Experience Meetings

Experience Meetings are assemblies of religious persons, who meet for the purpose of relating their experience to each other." ''They are sometimes called covenant and conference meetings, and, in the Methodist Church, class-meetings (q.v.); It has been doubted by some whether these meetings are of any great utility and whether they do not, in some measure, force people to say more than is true, and put up those with pride who are able to communicate their ideas with facility; but to this it has been answered,

1. That the abuse of a thing is no proof of the evil of it.

2. That the most eminent saints of old did not neglect this practice (Ps 56:13; Mal 3:16).

3. That by a wise and prudent relation of experience the Christian is led to see that others have participated of the same joys and sorrows with himself; he is excited to love and serve God; and animated to perseverance in duty by finding that others, of like passions with himself, are zealous, active, and diligent.

4. That the Scriptures seem to enjoin the frequent intercourse of Christians for the purpose of strengthening each other in religious services (Heb 10:24-25; Col 3:16; Mt 18:20)." SEE CLASS-MEETINGS.