The Portland daily press., 1897-02-01
BIRTH OF CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
sixteenth Anniversary Celebrated at Will
liston Last Evening.

Exercises commemorative Of the sixteen
anniversary Of the birth of the Christian
Endeavor movement were held last eve
ming at the Williston Congregational
church, the home of the first society. The
meeting of last evening was under the
auspices Of the local union of the En-
deavor societies. Representatives of the
several organizations were present and
responded to the roll call. Greetings
were given to the Williston society and
the hope expressed that in the coming
decade it might accomplish much for the
youth of the world. The president of the
Williston society presided and E. Z. Gar
land offered prayer and read the scripture.
Rev. E. Il. Purdy president Of the
local union was introduced and spoke as
follows:
1.-THE Christian Endeavor society is to
lift up humanity and to give impetus
and force to the efforts of individuals.
God dill not call q Christian Endeavor
society, he called US as individuals to do
His work. Each one needs to be imbued
with power from on high to enable Us "a
n society to do the work which is laid
out for US.
"What we want then is personal faith
fulness to God Whatever our position in
tha society, whether as a me11 her of the
lookout committeeor the prayer meeting
committee we have an individual re.
81 /, AZ r. <Io 49, Il,
Personal work is needed along all the
lines of Christian Endeayor thought and
action. We need always to be ready to do
the bidding of our divine commander as
true soldiers of tho cross.
May the same spirit of God rest upon
the present society of Williston church
that rested upon it in the days when this
grand movement came into existence,
mud may your society continue as al in
f1uence in the community rs well as to
the world. What we want is to be ready
to obey all Commands to advance.
Rev. D. NJ. Pratt, the pastor of the
church then addressed the society as fol-
lows:
"God, in tie establishment If tie
Christian Endeavor movement has insti-
tuted a movement that is now dear to the
hearts of 2, 900, coo of precious souls in all
parts of the world. The first society
was formed in simple and natural way.
The fact was realized by Father Endeayor
Clark that what was needed was So
ciety to bring the young people together
and that society should recognize the
necessity of prayer for its individual
members to help them live lives of use
fulness.
1t was o very provjdential movement
God at that time put it into the hearts of
childhood and young manhood and
womanhood to do something definite for
the church. and by the formation of the
Endeayor societies we can sse that much
good has come to the church through the
instrumetality of the Endeavor society.
The present century has been one of
progress along the lines of invention of
education, OF missionary endeavor, and
the goth, century will be what the boys
AMI girls of this hour aim to make it.
"The eye of faith can look forward in
to the future and read their the greater
achievements and successes that are to
come in the century that is now dawning
upol as. When all shall have sought
first the kingdom OF God and his
Righteousness we shall then be able to
accomplish the work intended for us to
do. We are asked to pledge ourselves to
the consecrated work OF our Lord Jesus
| Christ. Christians should not be asking
how near can I live to the world but how
near can live TO the causs of Christ.
The beauty and richness of the Christian
life does not depend ON the time that we
spend here on this earth, but how close
in harmony we live to the cause of
Christ, and if we are true Endeavorers
we will go forth to make the work OF
| Christ and the church successful
The congregation then united in sing
| ing the familiar hymn "Blest Be the lie
That Binds" after which Rev. Mr..
Purdy pronounced tho henediction and
the observance of the sixteen anniversary
| exercises attending the formation of the
Williston society were at an end.
CORN AND CHEMICALS.