The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-07-18


'.[<'' -. =, day, and every
day, appears to be spent in searching
the Scriptures and In quiet, spiritual
s. rejoicing in the promises found there
an. The. testimony, Of our citizens is
that we never before had such a Con-
vention In our midst.
The people are from the middle walks
of life-poor rather than rich. They
have no outward badge OF special
clothing, but seem to be adorned with
meek and quiet spirit. The entire
Bible is their creed and they truly
walk in its light, which. they tell us
is growing daily brighter as we near
the Morn Of the New Dispensation Of
Christ's Kingdom. 49,:
A popularity Of these Bible Students
IS that during the entire series Of the
meetings, in which more than forty
speakers have participated, no appeal
has been made for money; it has not
even been mentioned from the plat
form. Asked why this Is, the answer
was that each tries to give to the serv-
ice Of the Truth what he is able &C.
cording to his ability-as unto the Lord.
oAN on AoA 10 hho"A LAGI0 AO
lack, because the expenses Of the prop
uganda are kept within the limit of the
offerings. The Convention closes to-
day. Extracts from Pastor Russelps
Sunday address follow. His text was,
"But We are come " to the General
Assembly and Church Of the First
born. which are written in Heaven"
.(Hebrews xii. 49, He said in part
The oneness of the Church Of Christ
is everywhere made prominent in the
Bible. Sects and parties are nowhere
recognized. Nowhere is 1t intimated
that Christ has various Churches-for
instance, the Roman Catholic, the An
glican, the Greek, Presbyterian. Con-
. gregauonal, Lutheran, etc. On the con-
trary, there Is but the one Church,
which is the Body Of Christ" and that
Body Of Christ has but the one Head,
Jesus.
We not only find that Christ and the
Apostles established but the one
Church, but we cannot think of any
reason why these should have estab.
ushed more than one. Nothing is plain
er than that our sectarian divisions
arose from our neglect and loss Of "the
faith once delivered unto the saints"
dude g. AS the divisions came In,
the errors came In with them; and, as
the errors go out, so also will sectarian-
ism pass away. .---~
TIL" General Assembly Of The Saints.
AS we are assembled here today, not
under any human or sectarian name,
and not divided by sectarian creeds,
but united as one people through our
conservation to the Lord, through our
desire to know His will by the study
Of His Word, we we'll represent the
Scriptural or ideal Church of Christ
Regardless Of nationality, language,
caste and Of all sectarian creeds and
bondages, we are here simply and SOLE
ly as children of God, and Bible stu
dents In the School Of Christ, to learn
OF Htm~-to be fitted and prepared for
glorious joint"heirship with Him In
His coming Kingdom, and meantime to
learn at His feet the lessons necessary
for so great coming service.
Let me correct myself and say rather
that our little home classes very 1T
hngly represent the Lords Church-as
1t was In the days Of Jesus and the
Apostles. And our Assembly here to-
day, far away from those classes In
these beautiful grounds, is a picture
rather Of what the Apostle describes
In our text, namely, "The General AS
sembly Of the Church Of the First.
born"-from every quarter, as 1t will
be by and by, but gathered on the
heavenly plane by the change Of the
First Resurrection.
How many OF us have during the
week said with reference to our fell
1owship In spirit with the Lord, "It Is
good to be hereI But oh, dear breth-
rem, am sure that I voice the senti.
ment Of everyone present when ] say,
1t will be better to be therel oh, 80
much betterl When by Coos grace
we shall reach that Heavenly shore
and participate In the joys Of that
greater and better Convention, "The
General Assembly Of the Church of the
First-borns," 1t will be better than
this grand Convention; and l will seek
to enumerate some Of the reasons why
think 1t will be so.
Enter into tho Joys of tho Lord.
~ The joys Of our present Conven-
tiou arc merely foretaste Of the per.
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