The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-04
ENDEAVORS.
Father Clark Speaks to
Them at Manchester.

Endeayor Union opened a three days
session in this city. Many delegates
were In town last evening and today
every train brought delegates from
every quarter of the state, The exer-
cises opened at $3.50 o'clock, with a
prayer by Rev. N. L. Colby, pastor of
the Merrimao Street Baptist Church.
A devotional service followed con-
Quoted by Rev. w. H. Getchell, presi-
dent of the state union. After the de-
votions the remainder of the afternoon
was devoted to the registration of dele
gates
At the evening session Rev. DIR.
Francis E. Clark president Of the
United Society of Christian Endeavor,
spoke on "Our Christian TndeaYor
birthplace" He said in part
One of the most interesting features
of Jewish family and social life was the
birthright that belonged to the elder
brother 1t affected the national life
of the Jews in innumerable ways, and
was a thought that was present with
them from the cradle to the grave. II
you will turn to your Bible you Will
find in the 21st chapter of Deuteronomy
that the essential feature Of the birth
right was that it was q double portion.
The first born son received twice as
much as any other son. Moreover, 1t
was his by right of birth. He might
be @ cripple or a Weakling, he might
be a spendthrift or a miser, but the
birthright was his simply because he
was the first born.
Moreover, we learn that it was a
dreadful thing to sell ones birthright.
In the 18th chapter Of Hebrews Esau
is spoken of as that profane person
of
birthright.
But Esau was not the only person
who has a birthright to sell or save.
Every Christian Endeavorer, by virtue
of the fact that he is Christian En-
deavorer, has a peculiar birthright of
his own for which he Is responsible.
This birthright, like that of old, is
a double portion.
First: In the first place, our birth
right is double portion of service. II
YOU call to mind the history OF the be-
ginning of Christian Endeavor, you will
remember that its one purpose was to
serve and that the first society was
not organized simply to do what young
people had always done for the church
before, which often had been little or
nothing, but its object was to obtain
from them far more of service than
ever, faithfulness to the prayer meet
ing.
The society would never have been
organized to do old things in the old
way, but was inspired by the crying,
dying need of the church for larger
service from its young people, ana the
crying, dying need OF the young peopte
to perform larger service Tor the
church, that their Christian characters
might be developed.
Second. But again double portion
Of LOYALTY is the Christian Endeavor-
ers birthright. Once more let us look
at the subject historically. The first
society was established to promote the
loyalty and the allegiance of the young
people to their own church, to make
them more faithful in the service of
the Williston church Of Portland, Me-,
to which they belonged. 1t was pas
tors device to help him in his church
work and to upbuild his own church,
and every society that has been formed
since that day has had the very same
underlying purpose. Most of them, I
am glad to say, have grandly realized
the character of their birthright and
have fulfilled their mission. From all
parts of the world come cheering news
of the loyalty Of the Endeavorers to
their own churches. Statistics OBJ
tanned from very wide sources and
with great care on more than one oc-
casion have proved that nearly twice
as many active Endeavorers attend
the prayer meeting and the Sunday
evening service of their own churches
as of all the members of the church
to which they belong, and every sym
pathetic pastor who has affectionate-
~ labored with his young people has
borne testimony to their loyalty to the
church and its mission.
But birthright Of loyalty can also
co-eXtst with the birthright Of fellow
ship. We may have a double portion
or one as well as the other, and one
Will not drive out or exclude the other.
In these better times the Christian
world is coming to see that in order
10 De loyal to ones own church one
does not need to hedge himself about
Win growth of prickly cactus, or
surround himself with a high fence
with parbs on all the wires, but that
Fellowship and fidelity can go hand in
hand, and that fraternity may be mar
ried to loyalty
But one other element in our birth
right can l mention, but that is the
most important of ALL True Christian.
EndeaVor means double portion of
STou spirit. Without this brthright
II IS indeed a failure. We have real
1zea something Of this perhaps, but how
hucn more remains to be realized how
much more we might have If we would
Not simply may we have the double
portlon OF the average Christian. not a
little more than most of the church
members whom we know, but we NAV
nave all Of God if we will.
Ihlnk Tor moment of the sin of
losing the birthrightl Esau sold his
you know, for little soup, for the red
red pottage, which gratified the hun
CRY hunters appetite. We sell ours for
even less and with smaller provoca
ton, when, to crafty a within or to
nurse little indisposition, or for some
. tllIilng sel1-lndulgence, we forget our
pieage or neglect to perform the service
Whlch our Endeavor vows have put up
on US
Think for moment of the honor of
the blrthrighti No Jew willingly gave
u up, or If he did, he was held up like
Esau for the execration OF future gen
erations. His birthright like ours, en-
enJoined obligations, duties, service but
II was a shameful thing If he grew
tired OF it and renounced it, 1t was a
most honorable and gracious thing to
keep his birthright untarnished.
Our birthright is our chief honor. God
has shown us his favor by giving us his
service to perform, in giving us a larg-
er portion than in former days fell to
Inc young people, in calling upon us for
renewed activity and conservation and
every day we do our duty faithfully
1ulfll our vows, and serve the church
through our society we are honoring
God, and receiving q double portion
OF honor as we'll as Of service for our
selves.
How shall we keep our birthright?
There is but one way. AS Elisha OBJ
tanned and received his birtbright, by
looking upon Elijah as he was trans
lated into the heavens, SO may we bv
looking into Jesus. "Ler a double nor
ton of thy spirit fall upon me-" he said
to his master, Elijah. That was the
birthright he desired, double portion
of Eli1ah's grand, heroic, stalwart
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