The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-13
CHRISTIAN EnDEmoR CONVENTION
Some of the Addresses at Yesterdays ses-
sion at Washingto

attractions to the 40. coo Christian En-
deavor delegates in attendance here upon
The 10th international co INVENTION.
They were mostly UNCONVENTIONAL
rallies and they drew crowds according
to the numerical strength Of each partiou-
lar denomination. The Bsptists, Presb y
terians and Congregationalists occupied
three tents on the white lot. Speeches
were made at these rallies by prominent
members of several denominations.
Following these rallies Evangelist B.
Fay Mills OF Fort Edward. N. Y, adj
dressed large audience of citizens in
tent Washington. He created mild
sensation IN the middle of his sermon by
his pointed reference to Mckinley.
Speaking Of the principles of socialism
as SET forth in the sermon on the mount,
his showed the need at the present time
Of Christian leaders in American politics.
the President down to constable should
be guided" said Mr.. Mills, "by the
spirit of the lamb that was slain. They
DO pretend to be or they would not get
cur votes. If they came forward honest
~ and made their real motive for run
| ming for Office we would not support
them. Suppose MCKINLEY should step
| NJ DO1OkO yOu GA0 ECA1OW OtU4GSAb
wish to be your President SO can pay
| my debts, (sensation). Or suppose Bryan
should say wish to be President fer my
own good. Why we would not choose
either OF them 60 take care of our stray
dogs. What they would say Is, Fellow
citizens l am ready to be sacrificed upon
the CROSS OF public duty. I'm ready to be
calls me-" That Is Christian. That is
the spirit Of the Lamb that was slain. 1t
| is pity it is not always said in sinoeri-
| ty." A Sab bath observance meeting was
bel d in Central hall.
At the Central Hall meeting
of tho Christian Endeavor con-
vention yesterday, Rev. J. B. B..
Dawson spoke on 1.-THE Sabbath. God Is
and Christless Wage-earners.
| He said: Everybody knows that a
broad ohasm separates large portion
Of the wage-earners from Christianity.
1t may not be deeper than in former
years, but 1T is there. I ask you to COIL
slider two propositions in reference to
this chasm.
1.-The Sabbath has been made one &C.
casion of this terrible chasm.
| 2-The Sabbath is a bridge over this
| chasq by which these wage-earners may
| be led to find and know Christ.
| The Sabbath is the most prominent
outward representative of Christianity.
Satan has SO bewildered his servants
eyes that the Sabbath has seemed to
them hobgoblin full of gloom and
evil forebodings. Looking through this
distorted vision of the Sabbath at THE
church, the Christian ligion, and even
itself, they have all seemed to many
somber and forbidding.
| But we Christians have often helped
| to widen this chasm. owe have too often
merely said: Don't do this or that on
the Sabbath, because it is wicked" with
out showing them how to fill the day
| with all that brings the fullest, richest
| JOY.
Some of us have often looked Or talked
gas though the Sabbath were dull
| loomy burden.
Again some Christians have gone to
| church while their employees in the fac
tory OF kitchen were. bound to inoessant,
! needless toll; and SO were taught to hate
| the Sabbath and the church.
| In these and other ways has this ms
mortal OF the resurrection been perverted
| into means Of opening and widening the
| terrible ohasm between the sons of toll
and their loving heavenly Father. One
Of Gods chief blessings is thus turned
| 1utO o Cc1uS6s
| 1t must be restored to its original beau
| ty and glory. Then will it be bridgs
| over the foul ohasm of unbelief upon
which thousands of wage earners shall be
called up from the dark morass of dis
| content into the sunlight.
| The consciousness of the need Of rest,
and the yearning for something higher,
nobler, gre clearing away the mists by
which Satan has hid Gods true Sab
bath from these toilers. And 10! they
see in it one of their best friends. In
their own bodies, nerves, brainss homes;
| yea, their whole social and moral nature,
| they are reading this unohanging law
Rest thou one day in seven, or suffer
| suffer in shattered health, nerve and
brain, shortened life, Swallowed home,
| aud weakened mortal power. They see
that On this law, as positive and ire
vocsble as the law of gravitation. as It's
solid foundations, rests the lower end
| Of this bridge of divi1ely appointed Sun
day rest. On this bridge that leads up
over this ohasln toward The church Of
the living God; yea, toward God him
self, thousands OF the Wage-earners are
| seek ing to plant their feet.
| The wage-ea rners are crowding the
| lower end of this bridge. But we must
not let them stop there. They need God g
| soul rest still more than rest of body. So,
then, the bridge must reach clear across
| the chasm, and have solid abutment
On this side.
That abutmenb must be Gods law of
| holy rest shining through the lives of
His people, making them radiant with
| joy in God and love to their fellow men.
1t is our business, fellow Endeavorers,
| to furnish this abusment and to lead
these masses clear over the bridge into
the liberty Of sons and daughter OF tho
| Almighty.
Rev. Alexander Alison, D. D., Of New
YORK city, spoke Sunday afternoon on
| Sabbath Observan CO.
The Sabbath day, day of rest, cease
day, or day of cessation from earthly
| toll, is very old institution. It is older
than cur country, older than Christiani-
| ty, older than Judaism. The fact u.s.,
that the Sabbath is older than human
sin. 1t was given to man prior to the
| fall.
The sabbath day is day to he
revered. - 1t is one day that it dignified
as the crown Of creation. Ii preCedes
mans toll as it sucaeeds tie work of
God. Again, it is not only the crown
Of creation, but is the crown OF recrea-
| tion.
1t is only by indifference of Christian
people, a sentiment below par on the