The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-20
CITY INTELLIGENCE.


iron ADDITIONAL LOCAL ITEMS SEE OUTSIDE PAaRs1
Cry CHARACTERIZATION. Rev. John
Moore delivered a sermon on the above subject
last evening, at the Wharton Street Presbyte-
ran Church. HIS text was Matthew XII Is
And II came to pass when Jesus had made An
emo oil commanding his twelve disciples, he de-
cities.p
The preacher said the labors of Christ were
mostly confined to cities, and the same was
true OF the Apostles whom He sent forth. There
was an evident design in this, Cities were the
centres OF influence, aud controlled essentially
the countries where they existed The city Of
Jerusalem was, in an important sense, Pales-
tine; the city OF Rome, the Empire; and Athens
was Greece. Christ kneT that II the Gospel
was established IN the large cities 1t would
radiate from them into the country. He told
the Apostles that when they we're not received
in one city to fee TO another.
At the present day great cities are emluently
centres OF influence. In no country is this more
the case than in this. Boston, New York and
Ph1ladelphia are sending out continually pulsa-
tons OF influence which are felt all over the
country. Our cities increase very rapidly hay-
ing continually pouring into them multftudes
OF human beings not only from different parts of
this country, but from foreign nations. These
need the Gospel, and the iuture OF our naticn
must depend very much on our success in reach
ing them with the Gospel. 1t is one of the
most important questions of the day, How are
the masses IL our great cities to be reached?
They cannot be reached in the ordinary way of
preaching. The most OF them never enter
go TO them IN every possible and laudable way.
Christ and the early preachers did not wait for
men to come to them in the established and
ordinary way, but they went to them. They
preached publicly and taught privately as they
had opportunity, in the temple, the marketplace,
the synagogue, the wayside, and elsewhere. In
the text 1t is declared that Christ 'departed
thence to teach and to preach in their cities.n
An eminent commentator says that this in
cludes public preaching and private instruction.
In this work He was not absolutely confined to
nIapna. a. 10 20
opportunity. ..s -. ...
There should be more open air preaching.
Thousands can be reached in this city in this
way that otherwise would never hear the Cos
pei. During greatpart of the year this method
OF reaching the outlying masses might be sue
cessnlly carried out. Ministers and churches
should be alive to this; the responsibility rest
ing upon them Is very great. They should not
hesitate to adopt and encourage this method of
doing good, from false notions of dignity or pro-
prlety. 1t Is honorable and digni6ed in the
highest sense to preach the Gospel faithfully
wherever we can reach human beings. The
preacher laid great stress on this mode of pro-
noting evangelization in this city.
He regarded the Sabbath School institution
as very important fundamentally for reach
ing the youth; but much depended on the mode
Of conducting it. 1t is useful in proportion as
1t Is made subservient in bringing the young
under the influence of the sanctuary. A Sab
bath School may be conducted in such way as
positively to 1njure the church with which it is
connected. The members of school should be
brought up to attend Divine worship; they
snOuld De Drought under the influence of
preached Gospel. Unless this institution is
made subservient to this it will accomplish but
little. Multitudes of the home heather of this
city were once members of Sabbath Schools,
and not having formed the habit of attend ding
Divine worship while scholars, when they left
the Sabbath School they turned their backs on
all the means of grace and religious instruction.
This is a vital point; and until it receives
proper share of attention, this institution will
fall far short of doing the amount of good it
otherwise would accomplish.
The circulation of tracts is another impor-
tant way of promoting city evangelization.
tract has often been the means of saving soul
from death. There is one small tract published
by the American Tract Society, which several
years since was found 10 have been the means
of the conversion of four hundred persons.
But much depends on the spirit with which
tracts are distributed. We need men and
women with hearts overho wing with Christian
feeling to circulate these, who in their very
looks as well as words show to others their
hearty interest in their welfare.
In prosecuting the work OF city evangelizaton
in general, we should cherish strong confidence
in the Gospel as adapted to the proposed end.
The human soul is the same it ever was, and the
Gospel has not changed. 1t is now the power OF
God unto salvation, and will Lbe to the end OF
time,