The New York herald., 1873-08-06
SING SING CAMP MEETING,

mon by the Presiding Elder on Com
secratfon to the Service OF God
Preparations for Camp Buslly Going
on-The Anniversary Day Eagerly An
tfctpated-Militant MethOdism i'm Full
Force in the Grove.
The camp meeting OF Sing Sing yesterday was
opened with the old-fashioned ring OF praise and
prayer At three O'Clock the bell over the
preachers stand invited the dwellers within the
camp and the strangers therein to "meetng.''
The little grove in the CIRCLE that has been made
vocal for so many years at this season with the
songs OF Zion and the eloquent pleadings
ana preachings Of earnest-hearted Mcthodists,
was about half filled with an attentive audience,
VINO seemed thoroughly to enjoy this means OF
grace. The sermon wass preached by Dr. Browne.
the presiding elder, who selected for his text
Romans xiv, 7, s:-"For none OF us iveth
to himself and no man dieth to himself:
for whether we live we 1--we unto the Lord; and
whether we die we die unto tie Lord; whether we
live, therefore, or die, we are the Lords" The
sermon was directed to the duty of Christians de-
voting and cOnsecrating themselves to the service
OF the Lord. The Doctor urged the obligation OF
this service on the usual
METHODIST GROUND,
that Christians owed their creation and their re-
demption to the grace OF God, and as a matter OF
gratitude 1t was incumbent upon them to acknOwl-
edge the priceless value of these gifts by not only
finding delight in seeking to fulfil the Divine WILL
but also by seeking to be made instrumental in eX
tending the kingdom OfGod earth. This truth was
urged by appeals to the conscience and the hearts
of his hearers and by wide range OF Illustration.
This conservation OF service, he said very fit
ting on the first day OF the camp meeting when it
was desirable that believers IN the truth of the
Word OF God should be morally strengthened by
this conservation Tor personal dealings with the
unbeheyer. the careless and the indiier-
lect OF this work-that there was an
absence OF talent or adapJability on the part OF
the ob)ector-was met with the illustration that
God in His wisdom and goodness uses men as He
uses the ocean. II was SO mighty that 1t could
float the Great Eastern, but it was not too
THE SMALLEST CRAFT
with an equal safety. so God moved the talent
and service OF all men who in heart and lie dedi-
Gated themselves to His service. The sermon, OF
which the above IS but a meagre outline, was very
personal and direct in its application and aroused
camp meeting enthusiasm. The hour, however,
had not yet come when there could be much
Junction. and much 'power'' in the services. The
busy note OF preparation was heard again and
again In the camp during the preachers address IN
the shape OF vigorous knocks on the heads of sundry
nails and tent-pegs as he rounded his sentences TO
their Close and these sounds OF the hammer served
as punctuation marks throughout the discourse.
the people FiXnr things, in tents and masing
general arrangements for the comfort of these
"ve bOdeSo did not accord very harmOniOusly
with an emotional an Xiety about the SOUL IL was
III order yesterday to cOndeScend to things oil low
estate and TO deter aspirations Tor the higher life
until the lower, or, as the philosophers would say,
until
THE BASIL INSTINCTS
had been cared for Thus the 'ecStatic delightsr
the moments OF 'nevertO-be- forgotten bliss,n the
seasons OF penitentia sorrow Tor sin, the sacred
hour OF prayer, the JOY that is so spiritual that
earth and all Its cares are forgotten are put of to
a more convenient season. They were, however,
only put of. The spiritual fires are there in re-
serve, and, like the atmosphere that precedes the
storm on Summer day, indicate their existence
the camp ground, here and there, are men and wo
men whose hearts God hath touched, and whose
voices can set forth an elOquence that IS Irresst
bic because they believe, and therefore do they
speak. Mr.. Applegate is fitting up ''rent 59 in the
circle for those morning and evening prayer meet
TO walk in what Is known in Methodist phraseology
in 'the blessed attitudes OF the higher lifen and
aroused independent and
HARDENED SINNERS
to consideration OF their condition before God.
There are other prayer meeting tents IN the grove,
words that breathe and with thoughts that burn.
Arrangements are making with the best the
camp meeting preachers to occupy the stand dur
ing the forthcoming week. Thursday, the annver-
sary day, is looked forward to with large antlci.
patton as day that is to bring together Methodsts
from all the regions round about. The new lodging
house and the extended grounds give to the grove
an appearance that IS o hint OF adaptabilty to
modern ideas as 10 camp meetings; but this adapt
ability does not show up very well. Sing Sing
primitive characteristics, and the attempt to
modernize suggests the spectacle OF the venerable
lady clothed in the wOndrOus attire OF the girl OF
the period.