The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-26

board, read by DR.. Eaton. In sub
stance it was as follows:
HISTORICAL.
The first annual meeting of the Mas
sachusetts Baptist Missionary society,
under its present name was held in
1925. The statistics presented at that
meeting give the number of Baptist
churches in the commonwealth as 146
with membership of 1854. We have
now IL churches within city limits with
membership of 1864. The convention
met with the church again in 1928. also
in 1SS4-35 and 1858. The annual meet
Ing has also been twice held with the
Pleasant Street church in this city, once
with Main Street and opce with Lincoln
square church. So easily accessible to
all parts of the state, Worcester has
been found well located for securing a
large attendance, while the painstaking
courtesy and cordially of the citizens
have offered additional attractions.
Among our prominent members who
have died are Rev. DR.. j. C. Foster
and c, L. Frink-two life directors;
Rev. DR.. A. S. Gumbart, annual direct
or; Rev Il. r. Wilbur, Rev. H. G. SAT-
ford, Edward Mansfield Joshua Lin
coin, Rev. G. F. Holbrook, NJ w. Cum
mings and Matthew Bolles. who we're
Ire members OF the convention
Inc returns from the several associa-
lions show 251 churches connected with
10 associations, with membership of
H,O4l-439 members over last wear
Seven associations report a decrease in
membership during the year. The au-
tumnal gatherings of several associa-
tons were distinguished by unwonted
spirituality with the manifestation of
earnest desire for a revival. and MANY
signs point toward a year of blessing.
IT. ADAMS moved that a committee
pc appointed to take some action on
the recommendations in the renort If
the board and the chair appointed r.
J. Adams, R. B. Eaton, Mel Andrews.
=. L. Morgan and L. A. Pope.
Or Eaton suggested the change
OF the name from Massachusetts Ban
ust convention to Massachusetts Bap-
ust missionary society The matter
was referred to the above committee
Wltnout discussion, and referred to the
executive board by the committee. On
portunity was given DR.. Adams to ten
DER an invitation to visit the Worcester
Academy and to give notice that next
week Thursday, is the annual dona-
tlon for the Baptist home at Cam
bridgeport, which was given bv Dea-
con Chapman. Rev. J, K. Richardson
spoke for moment on the Backus His
torical Society which has for its OBJ
Ject the preservation of church records
and all things pertaining to the denom-
nation
The report of the committee on intro
duction was given by Rev. e. F. Mer-
Ram of Boston, showing 28 pastorless
Baptist churches in Boston and vicini-
ty. The speaker lamented the practice
of settling pastors by means of trial
sermons, and said that he thought some
remedy should be found for the bene-
mt both to the pastors and to the
churches
After the singing of a hymn, Rev.
James Grant was introduced and
preached the annual sermon taking his
text from Matthew vi:33
REV. JAMES GRANTS TALK
He said in part:
''It seems to the speaker that some
times there is need of stripping the
words of Jesus to the bone, and he
does not forget the love of the savior
while he speaks of his commands.
There is natural order of sequence
in the affairs of men. We always say,
business before pleasure. and he who
sacrifices business to his pleasure, de-
ranges the natural and ideal order of
lifes affairs. Christ believes that all
of life should be arranged on this as
cending scale. and unlike other teach
ers, he says the kingdom of God must
have first place. And he not only in
sists that the kingdom of God shall
have precedence over all other affairs,
but that it is worth more than all 9TH
err things. To gather into our own
lives the beatitudes of Christ, setting
the interests of our fellows on a level
with us, seeking to spread the virtue
of that spirit into all corners of the
earth This is the summum bonum of
the world.
THE CHIEF END OF MAN.
We find that Christ has applied the
supremacy of the kingdom of God to
earthly gains. to family ties and to
ones life itself.
In some cases Jesus holds that for
our souls sake all our earthly possess
ions must be sacrificed In all cases of
spiritual crises where worldly goods
cannot be held without being Worship
ped, there is but one course Jesus
teaches also that there may be a crisis
in Gods kingdom that demands a sac
rif1ce. 1t was not only in the early days
of church history. but men now
give up as much as they ever did. US
ually what Jesus asks is not the sac
rifiee Of earthly possessions, but their
subordination. You cannot serve God
and riches. The kingdom Of God first.
Jesus leaves us in no doubt as to the
way we are to subordinate riches The
way to keep from worshipping MAN.
mon is to make mammon worship God.
The way to preserve riches is to give
(Contin1lad IN pa ea ~