The Camp-Meetings by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 8, 1873

The Camp-Meetings.

By John Nevins Andrews

THESE are, to us, a most important means of grace. They are opportunities in which we may lay aside our ordinary business, and our worldly cares, and give ourselves wholly to the work of seeking God. We have at these meetings the help of those whose testimony in sacred things is most highly esteemed by us. We also meet many of like precious faith, with whom we may unite in earnest prayer for the blessing of Heaven. And here, also, we may be instructed in our duty toward God, and receive the gracious influence of his Spirit. Experience has shown that the camp-meetings afford most precious opportunities in which to seek God for ourselves, and in which, also, to lead our unconverted friends to Christ. We cannot afford to lose these precious privileges. Our worldly concerns are not of sufficient consequence to deprive us of such opportunities for good. The camp-meeting season is already considerably advanced. The reports show that the Lord is still gracious to his people. The Eastern Camp-meetings are all yet to come. In these meetings, we shall miss the services of those who bear the greatest responsibilities in this sacred work, but we shall not find it in vain to take much pains to attend them, if we do truly seek God.

But valuable as are these privileges, unless we are careful they will be wholly lost to us. Satan will find some plausible excuse for us to remain at home; or, he will render us careless, or light, or vain, or fault-finding, or something else, just adapted to our ruin, and so, in one way or another, he will defraud us of the precious blessing of Heaven.

But there are some things which we may do to guard against the snares of Satan. Let us make all our calculations with reference to attending. Let us go, to remain till the meeting closes, even though it be protracted beyond our expectation. And, especially, let us commence now to seek God. This is the main point. Now is the time to put away our worldly-mindedness. And the way to do this is to begin to sacrifice of our means for God. With his blessing, this will prove a sure remedy. Now is the time to put away, and that forever, the spirit of lightness and vanity. Let us, like the psalmist, enter into the sanctuary of God and see the end of the wicked. Let us consider those scriptures which set forth the day of Judgment, and that speak of the strictness of our account. This solemn lesson must be kept always in our minds. As to the spirit of murmuring and fault-finding, nothing but the most complete conversion can cure this. Let us realize how great a work this is, and how necessary it is that it should be wrought.

For once, let us come up to camp-meeting with the best possible preparation on the part of each one. If we have any difficulties, let us settle them now. This is easy when we have the heart to do it. And let us realize that this may be our last privilege of this kind. Let us take with us our unconverted, or partially converted, children and friends. And let us make the salvation of these persons a special object of our personal efforts. The meetings after first-day are the best of all for helping this class if we will only secure them. The whole influence of the previous meetings can then be specially brought to bear to help these persons. It is frequently the best time to gather in a harvest of souls. But many times it is thrown away by the breaking up of the meeting. Shall we not learn by experience? J. N. A.