The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-09
STATE SABBATH SCHOOL CONVEN-
TON.
The Meeting OF the Convention I'm the
Walnut Street Church, Yes-
teFday Morning.
Addresses BIZ r. Andrus and G. F.
Coffin.
MORNING SESSION.


Owing 10 the rain. the exercises
did not begin until nine o'clock, at
which hour the Convention was called
to order by the President, Mr.. Coffin,
of Richmond. The devotional exer-
cises were conducted by DR.. Cheever,
of Terre Haute, and were participa
ted in by Col. Ray. of Indianapolis,
DR.. Lynch, of the Southeastern In
diana Conference, and Rev. Mr..
Thompson, State Agento the Amer
lean Bible Society, Rev. McElroy, of
Brooklyn, N. Y, and others; closing
with the verses of the love stirring
hymn, Coronation"
Rev. DR.. Andrus, of Trinity M. 4.
Church, welcomed the delegates to
the Convention, in the following
words:
ADDRESS OF DIR. ANDRUs.
The duty assigned me by the com
nnittee is to say the one word, Welcome,
lCelconae to our cay homes and hospl-
tally.
are here from every quarter of the
State. There are delegates here also
from the neighboring States of Ohio,
kentucky and Illinois. They repre-
sent very nearly 100000 children and
youth, who are week by week in Sun
day Schools.
The subject to come before the Con-
yention will be such as concern the
apavs and means Of teaching the Holy
Scriptures in Sunday Schools. To
consider pro6tably the questions OF
scriptural Interpretation and speclhc
views of morals and religion, would
be entirely impractlcable. The methods
bv which Sunday School instruction
can be best given, will be the subjects
which will claim your attention.
For this work you are gathered
here in this State Convention. Re
gardless of your respective denomina-
fional relations, these christian men
and women of this city, greet you as
in the faith, and hope, and work OF
Christ. You are here together with
us as christians, and merely under the
name and character of christians We
receive you.
With feelings Of deepest sincerity
and earnestness, and with no reserve
we unite in saying to you with empha'
sis the word with which / began
Welcome to our city, our homes and
hospitality " welcome here to this
work of devising the best possible
methods of impartiDg instruction tt
the children of our land In the faitt
of Christ and the practical duties o.
life.
To which Mr.. G. f. Coffin, Presi
dent of the State Sunday School
Union, responded in the following
address:
ADDRESS OF c. F. COFFIN.
M Christian Friends:
Another year has passed away, and
we have assembled to hold the sixth
ANIMAL meeting of the State Sunda,
School Union in this fourishing city
in a portion of the State unfamiliar t
many of Us, and so situated that ",
have not heretofore intermingled mucl
with its inhabitants. We greet ou
friends here with warm salutation
in the language of the messenger
sent out by our blessed Saviour
Peace be to this house" We cordi
ally thank you for Jour kind welcome
your proffered hospitality, and the IN
feigued kindness which you have ex
tended to US. May our meeting her,
be to mutual profit and instruction
and tend to extend the bonds o
Christian brotherhood throughout thu
State.
We have gathered to take counse
together as to one of the great meth
DDS of extending the Redeemer
Kipgdom-to learn from each other
to stir up the pure mind-to provoke
one another to love and to COCO
works.
land are the salt which preserves it
Compare these with Mexico, Spain o.
France, and we shall sec where GU
strength lies. In these household
are nurtured the children who IN tim
are to go forth and fill the va3rlou
positions of usefulness In Church AM
State. In these, virtue is nourished
religion is cultivated, and the basis o
christian character il found. Whil
thea are kept pure and holy. we neeC
not fear as to the perpetuity of on
Government-the growth of all tina
is good. and the final triumph of tn
But there must be public and com
bined labor for the spread of the Cos
mel: hence. from these various faml
lies our Churches and Sabbatl
Schools are organized, and those VIII
are less refined and purified, COMING
ia contact with those who are NOR
so. are improved and elevated; AM
those who are entrusted with light
let it shine amongst those who ar
about them. 1t is this quiet, unseel
influence which does more to sprea'
the Gospel than any other intuenc
or means. From these Sabbatl
Schools and Churches, Representing
so many shades of belief, differen
classes Of mind and variety of thought
we have met to lay aside. for the time
our own peculiar and denominations
work-to forget the slight difference
which exist, and to miDgle togethe
IN sympathy and feeling In the caus
of our common Lord and Master-tt
saw to each other, Let us go up to tn
mount of the Lord, to the house 0
the God of Jacob, and He will teacl
of His ways, and we will walk IN Hi
maths. Like the different divisions
brigades, regiments and companies o
an army, we unite together under on
great Head, to learn the most effect
nal means of attacking our common
enemy, and by acting in the unity o
tbe faith, and of the knowledge OF the
Son of God, we may realize an In
crease, Individually, in the stature o.