The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-09-24
GODS FIRST TEMPLE.
Can the Old Time Campmeet-
ings BE Revived.

| ingS BE Revived.
TIE camp meeting is a purely
American institution 1t grew up
naturally in a new County covered in
most parts with primeval forest
ard inhabited by a hercely energetic
but uncultured people. 1t f1ourished
as long as forests, primitive society
and old methods Of life and travel
prevailed, and now that church
edihes abound, while primeval forests
are rare, the camp meeting is fast
passing away. The announcement
that the largest camp meeting known
for many years was recently held at
Indian Springs, Ga, was soon fol-
lowed by statements that Rev. DIR.
w. Godby, of Kentucky, read from
the Gorpels in the original Greek,
and that other learned men preached
after their method. The flavor OF
Peter Cartwright and James Axtel
was not in it.
The year 1901 is taken by consent
as that of the first great camp meet.
ing. 1t was the famous one OF Cane
Ridge, KY, where 10000 people
assembled and dozen preachers
were holding forth from as MANY
stands at one time. Unlearned and
ardent. narrow and intense, belize"
ing to the extreme in the very letter
OF the Scripture and untroubled by
doub or construction" or ''higher
criticism" they stood in the aisles
of Gods first temples and painted
the delights of heaven and the
horrors of hell in rude language to
ruder congregations. About 1000
persons were converted at that
meeting, and there Peter Cartwright,
wild boy OF sixteen, first "tell
under conviction"
According to his account, he
resisted the Spirit for awhile, and
danced, drank and gambled harder
than ever. But he yielded at last,
was converted, sold his favorite race
horse, burned his cards, forswore
whiskey and dancing forever and
entered the ministry in 1893. For
over fifty years he was presiding
elder and attended more camp meet
ings, conducted more revivals and
propably preached more sermons in
the woods and in log cabins than
any other man OF the century. He
saw his branch of the Methodist
Church grow from 72,S74 members
to over 1850. 900.
Born in Virginia i'll 1885, he died
in Sangamon county, Ills in 1872,
but as early as twenty years before
his death he mourned that the old
spirit was gone from the camp meet
ings. 1t is just as we'll, no doubt.
The.lonely life Of the pioneers pre-
disposed them to gloomy freverie.
They were impressed with the fierce
Ca!vinism of nature. They saw the
wild beasts in the woods devoid OF
mercy or pity and believed in total
depravity. They dreaded the SER
pent lurking in the grass and
believed in a personal devil. 1t
never entered their heads to ask,
was the manuscript authentic2 Is
the text properly translated? The
question each one asked himself
while listening to Cartwright was
this, cam ! doomed TO fowl through
all eternity in sulphurous flames in
the company OF devils and snakess"
No wonder they pleaded for
mercy while under conviction OF sin.
No wonder they shouted for joy
when the witness of peace was given
till they could be heard a mile, or
fell in ecsta,ic convulsions and lay as
rigid as an iron bar for hours to-
pether OF course there were many
unbelievers, and the lnhdelity OF
that time was of a coarse and scott
ing kind. Those who embraced re-
lieion became trantlcally devouti
those who resisted the Spirit plunged
all the deeper into desperate wicked
ness. If a young man was above
average in talent and OF bold and
ardent temperament it was serious
question whether he would turn one
way and become preacher or the
other way and become gambler or
even a horse thief.
For the first twenty years or so OF
the camp meeting age the phen-
omena were such as cannot be easily
believed. Hundreds fell under "the
power" at single meeting, on and
recovering told of having visited
heaven and conycrsed with the
Saviour or the angels. Strangest of
all was the afflction called by the
people Gin Kentucky and Indiana at
any rate) the "jerks.' At first it
affected only the "mourners' those
under conviction of sin. Then by