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Chapter 74—Our Camp Meetings
There can be no influence so detrimental to a camp meeting,
or any other gathering for religious worship, as much visiting and
careless conversation. Frequently men and women assemble in com-
panies, and engage in conversation upon common subjects which
do not relate to the meeting. Some have brought their farms with
them, others have brought their houses, and are laying their plans for
building. Some are dissecting the characters of others and have no
time or disposition to search their own hearts, to discover the defects
in their own characters, that they may correct their wrongs and per-
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fect holiness in the fear of God. If all who profess to be followers of
Christ would improve the time out of meeting in conversing upon the
truth, in dwelling upon the Christian’s hope, in searching their own
hearts, and in earnest prayer before God, pleading for His blessing,
a much greater work would be accomplished than we have yet seen.
Unbelievers, who falsely accuse those who believe the truth, would
be convinced because of their “good conversation in Christ.” Our
words and actions are the fruit we bear; “wherefore by their fruits
ye shall know them.”
God gave direction to the Israelites to assemble before Him at
set periods in the place which He should choose, and observe special
days, wherein no unnecessary work was to be done, but the time
was to be devoted to a consideration of the blessings which He
had bestowed upon them. At these special seasons the manservant
and maidservant, the stranger, the fatherless and widow—all were
directed to rejoice that God had by His own wonderful power brought
them from servile bondage to the enjoyment of freedom. And they
were commanded not to appear before the Lord empty-handed. They
were to bring tokens of their gratitude to God for His continual
mercies and blessings bestowed upon them; they were to bring
gifts, freewill offerings and thank offerings unto the Lord, as He
had blessed them. These offerings were varied according to the
donor’s estimate of the blessings which he was privileged to enjoy.
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