Circuses and Camp-meetings.
By D. T. Bourdeau
The other day, while on my way to this place I passed through Richmond, Vermont, where we design holding our forth-coming camp-meeting, and where a large circus and caravan was being held. People of every age and every caste, were rushing in from every direction. The roads were crowded. We met sixty teams in going two miles on a country road. With a few exceptions those we met were full of hilarity and glee, and showed vanity and extravagance in dress. The question arose in my mind, Why are so many people coming together? and the answer returned to this question was: Some go to see the animals; but the majority go to enjoy vain pleasures, growing out of foolish talk and actions. The following words of Christ came forcibly to my mind: “Woe unto you that laugh now; for ye shall mourn and weep.” “Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh.” Luke 6:25, 21. Better be weeping over our sins than to be laughing over sin and folly, yet we may and should rejoice in the Lord, in view of his goodness and of the prospect that is before the righteous. The pleasures of sin are but for a season, and in sorrow and woe. They grow out of the perverted use of our faculties, and are therefore imperfect, and leave a void behind. But the pleasures of righteousness grow out of a proper use of all our powers, especially of those higher faculties that unite us to man, to God, and to Heaven. They are therefore of a higher type than the pleasures of sin, and will continue while the ages of eternity roll. Though it may be lawful under certain circumstances to go and see animals, yet but few Christians can go to a combined caravan and circus without committing sin by coming under a vain and foolish spirit. Therefore, though I once went to a caravan, yet I have never felt free to go to a circus, lest my example should lead weak brethren to sin. I do not think the Man of Calvary, the “Man of sorrows,” who was often seen weeping would be seen at a circus if he were on earth, unless it were to reprove sin; and where Jesus would not be found, I cannot go. Again, were Christ to appear at once to the thousands who assemble at shows, how many would be found ready to exclaim: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: . . . ; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa. 25:9. I do not claim there are no honest souls or even Christians who attend these gatherings. But such Christians as attend them from a want of knowledge and experience, do it with a sense that all is not right, and they feel worse when the excitement is over than they did before they went. This was illustrated by an aged man we met on his way to the circus. Said he to us, “You are going in the wrong direction.” I replied, I think not. He rejoined, “You are right, you are wise, and we are all fools.” We took especial pains to advertise another show of a different nature to be held at Richmond soon. But there are some good lessons to be learned even from circuses. There is wisdom used in the management of those gatherings. First, they advertise thoroughly and very often exaggerate. We should always be thorough in advertising our camp-meeting, and should not leave this work with those who have no special interest in our views. The camp-meeting committee should see to it that our hand-bills be put up in at least twenty-five post-offices and at fifty or one hundred points away from post-offices, besides being published in two or three county papers. Brethren, let us be thorough in this thing. We have truths of infinite magnitude and importance, and cannot exaggerate in advertising them. And this work should be done at once, for the camp-meeting will soon be upon us. Let us spare no pains to make it attractive. Let not the men of this world be wiser in this respect than the children of light. Let dress and demeanor be a reproof to the pride and folly of the age. Let us be as ready to use our means in the worship of God and to advance his cause as worldlings are to use theirs in worldly pleasure. And as we do all we can on our part, God grant that we may have a good camp-meeting. Lincoln, Vt., June 25, 1872.