Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-04-15
THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION,
LrrrER IRON Rsv. c. c. PARKHR.
L. S. CHRISTIAN CoxNIssIos,
Washington, Mar. %, 1861 )
CHARLES DENoSD ESQ.
Dear Sir:

AGENTS in the field had no station to which they
wished to assign me permanently. For ten days
did miscellaneous work, visiting hospitals, dis
tributing papers and books, and preaching as
opportunity wa. found. thus had an oppor-
tunity to know more Of the work Of the Commis-
sion and how it is regarded by the Army than
| otherwise would Monday Feb. q, new
station was established and a chapel and tent
pitehed between the I'd Vermont and the 6th
q. s. Cavalry, neither Of which Regiments have
a Chaplain-the station TO Be for the time un-
der the care Of Mr.. J. ". H. Baker, also YER
monter and licsntiste from the Bangor Theo l.
Seminary, and myself We were received by the
men with great eordiality From the first, our
meetings were well attended. with the exception
ofa few evenings whils the ID Vermont was ab
sent. may say they we're full. often crowded
50 that seats could not be obtained. Hardly had
they commenced before deep interest began TO
manifest itself The trus and faithful disciples
Of our Lord began to open their mouths with
boldness, expressing their deepest gratitude that
! the Commission h.d sent US among them and
these meetings had been established, and with
much feeling and earnestness eIhorting their
/ friends TO seek the Lord while he might be
found. Presently professors whose light hsd all
gone out and who had seemed to be Is cold and
dead as the ungodly around them, who had
ceased to pray and hsd become blasPhemous and
! hsd turned to all the destructive vices Of the
camp, began to come back. ofeen with the deep
e., emotion confsssins their great sinfuiness. tel
| ling Of the Joy they had once experience
ed, Of the grief and remorse Of sin. Of the
peace they now found once more in Jesus and
warning their assccistesto Zee the pit into which
thev had fallen and take shelter in Christ Ths
story Of their fall and return wss often touching
in the extreme. Along with this movement
upon the hearts Of cold snd apparently dead
professors, sinners began to be convicted OF sin
and to enquire what they must do. Almost
every evening some rev voice was heard and
almost uniformly, when opportunity was given.
sone new person rose for prayers. There was
little apparent excitement bu, deep sOiennity
was brooding over them. Much Of our time
during the day was occupied by the calls of
soldiers for personal religious conversation. An
excellent brother having been obtained to take
nv place, lea the Station Tuesday Of this
week. The evening before-my last evening
eleven rose to Indicate the hope that they had
passed from death unto life since the meetings
commenced, some Of them the finest men in the
regiment. and We know some Of the most hope
ful we're necessarily absent About the same
number arose TO request an interest IN the pray
en- Of Gods children, some Of them for
the first time. At no time was the IN
torest apparently deeper or more tender
than on that evening, many tarrylng 70
tell me their feelings and to express their Pur-
noses 10 seek Christ, who had not indicated it in
any way before. Seldom have left work with
more emotion than this with the soldiers Sci
dom has my heart. with such intensity, breathed
benedictions on men. as on those whose faces
had seen and whose voices had heard at al
most every meeting, and who by many acts of
kindness had so strongly bound my heart to
theirs. Seldom have been 50 thankful as to the
Christian Commission for enabling me to have
part in this blessed work.
What has been trus at ons station, has ben
true at nearly all the stations Of the Comrnis-
sion, and at many Of them doubtless inya much
larger measure. Before we have called God has
answered. He has gone before Us and been with
Us and 70 his name be the glory. In connection
with this report it may not be aniss 70 state
few Of the considerations which seem obvious to
me why the Christian Commission in its present
plan Of ofoperatonsi Is worthy the sympathy and aid
! Of an evangelical ministers and churches.
It's purpose is to carry the gospsl to those who
otherwise would not hsv. it ftstudiously avoids
interference. with regiments having faithful chap
lains Il co-epera,.s with them. furnishing
canvass to cover their ohspels. and reading mat
ter for distribution. sud through its delegates
assi sting them in their meetings. While it thus
aids faithful chaplains. its main purpose Is TO
l carry the gospel to the thousands who otherwise
would not have H. We're this all. they would
have the same claim upon US for the gospel as
! the destitute communities Of our land and the
world. But this is not all They to whom it
carries the gospel are the young men OF the
nation-lt. strength and hope; they who are to
fashion its future veal or voc-iis future glory
or shame. Would we preach the gospel to our
young men and save and sanctify them BY its
power. we must follow them TO the armies. The
energy, the talent, the strength Of them is there
They have left home and sanctuary. and all the
restraints and endearments Of life. for the stern
and perilous work of war. For the life Of the
nation they have laid their own lives and all they
hold dear on its altar. In this fearful work they
are surrounded and beset BY snares and tempta-
tons to be met with no where else in life Be
straints .rs Withdrawn on the one hand. the
enemy comes in like aood on the other; and
shall the ministers aud churches abandon their
Young men thus impsrilled in body and soul.
and suffer the destroyer to have his way. and in
their destruction crush the best hopes Of the na-
ton !! Every impulse and instinct Of the chris
: tian patriotic heart ays No, The nations liz
win Be .sved at terrible cost II Il cost not only
E the blood. but the character of our young men
II these men are 20 be resched and saved. il VII
difficult to conceive plan more feasible and
Direct than this Of the Christian Commission
With It's permanent agents 70 superintend snt
: control its operations. giving system and crdel
70 them all. it has as its lsborsrs dslegatss con
tiuusuy tesh from thsir homes. the Puipita th
parishes 90 dear to these young men Thus Will
. bringing TO them the gospel, they bring TO theu
f the hardly less restraining influences Of houe
= ever keeping fresh in their minds lis hsllovs
s .ndesrments and sssocistions ~ fi
2 And thsn de- Congregations ~e get are. .
/. greedy to hear. % 'Eunsfy sr the word. tha
there 10 peculiar JOY Ii preaching n sothsn.
|. 10y rarely found in congregations q home The
Il welcon,s the dsleszta with the sftsnksss Of