The Camp Meeting
The camp meeting is one of the most important agencies in our
work. It is one of the most effective methods of arresting the attention
of the people and reaching all classes with the gospel invitation. The
time in which we live is a time of intense excitement. Ambition and
war, pleasure and money-making, absorb the minds of men. Satan sees
that his time is short, and he has set all his agencies at work, that men
may be deceived, deluded, occupied, and entranced, until probation
shall be ended and the door of mercy be forever shut. It is our work
to give to the whole world—to every nation, kindred, tongue, and
people—the saving truths of the third angel’s message. But it has been
a difficult problem to know how to reach the people in the great centers
of population. We are not allowed entrance to the churches. In the
cities the large halls are expensive, and in most cases but few will come
out to the best halls. We have been spoken against by those who were
not acquainted with us. The reasons of our faith are not understood by
the people, and we have been regarded as fanatics who were ignorantly
keeping Saturday for Sunday. In our work we have been perplexed to
know how to break through the barriers of worldliness and prejudice,
and bring before the people the precious truth which means so much
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to them. The Lord has instructed us that the camp meeting is one of
the most important instrumentalities for the accomplishment of this
work.
We must plan wisely, that the people may have an opportunity of
hearing for themselves the last message of mercy to the world. The
people should be warned to make ready for the great day of God, which
is right upon them. We have no time to lose. We must do our utmost
to reach men where they are. The world is now reaching the boundary
line in impenitence and disregard for the laws of the government of
God. In every city of our world the warning must be proclaimed. All
that can be done should be done without delay.
And our camp meetings have another object, preparatory to this.
They are to promote spiritual life among our own people. The world
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