The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-16

younger male population who are attendants at
churchq 1t is stated that with a great many of
those young men their business is the hindrance
being employed at something where Sunday la
Dor is compulsory. very large percentage of
the employees of railroad offices are young men
of this description. But this only be com
paratively small number of the whole. What
becomes of the othersl The majority of them
III this city are spending their Sundays in sleep,
In hotel Hobbies, in saloons and in beer gar
dens. In Cincinnati the theaters, beer gardens,
saloons and all other places Of amusement are
open and absolutely without hindrance. Very
few OF these young men have any estimate of
the advantages to be gained by attendance at
the house Of God on the Lords day. hold
that this attendance at church is the
best possible thing that could be done with this
time, for various reasons The educational ad-
vantages are such as it is impossible to obtain
elsewhere. Then, hold that it is really very
healthy practice, as the additions necessarily
performed make cleanliness, and the change of
clothing is also help There IS no better rest
for mind, heart or body than change of thought
and occupation, such as is necessary in church
attendance.
One of the greatest illusions of the age is the
idea of the workingman's day of rest, as it is
now carried out. Glorious pictures made
by its advocates of the way in which the
poor laborer who has aoiled hard all week goes
with his wife and children to the woods, or to
some public park, or to friends house, and
spends his day in rest and happiness. If such
were the case the laboring mans rest
ton. But such is not generally
the case. The majority of the men go to the
beer gardens, to the saloons to other places of
amusement and spend their time in idleness, and
their hard earned wages which they can so i'll
afford to lose, in drink. Instead, then OF its
having been day of rest, some of them 60 home
drunk, worn out and entirely unfit for the next
days labor when it comes.
Another argument is that Sunday is a day
for reading If the most wholesome reading
was always selected this would be very good
argument and a very good thing; but in many
instances it is very far from this The merest
trash being read; and what better could possibly
be read than could be heard from the ministry.
The ministry is one Of the greatest Of educa
tional mediums in the land. The pulpit
makes the vicious men ashamed of their
action. and holds back the youth from
the ways that are death Many
statesman has confessed that but for the word
he heard from the pulpit he would now be worse
than nobody. 1t is true that there are some ex-
ceptions, some fugitives from justice, but these
are only isolated examples. One of the disciples
of Christ betrayed his Master. The associations
man keeps have argely to do with his his rep
utation, and at the Lords house he cannot meet
any associations to backen it. The aim of re-
llgion is to increase your manhood. The gospel
is adapted to all men n ali stages of life the
young man, the middle aged man and the old
man. The man who has conquered himself by
the gospel is erander than the battle stained
hero.