Meeting at Battle Creek, Mich.
By James White
SABBATH, September 28, the mammoth tent having been pitched on sixth-day, there was preaching in the tent at 10:30 A. M. and 2:30 P. M. The congregation was very large at both services. It was variously estimated from 800 to 1,200. Probably there were not less than 1,000 adults present, who gave close attention to the word spoken. The writer spoke in the forenoon, and Elder Andrews, who arrived about forty hours before, spoke in the afternoon. J. E. White, with others recently from Colorado, was present to lead the singing. Several pieces were sung from his new book accompanied by an organ, which added much to the interest of our Sabbath service. We were very happy to again stand before the people of our charge, and speak to them the words of life. We spoke seventy minutes with ease, answering the important question, "Where are we?" We traced down the several lines of prophecy in Daniel two, seven, eight and eleven, showing that all the specifications of these prophetic chains have been fulfilled excepting the crowning event of prophecy, the coming of the Son of man. And while the prophecy of Daniel has to do with four empires, Babylon, Persia, Grecia, and Rome, the book of the Revelation has to do with the fourth only, Rome. We trace down the four leading chains of symbols in this book and find ourselves standing before the judgment of the last day, waiting for the second appearing of Christ. And although we had done this a thousand times, yet on this occasion the field seemed new, and the evidences more conclusive than ever before. As we followed down the seven seals to the opening of the seventh, we stood before the naked scenes of the last judgment. And the churches brought us to the preaching of the coming of Christ in the sixth, while the seventh reveals our real condition. Here the inquiry was again raised, in view of the description given of the church of the Laodiceans, "Where are we?" Or, what is our real condition before God? The danger of self-deception was pointed out, references to cases of great deception in Old-Testament history were made, and the church was exhorted to new consecration and devotion to the work of God. In the afternoon Elder Andrews gave a practical discourse of not great length, as he was weary from his journey across the ocean. Elders Andrews and Bourdeau were greeted by their brethren and old friends with joy. The Sabbath with its services was a very interesting one to the church at Battle Creek, and a good introduction to our camp-meeting. We were very happy to meet Elder Loughborough, from California, this morning, Monday, the 30th. He appears some worn from his excessive labors at the two camp-meetings in California, but enjoys his usual good health and buoyant spirits. He has many old friends who will greet him with joy at the camp-meeting, after an absence on the Pacific coast of ten years. The mammoth tent is pitched in the center of the spacious grounds, and is being seated. The provision tent and the dining tent, and two other large tents for prayer-meetings, will be up to-night, also a dozen or more family tents, including those to lodge ministers, and a forty-foot tent for committees, to be used for a sort of head-quarters for reporting and general business. And the camp-meeting committee will push the work as fast as possible, that all may be in complete readiness for the opening service Wednesday morning, the second. This camp will be the largest we have ever had. From fifty to one hundred ministers are expected, and probably there will be on the ground not less than three thousand Sabbath-keepers on the next Sabbath. The weather is fine, and should good weather continue, the meeting will hold over two Sabbaths, giving parts of families at a distance an opportunity to attend the first Sabbath, and after their return to their homes the other portions of families can attend the second Sabbath. And may our adorable Redeemer come up to the feast. LIBERALITY does not consist in good words,