Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-17

I seventeen other associations are reported
active as follows:
Burlington, regular meeting each Sab
bath afternoon, two schoOlhOuse mission
meetings, one with Sabbath-schoOl"
Cambridge, ''rcsuming work again, met
seldom in the summer"
Danville weekly meetings except in the
busy season, and two in districts"
Hartford, zone weekly meeting and one
schOol-housc meeting"
Newport, meetings monthly, also each
Sabbath afternoon, one Y. NJ. c. A. Conven-
ton
. Norwich, weekly prayer meeting and one
district meeting"
Randolph West, - one meeting in an out
district but none in the village"
Rochester, weekly meetings in rooms and
occasional in districts"
Royalton, ''during the year fourteen meet
ings in the churches"
St. AlbanS, mo meetings for six months,
except one weekly in schoolhouse.'
Shoreham, ''a social prayer meeting and
two mission meetings weekly"
st. Johnsbury, prayer meetings at rooms
Sabbath morning and Monday evenings, two
district meetings part Of the year"
Ryrgate South, meetings every Tuesday
evening at rooms and each Sabbath evening
at two School-houses'
Thetford, meeting Sunday evening at
village and few in school-hOuses."
Cnderhill, meetings, one for praise and
prayer, one for Bible study, one district.n
Wlndham, ''onc weekly meeting in differ
ent school districts
Wolcott, Fifty religious meetings and ten
for business during the year"
These reports indicate large amount of
Christian work done, and for the most part
| work that would not have been otherwise
done, and reaching those not otherwise
| reached. But reading these letters one must
see that though so much has been accom-
pllshed these most active associations are
doing less than half as much as two years
ago.
The reports that indicate most activity as
well as those that show death or suspended
animation alike give occasion for anxious
prayerfu inquiry us to what we can do to
develop more life, and secure more and better
work for Christ.
The facts reported thus far may he grouped
AS two: First, as to our EvanGelistic work.
the churches have not asked for much to be
done, though nearly as much as the commit
tee with the reduced force at its disposal
could have arranged for. Second, as to our
Association life and work, there is everywhere
less interest," less vitality, less activity. These
two general facts We must see are connected
with and largely the outgrowth Of the low
state of religious life that is becoming so
painfully apparent among us.
Some other things may have affected the
result. The work of the great Evangelists
excited 50 much attention and the mistakes
of those less wise who followed them gave
such occasion for hostile criticism, criticism
that the more modest work Of our asSocia-
tion would never have challenged, that the
oh 10, my
cy. Very few revival meetings of any Kind
are reported in the State, partly because some
do not believe in them, hut mostly because
there are no rcvivals. For while it is true |
that a revival, genuine or counterfeit, some
times grows ont of special work commenced |
without the sanction of any previous special
manifestation of the Holy Spirits presence, |
such manifestation warming the hearts of |
Christians strengthening their faith is certain |
TO lead them To undertake more work and |
To seek help from such agencies as have |
seemed 10 be approved of God. 1t is pos |
siblc that if il had been understood that the |
committee could respond promptly to ap- |
pllcatiOns for Gospel meetings some more |
might have been asked for. But the impor
tant fact is that the churches did not seek |
this or any other special agency, for the |
same reason that Christians did not do more
Individually for those around them, namely,
because of their Indifference, because the |
Holy Spirit did not lay the burden of |
perishing souls upon them.
In the same way the condition of the AsSO-
citations is accounted for. Undoubtedly
If more had been done to stimulate
th"m, as might have been il the /
committee had themselves been breathing a .
more stimulating spiritual atmosphere, or II
ihc rlsli man, glited Tor the Office and skill
Ied III Association work had been employed
as general secretary, the report would not !
nave irtn SO dlscouraglnS but better than
lhrSe ihr blessed presence ol the Holy spirit
with these FAINT hearted workers would have
made even the ieehlest ol the Associations
'liish'f power lor good
i.oohin% I"rWaru' now, 10 thc WORK lor
winch thls convention must arrange, II Is
wen tilat We Understand tllit the churchts
VIII mol pIohahly ask lor much SPECIAL work
among mem ana the Associations can not be
lousrd l" me ana acilViiy unless the spirit ol
inc l-ord snail breathe upon them. FIRST ol
ail thtn We nccd Tor ourselves the baptism OF
thr iiol! "h"st' ana thth uniting others
WIN us III earnest PRAYER rs agreed IN ask
lng' we need To wrestle untli the blessing
come upon all VINO have begun To love the
Lord Jesus. Already there are signs that the
dawn VIII soon follow this darkness. Earn
est souls are crying, How long, oh, Lord,
and when Christians begin 1" ieel That they
cannot i've unless therc Is a revival the spirit
STRIVING win thelr spirits IS Il witness that
ihc answer 10 thtlr prayers IS sure 10 appear.
therefore we shall 40 well u be organized
and ready lor WORK.
lhe convention directed the committee
TO hc looking ior some suitable man To be
employed rs general secretary and leader OF
the work, II Providence should seem TO point
that way, ana they have gwen attention 10
the matter but cannot report that such man
has been selected The most successful lead
crs of Evangelistic meetings among us are
not equally skilled in Association work, or
equally interested i'll it, and ii is work for the
Association that now most urgently needs to
be- done, while the demand for Ev;lngellStic
work is uncertain and, unless our leaders
are so successful aS tO create Il demand, is ;
likely 10 cease with each revival Ii there |
should hc demand we can hardly expect 10
ind any man who can conduct canvass,
eaolng one series of meetings after another .
without much rest between, for almost ,
Ill who have attempted it have ruined their
lcalth. Nor is il quite certainly wise
hing for our churches 10 depend ON such ,
'isitatiOn as furnishing the yearly occasion ,
when they Will look for CONVERSIONS With
he most careful guarding there is still liability ,
hat the people feel after each visit that there /
AN he no more aggressive work until the
next. Also that i'll recurring visits the in
crest may he the manufactured counterfeit
II that which was genuine at some previous
me. As general rule meetings will be-
more effective and the interest more certain
y genuine If the appointment is the result of
oinc special sense of need among the Christ
ans of the place, than If the movement Is i
and started from outside. This :,
vas one condition of the marked success OF .
'ur meetings in previous years, and of the 4
5enuinencss of the work which time has : :
lnce tested. 1t will he wiser for us to he
prepared To receive invitations to labor ior |
hurchcs than to ask them To invite such .
lbor. y general secretary, ii the right man =
ould hc employed, would lie most useful III Ii
for and conducting meetings when Z
invited, but such employment would not he II
kelly Ia bt. rrpilllT tumlWh il mIrnt become ! Al