USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Uniontown > Exercises commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Great Bethel Baptist Church, Uniontown, Pa., November 9th and 10th, 1895 > Part 5
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Less than fifteen years ago, on February 2, 1881, Rev. Francis E. Clark, then pastor of the Williston Church of Portland, Maine, himself a young man but thirty years of age, organized among the young people of his church a society then called, and which has ever since been known as, the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. It was winter, and a series of meetings had added a large number of young people to the church, and the pastor saw the necessity of some kind of an organi- zation among these young christians that would hold them together and keep them interested in the work of the church. So after careful thought, and with a good deal of hesitation, he reduced to writing and laid before his young people the constitution of a society whose object was "to promote an earnest christian life among its members, to in- crease their mutual acquaintance, and to make them more useful in the service of God." When the reading of the constitution was finished, a
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deep silence fell upon the assembly of young people, caused, perhaps, by the "iron clad" pledge known so well to all Christian Endeavorer work- ers. But soon one young man, a zealous christian, broke the silence and attached his signature to the constitution, and was followed by the others, one by one, until all had signed.
And thus, in the home of that young pastor, on that cold winter night, while the wind howled through the streets of the city, and the ground and housetops were covered with icicles and snow, was launched into being one of the most remarkable religious organizations that the world has ever known. From a membership of 56 in the beginning, it has grown until today it belts the entire globe and its members number 2,500,000. Its constitution has been translated into, and circulates in, forty different languages. There is not a country on God's green earth today where the work of the Christian Endeavor Society is not known. "It finds itself as much at home in Old England as in New England, under the southern cross as under the north star, under the dra- gon flag of China as under the stars and stripes of America." In China and Japan, in India and Africa, throughout the dark continents of the Old World and among the islands of the sea, the work of the Christian Endeavor Society goes marching on to greater victories. There is only one country on the face of the earth today where Christian Endeavor So- cieties are not allowed to be organized. And that is the land of Turkey ; the land whose Sultan is the absolute monarch of 33,000,000 subjects on three different continents ; the land whose chief magistrate spends more- money than any other one person living ; the land whose Sultan main- tains a household of 4,000 servants, magicians and harlots at an expense to his downtrodden, taxpaying subjects of $30,000,000 yearly ; the. land where today the Armenian Christians are being so brutally murdered by scores and hundreds. This is the land where Christian Endeavor is forbidden. And why ? Because the Sultan is afraid of its christian in- fluences. Because he is afraid that if the influences of the Christian Endeavor Society are allowed to take root and grow in his dominion, they may eventually strip him of his arbitrary power and enlighten his subjects to self government. It is a disgrace to Turkey, and a credit to the rest of the world, that the land of the Turk is the only country in the world today where the Christian. Endeavor Society is not allowed to enter.
But there are other young people's organizations besides the Chris- tian Endeavor Society. The Endeavor Society includes all denomina- tions of young people. As the Young Men's Christian Association in -. cludes all denominations of young men, so the Christian Endeavor So- ciety includes all denominations, both of young men and young women. Besides it there are the different denominational young people's socie- ties. There is the Baptist Young People's Union among the Baptists; the Epworth League among the Methodists ; the Luther League among the Lutherans; and the different societies by whatsoever name they may
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be known among the other denominations. The Lutherans, a very con- servative people, have just completed their national organization, and the Presbyterians are just now engaged in the same work. The South, which until very lately has been indifferent to the cause of young peo- ple's work, is now falling into line and organizing young people's societies.
