Earlier text: THE YOUTH OF CHRISTSAMUEL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR; OR, THE SIN OF WITCHCRAFT.
By John Nevins Andrews
IV. What, then, is the sin of witchcraft, or of dealing with familiar spirits? The testimony of the Bible furnishes the answer to this important question. It is the holding of direct intercourse with Satan or his evil angels, under the name of conversing with the spirits of the dead. That dealing with familiar spirits purported to be dealing with the dead, is evident from the words of Isaiah: “When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, . . . should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” But we have a case of this very sin recorded at considerable length in the Bible, and to this let us refer. It is the case of Saul and the witch of Endor. 1 Sam. 28: 3–20: “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman saith unto him, Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid; for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me; for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David; because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.” We have in this scripture a particular account of the sin of witchcraft as practiced in the days of ancient Israel. Dealing with familiar spirits in those days was precisely the same as the present work of consulting the dead through the spirit mediums, known as modern spiritualism. Let us consider the facts in this case. 1. Saul, the king of Israel, had lived in rebellion against God for many years. Because of this, the Lord had left him to himself, and refused to communicate with him either by dreams, or by prophets, or in any other manner. The army of the Philistines had come against him, and in his distress he sought to one having a familiar spirit. 2. Samuel, the prophet of God, was now dead. He had faithfully warned Saul against disobeying the Lord, and in the last warning that he gave him, he told him that rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft. Now that Samuel is dead, Saul, who had despised his word for many years, and who had lived during this time without any intercourse with God through his prophets, now determined, by the means of witchcraft, which Samuel had warned him against, to have an interview with Samuel. 3. The woman having the familiar spirit, who is commonly called the witch of Endor, practiced her unholy calling in the most secret manner. For Saul, in obedience to the law of God, had put to death all such persons so far as he could find them. This woman stood ready to bring up any dead person that could be named, and to enable the inquirer to converse with that person. 4. The familiar spirit that consorted with this woman was the efficient cause of all the wonders that were wrought. This spirit was able to do one of two things. 1. It could bring up from the dead any person that was called for, or, 2. It could personate or counterfeit the dead man so that those who conversed with the familiar spirit should believe that they were conversing with their dead friend, because every peculiarity of his was perfectly imitated. The first act of the woman was to ascertain whether Saul really wished to converse with the dead, or whether he feigned this in order to detect her in the practice of witchcraft, and put her to death. But when Saul had sworn to her by a solemn oath that she should not be punished for divining unto him by the familiar spirit, the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up unto thee?” It was her business to bring up any of the dead that might be called for. Her question was precisely that of a spirit medium of the present day, except, indeed, that in these days the dead are brought down from the third Heaven, or from the higher spheres; whereas in those days they were called up from a region below. Saul said to the woman, “Bring me up Samuel.” And thus we have the very words used in seeking unto those who had familiar spirits. The diviner, sorcerer, enchanter, necromancer, wizard, or witch, for these names are all given to those who in some form do this work, asks of the one who seeks knowledge from the dead, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And the inquirer names the dead person with whom he would converse. This shows the exactness of Isaiah’s language when he represents the consulting with familiar spirits as seeking “for the living to the dead.” Modern spiritualism has furnished the counterpart of this very conversation in innumerable instances. “Divine unto me by the familiar spirit,” said Saul, and “bring me up Samuel.” And now the familiar spirit at the bidding of this wicked woman must show what his powers are capable of accomplishing. He must produce Samuel in truth and verity; or, if this is beyond his power, he must imitate him so perfectly that Saul should be made to believe that it was Samuel himself. The woman invokes her familiar spirit, and the divination proves eminently successful. “And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.” It is evident that the woman herself was surprised at something; for she cried out in her terror. And from this fact many have concluded that, contrary to the expectation of the woman, Samuel actually came. But it should be observed that if Samuel were indeed present on that occasion, it must have been, 1. Because the familiar spirit had power to bring him up; or, 