Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-29
Mineral Point District Congrega-
tional Convention.
Reported for the Grant County HIRAM


The annual meeting of the Mineral
Point District Convention Of Congre-
gationalists iield at Boscobel Nav
Goth and 2lsf, was one Of great in
terest TO all who were in attendance.
Sixteen of its twenty. light churches
were represented by rastor and dele
gates and & was refreshing after a
dusty carriage ride of from twenty.
five to fifty miles to receive cordial
welcome to our temporary home.
Smiles and tears are strongly min.
gled in this world DR.. Stoddart had
again the pleasure of extending
pastors welcome to this Convention
and the sadness of giving his farewell
as an individual member, referring TO
the fact that it was his Alma mater,
his Theological Seminary aud for
twenty two years its meetings had
been the place where he loved to be.
The Moderator, Rev. Mr.. johnson,
very happily responded to this fare.
well greeting, expressing the regret
of the Convention IN losing a mem.
Der so prompt in attendance, so eff.
cient director in its Home Mission
airy work, and most touchingly com
mended him as pastor, to the Great
Head OF the church and the word OF
His grace.
The opening sermon was delivered
Tuesday evening BY Rev. II. L. Che
ney OF Bloomington, theme, blossoms
of Sinai on Calvary" struck the kew
note which continued to vibrate in
tones of harmony during the Conven.
ton. The devotional exercises on
Wednesday morning were conducted
by Rev. Mr.. Doe, Superintendent of
Home Missions in Wisconsin, present
ing grounds for faith and confidence
in God. :.
Rev. Geo. Hague read an essay on
duty of the laity to most heartily CO.
operate with the ministry in fulfilling
the command "Go ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to every
creature," showing that no limitation
OF distance was associated with this
divine command for the truest mis-
sionary work was often done within
the circle of ones own home and ac
qualntance even as the great apos.
tolic work was to ''begin at Jerusa.
lem" and from thence radiate to the
uttermost parts of the earth.
The demands Of the Home Mission
airy Society were then presented by
Superintendent Doe, and the necessi.
ty OF each church to assume and meet
its individual responsibility in maxi
ing up the deficit caused by the with
drawal of six thousand dollars by the
Parent Society in New York that it
might apply it to struggling churches
west of the Mississippi, was kindly
but strenuously urged and it must
have been gratifying to the Supe.in-
tendent to note the willingness of
each delegate to assume the respon.
sibllity of pledging the appropriation
for their respective churches.
Morning session closed bv a plea
for Beloit College made by our former
Home Missionary Superintendent.
Rev. Mr.. Miner, of Madison. 1t was
characteristic of the speaker, earnest,
yet not imperative, clear, forcible to
to the point, without disparaging our
State University, yet presenting the
claims OF christian people making
all parents feel if they had a son to
educate he should graduate from
Beoit.
AT p. m. business of the Conven.
ton resumed while the ladies repair-
ed to the Methodist church to hold
their meeting as an auxiliary to the
W. B M. 5. A request from the
gentlemen to be present was refused
but qualified by pledge that por
ton OF their exercises should be de-
ferred till evening Mrs. Gardener
kindly consenting to give her ssMap
Exercise" at that time in the Congre.
gational church.
Meeting opened by singing, led by
Mrs. Davis, followed by selections
from the Scriptures read by the Pres.
kident, Mrs. Eaton, and prayer by Mrs.
Johnson. Mrs. Davis also presented
a paper "Where is the flock 1 have
given unto thee" urging the zeal of
mothers to guard the lambs and seek
out those who had wandered from
the shelter of the fold.
An essay from Mrs. Henderson
presenting the true objects in won.
ans life and one from Mrs. Rindlaub
replete with interest of what had been
accomplished by Mrs. Bankin in Mex
leo and suggesting how we might
snake our lives sublime" added
much TO the pleasure of the meeting.
After the various auxiliaries were re-
ported the Secretary "pro-temn read
an extract from Life and Light sup.
plementing it with a brief account of
the writer resulting in pledge from
ssrteen ladies that they would also
make Birthday Gift to the Lord
and thus that little rill of benevolence
springing up in the heart of an ear
nest christian woman is beginning to
become stream which shall make
glad both giver and recipient, for the
Master hath said SIT is more blessed
to give than to receive" Surely the
time is at hand when systematic or.
ganized work of woman shall receive
the recognition and commentator it
has long deserved.
I.regret l cannot report the nara
tive of the state of religion in the diff |
ferent churches, which was given at
the same hour as the ladies' meeting
but there was precious hour at the |
Sacrament of the Lords Supper ad
ministered by Revs. johnson and
Stafford.
The exercises of the evening were
like the dessert after rare feast; so
inviting that no guest is inclined to !
leave the table, presenting the de-
lightful songs from Rev. Mr.. Stafford,
of Prairie du Chen, previously asso-
ciated with Rev. Mr.. Clapp in his
Evangelistic work. The map exer-
else by Mrs. Prof. Gardener and
here let me say could similar exer.
else be introduced into all our Mis-
sionary concerts though only Platte.
vile might have a Mrs. Gardner
whose careful research and happy /
manner of presenting the result of
her investigation in missionary labors
still fhara ,nau h.. -