sabbath at the house of Bro. Goude, and Sunday evening at the court house. The Tuesday following, our tent was erected again, and meetings commenced, in which Bro. and sister White joined us. The Lord gave them some freedom, but all our ministers know it is hard for others to come in to raise a second interest, especially if there has been a failure on the part of the ministers to rein up the people, and perform a thorough, practical heart-work for them during the first interest. This was about the situation in Woodland, which, with the usual prejudice in the minds of opponents against sister White's gift, made the labors of Bro. and sister White—not having had opportunity to recover from their colds, or from the wear of their journey to California, or the wear of the camp-meeting, and the labors in San Francisco—exceedingly hard.

The servants of God may labor in weariness of body, but if the spirit is free, and God signally blesses and helps to feed the truth to hungry souls, in the midst of their weariness they are refreshed with the health-giving power of God.

But although through neglect of proper labor in the first interest at Woodland, the favored moment to do the most wide-spread work had been unimproved, and although Bro. and sister White had heavy discouragements to labor under, God blessed them. Their preaching was a source of strength to the few who had embraced the truth, and was eagerly listened to by good, attentive congregations. Their labors moved out several new ones to take their stand, and told well in favor of the cause, of deep, practical godliness and truth. The Lord strengthened them to do the principal part of the preaching during the two weeks they were in Woodland.

Friday, Nov. 1, Bro. and sister White returned to San Francisco, while our tent was still standing in Woodland. We continued our meetings there until Tuesday evening, Nov. 5. As it had been decided to have Bro. Cornell remain in Woodland to present the matter of erecting the meeting-house, we took down the tent, and I came with it to San Francisco.

On Nov. 7, the tent was erected on the same plat of ground, on Market St., on which we held meetings last year. Meetings commenced with a good audience, addressed by Bro. White, the evening of the 8th.

I presume it will sound strange to some of our eastern brethren, who, in November cold, are hovering over fires to keep warm, to read of commencing a tent-meeting Nov. 8, and to tell them that it was so warm in the tent last first-day, Nov. 17, that we had to raise the wall so as to breathe comfortably. But so it is. We have two good-sized, sheet iron stoves in the tent, so that if evenings are cool, we can warm the tent sufficiently with the stoves.

We have already held eighteen meetings in the tent. Bro. White has preached six times, sister White seven times, and I have spoken five times. Our congregations have been both large and deeply attentive. The preaching has been about an even mixture of close, searching, practical discourses, alternated with the theory of the truth, presented in a clear, concise, solemn, and pointed manner, spiced with exhortation, and close appeals to the consciences, with an endeavor to arouse the moral sensibilities of the people. This preaching has told powerfully upon the people, and has swept away a vast amount of prejudice, and taken hold of many hearts. Bro. White's discourse last Sunday evening, on the Sabbath in the New Testament, was especially of this character. God helped him. It told greatly upon the audience, and brought some to decide to obey the truth.

While Bro. White stood in the desk, worn in body, yet with the crowd before him, under the influence of the Spirit of God, powerfully impressing minds, I thought two things: first, Bro. White is getting better fast to-night. Second, I thought, Oh! how needful that the minister of Christ have the Spirit of God, to go with the truth to hearts, and it is the mingling of the close, practical preaching with the theoretical, that keeps the truth warm in the soul of the minister, as well as keeping the material warm he wishes to work upon.

There are circumstances occurring here, almost daily, that forcibly impress our minds with what has occupied the minds of Bro. and sister White for some time past: that the time was coming, that the servants of God should place themselves in the world's great thoroughfares of travel, to scatter the truth. In this city of one hundred and seventy-five thousand inhabitants, are representatives of every nation on earth, and representatives from every State in the union. Here people are continually coming and going; so much so, that it was stated a few days since in the “Daily Call,” that there were “twenty-five thousand inhabitants here,” that were not here eighteen months since. A meeting thoroughly advertised, and properly conducted in such a place as this, will scatter the truth wonderfully.

Shortly after our meetings opened this time, a gentleman called upon me in the tent, said he had attended the meetings, and was deeply interested. Said his home had been in Connecticut, and that he was to sail the next day for Valparaiso, South America. He bought a large package of pamphlets on our faith. I gave him some tracts to distribute among the passengers as he got into conversation with them. Said he should also let his fellow-passengers read his pamphlets. He was an intelligent man of considerable force of character, and New England energy, although nearly seventy years of age. He read through one of the Health Reformers, liked it, and wished me to let him have some specimen copies. I did so, and he said he should try to get subscribers. So if the publishers of the Reformer get subscribers from South America, or the Southern Islands, they will understand one channel through which it found its way there.

This gentleman wished my address, as he said he wished to correspond with me, and should probably order more books and papers. May God bless him, lead him into the truth, and make him a channel through which this truth may be spread.

Last week we noticed a deeply interested gentleman at our meetings. Seeking an opportunity to converse with him, we learned he was from Placer Co., two hundred miles distant, and was here on business. He was formerly from Cornville, Me., and his wife's friends there keep the Sabbath. This was his first opportunity to hear the third angel's message. He had opportunity to attend eight or ten of our meetings, and returned to his home understanding more clearly our position. He bade us, with tearful eyes, an affectionate farewell. Our hearts are drawn out after him, and even while I write, our prayer to God is, to give this brother strength to take up the cross and follow him.

Yesterday, a friend was passing the tent, and called in to see us. He had just arrived in the city from Concord, N. H. Learning, in conversation, our peculiar views on the Sabbath question, he said he heard Eld. Andrews preach on that subject once, twenty years ago, in Concord; although he was no professor, he had believed ever since that the seventh day was the day to keep, and that he had been greatly amused many times since, in hearing ministers undertaking to establish Sunday-keeping, and in seeing people make such a fuss because Sunday was not kept holy. He attended meeting last evening.

These are some of the many cases that have come under our direct observation. How many among the hundreds that attend our meetings come from, and go to, distant lands, we do not know, as we have opportunity to converse with but few; but undoubtedly scores of those who attend will soon be journeying to various parts. So we all feel impressed that these great thoroughfares of travel, at the proper time, and in a proper manner, must be entered, and that thus the truth will be spread far and near.

The providence of God is favoring us with beautiful weather for our meetings. We shall do what we can to gather in souls here. The church seems to be waking up, to take hold and act their part in this work. Pray for us, dear brethren and sisters, and for the success of the cause in California, and everywhere. My courage was never better than now, to do what I can to lead souls to Christ.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

San Francisco, Nov. 20, 1872.