2. Because the Lord saw fit to send him to meet Saul. But both these views are false and absurd. For, 1. It would be absurd to believe that the familiar spirit has power to control at pleasure not merely the dead in general, but the righteous dead in particular. Who dare assert that the familiar spirits are able, at the bidding of wicked men or women, to bring up from the dead the most eminent servants of God? And, 2. It would be not only absurd, but almost wicked to represent the Lord as sending Samuel to meet Saul on this forbidden ground when he had refused to answer him at all by any prophet, though Saul anxiously sought such answer in a lawful manner before he ventured upon the dreadful expedient of consulting a familiar spirit. And, 3. As it was a wicked thing in Saul to invoke the incantations of this servant of Satan, how can it be shown to be consistent for holy Samuel to come when thus invoked by satanic power? It is said that the woman was terrified by the actual presence of Samuel. Those who say this do not read the record with proper attention. For it is to be observed that the woman did not cry out in her terror, “Samuel himself has come indeed!” She was not astonished at the sight of the old man with his mantle, for it was the business of her familiar spirit to present a perfect representation of any dead person. Indeed, it does not appear that responses were expected until the person invoked had been raised up. But there was a fact that the woman learned the moment this reputed Samuel appeared, and that fact filled her with terror. The first act of this so-called Samuel was to make known to this woman that her guest was no other than Saul, the king of Israel, the man who had destroyed every such person as herself that he could discover. It was this fact that alarmed her; for in her terror she cries out, “Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.” She was not alarmed that Samuel had come; her only terror was that she found herself in the hands of Saul. This circumstance itself furnishes a convincing proof that this reputed Samuel was no other than her familiar spirit personating him; for the first act of this professed servant of the Most High was to put this wicked woman on her guard by a private hint that he who was her guest was no other than Saul himself. Let us read further in this wonderful record:— “And the king said unto her, Be not afraid; for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.” It is to be observed, 1. That of all the wonderful things seen on this occasion, Saul saw nothing. Witness the expressions, and it will be seen that it was the woman and not Saul who saw what was seen. Thus, “The woman saw Samuel;” the king said, “What sawest thou?” the woman said, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth.” Saul inquires, “What form is he of?” The woman answers, “An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived [from the woman’s description] that it was Samuel.” It is to be observed, 2. That lest any should say that Saul might have seen all that the woman saw had he not been prostrate upon the ground, the sacred writer tells us that after Saul had asked the woman these questions that “he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.” It is to be observed, 3. That this wonderful manifestation of either divine or satanic power arose out of the earth. Thus the woman said to Saul, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth;” or as Gesenius gives it in his Hebrew Lexicon, “I see a god-like form ascending out of the earth.” And when Saul asked, “What form is he of?” she said, “An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.” It is to be observed, 4. That there are several facts here brought to view hard to be explained if this was the real Samuel, but very easy to understand if this was the familiar spirit personating or counterfeiting him. The first is, that holy Samuel should come in answer to her wicked incantations. The second is, that he should arise out of the earth. The third is, that the woman should see him, while Saul could not see him. The fourth is, that this holy man should first of all communicate private information to this abandoned woman, putting her on her guard against Saul. The fifth is, that the woman was not alarmed at the presence of this old man with his mantle, but only alarmed when he told her that she had Saul in the house. “I and My Father Are One.”
THE translation given by the American Bible Union describes those who stand on the Mount Zion with the Lamb as “having his name and the name of the Father written on their foreheads.” If this is a correct rendering, it harmonizes well with the fact that those who embrace the last message honor both the Father and the Son by keeping the “commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” All should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. “He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.” And it is equally true that he that honoreth not the Father honoreth not the Son. The Jews do not honor the Father while they refuse to believe on the Son; neither do Christians honor the Son while they refuse to keep the Father’s commandments. It is vain to talk of honoring the work of redemption, by taking away the memorial of creation. In creation and redemption the Son and the Father are one. Thoughts on the Book of Daniel.
CHAPTER VIII—(CONCLUDED).
