The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-13
VTECEwwEs PREsBYTERTAE CON-
VENTEONs

VWKCyENNES PRESBXTEREAH CON-
VENEGONs
Reported for the Evansville Journal
The Convention announced in your
columns met in the Second Presbyte-
rian Church, Vineennes, on the even
ing of November I'd, and was opened
with a peculiarly appropriate sermon
by the Rev. Mr.. Kumler, Of your city.
A copy of this sermon has been asked /
for by the Convention. and it is hoped |
it will be granted for your columns.
This report of the proceedings must |
be very imperfect, as / have only |
memory and brief notes kept by an
other to rely on.
First Question-Are We doing all
we can to cultivate the field whicht the
Lord has entrusted to US? Was open
ed by the Rev. s. Cook, of Golconda,
Illinois. who said that in the field COW
cred by two Presbyteries in Southern
Illinois, there were $4,000 souls and
thirty three Presbyterian ministers.
Similar statements were made with
regard to the comparative want
in Southern Indiana. True, other
churches are faithfully preaching the
Gospel on the same field, but the
nuestion is, are aCe doing all we can?
| We can say yes TO this question where
/ all our churches are giving, working,
/ sacrificing, as under the enlightenIng
influences of Gods word they should.
/ Second Topie-In what ways can
/ we do more?
When we receive members to the
/ Church, impress it upon them that
/ they come to WorE. Moody says,
$ .HeaueSs is the place for Test-this
world is for aC0rk." Let us encour--
age Law preaching. If an educated
| ministry does not reach the people,
let us have an uneducated one too;
adapt ourselves TO the varied wants
! of the people, that we may do the
Masters work. a great a1dnt seems
to be to arrest attention. The preach
ing is sound, good and appropriate,
7 but reaches only those who want to
: hear It. The Indifferent move en- un-
touched. BY strong wind. an earth
quake and FIRE, the Lord arrested
! Eliiah's attention; then, By still,
} small voice" instructed his heart.
This is what is needed-the awaken
| ing power of God to arrest and fix
t public attention. v
j. Let us seek peace and CO operation
among Evangelical Churches, and
: hope for the time when they shall not
contend for the same ground, but
a apportion the field, and each cultivate
:. its own.
( Third-How make the Sunday
i School efective2
Opened by Mr.. L. w. Turner. OF
Evansville. Let parents Interest
4 themselves in the instruction of then
children. Let US have pious, faithful
> teachers-seek the conversion of the
: scholars. Let us expeetresults, pray.
/, ing for the scholars individually.
Let us in our Church Courts attach
importance to this work, too much
| regarded as an outside work. Preach
!. upon il as our fathers did on family
; religion. By attaching to it the i'm.
!. portance it deserves, we strengthen
. the hands of the Sunday Schoo
worker, giving him advantage which
!, he needs and deserves.
9 Fourth-What can we do for ne
!: gIecters of the Gospel? Opened b.
g Rev. B. G. Swan, of Oarmi, Illinois.
z Let them feel that 3Ue are cO7lSeCTGteC
: to God. Infdels who can overthrow
9 your arguments cannot resist the logil
= of pious life. Live your religion a.
9 you mingle with them, aud they vii
IS learn its value. Be faithfully a
q church, prayer meeting and Sunday
: school. Let our churches be common
o property, dedicated to God-all classes
= welcome. Let not the singing b.
: merely musical performance, bu
q the voice Of all tie people, praisinl
g God. Put away selfshness-no self
glori6cation, but let men feel that i
Il is the house of God. Love your owl
g church above all others, but bewar
of that bigoted sectarian spiri
q which places the Church befor
y Christ. Imbibe the spirit of you
ST Savior; then, as prompted of him, g
: aOork for him. Seek out those wht
are Indifferent, and by manifesting t.
them your interest in their welfare
you will win them to Jesus.
> Fifth-How can we get all tn
a members of the church to work, wa
= the next question-one that has beer
b often talked about but never yet an
: sWered. Elder ID. G.. Mark, of Ev
= ansville, began the discussion. Th
essential here is conservation, not OF
y the part of a few but of all. Then d
what the hand fndeth to do. w
! need adaptation; find out what Worl
> this or that one can do and set him a
q it. We have gifts differing" Per
n haps not till the millenial day will VI
4 see this; yet here is the sovereign rem
edy for discomfort, fault-fnding ant
warning Churches. Let every one d
S has or her 0a0Ts dltty.
!. Sixth Topic-Prayer Meetings.
! Let there be cottage and distric
= prayer meetings. Make conscience o
u attending and pray for definite OBJ
It jects.
:. Seventh Topic. = Do we Civ
a sufficient attention to family re
ligion2 Opened by the Rev. Mr.
Montgomery, of Princeton. We SHOULD
y belieUe, as the Scripture says, trail
up child in the way he shoulC
20, and when he is old he will no
y depart from it" The family is tn
n place for religion to begin. Don't b
o ashamed to talk and live it in you
r family. The first principles must b
taught at home. No one has the con
fdence of the child as has the parent
: and will you teach your child bushes
5 and fashion-not that truth whicl
| saves the soul2 It is to be fearet
that parents too much allow the Sun
day School to take the place of famil,
teaching, thus turning their worl
q over to another who is perhaps no
even professor of religion. If yol
: would have your children intelligent
. decided Christians, teach them faith
o fully az home.