CHAPTER XXIII. THE CAMP-MEETING.

,andtheelementsshallmeltwithferventheat!Ah!didyoueverseeafireinthewoods?IhaveandI'veseenthefireontheprairies,anditrolledlikeatempest,andmenandhorsesandeverything,hadtorunbeforeit.Ihaveseenitroaringandcracklingthroughthewoods,andgreattreesshrivelledinaminuteliketinder!Ihaveseenitflashovertreesseventy-fiveandahundredfeethigh,andinaminutethey'dbestandingpillarsoffire,andtheheavenswereallablaze,andthecracklingandroaringwasliketheseainastorm.There'sajudgment-dayforyou!Oh,sinner,whatwillbecomeofyouinthatday?Nevercry,Lord,Lord!Toolate—toolate,man!Youwouldn'ttakemercywhenitwasoffered,andnowyoushallhavewrath!Noplacetohide!Theheavensandeartharepassingaway,andthereshallbenomoresea!There'snoplaceforyounowinGod'suniverse." Bythistimethereweretumultuousresponsesfromtheaudienceofgroans,cries,clappingofhands,andmingledshoutsofgloryandamen! Theelectricshoutofthemultitudeactedonthepreacheragain,ashewenton,withayetfiercerenergy."Nowisyourtime,sinners!Nowisyourtime!Comeuntothealtar,andGod'speoplewillprayforyou!Nowisthedayofgrace!Comeup!Comeup,youthathavegotpiousfathersandmothersinglory!Comeup,father!comeupmother!comeup,brother!Come,youngman!wewantyoutocome!Ah,there'sahardenedsinner,offthere!Iseehisloftylooks!Comeup,comeup!Comeup,yourichsinners!You'llbepoorenoughinthedayoftheLord,Icantellyou!Comeup,youyoungwomen!YoudaughtersofJerusalem,withyourtinklingornaments!Come,saintsoftheLord,andlaborwithmeinprayer.Strikeupahymn,brethren,strikeupthehymn!"Andathousandvoicescommencedthehymn,— "Stop,poorsinner,stopandthink, Beforeyoufurthergo!" And,meanwhile,ministersandeldersmovedaroundthethrong,entreatingandurgingoneandanothertocomeandkneelbeforethestand.Multitudesrushedforward,groansandsobswereheard,asthespeakercontinued,withredoubledvehemence. "Idon'tcare,"saidMr.JohnGordon,"whoseesmeI'mgoingup!Iamapooroldsinner,andIoughttobeprayedfor,ifanybody." Ninashrankback,andclungtoClayton'sarm.Sovehementwasthesurgingfeelingofthethrongaroundherthatsheweptwithawild,tremulousexcitement. "Dotakemeout,—it'sdreadful!"shesaid. Claytonpassedhisarmroundher,and,openingawaythroughthecrowd,carriedheroutbeyondthelimits,wheretheystoodtogetheralone,underthetree. "IknowIamnotgoodasIoughttobe,"shesaid,"butIdon'tknowhowtobeanybetter.Doyouthinkitwoulddomeanygoodtogoupthere?Doyoubelieveinthesethings?" "IsympathizewitheveryeffortthatmanmakestoapproachhisMaker,"saidClayton"thesewaysdonotsuitme,butIdarenotjudgethem.Icannotdespisethem.Imustnotmakemyselfaruleforothers." "But,don'tyouthink,"saidNina,"thatthesethingsdoharmsometimes?" "Alas,child,whatformofreligiondoesnot?Itisourfatalitythateverythingthatdoesgoodmustdoharm.It'stheconditionofourpoor,imperfectlifehere." "Idonotliketheseterriblethreats,"saidNina."Canfearoffiremakemelove?Besides,Ihaveakindofcourageinmethatalwaysrisesupagainstathreat.Itisn'tmynaturetofear." "IfwemayjudgeourFatherbyhisvoiceinnature,"saidClayton,"hedeemsseverityanecessarypartofourtraining.Howinflexiblyandterriblyregularareallhislaws!Fireandhail,snowandvapor,stormywind,fulfillinghisword—allthesehaveacrushingregularityintheirmovements,whichshowthatheistobefearedaswellasloved." "ButIwanttobereligious,"saidNina,"entirelyapartfromsuchconsiderations.Notdrivenbyfear,butdrawnbylove.Youcanguidemeaboutthesethings,foryouarereligious." "IfearIshouldnotbeacceptedassuchinanychurch,"saidClayton."ItismymisfortunethatIcannotreceiveanycommonformoffaith,thoughIrespectandsympathizewithall.Generallyspeaking,preachingonlyweakensmyfaithandIhavetoforgetthesermoninordertorecovermyfaith.Idonotbelieve—IknowthatourmoralnatureneedsathoroughregenerationandIbelievethismustcomethroughChrist.ThisisallIamcertainof." "IwishIwerelikeMilly,"saidNina."SheisaChristian,Iknowbutshehascometoitbydreadfulsorrows.SometimesI'mafraidtoaskmyheavenlyFathertomakemegood,becauseIthinkitwillcomebydreadfultrials,ifhedoes." "AndI,"saidClayton,speakingwithgreatearnestness,"wouldbewillingtosufferanythingconceivable,ifIcouldonlyovercomeallevil,andcomeuptomyhighestideasofgood."And,ashespoke,heturnedhisfaceuptothemoonlightwithanearnestfervorofexpression,thatstruckNinadeeply. "Ialmostshuddertohearyousayso!Youdon'tknowwhatitmaybringonyou!" Helookedatherwithabeautifulsmile,whichwasapeculiarexpressionofhisfaceinmomentsofhighexcitement. "Isayitagain!"hesaid."Whateveritinvolves,letitcome!" ********** Theexercisesoftheeveningwentonwithasuccessionofaddresses,variedbysingingofhymnsandprayers.Inthelatterpartofthetimemanydeclaredthemselvesconverts,andwereshoutingloudly.FatherBonniecameforward. "Brethren,"heshouted,"weareseeingadayfromtheLord!We'vegotaglorioustime!Oh,brethren,letussingglorytotheLord!TheLordiscomingamongus!" Theexcitementnowbecamegeneral.Therewasaconfusedsoundofexhortation,prayers,andhymns,allmixedtogether,fromdifferentpartsoftheground.But,allofasudden,everyonewasstartledbyasoundwhichseemedtocomepealingdowndirectlyfromthethickcanopyofpinesovertheheadsoftheministers. "WoeuntoyouthatdesirethedayoftheLord!Towhatendshallitbeforyou?ThedayoftheLordshallbedarkness,andnotlight!BlowyethetrumpetinZion!Soundanalarminmyholymountain!Letalltheinhabitantsofthelandtremble!forthedayoftheLordcometh!" Therewasdeep,sonorouspowerinthevoicethatspoke,andthewordsfellpealingdownthroughtheairlikethevibrationsofsomemightybell.Menlookedconfusedlyoneachotherbut,intheuniversallicenseofthehour,theobscurityofthenight,andthemultitudeofthespeakers,nooneknewexactlywhenceitcame.Afteramoment'spause,thesingerswererecommencing,whenagainthesamedeepvoicewasheard. "Takeawayfrommethenoiseofthysongs,andthemelodyofthyviolsforIwillnothearthem,saiththeLord.Ihateanddespiseyourfeast-days!Iwillnotsmellinyoursolemnassembliesforyourhandsaredefiledwithblood,andyourfingersaregreedyforviolence!Willyekill,andsteal,andcommitadultery,andswearfalsely,andcomeandstandbeforeme,saiththeLord?Yeoppressthepoorandneedy,andhuntthestrangeralsointhyskirtsisfoundthebloodofpoorinnocents!andyetyesay,BecauseIamcleanshallhisangerpassfromme!Hearthis,yethatswallowuptheneedy,andmakethepoorofthelandtofail,saying,Whenwillthenewmoonbegone,thatwemaysellcorn?thatwemaybuythepoorforsilver,andtheneedyforapairofshoes?TheLordhathsworn,saying,Iwillneverforgettheirworks.Iwillsurelyvisityou!" Theaudience,thustaken,intheobscurityoftheevening,byanunknownspeaker,whosewordsseemedtofallapparentlyfromtheclouds,inavoiceofsuchstrangeandsingularquality,begantofeelacreepingawestealingoverthem.Thehighstateofelectricalexcitementunderwhichtheyhadbeengoingon,predisposedthemtoasortofrevulsionofterrorandavague,mysteriouspaniccreptuponthem,astheboding,mournfulvoicecontinuedtopealfromthetrees. "Hear,ohyerebelliouspeople!TheLordisagainstthisnation!TheLordshallstretchoutuponitthelineofconfusion,andthestonesofemptiness?Forthousaidst,IwillascendintothestarsIwillbeasGod!Butthoushaltbecastoutasanabominablebranch,andthewildbeastsshalltreadtheedown!Howl,fir-tree,forthouartspoiled!Openthydoors,OLebanon,thatthefiremaydevourthycedars!fortheLordcomethoutofhisplacetopunishtheinhabitantsoftheland!TheLordshallutterhisvoicebeforehisarmy,forhiscampisverygreat!Multitudes!multitudes!inthevalleyofdecision!ForthedayoftheLordisnearinthevalleyofdecision!Thesunandthemoonshallbedark,andthestarswithdrawtheirshiningfortheLordshallutterhisvoicefromJerusalem,andtheheavensandearthshallshake!InthatdayIwillcausethesuntogodownatnoon,anddarkenthewholeearth!AndIwillturnyourfeastsintomourning,andyoursongsintolamentation!Woetothebloodycity!Itisfullofliesandrobbery!Thenoiseofawhip!