The Missionary by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 2, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 37.

The Missionary.

By Stephen N. Haskell

The Camp-Meeting in Maine.

THIS meeting was held about one mile from the city of Portland. Portland is a seaport, containing about thirty-seven thousand inhabitants. Quite an amount of missionary labor had been performed in the city previous to the camp-meeting. Preparations for the meeting were not completed until the first Sabbath, although the meeting commenced two days before that time. The attendance of our brethren was small at first, but it continued to increase until nearly the close of the meeting. There was, in the city, at that time, a great political excitement on the temperance question. A movement is in progress in the State to make prohibition constitutional by an amendment to the State constitution.

One object in holding a two weeks' camp-meeting in one place is to benefit our brethren. It requires time for them to get their minds in a condition for God to work for and through them. The hurry and rush attending a one week's camp-meeting is such that they cannot be brought into a condition to appreciate God's blessing until about the close of the meeting, and, under these circumstances, it is impossible to accomplish the good that can be accomplished when the people move more understandingly, and their minds can be wrought upon by the Spirit of God. Our brethren should realize that if they would derive the benefit and blessings in store for them at these meetings, they should (1) be prompt in attending the first of the meeting; (2) they should remain to its close, and (3) they should dispense with all ideas of sight-seeing in the city, or wherever the meeting may be held, while it is in progress. Neither should they take this time to do trading, unless it is before or after the meeting. If it was necessary that the disciples should tarry ten days in Jerusalem for a preparation to go out and labor for Christ, after they had been with him three years and a half, it is far more important that we should spend at least two weeks in a year in seeking God, without having our attention diverted by other things.

We arrived on the ground the first day of the meeting, accompanied by Elder Robinson. Elder Smith and Sister White arrived Wednesday of the following week. The meeting increased in interest from the first Sabbath to its close. Not a few took their stand to keep the Sabbath. The friends in Maine have purchased a 60 by 90-ft. tent. This with a 50-ft. tent was used for the public services. On Sundays they failed to accommodate the audience, particularly the last Sunday in the afternoon, when Sister White spoke on temperance. At least twenty-five hundred people were present. The tent was seated to its utmost capacity. Chairs were brought into the aisles, and the space for about ten feet around the tent was occupied by eager listeners. God blessed the word spoken. Judging from remarks made at the close of the meeting, and attention given during it, what was said took a deep hold upon the people. Many who had not seen Sister White since she was a girl, listened with perfect astonishment.

There were those present who had embraced the truth from reading the SIGNS, and, during the meeting, bore their first testimony publicly in favor of the truth. Many interesting incidents were related which showed that the truth is moving forward in Maine, even in advance of what is accomplished by the labors of our brethren. Much more had been accomplished in the missionary work the past year than formerly. One thousand paying subscribers have been obtained for the Sentinel, together with a goodly number for the SIGNS. A city mission in Portland has been carried forward with some success. The brethren in Maine, although extremely poor, voted to raise the sum of four thousand dollars for various enterprises in their own Conference. Nearly two thousand of this was pledged at the meeting. Taking into account all the circumstances, we consider this meeting one of the most successful we have attended this season. But the brethren need to have enlarged ideas of the work. God gives us what we expect and work for. If we expect much of his blessing, and put forth the requisite efforts to obtain it, we shall have it. S. N. HASKELL.