Signs of the Times, Book 1 - Ellen G. White

October 19, 1876
Incidents of the Michigan Camp-Meeting
This is the largest gathering of Sabbath-keepers we have yet seen.
Although there has been a great amount of business to be done, it has been
accomplished with efficiency and dispatch, no disagreeable hindrances
occurring to block the wheels. Very many excellent discourses have been
given, presenting to the people the truths so important for this time.
On Thursday, after speaking from the third and fourth chapters of
Malachi, we invited those who had made no profession and those who were
backslidden and had lost their evidences of God's love for them, to come
forward and seek the Lord by confession and repentance. About three
hundred accepted the invitation. Opportunity was given them to express their
feelings and desires. Many testimonies of confession were made with deep
feeling. Fathers and mothers owned to a neglect of duty towards their
children in not giving them the care and instruction which it was their duty to
give. It touched my heart to hear the many testimonies from the lips of those
who were babes in the truth. Some had kept but a single Sabbath, while
others had observed two, four, or six. They were rejoicing in the truth, but
were not satisfied with their present attainments, and expressed a
determination to reach a higher standard.
My mother heart was stirred to see the children pressing in their
testimonies, many lifting the cross for the first time. One of these was a boy
ten years of age, and I have never seen persons of mature age manifest
deeper soul-conflict than this tender child. His face was deadly pale, and
indicated the deepest feeling; he had never before spoken on such an
occasion, and could say but a few words; he wanted to be a Christian and to
be saved in Heaven.
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