The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1907-09-04

NNAaA
had charge of the meeting. DIR. Thos.
Raysor, father of the present Senator
from Orangeburg county, was preacher
in charge of the circuit, with A. G..
Harmon as %juninor preacher.
1t was usual for the Presiding Elder
to invite or request such preachers to
attend camp meeting as he could best
use for the occasion. Among the mem
bers that year, were Rev. III. II. Dur
ant and Rev. Lucius Bellinger. Some
men are great on special occasions.
And it was SO with Rev. H. III. Durant.
The out door environments together
with q large audience, seemed to inspire
him, and he preached with more liberty
than on ordinary occasions. But few
men could preach at camp meetings
with more power than he. On Sunday
afternoon he preached q sermon of
great strength, which produced a Won
derful effect. He used as his text,
Exodus 1913 "And when he seeth the
blood upon the Intel, and two side posts,
the Lord will pass we the door, and
will not suffer the destroyer to come
into your houses to smite you" The
preacher was at his best. Young and
old men stood aghast while he with vivid
imagination and in fluent language de-
scribed the condition of a lost soul in
torment.
Rev. Lucius Bellinger, known as the
strange preacher" rendered efficient
work HE ~ nnI ,t,l, &c
preaching was simple and unique.
With great faith and power in prayer,
in preaching he would soon get the at
tention of his audience and hold it. On
one occasion he preached a sermon on
the parable Of the give loaves and two
small fishes" His description of the
little boy hurrying to finish his work at
home, and early in the morning with
tackle in hand and five loaves in bas-
ket, going to the brook by the large
rock under the spreading beech tree,
and soon catching two small fishes;
then Fastening on to the larger assem-
bly,, was the basis of a sublime and
eloquent discourse. His sermon pro-
duced a wonderful effect upon his
audience and made an impression that
was not soon forgotten.
The meeting Of which we speak was
to close on Tuesday and several Of the
tent holders moved to their homes, but
the meeting increased in interest and
was continued from day to day.
The interest in the meeting became
so great that large numbers attended
and those who had moved home moved
back to the grounds, and occupied their
places in the line Of tents. Then came
a gracious revival which continued for
two or three weeks. 1t was as q tidal
wave sweeping everything before it.
Many were saved and their names ad-
ded to the church roll. Among the num-
Der were Capt. G. w. Sullivan, his
brother T. j. Sullivan, the older mem
bers of their families, f.. B. Gambrell
and other heads Of families. All these
became substantial, loyal and faithful
members of the church.
In thirteen years what a change in
the roll of members of the old log
church!
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform,
He plants his footsteps on the sea;
And rides upon the storm"
Camp meetings were held annually
for a series of years with an attendance
of l, 200 or 1, 500 persons or more.
The encampment was incorporated
and controlled by police regulations and
the order was usually good.
The following pastors served the
church from 1855 to 1861: DR.. Thos.
Raysor and A. P. Martin 1856; Rev.
Pickett and A. P. Martin 1857; Rev. j.
A. Wood and e. V. Sharp 1858; Rev.
Cornelius Mcleod and II. d. Moore
1859; Rev. T. S. Daniel and A. W..
Moore 1860; Rev. Jas. T. Kilgore ard
Jas. II. Stoudemire 1861.
In 1861 the writer left home to bivouac
on the battle field.
(Continued.)