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Notable Scenes at Winona Conference Christian Workers From All Over America Gather at Winona Lake to Study God’s Word. By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS. T IS a notable event in the religious history of the day when 2,000 ministers of the Gospel assemble from all parts of America to spend nine days getting new light upon the Word of God. This is what is now occurring here at Wi nona Lake, Indiana, at the Twelfth An nual session of the Winona. Bible Con ference. About 5,000 visitois are upon I the grounds attending the meetings, of whom over one-half are .ministers, missionaries, evaiig-elists, rescue mission workers, city missionaries, colport ers, temperance lecturers, or aggressive heralds of the Gospel message. One minister came all the way from Texas, 1,400 miles distant, to attend ’he sessions, while many have come 1,000 miles. It is the most strenuous spiritual Conference it has ever been my privilege to attend. Each day’s program opens with a prayer meeting at (i a. m., and thereafter there are meetings almost hourly until 10 p. m. Yesterday there were fifteen meetings, lasting until nearly 10:30 at night. The closing one—which began at 9:30, after the people had already sat in the auditorium for three hours— was one of the best of the day. Dr. W. J. Dawson, late of London, England, told how his ministry and his church had been completely transformed by his taking part in a midnight revival procession, and getting baptized with a passion for seeking and saving the lost. Among the prominent Christian leaders who are addressing the * Conference are: Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, Dr. W. L. Watkinson, of England; Dr. W. J. Dawson, of England; Professor W. W. White, of New York; Dr. F. W. Gunsaulus; Major James 11. ('(de; Dr. James M. Gray, and Rev. Melvin E. Trotter. Dr. R. A. Torrey is expected to address the gathering on Thursday night of this week. The Opening Sermon. The Conference will doubtless prove to be the largest yet held, and Dr. Chapman declares that thus far it is the best. Dr. Chapman opened the Con ference last Sunday morning with a powerful ser mon from First Chronicles 12: 32: “Men that had understanding of the times.” He stated that he expected to see America shaken from coast to coast by the greatest revival the world has ever seen, lie said in part: “In this text we find the secret of real greatness. Men are not counted great by their fellows because they may be possessed of re markable talents, or may have had opportunities for impressing their personality upon their tinjes, but rather because they know how to use their talents at the right time and have so sensed the conditions of things that their least effort has count ed for righteousness. It is this spirit described in the text which has made great warriors. “These are days when the strongest declaration should be made concerning the future. I am an optimist of the optimists concerning the future, and all because I have studied the times in which we are living, and I have traveled the world over, thereby coming in touch with missionaries and Christian workers. For years we have been praying for an awakening and God has given us the begin ning. They said we would never again have an bld-fashioned revival, but we have seen Wales rocking under the mighty power of God. They said Dwight L. Moody would have no successor, but we have had the world-wide work of Torrey and Alex ander which has even surpassed that of Moody him self. It is almost the universal testimony of Chris tian leaders that the year closed has been the best of the generation. About other denominations I do not know; concerning my own, I have a right to say that the largest contributions to foreign mis sions, to home missions and to congregational pur poses, have been made within the past year. The largest number of baptisms, both of children and adults, the largest net increase and the largest number of accessions to the church in all the church’s history have been made during the past The Golden Age for August 30, 1906. twelve months. I suppose this is true of all de nominations. “The secretary of the board of foreign missions of the United Brethren church, writes me: 4 The last year has been the best in the history of our foieign missionary work, and the net gain has been twenty-five per cent.’ A Box of Jewels. “The secretary of the board of foreign missions of the Presbyterian church writes that ‘the work of the past year is maivelous. 1 have in my office a box filled with jewels. They came from the prov ince of Shantung, China. The missionary was speaking when the women came to the native pas tor, took off their rings, bracelets and headbands, and one native pastor received a peck measure full of these jewels.’ A foreign missionary, just ar rived in this country, says: ‘When I left Korea a thousand men and women and children came to the station to see me oft'. They sang hymns and prayed, and sixteen years ago, when I went there, there was not a Christian in the city..’ “The secretary of the American board of the Congregational church, writes me of the revivals in India, in China and in Japan. “ Yes,’ you say, ‘but that is foreign missions.’ If so, then God pity us who, z in our own land, have been so blind as not to see God’s guiding hand, and so deaf as not to hear his call to go forward. But as a matter of fact, there is no such thing as foreign missions to-day. A member of my family left us a few months ago, and in less than thirty days after starting she was in Japan. My father, in his early young manhood’s days, required three months’ time to journey from this middle western country to the Pacific coast, but if you say this is foreign missionary interest, then listen to the words of those who are nearer. The Work Among College Girls. “The representative of the Young Woman’s Christian Association, Miss Conde, writes: ‘My experience with the college students leads me to believe that the Spirit of God is mightily at work. During the past year 1,950 college women have con fessed Christ. In one instance three college gir's began personal work, and in a few days led forty one to the Savior. One girl started to study the Bible and led thirty-seven girls to begin Bible study classes in their own homes.’ “The representative of the Christian Undeavor movement, Mr. William Shaw, writes: ‘The spir itual tide is certainly rising. This is indicated by the organization of personal workers’ (-lasses, the eager desire to know the best methods and the passion for souls which seems to be awakening ev erywhere.’ “The representative of the Young Men’s Chris tian Associaion, Mr. Fred B. Smith, writes: ‘ln one meeting alone, where two thousand men were p:esent, 32S confessed Christ.’ “A secretary of over thirty years’ standing de clares that we have not had such results in twenty years as during the past year. Ninety-three thous and young men gather weekly for evangelistic meetings, and ninety thousand young men are en rolled in the Bible study (-lasses. The tide is ris hi ■, the skit s are brightening, the clouds are rolling back. Oh, that we could but call men to present themselves a living sacrifice unto God! The diy is upon us; it may soon be far spent, and if this day of blessed opportunity’ should pass and we fail to pass through the open door to power it would be an awful thing to stand at the judgment seat of Christ. 1 expect to see America shaken from coast to coast by the greatest revival that the world has ever seen.” The Sermon of Dr. Watkinson. The foremost speaker at the Conference from abroad is Dr. Watkinson, the President of the English Wesleyan Council, and long famous as one of the greatest preachers in Great Britain. His words never fail to inspire his hearers and thrill them with a new vision of the spiritual life. Yes terday he spoke from Romans 8: 35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? shall tribula tion or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked ness, or peril, or sword?” He said in part: “The love of God is the central thing of the universe. The love of G-xI is over the race like a sky, and the eternal stream of love to the universe has never stopped. The text speaks of love that is the central fundamental truth. Moun tairs may be removed, but his loving kindness never. “Human love most perfectly mirrors the love divine. It does not know anything about environ ment, or of distance or of duration. Nor does love know anything of change and death. “To be a cynic is the easiest thing in this world. There is a love that is a fancy, a freak, a fever. But when one has the genuine article there is : •:> mistake about that. The truest love gives the deepest insight into heaven. The apostle says God has folded us in his wonderful affection. Nothing known or unknown can sever us from the love of the eternal. The rationality of love is vindicated on the basis of redemption. Only redemption fur nishes the basis for absolute love. “It is easy to see the love of God in certain moods. When everything goes right with you ;t goes all right with the world. ‘God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world.’ Half the time we believe in God’s love and the other half we are dan gerously near to skepticism. Keeping Near the Cross. “A man is always sure of the love of God if he spends his time at the Cross. If one cann«»t see the love of God in the roses one can see it in the crown of thorns. Ono cannot doubt the love of Christ at the Cross. “A man who lives at the Cross and keeps his consciousness of Christ clear, gains by the mys teries of life. There are many things in nature and life serious enigmas to thinking men. Tins world tends to a splendid consummation. Ma iy cannot, see this because their eyes are put. on;. There are fishes whose vision is made perfect in darkness. There is nothing like darkness to make one see. The darkness of life is leading to deeper truths touching God. “Many of us feel if we get to heaven we will be misshapen and will stand in relation to the angels as their poor relations. Stephen had i'ie face of an angel to commence with, and he was an angel altogether when they finished with him An antagonist is a helper for better. Heart-strings stretched to breaking down here make the sweetest music. Grief profiteth you always by growing t > stature in Jesus Christ. “Be hopeful, be courageous, for the great al chemist is working in you. Know that the shadow of death is the last shadow, and Jesus Christ wipes away the tears.” A Frank Opinion. A playwright was discussing a rather tiresome d rama. “It was such a drama,” he said, “that a French playwright read before a committee ot the French Society of Comedy. “As the author plodded through his second act he heard an odd sound and looked up io see a man asleep and breathing heavily. “He frowned. “ ‘Monsieur,’ he said; ‘monsieur, wake up. Please remember, monsieur, that I am reading this play to the committee in order to get its opinion. How can a man who is asleep give an opinion?’ “But the other answered, gravely: “ ‘Sleep is an opinion,’ ” 3