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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S
fication; George C. Needham, How To Study the Bible; and H. W. Brown, What and How to Preach. Major Whittle con ducted the Devotional Studies with a little assistance from the writer. The sessions the first five days were held in the hotel parlors and were pri vate. The object of the 'conference was to ascertain what the Bible taught on the subjects named; and it was believed that this end could be better reached in a private gathering than in a public as sembly. But a number of the pastors in Lynn and other nearby communities made special request that the Conference should be held in a Church and open to the public. The request was granted and many pastors and laymen attended the closing sessions. The conference of 1877 was held in Watkins Glen, N. Y. The next three years in Clifton Springs, N. Y. In 1881 at Old Orchard, Maine; then at Mackinac Island and in 1883 at Niagara, Ontario, there to remain until 1898 when it was held at Point Chautauqua and also in 1899. In 1900 the conference met at Ashury Park, N. J. On April 5, 1901, at Philadelphia, Pa., the committee met pursuant to a notice issued to all the committees by the sec retary concerning the discontinuance of the “Niagara Bible Conference.” There were present J. M. Stiller, G. C. Needham, L. W. Munhall and W. J. Erd man. It was unanimously voted, in view of concurring opinions of the absent members of the Committee, it was not advisable to issue a call for another meeting of the Conference. The princi pal reason assigned was the decreased attendance of late years and the increase of similar Bible Conferences in different parts of the country. So far as I know Dr. Erdman and I are the only members of the Swampscott Conference who are still in effective re lations. L. W. Munhall.
4. It is done in the fear of God. No trifler was ever yet holy, nor slacker, nor habitually forgetful person. Fear must he upon us; not the fear that hath tor ment, but the reverence and godly awe (Heb. 12. 28) in which alone we can serve God acceptably. 5. The walk that results from char acter must be holy. It will follow as surely as light follows sun rising. Moses’ face shone because he had been with God on the Mount, and we shall be changed into the image of Christ if we often and habitually behold with open face the glory of the Lord in the mirror of the Word (2 Cor. 3. 18). In this verse per haps more than in any other in Scripture are we let into the secret of practical Christlikeness. Diligence will be needed and the obe dience of faith and love, that as we see how He “pleased not Himself,” but “went about doing good,” we, too, may shake off our self-indulgence or indolence and “ follow His steps.” THE FIRST BIBLE CONFERENCE The first Bible Conference held on this continent met at Swampscott, Massachu setts, July 19-26, 1876. Subsequently, it met annually for twenty-five years, save in 1884, becoming known as the “Niagara Bible Conference” in 1890. The follow ing were present at the first conference: James H. Brookes, William J. Erdman, H. M. Parsons, D. W. Whittle, George C. Needham, H. W. Brown, D. W. Munhall and several others whose names were not recorded. The conference lasted ten days, with three sessions each day, two hours in the forenoon, one hour in the afternoon and two hours at night. There were the same teachers and subjects each day, five teachers and five subjects. Dr. Brookes had the Second Coming of Christ; Dr. Parsons, The Office and Work of the Holy Spirit; Dr. Erdman, Sancti
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