Spiritual Advancement the Object of Camp-Meetings

Effect of Too Much Preaching

There is another point I want to speak about: it is about the preaching at our camp-meetings. There is twice the amount of preaching at our camp-meetings that there ought to be. Many smaller matters that lead to things of greater importance, are utterly neglected. The idea seems to be only to preach. And the ministers are so tired that when it comes to looking after the little points that need to be guarded.—which points would close the door to larger evils.—they have no vitality, no time to meditate and pray, and keep themselves in the love of God during the meetings. PH089 35.2

The sermon should come, not from a mechanical heart, but from a heart that is filled with the love of God, and is subdued and softened by his grace; so that when you speak, the angels of God are enlisted on your side, and Christ is on your side, and it is Christ that makes the impression. Now these things have been neglected at our camp-meetings. We have lost two thirds of all that the camp-meetings were designed to accomplish. The idea seems to be woven into the minds of some that all they have to do is to sermonize, sermonize. While sermons are good in their place, there is sermon after sermon given to the people that they cannot retain in their minds; it is an impossibility for them to do it: and they are just wearied out with sermons. PH089 36.1