The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-25
CUMBERLAND CONFERENCE.
Proceedings of the 155th Meeting at the
State Street Church.

The 155th meeting of the Cumber-
land Conference of Congregational chur-
ches was held in the State street church
in this city yesterday, and opened with
a devotional service at 8. IS a. M, led by
Rev Dr. Merrill. The business meeting
ham, as moderator. There was only one
action of especial importance. At the
suggestion of Rev. E. M. Cousins, State
Missionary, the nominating committee
was authorized to appoint a committee
of three, who should take into consider
alton and report at the annual meeting
the appointing of committee of six to
be called The conference committee"
and the duties of which should be to
have general supervision of the inter-
ests of the Conference, these duties to
be especially defined by the committee OF
three. The church was fairly we'll filled
by the time the business session was
over, and the literary exercises had begun.
The topic for general disoussi on was
Permanent Enthusiasm in Christian
Service" and was opened by Rev. DR..
Fem of the High street church. After
defining and describing enthusiasm,
with his usual eloquence, he said that
the nature of permanent enthusiasm is
the consciousness Of direct agency of
God in connection with ourselves, in
spring us to duty and browning us with
rewards. What are the sources of it? 1t
must be true that one source is in the
man himself. in the way he fronts truth
and the way in which he responds to its
demands upon him. Whenla man has the
right state of emotion in reference to
God and truth, he vindicates his position
as being elected to inspire others. Some
people run before they have tidings to
carry. Their work is mostly leg work.
The true man shows that the necessities
that move his heart are the necessities
of truth. If he has the elements to be
reused to the highest kind of pitch, he
shows what it means to be invested with
permanent enthusiasm. 1t is wonder
full thing that practice enables man to
put brains into his hands and feet and
free himself to think of higher things.
The great purpose of life is to loose the
higher energies by having the lower cap
able to be left to themselves.
The great power of permanent enthus-
iasm is to lift man above these lower
necessities, as Beecher was above the de-
mands of mere woods and left free to play
with his thought upon the great organ
of his audience.
Rev. E. M. Cousins said that he was
going to introduce little heresy to
make the discussion more animated. He
told of a bright young pastor in this
state, who declared to him that he de-
sired to have revival in himself and
parish. since that glow of feeling had
not come to him since he was young
lad. He then told of another young
pastor, whose enthusiasm was at the
highest pitch and who had just passed
through that revival of feeling that
does come once and marks the brightest
period in Christian service. II believe
there is no substitute for the time when
God opens the windows of heaven
Rev. A. Fl. Wright declared that there
must be an underlying foundation of re-
sponsibility, sense of personal obliga-
ton, or there is no permanent enthusi-
asm. He asked If the secret of perma-
nent enthusiasm is not to get the soul
'soundly converted in the heat and glow
of great revival feeling. Then there is
enthusiasm from first to last Tor Chris
tian work. hear in these days that the
mission of the church is not so much to
save souls, but to save society. l be-
lieve that the soul must first be conse-
Grated, and then we shall save society,""
Rev. Or. jenkins said that perma-
nent enthusiasm must be inspired by
great object or purpose. I can conceive
that man might be enthusiastic about
polishing needle points, I've read they
are. But great enthusiasm requires
great object. There is a great word in
the New Testament, perhaps as great
word as there is in the language, and
that word is "kingdom' ''Thy king
dom come" I feel great obligation to
DR.. Fem for suggesting the necessity of
lifting ourselves up into higher realms of
effort We must have great concep-
ton. We must say to ourselves "King-
dom, kingdom, Kingdom" There is
something more beautiful even than
loves young dream; than young cou-
pie newly married, and that is couple
that have been happily married for 25
years. That young love has become AN
enduring, permeating habit That is the
kim of Christian enthusiasm we want,
not one that is manifest at times. Peo-
pie say There was great enthusiasm"
We want an enthusiasm that has become
habitual, not that flares out at times.
We want always to be Sin the spirit
After the collation. at noon, the conven-
ton re-assembled to listen to Rev. E. NJ
Cousins in regard to the work and needs
of the Maine Missionary Society. He
said that this society has been over
looked. Last year it received $4,000,
while ten years ago it received in one
year $4,000. The needs that fall upon
it at this time are caused by large de-
felt. The supply of legacies has fallen
off from $4,000 to $4,000; a larger proper
ton of the gifts of Maine churches ought
TO 90 into this society's treasury hecaIlsc