Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-06-18

MONDAY evening, june iota, 1909.
F Themeeting was called to order by the Rev.
J. D. Pope, President Of the Society. After
singing, the scriptures were read and prayer
offered by the Rev. w. Hughes, of Minneap.
oils. zaas5,e s.ii .-,3
The President of the Society then made q
few remarks, the substance of which was as
follows: @Et
No agency for the conversion of the soul is
unimportant-those seemingly oflittle account
are sometimes most highly blessed with fruits
and indeed, all comparisons of agencies es-
tablished by God to secure the salvation Of
the soul, are invidious. We have Sunday
School agency at work in very many places,
and this is very well, as one means of secur-
ing the object before us. But we want some
thing that will go out with the highways and
byways-that will carry the gospel to the
poorest and mostdegraded- that can be
reached in no other way. Such an agency is
the Tract work. 1t wants no herald, it speaks
for itself, and gains direct access to the hearts
of men by its own means. s s-l CD
The report of the Secretary of the Society,
L. D. Simonton, was then read, and, on mo-
ton of Rev. Mattocks, ordered to be printed !:
sEcRErARY's REPORT |
Early in the month of March 1853 the fol-
lowing call was circulated among the members
of the various churches of our city, and re-
ceived numerous signatures. "The under
signed, believing that great religious destitu-
ton prevails among the poorer classes of our
citizens, and that our duty, both as Christians
and citizens, calls urgently for efficient action
toward thorough canvass of our city, and
the supply of the destitute with religious in
formation, would respectfully invite our fellow
citizens who feel an interest in this work, to
assemble at the First Presbyterian Church
on Saturday evening, March 18th, to take
into consideration the formation of City
Tract Society"
Pursuant to this call, meeting was held
on the evening designated, and the Society
organized, whose anniversary we this evening
celebrate. A President, Vice Presidents and
other officers were elected, and constitution
and bylaws reported by a committee appoint
| ed for the purpose, were unanimously adopted
for the government Of the Society. Thus
| II
and fully rugged the bark of hope in which so
many of us have an interest, and which we
trust may withstand the storms of many years,
and be over laden with the richest blessings
to all those who cross its pathway. Looking
| back over course for the past year, we
| find that, though we have had opposing tides
to contend with, and have been sometimes
beaten back from the object aimed at, on the
whole prosperity has attended us, and we feel
warranted, under the blessing of God, in set
ting out on the voyage of another year with
renewed hope and encouragement. We are
not without reason for believing that some souls
of our fellow beings have been rescued by the
way during the past year. May many more
be caught up from the waves of destruction
during the year upon which we now enter!
The design of this Society is the same as
that of city Tract Societies in general. Pri-
marily we desire to supply the ignorant and
destitute with the gospet-with the "glad IT,
dings" of free salvation to all who will ac-
cept it. In the case of those who are better
informed, the tract may serve as a reminder
it NAV prevent that which has been heard
from being "let Slip" In all cases it shows
the interest of the religious community in the
eternal welfare of all their fellow beings
Hence the tracts are left at the houses of rich
and poor, high and low, alike In order that
all the churches may be represented in this
union effort, the pastors of evangelical churches
in the city, who are willing to cooperate with
the Society, are ca c6Scio, Vice Presidents of
the Society, and members of the Board of Di-
rection. The churches are also represented
in an Executive Committee of eght individuals,
chosen by the Board, who have charge of the
Tract Work in the corresponding eight dis
tricts into which the city has been divided
1t is the duty of each member of the Execu-
tive Committee to see that all the houses in his
district are supplied with tracts once month,
that Bibles and Testaments are furnished
those who are destitute, and that neglected
children are gathered into Sabbath Schools
In order to accomplish these objects, it is nec-
essary to call largely upon the aid and COOP
Grafton of the members of our churches, by
whom alone this important work of monthly
visitation can be successfully carried out
This, while it secures the thorough distribu-
ton of the tracts each month, develops the
latent talent Of private Christians, by putting
them in sphere where all their graces and
abilities are sure to be tried, where there is
opportunity of doing incalculabIe good, and
where, even at the worst, there must result,
from the direct contact of the individual
Christian heart with the children of want and
degradation, a mutual sympathy and influence
for good. If any one doubts the advantage
and elevating influence Of mere Christian SYM
pathy with the poor and uninstructed let him
become tract distributor, and note the Sc
cret joy, e grateful regard with which the
neglected-those who have seldom occasion
for the exercise of such feelings-receive the
tract visitor, as their 3e-ior, and as that one
| alone of all the vorlG NO cares for them, and
sympathizes with them in sorrows not often
| inquired about. If any one is devoid of sym
pathy for the neglected and ignorant in our
midst, and unbelieving as to the epersonal ben
eft to be derived from the exercise of such
sympathy, let him become tract distributor.
Indifference will vanish at once, and he will
feel in his heart new and elevating joy, the
earthly representive of that which swells the
bosoms of those sent forth from on high to be
ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation.
| Such then has been the origin of this socie-
ty; such is its organization; such are its OBJ
| jects; and such are the means by which its
work is to be accomplished. With the eter-
nal welfare of all who may be brought under
our influence, in view, and the sypathies,
PRAYERS and labors of the whole Christian
community pledged to our support, who would
not from the first have hidden us God speed
in so noble work. And we hace been bless
ed. One year has passed in the prosecution
of our work, and for the first, a successful one.
Though the objects of the Society have not
been as yet fully lived up to, still much has
lbeen done, and a broad foundation laid for fu-
ture success. In city like ours, it is not to
be expected that an enterprise like the present
should spring into the highest life and useful
ness in q day. Those who have an idea Of
the magnitude and importance of the work
before the Society, will rather be disposed to
allow it the FIRST year to explore the ground,
| to find out the material to be wrought upon,