The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-07
SUMMIT CAMPS
FIRST DAY SERVICES.
They Are r,arked with Methodist Fervcncy
and Result.
THE FIRST CONVERSION.
Tells the Congregation of how He Came
obc Christian. New Tabernacle
Opened. Sunday Services.
BY q Stan Correspondent.

BRANDYWINE SUMMIT CAMP GROUND,
August 7-The camp here is now in prog
ress. ~ began in earnest yesterday morn
ing when an early morning prayer service
was conducted at tho auditorium by DIR.
Murray. AT $50 o'clock another PRAYER
service was conducted by Rev George ID.
Conoway of Mt. Lebanon. Many in the
audience gave testimony.
AT IL, 80 o'clock the first preaching ser.
vice was filled and DR.. Barrett, who
preached, was at his best He took his
text from first Kings 49, "a and 3S, And
call ye on the name of your gods, and
will call on the name of the Lord; and the
God that anwereth by fire, let him be God.
Then tho fire of the Lord fell and con.
sumed the burnt sacrifice, and tho wood
and the stones and the dust and licked up
the water that was in the trench"
The sermon opened with q description of
Mt. Carmel with tho sun shining upon it,
putting crown Oh its summit. He told
OF cloud not having crossed the sky for
three years and Of the long drought that
had existed. famine also existed and tho
checks OF tho men and women We're pin ch.
ed. Dead bodies strowed the plains LooE.
ing toward Carmel could be seen u crowd
of merchants and artisans on a march to
decide whJ was the true God, and the des.
TIMES of tho human race. DR. Barrett then
bring all his people to Mt. Carmel TO prove
the true God by fire.
He then portrayed tho gorgeous pro.
cession to tho mount, tho meeting, and
finally. tho placing Of the sacrifice that
was TO be consumed by fire from tho true
God: He told Of the prayer of Ahab to
Baal the god of the sun, to consume tho
sacrifice Elijah went forth to taunt
Ahab, and told him to call louder. Abab's
priests became fronzied. until at night
they fell to tho ground exhausted, and
acknowledged their defeat by not invoking
their god.
Dr. Barrett then told how Elijah called
upon tho Lord to send down the fro to
consume the sacrifice, No sooner had his
petition left his body than the sacrifice
was licked up by the flames. The people
assembled saw 1t, and falling upon their
knees exclaimed, "Hois God"
God still sends down the fire, continued
the preacher. He has been sending down
answers to his people just as decisive as
that sene down to Elijah.
Christianity solves all problems. 1t alone
solves tho problem Of mans salvation.
The greatest blot upon tho pages of human
history is sin. Its subtieties and its vari.
ous grades cannot be explained Man fools
that there Is burden upon him of guilt.
DIR. Barrett depicted tho Mohammedan
pilgrimages, the custom of the native of
India holding his uplifted arm to appcase.
tho gods, and the monks conGning thom.
selves In their cells, and said thoy were pc.
titions to Baal to send down tho Are They
must get to the God of fire.
Tho sermon closed with an appeal to all
to attend every meeting while tho camp is
in prpsreas, and then every ono would be
sure to receive some fresh fire from heaven.
DR.. Murray closed the service with PRAYER.
The next meeting was for the children
and was held in tho auditorium at !. 80
O'Clock. Rev. William P. Taylor Of
Rockland was the preacher in charge aud
with the aid of o mouse trap illustrated
how easy it was for them to become en-
SHARED in worldly things. He told them
to bc ever on guard against the evil ono.
them at tho end OF life. Bolh the chill
dren and old folks were delighted with
Mr.. Taylor's talk and tho services will
provo as popular and fruitful as any that
will bo held on tn ground.
At o'clock the second preaching ser.
vice was held. Rev. A. s. Mowbruy of
Elkton was TO have bean the preacher. but
did not reach the ground until $50 o'clock
and Rev Il. Il. Wise Of Silverbrook church
took his place, preaching from John H.
15: pray not that thou shouldst keep
them from the evil" The sermon was'a
portrayal OF how people can be kept from
evil by His word and by His power. The
service had n novel ending.
During 1t Beezaklel Wilson q native of
Africa sat on tho platform and after Mr.
Wiso had concluded DR.. Murray intro.
ducel Mr.. Wilson as tho most unique
character the world has ever seen, ho bo-
ing the first convert under the labors of
Bishop Taylor, the noted MetbOlist. Mr.,
Wilson speaks in broken English and
while at times he could hardly DO un,lor-
stood his experience was SO interesting
that when he concluded Dr. Murray had
the congregation stand and sing "Prnise
God from whom all Blessings Flow, with
true Methodist zeal.
Mr.. Wilson when 0 years Of age met
Bishop Taylor. At tho time the Bishop
was working to save the elder brethcrn
and finding it a difficult task turned his
labors toward the children. 80 1t is with
God, said tho man, HE finds it easy to
convert the tender hearts of tho children"
He thon told of his mother taking him to
sec tho Bishop who wanted the boy to be
student In his school Mrs. Wilson OBJ.
jected and the boy at first was opposed to
becoming pupil. But ho afterward did
and in peculiar manner While In swim.
ming the boy was bitten by al alligator.
and his life de.pairel Of
tho suffering boy taken to him, whose
of medicine was effective in tho
case. Previously the mother had prom.
sed the bishop that should her son recover
he would entor the school and when he
did Bszaiiel began receiving his religious
instruction. He was converted aftcrwurd
but know nothing about the Bible so
just told tho heathen my experience. /
.old them the same thing over and over
I,tx !, t,h I'm,
en INTERESTINGLY until l was callOd down.
They told me thoy would not believe my |
story until could back it up with Gospel |
truth, so at once determined to study for !
ID ministry. ! knew there were no |
schools there so determined to come to |
America. I informed Bishop Taylor Of
my intention but not my parents. who |
were opposed to my leaving home,
told sister, however. who threatened |
20 tell my mother but scared her by say.
ng that l would whip her That after. |
loon l went down to the dock andlmet an
English sea captain who was to sail for |
Liverpool that night and promised to take
ne there for work done l went home |
jook my fathers grip, he having hid my |
runk, and packed up few belongings
md made ready for the trip" Mr. Wilson
seemed sorry that he stole his fathers grip |
,ut said the Lord knew why he ntcd It |
md therefore would not count 1t u great
lin. The trip occupied two weeks aud
When he reached Liverpool he met divine |
o whom he told of his hunger after right
,ousncss and who after shcitering him two |
lays provided him with shoes, II tlckct for
and pound and six shilling, |
This was not sufficient money to admit |
lin to land at Philadelphia according TO |
he custom laws, but ho was allowed ogo |
lshcro and from the Quaker City went 10
Ncw York where he met u son of Bishop |
ray!or's who assisted him financially and |
lad him seated in q college there and also /
II one ut Ohio. Mr., Wilson is still study.
ng and in Il short time hopes to return to |
Africa and tell his heather friends Of the
Iord jesus Christ and his power to save