Smyrna times., 1876-08-16
The Camp Meetings.

| Letters from our occasional correSDon.
dents show that the interest of religious
classes IN the great camp meetings and sea.
slde Summer cities under the auspices of
certain churches continues largely to in.
crease. Crowds throng to Shelter Island.
Where religious services begin at 4 A. NJ. and
continue until 10 P. NJ. The great Metho.
DIST rallying point, Ocean Grove, has reach.
ed the limits of small city, and is the
scehe OF constant religious observances,
temperance conventions, &c. The pavilion
seating 10000 people is, we are told. daily
| crowded. Devout and sanguine people are
much encouraged by the crowds pouring
INTO these resorts and by the evident zeal
ana enthusiasm of preachers and hearers.
We expressed, week or two ago, our con.
vlctlon of the justice of the principle on
which this outdoor worship of tho Almighty
was founded. Surely no better place can
De found for us to kneel in reverence be.
lore Him than in the midst of the wonders
OF Nature, which tell in myriad voices of
Ills wisdom and love. That must be n
groVellng soul which does not.rise to some
night OF devotion in the presence of the
chained sea, the forests, the sunny sweeps
OF fruitful field and meadow. The great
Master, when He would teach His disc-
pies lesson for all time, led them out to
the mountains or beside the brook, and
based His parallels on the lost sheep wan.
derlng among the rocks or the fields white
unto the harvest. 1t seems natural and
right impulse, too, which leads devout
Christian people to assemble in these places
to worship and exchange hearty brotherly
saiutations together
But that Nature and the sermons preach
ed at seaside or camp meeting may not fail
OF their lessons, our well-meaning friends
must not suffer themselves to be misled on
two or three points. First, it is hardly wise
to estimate the amount of genuine religious
zeal by the numbers pouring into these re-
sorts. People who do not 90 to church in
town, but crowd the pavilions on the beach.
are open to the suspicion of being tempted
BY the eXcitment of living in tent, plungcs
IN the surf, unlimited watermclons. and
the general irregularity of daily life. rather
than zeal for their Masters service. The
argument OF the advocates of these enor-
nous Summer revivals in their favor is
that many, attracted by the hope of pleas
ure, receive the good seed unaware
Whether they do or not depends, let us
say in all respect and earnestness, upon the
manner in which the seed are sown. A
God-tearing man pleading the cause of his
Master in the presence of His greatest
works, with his whole soul in his pleading,
must speak to the wants Of some other
human SOUL
But in heterogeneous mass of human
beings, the pious, skeptical, and Indifferent
where prayers and praises are made the
business of the day from dawn until bed
time, much irreverence must creep into
this very praise and prayer Not even the
most exalted nature can long maintain an
exaltation of devotion; daily work, practi.
cal thoughts by which the Christian shows
his belief, fill the larger portion of his life I;
1t is now and then his soul rises in an
ecstasy of worship. In these meetings,
therefore, the incessant worship is in danger
of lapsing either into indifference or
spiritual intoxication hardly more whole
some. Hymns are shouted by gangs of
young men from morning until night !;
utterly regardless of their meaning, the
most sacred words and thoughts fall trip.
pingly from the tongues of over-wearied
speakers. We urge with all respect our
word of caution. Familiarity, even with
divine mysteries, begets contempt, especially
in vulgar minds.-N. Y. TTiJ,,ne.