The Portland daily press., 1901-02-01

ton on the day Of its birth. IL had a
backbone IS we'll as O hart; hands and
feet aud eyes with which TO see and work,
AZ well as the life principle to inviRofate
them. A scnoolDoy has recently given
the novel definition Of an optinist as zone
who fixes up yo1r eyes," and re7simist
~ zone who fixes up your feet; Ia this
sense the Christian Endfavor Society was
both an opsimist ana DesJimlst from the
beginning; Il had eyes ana feet well
liked TO do itR work.
A GENIUS FOR ORGANIZATION
ibis belief in organization, this pro-
vision for thorough organization. has
been Characteristic throughout all It's life
10 the ninetserth century. And this
ssnius for organization with VIII ich it
was endowed OF God from the beginning
accounts in no small part for its later &C.
tivities; fer the conventions In all lanes
which have marshallsd scores OF thoas-
ands under one banner; for lite miss ionary
activities; for Its zeal for Christian citi-
zenship; for lite benefcent work among
the prisone "a, among the soldiers and che
sailors; for ifs uBexpt eted deve l)pment
of later years In promoting Billie study,
the spirit of devotion In the Quiet Hour,
and the spirit OF benehcence In the Tenth
Legion. No invertebrates orRaniz ltlon
rouId have developed along these lines.
The society idea, the idea OF doing things
together In regular, orderly, ana sykte-
matte manner, has MT only marked Its
growth, hut aooor nted fer the growth OF
the movement. The twentieth century,
TOO, Will nesd organ zs1 Christianity.
The churah cannot afford to lag benind
Will, the business house and the factory
and the farm are constantly being organ-
izsd and developed with more ana mora
skill and system. The twentieth-c century
church too, must utilize Its forces, must
develop Its resources, mast make the most
OF all Its powers and members, or else 1t
Will not accomplish It's share OF the work
OF this twentieth century.
THE MOST IMPORTANT WORD.
Again, that little company who organ
izsd themselves at their PASTORS HOUSE,
twenty years ago, was a society OF Chris
tian Endeavor. and this, after all, was
the most important word in all its title.
IL was not organic d as social club, as
a literary Coterie, as musical society,
but as Christian society; It's pledge, It's
monthly roIl-caIl meeting, its different
committees. Its supreme purp )se, Its con-
trolling impulses ell declared Its char
acter. IL was to tie Christian society.
IL was the outcome OF revival OF rslig-
lon. 1t was intended to conserve the
fruits of that revival. IL WAS born in a
pastors study. 1t came ont of the very
heaIt OF the church, 1t had no other ob-
set, and the movement has had no other
obj act ever since, than TO IL aka tine young
p 'ople more useful In the service CT
God Everything else ltsrerg, social,
amuEement features, conventions, ana
EXCURSIONS have been dominated by this
one purpose that 10 should be dis
the lively Christian society.
No wonder, then, with this for the con-
trolling and underlying purpose, that
the prayer meeting has always held It's
supreme place, that the conservation
meeting has been for twenty years the
browning meeting, ana that the Quiet
Hour and the practice OF the presence OF
God have become more ana more oharac-
teristic OF the Society as the years have
rolled on.
WHAT the twentisth century needs is
also emphasis uIon this wnri. Ii will be
beyond a doubt a c jnturT OF oIganiz ltion
clubs aud fads. of mems clubs and of
women g clubs. and boys clubs, and girls
clubs; IL will be century Of vast COM
meroial organization ana enormo1s
money-making enterprise. Will IL be
century CT Christian organ tiong Please
God, the soc ely OF Chri stan Enuelvor
Will do something to answer that question
IN the affirmative.
THE MOST UNIQUE WORD.
There IS one other word In the title Of
that young peoplls society which was
In tie Williston parsonage
twenty years ago; It was unique and
wori, this word Endeavor;
il was a socisty of Christian Endsavor.
thiuS that during thess twenty years IL
has not been false to that part Of its
name. les endeaTcrj cannot be enumer-
ased In the last ten minutes OF brief
half. hour. Some OF these endeavors will
bs rscite1 during these days that ws stay
tcg lthsr; enueayors on the ssa ana en-
the land, In camp and held, In city and
country; ende1Vors to relieve the poor.
to fsed the hungry, to enlighten haatnen
darkness, to give spiritual liberty to the
prisoner, but, above all the amounted
activities of the obscure and untrum p tied
millions In country and city churches, In
the remote schooihouse district, ard ths
crowded slums of populous cities. the
societies In France translate the name,
1.-THE society OF Christian Activity; SOM
sc oIeiiss of Germany cali.it 1.-THE society
of Christian STRIVING In every case iu
means the same t5iug. There can be no
society OF Christian EndeAyor In anY
part OF tire world without an endeavor to
do Cnrist's work in appropriate ways.
This ilcA has made them flexible and ex-
pansiye; grasping this thou yht, they have
Ieachsd out into all departments OF ao
tivity a1n servics. Every COMMITTEES has
been training-school In activity every
true Christian EndGavor meeting has
been not only or chiefly place for In
struction, but a place or service, Of tssti
mony, OF training.
TRAINING-SCHO
The idea of present activity has gene
hand In hand with the thought of train
ing for fu ture activities. Surely, the
tive ntieth century will need just such
training and service II its work is to be
one. 1t will he a century Of marvellous
endeavor, of boundless activity. Ths
sharpened wits OF mankind will make it,
/ believe, the worlds great endeavor
century. shall it be q century of Chris
tisn Endeavor9 The modest Society
" hose birthday we are celebrating will
have something to do with answering
that question, and 1 believe 1t may be-
relied upon TO 10 its humble part to
answer it Alright.
Now, is not this the platform and is
not this the hour to appeal in the name
of Christ and HIS church for larger ana