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HALIFAX, jy. G FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1824.
roz J.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
ity George IIovjardf
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CAMP-MEETINGS.
There are four objections urg
ed by the skeptick and worldly
minded man against Camp
meetings: 1st. They ask are not
the people taken from their bu
siness, and much labor and profit
lost to the community? 2dly.
Is there not an affected superi
ority in your preachers, and a
i .
pusillanimous acmeanor in your
people? the former showing to
the world a want of theological
information; the latter yielding
passive obedience to many des
potic rules and ecclesiastic influ
ence, such as night guards, &c.
3dly. Are there not many ladies
and delicate persons exposed (in
camping out of nights) to the
inclemencies of nocturnal va-
pors? And, 4thly. Are not the
passions of the people so exci
ted, as to produce extravagancies
by the fumes of enthusiasm
and false zeal? To these objec
tions we will severally answer.
First. As we are a free and
happy people, in a political
point of view, we feel thankful
that even the African slave has
the privilege to exercise the lib
erty of conscience, and that all
classes of people can worship
God in the way their conscien
ces dictate, under their own
vines and fig-trees, and none
ore to make them afraid. We
often meet with public assem
blies, paying their devotions to
Bacchus; destroying both health
and property; Wasting the time
that was given them to prepare
lor another and a better world jto'got religion, I will livewith
than this; thereby injuring the out it. Poor soul! thou mayest
community and undoing them-Jlive without it, but what wilt
selves eternally. Should we not thou do when thou comest to
more essentially labor lor that
bread which perisheth not, than
lor a temporal competency?
Secondly. That we should be
termed a pusillanimous people,
by the profligate and wicked, is
not to be wondered at, as thcy
only see through the medium of
their carnal propensities, and
cannot behold the limits of the
narrow path with a strait gate at
the entrance. It is very natural
lor people to exclaim against the
preachers; because they tell
them that they must be born'a
ain, that they must become as
little children, and that they
must become foolish before they
"an be made wise unto salva
tion; this appears to be very in
consistent logic; and so t did to
Aichodcmus. The reason of
this is very evident, for they
neither understand nor care to
inform themselves in these
things.
y Thirdly. As to the "delicate
lady and persons of a weak con
citation, there are many ways
to protect them, by close arbors
-nd tents, or wooden-roof houses
large light-woWfces, which
are known to dispel noxious and
nocturnal vapors. But as we
consider this as a very frivolous
objection, we shall not dwell on
it; knowing- that people of such
habits have never suffered much'
by going to Camp-meetings from
sincere motives of being benefit
ted thereby.
We shall now proceed to the
fourth objection. This per
haps, it will be thought, requires
much investigation in Philoso
phy to decide: Passion is one
of the constituents of man, and
is as necessary to human action
as oxygen gas, or vital air, is to
animal existence; it keeps in
motion the human system, and
gives rise to that powerful influ
ence which the body sometimes
appears to have over the soul.
Grief, sorrow, fear, love and
joy, are the principal traits or
characters of passion, and many
contingencies in the strange
compound of mental faculties,
which excites to motives or ob
jects in pursuit; and we. who
feel a godly sorrow for our sins,
are apt to pray and weep and be
afraid of eternal punishment, and
the vengeance of an angry God.
Those who feel their sins forgiv-
en are excited to ecstatic rap
tures of love, joy, &c. as David
was when he saw the Ark
borne bv the Levitical nnest.
hood before God's people; and
i -i i i r
r
wny snouiu you censure our
modern kings and priests to
God, when they rejoice with
that joy which is unspeakable
and lull ot dory; when thev
praiscGod with that overwhelm
ing power of love which filPd
the shepherd king David, when
he called upon the angels, upon
all His hosts, when he calls up
on the sun and moon and all
those glittering orbs of light to
sing His praise. "Let every
thing that hath breath praise the
Lord. Praise ye the Lord."
Psalm 150. Then lay all your
prejudices aside, and meet us at
our ensuing Camp-mccting at
Pierce's, and "seek the Lord
while he may be found, and call
upon him while he is near."
But. alas! somn of flip wnrlrl
sav, if this is the wav that I am
die? Dreadful thought! to die
without religion! Who can re
flect on it a moment and not
shudder! But we will leave
t hese trying reflections for a mo
ment, and endeavor to persuade
you to seek your eternal wel
fare before it is too late.
