THE HOLINESS CAMP MESTING AT AUCKLAND.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1268, 10 December 1884, Page 2

THE HOLINESS CAMP MESTING AT AUCKLAND.

(From tho Star's Alberfcland correspondent.) Vow come Hie most striking and extraordinary meetings that have evr-r been held here, and perhaps m the colony. Large placards indas* fcrionsly posted throughout the dkt trict announced that a "hoiiesi camp neeting" was to take place, and the eHn : and m c es'jjo^say n-.it iing of the suslaiaed excitement foretold a lively time of it. Becroffc'a i Bine-sfnms Grove was tlie camping srmund select'-d. One morning the evangelist, with three couverts^jone an oio aud |resp*cted eettler, to* gether with a middJe. j aged man Pnd a young girl, met on the camping gr-.nnd an<l held a novel service, the R^GCialobject being to pray Ihatlthe Holy Spirit would move the hearbof ! some one, aud cause them, to give a i tent. Mr Thomas nays he went to Auckland and found a tent s> half made, and the giver a worthy Auck* land citizen, C. B, Stone, Plenty of labor was forthcoming from lical ; converts. The large tent was soon erected m the middle of a large blue»gum grove, and a string >oi smaUcr tents quickly appeared alongside. On the one end wai printed m large letter*, " Without. Koliuess No man Shall See the Lord;" the other "The Saint's Best." An adjoining barn was turn'd inio a li Holiness Dining* room." Large numbers of people assembled from districts many miles away on the Wednesday to witness the temperance demonstration. At one time ifc appeared a division would have occurred- amongst the temperance party, but the holiness meeting was kept distinct and apart from that of temparance. On Thursday morning, at ft quarter before six, bells were set ringing, and the camp was alive. Hallelujah ! Hallelujah ! and a couple of scor9 of persons commenced to shout, and the work was started m earnest. Clang, clang, like the ringing of the watch on board ship at sea, at 6, 8, atd noon, and again at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m , and it was midnight before rsstjras observed m the camp. The blue* gum grove was lighted up by many lamps hanging to the trees. Boards beaming inscriptions 'No Smoking/ and many scriptural quotations were na : led to fie trees about the canp. On Fridaj- the number of visitors increased ; but it is contended4that the Holy Spirit much more abounded. At sis- o'clock on Saturday morning, when the camp was aroused for the day's worship, it was too pain, fully evident that human nature and the Holy Spirit were striving for the mastery. Eight wom:n (three Auckland citizens of the number) were on the ground at full length, shouting and yelling, the •v&bgelists' yells mingling with, frantic women (two young girls 18 years old). Timid women, aye, aud strong men. could not stand it. One Auckland woman was found to be a lunatic. : . : The climax was reached on Saturday night, when it was thought $vp or six were suffering under religious, frenzy, bordering on madness, A' conflict occurred between two evan* gelisfcs— one MrExlev, belonging to the Christian Brethren, and th_« Holy Evangelist. Amidst such con? fusion a large number left the 4ent amazed or gqeved. The women were, frantic, rushing about the. tent, j^t 10 p.m. one Ponsqnby lady rushed out screamjng, and, su.4dei}ly s r ton« ping near where I w^as standing de* clared that she saw M Jeans up jn a blue-gum tree," Another woman was chaPenging anyone to '.'Touch her anointed one," meaning T» Mr Thomas, A woman shouted, "a holy circle ! a holy 3 : rcle!" arid two wompn, three men and a yoang lad Commenced running round some half dozen young men. " Seven times round the walls of Jeicbo!" cried a woman, and the women .'with? uplifted hands end the men around they went, Mr Thomas yelling "Amen!"' I appealed to the^husband of one of the women, who was a lunatio I feel sure, to have pity on his wife. He replied it was tifq Holy Ghost working with her." '$6w tne walls will soon fall," a woman exclaimed, and at a running pace re* entered the tent. I spoke to a young gh i, 18 years old, who stood "5 two hours m one spot, m one position^ leaning against a tree,. saying I'm holy! I'm holy !"' QnSu^dayv^ times one woman m a frenzy was placed m her tent; but she rushed back from the tent twice, and yelled, "Come to Jesus, come to Jesus." Two medical men present <. oft fered advice, but the husband said it wai •' The Holy Spirit ; nothing more.* 1 One person entered the tent with a number of men to forcibly take a relative out, but he requested to be allowed to sing a hymn first, a.n4 he would retire, which he did; ft) the. great pleasure of his; wife and^fymiliri Now a wild scene took p|ace, several persons talking at the same time, tb.e bylines* converts sinking' and praying also. Tb,e afore-mentioned cra?y woman rashed again outride her tent, and oommenced to wrestle with the Tauhoa school-teacher, calling upim the Almighty to help her. Then a movement was made and the horses were caught and saddled, and the people rode off m all direction*, astounded and perpl»x?i. > --