Now what is the object of all these young people's organizations ? The answer to this is familiar to you all, but it cannot be too often re- peated. The object of all these organizations is to train the young peo- ple in religious work and christian service. In other words these socie- ties constitute what is known as "a training school for the church." As soon as your boys and girls are old enough you send them to the public schools. Why do you do that ? Surely not merely to get them away from home during a few hours of the day. No, you send them there to be trained, you send them there to learn the alphabet, to learn to read and to spell. Then they take up the higher studies and finally branch out into literature and the sciences, into history and mathematics. Soon they pass through the high school and the academy; the college, the university and the professional schools. They spend eight, ten or twelve years, as the case may be, and as many hundred dol- lars, in school. And for what is all this time and money spent ? Large- ly to secure a course of training ; to enable the boys and girls to become good and useful men and women in the community ; to enable them to discharge faithfully and well the duties and responsibilities that must come upon them in after life; to enable them to provide for their own wants and the wants of those who may be dependent upon them. The whole school system is to a very great extent simply a course of training. And as the boys and girls are trained in the day schools for the worldly affairs of life, so they are trained in the young people's societies in the spiritual affairs of this life and for the life that is to come. We can all remember when it was an unusual thing to see a boy or girl lead a prayer meeting ; or to hear a young man or a young woman pray in public. That was considered as the work of the pastor, or of the deacons, or of some of the older members of the church. But now we have here in our own young people's society of this church boys and girls who are scarcely old enough to attend the day schools who are already taking part in the meetings ; and we have those but a few years older who are leading the meetings and taking prominent parts in other ways. The young people were never before so active in the cause of Christ as they are today. After a boy or girl has done a thing once, it becomes much easier to do it again, and through training and practice they grow both in ability and usefulness. And it is for the purpose of surrounding the children and young people with proper influences, and of having them develop their talents in the right direction, and grow up and become useful men and women in the church and in the service of the Lord, that all the young people's societies, of
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whatsoever name or denomination, are organized.
And now a few words as to the work being done by our own Baptist young people. The international organization of the Baptist Young People's Union is this year laying special stress upon the subject of "systematic and proportionate giving." Sometimes we get scared when the matter of giving is mentioned. This is not right and is not as it should be. The matter of giving is two-fold, embracing both the support of the local church and our contributions to the different benev- olent objects of the denomination. In order that we may give intelli- gently we should be informed as to the object sought to be obtained by our giving. Whether our money goes to the support of the local church, or to the cause of missions, or to any of the other benevolent objects, we' should know the purpose to be accomplished by its use. If a man stops you on the street tomorow morning and asks you for a dollar, you will immediately want to know what he is going to do with it. So in our giving to the church and its different benevolent objects, we want to know how our money is to be used. And the object of the international organization of our young people in turning special attention to this sub- ject of giving at this time is to give us this needed information by the literature which they are publishing and placing within the reach of us all. And if we will but read carefully the literature they are giving us, notably the Baptist Union and other denominational papers, we shall become well informed on this subject.
And as well as becoming informed as to the objects of our benevolent gifts we should have some system about our giving, and make a propor- tionate distribution of our means among the different benevolent objects of the denomination, not giving all to one object and nothing toanother. Even though we cannot give much to each object, every little helps. We think sometimes that because we cannot give much, we will not give any. This is all wrong. It is astonishing how much money can be rais- ed in a short time by small contributions regularly made. Suppose every person in this audience tonight should give one cent a day for a year! Such contributions would amount to hundreds of dollars. And who is there here tonight who could not give one cent a day to benevo- lent work ? How many times that amount do we spend every day for things that do not benefit us in the least and perhaps do us harm ? If every member of this church would give one cent a day for a year, the amount thus raised would be $1300. If every member of the churches composing the Monongahela Association would give a like amount each day for a year the amount would reach $10,950. If every Baptist in Pennsylvania would give at the same rate, the total contribution would be $365,000 a year. If every Baptist in the United States would do the same, it would net the handsome sum of $13,140,000 yearly. And if every christian in the land would do likewise the world would be revo- lutionized, and the gospel of Christ would be spread from sea to sea and from pole to pole.
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"THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH TO THE WORLD."
OUTLINE OF SERMON PREACHED BY REV. F. B. LA BARRER OF BALTI- MORE, A FORMER PASTOR OF THE CHURCH.
Acts 16:9. "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man of Mace- donia and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia and help us."
Theme-The mission of the church to the world.
