The Portland daily press., 1869-07-17
OeHCI.
Now due from Subscriptions. ........
A. The publication of the QUARTERLY.
Eighteen hundred copies have been printed.
Received from Subscriptions. ....... s69S 4s
:" Advertisements. ..... ITO 90
Cost of Publication. .................. 975 60
Now due from Subscriptions and ADJ
tisments including August number.

| tisments, including August number.
/ rronts. ................
The August number is now mostly in type,
but will be delayed for the purpose of inclu-
ding IL 1t some reports of this Convention.
This attempt by the Conventions to estab-
llsh periodical representing the interests of
the Associations has not met with the en-
| couragement from that it deserved. Of course
| it is not claimed that the QUARTERLY,
aside from the large quantity of information
concerning the Associations which it has con-
tanned, possessed any remarkable merit,
though worth more than the subscription
Price. HAD the Associations been half faith
iul 10 their own interests in this matter il
| would now have a circulation of not less than
| five thousand. si !, :
1t is recommended that the Executive Com
mittee be instructed to issue the periodical
monthly, at the price of one dollor per year.
| its size remaining unchanged.
| In regard to the Importance of the publica-
| tion and the benefits derived from it, the Com
| mittee have only to repeat with added empha-
| sis the observations made in their two previ-
| reports. The experience of an other year has
but served to deepen the convictions hereto
| fore expressed. fr RI g..l --54es..t-7 7se
5. In accordance with the directions of the
| Convention, call for the observance of the
SECOND Sabbath in November as Day of
Prayer for Gods blessing upon the Associa-
| lions throughout the world was issued, and
mailed to all our Societies on this Continent
and to many in Europe. More than two
hundred Associations report the observance
OF the day; small number when compared
with the long list of those now in successful
operation. 1t is pleasant to believe that the
day was much more generally observed than
these reports would seem to indicate In
many towns which have been greatly blessed
with the presence of the converting spirit
throughout the past winter, the beginning is
dated from the day of prayer and the meet
ings held in observance of it. 1t can hardly
be improper to submit extracts from one or
two letters in regard to this matter from
widely separated localities. a.G n
One Secretary writes: "With us the day
was generally observed by our Evangelical
Churches, as well as by our Association We
had full prayer meetings, morning and eve
ming, at the Association rooms. The meet
ings were characterized by much depth of
feeling. The afternoon was devoted to a
union meeting of AL our Churches, in our
most spacious house of worship; and many
profitable and encouraging addresses were
made, intermingled with prayers fer Gods
blessing upon our work. 1t seems as though
we were already reapmg benefit from the OBJ
servance of the day. New energy and new
vitality has seemed TO mark the progress of
our Association. We all have faith to believe
that revival OF religion and general refor-
nation is not far distant in this part of onr
Lords vineyard"
Another,IsThe day for the Y.M.C.A's of
our land was duly observed in our city, by ap-
propriate services in the several churches, in
| the morning, and by union services, in the M.
| E. Church in the evening. Our pastors are
| all alive to the importance of the work of
our Associations, and preached earnest telling
| sermons on the occasion. The union servi-
ces were somewhat interfered with by unia-
vorable weather, but were characterized by
much earnestness and deep feeling"
Another that, "0ur day Of fprayer was made
week of prayer, and the services did not
close after the seven days were over, but God
has moved the hearts of the people, and we
are continuing them every noon and every
| evening" aa9 sE1sa N
And another writes: son account of the
absence of our Secretary, we did not receive
| the circular in time to request the Churches
| to join us, having received it only on the day
preceding that appointed as the Day OF
Prayer. we, however, brought the circular to
| the notice of the Churches, and appointed a
meeting in the evening for prayer, for the
| specific purpose mentioned in the circular.
This meeting was fully attended, two of the
Churches having given up their usual Sunday
| evening meetings on that account. This was
| only one of many indications that, for the
name have been praying and working, with
unusual earnestness, for the Qptnnnring of the
Holy spirit IN THIS town. We are now en-
J0y1ng a revival of wonderful power. which
has spread through the town, and gives prom
ise OF reorganizing society. -. Our
| Association is reaping great blessing from
| the work, nearly all the members being now
either inquiring the way of salvation, or in
| dulging hope in Christ. We do not count
converts until they unite permanently with
some Church. and can therefore give you no
figures by which the work of grace can be
measured. As an Association we have or
| ganized three scouting parties, who 90 each
| week into the neglected districts of the town
to hold prayer meetings. The state OF re-
/ ligious feeling has been found to be such, that
| in one district one of the Churches took up
| the work and held meetings in the school
house, every evening last week, with the hap
piest results. Another Church has commence
ed similar work, in another district; and
there is still another district, remote from any
| of our Churches, where at the close of our
| last meeting, persons rose for prayers; and
| we hope another Church will take up the
work of Christian nurture there. We feel
| that the work of feeding the flock Of Christ is
| the appropriate work ofthe Church, and have,
| therefore, been careful to foster and second
whatever interest any Church may feel in any
| particular field. have felt that our Associa-
tion needed President; as, besides my pre-
occupation, lack many qualifications for such
| a position. / think that need will be supplied
| at our next election, in May; for person in
every way fitted for the position, has been con-
verted to Christ, and is taking up all Christian
| duties with an earnestneSs which speaks well
| for his future usefulness.
| Surely, if the Associations always remember
i ed the words OF Him who left us an example.
| that we should follow in His steps; "Neither
| pray for these only, but for them also which
shall believe in me through their word,D or
those words; of the great Apostle, "Ye also
helping together by prayer for us that for the
| gift bestowed upon us by the means of many
| persons, thanks may be given by many in our
behalf" there would be no failure to unite in
| the observance of the Day of Prayer.
| 6. The wish of our societies for direct, con-
| tant and sympathetic correspondence with
kindred Associations of Europe was plainly
declared at Detroit, and the Committee have
sought to realize the expectations and hope
| there expressed.
1t is to be regretted that SO few members
| of our Associations avail themselves of letters
/ to Associations abroad during their visits.
/ Little can be accomplished through cores
| pondence compared with the results easily at
/ tanned, if all opportunities for personal inter-
course betwee2p the members of the American
and European Associations yssfre improved.
There was no delegate from America, rep
resenting the Associations in the Paris Con-
ference, who made any report on this return;
and the same is true of the Dublin Conference
OF last September.
A summary of the result of the visit of Mr..
Stokes was presented in the last number of
the Quarterly. His report, accompanied by
letters since received, descriptive of the work
ing of the Associations ON the Continent, is
appended hereto. He was most cordially re-
x-o1 L. 49, 80 80