Instrumental music is another innovation. The music that pleases God, is that which comes from a heart, consecrated to Him, inspired by love divine, springing up like a fountain of life; the spontaneous outgoings of the spirit. We must sing in the spirit, and with the understanding also.
This part of divine service should be free to all present, not marred by the instrument, neither by the select few. In this, we should study to show ourselves approved unto God. I cannot believe that He loves ignorance in the service of song, any more than in preaching His gospel. We should aim at the greatest efficiency in all the service rendered. This was the original plan as it came to our fathers. But with the new order of things came the organ, and the distressing few, to do the most precious part of divine worship.
Preaching the gospel was the means ordained of God for the salvation of the lost, and where this is done with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven, the work is accomplished. God never ordained the reading of essays as a means to bring sinners to Christ. His prophets anciently spake as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and success crowned their efforts.
Carnal Amusements are a great hindrance in carrying forward the work of the Lord in any church. They grieve the Spirit and cause those that indulge in them to backslide and become worthless as laborers in the cause of Christ.
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.”
This bit of history clearly illustrates the condition of our mother church.As the Britons were driven to Wales, so Christ and His followers have been driven out by the new order of things. Perhaps a streak of salvation might be sandwiched in, in some country church; or in a classroom far away from public gaze, where if the ancient power and glory should come in, no one would be hurt. But this order of things that the ancient power and glory should have no more place in this church, was decreed by many in authority nearly thirty years since, which my ears heard, and my eyes have seen performed in the expulsion of the good and the true from that body. During this war I became acquainted and was for a time quite intimate with Rev. John Robie,then Editor of the Buffalo Advocate, the organ of what was then known as “The Regency Party.” On one occasion visiting this Brother quite a number of ministers from this conference met in his office to do what they considered very important business, and that was to strengthen each other’s hands in the horrid work already begun, in expelling every one in that conference that endorsed B. T. Roberts, Styles, and all that class that did not stand by the new order of things. This I lived to see accomplished, to the very letter, both in the ministry and with the laity. They not only expelled, but they bought up and removed all so far as they had the ability, that believed in the life and power of salvation, or “Methodism,” as she was in the early days of her espousals to Christ, when the glory cloud was everywhere manifest. This work was not confined to the Genesee Conference, of making war on those that were true to their vows to Christ and to this branch of His church, but extended to other parts. Other Conferences are guilty of proscription, past, and present. That the forces which brought Methodism into existence, that gave to the world the grandest model ever planned for the salvation of the lost, should be forced to abandon its birthplace, is strange indeed. “Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon!”
In this expulsion the best blood of the church was forced out; and by the spiritual law of gravitation they came together and formed a conglomerate, which they named, “The Free Methodist church.” It has been called “The Free Methodist life boat.”
The organization took place in perilous times. Many societies were being engulfed by formalism, and death. This life-boat was a timely aid to rescue the perishing. Thousands will thank God to all eternity for their salvation through this instrumentality. The casual observer might have entertained grave doubts in her ability to navigate the stormy sea of life, and cope with other crafts claiming to be engaged in the life saving service, but presenting sails of a decidedly different character; but no where drawing fire from the enemy, but worldly commendation. It is true, her external appearance did not, and does not, give to those that merely gaze upon the outer appearance, much to hope for.