We do not pretend to say that
Camp-meetings are the only pla
ces to get religion, for God is
omnipotent, omniseient,and om
nipresent: "his centre is every
where, his circumference no
where:" but he that undertakes
to seek the Lord must come as
a poor mendicant; he must be
lieve that God is, and that he is
a rewarder of those that dili
gently seek him. We think
that Camp-meetings are very
proper places for religious de
votion; for it requires much so
lemnity of thought and abstrac
tion from the things of the
world to place our minds in a
proper frame for prayer and
thanksgiving. What can be
more solemn than the true wor
ship of God in spirit and in
truth? Who can have his mind
properly attuned to devotion at
a transient meeting, which lasts
but an hour or two? How can
the poor mourning soul that
wants to see himself, be brought
to a full view of himself in a few
minutes, with all the cares of
life surrounding him? We
know that the word is quick and
powerful to some, and that the
change is sometimes wrought in
a few minutes; but, as we obser
ved belorc, it requires consider
able abstraction of mind in oth
ers, to come to a full and firm
resolution, and to seek God
with the whole soul. But,says
one, why not iret religion at
home? So you mav. if vou will
make use of the proper means;
but, as we observed before, you
are crowded with the cares of
life too much to give the mind
up fully; therefore, let us again
invite you to enter the ark of
safety, or build your house on
the Rock of eternal ages; a tried
stone, the chief corner stone,
which you builders do reject.
You who are enemies to Camp-
meetings will please to look a
round you, and see the good ef
fect which they have had on
your citizens. We have seen
some of the profligate brought
low at Lamp-meetings, by di
vesting themselves of foolish
pride, and condescending to an
proach the sacred altar,and there
beseeching the people of God to
pray for them, that they might
be admitted into the family of
his people; such have arisen and
testified to the world that God
has power on earth to forgive
sins, and are now pillars of the
church militant, burninsr and
j shining lights to many dark be
wildered souls, buch have been
the good effects of Camp-meetings
in different sections of the
"country, and particularly in the
western states, where the differ
ent denominations of Christians
have united and prayed toge
ther; in this we do rejoice, that
thousands can date their con
versions in certain years and at
certain Camp-meetings. But,
awful to relate! there are a few
to be found who have started
the objections which we com
menced with, and which we
have in a feeble and concise
manner endeavored to answer.
God, who rules the destinies
of men, and w ills that all should
come and share his pardoning
mercy and his love, has ordain
ed the means, and with an en
ergy'divine, pours out his quick
ening spirit into every soul that
tcels and sees his need ot him.
'TV 1 .. t 1.1
i rue uevoiion, uouDiiess, re?
quires a considerable degree of
abstraction from the world, to
hold an intercourse between us
and God: the prostrate soul then
rises "above terrestrial things,
and pours lorth all its wants,
i i r i .
wisnes, nopes, iears, guilt or
pleasures into the bosom of an
Almighty friend. Though this
devotion, in its first stage, may
be a wearisome or insipid exer
cise, yet this merely arises from
the depravity of our nature and
our passions; habit will over
come this reluctance. When
we have entered on our journey,
we shall find that the ways of
wisdom are ways of pleasant
ness, and all her paths are peace.
Fervent devotion glows in the
scriptures, it warms us by its
beatific beams. The hnhr
prophets and devoted martyrs
i ii i .
nave ueciarca to a lallen world
their zeal and Christian devc.
tion. Real piety is of an ani- j
mated nature, it Jooks up to
God, sees, hears, and feels him
in every event, in every vicis
situde, in all places, in all sea
sons, and upon all occasions.
It is faith substantiated by men
tal enjoyment. It is theory viv
ified by experience. It is hea
ven transplanted in the bosom;
it is the radiance of the divinity
warming and encircling man; it
is spiritual sense gratified by
spiritual sensations. Without
this all ceremonies are ineffica
cious. Books, prayers, sacra
ments, are but a body without a
soul, and no more than a statue
without animation. That man
is capable of such an intercourse
with his Maker; there are many
living witnesses to prove. God
is a spirit, so is the mind; bod
ies can have intercourse, so can
souls; when minds are in an as
similating state of purity, they
have union with their Maker;
this was the bliss of Paradise,
sin interrupted it, and holiness
must restore it. To a soul thus
disposed the Creator communi
catcs himself in a manner as in
sensible to " the natural eye, as
the falling of the dew, but not
less refreshing to its secret pow
ers than that is to vegetation,
The primitive saints are descri
bing this when they speak of
their transports. David felt it
when he longed for God as the
hart pantcth alter the water
brook. St. Paul knew it when
he gloried in his tribulation; it
was embodied in him when he
was carried up into the third
! heaven, and heard things im-
; possible to be uttered. St.Ste
iphen was filled with it when
jhe saw the Heavens opened
end prayed lor his murder
ers; by it martyrs were sup
ported when they were stoned
and sawn asunder; and until we
we feel it in ourselves we shall
never know how gracious the
Lord is. It will be of little mo
ment what is your lot on earth,
or whet are the distinguishing
vicissitudes of your life, a cot
tage or palace, affluence or ad
versity, will be so many objects
of glory; the whole creation will
become a temple, every event
and every object will lead your
minds to God, and in his great
ness and perlection you will lose
the littleness, the glare and tin
sel ol human things.
