Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-19

pleasant to look upon as we stand where
we do today upon the threshold of the
new century. For it furnishes for the
problem of the worlds eyangellzation a
new factor. New certainly as compared
with affairs at the beginning of last cen
fury. These millions of young people,
organized and equipped so well, have got
| to be reckoned with by the forces which
would annihiate the Christian religion
Even ii the army should not increase in
the coming years, as it surely will, it
must bet cannot other wise than be, if
true to its principles-a great agency
through which God will work to the
fuller establishment of his kingdom.
And now, friends, after having raised
this pleasant picture, one which hope
has tended to put into the heart little
more inspiration and cheer and which |
have meant as a testimony of my own
hopefulness and love for this work of
the young people, let me attempt to be a
little more practical and tell you some
things which | thoroughly believe must
be kept in mind and carefully regarded.
if such helpfulness and success as have
limited at shall be attained. shall
speak the more boldly because | am an
Endeavorer myself and believer in
both the principles and methods of the
society. That is, the principles and
methods which are the real character
istics, the original and true life of the
society. | will say, then, that |
thoroughly believe that success is not
possible without most faithful and
loving devotion to the church. / know
this Is not new suggestion. All have
heard it good many times. But this is
no reason why it should not be said. SO
you have heard the Commandments and
the Lords prayer often. 1t will hardly
do to refuse to speak or hear things
simply because they are old. For
Christ and the Church." What does this
mean? Did you ever think the relation
In the parts of this motto is like that of
the two first commandments of which
Jesus said the second is like the first? This
is we mean to say, that no Endeavorer, or
any other Christian, can be true to Christ
and not to His church. And His church is
your individual local church, the body
of organized believers with which God,
in his providence, has cast your lot. No
young peoples society has such relations
to Christ and to His Gospel aud to His
work as the chuch has. The local church
is very properly called divine institu-
ton, by which is meant that the Great
Head of the Church, Christ himself,
organized it. By His own personal in
structions and commands and by the
further ministry of His inspired apostles,
He has ordained the church to be His
own authorized and organized body,
through which He blesses and saves
men by the ministry of His word and
spirit. Now the Sabbath school and the
young peoples society has no such orr
gin. All these various associations of
the different classes of people are only
human devices, put into execution be-
cause they are seen to be helpful agen-
cies. They are excellent institutions,
worthy of the love and esteem of all
good people, but they are not substi-
tute for the church, or honored or sus-
tanned with a zeal which is greater and
more manifest than that for the church.
Young people have sometimes made a
great mistake here. Counting their own
society, which is organized to be help
to the church as it is of Christ, counting
it as being a kind of new church or an
improved church which can properly
enough take the place, to some extent at
least, of the old church. | think very
few watchful pastors, who have seen
good deal of the working of young peo-
pies societies, have failed to notice
something of this thoughtless and harm
full sentiment among some of those who
make up the body of the society.
And so | say, feeling that | do but
voice the sentiment of all who are true
yoke-felows in this noble army of young
people, that if the new century Is to have
large help from this branch of the ser
vice in the upbuilding of Christ's king
dom, there must be thorough loyalty to
the church on the part not only of the
leaders of this movement, but as well on
the part of the great numbers who make
up the rank and file.
But the success of these great armies
of young people, in making the new CEN
fury feel nightly their influence for good
In Christs cause, is contingent upon
their retaining thoroughly the spirit with
which this great movement began.
speak now to Endeavorers, and this is
what mean: If we, as an organization,
are to go forward successfully, we must
keep dominant over the heart and life of
this great mass of young people the SAINT
Christ-lilie spirit which led to the first
individual society in that old historic
church in Portland, where the sanity Pay
son preached and prayed and where, in
answer to those prayers. ! have often
thought, his worthy successor in that
pulpit, Rev. f. +. Clark, was led twenty
years ago to set in motion this new and
mighty spiritual enginery. You have
heard and read the story over and over,
that 1t was yearning love, an intense de-
sire to save the young people, and save
them to be Christ's own harvesters
] a., IL Ia.