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CLOSE OF THE GREA7' CONFERENCE
HE closing days of the Conference have
been days of glorious blessing. Hun
dreds have been lifted to heights of
spiritual vision and consecration never
before known. Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman
says of the Conference: 44 1 tis the
best we have ever held.” There have
been over three thousand ministers in
waft
attendance, making it the largest gath-
ering of ministers for the study of God’s Word in
the world. In all over six thousand visitors at
tended a part or all of the Conference, and have
now gone back to their fields in America and other
lands to proclaim the Gospel to a lost world with
new power and fervor.
Each day of the great Conference was crowded
full of addresses by famous speakers from 6 a. m.
to 10 a. m. But one of the most helpful features
of the entire gathering was the daily prayer meet
ing at 6 a. m., led by Major Cole. Before the sun
had well risen upon the park, where five thousand
visitors had assembled from all parts of the earth,
and while the gray mist still clung to the trees,
about four hundred people, morning by morning,
wended their way to the open auditorium to hold
sweet communion with God for an hour. Here
hearts were put in a receptive mood to receive the
largest amount of spiritual truth during the day.
Major Cole announced only old-fashioned hymns.
He talked about prayer, and asked all those who
were present and not ministers to pray for their
pastors. He petitioned all to pray for their ene
mies, saying there was no virtue in only asking
God to care for those one loves. At his request
Hie entire audience rose and sang, “ ’Tis the Old-
Time Religion,” and then, while 44 Makes Me Love
Everybody” was sung, each person turned around
and shook hands with the one in the seat behind.
44 Praise the Lord” was said in unison. The Major
declared that every church officer, and, in fact,
every Christian ought to be able to speak and pray
in public, and told striking stories to illustrate his
point.
The Duty of Soul-Winning.
To me the most thrilling and soul-stirring ad
dress of the Conference was that given by Dr. R. A.
Torrey one night on the duty of every Christian
to be a soul-winner. The people sat silent and
hushed as he pleaded with them to make soul-winning
the business of their lives. When he concluded
and asked all those to stand up who had been con
victed as lie spoke of not doing their duty, but who
would, with God’s help, make it the business of
their lives henceforth, a remarkallje scene fol
lowed. The audience rose almost en masse. Doubt
less over one thousand ministers arose and only
enternity will ever reveal the scores and hundreds
of souls who will be saved as the result of that
address. Dr. Torrey further asked any present—
in that Christian gathering—who would then and
there accept Christ, to stand up, and three arose.
In the course of his address, Dr. Torrey said:
44 1 have a message for you. It is, 4 He that win
net h souls is wise.’ This is God’s estimate of a
wise man. There is only one wise man, and that is
the soul-winner. Different men, the financier, the
business man, the politician, the university man.”
he said, 44 a1l have different opinions as to who is
the wisest man. But when we turn our eyes and
ears out to God, and ask who is the wise man, the
answer comes thundering down, 4 He that winneth
souls.’ Every Christian ought to make soul-win
ning the business of his life. I do not say that ev
ery man ought to be a minister. Many could win
more souls as business men than as ministers. But
whatever your calling or profession, you should
make soul-winning the business of your life.”
Dr. Dawson’s Address.
Another evangelist, who gave a heart-searching
address to the people, was Dr. W. J. Dawson, of
London. In a prelude to his sermon, Dr. Dawson
Thousands of Ministers and Christian Workers Gain Inspiration at Winona Bible Conference.
The Golden Age for September 6, 1906.
By GEORGE 7. B. DAVIS.
said that his observation since coming to America
has been that there is a religious awakening in
this country. 44 1 t is something more than an
awakening,” be said, “it is a spiritual revival.”
In his discourse Dr. Dawson said that Christ is
more than an example: 44 He is the cross—a sac
rifice. We will understand him only when the
day of redemption comes. We are all mystics
when we pray, when we love, when we worship.
Every intelligent man is reaching out for some
thing he hopes for. Love is an interfusion of per
sonalities. There is an inner life, as well as an
outer, and Jesus uncovers the inner spiritual life.
It means that we must live in self-renunciation.
When a man lives for himself, he dies.”
One of the chief characteristics of the Winona
Conference is the large number of sub-conferences
which are held. One day is given to Foreign Mis
sions; another to Rescue Mission work; another to
Tithing; and another to the Church and the Work
ingman. Two of the notable speakers at the Mis
sionary Conference were Bishop J. M. Thoburn, of
India, and Dr. Hunter Corbett, the venerable mis
sionary of China. Dr. Corbett was the moderator
of the Presbyterian Assembly this year. He said
there are yet over one billion souls calling for help
in foreign lands. He said that not a penny has
been expended in China on public schools, and he
said he never saw a Chinese girl who could read
who had not been educated at a Christian Mis
sion.
Christianity in Japan.