EUSEBIUS.
LA FAYETTE.
mi . r -r-
i ne visit ol .La Fayette to
this country having given rise
to so much remark, and amus
ed the grateful feelings of our
citizens, it may not be amiss to
give the public a sketch of his
life. The cause of liberty has
aiways oeen next his heart, and
u circumstances have not al
ways lavoured his operations in
ui puuucai world, yet never
has his fair fame been sullied by
a single action inconsistent with
his avowed nrincinles. His
life and fortune were always at
the service of his country, and
he has p.vrr followed the causo.
of liberty with the purest disin
terestedness, and the most un
shaken zeal.
He was born in the year 1757,
at Auvcrgne, in France a
province celebrated for the inde-
i i i r- . . .
pellucid aim vaiuuroi us inha
bitants from the earliest timos.
and now composing the two ds-'
partments of Cantai and puy de
Dome. His ancestors wcrea-
mong the first people of the
province, and had ever been
conspicuous for their indepen-
'. 1 ll . 1
uem spirn ana meir cnivairous
contempt of danger. In the
spirit of his fathers, he became
the early advocate of political
freedom, and falling into the
society ot those who had espou
sed his principles, he imbibed
the most ardent attachment for
liberty. With these feelings,
it is not singular that his atten
tion was directed to America.
In spite of the obstacles placed
in his way, he succeeded in
leaving France in a vessel fitted
out at his own expense, with
which he arrived salely at Char
leston, (S. C.) in January, 1777.
He immediately entered and
served with the army as a vo
lunteer. On the 31st July, in
the same year, he received his
appointment as Major General
from Congress, 'in consideration
of his zeal, and illustrious fami
ly connexions,' which he ac
cepted on condition that he
should be allowed to serve with
out pay or reward. The Mar
quis distinguished himself on
numerous occasions. At the
battle of Brandy wine, he beha
ved with undaunted bravery,
threw himself into the hottest
fire, and when wounded, refut
sed to quit the field. On the
25th November of the same
year, while still suffering from
his wound, with a small party
he repulsed a superior force of
Hessians and British Grena.
diers. For this he was entrus
ted with a command suitable to
his rank. After two years ab
sence from his own country, he
obtained leave to return to
France. He carried with him
the most flattering testimonials
of his worth and services, and
received a sword from the hand
of the American minister, in
the name of Congress, soon af
ter his arrival at Paris. While
absent, he engaged with all his
soul in the cause of the United
States, and succeeded in gain
ing the countenance of tho
French government. He re
turned in 17S0, and arrived at
Boston in the Hermione frigate,
Capt. ,e Touche. It may not
be improper to mention, in this
place, that the French minis
ters, however disinterestedly
they appeared to act, were said
to have been influenced in their
conduct at that time, by the hope
of regaining Canada from the
possession of the English.
In 1781, La Fayette was or
dered to Annapolis, with a se
parate and independent com
mand, for the purpose of dri
ving Arnold out of Virginia,
but from the want of co-opera-tion
on the part of the French,
fleet, the attempt failed. He
was at this time of creat spn-i
in checking the maraud in py.
peditions of Gen. Philios. and
was soon afterward
to Cornwallis.the greatest Gen
eral sent against us during tho
revolution. Although his for
ces were few, his men badlv
clothed, and suffering much
from a want of healthy food. La
Fayette supplied their wants
from his own purse, gallantly
mainiaineu ma gtuunu, ana com
pletely succeeded in the protec
tion of the public stores. nfW .,
series of masterly manoeuvres.
Or first hearing that La Favet'.e