—thenoiseoftherattlingofwheels!—oftheprancinghorses,andthejumpingchariot!Thehorsemanliftethuptheswordandglitteringspear!andthereisamultitudeofslain!Thereisnoendoftheircorpses!—Theyarestumblinguponthecorpses!For,Behold,Iamagainstthee,saiththeLord,andIwillmaketheeutterlydesolate!" Therewasafierce,wailingearnestnessinthesoundofthesedreadfulwords,asiftheywereutteredinaparoxysmofaffrightandhorror,byonewhostoodfacetofacewithsometremendousform.And,whenthesoundceased,mendrewintheirbreath,andlookedoneachother,andthecrowdbeganslowlytodisperse,whisperinginlowvoicestoeachother. Soextremelypiercingandsowildlyearnesthadthevoicebeen,thatitactuallyseemed,intheexpressivewordsofScripture,tomakeeveryeartotingle.And,aspeopleofrudeandprimitivehabitsarealwayspredisposedtosuperstition,therecreptthroughthedifferentgroupswildlegendsofprophetsstrangelycommissionedtoannouncecomingmisfortunes.Somespokeofthepredictionsofthejudgment-daysometalkedofcomets,andstrangesignsthathadprecededwarsandpestilences.Theministerswondered,andsearchedaroundthestandinvain.Oneauditoralonecould,hadhedesiredit,makeanexplanation.Harry,whostoodnearthestand,hadrecognizedthevoice.But,thoughhesearched,also,around,hecouldfindnoone. Hewhospokewasonewhosesavagefamiliaritywithnaturegavehimtheagilityandstealthyadroitnessofawildanimal.And,duringthestirandcommotionofthedispersingaudience,hehadsilentlymadehiswayfromtreetotree,overtheveryheadsofthosewhowereyetwonderingathisstrange,bodingwords,tillatlasthedescendedinadistantpartoftheforest. Aftertheservice,asfatherDicksonwaspreparingtoretiretohistent,amanpulledhimbythesleeve.ItwastheGeorgiatrader. "Wehavehadanawfultime,to-night!"saidhe,lookingactuallypalewithterror."Doyouthinkthejudgment-dayreallyiscoming?" "Myfriend,"saidfatherDickson,"itsurelyis!Everystepwetakeinlifeisleadingusdirectlytothejudgment-seatofChrist!" "Well,"saidthetrader,"butdoyouthinkthatwasfromtheLord,thelastonethatspoke?Durnedifhedidn'tsayawfulthings!—'noughtomakethehairrise!Itellyouwhat,I'veoftenhaddoubtsaboutmytrade.Theministersmayproveit'sallrightoutoftheOldTestamentbutI'mdurnedifIthinktheyknowallthethingsthatwedo!But,then,Ian'tsobadassomeof'em.But,now,I'vegotagaloutinmygangthat'sdreadfulsick,andIpartlypromisedherI'dbringaministertoseeher." "I'llgowithyou,friend,"saidfatherDicksonandforthwithhebeganfollowingthetradertotherackswheretheirhorsesweretied.Selecting,outofsomehundredwhoweretiedthere,theirownbeasts,thetwomidnighttravellerssoonfoundthemselvestrottingalongundertheshadowoftheforest'sboughs. "Myfriend,"saidfatherDickson,"IfeelboundinconsciencetotellyouthatIthinkyourtradearuinousonetoyoursoul.Ihopeyou'lllaytoheartthesolemnwarningyou'veheardto-night.Why,yourownsensecanshowyouthatatradecan'tberightthatyou'dbeafraidtobefoundinifthegreatjudgment-daywereathand." "Well,Iratherspectyouspeakthetruthbut,then,whatmakesfatherBonniestandupfor't?" "Myfriend,ImustsaythatIthinkfatherBonnieupholdsasoul-destroyingerror.Imustsaythat,asconscience-bound.IpraytheLordforhimandyouboth.Ipu