St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-03-21

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mittee on Jail work has had little to
do the morality of the town is re-
sponsible for it. The gymnasium
class was especially helpful to those
who were faithful in their attendance
and that branch of the work was
more successful than ever before
No report can convey the constant
and telling work that is being done
by the association The first thing
that takes our attention is the home
influence of our building. We en-
deavOr to make it an educator in
morals and that friendly sociability
which contributes so largely in MAX
ing bright many of the dark places in
life.
The members of the Women's auxil-
iary have made the building more at
tractive and homelike by replacing
the worn furnishings with new and
bright articles of furniture. We wish
to extend our thanks to this impor-
tant adjunct of association work
The next thing we aim to do is to
have the Christian influence felt and
to this end social services of song
have been held on Sunday evenings
which many young men have attend
ed, thus enabling us to give to them
personal invitations to attend the
regular religious services. Many in
stances of assistance given to young
men, of personal invitations to the
use of the building, to become ser
wants of the Master, cannot be men
| toned, but of hearts full of love to
Him whom we serve we have en-
deavored to do his will
All this has been done in His name
Yet how much more might be done if
Gods children were but willing to be
used. What rewards of service would
be ours if we would but test Gods
ability to use consecrated life. We
have seen God honor humble efforts
and may not the sheaves gathered
during the past year incite us to more
persistent Christian effort in the year
to come, as we realize that those who
reap in His vineyard gather the gold
en- grain that shall fill the store
house of our God.
After music by the quartette Rev.
T. P. Frost was introduced and gave
one of his characteristic bright and
pointed talks. He addressed his re-
marks to the respectable minority"
who were inclined to frown upon the
work of the association and made a
strong plea for this organization.
This institution ought to exist for
the entire community, he said, and
not for the young men alone. 1t
reaches many who are not young
men, as for instance the work of the
junior department. How is the asso-
citation helpful to the entire commu-
nifty? First, it is free intelligence
Office. If your business men havenot
made use of it to secure help is their
own fault. 1t is charitable organi-
zation. 1t relieves the sick, and sue
cors the needy. 1t presents annually
an unsurpassed course of lectures and
entertainments. Here the speaker
proved how no one could claim that
they did not get their moneys worth
out of the course, mot even the i'm
pecunious Academy student who buys
a couple of seats on the front row in
the gallery" tits a leveller of society
and it levels it religiously. 1t levels
up and not down. 1t furnishes a
place of Christian resort Mr. Frost
presented here strong contrast be-
tween the influences of the Associa-
ton rooms and of a billiard saloon
where small beer and sweet cider
were on sale. In closing he told the
respectable minority'' that if they
could appreciate the work of the as
sociation as business men so much
the more should they as Christians
Rev. Phillips Brooks, rector of
Trinity church, Boston, followed with
a strong presenta ton of the value of
such an anniversary as this and gave
some characteristics of the Christian
religion. DR.. Brooks began by con-
graduating the association that it
had reached its thirty-third anniver-
sary What is the value of such an
anniversary? 1t is time when the
purposes and spirit of the association
come out very clearly. 1t brings to
us the deepest thoughts and princi-
pies of the organization. 1t means |
that the young men are to be saved |
not from their youth, but by their
youth. This is the spirit of our
Christianity which is the best Chris
tianity the world has ever seen.
l want to give some of the charac
teristics of the Christian religion be
cause | want you to honor your CEN
tury, and to see how such an asso- |
citation as this is the true child of the |
century First, this is the religion of |
hope and not of fear. 1t is the relig-
ion of privilege. Another character
istic is its beautiful simplicity. The
ages of faith were the ages of compli-
cations; epochs laden with the SUI
perstitions of men. The creed that
has come down to us is so short that
a child can say it. Again the person
alness of Christianity commends itself
to us. This is embodied in the souls
loyalty to Christ. A fourth charac-
teristic is its intense identification
with life Once Christianity seemed
to be absolutely separated from hu-
man life We are now learning that
Christianity is simply the betterment
of human life Thelast characteristic
is the moral power with which it
clothes all its standards. The real
test of your Young Mems Christian