Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-27


ments must grow or they will die.
To the books, oh statesmen, how read
est thou? Did Persia, Babylon,
Greece, Rome or any of the great ma
tons die because they did not have
enough territory or men? Was it
not rather because they did not have
the right brand of men? To thy tents,
oh, Americans, for if l read the signs
of the times Alright there is need that
you study Gods hand in history.
This law holds good in men both
physically, mentally and spiritually.
If child ceases to grow its parents
are at once alarmed and know its life
is in danger. But you say to me that
man 40 years old does not have to
grow. Yet he does, his body is vast
ing, wearing away every day, and I'M
less he grows new flesh, bone, nerve,
muscle to replace the old, he dies. At
first he grows more than decays, then
period when it is even, then he
starts down the hill. The same law
holds good in mental growth. He
grows mentally until he is So, then
he holds his own for 20 years until
Sc and perhaps he may project his
mental strength farther, as in the
case of Gladstone, but the rule is that
at Sc he begins to waste more mental
strength than he develops and he
begins to die mentally.
In his spiritual life we find the same
rule applying. He that is not for me
is against me. He that is not devel-
oping spiritual strength finds the nat
ural waste lessening his ferver. He
is not as interested as he was, smaller
excuses satisfy his conscience. He
is harder to please. He becomes
critical, pessimist, and finally loses
dies. The rule that there is no such
thing as rest in nature proves the law
that am contending for. That which
does not grow dies. Where there is
life there is growth.
Now l wish to apply this law to
Christian Endeavor and find If it lives
and how much. In the movement at
arge there. is no question. 1t has
grown in numbers beyond the fondest
dreams OF its promoters. In territory
it has girdled the globe, until Chris
tian Endeayor banners wave in, every
sky. In membership it is cosmopoli-
tan. 1t has captured the cities and
relgns supreme in country hamlet. 1t
has surmounted race barriers until it
is really true, that we are all one in
Christian Endeavor There is no
white, black, red, brown or yellow,
but all under the Endeavor banner
love Christ and work righteousness.
The movement has grown along other
lines even more wonderfully. When
President Clark faced the multitudes
at Minneapolis in 1891, at the first
convention really great in numbers,
he gave as the Christian Endeavor
principles, fidelity, fellowship and con-
secration, a mighty trio, surely
worthy the ten years of marvellous
growth, but since that behold what
has been wrought, citizenship, syste-
matte ana proportionate giving. Sen
ior,s Intern Mediate and Mothers socie-
ties, Quiet Hour, Bible Study and ac-
tivities along dozen lines. This is
what demonstrates that Christian En-
deavor is immortal. 1t is movement
not an organization bound by con.
stitution and circumscribed by rules
ana laws that cramp it's growth and
power, but movement as elastic as
life itself, ready eto grasp any new
it into it's life and organism. And just
more and more Christ-like, and yet
after cycles Of time have passed still
have model far above you as Cain
had, SO a movement that takes truth
wherever found has a possibility IF
growth until the time when the angel
shall stand with one foot upon the
sea and the other on the land and
swear by Him that sits upon the throne
that time shall be no longer. Until
the movement meets it's destiny in the
city of God, then we may affirm
that as a movement Christian En-
deavor lives, not at any poor dying
rate, but lives to place Christ upon
the throne of every heart. Then in.
deed will the nations of this earth
become the kingdom of our Lord, and
of his Christ, and He shall reign for
ever and ever. But how is it in
Iowa? Does our beloved Union live?
Let us apply the rule at this coaven-
ton. Is Christian Endeayor in Iowa
growing? Is it increasing in num-
bers? Are the departments doing more
and better work. are we charging
|our borders by taking up new kinds of
work as suggested by the United So
ciety? Has Christian Endeavor a
deeper hold on the hearts of the
churches than it has had in the past?
Does it have larger place in the If
fections of the pastors of our
churches? Is it more united against
the evils that threaten our state than
in the past? Is it unit for righteous
ness and against wrong? Does broth
erly love abound to greater extent
than in the past? Have we more
power in the state than in the years
gone by? We must have if we live
and are to accomplish anything for
it takes more than ever before, the
state is greater. Evil is stronger,
more united and aggressive than at
any time in our history, and the or
ganization that is to meet it in sue
cessful combat must be strong, alert
and united or it will fail If we can
answer these questions in the affirm
alive, we can affirm that Christian
Endeavor lives in Iowa, lives and our
beloved union standing for the united
activity of Christian Endeavor we may
affirm that it, our union lives If not
then we are dead, and this conven-
ton should take steps to either bury