HOLINESS MEETING IN ALBERTLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4527, 2 December 1884, Page 2

HOLINESS MEETING IN ALBERTLAND.

EKOlting Scene at a Camp Meeting.

Eovdral Fersons^Setoa with Kcllglous

For several month* this and the adjoining settlements have been under the influence of religious excitement of such a character is few perhaps of the oldest settlers had any e viwrioneo To speak of a religious revival a« onohas been accustomed to is to form a vmTi adequate idea of the extraordinary melingihoW since the Amencanfol nesn Bvanuelistß started work. Messrs I helps and held their fn.tmee-inn-8 in Wavk worth, and the reliKiL excitement ntoonget tho Mttta there was great. Thoughtful, earnest, people openly showed their sympathy »tth f fie movement, and the evangelical partj cordially cooperated in what toi thoughV to be a good *«*. On the testimony of honest men, good work was done m Mahu_ r°nM although many of the accounts of X that to^ok place" there were exaggerThomas chose the Albortland settlement, a afield for-his labour. His ame preceded him and ho was cordially welcomed by the leaders of religious opinion. At his mooting, ho told his audiences that he was not a earned and educated man-a disclaimer some thought not at all necessary. He is ■cLlly-an ihitcrato man. , Mr Thomas held ten meetings in Bilccessive days in tho Wesleyan Chapel, Port A'bert, some four months ago. His style and method of conducting fl.o mcclings was repugnant to some, yet he got credit for sincerity of purpoTo. The meetings were we attended throughout, and the emotional elleot in. .'•eased at ouch meeting..until.the excitement became intense. Some ot the meetings Bvtendcd over twelve hours in one day, people bringing their food and getting » mcnl within the chapel. Tho musical nart of tho service waa very attractive, and a principal agency m.apDealing to tho emotional feelings, and" in Sustaining the dtop intevcfit in tho services. From Port Albert, Mr Thomas he.d a numJC r of meetings in the WhareliinofeckooJ. room,- and again at Wollsford, a largo portion of these meetings being constituted ,1 settlers from Port Albert. Then sfrwve wa» made to North Albertland, To Arai, md Kaiwuka, with the same result, large, numbers testifying, and berng^ sandtifisd md made holy. The ecenea at tha various meetings were tho same, much excitement, largo numbers^ of porsous, it is alleged, being " saved." Formation of the Great Camp, g - Now comes the most striking and exira. ordinary meetings that have ever been held hona, anrl pfirlinps in tlio colony. Large placards industriously posted throughout the district announced that a "holiness camp meeting" was to take place, and the feeling and interest, to say nothing of 4he sustained excitement, foretold a lively time of it. Becroft's Bluo-gum Grove 'was, the camping ground selected. One mprning the evangelist, with three convertsr^cne an old and respected i settlor, together with a middlo-aged man and a young girl, mot on the camping ground and held a novel service, the special objeot being to pray that the Holy Spirit would move tho heart of some one,, and cause them to givo a tent. Mr .Thomas says ho went to Auckland and found a ton* half made, and tho giver a worthy Auckland citizen, C. B. Stone. Plenty of labour was forthcoming- from local converts. r& The large tent was soon erected in tho middle of a large blue-gum grovo, and a string of smaller'tents quickly appeared alongside. On tho ono end was printed in large letters, " Without Holiness No Man Shall Bee: the Lord ;" tho othor, "Tho Saints', Kelt." An adjoining barn was turned'into a " Holiness Dining-room." Largo nutnbprs of people assembled from districts many miles away on tho Wednesday to witijera tho temperance domor strallon. At timo it appeared a division would havo occurred amongst tho temperance party, but the holiness meeting wa« kept distinct-and apart from thatof temperance. .