Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-08-13
For the Fayette County Herald.
CAMP MEETINGS.
BY REV. DAVID SMITH.
fCoHeluded,)

fCoHcluded.)
We assume that either camp,
meetings, or some other means oI
grace Of special general interest, is
q permanent want of the Church.
The institutes Of the Israelites indi-
cate this truth. The Lord ordained
for them three great annual festi-
walls, or gatherings of the people,
We allude to the feasts of Passover,
Pentccost and Tabernacle, which
were so ordained as usually to fall
in the months, respectively, of
April, June and September, and
which were to hold a week, or in
the Jewish phrase, eight days. In
these ancient institutions of the
Church of God, it is easy to see a
recognition of the principle that the
Church needs her seasons of pro
tracted and extraordinary meetings,
Of rest from worldly care, and of
worship and devotion to God.
Concerning the feast of Taberna-
cles, the statute ran thus: eye shall
keep it feast unto the Lord seven
days in the year. 1t shall be stat
ute forever in your generations.-|
Ye shall celebrate in the 7th month
We shall dwell in booths (tents) J."
Here, then, we have, by express in
stitutien of God, a religious convo-
cation identical with modern
camp-meeting in its general charac-
teristic fact, viz: that the people
were to leave their dwelling houses
and dwell in tents during the meet
ing.
1t is said that these great festivals
were memorative OF certain great
events in the national history of the
Jews; and this is granted; but it
does not follow that their monu-
mental character exhausts their de-
sign.
The expense of time and money
involved in these great gatherings
would have filled the land with mon
uments and inscriptions, known
and read of all men; and further, it
is a matter of historic record, that
while each Of these celebrations EN-.
braced in its ceremonies some dis
tant allusion to the event it was in
stituted to commemorate, they were
all mainly characterized as seasons
of high national and religious inter-
est, and that their power for good
among the ancient Hebrews, say
principally in their adaptation to
fraternal ties Of union, and
promote strong religious convic-
lions and aspirations among the
people.
The truth is, human life needs to
be dotted over with accessions of
stirring interest. The Journey asks
is milestone; or rather, if you
please, its watering places, Our
nature requires the recurrence, now
ind then, of some event of special
something that shall peer
Up from the dead level of existence
an object for hope to rest upon
n the future--an oasis in the desert
If the remembered past. But it is
'eplied: Granting all this, why will
lot extra meetings held in the
Churches meet this necessity, as
veil as meetings held in the forest? ?
We answer, because l
l. They do not, like camp meet
ngs, call the people away for sue
essive days from their business and {
ares. [
2. They never offer so rich a va
iety Of Ministerial talent, as it rare :
Y happens that more than Two or =
hree preachers can attend a meeting
# that kind simultaneously. q
3. Protracted meetings as they !
re called, do not amount to any !;
hing D ye a general convoca0ion of +
1--..-1-sz =. s Al - - ,,.-L F-ou,