The herald., 1894-06-11
ABS gTElY PURE

meeting of Christians, VIII .ther he had
gone for special advice. L felt my heart
strangely moved
! Later George Williams went to Lon
don as a clerk in the large mercantile es-
adjustment OF George Hitchcock g. Co.,
] st. Paups churchyard Here he found
himself among a thousand clerks, most
OF them irreligious and many profigate.
| The surrounding influences Of these
clerks was anything but that which
would conduce to moral life, not to say
religious. Most of these young men
were married men, away from home and
home influences, largely unknown in a
great city. Their rooms were small an d
badly ventilated, with no attractions to
keep them in after business hours. No
place for social intercourse and recrea-
ton, except the tavern" A large ma
jority Of them assemble here, where
they found plenty OF genial company
and drifted into conviviality, moral
degradation and ruin. A picture which
cannot too wildly be described, and lie
too often psralleled in our own city to-
day.
It is almost a miracs-George Will
liams did not soon reach the hearts of
the large number OF his fellow clerks,
and he would not have done so had it
not been for that Divine power which
had been implanted in his soul. He
sought and prayed for friend and COM
psnion like. minded with himself They
prayed and studied their Bibles to-
gether. BY and by, through their efforts
several others were converted and joined
them. Their room became too small.
They went to their employer and pre-
N@I IAtw t. L-.. -
they found that he was touched with
their religious life. He was q wise man
and saw the material benefits OF having
such clerks.
A little room was provided at 70 st.
Psul's churchyard, London. There re-
ligions meetings were continued end
grew in influence and power, and on
June 6, 1874, meeting OF all the
religious men in the establish ment was
called to consider the Importance and
tion in every large establishment in
London. After some discussion the or
ganization WAS completed and called the
Young Mems Christian association.
Little did these young men dream OF
how great work they had started.
George Williams planted a seed, God
gave the harvest. What Ieasc Watts
WAS to English by mnody, Robert Parkes
to Sunday schools. John Wesley to
Methodism, Neal Dow to temperance,
F. E. Clark to Christian endesvor, 30 lie
George Williams to the Young Mems
Christian associa' ion. He WAS the po-
tent, yet humble and Unconscious in
strument in doing great work, and
lives today to rejoice in the Jubilee serv-
ices.
The great achievements of the Young
Mems Christian association are little
realized by the thousands of busy men
who hurry along the streets OF our great
cities and casually read, carved IN graz
ite upon many OF the most substantial
buildings, Y. NJ. @. A.
Today there are enrolled as members
OF the Y. M. @. A. over 100000 young
men in 5147 associations in the GRID.
This vast army OF young men ere from
all classes Of eociety. Within college
walls in the United States there are over
$4,000 young men banded together in
Christ's name, standing Tor morality, So
cial purity. righteousness and all that is
holy and good. Over hundred associ-
atoms are among the million of young
men employed upon our railroads.
Into all our mercantile establish
ments the influence of the association
goes for righteousness.
Membership alone does not represent
our constituency. In the United States
Last year there were $4,000 meetings
held, with 2,500,000 young mon in at
tendance; 800 educational classes, with
20. 253 students. The material pros
perity has kept pace with the member
ship. Within thu United States there
are buildings owned by the association
valued at $4,000, 900. These buildings
are equipped for the social, physical, mem
tai and religious welfare of young men.
They are practically the only places
outside OF the saloons and immortality
where young men of whatever nation
or business are welcomed at any hour OF
the day or evening for seven days in the
week and 81 weeks in the year. Here
they are cordially welcome and sur
rounded with every elevating influence.
This work is not confined to the
United STATES, but the associations
girdle the world. Today your secretary
may start young man across the conti-
nent to New York, ana he may visit
every large city in the country, go to
London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, sail over
he viei ual0