The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-11
SUNDAY. MAY ~. 1890.
rmr MEETINGS OF smEIsTIANs.
THIS riMss-crTy DELIVERY,

- At this season OF the year representative
assemblies # several Of the great Christian
bodies of the south are cnlisting the at
tcntion Of thousands Of members 10 THESE
churches. irhc North Carolina Lutheran
synod has just concluded IFS session; lh'
Southern Baptist Convention is discussing
vial problems at Fort Worth. Texas; the
quadrcnnial conference of the Mrihodl7'
Episcopal Church, south. !, meeting daiil a'
1t. Louis: the Southern Presbyterian Assam
bly, will gatherat Ashe,illc. NC" TINS week,
ana the council Of the Protestant Episrop
Church in the Diocese Of Virginia at ire1'
ericksburg next week.
These gatherings of men interested 300 ih'
extension Of Christianity are notable in This
axe and country Of matcriali>tic tendencies
While they are accompanied lA many social
pleasures. friends meeting friends and max
ing new acquaintance. men from widely
separated sections comminglucin hroihcrly
harmony in the cause they love, charging
their views If life hy comm. IN contact
with differently constituted minds. yet tine
personal pleasure and profit thus derived
hardly counicrbalance the Inconvenience
arising from the deserving Of his business
by the lawyer OF merchant, who 10 a lay
man attends the gathering.
WHY is il that such a refreshing sight is
thus had amid the dust and smoke Of every
day routine; There must bee some powerful
influence 10 lead men 10 allow, even for %
few days only. the great rush Of humanity
10 pass by them. Their fellows with every
nerve strained 90 it, great tension. Will
minds active day and night. are pushin-'
struggling. striving in the great money
making contest for the survival Of the fi-
test. While they. in the sacred precincts "i
building dedicated permanently or, for
:he time being, 10 the service 81
God, are listening with intense In
tcre-t To reports Of the progress of
enlightment Of those who still -it under the
shadow Of great darkness. and dcyoiin- time
and thought TO the dcyisiu- of method, for
advancing. such work still further. QuD~-
tions Of church polity may arise but they
all Weld TO the great question the spread
oftle kingdom. Aside from the petty ann
bitions from which poor obi humanity i-
never free. somehow or other, these earnest
men are for the time animated only by then
faith in Christ. and hy the desire born Of this
faith. to proclaim it 90 the thousands of
heather. at home or abroad.
That church is dead which has mo- mis-
sions. For in spite Of the statistics Of
Christian pc~simists showing the alarming
increase Of deNotce- 10 heather religions.
the value Of missions cannot Doe oyer-e,ii-
mated II used 10 Doe "a layoriie expression
that 1.-THE blood of the martyrs j. the seed %
the church Missionary work is not in
separablc from martyrdom. bat the phrase
has been changed % ''thc work Of missions
abroad j. the cniscning oi the church at
home"
And thus it is that the periodical meet
ings Of the church legislatures. as they may
b. called. have such significance. and why
busy men throw aside for while the bu-i-
ness of this world i'm order To- make ~omc-
thing more than an echo of Thy KINGDOM
Come"