Verses 15, 16. And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. We now enter upon an interpretation of the vision. And first of all we have mention of Daniel's solicitude, and his efforts to understand these things. He sought for the meaning. Those who have had most experience in reference to prophetic subjects are not the ones who are unconcerned in such matters. They only can tread with indifference over a mine of gold, who do not know that a bed of the precious metal lies beneath their feet. Immediately there stood before the prophet as the appearance of a man. It does not say it was a man, as some would fain have us think, who wish to prove that angels are dead men, and who resort to such texts as this for their evidence. It says, “The appearance of a man; from which we are evidently to understand an angel in human form. And he heard a man's voice; that is, the voice of an angel, as of a man, speaking. The commandment given was, to make this man, Daniel, understand the vision. It was addressed to Gabriel, a name that signifies “the mighty one.” He continues his instructions to Daniel in chapter 9; and under the new dispensation he was commissioned to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father, Zacharias, Luke 1:11; and that of the Messiah to the virgin Mary, verse 26. To Zacharias, he introduced himself with these words: “I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God.” From this it appears that he was an angel of a high order and superior dignity; but the one who addressed him was evidently above him in rank, and had power to command and control his actions. This was probably no other than the archangel Michael, or Christ, between whom and Gabriel, alone, a knowledge of the matters communicated to Daniel existed. See chapter 10:21. Verses 17—19. So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face; but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation; for at the time appointed the end shall be. Under similar circumstances to the ones here narrated, John fell down before the feet of an angel; but it was for the purpose of worship; Rev. 19:10; 21:8. Daniel seems to have been completely overcome by the majesty of the heavenly messenger. He prostrated himself with his face to the ground, probably as though in a deep sleep, but not really so. Sorrow, it is true, caused the disciples to sleep; but fear, as in this case, would hardly seem to have that effect. The angel gently laid his hand upon him to give him assurance (how many times have mortals been told by heavenly beings to “fear not”!), and from his helpless and prostrate condition set him upright. With a general statement that at the time appointed the end shall be, and that he will make him know what shall be in the last end of the indignation, he enters upon an interpretation of the vision. We understand that the indignation covers a period of time. What time? God told his people Israel that he would pour upon them his indignation for their wickedness; and thus he gave directions concerning the “profane wicked prince of Israel:” “Remove the diadem, and take off the crown. . . . I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” Eze. 21:25–27, 31. Here is the period of God's indignation against his covenant people; the period during which the sanctuary and host are to be trodden under foot. The diadem was removed, and the crown taken off, when Israel was subjected to the kingdom of Babylon. It was overturned again by the Medes and Persians, again by the Greeks, again by the Romans, corresponding to the three times the word is repeated by the prophet. And the Jews are now scattered abroad over the face of the earth; and the throne of David is no more, till he who is its rightful heir, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, shall come, and it will be given him. Then the indignation will have ceased. What shall take place in the last end of this period, the angel is to make known to Daniel. Verses 20–22. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. As the disciples said to the Lord, so we may here say of the angel who spake to Daniel, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no parable. This is an explanation of the vision in language as plain as need be given. See on verses 3–8. The distinguishing feature of the Persian Empire, the union of the two nationalities which composed it, is represented by the two horns of the ram. Grecia attained its greatest glory, as a unit, under the leadership of as vile a man and as great a king as the world has ever seen. This part of her history is represented by the first phase of the goat, the one notable horn, symbolizing Alexander the Great. Upon his death, the kingdom fell into fragments, but almost immediately consolidated into four grand divisions, represented by the second phase of the goat, the four horns, which came up in the place of the first which was broken. These divisions did not stand in his power. None of them possessed the strength of the original kingdom. These great way-marks in history, on which the historian bestows volumes, the inspired penman here gives us in sharp outline, with a few strokes of the pencil and a few dashes of the pen. Verses 23–25. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. This power succeeds to the four divisions of the goat kingdom in the latter time of their kingdom, that is, toward the termination of their career. It is, of course, the same as the little horn of verse 9, and onward. Apply it to Rome, as set forth in remarks on verse 9, and all is harmonious and clear. A king of fierce countenance. Moses, in predicting punishment to come upon the Jews from this same power, calls it “a nation of fierce countenance.” Deut. 28:49, 50. No people made a more formidable appearance in warlike array than the Romans. “Understanding dark sentences.” Moses, in the scripture just referred to, says, “Whose tongue thou shalt not understand.” This could not be said of the Babylonians, Persians, or Greeks, in reference to the Jews; for the Chaldean and Greek languages were used to a greater or less extent in Palestine. This was not the case, however, with the Latin. “When the transgressors are come to the full.” All along, the connection between God's people and their oppressors is kept in view. It was on account of the transgressions of his people that they were sold into captivity. And their continuance in sin brought more and more severe punishment. At no time were the Jews more corrupt, morally, as a nation, than at the time they came under the jurisdiction of the Romans. “Mighty, but not by his own power.” The success of the Romans was owing largely to the aid of their allies, and divisions among their enemies, of which they were ever ready to take advantage. “He shall destroy wonderfully.” The Lord told the Jews by the prophet Ezekiel that he would deliver them to men who were “skilful to destroy.” How full of meaning is such a description, and how applicable to the Romans! In taking Jerusalem, they slew eleven hundred thousand Jews, and made ninety-seven thousand captives. So wonderfully did they destroy this once mighty and holy people. And what they could not accomplish by force, they secured by artifice. Their flatteries, fraud and corruption, were as fatal as their thunderbolts of war. And Rome, finally, in the person of one of its governors, stood up against the Prince of princes, by giving sentence of death against Jesus Christ. But it shall be broken without hand; an expression which identifies the destruction of this power with the smiting of the image of chapter 2. Verses 26, 27. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days: afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. The vision of the evening and the morning, the 2300 days. In view of the long period of oppression, and the calamities which were to come upon his people, Daniel fainted and was sick certain days. He was astonished at the vision, but did not understand it. Why did not Gabriel at this time carry out fully his instructions, and cause Daniel to understand the vision? Because Daniel had received all that he could then bear. Further instruction is therefore deferred to a future time. Northern Italy.
