Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-16
DUTY OF CHRISTIANS.
Only Through Them Can the City Be
Saved from Sin.
DIR. YOuNG's PLAIN SERMON
ue Discusses sunday Liquor seinng'
Gambling, and Other EVhs-"'.
Vc~,or Church DeNicatcd--innu-
encc OF Mothers-Sunday services

A large CONGREGATION assembled at
Park Place church Sunday night TO hear
Dr. Youngs sermon on the subject: shall
Richmond BE Redeemed? Who Shall Re
deem It?' lie spoke in part as follows:
Bryce. in his American Commonwealth"
makes the remark that the tendency
with our civic life is for the man In office
to become the mere servant OF the peo-
pie. while the people themselves become
the true rulers. 1t is unquestonably
true that those in authority will do what
the people bid them do. II for no other
reason for selfish ends. My sympathy
often goes out to those who have 10 en-
force the laws The vicious element
clamor for immunity. because their living
is In their trade: while the better part
Of the community are silent, giving hot
one word Of cheer 20 the men who have
sworn 10 uphold the law. Sometimes we
are indifferent. Sometimes we assert
that II Is not our business. Sometimes
we fear To get mixed in what we think
IS so corrupt Sometimes we are afraid
our pocket-books will suffer. Think how
blessed Richmond IS in having such a
large percentage Of her citizens connected
with the churches OF the city Suppose
now these same men felt the obligation
of Christian citizenship resting upon
them. what a mighty reformation might
be enacted Their Is a sense, then, In
which we are all responsible for the desc
Grafton Of the sabbath. the gambling, the
election frauds. in our midst. III Chris
tians We cal ourselves. then must our
citizenship be a Christian citizenship. VA
must not sing Of Heaven until we alto
gether forget the duty Is on MS as far
as possible T. make this city correspond
to the New Jerusalem. Let us not for
get the general effect for evil Of the VIC
Iation with impunity Of any set Of laws.
Better not have the law than the per
petual violation OF Il. 1t means anarchy
at last.
If ONE, THEN ALL.
In one man may violate one law. The
privilege may not be denied another.
why. then. may / not close Up altogether
the saloon | hate so much. and refuse
10 recognize the license given by the
State? Let us remember the eff ct on
the moral and religious welfare Of the
city. These mouths Of hell Pct many
who have already given themselves - the
Church. while those we might otherwise
reach are in the clutches OF those evil
forces that we refuse TO destroy | am
well aware that we cannot make people
good by legislation. Nor can we make
hem well bv the same process But we
AN help both the morality and tho health
BY good laws well enforced. ] would
'emind You Of the DAMAGE 70 your ma
.erial welfare Indeed. d'sohaaience to
hose laws that tell on the moral interests
II the State will at last work damage
10 every concern Of the people. | am
astOunded when ] hear Christians nloaf
that the gambler Is liberal or n good EEL
low. and argue n benefit from his us' ~
ais money. He can only be a curse. He
gets money that belongs 10 others end
would be wisely expended He creates
no values adds not q pennv 70 fha we"'th
Of the peonle. Pesdes oil this, his is ne
outlawe1 by law human and Divine. Is
IL not enough that the s1lOon mars vour
men SIX davs IN the week? Sh9ll II have
better chance at them on tho LORD 8
Oav. ana 50 that day become curse?
I beg YOU think Of these things. DO not
,orrct that YOU are the salt OF the earth
fear sometimes We have our salt in
Sqrs and stored away in the warehouse
II the Church But because we have
mch mighty religious forces in Richmond
call on YOU 70 clean out the corruption
" the city and TO make II pure.
The influence of Mothers.
Rev r. T. Wilson's morning sermon at
Clay-Street Methodist church was from
Psalms. xcH. y: He shall grow like
cedar In Lebanon" The discourse beau
ufully brought out the analogy between
The growth OF the righteous and the
growth Of the cedars Of Lebanon. The
theme Of the evening sermon was Moth
er's Influence" from the text, Psalms,
cxyL, l6: "Oh Lord. truly ! am Thy
servant; | am Thy servant and the son
Of Thy handmade Some one has SAID,
"the hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world" Another has said. "a mother Q
influence Is more than the pulpit Tor
good. and more than thrones for good
. or evil" In the text David refers 10
his mother as Gods handmade, and seems
to indicate that some Of her good traits
had come 10 him by inheritance. David 5
mother Is one OF the long list OF unnamed
heroincs whose characters have made
their impress upon the world for good.
That the traits Of a mothers character
are transmitted 10 her offspring is a
scientific fact, borne out by human eX'
perience To Illustrate this truth me
speaker drew many illustrations from the
lives Of historical characters. Inc
mothers influence Is most potential be
cause II is exerted when the chlld j.
most impressibc The mind on lh'
infant is a blank upon which the mother
writes what she Will. and writes IL there
forever. Before the meaning Of world
is known the child reads the language
of action. Through this influence
coupled with good traits inherited SOM
children seem to grow up into pure ah'
,,olle ,tvcs almost without effort. The vi
tality of a mothers influence is wonderful
lasting often through years OF sin, an
having It's effect finally in retaining tn
wandering child. The Potentially Of
mothers influence was shown in tn
powerful and extensive influences oftel
exertcd by their children, notable Illus
tratsons Of which were drawn from IN
lives OF John Newton, st. Augustine. an
others. In concluding the discourse Ny
Wilson earnestly pleaded with mothers L
live such lives as would impress thei
children FOR good 10 teach them 10 b
pure and noble. and the dignity of ser
vice, especially service rendered 20 God
and the identity Of their interests Wit
HIS
The story of Cain and Abel.
The Rev Lewis L. Hite preached a
the New-Church mission rooms Sunda
morning on the STORY Of Ca n an
Abel" and lectured in the evening o
''rhe Second Day" The story OF Cal
and Abel. he said tells OF the first az
pearance OF the doctrine and life of fat
alone in the religious history Of the rae
The story describes the religious conditio
OF the race Immediately after the fal
The outcome Of the sppeal TO the sslse
as the test OF truth and as the source c
real tuioVfnarf WAS the degpln.