Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-05-01
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of society be reached by true Christian SYM
pathy and instruction.
Mr.. Ingersoll then gave in his report, and
was followed by H. M. Knox, Esq, and Dr..
II. d. Slmonton, who had charge of the 5th
and 9th districts Of the City.
Alter another prayer, the reports from the
other four districts were given in, by Dorr
Randall, Esq, j. r. Brewster, Parker Paine,
and r. nj. S. Pease. All the reports showed
very encouraging results.
Then followed an earnest and interesting
address to the society from Geo. B. Peck,
Esq The speaker said that from the time
allotted to him he must be necessarily brief
and condensed in his remarks The charac-
ter of the work in which we are engaged, he
said, is noble onc-it DERIVES nobility from
the fact that it is connected with Christi
is His work-it is of the nature of the work
Christ did when He was upon earth-we
should ever remember this fact, and have it
as a source of great strength and encourage
ment. We might, i'll one view of the case,
wonder that Christianity had not progressed
more in Is centuries. But when we remem
Der that Satan still IN all probability possess
es his natural powers-angellc powers de-
praved-and that as the arch enemy of God
and man he is still permitted to walk to and
fro upon the earth, to try his hand at the de-
feat of Gods plan of redemption-can we
wonder that such powerful and malignant
being should effect much to retard the Cos
pei 4! The question why he is permitted to
do it belongs not to us, the matter for US is to
be aware of lis activity and malignity, ami
to be ever on the alert. To understand the
history of the world and the Church we must
ever keep IN mind thc'grave reality Of this
continuous contest between Christ and Satan.
Before the provision of salvation for our race
was known to Satan, he may have worked
for the destruction of man with a CLEAN of
hope, but ever since it would seem to be from
the malsnity of despair. His methods seem
to be two-either opposition and persecution
of the church, or the attempt to chill it into
the..sleep ofinactivity and death. All through
the history of the church we can see the al
teration of these two plans. There is still
great battle to be fought-the victory will in
the end be ours-what we want is living,
aggressive Christianity. We must all be &C
tivc-alive and earnestly engaged at work.
The Christian must not enter the Church
thinking he has now nothing more to do, and
looking forward to the dead inactivity of a
corpse in a coffin-no, he must show spiritu-
al muscle and nerve, and develop them by
appropriate exercise and labor. And what
better field for this than such an one as the
Tract work This comes home to every in
dividual-here is the opportunity for organ.
lied labor, the most effective of all. And
what is the strength of organized labor ? tie
earnest indiriduaI labor Of many uniting to
form one harmonious and we'll aimed whole
The Tract work is blessed work. We de-
sign to carry the gospel to every house. And
while in the mi LIST of this work. let US re-
member the rewards that are gracously Of
iered to those who turn others to righteous
ness.
The Rev. J. G. Riheldaffer was then called
on for some remarks. He said he had little
to say, as the hour was late. But one re-
mark had suggested itself to his mind, and
that was, that the tract work was eminently
a practical work, and he might add, hard
work. And though VIC have listened to in
tert sting reports this evening, if We should
go back to the origin of the materials of these
reports, perhaps We should discover that not
so much to those who have charge Of the Sc
veral districts Of our city-the captains in
this army-as to the ladies who have been
secretly and quietly at work-the rank and
file If the army-belongs the praise of what
has already been accomplished by the Socie
ty. No under estimation of what the gentle
men have donc-but in this cause. as in all
others of charitable and religious nature,
our sisters must have the praise of being the
Cflcient acorhers. The speaker was in favor of
such union efforts as the present-he would
so heart and soul as far as any other one,
without thought of UNCONVENTIONAL barrier,
while it was the soul of man we were seek
ing, with the gospel as the means.
After some appropriate remarks by the
President, the meeting was closed with sing
ing and benedction.