The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-01
SOUTHEAST NJ. e. CONFERENCE.
A Day of Religious Meetings-Sermon
by BishOD Hurst.

memorable session of the Southeast Indiana
Conference completely filed the day with
religious meetings. 1t is the most memoir
able session because il is the last. At the
close Of tomorrow the conference organi-
cation will be a thing of the past. The
conference love feast was very interest
ing and developed much Christian fellow
ship. At 1870 it was announced that
Bishop Hurst would preach, but long before
that hour the house was filled and many
hundreds were turned away to the other
churches whose pulpits were sup
piled with conference attendants. The
auditorium had been handsomely deco
rated with flowers and flags. and
presented a beautiful aspect. The music
was of the highest order. and was heartily
enjoyed by all. Bishop Hurst took his text
from Second Tim. /. II: For 1 know
whom have believed" Among other
things, he said:
In some respects man did not altogether
fall when he was driven from the Garden
of Eden. There are some native Qualities
which did not desert him, and one OF them
is his love of the truth The child wants
to know the truth. however marvellous or
ever have a little child. after you had told
him a tale of your own invention. look up
into your face and ask you If it is true?
We are only grown children, and native
religion fits it's revelations to the
human soul. We desire not speculations,
but facts, on which to found our faith. We
Christian ministers have the advantage
over all others because We preach not a
marvellous tale, not one born in speculation
and imagination. In the Grecian mythology
armed for the conquest. The Greek myth
ology is the Christian fact. Comparative
esting one. In the systems of Confucius.
Mohammed and Buddha there is. nothing
which is not founded on fable. dream or
myth Il N tho Koran the sacred hook of
Mohammed, sacred at least TO more than
two hundred millions of the human race.
not the wild visions of Mohammed. Those
few are the ones which bear on ancient
Hebrew history. Buddha and Brahma offer
Gods word Is the only one which Is founded
on fact. Occasionally something of dream
ars f Sr a slns ON bis Roryfy T Hppe Visions Sut of 0t the
prophets are only history in advance. The
music of their poetry carries US off as by
of Christ. How shall we tell, with our i'm
perfect knowledge. that they will not be
history when the angel turns the pages for
us and gives the explanation. l believe they
are history, and we will find them SO. The
parable of the good Samaritan is but the
worlds history of kindness. This element
of truth makes up the great difference be-
tween the Christian and ethnic religions.
The knowledge of Christ prevails through
out all the Old Testament. Most of the
critics can find his name written on every
page when they go there for that purpose.
We can find in this book whatever we go
in search of. The gospels came as the full
fllment Of the Old Testament history. The
new enlarges our view and completes our
learning. They consist of four biographies
persons at different times. Through his
individual character each gives his human
and native coloring to the narrative. So
Matthew gives his wonderful picture, and
Mark adds some few colors of his own.
He was a poet. He puts in the e~pithets
and some quaint touches, rich and sug-
gestive. His color is the deepest and rich
est. and he leaves the picture more nearly
work. gives the law of the Pentateuch in
a different way and with a different mean
ing. He gives some parallels not men
toned by the others. He has heard some
things which the others knew not of. John
comes and adds some still more precious
truths He gives the personal color of
actual contact and personal association,
and so the picture is complete. He
tells OF the creation of the world and that
m nharS eas story OF N MicodemSs. Phiioso-
do not understand it. 1t may be incom-
prehensible to them and nevertheless be
true. He tells the story Of the Samaritan
woman and the well, illustrative of the life
eternal We do not know what became of
that woman, but / believe she became a
preacher; | know thst when they went
| the people were ready to receive them.
John sees many things which are not sug-
gives the exact words of Christ as clearly
as If they were craven on plates of stone
or steel He places Christ upon a higher
| altitude than the others do. Inspired in
some strange way, the man and his men,
DRY become the organ of God. He despairs
of fully describing the divine TO the human
mind. for the world could not hold the
description. These four describe the biog-
raphy of the Individual. The Acts of the
Apostles carry up the history Of the wan
derings of the early church. The letters
of Paul give the, theological, and the rest
the revelation of religion in practical life.
We never tire of reading the life of Christ,
not fully describe Him. We soon tire Of the
life of any human being. A few
fb mess and we are through but
divine man the more WE Se0 desire to to knows e%ss
The world does not think of Him as dead,
but as If still living. They erect huge
memory of the great generals and states
men, They are dead to the world. Did you
ever hear of any country erecting a monu-
ment to Christ? We know Christ by what
He does .or us. by the touch of His hands.
In this respect His great transformation
of the character of others forms a strik-
ing example. That was the reason why a
prosecutor at the very beginning of the
church's history was changed. If a perse-
cuto- could be changed TO a supporter at
the beginning any sinner could be changed
from his way in after years. Paul was
brought up with an intimate knowledge of
classic names and literature. Born and
reared in Tarsus. he went to Jerusalem to
study Hebrew. This upstart religion of the
Nazarene he would destroy at it's incep-
ton. Damascus had been the birthplace
OF many new creedes. 1t lay in the cur
rent Of all the ages and anything which
arose and got a footing there was bound
TO sweep across the desert and take the
world. II II could be checked at the home
OF its birth 1t could not live. Hence his
haste to quench the fire before 1t blazed.
A new church, a finished temple is an in
fo- hours and admire it's beauty
and wonder at the skill of the
architect and of the workmen in fashion
ing such a structure. But a grander sight
and a more ma gnifcent temple is a human
soul changed from sinfulness and wicked
ness to a condition for the service of Goo
and His Son."
The sermon was followed by the ordina,
ton of T. j. Anthony. L. G. Abbott. w. B
Grimes. E. E. McDuffey and f. E. Miller
as deacons. In the afternoon occurred ths
memorial services of the late Rev W. NJ
Grub. a member of this conference, wht
died at his post last March. After the me
mortal Wesley c.. Crawford. Charles w
Lewis and John s. Scull were ordained a!
elders.
Three hundred and sixty-seven younf
men attended the prayer band meeting a
4 o'clock. This Young Mems Prayer Band Il
a local organization, very similar to TIT
Y. NJ. G.. A. in other cities. w. L. Patterson
the president, led the services. and a mum
Der of visiting ministers took part in tn,
exercises.
This evening Bishop James Thoburn, O
Calcutta. India. lectured on the work IL
his missionary field.
The appointment slate for the next yea
Is about made up, and il is fully expected
-. It A.. Let c.~-{4- of rh4 SAstfh0ac