The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-24
ON GOD AND THE CITY"
Bishop Potter Speaks at Old 81.
Paurs in New York.


NEW YORK, Nov 2s.-Bishop Potter at
noon today. in old St. Paul's, spoke to full
pews on God and the City" He began
by likening the city of New York to Je-
rusalem as Christ saw it from the hilltop,
journeying from Bethany. The address
was in effect sermon and in part as fol-
lows:
Christ wept. What he looked down
upon land what you and l would look
down upon we're we to see this city OF
ours with his eyes) was the great area OF
structures the men and women of Jeru-
salem going about their daily work, the
soldiers of foreign power covering be-
meath their domino on rottenness and in
iuuity chief priests and pharisees driving
their evil bargains in the streets, and be-
meath all this the secret shames OF men,
the brutalities of their mock justice. their
evil passions.
ut was not this that made Christ weep;
not the splendOr and the shame OF Jerusa-
lem, but the apathy. the spiritual insen-
sibility, the deafness of soul, which was
the damnst ton of the city. II we go into
the homes and palaces Of our day, we
think: What triumph the noble works
of an upstriving people!' But what a sor-
| row they are unless balanced by a spir-
itual perception, They are but dust and
ashes in Gods eye-as they should be In
our own.
"a woman, wandering about in one of
our large stores, saw a sign as simple as
familiar to us all: God Bless Our Home
She thought of her husband, going to
and fro to work, and asked the clerk for
another sign, to read God Bless Our Of
fice!' is not that rather large order?'
replied the clerk, believing it impossible
that there should be any room for such
sign in the machinery of the city. God
forbid that we should believe any such
thing to be impossible! God forbid that
we should countenance for one moment
the dissertation of God and the home,
God and the office, God and the tene-
ment, or even God and the police! 1t Is
not that we should be richer and better
organized, having scorn for evildoers,
but that we should cry, like blind Bar
timeus by the wayside. that the Lord
may open our eyes that We shall see.
For everybody who has an awakened
sense Of the grave situation that con-
fronts us In this city there is place In
the work. There is need of an organized
service. We shall not redeem New York
by emotions, not by denunciation, or the
pessimistic spirit that turns its back on
honest efforts. There Is a multitude OF
people, of different religions, of different
| nationalities, of different political asso-
Citations. They must-be made to forget
all this.
IF we could find three or five men who
would take the lead and tell us whete to
stand and where to lay our endeavor in
this contest, we could not but gladly say:
Lead on We need a vigilance commit
tee. like that of twenty-five formed in
| San Francisco after child of tender
years was found in the street assaulted
by some brute. We need some such COM
mittee-men sworn to their duty. Then
would such things be possible in decent,
| God fearing city?
1.-The scoffer said to me yesterday: The
| interest will last for So days only
God forbid that our service to him
should be exhausted in s. or in $500
days! Keep yourselves on your knees,
praying to God that he may open your
| eyes. and then that he may kindle in you
| flame Of righteous indignation. which
you may keep burning by the breath of
sacrifice"