The Portland daily press., 1893-09-22


At their right hand who are found
The burden bearers of the church
We're these, our fathers gone;
They never left these men of God 'N
To bear the load alone.
The names of Blanchard, Sweetslf, Chase
And Merrill then--as now
Were found among these faithful men
Who at Gods altar bow,
And other names than these occur
Other church record old,
The value of whose noble lives
Has never yet been told.
God bless the little country church,
And every church like her
Which seeks to carry on His work
Not making great STIR,
But in a quiet earnest way
Repairing all her youth
To go forth to a larger life
As bulwarks for the truth.
IT'S from the ranks of such as taese
Our cities strength is fed,
The leaders of our great reforms
Are, largely, country-hred.
They drank from these pure country
streams,
They breahed the wholesome air
That's found in unpretending homes
Where's heard the voice OF prayer.
At the commissioners the poem the bene
diction was pronounced and the morn
ing session came to a close At noon
dinner was served by the ladies in the
neighboring hall. The principal ex-
ercises of the afternoon consisted of
three addresses.
A paper entitled "Those who stayed at
homer had been prepared by Rev. Add1-
son Blanchard, of Denver, Col, and was
read by. Rev. Lauriston Reynolds OF Var
mouth. Mr.. Blanchard took for the text
of the address the Scriptural verse;" AS
his part is that goeth down to the battle,
50 shall his part be that tarrieth by the
stuff; they shall share alike And it was
SO from that day forward, that he made
it a statute and an ordinance for Israel
unto this day." He said that for the
work to go on the local church must
be kept full of life. have been exceed
ingly interesed in reading again the
story of our church in its early struggles
and triumphs. as written by our well
remem hered and venerated pastor Weston.
/ remember the sermons of our pastor,
Mr.. Blake In his younger days he
thought to be missionary. Who shall
say nay that he has not been a mission
airy, even to the very ends of the earth
through his clear, earnest, sympathetic,
unmistakable expositions of the Bible
to his little flock in Cumberland? I
remember the prayers of that man of
God, an Israelite indeed, without guile,
Uncle Rufus Sweetsir. I remember how
the holy, consistent life of Benjamin
Sweetsir, was felt by us all remember
the always interesting prayer meeting
talks of Deacon Humphrey. | especially
remember from the time Twas ten years
of age much that / heard of the great re-
vival in 1880 and 1881, some twenty years
before. So powerful were the impress
ions of that great work that it was the
frequent talk of the prayer meetings
when / was young. By snatches | got
it all until it almost seemed that | was
there. I remember those who were
always at the prayer meetings Wednes-
day evenings. / remember those who
raised the song, Uncle Enos and Col.
True. And / have not been SO sure
that even our Gospel Hymns were
as good as the good old times
in Songs Of Zion. i remember the
quiet of the Sunday night services
when heaven seemed SO near and the end
of all things SO close at hand, as the
shadows deepened around us in the
old church. Many and many time
before became a Christian I heard the
voice Of the spirit in those evening hours.
I remem Der the prayers for such as go
down to the sea in ships" and for
" the youngn, and for the "opening of
China and Japan to the gospel. All these
and many other memories come back to
me with power, over tae years that have
passed and I thank God for the faithful
men that stayed by the stuff"-that
kept the fire burning SO steadily on the
old affairs of God.
OF "those who went away Rev. b B.
Merrill of Brewer, gave an interesting
address, mentioning happily:
DR.. Rufus Anderson, eldest son of the
first pastor, for thirty-four years secretary
of the American Board; Hon E. T. Wes-
ton, son of Pastor Isaac Weston, for many
years principal of Gorham Seminary,
and first state superintendent of public
schools; Joseph Blake of Bangor, sop of
Pastor Joseph Blake, d. D., now state
president Of the State Y. G. A. and of
the Bangor association.
Rev. Joseph Loring, Bowdoin '2S, An
dover '33, for forty years pastor in Maine
and Massachusetts and deceased in East
Otisheld two years ago.
Rev. Michah Strickland, Bangor
Seminary '34, for fifty years pastor in
home missionary churches in the Cen
trail States
Rev. Robert Wyman, Bowdoin '3s, Ban
cor Al, principal of the Boys Missionary
School at Balticotta, Ceylon 1915,
diving on the voyage home.
Rev. VIM. R. Prince and Newell A.
Prince, Bowdoin 40, Bangor "A, the for
mer died q year after entering the
ministry, but the latter was successful
pastor forty years in Massachusetts, and
Connecticut
Rev. Arson Blanchard of Denver, Col,
pastor in South Bridgton and Cumber-
land Mills, and first general missionary
in Maine Afterwards was superintend-
ont of Home Missions in Kansas and