The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-14
tween Christ and His followers is a vital

AILtI W Ills ulSClpiCo LuCAA
to Him, He then taught them the love when
had animated Him to come to them snoula
animate them to go to the rest OF mankind:
That is the religion professed IN Portland
and everywhere else among Christians, a re-
ligion which makes man part OF the
remedial system and sets him to work in it.
Thus the obligation to work is a universal
one, and opens Christianity at once as q glo-
rious privilege and very solemn duty. The
essence of sin is selishness. Two great
forces are operating with centrifugal and
centripetal effect in the moral world
love and grace; and the golden rule is the
law that maintains condition of equilib-
rum. To get rid of the ever besetting self
ishness is given the golden rule and the di-
rection to go to all the world to carry the
word.
Then the question arises with each, What
can do? Alone, not much, so Christ has
introduced into the remedial scheme organ
ization. So the church is an organization for
work, So it is a. Christians duty to join, a
church. Some one is asking me. continually
if think a man can be saved who does not
ioin church. eyes" | say to him, "some-
times fool succeeds in getting across the
Atlantic in an 18-foot dory, but sensible
man goes in Cunard steamer" (Applause
and laughter)
Now one church does not amount to much,
but churches all united are power in every
field of right effort The divisions INTO de-
nominations is good, not an evil; it gives
each Christian an opportunity TO humor ms
tastes in selecting church.
But there are places where it is not expe-
dent to continue denominational lines Inc
Young Mems Christian Association IS an
example. But the Association should Keep
very close to the churches, and members OF
the churches should work for the Assocla-
tion.
There is special need for this work in the
redemptive scheme among young men, es-
peclally among the young men who come 70
the cities They are away from home, ana
their temptations are many. In Boston the
saloons are ready to receive them. Il am
glad to know" the speaker said, shat here
in Portland the miserable sc0undrel who
sells rum has got to crawl into some nOle.
(Applause). But in every city it is not. So;
The speaker added there are other pitfalls
besetting the young man, the worst OF which
is the intellectual conceit which leads to
atheism or agnosticism.
Such being the needs of the Young Mems
Christian Associations, the speaker thought
that those who could not busy themselves in
The audience applauded him loudly when
he declared that it would be a downright
shame for another such anniversary to pass
in Portland without seeing the foundation
of building for the Association laid.
GENERAL sEcRETAY's REPORT.
Mr.. II. P. Winter, the general secretary made
an elaborate report 1t embraced the topics of the
Associations OF the World, the association build
ings Maine State Work and work of the Portland
Branch, the Finances, Boys Department, work of
the Woman's Auxiliary, Lectures and Concerts,
Miscellaneous Work, Individual Responsibility
and Personal Work.
that while the audience was celebrating its 33d
anniversary, it also celebrated the AID anniversa
ry of the parent association in London, whose
manager, George Williams, still leads in Christian
activity and manages large business. The few
young men who gathered in his bedroom have in
creased to 2Oo,WO in 1000 associations scatter
ad ovpr hq and IN the limited States the
society is represented by S4,0O0,u0U, 629 general
associations, 100 college, 90 railroad. "a colored
and IL German Many other facts of general in
terest were related as to the general power of,
and good done by the society. Last year 100
young men professed conversions in the college
associations. The speaker in referring to the
association buildings, stated that of the 80 now
owned by the institution. 36 were located in cities
of less size than Portland, and 20 of the cities
have even less than half our population. He urg-
ed the erection of building in Portland so that
the association would not be liable to constant
change of location and where heavy rental
would be avoided and the stores could be rented
for good sums, and would like to report build
ing fund for that purpose to the General Secreta-
ries' conference williamsburg. Auburn and.Rock-
land own their buildings and Bangor is putting
forth an effort in that direction. There are 20
associations in the State, including five in colleges
and other institutions of learning. Mr.. A. L.
Hines Is State secretary.
The Portland society has held 226 religious
meetings at the rooms the last year and members
have conducted 100 services outside. AS result
many have requested prayers and many professed
conversion and Joined the church.. The secretary
spoke in high terms of these ser ices as Christ
ian training school, of the good work OF the
Teachers Bible Glass. which averages an attend
anee Of 2oo, OF the great help extended by the the
of the mems morning prayer meetings. and said
that 29, ,469 persons had attended the various re,
ligiOus meetings. Thousands of religious and
secular books and pamphlets have been distribut
ed at hospitals JAIL State prison, and to the ship
ping. The past four years have seen two OF the
young men entering the ministry, two successful
evangelistS, and two about to enter the ministry
The president of the Boys Department has. en-.
tered the Bible Society's service with excellent
effect Through parents letters many young
men have been rescued by the society from the
jaws of the tempter and moral DEATH
The receipts the past year have been So i 54. 81
and expenditures S3059.1S. There is still a
small debt upon the Association, caused by the
growth of the work and the very general de;
preston in business circles which has affected
some of our annual subscriptions. This debt it is
hoped to liquidate the present year. The Secre-
tary thinks the society ought to raise its member
| partment at least, the fee in the Women's
Auxiliary to remain the same. Considering the
entertainments, it seemed to him, no one would
object to the extra dollar, which many are now
cheerfuly giving. He thinks an endowment fund
Quite portion of the report is taken up with
the Boys Department, which has received notice
in the PRESS quite extensively, The department
have signed the triple pledge against liquor, to-
bacco and profanity. Many of the boys have
ODtdlneu BUOu SlIudtlODS. l0e Boys Literary
Society. organized two and a half years ago, is
fiourishing. Its ranks, to the number of 40 are
full. Debates readings, addresses, excursions
entertainments, all dc a good work. He suggests
a room be opened for boys the same as for young
men, to be supplied with periodicals, books and
games. In the Sunday afternoon meeting the
boys take prominent part.
1t is estimated that 2O, 900 persons attended the
course of ten entertainments at City Hall the last
season, and of this number the members of the
association, and boys of the Fraternity and Deaf
and Dumb School were admitted free OF charge.
The Woman's Auxiliary, in its IA months of
being, has raised $500 for the debt and given two
delightful receptions. The report speaks highly
of their work. More employment has been found
for members, strangers helped, sick visited
passes secured for the destitute and deserving
The reading room needs good library and the
Womans Auxiliary will make efforts to get one.
There were 10000 visitors to the room the last
year. 1t is a parlor as well as reading room.
Over $4,000 persons have been reached by the
association work the last year, and the rooms
have been used by many societies. The society
Is boon to the commercial travellers. The fol
lowing members have died during the year:
Joseph r. Jordan E. s. Hoyt, David Moulton,
I. G. Hersey, John +. Ferris. With over thou
sand members, individual labor, if exerted, would
do blessed work for the association and by per-
sonal labor, winning men, one by one, immense
results would accrue.
The benediction by DR.. Dalton closed the
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