Morning herald., 1839-09-18


efforts Of the great religious parties Of that period
bad merged int ssrdid. and in sens instances
Satanic, struggle for pswer and emolsnent. The
bsk OF these sects wers destitute Of the least spark
OF generous spirit or pure religious impulse; and IN
short were in state Of the greatest moral degrade
tion Wesley and Whitfield burst with flood Of light
and truth, and moral courage, and honesty upon the
world at this crisis. and gave new impulse to the
energies OF all classes and particularly did they i'm
part high moral and religious spirit to the lower
classes aliover the British empre and throughtheir
agency, to the world at large. Thus acted Wesley
and Whitfield from the sincere love they had for the
simple and pure precepts of the Christian religion;
they had host Of enemies to contend against; un-
stable friends, avowed enemies, open and acknow-
edged infdels and worst of all ahypocrcal professors
but they fought the good fight finished their courses
and verify they have their reward
Look over the history of Methodsmfrom its foun-
dation, lilo years since, and see how horribly the
modern clergy of that sect have degenerated from
the principles of its great founder Look at the folly
and charIatanism with which it is loaded in the pre-
sent day. and say if it does not require wholesome
and efectual reformation. Look at the early history
Of camp meetings, as established by the meek and
holy founder Of Christianity, when he first held forth
to them on the plains the hills in the woods of
Judea The leaders, and preachers, and pure spirits,
who presided the primitive camp-meetings, took
no thought what they should eat or what they should
drink, or wherewithal they should be clothed. They
did not consider-as do the modern camp-meeting
members-the concerns of the body as of more mo.
ment than the of the soul They did not
load wagons and charter steamboats, with feather
bed, and purple and fine lnen servants and
goody raiment, and beef, and ham, and cider, and
-ulL a...ln lrka lot<
and cocoa and Coffee and cologne and Macassar oil,
and perfumery and Silks and the choicest fruits Of
the earth and every luxury of fe but they went out
on the spur and impulse Of the moment, when called
by their Creator to worship Him far from the mad
dening crowds ignoble strfe," in the broad green.
owery temples of nature, with neither fretted roof
nor sculptured dome but the bright, blue canopy of
creation for covering. Then, indeed, religion
properly understood, and properly practsed; and so
il should be in the present day.
Religions ustre is by native innocence
Dviney fair, pure, and simple from all arts;
You daub and dress her like common mistress,
The harlot Of your fancies and by adding
False beauties which she wants not, make the world
Suspect her angel face is foul withia
Look at the whole tenor Of the Christian religion
as taught, promulgated and practised by the meek
and blessed Jesus, compared with that of the pre-
sent day, how lamentsbly deficient is the latter
ties and primitive christians possessed for the prac-
tice Of pety. They walked nearer 20 God, only be-
cause their lives were purer than those OF modern
professors. We have the same all vivfying sun, the
same bright canopy, the sky, the star light, the
woods the groves the fields the sunlight, the forest
shade, the blessed air. the solemn, ever sounding,
sea- the balmy infaenees of the pure atmosphere Of
the silver lamp Of night, the everlasting
hills beautifully spoken Of by the early Christians
in their ny INNS, when they sung
For The storms, u whose free piaions,
Thy spirit walks abroad:
For the strength Of the hills we bless thee,
Our God, our f.ther's God"
And over and above all this, have the same right
md guide Of the gospel-the holy blessed Bible.
Lastly, let us look at the Sermon the Mount |
What pattern for preachers Of all denominations to
he end Of Time What prscepts for the spread of
voence the practice Of piety, and the propaga-
lion Of the pure principles Of Christianity What a
mass OF good sense does that single sermon contain,
locking at il in worldly point of view, without
he slightest stain Of folly oranatcsm And in its de-
livery, it was equally different from the sermons
,f the present degenerate day il in its lofty
md holy sentiments. There was no brawling and
,awling there; no haooing and shouting like drunk
IN or nuriated fools And not trace Of the ridicu
ous scene enacted in the present day at most Of
lhose meetings Wnere processing SnTisuans ASSEM-
ble to worship God IN his great temple OF nature
-inNhe wilderness-by the margin Of quiet stream
OR the sunny hill side-or beneath the broad en-
towering foliage Of his green forest trees But
all is purity, piety, and peace
Such. in humble aud sinful dsment, is true
religion should be- such 10 the philosophy
sf camp meetings. The Methodists, as a body at
the present day, at the expiration Of hundred years
have degenerated to the same degraded moral and
religious state in which the Epscopalians and Pres
byterians immersed, at the founding Of the new
form Of religion BY those great champions Of Christ,
Wesley and Whitfield. IL is true, there are ex
ceptions, many high and honorable ones, among the
eat body Of enlightened Methodists Of this great
city and country. portion Of the same pure spi-
rit exists amongst Of the sincere and sensible
members Of the Methodist Church; but the rank
weeds Of folly, and bisotry, and ignorance fast
encircling them. The clergy are, we sorry to
say increasing, instead Of dispelling the darkness
II is high time, therefore, for the sake Of Chris
tanity for the sake Of true religion for the sake
Of the sacred memories Of Wesley and whitfield,
and fer the sake Of those few faithful followers Of
Jesus still to be found in the Methodist church-to
organise great moral and religious resistance TO
the tyranny, cupidty, expressions, ignorance and
corruptions Of the clergy, and infuse a spirit
into the highly honorable sect Of Wesleyan Method