_The Sabbath School_ should be the nursery of the church; and is, when the salvation of the school is the primary object. When time, talents and means are employed to that end, but if carnal amusements are held up as the object for which they aspire, then indeed, much of our labor will be in vain.
_Camp-meetings_ are an American institution and a child of Methodism. Eternity alone can tell the good accomplished by these means of grace. Thousands have been attracted to God’s leafy temple where the greatest amount of Spiritual freedom generally prevails, especially when ancient simplicity and earnestness prevails, because there is always something inviting, something grand and glorious about these God ordained gatherings. Can you imagine a place more lovely to behold, and to enjoy, than a beautiful forest dotted with Israel’s tents, and a company of those that are in earnest to get to Heaven? the songs of praise, the shouts of new-born souls, and on every side to feel that God and angels are there. Truly, such a place has a charm for all that love the good and the beautiful. But when the camp-meeting becomes a place for trade and speculation, a place for visiting, for idleness and feasting, for airing one’s opinions, for anything and everything but self-denial and earnestly seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost on their own souls and on the souls of the unsaved, then the ancient glory departs, and as a substitute culture in style, from the tent, to the magnificent cottage, the exclamations of holy joy in the electric amen--praise the Lord--glory to God--Hallelujah--give way to jesting, to light and trifling conversation, and to engaging in those things that produce the most fun. Then, indeed, it becomes necessary that another people should be raised up to do camp-meeting work as in former days, when the glory of the Lord rested upon this branch of Zion.
In too many cases the camp-meeting of to-day is simply a huge Pic-Nic! I believe the real difficulty has been, and is, in failing to preach, experience to live, and enforce sanctification, or perfect love. This was the central _thought_ with this church, and should be with every Christian denomination. It should tower above every other consideration. It is true that the doctrine of holiness has become quite popular in some directions, but that kind that contains the cross that kills, and produces resurrection life and makes a complete separation from all carnality, is no more popular to-day, than it was in the beginning. This was the issue in the M. E. Church more than thirty years ago resulting in the foundation of the Free Methodist church. Other things came in which greatly enlarged Satan’s army, so that on almost every occasion there was war. This continued with increasing force until the powers of darkness were in the ascendancy, resulting in the expulsion of some of the best the old Genesee Conference had. This occurred in 1858. In one of Dickens’ works, I think it is, this statement is made: “The first settlers of England were what are now, the Welsh that occupy Wales. They were at war with the Scots and Picts. Before this they had been harassed for a long time by the Romans. Now the Saxon comes in and makes war upon them, and then takes possession of the country, forcing the Britons back to the mountains of Wales; so, ever since the Saxon have been masters of Great Britain, Scotland and Ireland.”