St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-09-13
FREE BAPTISTS' YEARLY MEET
ING.
Well Attended and Very

Well Attended and Very Successful.
The SOth session of the Vermont
Free Baptist yearly meeting convened
with the local church here, Rev. F. E.
Dawson pastor, last Thursday after
noon continuing through to and clos
| ing Sunday evening. The sessions
were well attended throughout and the
various papers, addresses and sermons
were both interesting and profitable.
The meeting organized by choice of
Rev. A. P. Tracy of Sutton as mOdera-
tor; Rev. f. E. Dawson of st. Johns
| bury assistant moderator I'll. A. Blake
of Sutton clerk Rev. E. p. Prescott of
So. Stratford treasurer. The afternoon
session was largely occupied with
routine business. A specially interest
ing feature of the meeting, however,
was the reading of carefully prepar-
ed history of the Vermont yearly meet
| ing from its first organization in 1908
down to IS47, by Rev. NJ. c. Hender-
son of this place. The records for
this period are lost and it was voted
that the paper be published in the
Morning Star, the Free Baptist's de-
nOminatiOnal paper. 1t was also voted
that the committee having this matter
in charge bring the history of the
meeting down to the present time, $50
to be granted the committee to aid it
in its work. In the evening the an
nual sermon was preached by Rev. A.
P. Tracy of Sutton from Nehemiah 6:3,
81 am doing a great work" His theme
was the great work of Christ now be-
ing carried on, the wonderful advance
ment that was being made, and the
assurance that all who are engaged in
| the work have of final triumphant sue
| cess.
Friday was anniversary day" and
the sessions were of special interest.
In the morning hours reports of dele
gates to various conferences were
heard, all reporting cordial receptions
and bringing many suggestions of
value. Rev. T. P. Frost of st. Johns
bury was welcomed as IA representa-
tive of the Methodist state conference
and addressed the convention very
happily. Rev. E. T. Sandford of St.
JOhnsbury was also welcomed as rep
resenting the Baptist churches of the
state, speaking briefly but earnestly.
Rev. Mr.. Bodwell of Lyndon represent
ed the COngregationalists of the state.
Friday afternoon Rev. E. Owen, dele
gate from the New Hampshire yearly
meeting, was the first speaker, follow
ed by Mr.. Singer of Bates college who
addressed the convention on the work
of that institution, who in turn was
followed by Rev. E. N. Fernald repre-
senting the printing establishment of
the denomination and the Star, the de-
nOminational paper. The committee
on home missions recommended the
weak and feeble churches of the state
as missionary during the coming
year and the recommendation was
adopted. Rev. II. Il. Barnard of Jeri-
|
in the state, giving some statistics and
urging to a more faithful attention to
this branch of the work. The evenin g
session was addressed by Rev. E. b.
Stiles of Lowell, missionary elect of
the young people to India, who spoke
with great earnestness and force of the
work in which he was about to engage
and the duty of the church toward
missions. He was followed by Rev.
Arthur Given of Rhode Island, secre-
tary of the missionary society, who
spoke of its work and purposes. An
interesting feature of the days servi-
ces was the singing of Miss May Colby
of Sutton and of Rev. Barnard of Jeri-
chO.
Saturdays sessions were occupied
with business matters and sermons. In
the forenoon Rev. ID. E. Land of Mas
sawippi, p. O., delivered a powerful
sermon, taking for his text the one
word "Wonderful.n In the afternoon
Rev. E. Owen of Meredith, N. H., was
the preacher, the central thought of
his very helpful sermon being that the
!, Lord will be with us if we are with
him. The evenings discourse was by
Rev. b. t. Blaisdell of N. Y, following
out the thought of the afternoons ser
mon and urging that God is for, and
with, and in his people. The exercises
of the day were interesting and well
attended, despite the fact that the
weather was bad, rain storm prevail
} ing all day.
f Sunday, the last day of the meeting
was crowded with religious services
in connection with the yearly meeting.
There were religious services at the
Free Baptist church forenoon, after
noon and evening. In the morning
there was sermon by Rev. Arthur
8 Given of Auburn, r. L. The afternoon
D was given up to the aged clergy, the
= services being conducted by the Rev's
f Villas and Shepherd. Rev. NJ. C.. Hen
b derson of st. Johnsbury read memOri
8 al papers on Revs. Jonathan Wood
q man and G. Hurd, who died during til,
g year, and there was a communion ser
d vice. In the evening Rev. HI. Il. Bar
r nard preached the closing,sermon O
:. the meeting after which an hour wa
a spent in prayer and offering of testi
monies. Rev. B. P. Parker preache
a at the Baptist church on Railroa