The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-12
WORSHIP I'M THE WOODS.
The Evening Service at the Round
Lake Camp Meeting.
Wrestling with the spirit"-HOw Brother In
skip Gets Up tho Christian Soldiers Enthu-
siasm-voting on Redemption-No
More Method in Methodiym-
The stingy People

What an endless amount of spirit wrestling
these woods have witnessed and heard IN the past
week. II may be talked Of or written about but 1t
cannot be measured, and only those vino have heard
the prayers, the gr0ans, the ecstatic shouts,
the signs and seen the physical parox-
ysms, the clapping OF hands, the kneeling, the
jumping, the blanching OF cheeks, the
fainting OF men and Of women. can re-
alize the frenzies into which the human
mind may be wrought by the contemplation
Of religion. With no desire to be captious, cannot
but think that less demonstrative form OF supplica
ton for or manifestation OF faith and "power'
would be more becoming the dignity OF all appeals
to the Deity, and yet 1t would be difficult TO find
BODY or people earnest and appare ntly honest
In the views they express and the way they Illus
trate their precepts by their practice But there are
i know, quite number OF devout people here who
do not prefer this
STORMY KIND OF RELIGION
and TO whom the services the circle lass evening
must have proved gratifying occasion. And 1t
was the calm, dispassonate earnestness OF one man
that soothed these emotional spirits downfall
man, Rev. william Mcdonald, OF Brooklyn.
The trees in the circle are all quite tall and
straight and it was strange sight to witness tho
assembling OF the worshippers In this Druid
temple. 1t was an amphtheatre OF symme-
trical columns, with an outrageous roof
through which a star peeped here and there
at intervals, ana range OF spectral white tents en-
closed the assembled throng on all sides. Fifty
lamps shed subdued light over the grounds, and
as the bell called the brotherhood and sisterhood
together through the narrow streets they denled
into the arena, and soon there were 5000 persons
grouped about the rostrum. While the audience
was assembling the leaders on the platform struck
up cheerful hymn-a sort OF
CHRISTIAN ''sLoGANv
1t seemed-and the strains were taken up by the
people outside they streamed into the circle and
at last singers and song alike were fused into
compact harmony. 1t was splendid chorus, and
natures sOIitudes have seldom heard q greater
pecan to their Creator At last the 'power" was
manifest and many the brethren began to shout IN
stentOran to mes, "GlOry-Deto-God" "MO-r-c pow
e-rp' "Oh, yes; come Lord Jesus." Fright herer'
and Brother Inskip began to rub his hands as he
looked the heads Of the throng and anticipated
"a precious meeting"
WHAT NOISY CHRISTIAN
Brother Inskip Isl 1t seems to be theory Of his
that mental element is the surest way to enlist
the attention or affections Of the audience in prayer
or praise and the more of this sacred uproar'' he
invokes the more swimmingly the ship of salvation
seems, In his eyes, to sail. And there Is something
in his presence and manner that seems to pro.
woke demonstration. He approaches the desk
and shouts, GLOW many are there here
that have hold Of Christ t0.night!n A
storm OF voices on every hand echo 'now manyY'
'Glory, glory. glory !" "Come to the,mercy seat ~
and one man on the right OF tho rostrum almost
deafens those near him with high-pitched, strong
voice, as he yels "A-men ~ That mans "amens"
are one OF the institutions Of the meeting. Amid q
whrlwlnd Of sobblng sounds and grOans and shouts
like those just given, manly voice on the platform
gives the keynote OF the hymn;-
blow We the trumpet blow,
The gladly solemn sound,
and again storm of voices make the woods resound
Then reverend brother'' advances and reads q
long list OF requests that have been handed in ask
ing the prayers OF the congregation, winch were
From a mother for her three unconverted sons
two OF whom are here, the other in Minnesota"
.FOr Catholic priest in Cincinnati"
"Fcr the next national camp meeting at Urbana,
"a wife asks prayers for an uncovered hus-
THE REApER-Then follows another which can't
read but the Lord knows what 1t Is.
IA clergyman asks for the conversion OF his
Al the close Of the reading OF these requests the
congregation engages IN silent prayer for several
minutes and q brother on the platform begins
an, Their hymn, in which oil the congregation again
Then Brother Inskip steps once more to the
'front.' and states that there mas been some question
raised
to he carried out at their meeting. Well, said ne,
We are going to DO away with this plan methodi.
cal way Of holding our meetings and conduct them
method, as "me,hod" is generally understood
among Methodsls, and when we came
fdea Whether the S. meeting would be held IN any
regular way or whether any sermon would be
preached. we think u would be as well to hear
/ am going to call brother Mcdonald II the spirit
prompts him to speak to US.
Brother MCDONALD then stepped forward ana said
he proposed to say something to them on the subject
Of Christian holiness. He then proceeded In very
attractive and calm manner TO discuss the various
PHASES OF sANCTIFICATIoN,
contending, among other points, that although there
were many sancnned men aud women truly and
were some VINO were not sanctihed wnO.y. He be-
lieved that entire sanctidcton was not attainabe
without experience even alter the Christian had
voluntarily Welded himself up TO Cod BY degrees
still further acts OF grace would become revealed
according as light was given TO HIM to see
his ways. and at last the sanctidcation
through aith was complete. To illustrate his idea
he took the case OF Brother InsKip, who, when he
became converted, was ardent votary Of the use
OF tobacco, and even continued 1t for some time-a
bret time, however-aer nc was ordained: AZ last
HIM and he determined no longer to denle himself
with
THE FILTHY PRACTICE,
and he abandoned 1t. In this way, by surrenderlng
all Tor CHRIST, sanctidcaton became perfect. But 1t
Of hgh degree Of lalth was q matter about
wh.1 many were mistaken. some believed that
IL was necessary 10 n0iu on 10 IaItn; ne DeneVed
that to realize faith 1t was best 10 let g0-tO let go
0l everything. lie had seen those who had wrested
and struggled and fought for faith, and they had
said 10 hm that they had not got that
winch they so strove for He mad told them that
struggling for 1t was not the way 10 get itand he
would MAINTAIN that belief The true way 10 get
faith was ask and to believe that had received
and then we should be satisfied through faith.
Faith was the'subsance OF the thing itself.
Toward the close OF MS argument Brother Inskip,
who, rs have already stated, Is Il NOISY
WRESTLING SORT OF CHRISTIAN,
asked In q sort OF compromising way II Brother
Mcdonald didn't think little wrestling and strug-
Cling with faith was good2
Brother MCDONALD hesitared q moment and re-
Piled thai he ABOUT to say no, but that alter all
he thought that there were some people who ought
to GxnJ wrestle and mold on with all their might,
so as simply to convince them how little they accom-
pisned ~ It. Then they generally lee 20 aud
enjoyed tho full pleasures Of sanctilcaton.
during the delivery OF Brother McDonald's adj