The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-30
CHURCH DUTY TO YOUNG MEN.

/ CHURCH DUTY TO YOUNG MEN.
Suggestions for Attracting and Holding
the Young-So Effective Substitute for
the Power of the GospeI and Christian
Living.
! There is manifest reason why, in
| Western towns and cities, special effort
should be directed toward young men,
Tuey constitute, numerically, large
part of every such community. They
are large factor in the present energy
and life of the town, and in few years
they Will control its commercial and
public life.
They are, moreover, subject TO pecul-
lar temptations. The machinery of
evil Is set especially to snare them.
| This is true, of course, OF the groSSer
forms of evil. Temptations to intem-
perance, and RIGHTEOUSNESS and gam
bling allure them on every side These
denS fatten on the blood of Young men.
| But it is true also Of temptations OF a
more reputable, but well-nigh equally
! fatal, sort that there are set for Young
men. Eneryat ne amusements that
| steal the time, brains and money: false
| ideas of commercial success and low
| standards of commercial honor: sliding
! scales OF conscience; shallow and gilt
! terinG social life, alm0St demanding the
/ reckless expenditure of money. These
and other Ike forms Of temptation pave
a genteel sort of way to the demorali-
Zation Of character. and so 10 the final
ruin of muItitudes of the capable and
| goodly young men
As against these forces of evil. and as
against intellectual unrest and doubt !
also. the church needs a type of manly |
Christian vigor. The young man saved |
from these vaTiOus brought into |
the church not only, but up to a high !
standard of active and aggressive |
Christian living would constitute the !
best defense of the truth For the sake. /
then, of their personal salvation, and |
for the sake of the tone which consc- |
Grated manhood would gi.e to church |
lite. and the answer it would give to |
skcptical cavil, there is Il peculiarly |
loud call to the church to give herself /
10 the salvation of young men.
The first thing to do is to get hold of |
the young men. And if we used as |
much energy and ingenuity in our eff |
forts TO attract them 10 the churches as |
the world does TO draw them up into its
ways, the churches would be full of |
thu m. In this, al in other forms of |
church work, it is personal interest that |
will tell. A friendly hand on John b. |
Coughs shoulder turned his steps 4 |
friendly hand and voice. al assurance |
OF welcome and interest that is heart |
deep. will as certainly bring young men !
into church as the opposite spirit keeps |
them out
But after all, the chief difficulty is in |
keeping the Young in the churches.
BY early education, association and |
habit, they cou,e readily into the
church. Perhaps they graduate from
the Sundav-School to the church serv-
ice. But presently the strong world
pull comes Their pleasures, pcrhaI
their business, seem to antagoniZe their
early habits. Pretty soon the slip
away. go to church irregularly, perhaps
not at AL. How thea shall the church
hold on them be strong enough to keep
trem in spite of the Strengthening Sc
ductions of the world?
1t is often attempted along social
lines. They are not to be ,despised or
neglected A cordial greeting in a
church parlOr to = Young man who
vibrateS only between the store and a
cherries clearinghouse iis a mighty
counteraction to evil. Better vet is
personal interest in the Young men on
the part of families i'll the church. by
which home-parlors are ,occasjo naliy
open, and opportunities given for the
amenities of social LIFE At the same
time these are only accessories. and
should be so regarded. The real power
TO hold Young men In church is the
power of the Gospel. as it appears in
the pulpit, the B. bie-class and the vigor
of Christian living. There is no effect
i've Subs'itutA for this And it comes 1T
last to the simple fact thai the attraction
to the church center will he according
to the force of the Christiaa life to be
found there. Even the un~odlv will
flee from lifeleSS Orinconsisten1 church.
They may be personally indifferent to
the claims of the truth, but haEing gone
TO church. they do not seek . sham.
They will be influenced only lsT great
reality. And certainly if the aim Of
church work IS the salvation OF souls.
ONLY that church will keep the respect
of the keen young life about if which
works stead " toward that aim. With
ont that. all else is but the rattle of ma
chinery, with no power And direct
and earnest efforts put forth TO bring
Young men 10 Christ vii succ ED. SUCH
efforts will lind potent allies in the .
mem0iies of home. in the force of early J
training often. and in fhe natural long
ing of young lie that has not been
wholly corrupted.
But after the young have joined the
church. the work that on the part of t
church officers requires most wisdom {
and skill Is the work of training. Young 9
life is full of energy. 1t will have an |
outlet of some sort. Training is to give t
it the direction of noble living and to L
teach it the best Use of its power That I
is partly work Of teaching. To this
end (aSiie from pulpit instruction, e
which is always supposed the best t
brains of the church should be at the 4
service of the young. III the Sabbath O
school, and in special classes for u
special Biblical instruction the best fur C
bnd o. ha |