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Meat in Due Season

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 26, 1870

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 36, No. 6.

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Meat in Due Season.

By S. H.

Our meeting was not a camp-meeting, or tent meeting, only a quarterly meeting; but to us who love to be fed with meat in due season, it was truly a feast of fat things, a meeting we shall not soon forget. There are but a few of us in this place, and how we felt to rejoice to see them coming from the hills and valleys to meet with us, until the school-house was filled. In the usual hours of a day meeting, as some said, we heard as good as four sermons such as we sometimes hear. Bro. D. T. Bourdeau whom we esteem and love much for his works’ sake, spoke to us of the commandments of God and faith of Jesus. Rev. 14: 12. Some who are keeping the Lord’s Sabbath had never heard a discourse from this text. Their hearts were filled while he showed us that the commandments, or law, represented, or gave us a knowledge of, God’s character; that his law could no sooner be destroyed than his character; that from the beginning, like God, they were perfect, holy, just, and good; and would remain the same throughout all eternity. He spoke of Adam and Eve the first transgressors; of Cain, the first murderer; of the destruction of nearly all of the inhabitants of the earth for their sins, the transgression of the law; of God’s coming in a dream to Abimelech, king of Gerar, and warning him against transgressing his law; of Joseph, who had a knowledge of the character and commandments of the Most High, and knew how he must live to please God and prosper. Man has known from the beginning the exalted character of his Creator by his commandments.
He spoke of the faith of Jesus. Does our faith in Jesus destroy our exalted views of God’s character, and of the perfectness of his law, and our obligation to obey it? Does it make us think less of the law to have faith in him who has said, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled?” We see from the words of Jesus that God would sooner destroy his works, than his word, or a jot or tittle of his law. But some say that Jesus fulfilled the law, and one of the commandments passed away; others, that Jesus fulfilled them, and that they all passed away or were destroyed; that he gave us the Father’s law again, after changing one commandment for his own glory; establishing a memorial of his own, and leaving his Father without a memorial of his creative work. Did that beloved Son in whom the Father was well pleased, come to destroy that law by which poor, fallen man could only have a knowledge of the character of his Creator? that law which only can make known to the poor heathen idolaters of earth the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Did he come to destroy or remove the blessing from that which his Father had blest, to remove the sanctification from that which his Father had sanctified? Did he come to rob his Father of his memorial of creation? Did he come to rob man of his Creator’s gift, the day God made for man? Was that his mission to earth? How he loves the works of his Father’s hands! To him how exalted is his character! how sacred his laws! He came not to destroy, but to fulfill. He kept his Father’s commands. He fulfilled all righteousness. In him was no sin. In his mouth was no guile. In his life was the law exalted and made honorable. He has commanded us to be perfect, even as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect.
How can we attain to this perfection? By having an understanding of his character. He has given us his law, easy to be understood by those who have the faith and testimony of Jesus, the keeping of which will give us a right to the tree of life, and an entrance through the gates into the city.
After Bro. B.’s sermon, time not being all taken up for the forenoon, Bro. A. C. Bourdeau, for whom we also feel much Christian regard and affection, he having for many years had great interest and care for the church in Vermont, helped us to understand more perfectly the fulfillment of prophecy as represented by the image, beasts, and angels on the chart. Surely we felt that the work of the enemy was almost done; and that the angel of mercy was crying with a loud voice, Get ready. He that tarries will not tarry long. Watch and pray. Be patient. Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
In the afternoon Bro. A. Stone, whom we love as a Father, spoke to us. The Lord gave him freedom in speaking to us of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his promises to his people: not one had failed, not one would ever fail. Praise God.
After his sermon, Bro. D. T. Bourdeau gave a stirring exhortation.
The Spirit of the Lord was with us. We felt that he was knocking at the door of the hearts of backsliders and unbelievers. At the close of the meeting we felt to rejoice as we saw that the brethren and sisters had been strengthened and encouraged, and backsliders made tender and awakened to a sense of their duty. The skeptic spoke of more confidence in God’s word, and of more love and respect for God’s servants. We felt that we had received meat in due season, for which we gave God glory.
But we are looking forward expecting a greater feast than this at the coming camp-meeting. May the Lord give his servants a double portion of his Spirit, that all may be filled. Some are going out of curiosity. May curiosity be turned to interest, and a desire to be fed with the bread of life. Some are going to learn. May light shine upon their pathway, and they be willing to walk in the straight and narrow way. “Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.”
S. H.
Berkshire, Vt.