The New York herald., 1878-08-16
RELIGION IN THE WOODS.
Camp Meeting Services at Jamesport,
~ L. l., and Sing Sing.
VIGOROUS DEVOTION.
Stirring Exhortations by a Converted
ee e4 Pugilist
JAxsspoRr. l.. l.. August Is, ]


Judging the OF camp meetings by tho sp'r-
hualy Of the worshippers. should say that the
gathe ring at thm place u moro spiritual Than any
have seen this season. The grove IL within stone's
throw OF the ruHroad station, md ten minutes walk
from Great Pcccnict Bay, and far from tho
village proper There ID therefore nothing hero 10
speculate on. There no lots to soil and there Is
only one cottage In ihe srsve besides the prcachcrs
Fve years ago certain ohurchesin the upper end OF
tho island united and purchased the grove. twenty
seven ehurches eutersd ainio the compact, aud the
trustees elected by them held semi annual meetings
They left the question of Sabbath services
unsettled, and the camp meeting advertised to
continue over the Sabbath. This gave offence to
many persons, and there was large party IN tho
tfustcss' meeting yesterday which favored closing up
on Saturday. After 1 heated session they decided
thas. under no croumstanocs -heroaiter 10 tho
camp noeting to cxessd u six days Of the
week. The Long Island I. Railroad Company
haso planned cheap excursions. from various
points for sunday, and people expected here
that day. The association has had moetinss hcro
oxtending over Sabbath before, bnt though lovery-
thing quiet and orderly The sensimont 81 rclgoas
people 10 these paris is against H. Tor lew years
no such meetings have boon held Ths Two Congrega-
tonal churches IN this vicinity WORK wth the Meth
ods,s and represented IN tho Board Of Trustees
A. the annual meeting yesterday Aessrs George Hill,
John s. Marcy, George B. Brown, s. A. Beckwith. Q.
A. Gpodale, John Gawey L.. W. Hailock. Jonah Hulse
and George r. Wells were elected tsusssex The srus-
tees ars prohibited from having an annual income ex-
ceeding 5000. - sa5vGs sa.. baEssig ,assefs1c 4
assF RICH MEN NAY m SAVED. anof sAl
When my despatch lett yesterday tho Rev. T. 9.
Beach OF Southoid was preaching 70 about Ave hum
drsd persons on tho true way 10 receive Christ Ho
insisted .he impossibiIy Of recpyug CHRIST per-
ouw lto Anrd kvr woL
Iaton. Tho Bible he insisted, VIII nos save anybody,
and the saved must reach that state by eating she
flesh and drinking tho blood OF the Lord person
ally. There wore many passages IL tho discourse that
would delight the most rigid ritusist or trapsubstan
tlationist but the Methodists took u very quietly
and ev .ently very sparngly, too Not SO, however,
the sermon Of Rev. john Rppers, OIL Sag Harbor In
tho evening, when ovor one thousand people were
present. and tho two Congregational
aud Fitch-occupled ssats tho platform, in,or-
estod any. Tho story 0t Zaccneus climbing into
tree made the basis OF quaint and peculiar sermonto
show that rich mcn may oe converted. The throngs
that follow stranger through tho streets gener-
ally shallow brained aud are easily lost gained.
But hero was an example OF different SORT Some
churches that Mr. Rppers could tell OF let the bars
down. 80 that rich men, even il their characters are
black the devils, could get In. But here
man who Delisved that religion meant rsstitation OF
iil-gotten gains Tho preacher knew man who
was kept out OF tho Church anu out OF tho Kingdom
oil God by $25 900 ot fraudulent money and property
counts are converted, when his estates in tho
hands OF the Lord Jesus Christ he not then himself
very tar from tho Kingdom Of Heaven. Mr.. Rippcre
s,ruok blow at tho churches that bid tor ric men
and In this connection insisted that thero great
In the national labor party. There Is also tendency
90 royaiixe religion, the consequence ofwhich that
ths men whom Jesus Is alter. whom He came 10
sack aud TO save, not sought by the Church.
