The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-06-03
A SERMON FOR THE TIMES.

Church of st. Louis, delivered sermon lew
weeks ago, for the benefit of young men, from
which we extract the following, as given in o
st. Louis paper. 1t says:
Mr.. Monteith read his text-a clause in the
18th verse of the I'd chapter Of Zecharlah !:
..Run-Speak to this Young Man,
After the reading of the text, the preacher
stated that "notice" had been handed him to
read; but he reluctantly declined to do So be-.
cause, if he made commencement OF reading
notices there, the place might be flooded with
them, and the enterprise might fall under the
imputation of being an advertising medium.
On concluding preliminary application OF
his text to the subject, he held that young men
were exh0rted to reformation, when they could
not reclaim themselves from the very nature OF
the circumstances that surrounded them; but
thew could not be reformed till the refOrmers
themselves were better and more III accord
with the spirit of the reformation to be sought.
If we would lift Young men, we ourselves must
become more like Christ, who went down
among sinners and supped with them. He re-
ferred, with deep feeling, to the young men OF
the city and the fearful temptations that sur.
rounded them-the wan and sunken cheek and
the various evidences of dissipation, and appli,
ed the text by saying if we would save them
we must, indeed, "run" and make good haste
before they were utterly lost How soon they
become contaminated with the vices of city
after leaving their rural homes in the country :
He had means of knowing of many young men
who, but few weeks ago, would blush at the
thought OF their present acts, in admitting to
their society those angels of darkness who
were sowing the seeds of irrevOcable destruc-
T., ia
son of Christian parents, and but lately from
under their influence, who now held the keys
of one of the vilest dens of the city. But he
was not lost None were wholly lost if they
could be reached with good words and knowl-
edge of the boundless consultations of religion.
But we must make haste and run to speak to
them.
Young men were nowadays reproached with
the term fast" But if they were fast, the
preachers must be proportionatey fast H.
deed the religion of the day was not fast enough.
The world was going away from it. We want
activity -mOtion-life-labor for good to com
bat the working Of inquity. The devil will be
in motion-let us keep pace with him. Let
evil go abroad and do its worst; but let good
be alongside to c0unteract it. Christianity was
not defective in itself; but It's champions were
mopish and had given it an oplate whlchwas
false to its intent. The weekly dlshing up Of
4 mess of scientific theology would never reach
the young men of the day. They are only puz-
zled with the problems resented-bewildered,
not instructed nor charmed away from follow
ing after evil. Ii any one should 60 To learn
bread-making and should have read to him
chemical analysis of n loaf of bread, he would
despair ut the outset of his apprenticeship
So-although he did not decry the science OF
contendcd the young man was
driven away from religion oftener than drawn
BY the form in which it was presented to him.
Sensation was dccred We must have scnsa-
ton. The greatest sensationist," said he.
THAT ever walked the earth was seen and heard
in the person of my Lord and Master, Jesus
Christ; and he sent ont seventy men 10 publish
the sensation in many lands. But there WAS
truth in it He believed there vas something
else necessary to be held ont to the young be-
side the mere form of religion. ADJUSTMENTS
were too much decried. The people required
amusement-they must have it-and it they
can't have it with religion, they will have It
without. If you say to the young man don't
play billiards. don't play ten-pins and don't
tell him what to do except to pray, you disgust
him. You can't begin aud end the business
with prayer meetings. But come to him in q
reasonable mood-lct him enjoy himself nno-
Gently, but try to teach him to beware of cx-
cess; not to play for plays sake, but for the
good it may do him, or that when play or rec
reation becomes an evil to put it away. The
church had been denOuncing theatres for CEN
turtles: but just IN proportion as they were SO
denounced they went on increasing and pros
pering in proportion as they were denounced.
There was good in amusement, notwithstanding
evil came of it. The churches did not discrm-
mate properly between good thing and the
abuse of It. You cannot hang n cold resOu-
ton about young mans neck, or put q dry
tract down before him, and expect him to save
himself with these. Go to him-spcak to him
let him fee. that you really feel for him, and
that you desire his salvation. They are not
lost, these young men-they have hearts-the
hearts they had in childhood, and that respon-
ded in tenderness to a mothers affection, are
not wholly gone. If you can awaken the sleep.
ing emotions instilled by a mothers love, you
will touch the secret spring that shall give You
command of his being And when you find
be a child in Chrst-do not give him the med
icine good for an adult; don't give him blue
pill or jalap If a child is sick it needs to be
watched and tended and crooned over with
that mystical influence that only q mother can
employ. Young men must be approached with
such a peculiar responsiveness.
He made very eloquent appeal to employ
and Others-to employ strong
er influence for the reclamation of their EN-
ployees but held, with peculiar emphasis.
that to drive out the angel of darkness let
those of goodness and charity 20 in and say,