-, &"j On Thursday, ir.orning, at a quarter before six, bolls wore ret ringing,. and;|the camp was alive. Hallelujah ! Halletijjfih 1 and a couple of score of persons commenced to shout, and the work was stafteH in earnett. Clang, clang, like tlio ringing of ■ the watch on board shipat sea, at oYßj!*nil noon, and f"f»ifj." L1 " ' " i'"'"n-«nwr~ Ik. ayu^-^'S'l* before rost was observed tn"ino camp. - Tlio blup-gum grove Jjvas lighted up by many lamps hanging to the trees. . Boards, bearing, inScripfcions "No Smoking," and ni'anv scriptural quotations were hailed toVltho trees about the camp. On Friday :'tho number of visitors increased; but it is cotitonded that tho Holy Spirit much iuoro abounded. At fix o'clock on Saturday morning, when the camp was aroused? for the day's worship, it was too painfully:bvi. dent that human nature and tho Holy Spirit wore striving for the mastery.- Eight women (three Auckland citizens of tho number) were on thegrouiid at full-longth^pttting and yelling, the evangelists'yells mingling ;vith frantic women (two young- girls J8 years old), Timid women, aye, andstrong' men, could not stand it. One Auckland woman was found to bo a lunatic. The climax was reached on Saturday night, when it wad thought five or suffering under religious frenzy, Dofdering on madness. A conrtict pccurred.'b.pt'ween two ovaigclists—ono Mr Exlby, tiolonging to the Christian Biethrpn, and therHoly Evangelist. Amidst much confusion alart o number of jiersons left the tentairraKed ov grieved. The women were frantic,vr'^iin^' about the tent. At ten p ; m. ono i'onsotiby lady rushed out Ecreaming, and, suddnnly stopping near -whero I \yaa. standiri|?f de. clared she saw "Jesus up in a bluo-gum tree." Another woman was challenging anyone to. " Touch her anointed one," meaning Mr Thomas. At eleven pm, another rush, rvnd I was pushed against a blue-gum tree. A woman shouted " a holy circle !;i,hoiy circle !" and two women, three men, :aiid a ' young lad commenced running around some half-dozen young men, yrho \vero like iny3olf standing outside, a few yards torn tho tents. " Savpn times round the walls of Jericho !" cried a woman, and the: women with uplifted hanfls and the men around they went. Mr Thomas yo}led f'Ainen ! amen I" The young men who wereeupposed -to form (lie ill-fated city inoniioned seemed to enjoy tho fiih" I"'appealed to. tho husband of one of;tho women, who .was a lunntic I feel suro, ito haveiuty an his wifo. He replied it was tho "Holy 3hostworking with her." "Now walla will ;oon fall," a woman exclaimed, and at i running pace they re-enteredtho terife I :etired at midnight. On a seat outsidttone )nd of the tent a woman sat faijif, i her msband nursing her infant.. I epokp!-- : td a >oung girl, IS years eld,; who f-tcodltwo ' ipu'a in one spot, in on 3 position, leanng against a tree, Baying' ''I'm'holy ! :'in lioly |:' On Sunday (to - day), ihe most indescribable meeting - has aken placo. Four times oiie woman in t frenzy was placed in her tout; but she ■ushed back to the tout twice, and yelled, 'Come to Jesus, come to Jesus." -'Two uedical men whowevo present offered idvice, but tho husband said it 'wasThe Holy Spirit; nothing, more." )nc person entered the tent with a number I men to forcibly take a relative outj? but ie requested to bo allowed to singahynin' ret, and he would rpEirej wliich ho did, to lie great pleasure of his wife ar(s faiitily. Tow a wild soeno took place, several orisons talking at tho samp.^tJme, fie holiness converts singing and prayig also. The afore-montioned" crazy oman rushed again outside h'or tent; arid Mumonced to wrestle with the Tauhoa ;hool-teachcr, calling' upon the Almighty ) help her. Then a movement was madci id tho horses were caught arid'sMilcd, ia tho people rode off in all directions, itounded and perplexed. I inusli n6't iti•easetLe length of this, as a frieud is off ' VVarkworth and will post, itthere ji bit will send tho finish ucxt'mail.-(OwN 3RKE.SPONDENT.) ; - :