The Portland daily press., 1873-10-20

imposing demonstrations OF the power OF
Evangelical religion which our country has
ever witnessed.
The object of the meetings was to manifest
and so to perfect the unity of the different
branches of the Christian church. Many thou
sand churches of varions nominations
scattered through many lands, met by repre-
sentatives in Christian fellowship. They met
as the scattered members Of family meet to
revive and deepen brotherly love. They met to
pray together, to sing hymns of praise together
unto God; together to break the bread and pour
the wine of our Lords passion They gathered
also to discuss questions of common interest.
The discussion of these questions was to be
subordinate to the great object of the conven.
ton, vz:-The manifestation and perfecting OF
unity in Christ. This should be borne in mind
several topics were discussed. Able as mary
of them are, their Importance will not be ap-
preciated unless those who read them remem-
Der that they are the utterance notmerely.o1 tne
individuals who wrote them, but IN sense Vi
the communities whom those individuals rep
resent. Christerdom looks back with reverence
upon the conference which Jesus and ms great
lawgiver and prophet held upon the mount OF
TRANSPORTATION; though not word OF tnat
conference has been preserved 90, we may
reverently say,:Iong after what was said in this
great conference of Christs churches shall
havs been forgotten; His people will find joy
and strength in looking back to the transtigur-
alton mount of this great occasion, and behold
lands, shining as it were with heavenly light,
and holding conference together concerning
that cause which is dear alike to the heart of
all. ~
That the conference of the alliance was mar
vellously effective in securing the object for
which if was held, if its influence upon the
thousands who attended its sessions is a fair
test of its effectiveness, there can be no doubt.
Heart beet to heart Unity in Christ was the
thought which all were thinking, the feeling of
which all were conscious. Many eminent men
were present, but the occasion dwarfed them,
There was deep sense of something behind
the men whom we saw; something immeasura-
bly, greater than they. 1t was Christs people;
The millions whom we had never seen; who
had drank of the same cup and been baptized
with the same baptism with ourselves. We
felt their love; we were conscious of the sup
port of their sympathy, We realized that we be-
longed TO great army, against which the en-
batiled hosts of hell should strive in vain.
This deep impression of the oneness of
the family of believers, must abide
through life in the hearts of many of those
who were present at the noble convention They
90 to their homes, many of them ministers of
the gospel, prepared to constribute their part to
that great movement which is steadily advauc.
ing, of all sects and denominations to coop
Grating and manifest brotherhood in it. And
not only they, but tens OF thousands OF chris
tians, who, remaining at home, kept themselves
through the newspapers, in sympathy With the
meeting and caught their spirit, will get from
them larger ideas of unity in Christ, and be i'm
PEELED by them to more faithful compliance
with that new commandment, that We love
one another as have loved you" This is to
be the permanent result of this great conference
a result not less, but more valuable because invis
ible. The lesson which God would have u.s.
learn from it is that religious provinclalism
al gays, a bemsh upon christian character is es-
pecially inexcusable in the disciple of to-day Our
sympathies should be as broad as the family of
Christ; our love as comprehensive as that love
which holds humanity in its embrace.
HIGH STREET CHURCH.
Pew. Mr.. Fem preached in the morning from
Rev. iii, 90 'Behold stand at the door, and
knock, if any man hear my voice and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him and he with me-" Moses on the mount
seeing the burning bush, wondered what it was
and what it could mean, until he saw in it the
presence of the Lord. Gods people are
an emblem of it, who standing in the midst
of trial and affections are not consumed, The
text calls ON us to turn aside and see greater
sight. The son of God, the Lord of glory,
standing at the door of the sinners heart
Riches never honored poverty as God has hon.
ored men. Angels are amazed at the infinite
condescenslon aud love of Christ 1t is no
wonder that we have to go to Christ, that our
necessities spur us to Him. The wonder of
WOuuCIS 49, uOt tHdt We SuOulu 10 W SurlSU, DuG
that He should come to us. The benefactor
comes to the needy. Our rejection of Christ
was tOuchlngly shOwnsn contrast to the wait
ing attitude of the Lord at the hearts of men.
These words of Christ are peculiar words, adj
dressed to a peculiar class of people, 1.-THE
churches mentioned in the chapter.) The many
ways THAI Christ knocks at the hearts of men,
by His word; His invitations; His spirit and
grace were dwelt upon, and the great import
ance of accepting Him, forcbly presented
Gods dealings with men by bis providence was
exemplited by His natural laws as iu David's
case, not merely reproved but chastised un-
til he cried out against Thee, Thee only, have
Isinned." In troubles, IN despair how true it
is that often what is best in man comes out
of him. The Lord Jesus Christ has great
many ways of knocking at our hearts in the
course of daily life; by losses, disapointments,
bereavements, and how happy will the man be
who will open at His knocking, whatever it
may be. 1t is dangerous thing when God
undertakes to awaken man, for him to lie i'll
slumber Tomorrow all may be gone; Christ,
His spirit, grace, all gone, and you left alone
without a ray of hope.
A sELF-CoNsTITUTED CENSOR.
Considerable CONSERVATION was felt among
the older people assembled at the rooms of the
Salem Fraternity, Tuesday evening, at the con-
duct of well-known clergyman, who entered
the premises and by solicitation and otherwise,
prevailed upon some twenty OF thirty boys,
gathered there for study and recreation, to
leave the premises. III Is turtner reported tnaU
he addressed the people in charge to the effect
that the rooms were no place for children, since
the reading matter spread before them was OBJ
jectlonable in the extreme and the influences
and associations of the place were demoraliz-
ing. In this connection it may be matter of
interest to know the character, etc., of the Sa-
lem Fraternity. As we understand it, the fra
ternity is composed of people of all religious
denominations or of no denomination at all; in
fact, religion per Sc has nothing at all to do
with the institution. Its uim is to instruct the
young in secular studies and to furnish to all
who choose to avail themselves of its privi-
legesf such entertainments and amuse-
ments as shall prove more attractive tc them
than the hilarity of the street and grog shops.
The rooms, which are situated upon Essex
street, are open evenings from u to 10 o'clock
and are free to all. The leading magazines,
newspapers and other periodicals of the day
are accessible to all who are inclined to read.
Instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, ETC.,
is imported by some of the first ladies of Salem
to all who wish to learn and not few boys
receive benefits in this department Checkers,
dominoes and other games are also free to every
one, but cards are excluded. Such being the
nature and object of the Salem Fraternity, the
action of the reverend father, last Tuesday nat
urally exctes a good deal of comment today
Boston Herntd.