CHRISTIAN CONVENTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10289, 21 February 1895, Page 7

CHRISTIAN CONVENTION.

The fifth annual Christian Convention wss held at North Dunedin yesterday. The morning programme was gono through in the drillshed, and as the weather cleared up in the afternoon an adjournment was made into tha open air. The convention was well attended, and in the afternoon the enclosure batween the drillshed and adjoining reserve was filled with persons of all ages. The Key. Geo. Kicoll, of the C.1.M., was chairman of the devotional meeting between 10.30 and 11.30, and the Bey» J. Kirkland acted as chairman from then till 1 o'clock, during which the snbject " The Union of Christ and the Believer" -was traversed by the opener, Key. W. Laycock, from John xv, 1-8, and Messrs Stewart, Adams, Booth. Wilkinson, and the chairman (Eev. J. Kirkland) followed. After the luncheon adjournment the Key. J. Kilpatrick (Warepa) took the chair, and the Key. W. L. Salter and Mr Burton spoke on the work of the Holy Spirit. At 3.30 tha convention entered upon a sessiou of testimony, the Rev. J. J. Lewis presiding. Many persons present, both male and female, »v&iled themselves of the opportunity of testifying to their conversion and Christian experience. The meeting was interspersed with singing, and was brought to a close by an address by the chairman, in the course of which he expressed his pleasure at being present, and at witnessing the spirit of, love and unity which prevailed amongst the brethren of all denominations attending. Tha committee for the ensuing year were then cho3en aa follows: —Eevs. D. Borrie, W> L. Salter, W. Laycock, W. Eeady, Messrs C. White, W. T. Todd, B. J. Gairdner, John Wilkinson, J. Ings, P. Barr, L. Laurenson, T. Harland, aod the C»ptain of the Salvation Army, with power to add to their number. A letter regarding the Rev. Thos. Cook, taa evangelist, who visits Dunedin on March IT, was read by Mr Wilkinson, much to the interest of thosa present, and the meeting was brought to a close. During the forenoon and afternoon Miss Sears sang as gokm, "In the secret of His presence" and " Behold Ble standing at the door," the congregation joining in the chorus of the latter hymn.

The evening service at the Trinity Wesleyan Church was preceded by an open-air meeting iv the Octagon from 7 to 7.30 o'clock. After devotional exercises, in which Mr Nicol and the Revs. Salter and Kirkland took part, the Eev. Kilpatrick delivered an addrees ou Psalm xxxii, 8, " I will guide thee with mine eye." Mr Kilpatrick,spoke of domestic, commercial, and moral difficulties, and how that out of these all the Lord Jesus Christ would be as guide; but that there must be first of all surrender to Him as guide, then obedience to Him as guide, and perfect confidence in Him as guide. In his addresa, which waß vigorous, manly, interesting, and powerful, the preacher said that he had been through the slums of Glasgow, but that in New Zealand he had learned more of sin than ever he knew in Glasgow. The polished devil was as foul as the dirty devil, but harder to fight. It was not "higher criticism" that made men sceptics, but it was the "lower living" of God's children. The meeting was concluded by Mr Salter at about 9.4-5 p.m. after a number present had, at the request of the Chairman, given their testimony. Christians from far and neat attended the gathering.