The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-06
CONFERENCE SUNDAY.
Very Large Attendance at Services
In Fall River.
Eloquent Sermon by Rev. c. II. Payne.
Ordinations by Bishop Foster.
The PROVIDENCE Nsws BUREAU,
New ENGLAND sourHKRs CoHFERkSek(
Fail River. Mass, April ., lsss.

Fall River. Mass. April T. lsss.
At 8 q. M, yesterday, the conference
love feast opened in Central Congrega-
tional Church, Rock street.
Rev. M. j. Talbot, ID. d., conducted
the love feast service. He read Psalm
and led the audience in prayer.
After speaking of his experience In the
ministry, beginning 81 years ago, DIR.
Talbot opened the service and ministers
and laity, to the number Of Go, gave testi-
monies.
At 1880 a. m. the preaching service
began. The choir, q large one OF about
100 singers, gave en- anthem, "The Gloria
In Excelsis."
Rev. ID. A. whedon, ID. d., read
Isaiah, Goth chapter. Prayer was offered
by Rev. W. Walker Jbb,. pastor Of
Central Con gregational Church.
RsS W. a L%os pastor OF opS prsr M
bers of the Central congregational
Church for their courtesy in extending to
the conference the use OF their beautiful
and commodious church building for the
Sabbath services.
The vast congregation, OF some 1doO,
then joined In singing Hymn No. go,
s'Dsy Of Resurrection"
Rev. e. Fl. Payne. ID. d., gave the
sermon, as Bishop Foster did not feel
well.
His text was in Rev. Ills. "will this
glad sound of a world redeemed ever
sweep over the world?" On this glad
Easter we hear voices in the very air re-
spending yes.
Some doubt, call the old times better,
ETC., one man said: Soon our country,
our world, Will not be mt to live in.
The greed OF gain. the liquor traffic,
etc, make the outlook dark. Yet the
Kingdoms are to be the Lords
Triumph for Christ's kingdom is an
essential Of our faith.
II there be q God, then we can only
reach one conclusion that He will COM
plete His plan and 1t shall not 60 out in
wreck. Not only Is this a created world
but redeemed world. Shout your plan
prediction Of world conquest. Jesus al
ways asserted 1t. The light, the fold,
His going, and His sending the Holy Ghost
prove His coming conquest. Peter tells
US Him hath God ex alted. and to Him
every knee shall bow" Peter was no pessi-
mist. Inspiration opens with saying, "He
shall bruise the serpent's head" and we
hear IN the lingering, last voice OF inspira-
tion "the Kingdoms are become the
Lords" The power of Satan rests on the
sel6shness of evil men and devils. We
"hitch our chariots to star, mot to walls.
We may pass over bridge OF sighs, but
as in venice,it is to palace, one of glory
eternal. Let us read history Alright.
Former centuries may have been good,
but this Is the best one for Christianity.
The sun never shone on q better church
than the one this Easter sun shines on.
Counting the Protestant population OF
the United States we number one fifth
Of the population, counting in Romanists,
Christians In the United States number
one-third. The days OF revivals are not
gone. have seen some equal to any Of
the past. Anyway Christians are more
In number than ever. Methuselah even,
expect, walled about the former times.
Do not despond. How can we help bring
the victoryf Our American theology
gives us to believe we can help God 10
carry His plans out. We reverence the
past. We believe In the future Let us
not mix up methods and essentials. Any
where, anyhow soul submitting to God,
is sure to fnd God. God.always..uses dis
vers ways. Our Method ist altar was not
oxen. But now we harness to the ark
horses, then the steam, now electricity.
Thus we move with the tread of victory.
The church Is not the Kingdom, but is
an agency to bring the Kingdom. We
must not forbid any who really cast out
devils. For the man or social body not
| against Chr,st Is tor Christ. Wesley said I:
s'Give me thy hand, II thy heart is as my
heart" The redeemed will not be q small
hummer, but uncounted millions. The
church is to bring men into fellowship
with Jesus, not to make an ecclesiasticism
We must get hold OF the social, civil and
political forces Of today. Going to the
the church has more to DO. Claim every
right kind of organization. Convert not
only persons but Clubs lodges, ETC., and
exterminating saloons and brothels. BY
companies.and regiments, not man by
man, did we fight out the war OF the re-
bellion. Let us send more Christian men
into business, and into legislative halls,
until enough real Christians get shoulder
| to shoulder 80 that they can revolutionize
principles of business and leg gislation. We
shall yet have civic righteousness. With
one fifth, one-third Of a Christian popu-
lation, what city or village is governed
by Christian principle. il we have six
have clean men and clean laws. We did
q little of it when in New York city we
overturned Tammany. Do have q
prayer meeting like this: You get the
parents there to tell why their boys
do not attend church. Que will cay:
The club takes my boys. Another; The
saloon gets mine. Then amid tears and
sobs they pray. But do not end it So.
Convert the club; expel the saloon. Dr..
| Payne told of a chaplain and dying
soldier. The soldier did not want the
chaplain to read the Bible till after the
chaplain rad given the soldier a drink OF
water, and wiped the blood from his face
and put his own coat over the uying
| soldier; then the latter said: "Chaplain,
| II II Ia the Bible leads you to treat a man
like that read to me ont of II all you want
to-" We have got to get men more in
| that way. / saw Jesus Christ the other
day. II was lady stepping from her
| carriage and with basket OF supplies
going up and into that tenement houeA.
The story OF De1a Laughlin, the Blue
Bird, touched the audience deeply; and
gave DR.. Payne the inspiration OF his
closing peroration, and to ring the
| changes on helping God In bringing ia
the Kingdom which the revelator de-
! scribed.
Bishop Foster closed the morning ser
wee with interesting remarks and the
benefiction.
At SPIN. the memorial exercises began
with an anthem rendered by the choir,
"The stone is Rolled Awsy." Rev. M.
j. Talbot, ID. d., read the 90th Psalm.
Rev. q. n. Bates, presiding elder, read
the prayers for the dead in Christ. The
audfence sang from the printed circular