The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-23
WORSHIP AT THE SEA SIDE.
sSCENES At THE GREAT CAMP MEETING
At OCEAN GROVE.
Ten Thousand Singing Voices Summon
ing Repentants TO the Throne OF
Grace-A Brilliant and Exciting
scene at the Tabernacle.

ing Repentants so the Throne OF
Grace-A Brilliant and Exciting
Scene at the Tabernacle.
special Correspondence SUNDAY TArr1En.)
OCEAN GROVE, Aug ga little, bald
headed and grey bearded man, with his
face turned upwards, his eye balls rolled up
into his head, and his hands clasped, crept
on his knees from chair to chair in the
great Tabernacle this afternoon An after
noon service of the Newark Methodist
Conference camp-mecting was in progress
and he was picking the sinners out from
the crowd of five or six thousand of the
HON eliest women man could find in a
years travel. who crowded the vast audi
forum and urging them to the altar. Weep
ing and praying women who had Just found
the Lord, crowded around the semi-circular
altar rail- Brother Stokes, emotional from
the crown of his head to the soles of his
feet, was clapping his hands nervously
as he might when shooting his CHECKER
into his hennery-and urging the repent
ants forward The vast congregation mean
while sang the old st'nd-by Methodist
hymns to the aid standby Methodist tunes;
and, in few seconds, all the approaches
ing the prayers of the multitude.
There's go more room at the altar,
exclaimed Brother Stokes sJust kneel
where you are
Scores of women fell to their knees and
the dominies from the platform filed down
to the inclosure within the altar rail. They
were limited to minute prayers each. A
stout brother outside the altar rail was the
first to lift up his voice. He started as
though he had been wound up for twenty
four hours but he rounded up fifty words
of suppiication with surprisingly sudden
Amen and another brother took fervent
hold.
Don't stop :" exclaimed Brother Stokes
as he still clapped his hands in excitement,
when he saw as he did by instinet-that
prayer approached its close /" but another
brother win please chime right in ("
And SO the offering of minute prayers
went the rounds. Each successive suppl
cant was more fervent and loud than his
predecessor. The ardor of their hearers
warmed them to their work. The audito-
rum was resonant with groans. Occasion
ally one would be aroused by sharp clap
ping of hands by an agitated worshipper in
a distant corner. What seemed heard
above the din of tn groaners, to be
a mocking laugh, woul at the next
moment startle the proprie les. And ever
and amen, man who stationed HIM
self just outside the lditorium, would
join the elamor with the resonant voice
of a fish peddlar singing his wares. The
excitement was but short-lived, however.
1t neared the hour of supper, and only
fifteen minutes was devoted to it.
In the evening, the throng that gathered
in the Tabernacle was evidently re-
cruited from different ranks. Fashionable
ladies made the scene brilliant by the gay
varieties of their dress. Some wore no head
covering Few wore the regulation hats
and bonnets. The majority protected them
selves with variegated nubies of the latest
cut and pattern The tasty skull-caps
worn by some in the multitude attracted at
tention among those who could see them.
The rustic OF silks and sasins could be
heard like gentle evening breeze stirring
TIE leaves of the surrounding trees, all over
the tent; and diamands flashed Ia the light
of the great reflections overhead. Every
seat was occupied. Hundreds stood in the
aisles, and many chairs and stools were
planted beyond the line of the roof for the
accommodation of anxious listeners TO
the right of the pulpit box were twenty or
thirty tastilyi dressed young ladies. With the
aud Of tie Choir Master they led the vast
multitude in the service of Song. To the
left OF the pulpit was a group of diyines.
The "power" of some in prayer and exhor-
tation was written In every line of their
strong faces. Brother Stokes announced
the exerciees and read two lines of each
verse of the hymn for the benefit of those
who had no books with them. piece of
Scripture was read, and brother from
Washington Heights, New York, recounted
the stirring scenes in the life of the Savior.
He was dead stuck on the hymns, and
made the congregation join in singing one
that he quoted, in the middle of his SER
mon. The uniDitiated looked for the Dox-
ology but Brother Stokes requested them
to be seated. and commenced clap ping his
hands, as he did at the afternoon service,
to summon the sinners to repentance.
8 We are going to have an old-time camp
meeting, he explained " Send some halt
ing brother or sister forward to the
altar. Now is the time; this is the
hour. The summons is directed to
you. and you, andyou." The audience
chanted snatches Of song while the altar
flld All that could lean against the rail
were gathered there. Benches were drawn
- close, and camp-stools utilized, and it
was not many seconds before second and
third semi circular row OF kneeling sin
ners had marched to the chorus Of ten
thousand voices, ar d fallen on their knees
at Brother Stokes's feet. Then the praying
band Of brethren began their work. At
first the responses were few and far between,
but the praying band soon began to raise
their voices, and clap their hands, and
pound the railing, and pant in the fervor of
their exhortatlon. The great throng became
infected. There was O ceaseless fusilade
of s'Amens from all parts of the hall. The
man with the fsh-horn voice could be
heard above the whole throng. The seekers
after grace, grouped about the platform,
groaned almost piteously in travail of spirit,
and clapped their hands, and shouted
Glory to God " on the spur of sudden
impulses. Their tear-swollen eyes were
buried in their handkerchiefs, and they
: .swayed and rocked In deepest distress of
Noul. But it was not till little, thin fellow
nth thin, shrill voice, way over in an
3extreme corner of the hall, began to pipe
his prayer, and point it off into para
graphs with his lifted chair, that the
crowd lost complete control of themselves.
No one Of the worshippers was longer con-
tented with single exhibition of feeling.
All repeated his prayer and ulurmured and
clipped their hands. and swayed with n
tensest emotion from side to side, and over
worked enthusiasm found more marked
expression in the number that leaped from
their knees, with hands clasped above their
heads, to implore the Throne of Grace, and
then sank back to their places to join the
clamor Of the throng No one could with
stand the infectious enthusiasm of the
great multitude. Even the Stole, who
came to see and be amused, felt peculiar
thrill creeping over him and fell to his
knees in unwilling devotion.
Then the prayer ceased. The moaning
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