Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-11-19
Anniversary MEETING Y. Nj. O. A.

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! ANNIVERSARY MEETING Y.M.c'A.
| LARGE AtDIENCE-Di,. SEARS AT THE
LECTURER's DEsK-REMARKs BY FREsI-
DENT RANSOM. REV. MEssRs. BAKER
! MANLEy, AND col. j. H. SKINNER
| FINE MUSIC,
/ &c, &C. &c.
| The anniversary meeting of the Young
Mems Christian Association in the lecture
| room of the Presbyterian church, Tuesday
night, was attended by a large and bril-
liant audience, the fierce gusts that tore
along the streets seeming to have no fleet
I'M keeping the people at rome. The pro-
| gramme was arranged with admirable taste
-so-admirably that nothing could have
been farther from the popular idea OF dry
ness which, unluckily. SO often attends
these sort of gatherings. The music was
by the Staunton Musical Association, I'M
| der the leadership of DR.. Brown, with
exquisite organ accompaniment. by MI.
| Tyson, of the Deaf, Dumb Il Blind Insti-
! tute, and included some as fine chorus
singing as can be heard in any Southern
| city except, perhaps, Richmond and New
Orleans. The hymns, '.Safe in the arms
| of Jesus, and ''Safe within the Veil, and
the closing chorus, GLORY be to God,''
merit any praise that can be bestowed, and
50 would the other pieces if by any posi-
bility the badly trained audience could have
been choked off from participation. If it
is not disrespectful we would suggest that
: the Association hereafter appoint an usher.
witha slung shot. whose province it shall be
| to pay prompt attention to those of the
| audience unsteady disposed.
THE p ST YEARS WORK.
After prayer by Rev. j. /. Miller, Presi.
dent of the Stanton Female Institute,
the President. Thomas d. Ransom, Esq,
made some remarks on the experience and
work Of the last year of the Association.
He said that it now numbered It's mem
bers, with whom the ruling principle
is to be Christians first, and afterwards
Baptlsts, Presbyterians, or any other de-
nomination-a principle that had pro-
| among the various churches. 1t had been
| mistakenly thought that this association
was an organization waiting to be hitched
on to any philanthropic object that came
along; that is not the case. It's object
| is the rescue and protection Of young
men from the evils that beset their paths,
and literary and social culture are the
means used to that end. 1t is a friendly
organization affecting no peculiar sanctity,
but approaching young men in friendly
way. Nothing is so soon seen through by
young men as hypocrisy. We try to cult
| and to convince them that we have sincere
| interest in their welfare, and the members
| Try to Illustrate in their own lives the value
Of the religion of Christ, which after
all is the only sermon young men will
really profit by, for they are severe critics.
and are not much affected by precepts
which are not followed by practice. The
connection of the Association with the
Church is al so often misunderstood. Its
| members do not fill, nor aspire to the posi-
ton of lay preachers. They advocate no
UNCONVENTIONAL doctrines" and confine
through the croS3 of Christ. The Church
is the parent of our Associations, and she
reaps the harvest of their labors. One
harvest especially she reaps, and that is
the increase OF brotherly love between the
different denominations, and if she does
that who shall Say that the. work Of the
Association has been in vain. The As
ISOLATION has reason for encouragement In
looking back over the history of the last
twelve months. Its harmony has been per-
feet, and it could be said with truth that
in the whole year Of it's meetings not one
unkind or unfriendly word had passed be-
tween its members. This had ministered
to its success more than words can tell for
often when any feeling of Encouragement
at the result of their labors-llad been heavy
on the hearts Of its members, all had been
cheered into renewed activity by the grasp
Of friendly hands and the sound OF friendly
words at the meetings.
DIR. SEARS LECTURE.
Rev. DR.. BArnas Sears followed Presi-
dent Ransom in Il lecture, which we will
| not spoil by attempting to sketch. The
speaker is d gentleman of commanding
presence, over six feet in height, straight
as al arrow, with snow-wnlJe hair and
side WniSkers, and clear cut features, of
which the prevailing expression is purity,
tirmneSs aud moderation, overcast with a
scholarly air. His style of speaking is
characterized by as much particularly
| as if he We're correcting the proof of Z
magazine article on the encroaelments Of
modern science OH the teachings of the
bible, and his power OF condensation is
simply wonderful. His arguments are
like Clipped ice, clear as crystal, transpar-
enJ and chilly, with not d particle of ex-
element about them. He disseeted the
sensuality Of the world SO coldly and keenly
that he took every bit of the warmth out
of it and made a man ashamed OF its pleas
| ures as something immeasureably below
| the real amuSements of man of intellect
From the picture Of the ideal man who
fills the command Of the scriptures, to love
his neighbor as himself and who is the
more nearly allied to the angels as he more
nearly comes to the fulfilment OF the COM
mand, he turred to the vices and follies of
the present day which develope his alliance
to the brute. He depicted the dangers
that beset the youth Of this period, the
sensuallty, not sensuality in its worst
form but in its broadcast meaning that per-
| vades society; the growing lo.seness in
moral Obligations which is beginning to be
viewed as matter OF course: the re, kless-
ness in politics, and he closed with ali
assault on the materialism OF the modern
scientists Dr.. Sears lecture was heard with