The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-01-30
communicated,

Communicated,
Looking over the congregations &
our different churches l have oftel
been struck with the absence of tina
class which would seem of all other
to be more readily inclined to aceep
the doctrines of christianity, Chris
not only said that "The poor ye hav
always with you" but when adding
to the evidences of his Messiahshil
to the disciples of John the Raptist,h
closed with these remarkable words
"And the poor have the gospel prea
ehed to them" Why is it, then, tina
so few of the poor are found at on
churches, on Sunday especially? |
is easy enough for q family in com
Portable circumstances to attend t,
the requirements of religion, but it il
n terrible strain to those who have tt
strive for the natural bread of life. Tn,
natural and inevitable law of poverty
is self-humiliating, It falls as necessa
rily upon the poor mans moral life
as darkness enyelops night. Its ten
dency is to keep down those enliven'
ing hopes aud higher aspirations
which make US happy here on earth
and give us hopes of peace hereafter,
This feeling Of indifference on the
subject of religious obligations is
much deeper and more general in oul
cities and towns than amongst the
rural population; and this does not
spring wholly from the fact that there
are more indictments in one place
than the other to quench all enquiry
on the subject of religion, but in town
the CLASSES of society are more sharp
ly drawn and the poor man feels more
keenly the depressing influences that
nang like an incubus upon his emo
tlonal desires for a better and purer
life, Asa rule poor people are not an
educated class and have not even the
pride of intellect and refinement
Of manners to offset their want
of means, and they feel neglect
ed by W churches. 1t is a very
trite remark that has crept into
all of our discussions which con-
Germ Il secular welfare, that the
rich can take care of themselves, but
who is the man or the party that will
look after the interests OF the poor?
Perhaps it would not be treason, ii
SANDER. to say that this same
postulate Of unacknowledged philoso-
ply will sometimes apply to church
people seeking the good of their fell
lows. 1t is not q very difficult mat
ter even here in any OF our towns to
get up a well-built edilice as a church,
lor religious communities must be
governed either by pride or pietS
when erecting such costly temples in
the name of God, who, as we inter-
pref His will, would rather have the
burning tears of one broken-hearteu
penitent than st. Peters, decorated
with the finest productions of ar.
from the ancient and modern woriG
and built with the splendid ruins OF
civilization over which the
imperial Caesars presided in the
plenitude of Roman power. Our
.oaviou" clearly proved that it was
me temple of the human heart that
came to build up,and did not even
luud the splendors of the Jewish
in the city of David, for at His
asst visit to that celebrated citadel OF
Jewish pride and wealth and power,
His disciples called His attention to
the fluted columns, splendid pilasters
md finished cOrnices, and without
)ne word Of admiration He simpI,
yold them of the dread doom thai
lung yer its sun-lit dome. If | an
lot mistaken not one of His Apostles
aver dedicated q church, while then
preferred the green slopes OF
he mountain-side, with their run
ling brooks and sylvan shades ana
"arbling birds and u skies, or the
with its placid waves, it,
1road eXpanse, its murmuring breeze.
These mighty piles of brick and NOR
ar may be evidences of u wealth
md pride and progress, but whether
hey comport with the best interests
If true ana vital Goodness is a ques
ion on which many have long enter
aimed serious doubts. One-half OF
he money devoted to these costly
houses OF worship, spent for the ben
lit of the nelghboring poor in some
good clothes in which to dress them
elves and their children for Sunday
ervices, rendered in a gentle, chris
ian spirit, might ill many of our
'hurches with Il class Of people whom
'ur preachers seldom meet. While
We are collecting thousands of dollars
.nnually for the heather in Asia,
africa and in the isles of the sea, we
ne letting thousands perish at home
or the same kind of care. Christ and
lis disciples went about doing good,
uniting up the ''lost sheep of the
louse of Israeli and if the poor peo-
OF our cities are ever brought
the influence of the gospel
hey will have to be hunted by the
God men and women of our church.
8 not merely with testanents, tracts
nd hnnniliac hut nnnn n.ln4.