Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-17
CHRISTIAN FNDEAV0R[RS.
A Rally and Chrysanthsmum Offering
Last Night
At the First Christian Church.
Edward Bower, Of Cleveland, De-
livered an Address, Giving the
Four Leading characteristics OF
Christian Endeavor Work-The
Offering of Flowers.


The local union of Christian En-
deavor had rally and chrysanthemum
offering at the First Christian church
last night. Representatives from five
of the Christian Endeavor societies OF
the city were present.
The meeting was opened by an organ
voluntary, after which the audience
sang one of the Christian Endeavor
songs. w. H. Hayden then offered
prayer After another song was sung
the Rev. w. H. Hayden, pastor OF the
First Christian church, introduced Mr..
Edward Bower, of Cleveland, Ohio.
He spoke in part as follows:
Fellow Christian Endeavorers:
is to me a<supreme pleasure to speak
to you tonight l believe the truest
elouuence in the world is fact, and to-
night l will endeavor to give you only
facts.
81 desire to bring to your mind four
of the leading characteristics OF Chris
tian Endeavor work.
GAS a first thought I bring the chief
point, the one by which we have been
characterized more than any others.
1t is the grandest feature of Christian
Endeavor movement Christian En-
deavorers have always been noted for
their enthusiasm. In our great inter-
national convention, in our State con-
vention, district convention, or in our
local union meetings, the chief char
acteristic has been the enthusiasm OF
the Christian Efdeavorers in their
work.
Enthusiasm is natural. Do not
condemn it, but encourage it. God in
tended enthusiasm and outlined the
work of enthusiasm. Some have said
that our enthusiasm was fanatical,
others urge that it is spasmodic, like
Sunday religion that you can put on
or off when you please. l may say it
is determined enthusiasm, an enthu-
siasm of tenacity. The best thing
about our enthusiasm is that it engen-
ders momentum. When a body is set
in motion it will move forever unless
it is acted upon by a greater force
than that which is acting upon 1t, and
overcomes the momentum. Our en-
thusiasm is mighty momentum in
our work, for the kingdom of our God
through Jesus, the Christ, His Son.
Enthusiasm is a great thing only, as
it finds means Of escapment or achieve
ments.
every young man or woman is en-
thusiastic, and they are energetic.
They will do something, and if the
church does not give them a chance
to expend their energy, the devil will.
and it will be expended in criminal
and wasteful manner, which will lead
to the downfall of many.
"When the church recognizes that
the Christian Endeavor movement is
the place for the escapment of their
energy, then will they keep the young
people. Until then you must lose
them.
81 want to give you four lines of
work which l believe is backed by the
church in general. Our first line OF
work is on Bible study, in which we
can use our valuable time in the study
of Gods word to show us how to act
and live in our daily lives.
Il believe that more prominence has
been given in the last few years to
Bible study than ever before. The
Bible has become tree to the Chris
tian Endeavor forces, and they go to it
to find what to do and how to live.
Every church is now urging analytical
and systematic study of the Bible. I'm
der the old system of Bible study,
which was miscellaneous verse read
ing, the young could not see anything.
This is being superseded by a syste-
matte study of the Word, which means
a greater knowledge of God.
The next thought requires all the
enthusiasm, momentum and tenacity
is the Christian citizenship movement.
The churches are awakening to the
important part of our work, and soon
everybody will know of it. The good
citizenship movement is to beat COM
bined forces of the devil, working as
unit. Our business at this is to lift
up the blood stained, down-trodden
banner of Jesus Christ, and if neces-
sary, we must beat the devil to do it.
Whenever the church awakens to the
responsibility which the Christian En-
deavorer has, it will down the saloon
and crush it out of existence.
1T is in our power to put out of
politics all that is dirty and filthy,