The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-05-09
Nollln IN lceltelI.
4 fEE THOUGHTS on The YkTIOytE
SUHBif - HO0L CONVENTION.

In company with Rev. G.. W. c..
lier and :. SIC. Martin, Ieujoyed III.
privilege of attending the Natfsua
Sunday School Convention. held ar
. Indianapolis, Ind, commencing April
18th, lS72, and closing on the Is.lI o..
. the same month. I think it is no
iiattery 70 say that ssHoos:cr'r enter
tainment IS adapted to the whole
world. To this the delegates will all
testify. Each delegate seems to think
that he was entertained by the most
hoSpitabie family in the city. In the
greeting addresses Of both the Pastor
Of the Second Presby Church, in
which the convention met, and
Hon W. Cumback Of Indiana, tie
delegates were addressed As GO HSfc0B7c.
thrice 'releoHe To o,U. II00sic5 siafr.1
The citizens maintained this derlara-
ton by Kind and courteous acts.
The committee on enrolment re-
ported 81 regular delegates. from
twenty-five states, , from Canada. 7
from India and from Ireland. Total
%,;Sl with those not regularly dele
gated. This was in many respects a
great convention; no one could
doubt its claims 30 such distinction.
when such men and workers rs
George II. Stuart of Phil, II. Vim
cent, d. D., of y v, B. +. Jacobs of
H., X. \. Burnell H., Thane Miller
Of Cincinnati, B. w. Chidlaw Of Gin,
Gen. G. L. Fiske of Miss, Hon. John
Hill, n. G. of \. J., and scores OF
others equally rs celebrated in The
Sunday School cause were i'm attend
ancr; but great men do not wholly
constitute the greatness Of any move
ment. It's work and character are the
only things that should claim cur adj
miratiou.
There have been more popular con-
ventions than this. There have been
those whose delegations were larger
and, perhaps, enjoyed more worldly
fame, and whose transactions have
awakened the entire civilized world
to the consideration OF important
but their widespread pop
ularity was like the hghtning's flash,
which startles and almost pJralyzes /
for a moment and then passes away.
They ave been assembled e. sectional /
or political purposes, or if for spiritual 4
interests, they were sectarian. But .
here we have a body Of generous, no
ble Christian men, consulting in re-
gard to eternal things and although 1
it is called national, is opened 10 the
world. First it was great in its unity
Df spirit In this convention were
of most of the evan
yelical denominations in our land, and
those which were not represented
should have been. They came from
he north and south, from the east and |
vest. All met on the bread platform
If one common brotherhood in Christ
Tesus. Foreign delegates met with
IS warm a reception as if they had
.ome from the very heart Of our glor-
Gus land.
Geographical lines were forgotten;
We're buried in oblivion
ND christian arms were widely ex-
ended to receive them and hearts fall
# Christ's love babe them an affee-
iOnate welcome. DenOminational
ceilings and views were left out OF the
and the one united, ear
lest prayer was, "Thy kingdom
ONE" Presbyterians, no doubt,
their distinguishing doe
rine of falling from grace, but, as a
Ody, the convention was none the
riser. l have no idea that our Bap-
ist brethren had any less faith in
while in convention than /
I any other time, but somehow, they 7
id not endeayor to alarm those who
1ere not OF the same persuasion by in
isting upon their form Of baptism as
he only safe ono.
All was harmony, unity and broth 5
rly love. More than once the dele
ates almost spontaneously burst 5
,rth in singing:
"l.ieSt be the tic that binds
our hearts in Christian love,
The fellowship Of kindred minds;
Is like 10 that above
Or minds were carried back to the
lrnest, intereessory prayer of our
avior, when he prayed that his dis
piles might be one: John XXII. y
Vas not this feature that alone
Mould entitIe the convention to Che
lark of greatness? In our next we
i'll mention other features which
tliis convention.