The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-04


md draw them to the church. and In all
these efforts he was most heartily upheld
by the church.
| In the evening OF the second day of Feb
ruary. 1881. some forty girls and boys
with a few young ladies gathered to-
gether when the minister placed "A con-
stitution before them which contained a |
strenuous pledge, to form the wiiliston I
Young Peoples Society OF Christian En-
daavor.
mote an earnest Christian life among It's
members. to increase their mutual ac-
auaintance. and to make them more use
fui In the service Of God" -
| II was provided also that there should
/ be two classes of members active and
associate" the active members being
| those who sincerely desired to accom-
plish tbs results specified in the pledge, |
and the associate members those VINO
we're not willing to consider themselves
decided Christians. but who desired the
privileges and companionships of the So
ciety.
The membership OF this first Christian
Erdeavor Society was thirty-five.
For many weeks and months nothing
was said 10 the outside public about this
new organization In Wiliiston church.
Not line concerning II found it's way
into the local papers. much less into the
religious journals Of the day. But life
cannot long be hidden.
The little seed that quietly terminates
under the soil Is bound to push its way
J up and out into the world by and by. II
, Is sure to attract the attention of the
passer-by sooner or later, II II has the
germ Of life within Il.
SO II was that this society Of Christian
Erdeavor could not. even II II desired.
hide It's light under a bushel. and this
u did not wish 10 do. Yet for many
months IL was allowed to work out its
i I.r.. be- IeI h. Thftu
: the early days OF the first Endeavor So
Getty went by. The little faith of the
. pastor OF the church was rebuked week
by week as he saw the coustancy and
D faithfulness of the young Christians.
, In fact, this society gained In efficiency
and well regulated zeal as the days went
/ by.
New plans were adopted as new plans
\ were needed, but still the great principles
: involved In the pledge. the conservation
meeting. and the work of the different
: committees, were adhered to as strictly
4 as at first. and In these features were
? found the life and vlrility of the society.
= Week by week new friends were won
n for the cause, especially in the fall OF 1881.
j. IA the reports of the success of the first
. society became known and newspaper ar
: lticles were multiplied describing its sim
r pie organization and its complete success.
: This young society was very much re-
n ioiced. for one year after Its organiZa-
Ition, there were at least twenty societies
a which were modelled on the basis of the
4 Williston constitution.
e The membership OF the wilI!ston society
a at the end of the first year was one hun
ldred and thirty active members and twen-
> ty associate members.
a Monthly socials had been held through
x out the year, I'm which the young people
had become acquainted with each other
a In the fali of 1852, more than sO000'
I.a... Ix-1 N1Nx
II Heal churches of America. and are today
"a working for the Master. More than three
10 millions Of young people have received
AZ training and help from this organization
p as they would every one gladly testify
ID and nearly two millions and a half o.
a them are today in the ranks of this so
is ciety.
There were n great many objections e
pr the organization OF the Christian Endea
" vor Society. yet am glad to say "Wher'
M the sun shines. there viii be light, an
of where a Christian man lives, there will b.
society OF Christian Endeavor and Chris
IN tiau nurture in full operation.
Ia The chief battle ground of the societ
81 has been the field OF its largest success
and It's evident influence as wei, namely
IL the prayer-meeting pledge.
no From the beginning this pledge has bee
IA objected TO BY many. 1t has been care
~ fully scrutinized and picked to piece:
a sentence by sentence and word by WORD
en- Some pastors have objected to 1t, som
as parents have disapproved of IT, and
We multitude of young people have shrun
I'd from H. as something that was altogethe
ed too stringent for them to subscribe 4
'us But in spite Of all these objections an
AID difficulties the pledge has been adhere
err TO faithfully and rellgiously.
vi Its efficacy and vital Importance TO
Yep society Of Christian Endeavor has nev'
ne been for a moment doubted by any lead'
nal I'm the movement. and the utmost pail
pa has been taken to inculcate the rcaso'
Tas ableness. scripturalness. and the Wit
RS. necessity OF the pledge, wherever q
principles OF the Endeayor Society hal
OF penetrated.
iey IL has been said that It tends to 70
en-, mal and narrow conception of the r
obs lleious life that the duties prescribed a
ed, performed TO fulfil the promise and n
TO from love to Christ. that II Is likely
ars XIII spontaneity and individuality In q
meeting and 10 foster insincerity. n
md simple and sufficient answer 20 all the
ms, objections IS the answer Of experience
lis Louder than the thousand theories al
ris- In clearer tones does the experience
ne all these years prove that the pledge
ris- not only reasonable and spiritual. b
&C absolutely essential TO tho contnu
the growth ard development Of a Christi
Endeavor Society.
ton The fulfilling of the pledge OF the Chr
was an EuUf0NbF CotltAN has Hdht tNf
Iss- other duty easier. Because everythi
,p,e done for Christ opens the way TO sol
other service for him. The only path
ems the tablelands OF love lies over the ha
rial and rugged mountains OF duty. He "
on only takes part in prayer-meeting VIII
for he feels like taking part. he who oil
the does his duty when lmpelled to do II
some irresistible impulse will seldom spe
ever for God or work for humanity.
iris Very few felt like offering n pray
bert or giving their testimony or quoting
for verse OF Scripture and so the mesti
an drifted into the hands of a few speoia
at glib or especially conscientious ones. d.
and. done will lead To love. 1t II the VI
}. In shortest path. The societies of Christi
'iety Endeavor are living examples OF the alb
lutte necessity OF the principle embed
for In the pledge. The prayer meeting Is
u. pivot on which they revolve. IL Is
ears center Of all their work. II Is not o.
En- the thermometer that registers the he
II II the furnace that generates
oung warmth OF their religious life and OF
bow prayer-meeting the pledge Is the v
this backbone, without IL prayer-meet
I