By John Nevins Andrews
I LEFT Naples by steamer on Monday, August 6, and arrived at Genoa on Wednesday afternoon. I had for a traveling companion a Baptist minister from America, with whom I had a very interesting conversation upon the Bible during the entire route. I left Genoa about 7 P. M., and arrived at Turin about midnight. Early next morning I set out for Luzerne St. Jean, near Torre Pellice, to visit Sister Revel, who was the first person in Europe to embrace the Bible Sabbath from the preaching of Elder M. B. Czechowski. I hoped to leave the next day, so as to reach Brother Bourdeau at Valence at the commencement of the Sabbath. But I found several persons deeply interested in the truth, and I decided to remain till first-day morning, and do what I could to help them. I spent three days in constant discourse upon the truths of our faith. It was a season of great interest to me. Sister Revel has stood firm for the truth of God during many years, in the midst of great opposition. She is, I believe, a person of real piety; and her interest in understanding the word of God is very great. In this respect I have not often seen her equal. Within a year past, another sister has united with Sister R. to keep the Sabbath. The son of Sister R. has taken a full course of collegiate and theological instruction under the direction of the modern Waldensian church, which is Presbyterian in doctrine. I conversed with him considerably, and have sent him some of our best publications in English, as he can read that language. I found in the village of Torre Pellice a man who understands the reasons of our faith in almost every point, and I may say truthfully he understands the subject better than some of our old brethren in America. He was instructed by Elder C. and for a time observed the Sabbath. Though he is very poor, yet he had so much interest to hear that he hired some one to take his place in the silk factory where he works, and he devoted his time to listening and asking questions. He fully believes the truth and sincerely desires to obey. I think he will soon do it; yet to do it cuts him off from every means to earn his daily bread. His wife is a Catholic, but she is quite convinced of the truth. They have two small children. By commencing at five in the morning and working till seven in the evening he can earn forty cents. At Torre Pellice I also met Elder Ferroris, who kept the Sabbath for a time and then gave it up. He seemed very glad to see me; and we had much conversation concerning the truth. He professes still to have a great interest for the Sabbath and the Advent faith, and wished me to tell the brethren that he still feels a great regard for them. I am persuaded that much good can be done in this part of Italy. It is the country of the ancient Waldenses, and is situated at the foot of the Alps. I have never seen a more beautiful valley. I hope some man of God may soon enter this field. On first-day morning I set out for Turin, and at T. took the train direct for Valence. The route is by the way of Mont Cenis tunnel. This tunnel is about eight miles in length, and requires some forty minutes for the passage. The train took me no farther than Grenoble that night. To show what a system of espionage exists in France at the present time, I will state that I was asked to write in the hotel register, not only my name, but also my age, my business, my residence, the place where I spent the previous night, how long I intended to stay in Grenoble, what place I was going to, and whether I had a passport. They told me that each morning the police came in to read their register. I have never seen the equal of this before. From Grenoble I came direct to Valence. One or two persons have commenced to keep the Sabbath since I was here on my way to Naples. This time we had a baptism in which eight persons were planted in the likeness of Christ's death. We found a retired place about one mile from the city by the side of the Rhone, and here we assembled with some degree of caution lest the police should break up the service. After this we celebrated the ordinances at the house of Brother Gabert. It was a day of great interest. Probably within a few days there will be another baptism. Brother Bourdeau has made a great effort to strengthen the hands of those who have begun to keep the Sabbath, so that they may stand firm in the truth without his presence. He thinks they are now able to do this. The difficulties in the way of preaching and distributing tracts have greatly increased since President MacMahon has commenced his public efforts to overthrow the French republic and re-establish the empire. After much prayerful consideration, Brother B. and myself are both agreed that the time has come when he should change from France to Switzerland. Even our friends at Valence freely acquiesce in the change. It was therefore judged best that Brother B. should accompany me to Southern Switzerland, and that we should seek a place for the location of his family and the commencement of public labor in French Switzerland. We asked divine direction, and it seemed to us that we had it in the choice of the village of Morges, on Lake Geneva, near the city of Lausanne. Here we found a good place for his family at a reasonable rent. This is a village of 3000 inhabitants, and everything is apparently favorable for an effort at this point. Brother B. returned to France for his family, and I returned to Bale to get out the second number of the new volume of our paper. I hope to spend much time with Brother B. in his labors in this new field. Is there no good man to