I. The needy world's appeal for help. A vision of man, appealing for spiritual help, appeared before the apostle. Before every redeemed and consecrated child of God there is standing in a vision man helpless, wretched and needy, appealing for the gospel of Christ. It is man's real necessities, not his supposed needs, or desires, that appeal to the church of God. Christ fed the multitude with loaves and fishes, and they offer- ed him a throne. He offered them the bread from heaven, and they stoned him. The world is seeking present, material good, not eternal salvation.
II. The Gospel adapted to the world's needs. The wise and the good men of past ages have recognized the world's need ; but have been un- able to feed the famine of soul. Systems of philosophy have been formu- lated, ethical religions founded, without number, each requiring holy living and righteous action. The condition of that portion of the world that has for centuries been under the influence of the ethnic religions, attests the signal failure of any human philosophy or religion to meet the world's needs.
The stream cannot rise higher than its source. Sintul man cannot rise above his sinful nature and propensities. If he has a religion of just laws, and pure and elevating precepts, he will make its precepts con- form to his own sinful requirements. If he has a god, or gods, he will shape and fashion them after his own defilements. Nor will the knowi- edge of letters, the arts and sciences, apart from the gospel, meet the world's pressing need. The corrupting vices and destructive sins of which Paul speaks in Rom. I, existed amidst the splendid civilization of Greece and Rome. Civilization and knowledge will dethrone idols but will not enthrone humanity. The past and present achievements of the gospel of Christ prove its adaptation to the world's needs. What it has done for Briton, and Germany, and America, it is now doing for India, China, Japan and the islands of the sea. Ethnic religions fail, because they set men at the impossible task of working a reformation from with- in. The gospel of Christ recognizes man's hopeless bondage to sin. It presents to the world a divine Spirit, who convicts of sin ; and in his own mysterious, but effective way, imparts spiritual life, and recreates. The dead soul is born again.
The world needs to know of the eternal God, and Almighty Father, who loves lost men, and yearns for their salvation-of a divine Savior, who redeems from the guilt and penalty of sin-of a divine spirit, enter- ing into, and working upon, the heart, creating life.
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III. God's method of reaching and saving the lost is through the agency of redeemed souls.
Hence they should have (a) a deep conviction of the hopeless condi- tion of all who are without faith in Jesus Christ. "There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."
(b) A deep conviction of the eternal anguish awaiting the lost.
As is the intensity of our belief in the loss of the soul, so will be our persistence in urging the saving grace of Christ. The speculations, theories, doubts and questionings, of men of supposed learning in Bible truth, have filtered down through the mass of christians. The preach- ing of the "larger hope," representing hell as a reformatory institution, etc., etc., have in a measure crowded out the threatenings and warnings of the Gospel.
(c) An exclusive reliance on the Gospel to save men.
The Gospel is the power of God, and the wisdom of God, It fails to save men, only where it fails to reach men. Where it succeeds in reach- ing men's hearts it succeeds in saving men. Education, culture and morality may do much for men, but cannot save men.
(d) A firm conviction of the necessity of the Holy Spirit.
As the grasp of faith loosens on the Holy Spirit, it holds with a firmer grip the power and potency of Christian influence, education, and moral development : And much of our work at home, and abroad, shapes itself according to our faith in the power of christian society to influence the heart, and christian culture to inform the intellect. Men are saved only as they apprehend Christ through the enlightening in- fluences of the Holy Spirit.
(e) An assurance of ultimate success.
Jesus saw of the travail of his soul, and was satisfied. The cry for help, ascending from the unfathomable depths of man's needs, was not stifled by the infuriated howlings of a devil-possessed mob. Before him there was no hazardous or doubtful conflict ; but assured victory. Atonement, redemption, salvation, and the gathering of his elect, were accomplished facts.
