THE SIXTY-SIXTH CONFERENCE
J.H.Batt
Bible Christian Magazine
1884年9月,425-427.
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The Missionary Sermons were preached at the Conference Chapel on Sunday,August 3rd,by the brethren ALLIN,BATT and LARK.
The Annual Meeting was held on the Monday.The attendance was good:and in some respects the occasion was one of peculiar interest.
During the morning sitting of the Conference,it was remarked,that as soon as the Rev.Dr.Potts, of Montreal,and the Rev.Mr.BRIGGS,the Book Steward of the Methodist Church—the new Church，composed of an amalgamation of the Methodist Church of Canada，the Methodist Episcopal Church，the Primitive Methodists，and our own denomination in the Dominion—and the venerable Dr.Cooke,of the Methodist New Connexion,each of whom addressed a few warm fraternal words,had left the platform,the Rev.J.HUDSON TAYLOR and Mr.BROOMHALL,of the China Inland Mission—by a singular coincidence came on the platform，to address the Conference on the need and claims of China.Their words produced a profound impression,and the question was asked all round with intense interest,Is it of the providence of God,that now Canada is gone off,China is to come on ?
Mr.Hudson Taylor addressed the Missionary Meeting at night with an impressiveness equal to that with which he had spoken to the Conference and numerous visitors in the morning.Also,it was asked in the secret of every heart,what is the meaning of the hand of God in this?when a lady,Miss TURNER,who has laboured for five years in China as a missionary,came on the platform at the call of the chairman,and spoke,amid breathless attention,as only a lady possessed of a gift of graceful speech can speak,of her experience as a Christian teacher among the women and girls of a mission station in China.The interest of the audience,which had sat for two-and-half hours,rose to white heat when it became known that Miss Turner was grand-daughter of Elizabeth Nicholls,one of the female preachers belonging to the Bible Christians in London.
The providence of God,we have many times remarked,often gives striking pre–intimations of the great movements of life,and of new departures in Christian work as well;and many persons present in the Conference and Missionary meeting on Monday,felt that the turn things took and the enthusiasm awakened,betokened the commencement,at no distant date,of missionary work by us in the far off mission field of the Chinese Empire.
It is with reluctance that we are obliged to pass by the many facts laid before us during the day,showing clearly that China presents a sphere of work well within our reach,and of a promising and attractive character.
Many promised to pray specially for China,and left the Conference determined to wait upon God for the further maniſestion of His will in this thing.
One of the representatives at an early period of the Conference prayed that the influence of this Conference might be felt “through out the whole world,” and before we separated we felt that the good brother’s prayer was not only a petition but a prophecy.Before the Conference ended,it was decided that the Missionary Committee consider the whole question at its October meeting,and mature a scheme to lay before the next Conference,at an early а sitting thereof,in order that practical steps might be then taken,and a mission opened among the heathen in China.May the Lord Jesus Christ,to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth,and who has said,“Go ye therefore,and teach all nations,direct us to a successful issue in this movement that is laid on the heart of many of us,and may we be all willing to do what He tells us to do.
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