The herald., 1896-02-28
The First Convention of Its
Kind Ever Held
SIMPSON TABERNACLE FULL
Impressive Services Held
Throughout the Day
PROMINENT PEOPLE INTERESTED
Mr.. Sankey and Mr.. Stebbins Assisted
by the Church Choir
Eminenf Dlvines from the East Join Those
Of Local Celebrity
And the Result Of 1t Was Glorious Time
for Those Jealous Of the Worlds
Advancement - contin-
ued Today
PROMINENT PEOPLE INTERESTED
Mr.. Sankey and Mr.. Stebbins Assisted
BY the Church Choir
Eminent Dlvlnes from the East Join Those
Of Local Celebrity

The first convention in the United State
workers of all denominations began a
$3.50 am. yesterday in the Simpson taber
nacle, this city. 1t was called to order un
der the auspices of the Christian Endeavor
Epworth league, north, Epworth league
south, and the Baptist unions. for the pur
pose of organization. Impressive services
were held morning. afternoon and even
ing. Similar devotional exercises will be
continued during the remaining days oi
the week and on Sunday.
The first session yesterday, which might
have been expected to be largely business
meeting, and that it would have the at
tendance of the usually small gatherings
that mark such occasions, was, on the con-
trary, participated in by very large and
most gratifying congregation. In the af-
ternoon there was increased interest and
attendance and in the evening there was
= wonderful outpouring of people, the
church being filled from top to bottom
with q veritable sea of faces, the like of
which has not been seen in the tabernacle
for many day. Many stood, and on &C.
count of a continuing stream of people,
who were turned away by the hundreds, an
overflow meeting was held at the First
Congregational church.
1t was attended by prominent clergymen
and church workers of Southern California
and eminent divlnes from the east, among
them being the Rsvs. E. H. Brooks, L. F.
Laverty, W. >. Young, James N. Newell, H.
A. Newell, Stevens, Sterling Findlay, c. S.
Mason, M. Larkin, r. W. Fern, Chase,
II n, D.sa n.
Fowler. Mr.. George Studd, H. W. Mills, W.
w. Cockins, H. G. Wiley, Major Irwin, I. W.
Elsing, Clarence Wilson, r. W. Fem,
Major Hardie, Bishop A. w. Wilson of the
Southern Methodist church of Baltimore,
Nd, DR.. j. H. Brookes of ST. Louis, Rev.
Henry Miller. of Chicago, Rev. j. w. Fish
of Wisconsin, Baptist Evangelist DR.. A. P.
Graves. Rey. John Mccarthy of China:
Rev. E. b. Bennett with Mrs. Bennett of
Pomona, Rev. A. A. Dinsmore of Alham-
bra, Rev. J. H. Stewart of Redlands, VIM.
G. Alexander of Santa Clara, Rev. P. E.
Kipp of San Diego, Giles Kellogg of San
Diego, also Miss Phoebe Jones, c. E. Ana
helm. Miss Sorrie Cooke, G. E., Santa Ana,
and Mindora L. Berry, San Francisco.
Ira d. Sankey and George G.. Stebbins,
state missionary, had charge of the musical
program, assisted by the church choir of
Simpson tabernacle.
DR.. J. L. Price of Los Angeles, as Tempo
rary chairman, opened the convention,
which was begun with a solemn and very
beautiful service of pi aver and praise last
ing from $3.50 to 1890, preparatory for
the week to come. During this hour o, de-
votion and meditation there were readings
from the Psalms, many heart-searchng
questions for meditation suggested by DR..
Price, with invocations by different MEM
bers of the audience, interspersed with
hymn praises, my Jesus. love thee, be.
cause thou first loved me,' by Messrs.
Sankey and Stebbins; Nothing But Leaves,
by Sankey; Take Time to Be Holy. by Mr..
Stebbins, and Even Me. and Gather Them
In. by the congregation.
DIR. John A. B. Wilson delivered the con-
vention sermon from the twelfth chapter
of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. first verse:
~ beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that We present your bod
les living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God. which is your reasonable service
DR.. Wilson, who in his short residence in
Los Angeles has gained the popularity and
esteem of many through his plain, straight
forward directness of speech, and by the
attitude he has taken in religion, bringing
it down from uncertain heights to the
necessities of life below, deducted from
the text yesterday morning the same down.
right lessons he believes in and that he
teaches and practices, fitting them as the
necessary attribute. not only to the pro-
moters of this convention, but to Christian
secration of the body to Christ, and gave
the motives for SO doing He said in part:
By the presentation of the body is meant
that we absolutely present ourselves on the
altar as a sacrifice. 1t is not to be an Of
fering of something we have, but it is what
we are ourselves. 1t is personal surrender.
No impossiblites are required of us Even
in tho old aaopiffnioI ofrarsr,ns
of God gave what they had. whether a
lamb, dove or only a handful of flour.
The offering today is not anything ethical
or spiritual, but corporeai. 1t does not
mean spirit and mind. 1t is the simple,
sacrifice of body and blood to the
glory of Christ, this bit of machinery that
you look at, the flesh that clothes the soul.
We gush in the manner of conservation.
But our rapturous emotions must give way
10 the things that make up the worry and
toll of life. So much is abstract, and when
the abstraction is over where are we? We
are not able to live in abstraction. Ii is so
subdued, refined and ethereal that the
whole thing is irnpracticable. We must
come right down to where people live.
Life is concrete. All work is done for soul
there is no body salvation. The
body is the only medium by which impress
Bions can be taken to the mind. The
senses send their freightage of thought
through the body to the mind, and through
the mind the soul is reached.
Religion is Significantly affected with
the faculties of the body. When Elijah
was distraught in the wilderness and the
angel appeared, he did not preach to the
worn out man. He did not offer him con-
solation for the soul. He fed him. Elijah
slept and was fed again, and when his
bodily powers were renewed he had no
more fear of Jezebel, his tormentor. She
had no more power to rend his soul.
Moral religion depends on the body. The
health and equipoise of the body are es-
sential to the aspirations of the soul. All
Dur daily life, our food, our drink, our hab-
ts, have religious significance. 1t is not
, narrow gauge that surrounds the triune
nan.
Paul understood the corporeal power
when no Suid: Keep my body in SUBJ
ection." Through the body came all
Ehe body is the instrument
ior which ~ 1iIssAre committed as well as
he instrument Of righteousness. Keep
vour body holy temple, for without It
here can be no constellation of soul. Put
lway transcendental longings. Look TO
he material things. Lay on Gods altar
hft body az a conservation to God. This
is not to be slain or burnt,
,ut is to be a reality, q con,
Of the body to sue.