The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19

800 80 Nh.lhJ A.hhAg rhhiu .NhuiNh Hithit IIiD
has ever boen tho. browning glory OF Ocean
Grove-not. so much religious education as in
tense religious life. Her watchword has been
that remarkable utterance OF our Lord, 81 have
come that ye might have life, and that yo might
have IL more abundantly."
Never, i think, in the twenty.eight years OF
our history has there been n camp meeting OF
greater religious influence aud power than the
The large auditorium. of course, was the
centre OF the great battle for God and for souls,
but side meetinvs went on inccssantly for two
sure there were never any hotter times in tho
old days when the arbor used to overflow and
wagons, and right out in the woods. Tho
meeting Of '87 certainly ranked among the best
OF nil inc meetings held on those consecrated
grounds. The attend nce Mt the camp meeting
At Cottage City, ,Martha's Vineyard, WAS
larger than at any time in recent years. This
and is one OF the oldest in Methodism. The
Yarmouth meeting was also n great success.
The siXty.sixth annual camp meeting at
Sing Sing Heights was n great victory over tho
idea that the influence of the camp meeting is
a thing Of tho past. One who was there says;
Inc meeting was honored by the presence and
power Of the Holy Spirit, In the conviction and
conversion Of sinners and entire sanctihcation
in many years; Bishop Ncwman's, sermon,
from the text, Holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord, held the vast conservation
OF some 1000 in GREATNESS attention until its
close. Twenty-Five, preachers took part. and
the Swedish people were out IN full force.
water, and sanitary matters are up TO date, the
religious services are kept, up to the old.timc
approval in the conversion and purifying OF
the people and in preparing them for more eff
Client work In their churches
THE reports from New Jersey, Long Island,
and Connecticut have been just AS encouraging.
The history of the camp meeting shows that
wonderful rcformatiOns have been accom-
plishcd by their agencies, and such viii con
tinue to be the case. Here's q brother from
the south, he concluded, as a third man ap.
preached the group; perhaps he can tell us
something OF the camp meetings OF the past
and of the present in his section of the coun.
Yes. do urged the other old man and the
young person as the Southcrncr seated him.
'Thc camp meeting in the South to-day hard.
ly reaches any need OF the people, hence II has
declined In interest" responded the newcomer.
wien cnmp meetings, We're important factors
in spreading n knowledge Of the Gospel in many
as well as here, few churches had settled pas.
~toratcs or regular preaching every Sunday.
As the Mcthodists began to multiply very soon
after ISL. they sent out their circuit riders in
preachers being assigned to a four.wcek cir
only one preacher was sent the preaching came
only once IA month. and In most Of the churches on
week days. The preacher began his work on
Tuesday. and preached every day in the week
preaching only once II month. That was tho
inss a necessity md a great privilege to tho
people who had little preaching, no religious
papers, ana very Few books. with the dy-
and South the necessity for the old.time camp
meeting, has passed away.
Methodists believed in them. The presiding
meeting was held would w"iltd order in preach t
best suited to the work. There were generally
three or four sermons daily. with a sunrise
hear sermons from the hest preachers OF their
section. and they would treasure up these ser
months. They would also learn new songs.
and carried back new thought and life to their
homes and churches, they were brought in
contact with one another and there was u re-
ligious fcrvor and enthusiasm in those meet
ings that arrested the most thoughtlcss. The
services were always very noisy. Members Of
the congregation would come in with Amen
and GLORY and .Hallclujah' and genuine old
time shouting followed, which was often kept
up until after midnight.
FIFTY to scventy-five years ago We, too, had
some noted camp grounds. The difference be-
yours did not become noted until after
the, itinerancy had received its deathblow
ours were noted when ltinerancy was in its
prime and Chautauqua and summer schools
were not dreamed OF, There would be from
made OF rough boards, others of logs. They
were usually without floors, and quilts. sheets,
or coverlets served as partitions. Now and
then one would run across n tent at a camp
ground With floors and a second story, but that
Mere ipUs1a on al little as s sqrf IhAI iho"sb some anS f beas
lilies carried ,bcdsteads. Food that would
keep was cooked at home and taken to the
The rest of tho cooking was done out Of doors
at n large fire. Mucn visiting was done be-
tween the occupants OF the tents. and every
body's door stood always, open TO everybody
else. Aside from the religious advantages,
the social life was much, enjoyed. People liv-
iis and toiling on isolated farms came together
and had n good time. Families held reunions,
friendships were renewed. ana new acquaint.
ances made; courtships went on, and the meet.
ings were most ENJOYABLE from a social point
of view:
cause with railways came towns and regular
nreaching by a variety of preachers. Then, too.
Sunday schools. religious books. and news.
Almost any one in the rural neighborhoods OF
the south can Est to a church OF some sort
conferences, union meetings, meetings OF socie-
there is no lack on the social side OF religious
life and activity, The camp meetings of the
South have surely and steadily gone down.
Where they are kept up there are few tent
decd. the meetings are a small force in religion
today in the South"
For my part" said the old man, who had
expressed n similar opinion regarding the camp
meeting Of to-day in the North. II would he
glad to see the. itineraucy take root again.
and say I am n circuit rider. thank God. and I
am willing to stay only a month in a place If
tened on the Gospel so tightly that the Metho.
dist preacher OF to-day has TO study so hard he
has little time for camp meeting work. His
time of service has stretched out from two
years to three and so on until he is now sta
toned for i've years at a church. and by the
time camp meeting time comes round he is so
tired he has TO go off on n vacation for n month
or two months and sometimes three. II he was
moved about oftcner from charge to charge, he
could use the. same material more frequently,
md this would give him q chance to pour the
hot shot OF the Gospel into the camps. 1t hurts
the old-timc Mcthodists to say 1t, but camp
meetings aren't what they once were"
THE LAST OF COBB,S ISLAND.
Tho Sea Has Nearly Destroyed q Beloved Re.