New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-06
TRULY ADAY OF THE LORD.
PRAYER AND PRAISE AND SERMON.
THOUSANDS HEAR THE GOSPEL AT NORTH
FIELD-HARD BLOW FOR PANTHEIsM.

Northheld who has not been here at Conference.
and no one has seen It I'm all its beauty who has not
spent Conference Sunday here. 1t may sound
monotonous to say that this has been another per-
feet day, but this statement must be made If one
is to express any opinion Of the weather, upon
which much of Joy or sadness depends. 1t is
not possible for all OF the guests to get accom-
modations the seminary grounds, and very hot
day heavy rain interferes both with the at
tendance and the comforts OF those who are pres
ent.
The heat has not been excessive since the Con-
ference opened; in fact the mercury could rise a
degree two without adding discomfort. The
days beautiful and the nights with their cloud
less skies and myriads of stars scarcely less So
1T to If good many people had
died since last year." said city child, who seldom
sees the skies at home.
''It is true. but why did you make that remark
Just now?" she asked
why, see how many stars there are this
year than there were year ago. was her reply.
Thus do children interpret the Bible
The services to-day began with morning prayer
meeting at o'clock. led by Mr.. Moody AT 10
o'clock after song service. the Rev. r. A TORY
of Chicago. read and explained the fourteenth
chapter of the Gospel of John. The Rev. charles
r Erdman of Germantown, Philadelphia, fol-
lowed with thoughtful discourse on The I'M
manence of God" At 8 o'clock the Rev. DR.. Henry
G. Weston. president Of Grocer Theological Semi
nary. delivered stirring sermon AT the Round
Top meeting the Rev. Dr. Robert Natter, OF China
smoke, and the evening MT odnhey sang Inv
Ninety and Nine" and Mr.. TORY was the preacher
In addition to these stated meetings, there were
prayer meetings at the hotel camp. nails ana tents
Mr. Sankey and Fanny ]. Crosby, the blind hymn
writer, present at the Weston Hail meeting
adding greatly to the pleasure of the ministers
from New York and other cities who are occupy
ing that building this summer
DR. Weston gave as the motto for Gods people
the words In Exodus xiv. Is: Go forward" THE
life of the Lords people,. he said rs life OF
action It is a life of reception in order TO action
This is the principle of revelation. GOO teaches
only that which can be transmitted into life. This
is true of the Christian gTaces, faith and prayer
1t is true of the miracles of Christ and those OF
Pentecost. The life of the Lords people is lie
of progress-not motion. but progress, growth. Life
is the synonyme of Christianity In this it differs
from all human systems, whose golden days are
in the past. The life Of the people Of God is action
and progress under the divine guidance"
ALL TO GO FORWARD.
DR.. westons application was this: II want this
motto to be read upon Mortified The schools and
the conferences-God forward; shall put It
there and keep 1t there? / have received benefits
here which will abide through life and forever.
There is no other place like Mortified Here there
are no fads No limitations in Bible study, but
where men Of different names and creeds meet to-
gether in sweet and solemn intercourse. How
much good has been accomplished by these confer
ences? What stimulus they have been to thou
sands of persons! But not alone these meetings;
Think of the important school. great system of
Christian agencies built up by the greatest spir-
itual product of the nineteenth century, do not
think that there has been his equal Christian
worker. When I came here this summer and
this conference gathered 1 saw what Mr..
Moody had established. Shall there be any flag
gng now? Since he gave himself he did to ad-
vancing the best good of his fellow men. shall
take any backward step? Shall we not rather go
forward and give to the world the best token that
his works do live after him? God bless Mortified!
The following is the substance of Mr. Erdman's
sermon this morning. based upon the text: I'm him
we live and move and have being (Acts
xvii 2S):
In beginning his discourse, on Mars Hill Paul
to the Athenian philosophers but he begins his
argument by careful statement of the true
nature of the living and true God; To understand
God is a fundamental requirement in all religious
Bible are these: In the beginning Cod" and the
beginning of all right living must be with the true
God ,Paurs spirit was stirred within him when
to dolatry," and so to-day the most pitful aspect
of humanity is found in the erroneous ideas and
ular. The great need of mankind is a true knowl-
edge Of God; For this is life eternal that they
Christ a;gt whom ont thou GU, hast sent 49,. st..
gates was Platos school Of the Academy, also the
fore him were the Epicureans yet to none of these
aqs sf to the % od that
contradicting the Epicureans for they denied the
Was su and conT vi eS fFsG to
the stole philosophers, for whose sake he quotes
from their poet. and also the words Of our
text. The stoics were true pantheists, ana Paul
addressed them because pantheism is the only Sys-
to Christianity in the minds of thinking men.
were in Athens there are other SCHOOLS of '' ph
losophy and other religious systems,
MODERN EPICUREANs.
We can hardly pass unnoticed the modern Eni
First the few intelligent reasoners who cali them
selves atheists who do believe God exists;
God exists or not. and, third, that large class
who live only for the things which are seen and
whether God exists not When arguing as to
the nature of God cannot, therefore, fall to see
before us the great number who are thoughtlessy
and practically goddess: but a reasoned sys-
tenn, advocated by thoughtful men, the world
ism. 1t is the doctrine which Identifies God and
nature the Creator and the creature the Infinite
and the finite as one eternal substance. 1t denies
that God exists as distinct from the forces which
ne mas cIeateu, anu GENES ms personality except
and all is Cod It's watchword is the Divine
immansnoe 1, GOD in, IN all and all In Cod; its
being" II is the system which has been elabo-
lar by the genius Of George Eliot sung BY shelley
and Swinburne and Keats, and stultifed by Nine.
First-The truth of pantheism is summed up in
the chosen word mmanence and in the continual
assertion of the presence OF God in all nature If
presence" we have suggested to US a truth which.
and debt of gratitude to the pantheistc writer's, it
is for beautifully expressing and so continually
ag have bee eed o suo 81 sre
There Is ever the danger OF imagining that God is
has not Withdrawn to allow the natural forces
which He has set IN operation to work and 70
the panthests FOR reminding us in striking verses
that our God is one