The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-09-06
THESE LATTER DAYS
sam Jones Speaks of Changes That uu
Taken Place

pack over the earlier days OF his life and
then takes u look at present surround
ings, and he sees the latter days arc
not Ike the former days. Everything
Is different. While write am In the
midst of an eight days engagement at
Asbury Grove camp meeting, near Bos-
ton, Mass. In thought have been com
pairing the old-fashioncd camp meeting
10 the new-fashioned camp meeting.
This Is beautiful camp ground; per-
haps near 1000 people tented in the cot.
fages ON the grounds, and 20 miles out
from Boston, on the Boston g. Maine
railroad. The congregations attendant
upon the services have been large; the
interest has been good; the people order
ly. hear the old preachers tstkinr
about the camp meetings held in the
former days. The great crowds gath
cred here; all classes, the religious peo-
pie and the irreligious people. The
devils crowd came with their bottles of
rum and the appetite for drink. Ten
or twelve policemen were necessary to
keep them within the bounds of order,
but the people tented upon the camp
grounds these latter days are orderly
/ quiet, good people. They come out from
the cities before the camp meetings be-
| gin and domicile themselves In the cot.
tages on the grounds and remain some
Of them for weeks after the camp
meeting closes. II IN true of nearly all
the camp meeting grounds they are but
summer resorts and they regard the re
ligions meeting as helpful and pleas
urable recreation more than other
wise. The great crowd of roughs aud
touRhs have made for Themselves other
resorts. The baseball grounds, the golf
ground. the bicycle races, the steam
boat excursions. the beer gardens, etc,
claim their own crowds these days, and
a man may take his choice and go 10 tho
place most congenial to his spirits and
habits.
The good seem 10 be getting further
from the bad, or the bad arr drifting
from the good. The good are getting
better, and it is equally true the bad are
getting worse.
The social features on these camp
grounds give pleasure 70 all the cot
tagers. They seem 70 he an agreeable,
pleasant, afrablc class OF people, as
scmblevl here. We have three preach
ing services n day, besides the social
prayer meeting, class meetings and Ep-
worth league meetings. The old-fash-
Toned altar service in which thousands
havo been converted has well-pish los,
its efficiency at the camp meetings
True. the altar Remains, but sinners Ito
not crowd tho altar US they once did
The old fashioned camp meeting prcnch'
err seems 10 bc thing OF the past His
foghorn voice. his earnest exhrtn tons
and the tremendous truths he preached
are passed away, largely. We do not
expect great results now us we did then
l am sure we do not sce them.
The educated ministers, the output
of our theological Summaries, tho re
fined worldlincss of the day; oil thes,
tend TO rcleSate to the rear the earnest
Christianity OF our fathers. We have
more learning and less loyalty, mors
dignity and less downright piety thar
our fathers seemed TO have The same
truths ou~fathcrs preached will bring
the same rcaults our fathers witnessed
Truth Is us unchangcable as human
nature, but our preaching is more scien
tifc, philosopicnl, and many OF us for
get Paul's promise TO the Corinthian,
when he snid 10 them: 81 am deter
mined TO know nothing among you cS
cept Christ and Him crucifed," Ou'
fathers were tremendously in earnest
Bible truth mixed with carnestnesn
would be as effective to-day as IL hni
been in the past The million men who
are travelling from the cradle to The
grave conscious that there is but one
step bctwixt them and death can TX
moved and stirred to-day as they have
been in the past il right truths and CON
secrated efforts are put forth.
lam not crying for the good old times
Some things are better now than then
I believe in progressive theology nnt
progressive methods, but | Sickle fo
| primitive Christianity and apostolic
mower. The heads of men, the inteili
sence OF men, may help them to SEE
things in different lines, but the con
science OF humanity will ever r-spont
to truth. and conscience ia the large
/ Mt which nil earnest preaching mus
he aimed. Live consclences must b'
stirred; dead copsciences must be res
, directed. Conscience Is always on thu
side of truth. Truth coming in con
tact with conscience produces convic
ton, and every upward movement OF TIKI
soul is from conviction.
We still have many OF the old-fnsh
ioned camp meetings in the South
/ Primitive in style; Astounding IN nos
g pitallty. and rich in results; but the,
are passing away. In the north an'
, enst each fumily has its own cottage
5 In the south every cottage is yours
mud every table ministers to your wants
/. The grove prayer meeting; the alta
full of peuitents; Christian people work
p inr No wonder results come Bu
o where religious meetings are REGARDED
as simply plcasurablc recreations, w
do not expect much for the soul, ant
WE are not disappointed.