Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-09-01
Camp Meeting at sterling junction.

On Thursday evening, the state of feeling
in the congregation, which had been depressed
in the afternoon under the solemn service, be.
came more tranquil. The sermon by Rev.
Mr.. Dorchester of New Worcester, founded
on Revelations, 22:17-"The spirit and the
bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say
come, &C., was full of good thought as well
as pervaded by an earnest though quiet spirit
1t embraced the following points Il. The
blessings proffered in the text-viz, spiritual
life or pure religion 1t is that life in the soul
of man springing from the indwelling of SUI
pernatural, divine spirit The fact that this
life is profered TO the world implies that the
world is spiritually dead. This is corroborat-
cd first by the fact that we see no form of spir-
itual life in any other portion Of the world eX-
cept where the church annually recruits new
spiritual health. q The agents employed in
inviting man to these blessings were detailed,
viz, first, the spirit, and secondly, the bride or
church Christ desires to have those employ
ed in extending the invitations, who have ex-
perienced the benefits of religion themselves.
Let him that heareth say Come" The great
business of the church is to invite man to
Christ. g. The gracious terms on which it is
profered, viz, first, consciousness of need is
the preparation for seeking it. Let him that
is athirst come" Secondly, there are no rea-
sons Of an individual or personal character, or
growing out of the sovereignty of God, which
stand in the way of any man. Thirdly, it is
IN oil Win will 10 -
The whole responsibility devolves upon the
individual t0iN which God cannot force. a. We
are to take it by faith ; and the graciousness
of the terms is further seen from the fact that
to the penitem there is no difficulty or mysteri
business about faith it is easy and tangible to
the man who seeks God with all has heart"
5. These blessings are prevented as gratui-
ty: Take the water of life freely"
FIFTH DAY.
Friday morning, though somewhat overcast
with clouds, was yet mild and afforded fine
opportunity for public service, in which the
voice of devotion mingled with the gentle
breeze springing up from the earth and rust.
ling the leaves of the forest. AT 8 O'Clock
| public love-feast was held at the stand, which
| proved an occasion of interest to all present
Some two hundred spoke briefly within the
hour and half allotted for the service ex-
pressing their present hopes, or joys, or their
past experience of the Christian life AT the
usual hour preaching was had at the stand, a
very able sermon being delivered by Rev. Mr..
Sergeant of Lynn, founded on l Thess 5.23 ::
"The very God OF peace sanctify you wholly"
&c. The theme was, as the text indicates, the
Methodist doctrine Of qualification, defining,
l. Its nature, or what the Metbodists mean by
it, not mere conservation, but such renova
ton of the affections as to enable the soul to
keep the moral law summed up in the brief
formulary, Chou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart" &c. 2. Its extent,
which may be partial OF entire While in
most cases it is partial, the speaker held that
il might be entire in this life and in many
cases was so. 3. The evidences of its attain
ment, which he stated to be the fact, that the
soul had power over sin, full confidence in
God, and disposition to promote peace
among men. AT the close of the sermon seek
ers were invited to the altar, some tw enty.ive
complying
In the afternoon service the sermon was
preached by Rev. Mr.. Davis of Illinois, man
ofgreat ability and power. His text was from
John 3S "The wind boweth where it list
eth thou nearest the sound thereof but cans t
not tell whence it conleth nor whittier it go.
eth The subject was, degeneration" no.
uclng, l. Its nature, consisting in no merely
external habits or a change of purpose or will,
but in renovation of the affections, made so
by some power, outside of the soul itself 2.
The agency by which the work is effected, and
il can be no less than he who created the
soul and made the world. 3. The oy-
licences that it has been attaned.-
These consist, first, in the fruits of the
spirit, as those holy dispositions result
ing from the spirits influence on the SOUL but
as this evidence does not reach far enough to
satisfy the wants of the soul, there is, second
the direct witness of the spirit with the soul
Of the believer. In this last part of the sub.
ject, he rose to point Of great power, holding
the audience through the whole, and waking
| up the minds of most causing deep feeling.
AT the close Of the sermon, some twenty.tiv
! or thirty again came to the altar, and an hour