xx-PUGILisr ExHoRTiyG. NJ
This discourse was ably backed up by genial,
clerical looking, ruddy-iacsd brother. VINO gave
stirring exhortaon that closely held the attention OF
the congregation. No ono VINO saw him and listened
10 hts words would suppose TINT no tho 1rst
In America who had stepped out OF tho prze ring
the Church. Yet such Is the fact according to the
best records. Tho Gardner family was large one
Ms,nodiss but three OF the sons entered tho prixe
riog ana became we'll known oy niosnsnes such as
"Awiul" or Osviiie Gardner has been consistent
member OF the Church tor more than twenty
dist Homo for the Aged Ihis city-a shat
tered constitution and failing health having Tor u few
Howell Gardner tells the story OF bis own Tito with
nne effect Indeed, u has beeu the means OF convert
ing some oi the hardest cases on TINS end OF me
Nethodsst Episcopal Cburch, Brooklyn but his scr
vces rs In great dsmand among otner churches Tor
rcvivals IN tho winter season Mr. Gardner spent
months or last winter spring with the Metho
dist Church In Sag Hnrbor, where 100 souls were the
Mr. Charles Hedges, a local ARTIST, had deacd ali
The arguments that hud bcon .advanccd BY
Tho abcst ministers AMI evangeiists that had
Of the happ,est Christians In Sag Harbor. lie sroKe
last night IN the prayer meeting and tod how often
he haa wished tnat every church Ia the land was
burned up and every minister sent to State Prison
lie had looked upon tho onicsis In Sug Harbor
Church, ho sad, especially as personal cnemicA His
vile was member OF tho church, and when Mr..
Hedges wanted little fun he went TO the Methodist
church. ana then In the beer shops about town min.
licked the words ana gestures OF those spoke or
prayed II Is said that no could keep whole house
sun'f M 20 % . ws,ssa ss s IN
and inndel literature and was almost us well posted
) now cAnpsnn cor HOLD or HIM.
very moe, sleek -tongucd evangelist from Phila.
deipha, spent lew weeks IN Sag hurbor Tho con-
trast bctween h,m~and Brother Gardner was strik-
ing. Il was mado much Of 10 tue injury OF Mr.
Gardnsr, aud he At last determined 10 90 over 10
lore gong he gave the people nm cxhortaton on g0-
rying only IN the cross OF The Lord Jusus christ II
took win everybody. rhs theme was illustrated
the prize ring AZ seventeen years oi sgc was pupil
OF yankee" sullivan; iouthi many a battle and
late John Morrissey were engaged in tho .cmisrans
business" in 1888 wsen he made 800 week on an
.s s sp s ns 10
30 In search OF man whom no had de-
.crmlned 10 kiIi, but by some mysterious
influence found himself tho rond TO Portchcsier,
where ne halted week from that night October
o, 1856, he was converted In tho Methodist churcn.
where ne says the Lord brought him through with
"HaicIujih shout" and hc has been shoutIng ever
sincc His father had ong been I'd nnd h,s mother
ana others OF the family ivea In Newark. rnitner
lie nastepcd but on the way TO hts mothers homo
heard hs brother Orviic's voice IN barroofn. He
entered and his dcmeanor was so changed that his
brother aud ola chuins asked what was the matter
was no s.cky With suout anu ''lallclujah" he
declared wnst God bad donc ior him. 0rvilie wept.
The others became serious, and together they walked
up 10 the mothers. The rious old lady was
come with Joy that she aImost died. She ived, how
ever, to soc all her charop save ono aud bor IONS
aud daug gncrs.n-iaw converted ana standing by her
bcdsidc singing hy INNS While nor spirit waited us way
to the unknown shorr.
RESULT or rms ExpERIEScg.
As Howell Gardner told this ana nucn moro OF his
experience TO the Sag Haroor people last winier n
wave OF convcon seemed 10 sweep over the church.
Pastor ana people his eide, aud la all that
town no mad no more substantial friend than Charles
ucdges the sceptc. Iic opened niS house TO Tho
evangelist and lifted up room wnicu he calls Gard
ners room. aud Keeps, like the shunamte oil ou, Tor
The Lords itlncranis, lie SO warmly cspopsod the
cause oil Brother Gardner Lbs though no was present.
In church that night with no intention Of becom-
ing Christian. yet bo promised Gardner That ho
would do anythiag he could for him. Howell he'd
hun TO his word Tho following nisht when he led him
forward TO the altar OF the church, where he was