THE regular work of the Institute commenced Sunday evening, the 17th, by a lecture from Bro. White on the great subject of prophecy, the place it occupies in the divine word, and its use to the church. He illustrated his subject by a special chart he has had prepared upon the seven seals. One seal is broken, and the book (anciently a roll of parchment or other writing material) is unrolled so far as to reveal the events of the first seal. Then another seal is broken, and the scenes of the second seal are brought to view, and so on. The arrangement admirably illustrates not only the subject of the seven seals, but the unfolding of prophecy in general. Dr. Kellogg had been giving hygienic and scientific lectures to a large class for something like a week previous, as a part of the Institute course, putting them in thus early to enable him, as a member of the State Board of Health, to represent Michigan at a Convention in Nashville, for the present week, and still complete his series of lectures before the Institute shall close. His last lectures before leaving for Nashville were upon the constitution of man, the soul and the resurrection, defending the views embodied in his work on those subjects. His remarks changed the minds of some who had heretofore questioned his positions, and, by a rising vote, the following resolutions were adopted by the class. The vote upon the first was unanimous, and that upon the second nearly so, ninety-five expressing themselves as fully satisfied, and only eleven requesting time for further consideration:— - Resolved, That with pleasure we give expression to our feelings of gratitude to Dr. Kellogg for his able lectures upon the Soul and the Resurrection of the dead.
- Resolved, That after viewing these subjects carefully and critically in the light of the Bible and science, the Doctor’s positions relative to them are perfectly satisfactory.
Prof. Hamill is giving a class at the College, and the Biblical Institute class, a thorough drill in elocution. He is master of his profession, and all his pupils are deriving great benefit from his instruction. The writer is commencing a brief review of the more familiar lines of prophecy, with the design to introduce in connection therewith subjects not so commonly dwelt upon heretofore. All this, with the morning prayer-meeting commencing at half past seven in the morning, and the business sessions still necessary to be held, and the meetings to instruct the class in the general principles of our work, such as holding tent-meetings, advertising, canvassing, selling books, organizing Conferences, churches, and all the different societies connected with our work, and the keeping of books connected with all these, fills up the time so that there is scarcely intermission sufficient for a moderate amount of rest at night and two meals a day; and not much liability, it would seem, of any member of the class being in danger of falling into that mischief which Satan still finds “for idle hands to do.” But the members have come here at some expense, and desire to put in all their time to the best advantage. They are determined to make all possible improvement of the occasion; and this determination is the best pledge that could be given of final success. The class numbers one hundred and twelve, the largest number of our people who have ever engaged in an exercise of this kind.