The Portland daily press., 1894-07-12
CHRISTIAN ENDEAyORERs.
Fourteen Churches Hold Great Meet
ings at Cleveland.

Rev. j. II. Cowan Chides the Newspapers
The Growing Enthusiasm for Mission
airy Work Among the Young People
Large and Successful Meeting.
Cleveland, Ohio, July 1.-THE thir-
tenth International Christian Endeavor
ution opened in this city this even
ing with gatherings in fourteen church
es and the Y. NJ. CA. auditorium,
making in all Is congregations. Each
meeting opened with praise service at
7.5o O'Clock, followed by addresses
from distinguished divines. AT the Mile
Park Presbyterian church the pastor,
Rev. A C. Ludlow, presided. The first
address was on Principles, Enthusiasm,
Methods" by Rev. j. F. Cowan, of Pitts
burg, Pa. He said If we would do
efficient service for Jesus Christ, we
should be sure that we stand for some
principle precious to God; that we are
following convictions as to His truth
and not mere impulses of the moment
or personal whims.
Your Christian Endeavorer with
crotchet or a hobby or personal vanity
for petty leadership, i'll the place of deep
rooted religious convictions, may speak
as glibly or appear as well in the prayer
meeting or convention as your man of
prin ciple, but he cannot be depended
upon to jump when his services are need
ed. But touch the fellow whose sense
of religious duty bulges out like warts
and, whether it is hard work on small
com mittee, as it's least member, or Sun
day observance, or proportionate giving,
or whatever it is, he will jump every
time and all the time. That is the differ
ence between Christian Endeavor from
deavor as a fad.
Last summer | was in attendance upon
the worlds Sunday school Congress in
st. Louis. There were 5000 delegates
filling one of the largest auditoriums in
the city. For the first few days the St.
Louis dailies gave generous space to the
proceedings of the Congress. A bout that
time three masked robbers held up a
passenger train over in Kansas and Sc
cured quite sum of money. The next
much space to the three train robbers as
they did to the 5000 Sunday school
workers, representing 100000 of the
best people of the earth. Was that be-
cause it was assumed that the reading
public cared more for the doings of these
criminals than for the operations of this
vast army of Christian workers. No.
But it was because thsre had been a dash
and daring and an abandon about the
methods of the robbers, which for the
time being commanded attention, and
sunk out of sight their odious principles.
No one can claim that it was mere
morbid craving on the part OF the pub
lie for the details of the crime. Suppose
the train robbers had stolen the same
amount of money, a penny at a time,
by robbing little children on the street,
or pilfering for years from the till of a
peanut stand. The crime would have
been just as great, but the sensation in
fnitely less. But because, for vicious
principles, they risked their whole re-
stop and admire the audacity of the ven
ture. And, just as bad principles are
CLOSED over by the sacrifices their hold
ers are ready to make for hem, SO noble
principles are belittled by the inactivity
or supineness of those who profess them.
Action is the worlds rule of Judgment.
May we not surmise, without being
| have been the effect upon the public
mind. had those 5000 delegates to the
| Worlds Fair Sunday school congress
| pledged $50 apiece to fund ola quarter
| of a million OF dollars to establish Sun
| day schools where wretched children
were being bred in neglect and crime: or
had each sailed forth into the highw avs
and hedges of st. Louis and, like Andrew
and Philip, brought one out of the lost
and degraded of that city to Christ
| Do you not suppose that the magnificent
proportions of such an attempt as this
| would have compelled the newspapers to
a recognition of the incompatible i'm
portance of Christianity, and have paled
| even the most audacious robbery into
insignifcence by it's overshadowing dar-
| ing and faith?
I just tell you, should the occasion
arise and l pray God it never may
believe that America could wipe up the
earth with this citizen soldiery of hers.
And I believe that Jesus Christ is going
to conquer the world through this citi
| zen Soldiery of his which is now being
trained in all our Endeavor camps in
methods of work. They have the princi-
| pies of His kingdom in their hearts.
| They have the ardor and enth usiasm Of
daring soldiers kindling their eyes. We
! are fast arming them with methods
The bug!e has already sounded. They
| nave SbOOQ UdpUlSu OIL lire.
They withstood shot and shell, i1be and
sneer on the Sunday opening question.
They are rallying again and again lie
behalf of temperance, social purity and
| good citizenship.
| Mr.. Cowan was followed by Rev. Mr..
Rhodes, DID,, of ST. Louis, who spoke
on Sources of Power"
| At the Pilgrim Congregational church
Rev. Charles S. Mills, the pastor, presid.
| ed. Rev. Canon j. B. Richardson, OF
London, Ontario, delivered an address on
Woman's Missionary Endeavor. Rev.
Daniel J. Rurrell, DID. of New York,
| spoke on Alison and Medean
| AT the Franklin Circle church ofChrist
Rev.S L. Darse presiding, the addresses
were: "Things that have stirred me,
by Rev. James L. Hill, DID, of Salem,
| Mass, and story written for the oc-
casion "A Christian Endeavor Revenge, .
by Mrs. |. NJ. Alden (Pansy), of Washing
ton, DC.
| AT the First Congregational church
| Rev. John W.Malcolm, the pastor. presid-
| ed, ard the talks We're on christian
| Endeavor Among the Life Savers" by
| Rev. j. Lester Wells. Jersey City, Nj.
"Christian Endeavor Enthusiasm" by
| Rev. William Patterson, of Toronto. Ont.
and "Christian Endeavor as a Promoter
1