The Camp Meeting by Miles E. Cornell

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 12, 1874

The Camp Meeting.

By Miles E. Cornell

Others have spoken very favorably of our late camp meeting, and I will add a word more. I do not think those correct who say the meeting last year was more profitable than this.

Last year there was more joy and happy flight of feeling, but this year under the searching practical discourses of Bro. Butler and others, there was more heart searching and humiliation. The natural heart is not inclined to this important matter of self examination, though it is indispensibly necessary. The sharp two edged sword cuts, divides and separates from self, the world, the flesh and all the weights and besetting sins. It seems to me that if any went through this meeting unprofited it was their own fault. It was because they failed to enter into the spirit of the meeting. And why should any refuse or fail to appreciate the importance of business? Can the cause go forward without organization and business proceedings?

Instead of murmuring at that which is necessary to be done in the cause, everyone who loves the cause, will patiently perform the labors, and humbly sympathize with the care-worn servants of God who are night and day planning and working to supply the needs of the cause of truth.

Those who do not bear burdens cannot sympathize with those who do. If there are those who do little more than to get on the car of truth and ride, they ought not to find fault with those who are working with all their might to keep the car in motion. Shall we, like some of old, murmur at the leaders in Israel? God forbid. But rather let us patiently and earnestly labor to help on the good work.

All were astonished at the amount raised to start the publishing on this coast. An editor hailed me the other day and wanted to know if it was really true that Nineteen thousand five hundred dollars were raised to start a paper? He said he had wanted to notice it, but supposed that the other papers had one cipher too many, that it was hundreds instead of thousands.

This liberality must be regarded as an encouraging feature, for, as in ancient times, the spirit of giving willingly will cause rejoicing.

If all are faithful to pay their vows made at the camp meeting, great progress will be made the coming year. For one, I mean to give all diligence to press on in the light and truth and share with the well-doers at last.

M. E. Cornell.

Oakland, October 30th, 1874.