Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-08-29
FROM SCOTCH RIDGE.
The Portage Camp Meeting.

Not having material from which 10 man
utacture local communication from tn,
Ridge this week, 1 concluded to give lht
tall editor and those of his renders who
we're not fortunate enough 10 he present al
the camp meeting during its session in Port
age, from the 14th TO the 25th inst, a
graphic description of the meeting as /
saw 1t. shall enter into no unnecessary
comments upon the exercises, further than
to give brief and true statement Of the
same, and 10 call upon the thousands OF
die spectators who like myself ARE pos.
sesSed OF unbiased minds, who merely went
there for idle curiosity, TO bear me out in
the truthfulness Of what am about TO H..
lustrate. The exercises when submitted to
a thorough mental digest would he pro
nounced by many to be "roaring farce
This new crochet Of personal holiness, 1,
has taken complete hold of the meeting
and as far as l could see to the entire ex-
cluson Of everything else. On that they
are what the stern world would call "hob-
by-horsical." The material Tor this new
departure is not furnished from the
ranks OF us sinners but those who nre al.
ready Christian professors, and they assert
the very comforting doctrinc-that those
who have already made profession and
are accounted as christians who receive
not this higher baptism Of the spirit, may
reckon themselves as standing within M
inch of the barren beach Of hell, aglow
with fire; but then on the other hand the
modus oporandI of the new departure il ex-
ceedngly easy and evidel ty funny expe.
rience, and the Rev. gentlemen are adebts
in the art spiritual. They lead their will.
ing subjects through the drill manuel of
their exercise with promptness and pre-
cisinn that is truly astonishing, considering
how bitterly protestants inyeigh against
priest craft
Now brethen, [confess-confess II am
strangely unncquainted with pas history If
this has not been the cry OF that dominant
church which has been the foe TO spiritual
freedom for more than thousand years
Hold up your heads brethren-lOok God
right in the face-hold up your hands
now who will be the first TO rise and tell Of
their immediate and entire snnctification
A weak, womanly voice responded on the
extreme right: feel that l am completely
and entirely sanctified, just now-yes just
this moment! Glory to Gud | was SANG
tilted last winter, continued the cnniessor,
but some how back slid !! but now / feel
as If l could never ain again
Numerous others were waiting with sim.
liar confessions and the tide of enthusiasm
WAS rapidly rising. A man away off on
the extreme left in n kneeling posture,
sprang to his feet at bound. / am entire
ly sanctifed this moment Sanctifed for
to-day, and tomorrow and for all eterni-
ty!! Oh no, brother, not for tomorrow
Yes for tomorrow, and all eternity! Oh
no brother Christ cannot sanctify you only
once If YOU are sanc,ifed for to-day you
are sancti6ed for all time 10 come Here
the confessor became sadly puzzled. He
evidently meant TO put it strong, but this
diagnosis OF his new theological experience
was quite incomprehcnsible to him. He
hung mis- head and could not help but
pity him. Just say you are sanctified and
saved Just now. Yes ! am sancti6ed Just
now but his subjective experience had re-
ceved snch n shock that he evidently could
not glory over it, so he sank slowly down
to his knees again.
A man on the right, in wild voice,
shreks out nm sanctitied just now!
know | am !! You have no doubt about il
said his spiritual reverence. No am sane
tilted now just now Glory to G d!l
| don't care to describe what followed.
His whole nervous system was Immediately
strung to its highest tension; his muscles
twitched iuvoluntarily and spasmodically
Had an artist desired to study the passion
of dispnir no filter subject could have been
found. Whatever joy the man felt in
wardly it left no marks eutwardly. Had
he been crying to some passing Abraham
for drop of water to cool his parched
tongue, the picture of dispair could not
have been more complete. Amid this scene
of confusion the hilarity of the camp in
creased. Grave ministers laughed nnd
shouted shook hands and encouraged fat
old ladies shook their sides in merriment;
youngsters gapcd aud giggled the hilArity
became infectious, and your correspondent
who, up to this time had striven hard to
look grave, fOund mn Irresistible impulse
to ha, ha. ha, right out in meetin."
l confess there was much that was new
and unexpected to me. Had McCowber,
been there he would not have waited long
for someting to turn up. There was Ger
tainly a refreshing originality abont the
whole performance, as for instance this bit
OF advice about prayer: ...
Now brethren ! want you to pray to the
point; want none OF your ng-winded,
old-iashioned prayers; none of your telling
what God was or what he is; he knows alt
about that already better than you can tell
him. Just say right out what you want
him to do for you-in your own words and
few Of EN-.
Sure enough there was nm originality
and breviiv in the prayers that followed
that woull have utterly Nstonished MI
your wool-dyed Preabytcrians.
For example: Lord prick that young
mans heart! Lord knock the props from
under that young woman's feet Oh, Lord
just save my family every hoof on en-. RI
can do all things said the apostle through
Christ who strengtheneth me- So,evident-
ly, think these brethren. An old man is 81
exercised over his filthy habit of chewing
tobacco that he cries out, am completely
cured. I'll never chaw another cud OF ter
hacker Hgin MS long as | live.
l offer no comments. This was the
camp meeting a. | saw it, and Mt
this juncture your correspondent and his
friend adjourned, sine Die.
Very truly, ALLsrICE,
August s5, 1879