The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-03
DAY AT BETHANY
HAMMOCKS AND FANS AND THE
COOLING SHADE ENJOYED.
Opening Day of the Sunday school
COnventiOn-Exercises at
Acton Park.

cottagers did not want to work; they did
not want to think; they "jes' wanted TO
see how lazy they could be-" yet there
were a few ambitious spirits who had the
temerity to bike over to the village of
Brooklyn. However, they were laughed to
scorn by the majority of the wheeling ele-
ment. who armed themselves with a gen.
erous supply of palm-leaf fans and sought
the coolest recesses of the park; others en-
joyed undisturbed repose in hammocks,
while many more courted the lakeside
breeZes. 1t was the opening of the State
Sunday-school convention, but the attend
ance was small.
Prof. H. L. Willett, dean of the Disci-
pies House of Chicago University, is on
the grounds, and during the week will de-
liver a series of six lectures on the proph-
ecies of the Bible and also six studies of
the Bible. Professor Willett is a young
man of high intellectual attachments. He
has a magnetism of manner that ~fascinates
his hearers, while the logic of his discourse
convinces his audience. He gave the first
Of his lectures at 9 o'clock yesterday morn
ing on THE Scope and Purpose of Hebrew
Prophecy his remaining lectures will be
on the following topics: Prophecy of
Amos Hosea, al Experience and a
Message" Isaiah and the Assyrian In
vasion," THE ~Evangelistic Prophet" and
The Messianic Prophecies"
THE characteristic difference between
Israel and other nations of antiquity" said
the lecturer, did not lie in law or the
modes of worship or in national customs,
but rather in the teaching and inspiration
of prophecy. Israel was very much like
other nations in it's general temper and
ideas, but took its departure from the level
of other national life. But that departure
and resulting elevation was accomplished
by the labor of a chosen body of men who
were the prophets and they were the re-
ligious teachers of the time. They were
the political reformers and the organizers
of a better plblic conscience. The func-
ton of a prophet was not to foretell the fu-
ture, but rather to declare the divine will
for the day in which he lived. They were
not mere Projectors, but the divinely ap-
pointed leaders of the nations. The first
was Moses, who is to be studied not only
from the point of a lawgivcr, but especial
ly as a prophet. 1t was his proclamation
Of Gods will that gave Israel its first ma
tional conscience. At his death Moses gave
a promise far-reaching in character, re-
corded in Deut. xviii, Is, to the effect that
after him God would raise up a line of
prophets to appear from time to time as
they were needed and to serve as the re-
ligious guides of the nation, eliminating
in the Great Prophet, Jesus Christ"
SAMUEL A STRIKING u
Samuel is the next striking figure in
this list whose chief contribution to the ma
tional life of Israel was the splendid re-
form which he inaugurated and by means
Of which the nation came to possess some
thing like unity of purpose, and which was
the percusor Of the unity and strength of
Davids kingdom Samuel organized the
schools of the prophets, those little uni
ties OF men partaking of his spirit and in
huence, and these he prepared in a simple
manner for a wider proclamation of his
teaching than he could m in per-
son. These men went throughout the ma
ton into remoter districts to report the
sermons and ~injunctions of Samuel. His
inf1uence was thus quietly but persistently
scattered over the whole of Israel. The
faults of the schools of the prophets Of the
later days were those of all organized re-
ligious schools, the danger of Journalism
and professionalism, but in the youth of
the nation they accomplished an immeas-
urable amount of good in molding the con-
science of the people and in preparing for
the better day to come"
In the Afternoon Professor Willett took
up the first of the Bible studies THE Place
OF the ElDl6 III inc CnuEcn. he spoke OF
its place in the church of to-day, how it
was considered by the Jewish nation, by
the martyrs, by the reformers, by the
schoolmen and by the ministers. Professor
Willett will discuss five other Bible studies,
"The Makers of the Bible" The influence
of the Bible" The Bible and Criticism"
THE Purpose of the Bible" and Hints
Toward a Method of Bible Study
On account of the great heat, the assem-
bly, lecture which was to have been given
by A. w. Conner was omitted
The afternoons work embraced the bust
ness part OF the convention. t. j. Legg,
State S-unday-school evangelist, made the
following annual report: Number of miles
travelled during the year, 1875; sermons
delivered, 140; Sunday-school addresses de-
livered, III; Christian Endeavor societies,
addressed, Il; miscellaneous addresses, rs;
total, 413; churches ~reorganized, 8; number
churches visited, SO; number annual meet
ings, ?; number confessions taken, AZ; num-
Der reinstated, II; Sunday-schools visited,
As; Institutes held, &c; Sunday-school rail-
lies held, Is; children's meetings held, Al;
teachers meetings. organized, 80; Sunday
schools organized, Is; number normal
classes organized, 8. number board meet
ings attended, 4; number cards and letters
received, 11.O4O; cards and letters printed,
1850; total receipts, 81, 006.9 8 total eXpendi-
lures, $999.79: amount Of assets and bills
receivable, 1926. %; liabilities, $11S.30. The
secretary's and treasurers reports were
also heard and approved.
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT WILES.
The president, r. M. Wiles, of Martins
vile, addressed the convention. He said:
Paul, the great champion of TRUTH, sad
to the Romans, Let us walk honestly, as
in the day. etc Since the fall of man
there has been a continual conflict between
truth and falsehood. light and darkness,
good and evil. There is a sharp conflict
to-day between right and wrong. The
kingdom of the devil is against the king
dom of God. The devil had a conflict with
Christ in the wilderness nearly 1890 years
ago. and the battle is still on. What must
we do? We must do or not do, for the
Master says, He that is not for me is
against me- Is IL not our duty to be brave
men and women, to take up the banner of
truth and purity and fit it high over all
opposing powerS?" The speaker then re-
ferred TO the growing belief of some people
tina the Su~nday-schooi is an idle story.
He said the home was the hope of the
state, that a nation that knelt before God
could stand before man. He compared the
~watchword was. For Our Comrades and
he prayed that no soldier be found sleeping
at his post. He closed with this thought
God grant that the churchmen every
where may awake from their siumbers and
be aroused to see the sinfulness of every
individual neglect that may tend to para
lyZe the church and make 1t poWerless TO
stamp out the popular sins of to-day that
are constantly making inroads upon our
Sunday-school work throughout the entire
State and in every community. Let us
work while it is day, for the night cometh
when no man can work"
At 1880 a song service was held in the
tabernacle, which was enjoyed by the en-
tire assembly. Mr.. Cline Is giving good