Account of a Connecticut Camp Meeting, 1806

From Francis Ward. An Accout of Three Camp Meetings. Brooklyn: Robinson and Little, 1806.

Our camp meeting was held ar Sharon, from Friday the 27th to Monday the 30th of June 1806 inclusive. Nearly a week before it began, prepaarations were made, superintended by two ministers; and although it was the first of the kind ever known within many miles of the place the inhabitants in its vicinity, and many of them not of our society, volunteered their exertions on the occasion. Two fountains were cleared and from the mouth of one of them a huge stone was removed, by the united strength of four yoke of oxen and many men. The groves echoed with the strokes of the axe, the brush was cleared and carried off, the underwood cut down and laid in piles for firing and tent poles, under inspection and the assistance of the proprietor and his son, a spacious piece of ground gently sloping in a young oak wood, was fenced in a circular form by poles bound to the trees, and the stnad for the preachers was erected on the lower part of the circus, so as to station the congragation in the most convenient position for hearing. We began our preparations with prayer, dedicating the place to the worship and service of God; and at the close of the labours of each day, we invoked his presence and power, his mercy and salvation to be wondrously displayed throughout our encampment.

The auspicious Friday arrived; the day was bright and the unclouded sun poured his splendors on the face of nature, but still brighter was the day of salvation which beamed on us from heaven. Early the carriages came rolling along, and soon we heard by faith the rumbling of the chariot wheels of the Lord God of Israel. About forty tents and many covered wagons were ranged inside the lines. Until two o'clock the time was chiefly taken up in pitching tents, &c. and from that hour the meeting was conducted agreeably to the arrangements determined at its beginning. Family prayer in the morning at the tents; at eight o'clock, general prayer meeting at the stand; preaching, followed by exhortation, as occasion would require, at ten, two and six o'clock, and the congregation called together by sound of trumpet. The intervals were occupied with occasional exercises by groups of people in different parts of the geound. In the midst of these groups, one might observe some struck down to the earth by the power of God, and others agonizing for them in mighty prayer. As souls were brought out in the liberty of either justifying or sanctifying grace, and as distress changed to spiritual joy, prayer would also turn to praise, and the songs and shouts of salvation break from the glad hearts and voices of scores and hundreds. From time to time some young convert flowing with heavenly love, would address with strong exhortation the surrounding spectators standing in a circle, or single out some opposer or unconverted relative on their behalf with fervent intercession. . . .Now shrieks and groans of terror and distress issue from hearts pierced with the arrows of the Lord and from hearts rejoicing in the holy Ghost bursts of glory, glory, glory, reverberate through the echoing woods. But these praying companies were generally broken up when the voice of the trumpet proclaimed the publication of the gospel: this we endeavored to accomplish knwoing that it is as necessary a part of religion to have understanding enlightened with truth as to have the heart affected to God, and the will directed virtue: but in special cases, such endeavors would have been vain and wrong; for in some of these circles the work of grace went on powerfully and rapidly, that to break them up would have been impossible withoutviolence and to do so would have been in manner to figh tagainst God.

On the successive days we had vast congregations, who appeared possessed of invincible patience and fortitude, while with fixed attention they listened to the sermons, standing unmoved under the rain which descended on that day and Monday. Many came with eager curiosity and kept in constant motion from place to place. . . .Indeed the longer the meeting continued, and the more miracles of grace were multiplied, the more popular prejudices appeared to give wya, so that the very circumstances which arouse prejudices on such occasions, are generally sure in the end to conquer and destroy them. Although some of the wild beasts of the people had half intoxicated themselves with ardent spirits and came apparently determined to serve their master the devil, and although the magistracy did not remain with us in other places; yet such was the vigilance and activity of the watch, that very little open insult or wickedness was committed.

On Friday and Saturday nights, at a very late hour, the people seemed exhausted with fatigue and retired to rest; but on Sunday night the work broke out with fresh power, and was carried on until morning without interruption. The camp exhibited a truly grand and magnificent scene. Very large fires were lighted up and blazed high all round insie the circle of tents--lighted candles were fastened to the trees, the reflection of the light on the tents and the faces of the people, the varied green of the spreading foliage above, and the deep sylvan shades which arrested the eye in every direction, were sufficient to impress the mid of the beholder with solemnity.--. . .On Monday morning the love-fest commenced with the rising of the sun. It was opened with singing and prayer and many spoke feelingly of the things of God; their joy was full, their cups were running over, and other catched the streaming bliss. At the same time the rain poured down, while they seemd careless of its inconvenience, and only sensible of the showers of grace which descended on their souls. A venerable servant of God who presided on the occasion, perceiving the great inclemency of the time, had just mentioned that all who were determined to serve the Lord, might testify their resolution at once by rising up together and holding up their hands when instantly hundreds and hundreds arose, the witnesses of Jesus, thier hands were lifted up to him that liveth forever and ever--for a moment they stood silent--every eye looked around; and then, O what a shout of joy! Heaven and earth conspired in the praise of God: it seemed as if angels mingled in the throng and assisted in the loud acclamations of redeeming love. Two little girls appeared on the stand; they clapped their little hands exulting in the favor of God. NOw the animated company seemed to catch a new fire, and to rise still higher in their triumphs. O! what a concert of souls was there and what a general and . . . burst of glory, glory, glory to God! They had been but a few days assembled in the camp. . . .The fire of the Holy Ghost had melted their souls--they ran into one mould--even that of the gospel--were form and were reduced to one temper, the love of Jesus Christ. This is that heaven born principle by another that to separate the parts of which the body was now composed appeared almost impossible: truly it could not be effected without offering a species of violence to their strong and spiritual affections.

To the love-fest succeeded the last prayer meeting in which the wonder working power of God was most strikingly displayed and in whcih his delivering hand was freely acknowledged. At length the last sermon was delivered and followed by exhortation when the preachers about twenty in number drew up in a single line and a procession was formed four deep, led by a preacher, in front of a number of little children singing hymns of the songs of Zion marching round the encampment: at first they passed behind the line of ministers until the children headed by the preacher came up to it again, when every person formed in procession shook hands with all the ministerss successively. But this parting scene is absolutely indescribable: no eloquence can piture the animation, the affection, the tenderness of the people and preachers separating. Some declared they could die on the ground; others that they could live there forever--tears gushed from their eyes: some attempting to bid an adieu, sobs, and sighs almost choked their utterance, while in others it was liek a torrent bursting through every obstruction, and their farewell broke out with loud exclamations; their haeving bosoms, every feature, every gesture, declared the strong emotion of their hearts; the celestial sympathy for a while affected the wondering spectators--it was too powerful to be resisted--the big drops rolled down their faces, or glistened in their eyes, and they seemed to say in the language of the ancient heathens, "See how these christians love!" The tents were struck and the people dispersed: but souls filled with love are only parted in body, their minds are united in one, they cleave to one another in Jesus Christ, the common center of all true believers.