Morning journal and courier., 1891-01-12

0 our Sunday school has been freed from the international scheme of ready-made les-- sons, patched together from all parts of the Bible, and warranted after few moments study to fit any Sunday school class. We have made some successful beginnings, at least, towards graded ligious education. The plan which has | been so we'll begun and so enthusiastically l followed by our Sunday school teachers | and scholars will, I trust, grow in due time to larger symmetry and completion, 30 that no child can grow up in this church l without having the opportunity attractive ly forced upon him from infancy to old age of good relieious education |
 Passing on to other applications of things to all men for the gospels sake, I remark that such church will not only have it's missions, but will also be it's own mission. In other words, with statesman like foresight and adaptation of it's forms to it's surroundings, it will itself and from it's own radiant center minister to the whole community to which in Christ's name it belongs.
 But before I have gone in this direction any farther the question may fairly be in terposed, how far is it desirable that all kindsof useful charities and philanthropies should be brought under the cover of single church or organized as departments of it's worka Certainly in the present di- vided condition of Professionalism and the ! consequent waste of religious forces much good work has to be carried on by contract between the churches or through assocla- tions of good people entirely outside all ohr1ro Rnt fha is no longer an unknown spectacle in our | larger cities to see some church that has gained strength and conscience enough to seek to become itself all things to all men, and which presents in it's own organ ization and equipments a we'll ordered combination of the chief Chris tian industries and philanthropies of the age. And when church does suc- ceed Tn accomplishing this, it has one de- hons or rinterdenominational combinations in practical Christian undertakings, for these charitable societies are too much like so many helpful hands with out any body, while the church is 8 body-a permanent and living body-and not so many hands or arms working disjointedly without the unity of the body. Whatever the church lays hold of by it's philanthropies it may hope to bring within the influence and un-
 
 from Christ, who is the head over all. Moreover, in so far as any single church succeeds in becoming itself church of ap- piled Christianity in the world, it fulflls | the spiritual conditions of it's own growth, | and draws all men to itself.
 The modern church, organizing all man ! ner of Christian industries and philanthro- ! pies within itself, represents in the relig- ! ious world what the principle of combina- L. on the railway map; and although indeed this power of combination may need to find it's limits and restraints in other com ! petitions, nevertheless the key to the
 future enlargement and prosperity of the
 church lies in it's Christian acceptance and
 use of this principle of combination of all
 powers and factors which may lie within
 the reach of it's love and which belong to
 the proper sphere of it's influence. Not
 delaying, as I would like to do, to enforce
 the value of this principle of the organized
 combination of religious talents in the
 Christian capital of church-a principle
 which, I presume, can be left without ar
 gument to the approval of any enterprising
 and successful business man-I may pre-
 sent more concretely what this coming
 idea of applied Christianity through the
 church represents, and what it's works
 (some of them) may be, if I next draw
 upon your imagination for 8 picture of
 such church in it's ample endowment for
 this ministry to all men.
 In this not impossible imagination I see
 a church building which stands, not in
 some mission outskirt, but down town, or
 at some center of population, and which is
 open with generous hospitality for many
 more services than any of it's own mem
 bers may be reasonably asked to attend, ) ! yet in none of them is it deserted by the people,-a church which is a house of
 prayer, place of worship as well as fol
 the preaching of the word, having at its
 daily command, like the temple of old, the
 sound of all manner of musical instru ments, and the sweet singers voice, as
 well as varied ministry sufficient for its frequent services of teaching, praise, ol prayer. see also, not on some decorous avenue, but on the busy street, where al classes must pass, it's chapel, or rather
 should say, it's humming factory O. church industries,-a building of no mea1 l proportions, or limited plan; stepping il ! l through it's open door, l read the direc | tory of it's numerous rooms, and the notic es of the good works going on at almos ! every hour of the work days; on it's lowel l floor I glance into room sufficient, ] spacious where may be held lectures ant meetings ofprayer for things found needed in it's work; I pass by. the children's depart
 ment fitted up with whatever experienc may have suggested as useful il teaching the children of tn , poor to grow up self-he1pful to cleanly ane ! l wholesome lives; I notice with some sur ? prise, yet pleasure, the office, with it 2 hours, for the good physician, wher ? l younger doctors, eager from their hospita experience, are to be found in turn fo , ! any orders which some church fund ha ] provided for that purpose, as well as fo | such service of competent nurses as it being all things to all men may require pass by the doors of smaller clas rooms, where cultivated girls find oppor tunity to enjoy making their accomplish
 ! ments useful, and where also Christian , ! women of good domestic sense may shoy ? other less favored women how to liv frugally and to make homes and to brin, up their children properly, 80 that SO man through the dispensation of ignorance ,, Stopping for few moments to make in quiries at different bureaus of employ
 ment, instruction or relief, pause t
 observe with pleasure the well arrange :. and well lighted parlor for any workin z girls who cannot afford an evening -fresid : for themselves, and who would hardly en joy it alone,if they could; and do not fa
 to notice the boys rooms, of course, an
 l gymnasium, ana alSO Clo nall TOT SC6n1 . entertainments,-c and rooms fo D prayer being no longer needed for sue , purposes; and, besides these things, tn . church parlors, which have been place . in the Masters spirit in it's ow Q working house; and I notice man P other appointments, such as bath rooms, kitchens, reading rooms an !, other appliances for use and edifcation Q too numerous now to mention, as I ar 2 carried by the busy elevator from story t u story of this house of applied Christianity q built by the church of all things to all men fo . the gospels sake-a church and buildin d d in which the great-hearted apostle Paul uu after taking it all in, would find himsel gloriously at home. And way up in tn n sixth or seventh story of it, must not fo, IT IT get to add, are the living apartments fo ;. ~ the assistants who are needed to superir , tend this varied but well-organized manr :" factory of Christian goods. You ar 'ass drawing on your imagination indeed, wi 'o some one say, and your picture is fancifr enough. Nay, but can give you th ! o&r &1o