Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-29
Sterling Cnmp Meeting.


Thursday evening very large gathering,
though somewhat diminished from the assem-
blage of the previous day, collected at the
stand the attend the service of the evening.
| The presiding elder announced a Glove feast
for the following morning, and expressed the
hope that ''pentecostal season" might be
experienced. "But" he added, "we don't
want to reserve all the pentecost for the
love feast You will therefor have the pleas
ure of hearing the word of the Lord from the
Rev. Mr.. Peniicust OF Ashburnham." This
payIuI pun well rehshed Dy IL
which thern gave undivided attention to the
able sermon which followed.
The text was from Matthew 6 SO. "Seek
we first the kingdom of God and his righteous
ness" &c. The kingdom of God is the divine
authority established in the heart. His
! righteousness implies the whole of religion
the whole OF a godly life. 1t must be sought,
not through mere belief in Christ, but by
real submission to his will. 1t is not by
works, but by grace, through faith. The duty
of seeking it belongs to the different classes
of sinners and to pharisaical christians, who,
in spite of form of godliness, are equally
destitute of its saving power. 1t should be
first sought: first in the order of time, first in
the order of objects, and first in the exertion
of all our energies. We should Immediately,
exclusively and persistently seek it. 1t should
be sought in spite of the difficulties which our
own sinfulness may interpose. Every true
seeker will be completely and gloriously sue
cessful.
Camp Meeting john followed in rather
comical but really forcible exhortation, full of
sharp hits and telling anecdotes. Rev. H.
Moulton invited the inquirers to the altar.
Thirty or forty came, for whom prayers were
then offered
The Love Feast began at eight o'clock on
Friday morning, as appointed. 1t was very
fully attended, and proved highly spiritual
and profitable. About one hundred and sixty
persons spoke during the brief interview.
AT ten, Rev. NJ. NJ. Parkhurst of Warren
addressed the people from Mark IL: 24,-
"What things soever we desire when We
pray, believe" &c. The leading thought de-
veloped was "the omnipotence of faith in
God" This topic was extensively and famil-
iarly discussed, copiously illustrated, and en-
forced with many feryent appeals to the con-
sciences of the hearers. Exhortations fol-
lowed from the venerable father Newell, and
others.
IY,t ho &c Al,
stand, early in the afternoon, a pleasant Incl
dent occurred Rev. J. b. Bigelow Of Palmer
was presented with a purse of between thirty
and forty dollars, in neat speech by Rev. C.
l.. Eastman. 1t was a surprise gift, contrib
uted by number of ministers and laymen,
in acknowledgement of the very efficient la
bofs of Mr.. Bigelow, for several years past,
as member of the camp meeting committee
1t could not have been more worthily be.
slowed
AT the opening of the afternoon services a
collection was taken to furnish comfortable
backs for all the seats in front of the stand
a sorely needed improvement Rev. d. E.
Chaplin of Worcester then preached an elo-
quent and solemn discourse from Heb 2: 2, 4.
elbow shall we escape if we neglect, &c.
| The principle of the text is, that every man
is responsible to God for the religious light
which he enjoys. This is alike the dictate Of
reason, the declaration of the Bible, and the
practical rule by which the Lord has always
governed the world. If, under former dis
pensations, in the dim twilight of religious
truth, the people were punished for their sins,
terrible must be the doom of those who reject
the glorious gospel. The character of the
''Great Salvation" was then fully set forth,
the proofs of the christian religion forcibly
stated, the different classes of sinners exposed
and rebuked, and the awful consequences of
rejecting salvation most wildly and powerful
ly shown.
bxhortation succeeded, seekers filed the
altar, prayers were offered, hymns sung, and
the meeting closed.