The New York herald., 1874-12-14
CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS.
Sermon by Rev. DR.. Deems ON Holy
Playing.

Sermon By Rev. DIR. Deems ON Holy
Playing.
TIE services at the Church OF the Strangers, In
Nelson place, near Eighth street. were yesterday
morning devoted to the children more especially,
although the sermon which was preached by the
pastor, Rev. DR.. Deems, was also In tended to point
q moral for children OF a larger growth. The text
was taken from Zechariah, vli. 8, 4, 5-"Thus
saith the Lord of Hosts: am returned unto Zion,
and Will dwell in the midst or jerusalem; and
Jerusalem shall be called city OF TRUTH and the
noun tain OF the Lord OF Hosts, the holy mountain.
Thus saith the Lord OF Hosts: There shall yet
old men and old women dwell In the streets
OF Jerusalem, and every man with his stan IN MS
hand for very age. And the streets OF the City
shall be full Of boys and girls playing in the streets
thereof" After repeating the text over slowly
Dr. Deems took 1t up piece by piece, and asked the
children questions, so as to assure himself that
they unders ood perfectly what he was saying and
TO impress iorcibly upon their minds the les
son he was cndeavoring to instil. The answers
were gwen integenty and promptly by the little
ones, and considerable amusement was occa-
stoned by the ingenuousness oil some or the re-
plies Wnen the reverend doctor suggested that
70 play, and 10 play heartily, was not only con-
sistent, but almost Indispensable to O holy life, q
look OF bewilderment seemed to oyershadow the
countenances OF the "iambs;a the news seemed
too good to be true. But wnen they finally be-
came convinced tnat the pastor was in earnest
they fairly revelled In their new found JOY
When they were asked Ii they could remember
what the children were doing In Jerusalem" q shout
went up from all over the house, 'playing in the
streets,n which left no room for doubt as to their
feelings on the Sunday amusement question.
When asked what else children we're In the habit
OF doing In the Streets the preacher was for mo-
ment nonpiussed by the reply "hghtn " from lad
IN the body OF the church.
THE SERMON.
DR.. Deems explained that Jerusalem In the text
was type OF two thlngs-First, Gods Church on
eartn secondly, Gods Church IN heaven. Jerusa-
lem was city in Judea. butt upon the top OF
mountain called IlOn. The Cnurch Is like this
In truth The Churcn OF God Is the city OF our God:
ana II ever you are asked when the Church OF God
VIII De swept away you can reply never, for ever
when the last mountain ana the last city snail
be swept from the face OF the earth the Church
VIII stiil remain. A prosperous church is like
mining regions OF the Vest and as in the Oil
regions, cities ring up In few days like musn-
that way, you wouId find the houses going to rack
aud RUIN ana the streets deserted. city does
has been growing ana growing. BY The railroads.
and steamboats, which concentrate here we get
grain from the West. cotton rom the south and
that make New YORK prosperous. IL Is because OF
the churches, the good people, the praying people
that New York IS what 1t Is. 1t Is tue same with
any city as II is with any cnurch 1t 10 safe because
God "a III 1t. IL is happy because God is In 1t. 1t
Is prosperous because God Is in IT, aud when God
goes out OF 1t It's doom Is sealed so II We love
city and II we want to do 1t good we must become
PRAYING men and women: and as God loves to
dwell IN lowy ana contritc heart the only way
we can get God to come down TO New York Is
by constant prayer. A city is prosperous
when it has plenty OF Old men and
women ln II. To my mind the four sweetest
things IN the word are-nrsl, baby girls; second
baby boys; tuird, ripe, good old men; fourth,
ripe, good old LADIES'; and church, like city, Is
Prosperous when there are plenty OF old people
and children in it. Now, the text says the streets
Of that city shall be full OF girls and boys playing
IN the streets. Now, the essence OF my sermon is
10 tnat word play but what else can children do
lVoices-mWork, learn, study, pray, love, swear
fghLpD Yes, children can WORK and learn end
love and pray. and they shonld do so but then