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ed with the feeling of our infirmities! who bears with the frailties of his creatures, and pardons their offences! This reflection turned my mind again to devotion, and I was involuntarily led to adore once more the God of my salvation for having provided such a suitable remedy for the evils of our fallen na tures. And, from the whole, I drew this conclusion,--If our heavenly Father manifests such forbearance towards us, surely we ought to have patience one with another.

Religious and Missionary Intelligence.

For the Methodist Magazine.

ACCOUNT OF A CAMP-MEETING HELD ON LONG-ISLAND, NEW-YORK STATE, FROM THE 7TH TO THE 13TH OF AUGUST, 1821.

THE first day was spent principally in landing and erecting the tents. On Wednesday, there were an usual number assembled from New-York, New-Haven, and from various parts of the country. At one time there were counted 37 sloops in the harbour, besides two steam-boats from the city, one of which was coming and returning every day during the meeting. On one day, it was judged that there were not less than 10,000 people on the ground.

The solemn exercises commenced under very favourable auspices, a spirit of solemnity and fervent devotion pervading the assembly. At 10 o'clock, P. M. most of the people obeyed the summons, and retired to rest, and the ground was cleared of stragglers. The united prayers of so many kindred souls, who were apparently aiming at the same things, could not but afford anticipations of the Divine power in the awakening and conversion of souls. Accordingly, on the second day of the meeting, some gave evidence of their desire to escape from their sins and lay hold on eternal life. These became the subjects of prayer; and many of God's people were engaged in this laborious and delightful exercise. That God heard their prayers, was manifested by the songs of praise which were heard in the Camp.

In this way the meeting progressed, evidently under the "good will of Him who dwelt in the bush," until the last night, when a more manifest appearance of the IMMANUEL was witnessed. By this time many sinners were deeply wounded by the "sword of the Spirit," and brought to cry aloud for mercy. In addition to a large praying circle which was formed on the ground in the open air, in which hundreds were engaged in

singing and prayer, there were several prayer-meetings in tents. In all these there were more or less of mourning penitents, earnestly groaning for deliverance from the bondage of corruption. Several of these, in the course of the evening, were enabled to testify that God had taken away their sins. The scene, indeed, was solemn and delightful, beyond description. The burning lamps, the shadowy grove, the surrounding tents, the solemn prayers, the concentrated notes of many voices singing praises to God and the Lamb, and the piercing moans of penitent sinners, excited those mingled emotions, which are better felt than described.

After being a short time in one of the prayer-meetings, about twelve o'clock at night I seated myself at the door of my tent, in a solitary mood, and indulged myself in silent reflections. I had but few interruptions, as all were either engaged in the solemn exercises of the evening, or reposing in their tents under the protection of Him who never slumbers nor sleeps.

The pleasing sensations which were excited by surrounding objects, may be realized by those who have been accustomed to ascend through things which are seen to those which are not seen; and in the midst of the most profound contemplation of Him whose perfections spread a glow of uncreated glory amidst the heavens, feel a conscious sense of the communications of His Spirit. To indulge in those speculations which a cold calculating philosophy might suggest, was not at all suited to the place I occupied. The mind at once overleaped the bounds of all material objects, and ranged through those fields of space, unoccupied by all but Him who filleth all in all. A ray of the Divine glory shed such a lustre around, as to eclipse the glory of all created objects, and the mind, as if moved by a secret and irresistible impulse, refused to dwell upon any thing of a terrestrial nature. The God who holds the destinies of worlds in His hands, containing myriads of intellectual beings, all alike the objects of His care, for some moments was the sole object of contemplation.

"All knowing!—all unknown!—and yet well known!
Near, though remote! and, though unfathom'd, felt!
And, though invisible, for ever seen!

And seen in all

Each flower, each leaf-"

"How shall I name Thee?-How my labouring soul
Heaves underneath the thought, too big for birth!”
"Mighty cause!

Of causes mighty! Cause uncaused! Sole root

Of nature, that luxuriant growth of God!"

-"Father of these bright millions of the night, Of which the least, full Godhead had proclaim'd, And thrown the gazer on his knee.”

How awful was this hour! Abstracted from the world around me, all my powers were lost in the contemplation of Deity. Descending from this lofty summit, where the soul caught fire from the altar of God, my mind was tuned to the harmony of devotion. I listened! The voices of many were heard. They echoed through the grove, and were carried off in pleasing melody on the waves of the surrounding waters. Among others, the voices of mourning sinners, were mingled with the ardent intercessions of God's people. The song of triumph heightened the melody, and gave a zest to the pleasure of contemplation.

The only interruption to this pleasure was, the voice of mirth and blasphemy from the mouths of some sons of belial, who occasionally approached the sacred encampment. A sense of their unhappy state served to moderate my joy, and to excite an involuntary sigh, on account of the folly and madness of thoughtless men. What a pity that any should so far forget their true dignity as to sport with sacred things, and make the worship of God an opportunity for accumulating wealth! The thought, that probably some of these mistaken men might yet become objects of the divine displeasure, spread a temporary gloom over the clear sky now illuminated by the radiant beams from the Sun of Righteousness. This, however, could not last long. Bodies do not tend to the centre by the inscrutable law of gravitation more forcibly, than mind, touched by the attracting love of Jesus Christ, moves towards the heavenly world, and rests, almost with equal tranquility, as the ocean when unmoved by a breath of wind.

