SUNDAY COLUMN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 August 1913, Page 4

SUNDAY COLUMN.

THE WOULD AYIDE SUNDAY SCHOOL. (liY Pev. J. A. MeKen/ae, Shannon.) (Concluded). While every meeting' of the great Convention had its features of interest, some of course stand out in one's memory in a special

way. The meetings at which the dele

gates of the various cuuntries gave their response to "The Poll Call of the Nations" were, naturally, of great interest to the delegates themselves. The meeting at which I was called upon to give the greeting from .New Zealand was held in the First Congregational Church, seating about l-'i(H). There was also on 'the platform delegates from (he West "India, South Africa and Korea. Senoi ' Alviro Peir, of Brazil, and J. L. j Dube, a Zulu from South Africa, also spoke. H would be more ' correct to say that Du"be spoke (in ' excellent English) and Peir read | a report. His pronunciation was , very foreign ; but that was no won- ' der when one learned that it was | only a few weeks since he had attempted to speak English. | In the course of my greeting I referred to the work in the Canton ' villages in which missionaries of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand are engaged. At the (dose of the meeting I was met and j warmly greeted by some American missionaries from Canton, home on furlough, who are on terms of ! intimate friendship with our Xew ' Zealand friends.

A feature of great interest at the Convention was a great parade of Bible-class men, followed by a

huge meeting in Convention Hall and an overflow meeting in one of (he large churches.

The parade was viewed from the steps of the Uapitol, and was a wonderful sight. The men chiefly marched under their Stale banners, and as each contingent passed the Capitol many sang songs in praise of their native States. Others sang a hymn, and the effect of the whole was very inspiring. Banners also were carried, and the inscriptions on some were characteristically American as were the following: "The Arkansas Travellers Here on Time," "South Dakota : Young but Awake," "Kansas: Every Man a Brother,"' "No Saloon in America after 1920, "'Where Men Co, Boys will Follow,"

"Train up a Child in the Way he Should go: but go that Way Yourself." Best of all was the motto "The Men of New Hampshire for the Man of Galilee.'"

I( (ook half an hour for the parade to pass the Capitol. The meeting in Convention Hall was wonderful. At least six thousand men wxtv in the building, and the sound of their voices in a mighty volume of singing, and perhaps more wonderful still the t hrilling sound of so many deep voices joining in the Lord's Prayer will never be forgotten by those who were present. The speakers were I)r Schinfz, from the Philippine Islands, and l)r Parkcs Cadman, the well-known Now York minister, the subject being flhe transforming power of the word of God. The latter speaker dealt with his' subject from the standpoint of the world history: l)r Schiniz, especially in the light of' own experience and observation in the Philippine Islands. While these great men's meeting were being held, simultaneous meetings ings of women, presided over and addressed by women, were being held in various churches. It was somewhat of a surprise to learn tha( in the midst of the convention, time was set apart to hold a number of simultaneous meetings, which were timed to coincide with the funeral of King Edward. These were largely attended by most reverent and deeply sympathetic congregations. The American who sat next to me took my hand at the close of the service and said "Surely our two countries could never fight after that."

Hie prctit" feature of the closing meeting wns tlie appenrancc of the li CiMitury Crusader about ()0 children dressed to represent dill'ei'ent countries, each, earrying the flag of tliat (.'ountry. After the statistical secretary had given, in a few words, "The World's Sunday School Inventory, came the climax of the meeting. I quote from the report in the official account: -"The lights all over the hall went out after we .had lictn'rt this campaign message;, and for an instant it seemed as if Ave were in entire darkness: hut only for an instant; then there gleamed a white radiance from hack of the children, and we saw as a flame of pure white light, shining high up in the air between the two great hemispheres of the world's map

which had faced us day after day during (Mir meetings, the cross of Christ in living fire. "In the Cross of Christ I Glory " the children's voices were leading us again, and our hearts sang with thorn. The cross glistened the more to many an eye that tried to watch it through a mist. As the lights throughout the hall shone out again the song clutnged.

At the cross, at the cross, where

t first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away."

Hut the other lights of the hall could not dint the light of the glistening cross between the heniisoheres: it burned on unchanged. . To those who saw it was a vision as direct and as big with eternity-meaning as any that came to the Apostle John oil the Tsle of Patmos. The feet of those sixty children marked time with the insyvli of Christ and His army upon (he world. The world is never going to be saved through its grown folks. Only ! >v the Sunday School can we do His will, and suffer Ihe little children to come unto Him. When we have done that, and obeyed Him, and the children of the world have been won then Hie world is won and the fight is over.