Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-02
THE MANIACps SERMON.
A CAMP MEETING INCIDENT.

- " A0A - 49, 0N%A IL 1A%A0A ~ Ah& I
the forenoon, and the horn had been
pie locked into the meeting by thousands,
for a very popular divine was to preach
at that hour.
The eloquent minister arose. All was
instantly hushed. and the stiffness oil
midnight reigned in that vast assemblage.
He opened a book and read therefrom,
softly, sweetly, unsteady, a hymn, which
he requested the congregation to sing.
The music of a camp meeting Who
that has ever heard it has not paused TO
drink the rich melody lnro his soul p
It comes with a grandeur, yet s~oftness
aud sweetness that can be heard no where
else. The measured strains Of a multi
tude of voices, united in charming melo
dy: and unbroken by walls, swell in sol
ema grandeur, and roll delicionsly
through the forests, awakening re-echoing
cadences on every hand, and
"Untwisting all the chains that tie
The hidden soul Of harmony" |
After the hymn had been u the min
lister offered up a brief, eloquent prayer,
and then resumed his seat. He had
taken the Bible on his knee and was
searching for his text, when he and the
whole congregation were startled BY the
appearance OF Maniac Smith.
The young lunatic, who was known 10
nearly all present, assembled the pulpit
with folded arms, bowed head, and slow
and steady pace. Facing the immense
congregation, he gazed carefully around
and amid breathless silence spread forth
his hands, and in the most thrilling man
ner said
Your music is the music Of heaven.
The pretty birds in yonder tree tops
are bearing it with their songs to the
lips of angels above, who will convey it
as sweet incense to the O~mnipotent
throne of God. Joy is thine 0 Israeli
You possess the living soul, that ~rejoices
in the glory Of immortality. My soul is
dead A cherished child Of piety, | be-
came recreant to the God who gave me be-
ing, and sold my lite, my happiness, my i'm
mortality to the Prince Of Darkness
Like the traveller who has a trodden
path before him, but is attracted to dan
gerous places by the gaudy show of some
poisonous flower, | have wandered to my
death Ny feet were placed in the
straight and narrow way, we're covered
with sandals of piety, and the christian
staff was placed in my hands, and yet, OIL
God | wandered to my death. The
gaudy baubles OF vice, the snowy, yet
thorny flowers of wickedness drew me
aside. | felt the smooth surface, and as
cended to mountains of trouble, and yet
| gained net the object of my pursuit.
On | dashed, reckless and Indifferent to
my fate. The wicked one, who sought
my destruction, led me on, and / cursed
with femorse following. | knew | was
plunging into ruin, but with a soul al
ready accursed, what cared /? Volun-
tarily | had sought death, and it came.
1t was n night, and oh a fearful night
ii was to me. Exhausted, doomed, and
accursed, | was still clambering up the
mountain of sin. / came to a ehasm,
deep and fearful. The lightnings of
heaven flashed about me, and the thunder
OF Ompipotence pealed in my ears.
felt myself moving towards that fearful
chasn! Death, eternal death, started
me in the face, and | screamed piteously
for help. No one came to aid me. MY
SOhlPdhAOAS IA WIG lStCaCO uOG W lily
cries, and he to whom | sold ny soul de
rided me in mockery | | was moved on
nearer and nearer the precipice. Fran
tically | grasped each shrub and rocky
prominence which lay In my way, but
they crumbled in my hands. | reached
the edge Of the precipicel / glanced
into the deep abyss Of death | Oh ter
ror, terror! plead heaven fer mercy,
but great God it was too late!
My sin covered soul trembled with
the agony it suffered, and was piteous in
its appeals. But the thunder told me,
Too late" and gracious heavens, my
own cowardly soul told me Too late p
l felt myself going over the precipice. l
chung with tenacity to everything within
my reach, but nothing could save me-
| shrieked | ~groanedl Down to per-
dition went my soulp'
Here the maniac paused. His vivid
portraiture Of his career had startled the
whole congregation, some Of whom
shrieked outright as he represented his
souls frightful descent into perdition.
He paused a minute only. Then calm
again, he softly said
Il am living without a soul You
people Of God may sing your praises, for
it is as sweet insence to your souls. But
you sinners must repent or go after mine
over that deep, dark, fearful abyss into
hell! Will you repent, or go with me
into eternal perdition
The effect Of this was more than terrif-
ic. Screams and groans arose from the
gay and giddy in the congregation.
A year or tive before, this young man
was brought home one evening insensible
drunk. The next morning found him
the victim Of a terrible fever broughto on by
his sensual indulgences and ~.extravagant
course Of life. OF that fever he was after
many fearful days, and much tender care
by his relatives, cured, but it left him
a raying maniac. So fearful were his
mad efforts, it became necessary to con-
6ne him in a Lunatic Asylum, to keep
him from perpetrating mischief on him
self and others. He remained there till
within a few weeks of the camp-meeting,
when he became sufficiently restored to
be returned to the custody OF his family.
He was still insane, but he was mild and
~obedient, and under those circumstances
he was taken with the family to the
camp.meeting, the utmost vigilance being
exercised over him.
Young men beware of the cup, the de-
stroyer Of the body, and still worse, the
destroyer of the soul.-Cancanadta IsnaeS.