The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-29
SEVENTH DAY ApvENTIsTs.
Interesting Exercises Yesterday
Plain Talk to the Church.

This morning the sun arose in beauty and
the camp was flooded with light and glad
ness
AT nine o'clock an interesting missionary
meeting was held. The subject of city mis-
sions was considered at length. The plan
practiced by this denomination is for bands
of trained workers to enter cities and canvass
for publications in a way to become ac-
quainted with the intelligent part of the pop
ulation, then by means of Bible readings
held In private families, to appeal to the
reason OF the people, and invite their careful
attention to Scripture truths They have
missions in Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis,
New York, San Francisco, Syracuse, Buffalo,
New Orleans, Portland, etc.
At $780, Ed. George l. Butler from Michi-
gan, President of the Seventh Day Adven-
tist General Conference, gave an interesting
discourse from the words "Cry aloud, spare
not, lift up thy voice like trumpet, and
show my people their transgression and the
house of Jacob their sins" Isa. 5S:1.,
The speaker gave the text special appli-
cation to the children of God in the last gen
Grafton before the coming of Christ. The
work of the churches in these days was de-
clared to be work of reform, calling the at
tention OF the people to down-trodden truths.
The great apostacy in the religious world,
since apostolic times, was referred to and
the necessity of return to the old paths
shown The remark was made that the man
who dares in this age of the world to take
the Bible as his standard and live up to its
sacred truths, becomes a marked man, pecul-
lar in his views, and different from the mass
es in his life A most searching testimony
was given the church concerning the import
ance of wakefulness, earneStness and heart
felt devotion in the cause of God.
The fact that the leading man in the
Seventh Day Adventist's Conference feels it
his duty to speak plain, pointed words to his
own people, is significant and shows that
the aim and object of the organization is not
only to preach reform to others, but also to
manifest its practical workings in their own
midst Ed. Butler remarked that he had
not come here to flatter the church and hurl
Gods warnings at the world, but he designed
to speak the plain unvarniShed truth to all.
In the afternoon Ed. Farnsworth spoke in
regard to the Development of Character"
The following are few of the thoughts ex-
pressed
Faith is good, but character is needed as well as
faith. Character has been defined to be a bundle
of habits 1t is something which every man must
form for himself. AS an edifce is erected, brick
by brick. SO character is formed, act by act.
1t is of the utmost Importance that the mind
be early trained to habits of purity and holiness.
1t is almost impossible to change character
moulded by years of sin, but the grace of God will
help man to overcome. AS the architect gives his
workmen draft by which to build an edifce, so
God has given the world standard by which to
form character. The law OF the Lord Is perfect.
Perfect conformity to perfect law Will form
perfect character Christ is not coming the second
time to make Christians, but to reward those who
have developed righteous characters
As the sun sank in the West last night the
tenters gathered in their canvas temple and
ushered in the hours of the Seventh Day
Sabbath with prayer and songs of praise.
At 7.30, Ed. Van Horn preached in regard
TO the proper observance Of the Sabbath, us
ing the fourth commandment as a text. Acts
of mercy and necessity on that day were ap-
proved while visiting, feasting and foolish
conversation we're denounced. Remarks were
made in regard to the fact that the Sabbath
is memorial of creation. The time to begin
the Sabbath was shown as follows: The
day begins with the evening. Gen. 20, and
the evening begins at sunset. Mark l 80.
After the sermon note was read from an
outsider asking an explanation of the follow
ing text of Scripture: LET no man there
fore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in
respect of an holy day, or of the new moon,
or of the Sabbath days" Col 2:16.
The Elder said that the next verse to the
one read would explain the matter, viz:
(which are a shadow of things to come; but
the body is of Christ" Col 2:17. There
were in the old dispensation certain annual
Sabbaths which were shadows of things to
come. Lev. 23:24 These Sabbaths ceased
at the Cross Of Christ, and are the ones re-
ferred to in the text The Sabbath of the
Lord is a memorial of past event, and not
shadow of the body Of Christ.
Sunday will be the great day in camp, if
the weather is favorable. The sermons will
be of special interest to the public on that