The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-29
OUR COLLEGES.
The Day of Prayer Observed in This
City Yesterday.
Interesting Services Held in Free
Street Baptist Church.


yesterday. The rain and the slippery walk
ing prevented the attendance of many who
would otherwise have been present, yet a
goodly number turned out, among whom
were most of the evangelical ministers of
our city. A season of prayer and confer
ence was observed, interspersed with letters
from various colleges, giving brief review
of the religious condition of the various in
stitutions
Rev. E. 7. Adams of this city, presided.
After the preliminary exercises, Rev. Mr..
Daniels read a letter from the Christian As
sociation of Bates College. 1t stated that
there were over forty Christian students
with the ministry in view, twenty-one of
them in the theological department. 1t spoke
in strong terms of the duty of Christian stu
dents to discountenance in every possible
way the barbarous practice of hazing, and to
strive to so elevate the moral standard of
student life that the graduates from our col
leges may indeed become safe leaders of pub
lie opinion.
The letter from President Hyde, of Bow
doin, spoke hopefully of the general relig-
ious feeling in the college.
The letter from Williams College referred
to the present as being critical period in
the religious history of the college; calling
for earnest prayer on the part of its Chris
tian friends.
President Pepper writes that at Colby a
little more than one-half Of the students are
members of evangelical churches. The
meetings for prayer have been encouragingly
sustained, and the future seems hopeful in
its religious aspect.
The letter from Amherst College, sent by
President Seely expressed great interest in
the day of prayer. In the history of Am
herst College, it has been true that during
their college course majority of the stu
dents have been converted, and the percent
age of pious students is the highest of any
college
Rev. DR.. Bashford read the letter from
President Bartlett of Dartmouth. He speaks
hopefully of the religious condition of the
college, and of the growth of the moral tone
of the successive classes.
The letter from the Bucksport Conference
Seminary gave an encouraging view of the
state of religion in the seminary.
Rev. Mr.. Dunn read a letter from President
Robinson of Brown University, stating that
120 out of the 24O students are professors of
religion; 27 have the ministry in view and
10 of the 80 Seniors are Christians.
President Hanllin, of Middlebury College,
writes that the per cent of students VINO are
Christians is less than in former years, but
the college was once most prompt to furnish
missionaries for the foreign field.
Rev. C. j. Clark read letter from WeS-
leyan University. From 60 to 20 per cent of
the students are Christians; and the outlook
is hopeful
President Barbour of Yale college gave a
very interesting sketch of the religious in
terest and work in that institution. Over a
thousand young men are connected with the
various departments, and the religious work
among them is both persistent and success
full. The completion of the new hall, recent
ly erected has given greatly increased facili-
ties for religious work in the whole college.
{. Prof Huntington of Boston University in
his letter, gave favorable report of the
state of religion among the students of that
institution.
Hanson Hart, Esq spoke of the influence
of Christian parents
Rev. DIR. Bashford spoke of the encourag-
ing fact that while of our whole population
only one-fifth were Christians, in our schools
more than one-half of the students were
church members.
Rev. DIR. Burrage thought that among the
young men of our land the proportion of one
fifth would not be found to be church men,
bers.
The session closed with prayer and the
benediction.
AFTERNOON.
Rev. Mr.. Hallock presided over the after
noon session and opened the meeting with
reading the scriptures and prayer.
Prof. Hayes appeared as substitute for
Prof. Howe Of Bates college, and read a
paper on the relation of the churches to our
institutions of learning This relation was
originally very close one. Our churches
are to be furnished with leaders from these
institutions. Because the churches once fell
under the lead of the State and the secular
power, it gave rise to prejudice against
them; and again the supposed antagonism of
science and the Bible created a feeling un-
friendly to schools. Some would make the
schools subserve temporal and economic in
terests alone; but the church is to see these
institutions minister to eternal interest as
well. The church cannot prevent the exist
ence of schools, and would not, but she is to
see that they become the nurseries of the
highest intellectual attainments in the inter-
est of religion. Who can imagine the disas-
tious consequence of divorcing our schools
entirely from the influences of the churches?
Socialism, nihilism, rank infdelity, would
oyerwhelm our free institutions. The coun-
try needs Christian schools to lead, govern
and instruct; not to repress, but to stimulate
inquiry; Institutions Of learning must be
permeated by Christ-like influence if they
would accomplish their proper work. The
church owes to these institutions of learning
the power and influence of cultivated and
an earnest Christian pulpit. 1t also owes to
them the influence of Christian home life.
churches all the consecrated power
ture @ and intellectual training. IN
deed, the church itself should be the best
educational institution in our land. 1t
should have its primary and normal schools;
and especially it must thoroughly educate,
intellectually, morally, and religiously, its
pastoral leaders. So this reciprocal inf1u-
ence of church and school must be sought
for, in order that the religion of Christ may
triumph over every evil influence that now
tends to corrupt the world and make men
miserable. All the religious influences and
systems instituted of God for his people in
former ages, were in fact educational sys-
TENS, for the benefit of the church and its
ministry. The church must seek for the in
crease of the members of the ministry and
for the thorough education of those minis
ters. The Scotch divine pithily described
the qualifications needed by ministers, viz
grace, learning and common sense. For such
ministry we need thoroughly furnished
and consecrated schools of learning.
After singing, Prof. Ropes of Ban gor
Theological Seminary spoke of the need of
young men for the ministry The speaker
stated that some $50 young men in the Con-
gregational denomination were preparing
for the ministry. This is.a hopeful sign, and
yet there is room and earnest call. How are
we to supply this demand for ministers?
How does the call to the ministry come to
the young man? Not by an audible voice;
but by the leadtngs of Providence and the
influence of personal convictions. How
shall the church cooperate with God in this
call? The duty divides itself among. the
officers families and individuals OF the
churches. In the city less number OF
young men enter the ministry than III the
country. 1t results from the surrounding
circumstances of city and country life.
Ought not the city pastors to give more at
tion to this subject, and to refer more ire
quently to the duty of young men to enter
the ministry? They should seek out sulta-
BILE young men for this work and urge them
to it. Deacons also should encourage such
young men, and suggest this duty to them;
The church. in its corporate capacity, should