Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-12-13

common duty.
Take our own neighborhood for exam
pie. In Wilmington, and in this village,
there are in all 90 houses of worship,
divided among different organizations
l have made calculation as to the num-
Der of persons these buildings will accom-
modate, and according to the best estimate
l can form, this number is about IA, 500,
which is rather beyond the truth than not
The population of the city and village is
somewhere in the neighborhood of 5000.
This TACT then remains, that there are
more than ii, 900 inhabitants for whom
no provision whatever is made for their
regular hearing of the word of God
Allowing for many who either from
extreme youth, or sickness, or other rea-
sonable hindrances, cannot be expected to
attend upon church services, this number
may be reduced And yet on the other
hand, we are to remember that the figures
$4,000 represent the condition of these
houses of worship when crOtcded; a cir
cumstance which never occurs, presume,
with all Of them at any one time. So
that, doubt not, am speaking within
the limits of truth when conjecture that
on no Lords day are there more than
10000 OF our inhabitants engaged in the
solemn and privileged duty of public
worship. Our own Church provides as
well for this population as any one of the
denominations around her, and better than
the great majority of them, having five
buildings, seating, l suppose, in the ag-
gregate not less than 1850 persons. But
how Very far below the requirements for
her services, were her members all they
ought to be in holiness, and liberality, and
zeal ! If l were able to give you the
number OF communicates in these various
congregations, you would be, am sure,
still further surprised and grieved to know
how few persons in our own midst are
really interested in what ought to con-
Germ them the most.
Is 1t not startling thing to believe
that there are on almost every Lords day
no less than 10000 persons in our city
and village, who either caa not or aOiN
not attend upon the reading or preaching
OF Gods most holy word and even a
larger number who do not receive His
holy sacraments? Strike out as many
hundred as you charitably and conscien-
tlousy can from this computation, persons
who cannot come to church, and doubt
If you will be able to reduce the number
below 10000. This is enough, as have
already said, to surprise and grieve every
christian heart and cause us to enquire
of one another what can and ought TO be
done to remove this stigma from our
homes.
II we go to larger cities, we shall find
still greater cause for our wonderment
and sorrow. In an article furnished to
the current number of "The Church Re-
view," it is stated that in the city of New
York, the Church has sixty three houses
of worship; the largest number of any
religious body there. The various other
societies have in all 235; making an
aggregate of 298 houses of worship, and
atfording accommodations to about 2lS,.
800 persons out Of population of ,000,-
900 inhabitants. Thus there are at least
100000 persons in the chief city of our
Union, for whom there is no provision
made for their worship of Almighty God
in any form. After making all necessary
deduction in this case, too, for the young,
the aged, and the infrm, and others, who
may not be able to attend the public
sanctuary, the fact stares us in the face
that there are hundreds of thousands in
that great settlement, who have no oppor-
tunity of worshipping at Christ's altars in
any form or manner whatsoever. Would
any one credit this statement who had
not examined the statistics for himself, or
had not the most implicit confidence in
the Reviewer Is it not appalling, and
suggestive of the most earnest and serious
reflections
One might say, why blame the people
in either of these cities for not attending
public worship, when, as have already
proved, there is accommodation in our
churches for only a limited portion OF our
population l reply that if there were
not so much irreligion and indifference,
the number Of our churches would haze to
be increased, or our buildings be greatly
enlarged. 1t is only because there is no
demand for more room in our churches,
that there is no fuller provision made.
When the demand is made, he provision
is sure to be made. am not arguing
that it would be unwise to build more
churches, and have their rectors gather in
new congregations; (this subject is de-
serving of particular considerations but
l am only attempting to show you how
far short Mis age is of our Lords times il
pressing around Him and His ministers
: in crolcding into His houses, to hear tn,
word OF God.
l would fain dwell upon this most in
: teresting subject, though our thought
S about it cannot help being very painful
Time, however, will not allow me now t.
. present the matter as fully as l woul,
4 desire, In the meantime, I must leav
b you to your own reflections and prayers
g.; See, beloved brethren, whether any Of yo
! ar,,s at all unmindful of the blessed priv
lege q, hearing and needing the Gospel c
Christ Il 90. "Repent, for the Kingdol
of God is at bap'd.' If you are alive t
these duties yoursc. 'Ves, strive TO aTo1' To!,
Others to sense of Me,. perll anu slo'n l
and seek in every way to spi S1 'av ,y,s'.a sun
tilying influences of His Hol, onutu .e.
until dHmen, from the least to the gr, @''S
shall do Him reverence.