, 1874-07-13


Htinll bo conBocratotl 10 roffgfuu md oxtotllo In
building ample and attractive churches III Tho
mttlat Of this norconary hive You nro to Bay;
SION sions % bniline 4 o. S 5othos III oap}a's - % %asylums,
and; homes for tho friondloss, and Il, tbia
and orery generous why aodiao tho
w%sda Of povoTty, ignoraneo snd wtete
aonied that tho churches Which lift their Bptros
ovor' tI8: liarbors' OF a worlda conanorre, and
Bolr,d ont tho cali Of tho Sabbath ball along the
RtroeB whore oil tito zones interHoot ench other,
and whoroa 1anguagoH babble m tho market
bl[ty resting upon ttoin.
And thon you nil bo still n1or6 Impressed with
thu importanco Of this" field Of operation whom
you consider tho fact that the alont, loarning,
lum Of ration's thought aud culture are priil-'
clpally assembled tn tho large towlB and cities.
/ TO not rropoHo to tlisparaEe tho intelligence OF
tic rural population blt aftor M tho Goorgios and
Ducoics that have been written oil tho superior
clarma and freedom, freshness aud sweetness, Of
q country lifo; from Virgil down to T!iorea,i, 1t
still remains truo; that ho tnon Of 1noht rcstlcaHr
ambition, aud indomitablo onorgy for making
money, specializing md wild adventure, r,iHh
wliere Tho batt!o Of life ~ fought most hoty and
fight. Tin mon possessed with political, legal
medical; CLERICAL or scholarly aspiration, find
horo tho '9eanH Of SUCCESS, acquiring knowledge.
and ginning distinction most amply provided;
Here arc tho great librarlos, art galleries. aid
muaeu,ns Ct NATURAL scientific, antllitorary curl
ositios. The boBt law, medical, theological,
and commercial schools ato usually In OF near
these groat Hocial ind buainoss contros.' For
tlloHe and kindred reaAonH, tho mon of science,
tho lovers Of art and literature, tho ablest min
listers, lawyers, doctors, and politicians love to
flock to tho cities. The consequence Isl tho city
governs tho country. It ia tho brain Of
tile milton. All tho elootrio lines Of thought
oonyergo aa3g hero. Hero I'LL, aro the ,t ynst
aond forth the scliool-bcoks, popular literature,
tho periodicals and newspapers Which manulac-
tnropublio opinion, and gradually porinonto the
MASSES with their political moral, mid religious
idoaa, passions: and feclngs.' In short, tho city
stands amidst tho population ;eproad oycr this
broad land AZ q huge mountain Of social md
educational forces, whose atfpnmH' Of Thought
fashion, and custom irrigato all tho plains and
valloys far and noar,
Now, it Ii for you to say, who occupy thoso
gof1co, whethorthoso strea.ns ahatl'fertiltzc tho
country with truth and noble inspiration, or be-
como r soureo OF miasn,n and death. It ia for
you to ssy Whether tho 'thouBhuds~of tray-
elers who como" here to trade or for
recreation. who throng your strcet-oars
hotols, sllnl naot mono who seem to- be intorest-
cd In their welfaro but tho drummer OF iohbing-
house. tho porter Of thoatro, or ono Of tho lay-
entlerola recruiting Of tl,osooial ho!ls
brity and l1appihcss With tho taint mud loosenoss
Of city ways aud nlannorH. It isfor yol' to Bay
whether that groat lido Of foreign emigration
annually pouring, Into tho boBon1 Of our largo
towns mud cftios, shall entail upon a tho vices,
Ignorance. and irroigion Of tho Old World, or,
by the quickening aud rofining influences of our
civil nntl religious institutionp bo made TO con-
tribute a geuorous and important element to our
civilizations. It is for you to" say how far the
stal'9art, ontcrprislng. young mon who Annually
mercial.' law, and medical schools or
the, young mon growing up in our midst,
alnl1 be m honor nnd m ornament
tosociety, or blight and ourHe! 1t'is for You
to say whether the thousands Of eliltllnn now
througing your public schools and filling tho
homes Of wealth aud poverty alike with thoir ill.,
nooent m1rth aud sunny lnughter ahall bo swept
out by the great tides Of wiokadnesB horo into
those broaiera whonce 80 fcw ever rotttr,l. It ia
ovidont, atleaBt, that city churches, standing at
tho focnB Of q natona learning aud social powor
mud holding III thoir hands the diverging lines Of
alt communication havo a most fearful Weight Of
responsibility laid upon them. Tho rurai Chrie-
tian in biz cottago-home may safely so to sleep,
littlo troubled BY tho porpla1ing prob!ems Of Ho-
cioy; but you WHO staua viii, your hands upon
the switch, whore all tho great trains
Of thought and COMMERCE dash naomenlarily
by, dare not a1oep. The churches which
shed thoir light over. those DARK, Wild
breakore Of SOCIAL folly. vice. md temptation,
let single burner grow DIM. Here there is ono
department Of tho Churci's work, and ono that
claims precedent to all other fields. II yo1
wol1lti save tic country, you must first convert
tho city. tits over this setboriun, this arterial
centre Of social and civil lifo and action, That
these numerous city churohog, In tho providence
Of God, aro detailed as aontinels, md there aro
no other guarda that can for q monont foliovo
them OF their important duty;
It may, be- we'll for us NOW to make o sort
of reconnaissance Of this ntronchol camp OF
wtckcdueBs, and SEQ whnt the chances aro Of
succoss: Paul'a spirit WAS stirred within him OIL
entoring. Athens, because ho found. tho city
wholly given up to iaolatry. Tho passionate lust
placo aud power, is tho first thing that would mr.
rest his attention were he to visit modern city
aud nowhere would ho find this exclusive do
votion toA1amnon so great as in this country.
And tho reason Ia obvious: wo have no privi-
lodged clasHeB, founded on ancestral poliEreo.
tho bark on his family tree. Money IL tho groae
symbol of distinction, power, and influence in
America; ut its touch au pow doors fly open; Il
carries of tho lionors OF tho universities and
mannora. may bo booriHl,,' his education impor-
foct his personal appearance loutiHh and for
bidding, his morals bad,' but IT ho has plonty OF
money. ho. can, brayo. public opinion, WOO
the fair, and find hinlsolf honorahly
mentioned in u the papers 10 aeols for woslth b
certainly . most laudable ambition; but, in q
country like OURS, where wealth is almoat the
only taB'nan Of power, it is worry easy for the
groat naHs OF tile people to forget lts moro noblo
dread poverty rs the ouly perdition ono nesd try
to avoid.
Now, it is in the largo towna and cities that
this exclusive t!onlinationof material ntorouta