44 When I first arrived in China, it was more
difficult to do anything in Japan than it was in
China. Now Japan is in the forefront of civiliza
tion. To-day there are 150,000 Christian communi
cants in China, 50,000 of whom have been added
since the Boxer uprising.”
Dr. Corbett brought many messages of cheer
from China. He showed that great progress is
being made and that schools and colleges are to
be opened over the empire. He said we were not
responsible for the past, but as individuals we
must look to the future, and see that God’s love is
told to all mankind. Dr. Corbett said, he hoped
soon to return to China, where he would spend the
remaining years of his life in bringing the Chinese
to know of God’s love.
At the Tithers’ Conference Dr. Frank C. Ballard
declared that if Christians would become tithers,
the missionary problem would be settled. He said:
4 4 The whole business of the whole Church is to
give the Gospel to the whole world as speedily as
possible. To carry on this work, tremendous sums
of money are necessary. One thing is certain, the
Church of a century ago, with or without money,
could not have carried on this missionary work for
the conditions were not right, as there was not
much education and printing. The continents
were- closed against the Gospel. But now the world
is ready—now kingdoms and continents stand open
waiting for the Gospel to come in.”
Mr. Ballard believes in presenting this question
of tithing at almost all meetings, for people are
becoming greatly interested in this 44 great and mag
nificent cause,” as is shown by the fart that there
are 100.000 tithers now, while a few years ago many
of them had never considered it.
The Hadley Memorial Meeting.
One of the most memorable services of the en
tire Conference was the meeting held in memory
of the late S. 11. Hadley, the Rescue Mission worker
of Water street, New York. It was held on the
birthday of the man who had been a speaker at
Winona for many years, and whose, absence was
sorely felt.
Tn the course of the service glowing tributes weie
paid to the memory of Mr. Hadley by other rescue
workers, and by his wife and son. Perhaps the
most heart-melting story, however, was told by
Rev, Dr. IL G. Furbey, a prominent minister of
the Gospel in a great city church, who fell through
drink, and was brought back to God in the Water
Street Mission. Today Dr. Furbey is professor of
Synthetic Christology at the Winona Bible School,
New York, and has a class in Water Street Mis
sion, that sometimes numbers 250 members. For
merly, before his fall, Dr. Furbey was pastor of
the Oxford Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, with
a membership of about one thousand, and very in
fluential. He had been accustomed for years to
take a 44 social glass,” but the habit grew on him
until he felt it was his duty to leave his pulpit
and the presbytery. He first resigned his charge
and then asked the Philadelphia Presbytery to de
pose him and this was done, and he made volun
tary accusations or confessions. This was in ISOS,
and for the next seven years he went from bad to
worse, getting down so low that he had no money,
lie worked as a laborer at different limes and in
different positions, and received treatment for
drunkenness in seventeen institutions. None of
these cures 44 took” until he went to the old Jerry
McAuley Mission, in June, 11)05, and there listen
ed to Dr. Hadley’s story of Cue power of Jesus
Christ to raise up a drunkard. He was restored
by Mr. Hadley’s influence, and ho says he has not
wanted a drink since then. Dr. Furbey is a grad
uate of Franklin College and Western Theological
Seminary. He has two young daughters who are
preparing for Vassar College. Part of last winter
he spent in the South on an evangelistic tour, and
he expects to devote himself in the future Io rescue
mission work.
The Fault of the Man.
By Margaret A. Richard.
4 ‘Nay, nay!” one cried, 44 1 will not work!
I have not proper tools;
I fail each time, though faithfully
I try to follow rules.
This clay is but a mass of dough—
I’ll throw the sluff away;
Perhaps I’ll find things to my taste,
With which to work, some day.”
Both tools and (day were given io
One gifted, and yet poor;
A craftsman who had practiced till
II is eye and hand were sure.
And he began, with soul athrill,
Thoughts noble to express,
(’nwearyingly to toil until
Was wrought a woik to bless.
Mozart’s Twelfth Massachusetts.
Cardinal Gibbons was facetious when the Irish
ladies’ choir of Dublin called on him. Turning sud
denly, he asked:
‘‘Which one of you is the oldest?”
None claimed the honor and all flushed.
The talk drifted around to Gilmore and his band,
ami Cardinal Gibbons told of how Gilmore, al Coney
Island, heaiing that the Cardinal was in the au
dience, played 44 Maryland, My Maryland.” and how
it pleased him.
“Gilmore,” said the Cardinal, “was famous for
his playing of Mozart’s ‘Twelfth Mass.’ Once he
played it down in a North Carolina town and next
day the local paper announced that he rendered
with great effect Mozart’s ‘Twelfth Massachu
setts.’ ”
Undecided.
Harold, who is the little son of a minister, was
talking with his mother regarding his future ca
reer, and after some little reflection ho said: “Well,
mamma, I’m going to be either a minister or a
Christian when I grow up.”—Lippincott’s Maga
zine.
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