join Brother Ribton in the work in Naples? There are many English to hear the word of God in Naples, and Brother R. can readily translate if Italians are present. When on my way to Naples I was obliged to stop one night at Pisa. Here I saw something worthy of mention. In this city is a large marble edifice built in the twelfth century. It is in the form of an immense bell. It has nothing within it except a pulpit and a place for baptism. There are no seats and no galleries, but near the pulpit upon an elevation of two or three steps from the general level of the floor is a large font for immersion! It is nearly twelve feet square and some four feet in height, and was entered by means of steps. The first thing said to me by the man who has charge of the building was this: “You see that it was the custom of the church to baptize by immersion when this baptistery was built.” The Church of Rome has great veneration for sacred buildings, and little for God’s ordinances; so she has sacredly preserved this ancient font for immersion and sacrilegiously substituted sprinkling in place of burial in baptism. This font now stands empty, but in the top of the wall of the font they have cut a small cavity capable of holding a few quarts of water, and from this little font in the top of the wall of the other the priest now sprinkles the people! It is very expressive to see this font for immersion, and the little font in its top for sprinkling. If the Catholic church had continued the practice of immersion until after the Protestant reformation, all the Protestants would have been Baptists. But the truth is, that between the time when this church was built and the time of the Reformation sprinkling took the place of immersion, and so the Protestants brought with them from Rome sprinkling for baptism and now they have the difficult task of proving that sprinkling is ordained in the Bible. The Vermont Camp-Meeting.
By Uriah Smith
The ground selected for this meeting, near the village of Morrisville, was very beautiful. The executive and camp-meeting committees spared no pains to make the arrangements complete and the meeting attractive in all its features. The people of that vicinity were surprised at the preparations, and still more surprised at the meeting. The Methodists had held a camp-meeting but a short distance from our ground only two weeks before; and an effort was made by some to convey the idea that the meeting of the Adventists would be only a “pocket camp-meeting,” which it would not be worth while for the people to interest themselves301in very much. But when on Sunday it proved to be the largest gathering ever held in Lamoille county, that illusion was effectually dispelled. A visit to that Methodist camp-ground and a careful noting of its location, arrangement, accommodations, and various appointments, in comparison with the arrangements made by our people at Morrisville, would be a profitable lesson for any one. We cannot be too thankful that when the camp-meeting era among S. D. Adventists was inaugurated by Brother White, he took care, with his usual clearness and foresight, that order, neatness, system, and liberality should be cardinal features of these occasions. It is this that has given to our meetings much of their efficiency and good results. It seemed to be especially so in the present instance. The large circle was well filled with tents, and the attendance of brethren and sisters was larger than usual. Seats were provided for 2,500 people at the main stand in the center of the ground, while the 60 ft. tent was provided with seats and a stand, to be used in case of rain. Brother and Sister White and Brother Haskell were at this meeting, to the great joy of the brethren. Sabbath, September 8, the day appointed as a fast day with especial reference to Brother White’s state of health, was observed on the camp-ground. It was a good day. There was freedom in prayer, and good tokens that these prayers were not in vain. The Lord’s blessing was with his people in large measure. Sabbath afternoon Sister White spoke with great freedom and effect. About one hundred came forward for prayers, manifesting deep feeling and an earnest purpose to seek the Lord. Sunday afternoon she spoke on the subject of temperance. It was one of her best efforts on that question; and, judging from the action of the people while she was speaking, and their remarks afterward, it was just what they wanted to hear. The audience of full three thousand, hundreds of whom could not find seats, were held as if spell-bound. Those who were seated listened attentively, and those who were standing, stood almost motionless during the hour and a half of the discourse. Those not of our faith pronounced it the best discourse ever given in that county. On Monday twenty candidates presented themselves for baptism; but as some of these were living where they would soon have an opportunity of going forward in that ordinance at their own homes, their cases were deferred. Thirteen were baptized by Brethren Hutchins and Bourdeau in the Lamoille river, near by the ground. The outside interest was good and increased to the close, and an excellent impression has been left by the meeting. More than this, conviction has been left on many minds, according to their own acknowledgment, that we have the truth. We were happy to meet some good souls from the ranks of the First-day Adventists, who here committed themselves upon the truths of the third angel’s message. The brethren consider it the best meeting ever held in Vermont, and are greatly cheered and encouraged as the result. U. S.