Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-14

ctSeS the thousands OIL CnrlStidh EAAocdS-
orers assembled in this city concluded their
great convention last evening with conse-
Grafton services. held in the mammoth tents
on the White Lot. in Central Hall and In
several of the churches of the city. Every
where the meetings were crowded, the three
tents, where 25COO worshipers found seats.
being unable to accommodate the throngs
that sought them, and as has been the case
during the past week, thousands were
forced to remain standing during the ser
vices.
TENT WILLISTON.
Impressive Closing Exercises Con-
Quoted by MIR. Shaw.
The closing exercises at Tent Williston
ls st evening were peculiarly Interesting and
attracted large audience, and there were
also more members of the chorus present
than at any of the other meetings held at
this tent.
Treasurer VIM. Shaw Of Boston presided.
and the musical exercises were conducted
by Mr.. Percy s. Foster. The principal fea-
ture of the evening was a sermon by Rev.
James I. Vance Of Nashville, Tenn, fol-
lowed by conservation service led by Mr..
Shaw.
The first half hour of the service was
given up 10 a hymn recital Dy the cnOruS.
AT no time has the chorus done better work.
and the singers showed none of the signs
OF WEAKNESS that one would naturally have
expected after rendering such yeoman' 8
service. All the hymns which have been
such an attractive feature of these meet
fngs were gone over again, and for the last
time. The audience showed their apprecia-
ton by generous applause. The last num-
Der on this part of the program was an
anthem. but when this was finished Mr..
Foster announced that in response to many
requests the chorus would sing the ever
popular Awake the Song of Jubilee" The
announcement was received with every ex-
preston of approval 1t was sung in ex-
cellent style, and the audience insisted on
an encore. but Mr.. Shaw begged Off saying
that the chorus had already sung for a half
hour and would be called upon again later
The devotional exercises were conducted
by Rev. Frederick NJ. Gardner of East Bos-
ten. Mass. who read the thirteenth chapter
of Corinthians and followed with an earn
est prayer, in which he asked that a bless
Ing might rest upon all the members Of this
great gathering. as they go back to their
various homes consecrated anew as a result
of the convention, and better prepared to
life
Mr. Shaw then took the stand and an
Eounced that, In response to hundreds of
requests, Mr.. Foster had consented to sing
me SOLO which was so popular at the Ros-
ton convention last year, and which had to
be repeated so often. The hymn was tur-
ally wanted. for it was '.Just AS I Am"
sung to that sweet old Scotch air, Bessie
the Maid OF Dundee" rather an unusual
&C mbinatio but none the less effective. -
DR.. ynnce's Sermon. = -: c'-a =,
After the singing, by the audience and
chorus. OF the hymn, Bringing In the
Sbeaves." Rev. DR.. Vance, one of the ablest
preachers Of the Southern PRESBYTERIAN
Church. delivered the sermon on the SUBJ
ject, THE New Faiths of the Old Gospel"
He took for his text Acts XVII, IL and In
his address said:
True religion is not only q restraint. 'but
an inspiration. 1t Is certainly q restraint
1t is mantfestly poor religion that does
not put 1etters on vice and curb the unlaoly
sppetites within us. The Gospel frowns
down on all that Is sinful. saving to every
disciple: "Abhor that which Is evil. cleaye
10 That which Is good" But there are
numbers who stop here. Their piety ex-
hausts itself with restraint. They regard
religion as pruning knife whose ONLY
mission Is to iop Off their excuses and de-
means to be Christian they will tell YOU
that 1t means not TO do so and So It is a
dreary prospect that confronts them-sacri-
nee, self-denial. puritanism. Christ taught
that religion was to be q restraint to he
sure, but restraint only because it had be-
come glorious inspiration. There are Chris
tianS VINO crawl as near to the brink of
the non-permisslble as possible and who
think that the Gospels mission is to exer-
clse some sort of restraint that will keen
them from falling quite over. 1 DO not be-
neve that religion was ever intend ID To he
an incubus to life. We have trouble enough
without making our faith an additional
burden. The Gospel is intended to help ms
front life's duties with courage endure its
m!SfortuneS with serenity, surmount its oh