The San Francisco call., 1897-07-10

peoples society has, indeed, been an engine
hitched to Ihe church. 1t has moved the
church up to better work Tor our Master, not
only in this land but in all lands.
II is our desire 10 see the average church
member lay aside all business cares and ayoca-
tions the night OF Il G midWetk prayer
meeting and to find a wCrsing-p!ace i'll that
meeting. The senior society is the new engine
TO furnish this power.
The mountains back OF san Francisco Bay
temper and change the course OF the WIND.
The senior. society will be q great factor to
transform church mem GERS into midweek
prayer-meeti ting. mouutaih-top Chr stians.
Each member OF the senior society feels re-
spousible Tor the meeting Each is prepared
with a definite topic of the study, and, like q
prepRred or molstene sponge that will
quickly absorb water, will be i'll condition 10
q bsorb ell the good things OF the prayer-meet-
ing. The senior society VIII help us TO stand
four square TO every wind that blows. Instead
OF being turned away from Christ by Sab bath
desecratlon, beer saloons and intidelity, we
viii turn these evils and drive them-foreign
monsters that they are-out OF this free Ameri-
Can land.
Rev. JACOB w. Kapp, ID, of Rich
mona. Ind, spoke of Christian Endeavor
and Sunday Evening Serv &C." His ad-
dress in substance was as follows:
1t may truly be said in many churches with
reference 10 the evening service, ITO be or not
10 be. that is the question" Many pastors
have seriously studied this subject with tears
AMI prayers. | believe that If the young
people Wlll heIp the pastors TO answer their
prayers 1t may be said, GAS prince, thou
hast power with God and hast prevailed" In
very desperation some pastors have said,
The young peoples meeting is TO blame for
the lack of attendance at the evening service !;
they attend their own meeting, but neglect
the second service" If that can be Il uly said
OF any Christian Endeavor society it is the
endeaVor left out on Sabbath evening.
Whatever the cause may be-and it is not
my business TO discuss that matter io-day-it
is undoubtedly true that there are great
many people in all our commun ties and cites
who have 10 idea OF what is said or done in a
church which is within easy reacn of their
homes. They hear the invitation of the
church bell Sabbath after Sabbath but give
no heed TO it. And there comes to be more or
less OF a division between certain class of
people in every community and the church.
This is condition that every one OF US
laments, and condition sgainst which we
must fight, and seek TO bring the churcn con-
stantly in contact with the people, that there
may not be a division or a separation
We need 10 enter more and more into per
sonal work and come in contact with
men. We must 60 after them. This dif-
hculty is not so much with the work
inside OF the four walls OF the church as it is
very we'll so far as the inside of the work is
concerned, but we do not do 20 well when we
leave our church doors TO go about our ordi-
nary business.
A lady said to me short time ago in talk
ing upon this subject, "Well, 1t is very much
easier TO give money for the foreign mission
ary cause than TO go out ana invite people
TO come to the service" Certainly it is we
can do that very nuch cas- Ter than to go TO the
houses OF your own neigh borhood and urge
them TO come TO the service that they may
hea: the gospel. In fact. 1t is very often that
CHRISTIANS know very much a. bout the condi-
ton OF the heather in Africa or in japan or
here and there, but they do not know any
thing about the condition of their own uncon-
yerted ne1gh hbor. They know about the sue
cess OF this and that mission in the foreign
lands-how many have been converted, what
success has been made and the various lines
OF work that are being carried on, but cannot
tell how many people were at the evening ser
vice, because they were OF there themselves
and did not take he trouble 10 i quire
There is nothing that has the power of per-
sonal iouch. The people of old, as they went
out OF Jerusalem, preached the word from
house to honse, individual 10 individual and
II we do the same we shall be able to solve the
question of attendance upon the evening serv-
ice, and the evening service will be a mighty
power and means TO lead many to Jesus Chris t
and the glory OF God will be accom- plishe d
and the kingdom OF Christ carried forward.
tApplause.l
Rev. E.W. Thompson Of Paterson, N. j.,
addressed the meeting on the subject of
christian Endeavor and the Midweek
Prayer-Meeting. He said:
Christian Endeavori is no longer an experi.
ment. Its existence has been justified Man
realizes this fact and believes in it. God
oesses 1t. Christian Endeavor has divine
own principles. 1t is not the church. but q
torce within the church, and the most ambi-
t.ous OF US has no desire that 1t shall be any
thing else; for Christ and the church is its
motto
am reminded that must be short even
though am more than six feet long "Domt-
NE, said long suffering elder one day, II
Wish you would preach shorter sermons.
"shorter sermons" was the reply 'fWhy, 1
am commanded to give the people the sincere
milk oil the word" That's all right" said the
elder, "but these are the days OF condensed
milk"
have IN my own church In Paterson, N. j..
ChristiHn kndeavor Society which has done
for Ee everything have asked OF you today
Any place can do anything that Paterson can
60 We have furnished the Vice President of
the united states and the Governor OF New
Jersey, and you can any OF you do that
told my society few weeks ago many of tho
thingS have told you to-day. The result has
been shat they are proving great help to me
and the whole congregation IN the midweek
prayer-meeting.
Two "open parliament" for the di Gus.
sion OF the addresses of the day were an.
nounced on the programme, but owi1ig tc
the a ahsence OF w. G. Perkins OF Baltimore,
who is on one of the delayed trains, the
two were merged into one. This was con.
Quoted by Rev. A. B. Phllputi, d. D., o
Philadelphia. After he had made q briel
speech on the three addresses that hac
been delivered. he called for suggestions
from those among the audience. Among
the gentlemen who responded were the
following: John T. Stanley of New York
Attention Christian Endeavorers-YeI-
Nrf..s