The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-18
MISSIONS TO THE MASSES.

MISSIONS TO THE MASSES.
A Lecture Delivered ON Saturday Even
Ing, at the Musical Fund Hail.
On Saturday evening the large Musical Fund
was crowded with people gathered to hear Rev.
DR.. Hail. of Surrey Chapel, London, deliver his
lecture on omissions to the Masses"
Preceding the lecture the audience sang two
verses of the familiar hymn, "All hail the power
of jesus name" and was afterwards led in
prayer by Rev. DR.. March, of this city. George
II. Stuart, Esq, in few appropriate
remarks introduced Rev. DR.. Hall, who was
received with great enthusiasm.
Or. Hall, in commencing, spoke of the rela-
tions of the mother country and America
during the war, and reasserted, what has become
well known that the great masses OF the people
who could appreciate the liberty of country
such as ours were already in sympathy with us;
rejoicing at our success, and soTrOWful al our
1eve-ses. But the subject for the evening was
Emissions to the Masses" very comprehensive
title. He was TO speak tonight OF efforts to do
good to the great masses OF the people He
had not come to instruct Americans how to
evangelize, for nothing had interested him more
during his stay in this country than to observe
the zeal of the Christian Church in eVangelizng
the great masses who were without the pale of
the Christian Church.
It is not, then, said Dr. Hall, that I come TO
give you instruction or stimulus in pressing ON
in this work. But have appeared before you
with subject in which / was assured that YOU
had already engraved your sympathes. There
are many opportunities oil Christian effort in
connection with which am sure you far exceed
those OF other countries. | may refer to the
Public Schools. We have nothing in the way of
public instruction comparable to your Public
School system. We have been greatly mis-
taken Some said, 1--WE cannot have education
for the masses Of the people unless that educa-
ton is religious, and If 1t Is religious it must be
eccleeiastical!n And, therefore, popular educa-
cause when the people say ''you can't have
education without religion, aud religion without
church organization, that brings education into
the sectarian system; and esulting from this
we have now no efficient general system of
education. What have observed with deep in
terest in America is the way you follow the
public with the school and the church, with the
missionary and the teacher. 1t is, indeed, q
good example to be followed all over the world
Then, your churches and your public schools
are free. One sect does not govern the entire
system. This sectaTian system feel TO be most
injurious to the Chu-ch and school ITSELF 1t
Tepresses the voluntary zeal of the members-
their liberalitY-and every church suffers by
such government and support.
/ rejoice TO see the energy with which the
voluntary principle in America is carried on.
Then, again, in London we have manifesto.
tion of that which needs great improvement
The rich people go OFF into the ricn suburbs
and they leave the poor hundreds of thousands
by themselves So that those who need help
have no people near to help them. And thus
the two classes are far removed from one an
other. We have no churches where the two
classes meet, and where we can see the illustra-
tion of the true idea:-"The ricn and poor meet
together and the Lord is the Maker of them
all!" As soon as persons get little money,
they move off into the sub1rb3, leaving
the poor to take care of themselves
II is bad thing for you, Christian
ladies and Christian brethren, if you have never
entered the houses OF the poor, or sat at the bed
side OF sick brother or sister; never found
yourself among classes If little poverty-stricSen
children, 10 teach them right things aud the Holy
Word; never have found yourselves in the lower
places OF your city, to draw in the poor children
TO the Sunday School; say il is bad thing for
you II you have never had any pastoral contact
by the shake of your hand, or a loving look of
your eye, among those who are less favored by
Providence than yourself, and to feel that in
spite of the differences of social standing, you
are brother and sister IN the name OF the Lord
Jesus Christ
Then / want to say something about your
Young Mems Christian Associations. You sur
pass the mother country in this respect. l have
seen the associations in Chicago, New York, and
Philadelphia, and must say that we have nothing
like them in our country. / see the Importance
of doing just what you are doing with such
great success-not simply providing yourselves
to enrich the minds of those who are brought
in, by acknowledge of our SAVIOUR but to pro.
vide the stranger with home, and to get for
him excellent accommodations in the way OF
lodging and board.
Then in reference TO city missions, you are
doing great work. have not had the oppor-
tunity OF visits about Philadelphia as yet, but |
have been in New York. In London every mis-
slonary has one part of district, aud he must
not 90 out of that district, nor must any other
missionary go into mis- district. In New York it
IS different. Every missionary is encouraged to
preach wherever he can gather the people to-
gether. They establish missionary chapels.
But our missionaries, three or four hundred are
SIMPLY engaged to 60 from house to house in
their separate districts and read the Scriptures.
need say nothing to you about your CITY mis-
slons, Tor they surpass ours at home.
We have our sunday Schools, and you have
yours. MY time has been SO mach occupied
every Sunday In preaching, that have not had
anopportunity to go about and visit them.
Among US, very few OF the children Of the moor
attend our schools. find here as in vour dav
schools, so in the Sunday Schools, the moor arc arc
accustomed to meet, as the rest. | wisb IN vere
more so in our country. Yet the Sunday School
system is carried on TO a great degree in EnS.
land. Scarcely a church that has not got !
Sunday School, and the young peODle en-
gagged In this work with the proiessed Christian
OF older years. Many Of the teachers of Oul
schools write letters to their classes, who reaC
tnemi and are prevailed upon to entice othe
onh0reh INTO the school. There are many o
our SUNDAY school children who become mem
Ders OF church, and Sunday School TEACHERS
In my own church / have a number o
schools, because ! AN In a district of grea
poverty The children are gathered into room,
some very inadequate, but as good as we car