Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-14
PLA1NvILLE0 E0AmP mEErING.
Study Of Camp Lifeline Services Yesterday-Sermons By Rev. Dr. UPham And Bishop AndreW-The Closing Services This Morning.


 Yesterday-SermOns By Rev. Dr.
 Upham And Bishop Andrew-The
 Closing Services This Morning.
 Special to the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.1
 PIA1NvIIJE II CAfM5R C4tf5 sRfH7<mn hind the study of camp life whether it be a military or a religious camp is an object of intense inter est. especially is it SO in a military camp upon the approach of some movement that may result in a great battle. Orders are given quietly, the air seems full of mystery, and men move about conscious of an im- pending action that may bring to them a future full of disastrous effects or lift thonI up on high on the tide of victory. The re- ligious camp is somewhat of parallel to it.
 The sun never rose brighter than to-day bright and warm-but long before the light of it had gilded the eastern sky, some earn est hearted trusting sons or daughters of the Celestial City" could have been heard in the outskirts of the camp, Jacob like, nest ling in prayer for blessing, and in some other direction some favored one had come through the struggle and was now raising the shout of victory and the glad song to him who is able and mighty to redeem. They were like so many pickets at the outposts of an army, watching and waiting for the bat tie of the day. About 8. m the skirmish line was formed by a large number of prayer meetings in the society tent. At the close of them the whole army was assembled at the stand and the battle for salvation and God was opened by singing, followed with prayer by Rev. O. w. Fordham, of West vile, after which the Rev. Dr. Upham, of Drew university, read the lesson from the eighth chapter of Romans, begin ming at the eighteenth verse. During the collection the choir sang the solo, the whole audience joining in singing, ''Nothing but notices told the congregation that upward of fifty had been converted up to this morning.
 .Dr. Upham then gave out the 39th hymn, "Arise, my soul, on wings sublime" After the earnest singing by that large congrega- tion the doctor announced his text from the fourth chapter St. Mark, 26th, 27th and 18th verses: "And he said, so is the kingdom of God as if man should cast seed into the ground" etc. The preacher spoke in sub- stance as follows:
 The phrase ''kingdom of God" was often used by the Saviour during his ministry, but was but little understood. He taught the Jews that God who had brought them out of Egypt by his mighty hand was seeking to bring them to himself. At first God spoke to them out of heaven by the audible voice; then the same truths were taught by the prophets, who were careful to speak of the political Israel that it might be destroyed, but the spiritual Israel be preserv ed. The Saviour sought from the first of his ministry to restore them to the spiritual kingdom they had lost sight of. He used the word kingdom in different sense in the passage before me; he used it in the sense of the new life in the human soul.
 There is 8 time to SOW the seed. The farmer may build fences and barns; his farm well cared for, but seed must be sown, and L I-s friends and neighbors will say, thou fool. However 8 man may be furnished with all accomplishments it will not answer in the time of trial; nothing but repentance and faith in Christ will avail him. The doctrine of the new birth must not be estimated from our theology, and we must insist that to build up a character this seed must be sown The beginning of mans real life must be conversion.
 Paul had it. He met Christ while on his way with authority to persecute the Chris tians. It is simply impossible to describe the enthusiasm of the audience as the doc tor spoke of Wesley and others that came to power for good by and through this great fact of conversion His appeal to the min stry to maintain the doctrine, and to the skeptical who object to the doctrine because they could not understand what others have was masterly effort.
 The sermon closed at a quarter to 12 o'clock and the congregation sang with a will:
 ''All hall the power of Jesus name,
 Let angels prostrate fall
 The prayer meetings at 1 o'clock were sea- sons of power and were we'll calculated to prepare the people with hunger to hear the Rev. Bishop Andrews deliver sermon at 3 D. m.
 The first hymn of the afternoons service was No. 26: ttLord, I hear of showers of blessing thou art scattering far and near," after which Rev. A. H. Mead, of New Haven, ed the congregation up to the throne of grace in prayer that gave an earnest of the baptism that fell upon the audience during he sermon by Bishop Andrews.
 The second hymn was Mo- 38:
 o for a heart to praise my God,
 heart from sin setsfree.
 During the collection the presiding elder that Rev. Arthur J. Smith would breach in the evening at 7:S0. He also said here were ninety five tents on the ground, which was in excess of quite number 'ver former years.
 The text from which the sermon was preached was 51st Psalm, 18th verse: "Cre- .te in me clean heart, o God, and renew
 These are the words of the great king, and lso are the words of great penitent. Hav- ng confessed his sins he passed to prayer hat his sins might be plotted out. But he oes farther and asks that an evil heart hould be taken from him. Some would lot do as David did, but would say, now re- olve to do right, avoid evil associations and y habitual action and state of mind you nay come into an acceptable state. l
 wish to discuss the question this afternoon, vas David right or is such advice right? | 10 not undertake to discuss how God may do he work. do not discuss whether this re- lewal is instantaneous or not, neither how if aYtoUd hr1f Uhat lope from God. Wonderful changes often | ake place in men outside of religion. Men l if intemperance often arise and stand out | tide as far as we can see the influence of ! prayer. This indicates a possibility of other l md greater changes under the divine power. ! t is possible man may have come on this ! round unbelieving in God and all shut in I with time and sense. He may go from here l ceiling he is. an heir to all eternity. | David conceived it possible to have l hat done for which he prayed, and therefore l le prayed. He who made man with all his | lower and possibilities, can he not remake it | when once it is swept out of the line of duty | nd right? Can he not, who knows the hu- l nan soul so well, enter in and touch the will, | trengthen the mind and quicken the sensi- l ilities? Who knows so much about God as | 0 say he cannot come in and touch the hu- | nan soul so it shall cry out with David, | reate in me 8 clean heart? You and ought | lot to deny fact simply because we cannot l it and explain it.
 This great work seems to me to be the | ighest work that can be done by God for | he human race to raise them out of sin, | orruption and weakness into a state of pu- ity and holiness. He, seeing our helpless ondition and lowering over us, was willing | 0 give his only son to die for us to raise us l p out of sin and pollution to purity and | avor with himself He is my father, and I m glad that infinite mercy has ordained the rayer that begins "Our Father" This re- rganization, or reconstitution, is promised | nd may be fulfilled. I give you one pas age from Ezekiel: ''Then will I sprinkle | lean water upon you and you shall be clean, nd will cleanse you from all your flthiness nd your idols"
 These were only few of the many houghts given us by the bishop and are aint indications of the grandeur of the ser 1on and the wonderful power that was man tested during its delivery; power that aused the cry to go up from ali over the amp grounds. Create in me clean heart nd renew in me right spirit" At it's close prayer meeting was inaugurated at the and that was a powerful factor for ictory in the battle of the 1 ay for salvation and God, This has been l