"It is finished," had a wider scope and meaning than the reference to redemption. Paul never lost sight, even when bleeding in the Phil- ipian jail, of his persecutors' real needs ; and the certain success of that gospel which he preached, nor did Judson in the prison pen of Org- penla ; nor do the consecrated men and women of God today, who are beaten with sticks and pelted with stones, by the hoodlums of paganism, or the rabble of the slums. O, for a faith that can see success in the drowning of missionaries in mid ocean !- in the fearful sacrifice of life in the fever stricken shores of Africa and the jungles of India I-that can see "prospects bright as the promises of God," after years of apparently fruitless toil. "Come and help us," is the cry of a perishing world. "Go," says Jesus, "and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
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READING OF LETTERS, REMINISCENCES, ETC.
The following letters, reminiscences, etc., were read by Miss Elfie C. Ritenour, which, after a few touching remarks by the pastor, closed the anniversary meetings :
GLADSTONE, ILL., Nov. 4, 1895.
My Dear Brother Sturgis :- Your precious favor of Oct. 31 received, for which accept my sincere thanks and christian greeting. There may be some of the old members, brothers and sisters of blessed memory, on this side of the river. To whom first let me say : May it be yours to joy- ously lean on and implicitly confide in the blessed Jesus
In 1845, while a student at Washington the church of that place sent Deacon H. W. Wilson and myself to Uniontown to confer with Elder E. M. Miles concerning its pastorate. He had been engaged to hold a protracted meeting with you, to begin on a Saturday. The next evening (Sunday) to the amazement of the congregation he announced the meeting closed, and that he should leave in the morning. Brother Ritenour and others asked me to stay a few days and lead in prayer and exhortation meetings that the expectations of the people might not wholly be disappointed. I consented. We had meetings each evening and God was with us ; on Saturday we had covenant meeting, a real meeting, one with a good turn out. After that the meetings were day and night for two more weeks.
Brother William Penny who had been called to the pastorate, but had not removed to the town, came at the close of the meeting and bap- tized 18 converts. God had heard our prayers and chosen the weak in- stead of the great that the people might know that the power was from Him.
During this meeting I visited Father Brownfield, an "old school"? Baptist preacher who lived a short distance from the town. He had the right to use the pulpit half the time. I asked him to come and help. He replied that age had enfeebled him and for me to make use of the pulpit as often as I wished and that he would attend as often as he could, that he was glad to see the good work going on. This kindness he extended to me when afterwards I was pastor of the church.
The reason Brother Miles gave from the pulpit for closing the meet- ing at its beginning was that he didn't believe there was enough faith in the church to offer the fervent and effectual prayer of the righteous that was necessary to prevail with God, and that his time was the con- vention's and this he had no right to waste.
Shortly before leaving your town, I had the degree of A. M. con- ferred on me by Washington College and was offered the chair of lan- guages in Arkansas Military Institute by the board of guardians, whose president was Gen. A. J. Smith. But I chose the pastorate of Shar- on Baptist church, Mercer Co., Pa., which I enjoyed for two years. Then I accepted an agency for the Bible Union, with Kentucky for my,
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field. My vocal organs becoming somewhat impaired, I settled in the practice of medicine and surgery, but it has been one of my greatest pleasures to advocate the temperance cause and Sabbath observance. Am now president of the Henderson Co. Medical Association. Was 77 years old 19th of last July.
My prayer that.grace, mercy and truth may abide with you all.
SAMUEL H. RUPLE.
The following is from another former pastor of the church, Rev. E. M. Miles, now of Lake City, Ia. He is one of four brothers-George I., Samuel, E. M. and J. Green Miles-all of whom have served to a ripe old age in the Baptist ministry, and who are distantly related to Gen. Nel- son A. Miles of the U. S. Army. This letter is in response to a letter of invitation from Brother Elias Hatfield :
LAKE CITY, IA., OCT. 29, 1895.
Dear Brethren of Great Bethel :- I received a letter from Elias Hat- field containing an invitation to attend the celebration of the anniver- sary of your organization. I thank you for your kind remembrance of me though many of you are strangers to me. Though it is now 43 years since I met any of the churches in Pennsylvania, yet I still feel a deep interest in all of them, and especially those to whom I preached in time past. Ientertain a kind remembrance of the church at Uniontown during 1841-42. It would be a great pleasure to be with you, but the infirmities of age-my 83 years-partial blindness and deafness, render it impossi- ble to undertake so long a journey. To those who remember us, my wife is still with me, at the age of 75 years. We live in Lake City, Iowa, with children and grandchildren.
