The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-20

Gymnasium classes .................. 30
Attendance '..''''....''' ''''''''.'''. S'f%o
8 stsss taken ... $50
Directors and committee meet a,
Directed to boarding places......... 81
Assisted to employment. j
Building open week days q. m. to
Building open part Of sundays. g
Attendance (estimnted) ............ 5000
Membership .".........''. '...'..'... -. ~ ~
Current expenses .......,........,,.$1O5 a
Rev. DR.. Schwarm. pastor of the
English Lutheran church, preached an
anniversary sermon, which was in part
as Is given below:
run. speak to this young man.
Zach, 2; 4.
II have written unto you, young men.
because ye are strong, and the word
Of God abideth in you, and ye have
overcome the wicked one."-1 John.
The great Importance OF the young
man In the kingdom OF God Is shown,
first. by the honors God has heaped
upon young men. as shown in his
Word; and. second. by the special eff
forts the Christian church has made,
and Is making. to save the young men
and interest them In the work OF the
kingdom.
God fully showed his sense OF the
importance OF winning the young man
TO his cause when he commanded the
angel to run and speak to Zachariah
and tell him that Jerusalem should
again be inhabited as a city without
walls, on account OF the number OF In
habitants and cattle that should be
therein. He wished to win the young
man, Zachariah. TO make him a prophet
Nil e.. NkaSK kaA
TO lead them forward In hope. God
could have commissioned the angel to
tell the people OF Israel that Jerusalem
would again be inhabited, but he pre-
ferred to make use OF this young man,
both for his sake and for the sake OF
his kingdom.
So God has all along through the
history OF his kingdom on earth made
much use OF young men. Abraham was,
comparatively young man when God
chose him to make him n blessing to
all the nations OF earth. Joseph was
but asyoung man when God made him
the virtual ruler OF the throne OF the
Pharaohs. and made him the Savior OF
his fathers house as well as OF Egypt.
Gideon was quite a young man, the
youngest son OF his father, who still
lived. when God sent him forth with
his 800 men with trumpets and pitchers
to conquer the MlddIanites, who were
like grasshoppers for multitudeS. And
Samuel was but n child when God
called him into his service, and David a
shepherd lad. Solomon was but a very
young man when God appeared TO him
md said. ASK what thou wilt" And
what a beautiful example of young
men In the service OF God Is given US In
Daniel and his companions.
And what is true in regard to young
men In the Old Testament dispensation
IS also true in the New. Our blessed
Savior himself was still young man
when he died on the cross, and he had
as his for0runnar young man, and he
chose for his intimate disciples also
young men. Paul was still q young
man when he went down to Damascus.
And Timothy was but 4 youth when
he entered the work OF the ministry,
for Paul wrote him, Let no man de-
spise thy youth"
And tho same is true in the church OF
Christ In later ages. Luther, Melanc-
thon, Zuingie. were all young men when
God called them 20 their special work
in his kingdom. God seldom calls an
old man into the ministry, or a man
who has grown old before he has be-
come his servant TO any great work IN
his kingdom. Why? John gives US the
secret. He says, II write to you, young
men, because we are strong" etc. God
delights in young men who are strong
TO serve him.
And that the church OF Jesus Christ
has realized the great Importance OF
saving the young men Ia shown by the
many organizations that have existed,
and are existing, for their spiritual well
fare. That special Organizations, for
the mutual benefit and for the more or
less religious activity of young men,
have existed In the Christian church
in almost every age Is very probable.
There Is historical record OF such So
cieties In Great Britain and ireland MS
early as Charles ]. They maintained
a continued existence for n hundred
years, through the revolutions under
Cromwell and King William. attaining
their highest prosperity in the reign OF
the latter. These societies, whose OBJ
ject was the promotion OF personal
piety among their members, gave rise
IA 1881 to the Societies for the Refo--
nation OF Manners" which had for
their aim the suppression OF vice
through legal means, These societies
fiourished for about forty years, when
they became extinct.
In the present century. however, be-
tween 1929 and 1898, David Nasmith or
ganiZed about seventy young mems 80
cieties In the United Kingdom, France
and America. And in Germany In the
beginning of this century similar 40
cieties were found closely connected
with the state churches and their pas
tors. But while these were societies
for young mon, having distinctiveiy
Christian purpose and activity. Btill
they did not measure up to the present
organization known as the Y. N. c, A.,
in which many OF them hnve found n
congenial home. They did not bnnd
themselves together into distinct. M :
tional and international associations
as the Y. NJ. c. A. has done; each no.
ciety stood alone. They did not devotion
a special class of trained workers to
give their entire time to this special
work; nor did they acquire property
for their special use. thus laying a per-
manont foundation; nor did they seek
TO broadly promote tho intellectual,
physical and social sides OF tho young
mans nature along with the spiritual.
The present Y. NJ. c. A. IL n growth.
II Ia true II trnccs It's origin back TO n
society organized In London by George
Williams on June G. 1874, but Il Ia
equally true that Mr.. Williams at that
time had no thoughts OF the organiza.
tion that has gradually grown out OF
that single society for spiritual I'M
proVement among few clerks In .
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