The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-10

CHRISTIANS, 2, 941 Young Peoples soole6les
and ]. 0S7 Junior societies; the Batpists.
Junior societies; Methodists Pedestrians,
$40 Young Peoples societies and SoS
Junior societies; Lutherans S54 Young
! feople's societies and 268 Juninor sool-
cities; Cum berland Presbyterians, 500
Young Peoples societies and 2o9 Junior
societies, and SO on through long list
In the Dominion of Canada the Metho-
dists of Canada lead. with 1.041 Young
Peoples societies and Is Junior societies
most of them known as EpWorth
Leagues of Christian Endeavor: Cana
dian Presbyterians are next, with l,026
Young Peoples societies and lB4 Junior
societies; Bapttsts next, with l73 Young
Peoples societies and 81 Junior socie-
ties; Congregationalists next with 108
Young Peoples societies and 40 Junior
societies, etc.
In the United Kingdom the Baptists
lead, with over 900; Congregationalisos
next, with nearly as many; then the
byterians, Episcopalians, Moravians and
Friends, in order named.
In Australia the Wesleyan Methodists
lead and Congregationalists. Baptists,
Pre- sbyterians follow.
| Let me refer, in closing, to
800: - A PROP HECY
made just ten years ago by DR.. j. E.
Twitohell. of New Haven, Conn.,:
II am no prophet. nor the son of a
prophet, but I venture that the fifty
thousand now composing the Christian
| Endeavor Society in five years will be-
come five hundred thousand and would
not be at all surprised if in ten years it
should roll up round million. 1t is
Christian, on the right basis, and
breathes the true, prophetic life. g cd
| has place for it, and work for it and
q help for 1t | am sure. How patriar-
ohal our brother, DR.. Clark, the found
| er, will feel ton years hence, il he shall
become the foster father of q million p'
Well, DR.. Twitohell, the ten years have
passed. and she round million has
been rolled up, and more, for there Is
today in the 46, 1876 societies throughout
| the world total membership of q $50,
600. And the best of it all is that from
our Juniors q, 500, and from our Young
Peoples societies 210, 400 have this year
| joined the churches of America. Praise
| Christian Endeavor taken their place in
the church of the living God. What
A BLESSED HARVEST
for one yeari
| DR.. Charles b. Deems, that sainted
friend Of our cause, said at the Saratoga
that" things that grow have more In
trinsic value than things that are made.
Growth Is natural, manufacture is arti-
foial. What Is manufactureds is every
moment going to decay. Whatever
grows has in itself the seed of its own
propagation. The first acorn God made
Is growing now, nightly multiplied
and spread through millions of its de-
| scsndant oaks"
Christian Endeavor at that time was
but six years old, and DR.. Deems thus
early proved by natural reasons that
Christian Endeavor termination would
continue year after year.
1t is because there has been a deepen,
ing of the spiritual life that this mus
tard seed has waxed great tree. More
and more are It's fertilizing evangeiistic
influences giving birth to new converts.
new workers, new soul savers, under
Gods guidance
Yes, the Christian Endeayor tree grows.
It's tap root, the active members pledge
which reaches down into the soil made
irich by Gods word is sending up, grow
ing nearer and nearer to the heavens
above. its mighty. sturdy trunk, "For
Christ and the church. !" And coming
from ell denominations, all tribes, and
oil nations, for the fifteenth time we
gather under it's spreading branches,
crowned with q blessed fruitage, and
with united heart and vnice praise God
"that it is trse planted by the rivers of
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season."
| Today occurred the presentation of
prize banners for the greatest growth in
state societies. For the greatest proper
tionate increase in number of societies
the past twelve months, the banner
passed from Assinboia to Scotland. For
the greatest absolute increase. the Eng
4 lish socie ties surrendered the banner to
Pennsylvania. The junior banner for the
greatest absolute increase in JUNIOR
societies goes from Assiniboia TO Mexico.
The afternoon was given up to denomi-
national rallies representing twenty eight