Your church was organized in 1770, and joined the Redstone Asso- ciation. At that time there were no missionary societies, Bible socie- ties, or benevolent societies of any kind. The first Baptist Missionary Society was organized in England in 1792 and, in 1814, the Baptist Tri- ennial Convention was organized. The Redstone Association co-opera- ted with them, passing resolutions and sending contributions for several years, then they took the anti-mission ground and some of the churches organized the Monongahela Association. The Uniontown church re- mained with the Redstone Association, opposing all missionary opera- tions. In 1840, eighteen members of the church, unable to remain longer with that opposition, claimed to be the Regular Baptist church of Un- iontown, causing a division, both parties occupying the same church and Brother Wm, Wood preaching. During that fall I assisted Brother Wood in meetings during which ten or more were baptized. In the spring of 1841, the church called me to the pastorate, agreeing to pay me $200 per year, if they could raise it, if not to let me go in time to make up the amount.
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In that summer we decided to hold a meeting of days, Brother Thomas to preach for us. The anti-mission part opposing it, locked up the meeting house. Brother Bryson, Brother Hatfield and another brother opened the house and we commenced the meeting. During it the sheriff served a notice for trespass. In the fall of 1842, the trial in court came off. The case, requiring a decision as to which party was the church and holding the property, was decided by the court saying, that, if any party had seceded from the regular Baptists, it was those opposing missions, and, if any were the Regular Baptist church, it was the eighteen that became missionary Baptists, and the property belong- ed to them.
This was the only case of which I know, where the law decided that the missionary Baptists are the regular Baptist church of the United States.
In the fall of 1842, finding the distance I had to ride, nearly 4,000 miles in a year, made the work too great for me, I resigned the pastorate.
Since then, as I have heard, the church has prospered and increased, all of which you know much better than I.
I will close with my best wishes and earnest prayers for God to be with you in the anniversaries, and ever be with the church to prosper and bless in the future. Your brother in Jesus Christ,
E. M. MILES, Lake City, Ia.
P. S .- On account of his inability to read or write this is written by his granddaughter, Maud Finney.
Under date of Nov. 24, 1838, in old minute book No 2, we read : "Meeting opened at 11 o'clock. Father Patton preached." This was the Rev. John Patton of blessed memory, who became pastor of the church at Smithfield in 1809 and served nearly 30 years, until his death. Though never a member of the Great Bethel church, he frequently preached here, especially at communion seasons. One of his grandsons, Rev. W. R. Patton, was formerly a beloved pastor of the Monongahela Association, but for the past 15 years has been pastor of the Baptist church at Media, Delaware county, Pa. Writing to Bro. Sturgis under date of Nov. 4, regarding a point of history in connection with the Mon- ongahela Association, he thus sends greetings to Great Bethel :
"Will you kindly remember me to the church on your anniversary occasion ? My grandfather was associated with the fathers in Great Bethel. I have had blessed fellowship in later years. I send as my message : Ephesians 3:14-21. In christian love, your Brother,
W. R. PATTON."
Another grandson of Father Patton, formerly of this Association, was Rev. John Patton Rockefeller. He was licensed by Great Bethel's daughter, Mt. Moriah church, in 1832, and subsequently removed to Hollidaysburg, Pa., where he died. He was a relative of John D. Rocke- feller, the wealthy New York Baptist and founder of Chicago University.
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The following very tender greeting has been received since the meetings were held. It will be read with interest by all, and especially by those whose recollections extend back to the first Sunday school, 50 years ago. The writer, Mrs. Hopey F. Lyon, is remembered by Bros. Bryson, Hayden and others of our older members as Miss Hopey Frey, who speak of her as having been an estimable christian young woman.
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