the busy city. How can we reach the
masses? is the earnest question of the church. _Go to them!_ To the
association is due the fact that thousands of laymen are to-day
proclaiming the gospel in all parts of the world, successful through
their simple study of the Word and the encouragement and training which
they have received in this school.

The fourth convention was held in Chelsea, in 1870, on which occasion
the Honorable Cephas Brainard, chairman of the international executive
committee, said: "To promote the permanency of associations, our labor
must be chiefly for young men; increasing as rapidly as possible
edifices of our own; and cultivating frequent fraternal intercourse with
the eight hundred associations in the land." Up to 1881 no agents had
been appointed by the state convention to superintend its work. Mr.
Rowland was taking time, given him for rest, to visit associations and
towns needing them.

At the international convention, in 1868, at Detroit, two Massachusetts
men met, who were to be largely instrumental in carrying on the work in
the State so dear to them; and in 1871, in far-off Illinois, these two
men--K.A. Burnell, and he who has almost without a break served on the
Massachusetts committee to this day--met again, prayed for
Massachusetts, consulted together, and the result was that at the
convention of 1871, at Northampton, a state executive committee was
appointed.

At this time calls from many parts of the State were coming to the
association workers from pastors of churches for lay help and they felt
that these calls must be met. Mr. Burnell was engaged to conduct the
work, and with the help of the committee individually, meetings of two
and three days were held in from forty to sixty towns each year for
three years. This work was continued by paid secretaries, still largely
aided by the committee, till 1879.

During this time but little was done to strengthen existing
associations, and nothing in establishing new ones, therefore, while the
influence of the convention of associations was greatly felt throughout
the State, the associations themselves suffered. Very many were doing
nothing, and many had ceased to exist.

We should not dare to say that the associations did wrong in thus giving
themselves to the evangelistic work, while the calls for it were greater
than the committee could meet. This work engrossed them till the calls
began to slacken, and then they awoke to the fact that