Pursuing, therefore, the train of thought, first excited by that Spirit which breathed into man a living soul, I began to estimate the amount of good which might result from this meeting. The accidental evils, as they originated from the depravity of man, and were brought into operation by those unfriendly to the cause of piety, I could not charge to the account of CampMeetings. Upon a fair estimation, therefore, these subtract nothing from the total amount of good. But I had hardly begun the calculation, when a messenger brought the heart-cheering intelligence of the conversion of some youths, who had been long struggling under the mighty load of sin. They were now emancipated. Here, then, are more immortal souls to be taken into the account. How shall I make the estimate? By what rule shall I calculate? The worth of a soul is to be the first thing to estimate. But,

"Knowest thou the importance of a soul immortal!
Behold the midnight glory! worlds on worlds!

Amazing pomp!"

One soul outweighs them all!”

If this be so, who can estimate the whole amount of good, when scores of these immortal souls are brought to a saving knowledge of the truth? Baffled thus in my attempts to ascertain the benefit which might result from these solemn exercises, after feasting awhile upon the thought of their eternally praising God for having attended this meeting, I retired, about 2 o'clock in the morning, to rest; but the mind was too eager to suffer "balmy sleep" to sever the chain of thoughts, now stretching around the encampment.

It had already been ascertained that a number of those who had become the subjects of converting grace, were the children of pious parents. With the consent of their parents they had come to this meeting, and were now prepared to return, and "tell how great things the Lord had done for them." The work, however, was not confined to these. Many stout-hearted sinners were brought to tremble, and to supplicate for mercy. How many were awakened, how many converted, and how many were aroused to activity in the cause of Christ, I could not tell.* The influence of these meetings is not restricted to the meetings themselves; but those who are here quickened, carry the sacred fire with them to their neighbourhoods and families, and thus become instrumental of spreading the flame in various directions.

Some objections arose in my mind, which I endeavoured to answer. One of which it may be useful to mention. It is asked, "Are not the passions of the people so excited as to produce extravagances?" This may, indeed, be the case in some instances. But this is not peculiar to Camp-Meetings, In every religious revival these excrescences make their appearance. To lop them off, without wounding the main trunk of piety, requires a nice hand, guided by a prudence which falls to the lot of but few. Time and experience will correct the most of them. It ought to be recollected, however, that a luxuriant growth is proof of a rich soil. But it is to be suspected that many who make this objection, know not what they mean. Passions are some of the constituents of man. He cannot exist without them. Whenever, therefore, he is moved in the pursuit of an object of importance to him, whether it be religion or any thing else, his passions are enlisted. And why should these passions be considered as perfectly harmless when temporary good is the object of pursuit, and only reprehensible when religion is concerned? Sorrow, fear, hatred, love, grief, joy, are all excited, whenever the heart is powerfully moved by the influence of God's Spirit. And the result of this happy influ

*It might be satisfactory if some method were adopted at our Camp-Meet. ings to ascertain the number converted.

ence is, when yielded to by the sinner, the fixing his passions upon right objects. They may, it is granted, be carried to excess, and lead the subject of them to indulge in unseemly gestures, and improper expressions; but this excess may be corrected by a judicious application of that discipline which the word of God, under the management of a sober, enlightened judgment, furnishes. After all, how high the flame of divine love may rise, and how diffusive it may become, and how much of that which is deemed irregularity by man, may be considered order in the sight of God, who can tell?

On Saturday morning the meeting closed, and the people returned to their several places of abode, praising God for the exhibitions of His power and goodness.

New-York, Sept. 2, 1821.

REVIVAL OF THE WORK OF GOD IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

Savannah, Georgia, August 21, 1821.

To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine.

DEAR BRETHren.

I TAKE the liberty to transmit to you an account of the revival of God's work in this city, which, if you think proper, you can publish in your useful Miscellany.

J. HOWARD.

For many years Methodism has had its heaviest difficulties to contend with in this unfortunate metropolis; and nothing short of the most inflexible perseverance, could have supported its friends, and buoyed their heads above the swelling tide of despondency.

Since the year 1819, our respectability as a people has been gradually increasing, and the halcyon day has at length arrived, when many have been induced to surrender their flinty hearts to God; that, like the rock of Horeb, they might, when broken by his word, make way for the living spring of piety to flow forth to our adorable Saviour.

Since the 2nd of March, the holy fire has been enkindling, but not until the last month were the sacred sparks blown up to a burning flame. At our last Lovefeast, there were an unusual number of tickets issued. The evening appointed for this meeting was peculiarly inauspicious-torrents of rain had fallen during the day, and the night was wet and gloomy. But notwithstanding all this, our meeting was numerously attended, and its exercises progressed with an uncommon degree of the divine presence. At the close of this ever to be remembered Lovefeast, an offer was made to receive members, when, to our

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