Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-03
A STORY OF THE CITY
DIR. IvEY so CHAnAcTERrzEs THE
RICHMOND Y. NJ. C. A.
ITS MISSION--SAVE The WHOLE MAN.
Ultimate Purpose of the Y. VI. G. A.
Delivered Mt BrOnd-Street NJ. II.
Church by Distinguished Preacher.

An address which made lasting i'm
preston on the crowded house OF cul-
tured people which heard It, and. in fact,
was one of the ablest made during the
great anniversary celebration Of the
Young Mems Christian Association, held
here a week ago, was that delivered at
the Broad-Street Methodist church by
Rev. T. N. Ivey. d. D., editor Of the
North Carolina Christian Advocate.
After briefly reviewing the history Of
the Young Mems Christian Association
since it's organization in London. little
more than fifty years ago. Or. Iyey said:
! There is a question which we ought 10
consider very seriously and prayerfully-
! the relation between the Church and
the Young Mems Christian Association.
| Down in North Carolina, / am sorry to
say. we have some men who look upon
this institution. seemingly. with jealous
eye. They say IL usurps the place, and
! exercises the functions Of, and builds
Itself up at the expense OF the Church.
But we would not hear such statements
as these II the facts were generally
known. 4he association works for the
Church. through the Church, ana from
the Church. From the Church. because
it was born in the Church Of God. 1t
was started by men who were members
OF the Church and IT is supported by
those who are members Of the Church.
1t is through the Church. because the
Young Mems Christian Association draws
It's strength and inspiration from the
Church. II marches under her banners
and # is impe.led by her innate divine
force. Sweep the Church Of God from the
face Of the earth tonight, and Young
Mems Christian Association would be
impossible.
ASSOCIATION FOR THE CHURCH.
Again, it is for the Church. 1t exists
for the Church. The great aim Of the
association is to lay every crown and
wreath of victory at the feet Of the
Church. and to help her in pushing the
conquest Of Christ unto the very gates
Of he'll. and until the glory Of God shall
cover the earth as the waters cover the !
see.
In 1869 It was determined that since |
the name of the association was Chris
tian." it should be carried on by those |
young men who believe in Jesus Christ |
and who profess to love Him, ana would |
avow and prove their faith by becoming !
and remaining members of some evangeli- |
cal church. The association looks upon |
men as lost In sin; it looks upon the |
wages of sin as death, but the gift Of |
God as eternal life. The young men |
of this institution believe in the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of man;
in God as Father and Jesus as Saviour;
they believe that God forgives and the
Holy Spirit regenerates and sancthes.
Planting themselves upon the great com
mission issued from Olivet, "Go we into
oil lfOEUDl |
every creature" they go out with burn
ing zeal, drawing men in breathing upon |
them their own inspiration and then
send them out TO save others
This is the work of the assoc
citation. They can say, with st. Paul
God forbid that l should glory. save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"
They plant their standard wherever they
go; they fight sin wherever they see it,
and they are holding aloft the banner
Of Jesus all over this world.
SAVING THE WHOLE MAN.
The association believes in saving the
whole man, because the whole man was
what Christ himself came to save. Christ
came to save the spiritual nature by the
gift Of eternal life. In certain sense
he came TO save the physical nature, and
The mental nature also. When God |
places before US a man or woman to be
saved, he does not single out heart,
representing the spiritual nature, and
say, Save that" but he places in our
lands the physical nature and the men
al nature, as well. For the teaching
If Gods Word is that the body is sacred;
hat il is the temple of the Holy Ghost.
md IL IS a false doctrine of the early
church that would teach us that in order ,
o dominate and eliminate the carnality
If man it is necessary TO take him 10
ome den, and there dishgure
md lacerate the body, in order
o exalt his nature. Following =
he scriptural teachings, the association
las its gymnasiums and appliances for
mystical culture. 1t believes that the
ounder the body the sounder the mind,
nd the sounder the mind the more peace :
n the heart. Consequently, we find it /,
ngaged also I'm mental culture. 1T is the
Tory of this city Of Richmond that you .
ave in the association this reading | =
DOM, that Bible institute, that evening =
ollege. those helpful lectures. As / went :
through that building last night and saw ,
n those appliances for mental culture, n
nd then looked back to my own boy h
God days, 1 thought. what would l Q
ave given then had I had the advan- p
ages which the boys and young men of f
now enjoy?" So many hun o
reds and thousands of young men Of c
richmond are frittering away their Ii
hances in letting these advantages go p
y. q
HAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS DONE ! l
DR.. Ivey said that the world was in y
abted TO the Young Mems Christian As n
,ciation for lay preaching Moody be- y
an his work under its auspices, and ! d
nee then the association has swept a
trough the whole gamut Of moral life, j
ON the throne 10 the slums. IL has 4
uched college life; it has touched rail- 81
ad life; it has touched every depart al
ent of activity. The influence of the in
Dung Mems Christian Association is 81
'er that college boy, who goes back to II
s home among the hills TO lay at the 81
ct of his self-sacrihcing father and m
other a knowledge which is far richer la
an that of mathematics and Ian OF
ages-the knowledge of Jesus Christ IN
has sent the black and dusty engineer CT
ID conductor on longer and greater nc
urneys than when they pull throt-
or bell-cord. 1t has gone 10 ~
e storm centres OF sin. and has ~
ken hold of the bloated drunkard and ~
nj him home. not the staggering N
'etch that he was. but the man saved -.
grace. and with n smile for that -,
art-broken wife, TO plant roses on her
eeks once more, and TO make that home ,.-
lutiful with the light of love ~
We are also indebted 10 the associa- Va
n for the introduction OF the Bible as "
textbook into many Of our colleges.
d for the great students volunteer
through which a thousand
ssionaries have been lately sent TO | wi