The Portland daily press., 1878-08-29
WEDNESDAY,

on the preceding two days very pleasant. Some
four hundred attended the "half past five
meeting"
At half past eight the several social services
were held at the more !prucipal tents, as
usual. In this connection we would say that
the largest social meetings are those held at the
Massachusetts, mission tent, under the excellent
lead of Elder James Hemenway of Athol
Mass, where thus far during meeting abou,
LOO have manifested desire to be prayed for.
At 10 o'clock large concourse of people
gathered at the stand for the forenoon preach
Ing service which was presided over by Elder
Barnes. This service opened by the singing Of
that excellent hymn, "Just as L am, without
one plea" after which prayer was offered by
Elder Levi @. McKinistry of Beebe Plain, P.
u, when after singing again and the annuonce-
ment of some appointments, Elder Matthew
Bachelor of New Bedford, Mass, one of the
aged men of the ministry, proceeded to preach
an excellent discourse upon the great matter of
Lille and DEATH taking as his text Deut 30:
l9-"I call heaven and earth to record this
day against you, that 1 have set before you,
life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore
choose life, that both thou and thy seed may
live,' in which he very clearly presented the
doctrines held by the Advent church in relation
thereto. He commenced by relating the circum-
stances of preaching similar sermon about
"a years ago at camp meeting in Connecticut,
at which several that are present to-day were
present.
he went on to show that man is free
moral agent, free to act for himself, SO endowed
by God He is free to choose as be likes,
either life or death. Man is mortal in his pre-
sent state, caused by the sentence pronounced
upon Adam, but by the death and resurrection
OF Jesus Christ way of escape was provided.
Ii man sins, he chooses death and consequently
the death of Christ is of no virtue to him, and
he must suffer the consequence, by being cast
into the lake of fire (actuaD which is the
second death, which is an absolute death
becoming as nothing; but if he chooses life, by
practically laying hold by faith upon Jesus
Christ, he will receive Immortality and eternal
life, to be enjoyed not in a spiritual but
literal sense, in "Eden restored" which hath
foundations (real land.) These will take
place at the second personal coming of Christ,
to judgment, which is very near at hand. He
strongly urged upon sinners the Importance of
laying hold by faith upon Jesus Christ, without
delay, if they would escape death and gain
Immortality and eternal life.
He also earnestly exhorted his preaching
brethren to be sure aud preach Jesus Christ in
all their sermons. His discourse was followed
as most OF the morning discourses are by
several earnest exhortations,
At one o'clock another large and interesting
children's meeting was held at the stand, led
by Elder Barnes. The usual "chalk-talk'' &C.
CURED.
The children have made up private collec-
ton and purchased number of usefnl books
for Elder Waite, their "chalk-talk" friend.
At these meetings today and yesterday, col
lections have been taken; wherewith to pur-
chase notices for the children attending these
meetings. A small Bible, which was found in
yesterdays collection. was presented to little
three year old girl, the youngest child in the
audience at today's meeting.
at the same hour one person from Ports
mouth, N. H., was baptised by Elder Calvin S.
Shattuck of Beebe Plain, P. @, in the lake
near the railroad shops.
At the O'Clock service at the stand, PRAYER
was offered by Elder George r. Kramer of
Wilmington, Del. The sermon which was
very able discourse on "phophecy" was preach
cd by President Couch. He took as his text
part OF Dan. ii, "A: "And in the days of these
kings shall the God of heaven set up king
DOM" He commenced by saying the text was
given to locate an event, and when we use the
text 1t is for this object; and from this he went
on in very scholarly and thorough manner to
locate it, during which he very fully considered
the recent and present political events tran
spring in Europe, and their bearing upon the
location of this event, concluding by saving
that what we may now expect is great uproar
in the East, and that in connection with this
we may expect the fulflment of the saying of
the text. In view of this, in closing, be earn
estly exhorted the large congregation to the
end that they might be prepared for it. At
the close of this service social services were
held as usual.
We understand that quite number are be-
ing converted.
On entering the camp ground from the depot
entrance, one passes up broad, billy, very
nicely laid out and we'll kept road, with build
ings (tents) stretched along on either side, and
which is named Broadway" for about thirty
or forty rods, when. before reaching the grove
where most OF the tents are, piece of ground
about 20 rods long and varying from about to
wide, with buildings (tents) on either side,
and which is used as common, is reached;
and here, after meal times, particularly from
after ten until meeting time, some hundreds
and at times thousands can be seen, some sit
ting at their windo ws, others sitting at their
doors and others sitting on benches outside,
Others promenading back and forth, and still
others gathered together in couples and groups
talking, and other groups singing. And as the
evening sun pours its unobstructed rays down
upon this peaceful scene, it carries the mird
forward to the peaceful scenes of eide re-
stored"