The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-04-12
THE CAMP M EETlNG i.
A "REMINISCENCES.
ny REV. GUSTAVUS HINES.

1t was in the midsummer month Of
July, 1882, that large number Of the
friends of the Redeemer assembled in
a beautiful grove Of elm. and beach. and
maple trees, which formed q delightful
forost sanctuary, in one of the most ro-
mantle portions Gf southwestern New
York. This region, celebrated at the
time Of which 1 write, for the wildness
AID variety of its scenery and the hon.
esty and simplicity of its inhabitants.
had also the honor of giving rise to nus
merous streamlets, which, gliding in
different directions. contribute to swell
the mighty tribes flowing into these two
magnificent reservoirs, whose capacious
bosoms receive almost all the water by
which the North American continent is
irrigated, and known as the Gulf of St
Lawrence and Mexico.
For many days previous to the time
fixed upon for this feast of tabernacles
in the wilderr ess to commence, the notes
of preparation might have been heard
at many Of the numerous log hamlets
and rural cottages scattered along the
broken spurs of the Alleghanies, and
along the valleys Of the Cattaraugus and
the Isua. While the farmer, the mechan
ic, and the tradesman. were adjusting
their worldly affairs so as to leave them
week or more, prayer ardent, from
many warm and painting heart. was
wafteI upward to the sky, that almighty
Love would degn to favor the anticipa
ted meeting with the gracious smile.
The time drew near, aud the farmer
laid aside his utensils, the woodsman his
ak, the tailor his shears, the shoemaker
his avis, the joiner his planes, and mer
chant his goods, and all, with one accord
in the most expressive action, said as
Abraham said to his servants. abide We
here, and I will go yonder and worship.
One score of years only has passed
away, since that period, but they have
been years Of unprecedented change.
The iron-horse, with his eyes Of fire
and breath of smoke, did not then, as
now, more along the snaky track among
the hills Of the south bearing hundreds
of passengers, with the velocity OF
falling meteor, TO their destination, and
none Of the facilities for rapid and easy
travelling, which now extend to almost
every portion of our couatry, existed
in any part of that, at the time to which
| refer, comparatively isolated region.
Consequently, the self-denying Worship
ers had to resort to all the methods Of
place Of convocatioa. Some were bles
sed with horses, numbers went for many
miles on foot; and there were not a few,
and among them the writer of this
sketch, that went the distance Of twenty
miles in heavy lumber wagon drawn
by yoke of oxen, as was the cart bear
ing the ark of God to the home of Obe-
dedom.
The long-wished-fo day at last arr
rived. 1t was Wednesday, the I'd day
of July. About thirty tents had been
pitched upon the ground during the
afternoon OF that day, and as the gray
twilight gave place to the denser dark
ness which followed, and stand-fires
cast abroad blaze Of light over the
encampment, the trumpet sounded for
preaching. AMI all upon the ground as
sembled before the preachers stand, to
hear the word of the Lord. On the
stand there were as many of the horalds
Of the cross as there were apostles on the
day Of Penecost, and among them our
much beloved and devoted brother, Rev.
Asa Abel, who. as the presiding elder
had the general oversi ght of the m ,et-
ing. AS it is necessary to the perfection
Of my narrative to take liberties with
the name which has already been intro
duced. | trust the venerable brother
will not attribute it to any disposition
TO deal in hattery, but to a strong desire
to give a well deserved tribute to one OF
the fathers of the Genesee conference
At the time of which write brother Abell
was in the palmiest days Of his mature
manhood, and being strong, and full Of
energetic activity. and posses sing a
large share of the power and pathos
resulting from The consecretion of no
ordinary abili les, and tie inward bap-
tism Of pure fire, he was, in eed the
able leader of the sacramcntal hos.
against the combined powers Of dark
ness on that memorable encampment.
BY his side, and ready for action in
any part of the field, was confiding
band OF tandard-bearers, among whom
the names of Whalen, Preston, Abbott,
ana Konklin, of most precious memory,
may be considered as the more promi-
nent The Scared vete an, who fought
manfully in tile ranks tor fifty wears,
and had triumphed in a thousand bat
ties, was also there; and beside him
was the youthful warrior, who had just
buckled on the spiritual armor; an | all
were ready, even at the commencemen
of the campaign, to do Tia e battle mi light
ly for the Lord God of hosts. The first
sermon was founded upon the appeo-
pirate text, 'Sanctify yourselves, for to-
morrow the Lord will do wonders among
the people Without attempting to
characterize the sermon, when the ser
vices of that evening closed, every
Christian heart was looking up with
expectation, that before one week had
passed wonders of redeeming grace
would ho o1 <hot
ground.
1t was clearly manifest during the sue.
cessive exercises of the meeting, that
the ministers present were uninfuenced,
save by the grand consideration, that
the Gospel-a dispensation of which
they felt had been committed to them
was the heaven-c crdained inst umentali-
ty to bring sinners TO God and hence
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