and grasp of his beloved co-laborers in the vineyard of the Lord.

It was meet that he should go up on high during the session of his conference; that despatches should come from his dying-bed to its listening hearts; that prayers for the peaceful passage of his soul should be poured forth by his comrades in years and arms, and that the first prayers and resolves his death called forth should be made by this body, among whom, for over fifty years, he had moved a shining spirit of power and love.

19

XIII.

IN CAMP-MEETING.

Why he loved the Camp-Meeting.-His First Sermon there.

Eat Manna for Forty Years. Going to see Paul, and learn the But-end of his Meaning.Digging up a Backslider's Hope.- No Mother-in-law before a Mother.— His Zeal in this Work. - Sinners' Joys and Christians' Sorrows alike for a Season.-Can't steal the Linchpin from the Lord's Chariot. - Aaron's Rod getting hungry, and eating up its Rivals. - The Origin of Eastham Camp-Ground.-Its first Sermon. - A Fire that will last.- Caning the Devil. A Wrestle with one of his Children.- Taking up a New Hive. Gabriel and a Coach and Four. - Owing the Devil a Hypocrite, and pay. ing or cheating him.- His Appearance at Eastham.- His last Visit to a Camp-Ground.

A

GENIUS like his found especial delight in the camp-meeting. Its freedom from restraint, its communion with Nature, the exhilaration of opposition, its largeness of life, where every noble impulse is itself ennobled, all combined to make him an ardent lover of its services. Almost his first pulpit triumphs were on this field; and, to his last days, he cherished a warm attachment for its altars.

He began this life with the beginning of his ministry. The first year of his Saugus history, he is off in Connecticut, attending a camp-meeting, and astonishing the people by his wit and eloquence.

In 1816, he attended a camp-meeting at East Hart

ford, probably on his peddler's cart. He preached a very remarkable sermon on the text, "And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years," - a text as remarkable for its felicity of fitness as any sermon could be. The discourse made a great sensation and impression on the meeting; so that it was the constant theme of remark, as they met each other, "Have you had any manna to-day?"

In 1817, he preached at the same place on, "Come thou with us," crying out, "You Hobab, come with us; we are going to a holy land!"

He

These two sermons typified his future career. "ate manna "for over forty years, and has reached "the holy land."

At this same camp-meeting (1817), he uttered another remembered word. In preaching on Phil. iv. 19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," he said he should "not spend time in introductory remarks, as a hungry man would not spend half an hour whetting his knife and fork before he began to eat."

"My God will supply ALL, not a part, of your need," he said. "This means sanctification. Is it needed? If it is, it will be supplied. But the objector might say, the apostle did not mean sanctification. I think he did. I am going to see Paul one of these days, and I will ask him; and I believe he will tell me that it was the very but-end of his meaning. Now, if you will tell me how rich God is in glory by Christ Jesus, I will tell you what the Christian may enjoy."

A year or two later, at a camp-meeting, describing the backslider, he said, "I would rather dig up a well than dig up his hope."

At another meeting, advising young converts to join the Church, and seeking to warn them against proselyters, who were then exceedingly busy and successful with Methodist converts, he said, "If you don't want a mother-in-law, go home and join the Church that bore you."

He ranged through Connecticut for several years in this delightful service. He was then in the height of his youthful popularity and power, exceedingly faithful, going from tent to tent, exhorting, praying, singing, with ceaseless ardor. The zeal of the house of the Lord was eating him up; but, like the burning bush, he was not consumed by the passion for Christ and souls which inflamed him. Crowds followed him as he moved around the ground. The young Christians hung on his lips with untiring devotion. He was full of faith and the Holy Ghost. Summerfield did not surpass him in warmth or energy or pathos or power. He was far below him in keen

wit and imagery.

In one of these meetings, he preached on the wai between Christ and Belial. He strode up and down the platform, driving the enemies of Christ far over the horizon with the magic wand of his imagination, and setting his audience in a whirl of excitement over his remarkable power of military description.

On another occasion, preaching on Moses "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than

to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season," he dwelt on the last point first, the pleasures of sin. He said, "Sinners, you have your fine horses and farms and houses; but it is for a season. You delight in your ruffled bosoms, and gay apparel, and gilt ornaments; but it is for a season. You indulge in your unholy appetites and passions, running riot in pleasurable sin; but it is for a season, - for a season!" Having rung these solemn changes for some time, until the audience was greatly affected, he turned to the Christian side of the parallel, - suffering affliction with the people of God. "You are despised of your rich and sinful neighbors; but it is for a seaYou are hated and persecuted for righteousness' sake; but it is for a season. You are cast out as evil, and trodden under foot of men: it is only for a season, for a season!" Tears fell profusely, and great sobbing and rejoicing testified to the wondrous power of the man of God.

son.

When the roughs had been troubling a meeting with their mischief, and, among other misdeeds, cut harnesses and stole linchpins, Father Taylor broke upon them from the stand, by exclaiming, "Jesus Christ rides in a golden chariot. You can't steal the linchpin out of his wagon."

Preaching on Aaron's rod becoming a serpent, and swallowing up the others, he said, "His serpent, being hungry, ate 'em up, and made a breakfast of them all."

In 1827, at the camp-meeting held on Martha's Vineyard, while speaking of the privileges of the followers of Christ, he said, "Some, when they wor