The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-12-14
YOUNG MHN AND rnE cHuRca.
REV. WILLIAM GEORGE TRowER.

this matter, and in order to ascertain
the reasons for non-attendance, have
written letters of inquiry to young
men of different social position, and
from the numerous replies | select the
following. DR.. Washington GLADDEN.
and DR.. G. A. Dickinson's work on this
line of enquiry is especially worthy of
note:
LIST. Indifference and feeling of
hypocrisy through a lack of sincerity"
says one.
1.-THE ordinary preaching is bore
to an ordinary young man," says
another.
"The trouble lies with the young
man himself; he is out of sympathy
with God and his church, " says third.
I'd. Early training. young men"
says one, edo not attend church be-
cause of lack of home training.
The do not go, because they are not
interested, and they are not inter
ested because they have not been
taught the principles of religion at
home" Christian parents are largely
responsible for the Indifference of
young men.
Sd. Too much conscience. "Young
men," says another, "do not like to be
preached at; they do not enjoy the re-
proaches of their consciences during
the sermon. The trouble with great
many young men is, that they look
after the qualification of their passion
ate natures" Perhaps here, after all,
is one of the chief difficulties. The
young man addicted to pleasures and
practices which he knows to be wrong,
who is sitting his conscience and giy-
ing loose rein to his appetite and sell
fish desires has, as DR.. GLADDEN. de-
clares, "a very natural and cogent
reason for not attending church. He
knows he is lying to his soul, and he
does not like to go where the lie will
be flung back in his teeth"
18th. Money Making. There is a
feeling among many young men that
the standard Of the church is opposed
to the standard of the commercial
world; that practices which prevail il
commercial circles are not in accord
with the principles of the Gospel, and
that a man cannot succeed in business
if he becomes consistent churcl
member.
! 9Th. Desire for recreation. They
think that the Sunday ought to be
spent in playing base ball or foot ball
and such restful (?) occupation. Their,
is much force in this reason, but is il
a fact that such young men recreato'
Rather, it seems to me, they dissipate
9Th. Insincerity of Christians. OnC
says, What is the good of churcl
going, anyway? There is Mr.. So ant
So, you would meyer think he was
christian, to see him at his place O
business during six days of the week.
9TH. Many speak of the lack of SO
ciability. The social life of the church
is not what it should be. The thing.
most needed, says third, fare prac
teal preaching, good music, cordia
welcome to the church, and above all
the hearty sympathy of christian
people,"
Young men would like to partake O
the hospitality Of christian homes.
church should be a place where friend.
are made, for a young man cannot b;
influenced except by friends. The
should be met with bright faces anc
cheerful surroundings. One young
man says, Young men do not sool
forget lack of cordiality to strangers
If once they go into church and ar
treated coldly, they are not likely t.
go to that church again, and some
times not to any church" One maj
goes SO far as to say IF the socia
life were what it ought to be, young
men would be in the majority of tn
churches"
9Th. Habit. The young man get
into the habit of staying at home, anC
it grows upon him. He lacks the am
bition to get up early enough to dres
for church. In many cases it is la
ziness. A correspondent says, GAS w,
don't rise early enough Sunday morn
ing, young men are too tired to get VI
in time"
9th. The kind Of preaching. "Ther'
is barrier" says one man, "betweel
the church and the young man; til,
preacher does not know how to adap
himself to the young mans peculia
needs. The pulpit is too intellectual
and not magnetic enough" The,
often preach outside of his heart anC
life and over his head. Another says
''There is often, ON the part of tn;
ministers, lack of heartiness and .di
rectness which the message deserves
and which young men admire in
preacher, even they do not accept hi
message"
We have given the substance of tn,
various reasons for non-church inter
est as given by young men themselves
Some of them are, perhaps, unreason
able-some are threadbare-a few
have much weight-and the church O
Jesus Christ ought to give them tn,
attention they deserve. The function
of the church is to save men and VIII
them; the spirit of the Gospel is
seeking, saving spirit. 1t is the glor,
of the church that she reaches out tn,
hand of love, even to the unreasonable
the unbeliever and the scoffer, and b,
for earance and wisdom wins to he
cause those who are her bitterest en-
enies.
In another article we may give SOM
suggestions as to the way toreach sucl
young men. The church cannot d.
without young men; they bear HON,
the burden and heat of the day; the,
have been in the front of the battle il
the centuries gone, and the church o
Christ will always depend upon youns
men to aid her in bringing about tn,
universal "parliament of man, tn,
federation of the world"
ATjmely Bit of Advice.
In these times of grip and pneu
monia it is of great Importance tina
we should know where to look for
safe and sure remedy. A slight colo