The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-13

range, showed that there are forty-nlne
charges in the district.
During the last year the Shasta Vinico
Camp-meeting Association has been in
corporated with a capital stock of S10,Ooo
and is situated among the mineral springs
of the Sacramento Canyon; it has been
complete success from the very start.
More than forty lots have been sold from
its surveyed plat of 800 acres. 1t is en-
tirely under the control of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
DR.. Harris gave brief report on the
Japanese district of San Francisco.
The work of the Methodist book concern
of New York was explained by DIR. Homer
Eaton, one of the travelling agents He
stated that while many other large print
ing firms had failed in the past year the
book concern had been able to declare
from its profits a dividend of $12O,OOO to
this years conferences, an increase OF So
600 over last years dividend. He presented
a draft to this conference for $500 as its
share of the dividend.
Calling attention to several books which
had been issued during the year, he urged
the pastors to supply their churches and
Sunday schools with books and periodicals
from the church press.
The book concern was founded in 1889
and began business on borrowed capital
of $500. To-day its net capital is So, 397 600.
1t has given away for general church pur-
poses during the past hundred odd years
more than $500 900, besides earning its
present capital of over three millions.
Many churches of other denominations,
DR.. Eaton said, are numbered among Its
largest patrons.
In the course of the jubilee sermon de-
livered this afternoon by the Rev. Dr..
Briggs he said:
Brethren, perhaps 1 could serve you best by
recounting my blunders-not all of them
there is not time. The one great error, in
which others found rootage and nourishment,
was failure to climb to my privilege as plainly
taught by Scripture
If the Lord lays the great command on heart
and conscience he proclaims adequacy OF grace
freely offered to every worker. We have
taught this for years, and we professed TO be
"groaning after" the precious experience.
Have we not occasionally mistaken snore for
a groan?
If all mans seeming obedience be vitiated
because of his transgression of the law in one
particular what is to become of many OF us?
What adds to my remissness is my realization
that grace is attainable and that power lodges
in its enjoyment. My expressions of penitence
are nothing unless they serve as warnings to
others advanced in life less than myself.
The right OF infinite possession is assured to
all who are Christ's and so l rest, a sinner re-
deemed.
Here is more than heirship-it is actual pos
session. The fundamental difference between
technical ownership and authentic possession
is that man owns what he has legal deed
for; he possesses only what he appropriates in
Its essence of good. So we often own what we
do not possess and possess what we do not own.
Religious capacity grows with use. Paul
wrote the Epistles, or else he is not the man
that figures in the Acts. We possess all that
our souls can take in of his masterhood.
Apollos had the rare gift of elQquence, but
his knowledge did not extend higher than the
baptism of John; but his hum bleness is great
model for US.
Used in Gods order the world yields many
springs OF innocent delight. 1t is ours for con-
fliet and conquest, for discipline and spiritual
culture. Life is ours in all it's fullness.
We already swim and swing in the great
forever; the river will broaden and deepen in
its flow, but it is the same river, rolling on
ward, rolling ever
Death is ours; wonder of wonders, the mas
terror Joy. The sting of death is sin.
Things present are ours. The goddess million
aire is wrongly classed with men of wealth.
Our patent TO religion excites no jealousy, and
ownership invades no mans right. The more
we take of Gods free bounty the more others
are emboldened to take.
Things to come are ours. We know that
good, all good, awaits US. Let the crazed
worldlings greedily snatch the she'll of things
because they know not of the kernel.
Ye shall bring me to life, Lord when death
shall touch no more. 1t is glorious thus to be
young.
Something remains for us to do and dare.
Even the oldest tree some fruit may bear.
Men are not useless in extreme age. Many OF
the worlds most noted characters have accom-
plished great things in old age. If it is glor-
ious to be young, it is scarcely less boon to be
old, and heaven so much nearerl
Brightly as heaven shines in the forward dis.
lance, the work OF my life is still so dear that
still must sing:
Lord. If may,
I'll work another day.
The church has grown, since 1 entered her
ministry, from $50 ga communicates to over
100000. 1 have seen the California confer
ence grow from mem bersnip of two persons
to three conferences.
Let us be sure of our title; sure that we are
Christ's. If we are Christ's, we love him more
than ease or gold, or fame or pleasure,
The following candidates for admission
to the California Conference on trial were
recommended by the committee this after
noon: c. K. Jenness graduate of STAN
ford University, who had been doing
church work at Chico; c. V. Bradstrom,
engaged in Swedish work; c. E. Irons of
Point Arena, and E. n. Mackay. ]. N.
Snead of Wlllets, Mendocino County, an
applicant from the Congregational church,
was recommended for an elders orders.
In the evening the Rev. DR.. Hayes de-
livered an address, taking for his text
Psalms xxx 10: "Then thou speakest in
mission to thy holy one and saidst, I
have laid help upon one that is mighty; l
have exalted one chosen out of the
people,
His introduction was a development of
the idea that it was a law of the kingdom
to choose the worthiest instruments for
the most important work, Abraham,